Can't see why any of us think it was worth the gamble to bring Gallacher on, this works possibly once a season, if that. We would have had an equal chance of scoring if we had brought a defender on. Brereton & Gally will score 7 or 8 goals between them this season, so unfortunately we can't say that it's not Rothwell's job to score because all our other players need to score 5 or 10 goals each to compensate. What will happen is that they will all score the same as Gally & Ben, which makes it more challenging to win enough games to squeak into 6th. If only the management team could see this.... Still optimistic for a mid table season.

Hope we don't react too negatively to this disappointing result. If we continue with this decent start to the season, we will be ok. Time for criticism is November, not now. Today has reminded us that squad & manager are a decent championship standard, with a chance of 5th or 6th place, rather than dreaming of leading the division a xmas, which is what I've been fantasising about all week. Keep the faith, boys n girls....

I think this is accurate. I suppose the frustration is that he is a million pound player but we paid a lot more when no-one except the Rovers' management team had seen any evidence that he can score regularly at this level. Mowbray now forced to play him after such a large investment. We are always more effective when he is injured. COYB!!!!!!!

You seem surprised that your criticism of our most consistent player in 2020 receives some attention, then just to confirm your comment was clearly understood you call him poor. You may be correct but he seems an unusual target for criticism as he has shown impressive goalscoring consistency. Your logic would mean you were equally critical of Kane, Salah & Aguerro for missing chances etc All aspects of Armstrongs game could be said to be Championship standard.

Can we just agree that much of the frustration with BB is that he often looks like he has never played before. He rarely looks like he is in full control of the ball. He gives the impression that he had no footballing experience before he joined us, and has now been told what is expected from a footballer, so he is working hard to pick up the game as quickly as he can. Every single game, he loses control and possession of the ball, under no pressure whatsoever. If he was given the chance to run towards goal with no defenders in sight, I would challenge him to get 5 shots from 10 on target, and 2 out of those 10 he would leave the ball behind him. I have never said this about any other forward (Brown obv excepted), and yes if he hadn't swallowed half of our 3 year striker budget, we would have more patience with him. That still doesn't excuse him regularly falling over the ball. Sigh....

Good overall performance, truly embarassing in front of goal. Brereton is a lotcof things, but a goalscorer he is not. Shame we've chosen not to buy a defender, could have been another good season.

Solanke has been the most disappointing big money signing in the PL over last 2 seasons BUT he is a good championship level player, hopefully not for a few weeks yet....

My point was that we should, by now, have 2 bench players(better than Williams at least) ready to fill the gap until new signings are made. Someone better than Williams would not necessarily cost the earth, and would revert to the bench when we sign our ex-Premier League, or European, or U-23 centre-back. That is down to Mowbray, not Waggott or Venkys. We are currently looking at relegation rather than promotion, and relying on Brereton and Gallacher to improve 100% to take us into the pack. I would be as happy with Charlie in the team as Derek.

I don't know anyone on this board that would have been happy to start last season with Williams in the team, and Bell is an inconsistent close second to Williams. So, a relatively, surprisingly, positive reaction to their selection. Despite the fact that he did not have much choice, it is still a worryingly disappointing defence. Bearing in mind we have known since last September that we desperately needed a championship quality defender, who have we signed in anticipation of Aderabaiyo's departure? The late signing of Aderabaiyo meant he wasn't effective til November, and I think any late signing this season will be the same. That cost us 6 or 7 points last term, and we need to accept that these points are pivotal for the 7 mid-table sides hoping to sneak into sixth place. Looking at the line-up, this championship centre-half will also need to be a leader.... Will be sooooo happy with a point, more pressure than ever on Armstrong.... COYB

Crazy that we're able to even think about this. Wow, to think where we were after xmas, not that long ago. Saturday is a big, big day. Hope we can get a decent atmosphere. There'll be many more away fans tomorrow, not sure how many Stoke have sold. If Lenihan can avoid that booking, we actually have a chance of Wembley. Oops, sorry. Good laugh, tho. Will be good to see everyone arriving with smiles on faces tomorriw night....

Surely there's a reason for that, and it's not just because our 5' 8" super striker is better at holding the ball up and scoring. Who would you choose to play No. 9 between SG & AA?

I knew that would flush out a couple of responses. 16 goals (more?) last season, 5 assists, but he was instrumental in 50% of our goals. He has scored 51 goals in 123 appearances. If you go to a couple of games, or watch on the tele, you'll see how naturally comfortable SG is with the ball at his feet. He often finds himself in the centre forward position, but I genuinely haven't seen him show the potential to be a 20 goal a season striker. Exactly the same as his 1st spell, he scores a good goal every seven or eught games. What have you seen to indicate that he will be consistently successful up front at play-offs level? Speed & hard work aren't enough.

In who's eyes, beyond TM's? That would mean SG scoring or creating around 30 goals, compared to a full and firing DG season. Anyone believe that will happen? We are more effective without him in the team, a truly crying shame. I thought he played well in a couple of recent games, but the moment he collected the ball in the Darwen End box (against Fulham?) with no-one between him and the keeper, and decided to take the ball away from goal and out of the box, showed once and for all that he's not a natural footballer, like his millstone-mate BB, he is simply a magnificent athlete. 13 million anyone......?????

