bluebruce

And ours.

Can't think of a single good reason for you to not elaborate further so long after the fact. No source would need to be protected if he was on trial, as a leak could come from a large number of people.

Bloody hell, I'm not waiting 100 games to judge him!! I'd never judge anyone!

Centre mid is where I prefer him. I can see how there are some games he is needed wide though.

Very confused by this championing of 3 at the back. No matter how the theory of it looks, haven't we been bobbins every time we have used this? And played all our best stuff with 4-2-3-1?

Think you might be in luck!

Well we can't sign Chapman for free in 6 months. Due to his age, they are due compensation.

No, he didn't. We definitely got a fee. I think it was meant to be in the 300-500k range. A lot of people on the board weren't happy about it at the time I remember.

I had had the exact same thought. Can't bench Bennett or Reed right now, and can't keep sitting all three of Armstrong, Palmer and Rothwell on the bench.

Early days yet, but what do people make of Brereton so far? The ones who have seen each appearance (I haven't).

I wouldn't want to see them in order unless it was in addition to the aggregate. Your thinking is right - it is easier to absorb.

It's one thing, anyway, to say wingers are dead (don't buy it but hey). It's another thing to perpetually play people there who were never brought up to play in that whole area of the pitch. If you don't want the blood and thunder winger style fine, but you at least get specialists at whatever you DO want to play there.

Couldn't believe he gave that decision, cheap dive.

He will be 22 in February. If this is his level at this stage, you can only imagine we will never see him break into the first team here.

Maybe, but can't trust that paper. If I wrote with hindsight about that game on paper, the last 10 minutes alone would look something like this:

Looked like more than a knock to me. He was down.

No subs from us so far I believe? Against Derby I think we had made all our subs by this point of the game? I suppose we can't really bring anyone on as a 'defensive' reinforcement, and it likely wouldn't be prudent to switch it up and go attacking at this point.

Birmingham look set to end Leeds' unbeaten start. 2-0 up at Elland Road.

On that note, anyone know why Stoke were expecting their biggest crowd of the season against us? We're not the biggest draw, or with the largest travel contingent. Cheap tickets?

Very good question! How you go in with the most defensive lineup you can muster, away from home, no pace to catch them out on the counter attack, and are 2-0 up before half time against a traditionally defensively shrewd team, I don't know!!

Derby taking Brentford to pieces so far, 3-1. Looks like they might get the hiding we escaped.

Would love to ask that Stoke fan how well Ryan Woods is keeping the lid on Dack now!

I'm starting to really question some of Mowbray's signings this summer (albeit mostly ones I was questioning at the time). Not in terms of the player quality - far too early to decide that - but in terms of where we recruited and what types of players. We signed as attacking players: Armstrong, Brereton, Palmer, Rothwell. We signed to play in the defensive mid role: Reed, Rothwell (sometimes), Davenport (admittedly injured). Possibly that Lyons bloke. Yet we play Smallwood and Evans together basically every game (I think the cup games were the only exceptions?). The attacking players are increasingly struggling for game time - not a single one of the signings in that area is in the starting team today. The only player we have on the pitch who we didn't have last year is Reed, out of position. I don't understand why we collected all those defensive mids in particular since we wouldn't let Travis go out on loan either. Hopefully it works out today and hopefully it's just a specific approach for a specific game which will rarely if ever be repeated, but it is starting to make me wonder what Mowbray's vision really is. Not that I will care a jot if success comes.

In the Championship, if you sign a free agent after the loan window has closed, the only way you can play him before the next window opens is if his contract was ended before the loan window closed.

Probably by being a fantastic footballer. Possibly makes people a bit blind to the other stuff... Anyway, he doesn't seem like a bad apple sort in the sense of being an asshole or lacking commitment. It's his extra-curricular stuff that needs a lid putting on. Definitely got to be wondering what TM makes of all this. Could force us into accepting a lesser offer for him than we would like.