With regard to his subs he gambled to try to get something from the game. When he doesn't he's often accused of being negative. The poor guy can't win. I honestly haven't seen anything thus far that suggests that Rovers can't finish in somewhere between 9th or 15th in this League. Not challenging for promotion but not involved in a relegation scrap. We have a decent squad when everyone is fit and the new players are up to speed. Of course we'll lose games this season - the opposition is that much better - and there may be times when we might drift uncomfortably close to the wrong end but on what I've seen so far I have no doubt we will be fine come next May.

Bang on philipl. Some of the reaction on here is pitiful. In the first half we played some decent football, created chances but didn't take them. On another day we could have been three up by the break and it's a different game. In the second half they dominated and made the most of their chances. The mistakes we made in the second half we would have possibly got away with in League One but in the Championship better players are going to punish them. Bristol City are a club that have been rebuilding for a few years now - look at how the stadium has been transformed from what it was. They have been steadily rebuilding on the pitch and played some decent stuff in the second half. Why anyone should think that going to Bristol and winning would be a formality for a newly promoted club is beyond me. The second half yesterday was the first time that we have looked second best in any game thus far and to be fair the last two goals came when we were chasing the game and took risks with the number of attacking players we had on the pitch. We have looked a solid Championship side in the other games and that is where we are at the moment - a mid-table team that probably won't challenge for the play-offs but will stay away from trouble at the other end. Mowbray has talked about a long term project and that is what it is and will probably take another two or three transfer windows before we have a team ready to challenge at the top end. We have come on leaps and bounds in the past eighteen months and surely a little perspective is required at this point.

A game of two halves. First half we dominated, created chances but didn't take them. Second half Bristol dominated possession and took their chances. Bristol are a pretty decent Championship outfit with a superb stadium and sizeable fanbase. They ought to do well this season with Taylor and Weimann who ran our centre-backs ragged. We are a solid mid-table Championship team and when we don't take our chances we will be punished at this level. This was a good wake-up call for anyone who thinks that we will simply walk out of this League. We've made a solid start for a promoted team but have some tough games coming up and will need to make the most of the chances we create. One or two didn't perform as well as they can today but it's certainly not a reason to panic - every player has an off day now and again.

Lyons looked very good when he played against Kendal last month. Would be a natural replacement for Hardcastle at Under-23 level.

We looked poor tonight against an Everton outfit who were not as technically good as Chelsea or Leicester but who were physically strong and capitalised on some poor mistakes by our lads. At the moment this is very much a team in transition with the next crop of youngsters coming in to replace those who played last season and have either moved up to the senior squad, moved out on loan or are out with long-term injuries. Tonight we struggled to get anything going forward and defensively made mistakes which were punished. Everton had a couple of lads with first team experience and, of course, they are far more experienced at this level than our youngsters. It's a big jump from Under-18 football to the top division of Premier League 2, particularly when facing lads who are two or three years older than our own. Long term it will hopefully pay dividends but at the moment it's a struggle.

Waggott and Mowbray seem to deal only with Mrs Desai and her husband now. Which suggests that Balaji has been shunted aside - which probably explains why the club is now being run on more sensible lines.

I thought Caddis improved as the game went on and in the second half did extremely well, making the third goal with an intelligent piece of play and a clever pull back.

What was impressive Stuart it that both Butterworth and Tomlinson put in a 90 minute shift at Leicester last night and had a huge amount of work to do in that game. Fitness levels are very impressive throughout the club.

Difficult night for a very young team at Leicester against a side that included internationals, a number with first team experience and a centre-back that cost £12million. At one point our back four was made up of 4 17-year-olds. Like ourselves, I believe the team had a difficult trip down to Leicester due to the traffic problems which are now a regular feature of away trips. Many of the lads who won promotion last season are no longer part of the Under-23 set up - Travis, Platt, Wharton, Nuttall - and both Tyler and Joe Rankin-Costello are sidelined with long term injuries. It's a good learning experience for the youngsters being drafted in from the Under-18's to fill the gaps but tonight, like last week, they came up against some quality players who were operating at a higher level. The main disappointment at the moment are the performances of Tomlinson and Hardcastle and both look like they could do with a spell on loan somewhere before they start to go backwards at this level. It's going to be a tough season and a steep learning curve for the youngsters being drafted into this team. Hopefully, they will come out at the other end better players for the experience.

Remember it well Tyrone. Walter Winterbottom was the manager and was given the players and it was up to him to make the best of it.

Wharton has been loaned out to get experience Rev. To learn and make the mistakes in League One rather than with us in the Championship. At present he wouldn't make the first team so would be in the Under-23's - and he has nothing to learn at that level - or sat on the bench not playing. I disagree with your point on Brown. Both Wharton and Platt improved tremendously, as did a number of younger players by playing alongside Brown in the Under-23's as he guided them through the game. It was an invaluable experience for our youngsters.

