He has every right to try to beat the keeper to that, and when he realises he won't win he jumps up to try to avoid catching Walton's feet. Or may have been trying to block the pass off, which he is also entitled to do. It was maybe a little clumsy, but it's not easy to avoid colliding with someone when you're running at speed and only have a split second to react.

7 million and a squandered season-and-a-half isn't 'unearthing a gem' at this level, even if it works out in the end! Definitely looking brighter lately. Long may it continue and improve.

Mowbray on Graham taking the penalty Pretty much just saying he leaves it up to the players and what happens happens. I think he has said much the same in the past.

Everyone else is busy constantly looking for a pass instead of shooting. Happy to let Arma keep shooting as long as he keeps tucking enough away. The others can sideways pass futilely all day.

All of the time Mowbray is here.

He nearly did too. Shame he smashed that shot so badly, he had played really well. That point is huge. I dont think any of us expected it to come after the day we had. Psychologically I think it makes a huge difference. With Preston losing we have now been very lucky in the last two games to only draw and yet get a point closer each time. Missed opportunities for sure but we are now 3 points away when we started the week 5 away. Crucially we also stopped Swansea leapfrogging us with that late goal. Need to get through that Derby game with something and get Darragh back pronto. Today should have improved Gally and BB's confidence if they don't dwell on the misses, and that could be key (especially since Gally seems guaranteed a starting berth). Graham's decline also shows how much we need the 12 million gamble to come good. We need too many reinforcements in the summer to be able to concentrate much resource on a striker.

Well, he certainly won't be doing...

Graham is a spent force, sadly.

Their player staggered his run and waited for the keeper to move. Power and placement was the same but theirs was smarter.

Yep, I can't see us getting 3 out of this anymore and will be glad to see us snatch a point back at this stage.

Yep, but sadly there is zero chance of it so I didn't bother mentioning the prospect.

Hes been doing whatever he feels like at the time. Another awful team of officials. But it was definitely a penalty. So was the one we didn't get.

12 down? I didn't realise. No coming back from that.

It was a penalty.

I'd bring Samuel off and put Arma back up top. Bennett should come off but he won't. JRC would be the only option there.

Yep, off Bennett I believe.

Absolutely. People need to get a grip. He is playing up front today like most of us have been asking for and Sharpe seemed to suggest. Sharpe never questioned Gally's work rate and fairly assessed his attributes. It was a good article for a change and he is catching flak for it. I don't believe DG actually read the article and just went off the headline.

Hurrah! The lad who never assists setting up the lad who never scores! Weird Nyambe's first assist comes from playing centre half.

I'd go as far as to say he definitely won't be on before any of those. So unless we are anticipating a couple of injuries on the bench, what is the point when we could have just put a defender on the bench instead? Fucking ludicrous. You don't name this many mids and strikers on the bench, its goddamned stupid. They can't all get on!

The lack of a centre half, or even a defender of any type except arguably JRC who has never played there at senior level, on that bench is utterly unacceptable. Let's pray it doesn't bite us hard in the arse today. The man is fucking obsessed with strikers and midfielders!

I've genuinely met youngish people who have said they forgot or didn't know Shearer played for us. I know he played longer for Newcastle but come on. He was at his peak with us, domestically and internationally, as well as winning his only trophy here. I think the media memory blackspots on the issue are a factor.

I feel like you're forcing your conclusion in there to be honest, good poster though you are. If playing wide strikers is a detriment, and we have been doing it all season, surely you believe we would have more points if we weren't doing that and the other 'constant mistakes' from the manager? And we are only 4 points short of the top 6. For me, we either think the manager isn't good enough tactically and the squad would be doing better with one who was, and is therefore top 6 capable, or you think the manager is tactically astute, maybe even brilliant considering the injuries. For the record I think he tactically isn't good enough and the right team selections, formations, subs and tactics would see us currently sat in the top 6, even if only just. The transfer failings are a separate issue.

Do you think that Mowbray selects the team, tactics and subs correctly most of the time?

Not sure their top level players are in defence though. They kept a clean sheet in their previous game, but before that they conceded 11 in their last 4 games.

Is it just his recruitment, or does it have rather a lot to do with an excellent youth system that has produced Nyambe, Travis and Lenihan, consistently three of our best players? As well as squaddies like JRC and Buckley, and previous contributor plus fundraiser, Raya. Major hits for his recruitment are Dack, Armstrong, Downing, and a bunch of loanees we won't have next season unless we buy them. Acceptable signings are Rothwell...I'm only going to say Bell because he is currently a starter in the team who are were you say they are...maybe Johnson for the same reason though overall I consider both flops. Major failed are Gally and Brereton. And no, you don't get to exonerate him of those with no evidence and despite him saying himself that he bought them. The recruitment is a mixed bag and has included repeated failures to properly address the defence. The few successes, the academy, and the team spirit he has built, are why we are where we are where we are. The recruitment failings, the stubbornness, and the bizarre tactical and selection decisions are why we aren't higher.