No Mowbray fan, but I think it's unfair to say he has 'stumbled' on this formation. He has been trying to force the 5 at the back in for years, never with any success before. I felt after the transfer window that his plan was probably 5 at the back (and I was dreading it) when enough CBs became available. He seems to stumble on certain things for sure, but this formation isn't one of them. He has been planning and trying this for a while. To his credit, he has finally got it working too. I think having three tough no-mercy CBs, a couple of whom can pass pretty well, is probably the key. As well as a midfield and front line that are constantly harrying. It's making us very hard to break down.

I know. Be that as it may, he played half a season for Boro. Not sure a club like that lets nepotism alone decide their goalie. He must have at least some ability.

Thoughts on Mowbray saying Pears may go out on loan in January? I'd say sure if we get a cheap but capable deputy on loan ourselves. Pears has been iffy when used before, and since we own him for the next 2 and a half seasons we might as well look to develop him. But Kaminski's injury is a reminder he isn't invulnerable and the other young keepers don't seem any more ready. Pears at least has 28 Championship appearances under his belt. Which does however make me question how much he can learn in League One (likely the best loan he could get with guaranteed football). I guess he still hasn't played much pro football though, so it has to move him along better than playing in the u23s. We have too many keepers at that level too, getting in each other's way. And yes I know he has looked pants for the first team, and may be a total failure of a signing by the time he leaves, but we should remember he is only 23, still very young for a keeper.

One has been reported. Sorry I don't have the link. I think it was in an LT story maybe a month or two ago. The percentage wasn't known.

We don't actually know that. Just because something didn't hit the press doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

It is form. His game has visibly dipped this season, and I'd say in the latter portion of last season too. Much is made of his limitations in the final third, and I agree he has them. But the main thing sticking out to me about his offensive game is that he used to charge us right up the pitch with pace and power from RB. Even though he can't deliver the end product very often, he could give it to someone else, and is now charging us up the pitch far far less frequently than before. I don't know if this is under instruction, lack of confidence, his hammy injuries slowing him down a touch or what, but it's an aspect of his game that has nearly gone away. I don't think he would be good in a central 3. Lack of aerial ability, and lose his ability to drive us up the pitch (if it's still in his locker). I feel he is at his best as a full back in a back 4, with a wing partner for him to lay it off to and deliver the end product. Don't think the back 5 suits him however you use him in it.

Well it's easy to source a replacement if you've decided a top half of Championship worthy RB is actually tosh yeh. But I suspect most of us disagree, even with him on a run of poor form by his standards.

It's the end if you can prove it. So, who is the RB in League One of the same standard as Nyambe who is available for a couple of hundred grand in January?

Doesn't take a genius to realise that's fake. Some people will swallow anything these days. A lad who barely speaks any Spanish and has only been 'Chilean' for what, 6 months? As if he is going to get involved in endorsing political candidates over there. The Diaz family in Chile, I'm curious, how closely related are they to him? I'm guessing it would be grandparents and uncles/aunties that didn't move when his mum did.

The bigger issue than what they have at the moment is what they can now afford to buy. As good as he has been this season in the second tier and at times for Chile, I can't imagine he is the best option on the market for a club as rich as they are.

Don't believe what trophies they've won should matter much. That's a team accolade and this is a personal one. They're only one of eleven players on the pitch. Haven't seen enough of any of the players in question this year to opine any further than that.

Also solvable with reasonable minimum fee release clauses. Even if the players have already been contacted by Prem suitors (I doubt it, none of then are at that level except perhaps Brereton), can they afford to wait until the summer and see whether those clubs are still interested? And personally if I was a player and a Prem club weren't willing to pay say 3 million for me, I'd seriously question how much they really wanted me (unless I was just a youth prospect of course).

So the only RB on our books isn't a key player. Cool.

Didn't see him get booked. If he did then fair enough. Whoever came over and shoved I think it was Travis on his arse should also have been booked, and he definitely wasn't.

Didn't see a Stoke player get booked. Two of them should have been. It's not ok to put hands or feet on a player just because they're time wasting with the ball, that's for the ref to sort out.

It is a bit early with Pickering, and definitely too early with Edun (I'm optimistic about him though), to say that. The flip side also, Bell shows how easy it is to get it totally wrong. Was supposedly the best LB in League One, cost a few hundred grand, was tosh. Smallwood also showed the step up isn't easy. But yes it's possible. Likely, different story. Probably about a 50-50 return.

In the fantasy land where we get promoted, it's highly unlikely they would even still want to leave. In fact the ball would be very much in our court at that point on whether we wanted to keep them or get Prem quality.

This notion I keep seeing, that Nyambe can be easily replaced with a few hundred k spent in League One, a la Pickering, is deeply flawed. Firstly, it's early days with Pickering. He is in good form right now but overall has been a mixed bag so far. Attacking wise he looks good, but defensively has been inconsistent. Secondly, even if Pickering is the man to fill the role long term, look how many players and seasons it has taken to find him. We have had Bell, Williams Cunningham and Douglas, with the likes of Downing and JRC wedged in there at times. Thirdly, since some are suggesting sell Nyambe for a few hundred k and buy someone for a few hundred k, worrh observing that we don't get very much of our sales back in money to spend on fees. See Raya and Armstrong. I'm sure someone will feel like mentioning Edun too, but we certainly don't know yet if he also makes a decent LB. It's not as simple as throw a few hundred k at League One because, recent form aside, Nyambe is a good RB at this level. I notice nobody has actually put out a name of a League One RB they think is already as good as RN. I reckon the same people saying all this will be happy if Nyambe just signs a new deal.

It wouldn't have taken that much in the summer. I'm sure say 3k a week extra would have done the job back then.

Disagree on Dolan, think he has done that here from day one. Definitely part of his natural game for me. Not sure if Buckley used to play like that in the u23s or not, but he was too frail last season to be doing it against men. Credit to the coaching team and Buckley himself for recognising the weakness (obvious as it was) and working on it. Rothwell and Brereton, fully agree, though both have the pace to be effective at it. We played a bit like this early doors last season and got a decent return from it, and then morphed into a team that preferred to laboriously stroke the ball around to no effect. I do wonder what could have been last season if we stuck with that approach instead of trying to be all silky. But the main thing is we are doing it right now. Hope it continues. And screw me sideways but I just realised - Tony has finally got his 5 at the back shite to return some points! Historically we have always been dreadful when it came out.

I don't think that changes that the fans need to be more united. The amount of hateful bickering we have seen is tragic. Fans (both 'sides') need to learn to disagree peacefully and get along.

That's not enough key players signed up long term tbh. Those are also players low paid enough that the negotiations are easy, or new players. Tbh I don't even want JRC to be signed up for so long unless he is on buttons, as it's looking increasingly likely he will never be able to stay fit for long enough.

Possible. But I'd still take it if it meant wiping out most of our debt to them. That albatross around our necks worries me more every season no matter how good their intentions may or may not be.

No.

Harsh. The game isn't just about those things, especially for a CM, but he played a spot-on through ball to BBD who should have buried it. I'd consider that a memorable moment, and if Diaz was in his usual mood he would have had an assist. I'm not one of his backers btw, last season I thought he was mostly a liability.