True, but under the present system we wouldn't have survived in 71-72 if Furphy hadn't been able to make drastic changes and the same could be said for Kenny in 1991-92. Clubs can always say no if someone comes in for their best players.

If the players we want cost more than we are prepared to pay then you walk away and look elsewhere. Clearly players were identified but the fees and wages are an unknown until you start talks and at that point it takes both sides to agree a deal no matter how much the Rovers may want a player. Watching the City documentary at the moment and it's interesting that they - with all their resources - walk away from deals if they don't believe it's value for money. I know it's a different subject but I have to say I still prefer the old system when you could buy, sell or loan players up to mid-March. It seems to me that every club is in panic mode in the days coming up to the deadline and it all becomes a giant chess game with clubs refusing to release players until the last minute and it seems to drive fees up. Look at City, having to recall a goalkeeper who they've sent out on loan simply to act as backup because of injuries. They whole system seems madness.

I think Sky's coverage will impact on mid-week attendances. I suspect there won't be many of us at Swansea for our mid-week game and I don't think we'll take the same numbers to Derby for the Tuesday night game. It will be interesting to see what away followings are in the Championship for mid-week games this season.

Maybe nothing has gone wrong and nobody is to blame. We seem to have a wage structure in place at last and personally, I would be happy to keep within it. Clearly we have had targets but if the fees asked and wages demanded are viewed as being too high then I'm very happy we are not getting involved in these deals. Personally, I'm more than happy with the way Mowbray, Waggott and Cheston are dealing with things at the club and for the first time in a good few years we seem to have structures in place which are working properly. The truth is that nobody on here knows what the targets are or the money we are prepared to spend on them. It's all a bit of speculative fun - or not depending on your point of view. I think Mowbray definitely wants to send Travis and Nuttall out on loan so that they are playing week in and week out at a higher level than the Under-23's or sitting on the bench for first team games. Clearly if we don't bring anyone in then they will have to stay to play bit parts from the bench. As for Rodwell, it will be down to Mowbray to manage him. If he believes that he can get something from him then on paper it's not a bad move. Diouf wasn't everyone's cup of tea before he arrived but he did a great job for us.

I would put Evans, Smallwood and Bennett back without a moment's hesitation. I would also have Graham back in the centre and play Armstrong out wide in place of Palmer - who for me doesn't do enough when we aren't in possession, something which from the sounds of it Mowbray is addressing.

The problem with the team at Carlisle was that it was defensively weak in midfield. Time and again Carlisle ran through our midfield to have shots on goal. Against a better team than Carlisle it would have been 5-5. Fully expect Evans and Smallwood to be restored along with Bennett and Williams if fit.

Too early to tell really but he has looked very impressive at times - he has pace which is so important at any level. He's a good finisher but still has a lot to learn.

He was injured earlier in the year and had an operation. He missed the final stages of last season and I don't think was expected to be back until Sept/Oct time.

We have had a certain budget to spend - both on new players and renewing the contracts on existing ones. Nobody on here has a clue as to what that budget was. Nobody one here knows who we were interested in or who we made bids for and nobody knows why those bids weren't good enough. Clearly, we weren't prepared to go beyond that budget which, I assume had been worked out with FFP rules in mind.

It suggests to me that he wasn't top of our list hence why we bid so late. Clearly we had a certain sum of money to spend but some of the prices quoted - and no doubt wages wanted - would have been beyond our means. If we were looking to make a serious bid for promotion then this window would be disappointing. However, we are trying to ensure we don't go down and the addition of Rothwell, Davenport, Palmer and Armstrong are welcome additions to the squad and should ensure we achieve our aim.

We only have a very limited income - spending way above that means you walk a very narrow line in terms of FFP. If you get up - great. If not you face problems that impact on the club for years to come. Whether we like it or not we have to live within our means. Having renewed contracts over the summer - on improved wages - our expenditure has increased. This isn't fantasy football - in the real world you have to cut your cloth to what you can afford. The manager will know better than any of us who he needs and I've no doubt that a loan or two will arrive before the end of the month. I have every confidence that the manager will ensure we don't go down and maintain our Championship status.

Personally, I'm happy we are not adding to the debt and risking another transfer ban by spending beyond our means.

The squad is good enough to stay up Rev, particularly with a loan or two before the end of the month and staying up is the only aim this season. Bottom line is nobody knows what the budget is, who we've been after or why deals have failed to be done. The players mentioned on this thread may not have been of interest to Mowbray so he's hardly missed out on then. Glad that Mowbray hasn't paid over the odds for players in a market that is inflated beyond belief. One or two loans gives those players the chance to prove their worth before we actually buy them.

I suspect the majority buy their season tickets because they support Blackburn Rovers irrespective of transfer dealings.