The answer to that is yes, as we'll play well and could easily win. My point about ambition relates more to Mowbray's ability to become somewhat less ambitious when we reach 8th place, when we possibly need to risk dropping to 11th by being more adventurous, and at least giving ourselves the chance of scraping into 6th. All of the above combined with our inability to replace Dack & Holtby with one expensive but quality signing in Jan. That's why we'll end 11th, rather than 6th, but it won't stop me dreaming until it's not mathematically possible. I'd love a trip to Wembley, and you know what happens when we get to Wembley.....

I thought we played well in the 1st half, and created 4 or 5 good chances, and much of this was down to Bennett's incredible work ethic and tenacity. Admittedly, when he was in positions to score or create chances, he was found wanting but he covered every blade in the 1st half. Graham also played his part in a strong opening 30 min., setting up 2 or 3 of the early chances. Poor finishing distracted and detracted from a solid 1st 45 from most of the team. Armstrong and Johnson's chances were poor finishes. 2nd half, Nyambe and Travis carried on the good work, despite allowing Hull to have a good 15 min of pressure. Johnson learned from Saturday, kept it simple, and retained the ball somewhat better. Mowbray did well to make the substitutions early as Graham & Benno both tired. Hull really couldn't live with the attacking intent, pace and willingness of Brereton & Samuel, although put a football at either of their feet and they will trip over it, 9 times out of 10. Good sub options only, for me. Defence look increasingly solid, if not yet perfect. Walton has surprised me with his consistency, ball handling & excellent kicking. I'm frustrated by our lack of intent & ambition to push on from 8th position, you'll see what I mean over the next few games, but you never know in the most open Championship run-in I have ever witnessed. I know it might be provocative trolling but to call it 'very poor, laboured and dull' and to say there was little to enjoy is somewhat negative and overly downbeat. Most fans cannot fail to enjoy a 3 nil win, regardless of understandable reservations. I live for nights like this and hats off to the few of us that braved the cold, to be rewarded with that AA screamer, talk about joy and relief. Brilliant!

Wow. And how are you justifying Brereton's selection? In terms of our chances of winning?

What a team that was. We have recruited some brilliant recruiting managers who just haven't been able to cut it tactically or motivationally. Having said that, King is one of the few big(ish) money departures from that team who've go on to further success, so maybe motivation wasn't a factor, and it was just a lack of confidence and risk-taking ambition that held Bowyer & co back.... Sound familiar, my furry groundhog friends????

Perfectly summed up. We really now need to do summat else til 3pm tomorra. Phones down, spare the torture.

Club has confirmed that there'll be no further business so anyone, like me, waiting for, literally, an eleventh hour bombshell, can stop refreshing and get on with their weekend. Mid table finish now confirmed, we can look forward to the 7 wins, 5 draws and 5 defeats. This really was our best chance since the Gestede/Rhodes/Bowyer flatter to de-season, to at least make a sustained challenge for 6th place. Night, team, don't flagellate yourselves for too much longer. Tomorrow's another (3 point???) day. Sleep well...

As far as I'm aware, the window doesn't close til 11pm. Have we had confirmation from the club, or somewhere else, that our business is done for the day?

I genuinely think Tony thinks he can play Buckley and Rankin-Costello to cover the absence of Dack and Rothwell. I haven't been convinced by Buckley, and won't be surprised if R-K struggles initially. Unf, that 'initially' period is the 10 games that will define our season. I really like the way we are playing at the moment, but I think Rothwell was a big part of that....I assume Johnson will replace him and we'll revert to safety 1st. That's why we needed a quality signing today.... Sigh...

I haven't heard anyone ask Mowbray why he was unable to strengthen central defence after shipping so many goals last season. One inexperienced central defender (who has hardly played in central defence) in, and one experienced, aging, 12 goal a season, central defender out. We conceded 2 or 3 goals per game last season, and we will do the same this season. If Lenihan & Williams were his 1st choice partnership, why didn't he play them last season? I know a lot of the top six, play offs comments are ironic but quite a number on here, before the Luton game, were predicting we would continue an upward curve. What planet are you on? Were you absent last season? Were you unaware of the weakening of our defensive unit? Anyway, with a weaker defence, we will have a weaker, or at best similar, season. So sad.

Reasonable point. Holtby will be the player of the season, but his class will be cancelled out by Mowbray's misguided desperation to mould Gallacher and Samuel into the next SAS or Gestede & Rhodes. Stubborn n clueless. But at least we're not going down...

I also genuinely questioned whether I could keep watching a group of players who really aren't reaching their individual or collective potential.... I'll not be chucking the towel in yet, but it feels harder to keep watching than last season, for some reason.

I think Downing's only really effective performances have been his fleeting moments on the left of midfield, such as the 2nd half against Charlton. Unfortunately, his job is to create and score goals, not to protect the back 4, that's Travis & Johnson's job. If he plays on the left, we will create more real chances. Square pegs, round holes. I'm sad.