Can we please complete a pass, just one, please.

Agree and I 'liked' your post. I'd just say that teams have 5 centre backs precisely to cover the injury prone and the dead and dying. Two positions 5 coverage, as a manager, any manager you'd assume that was enough surely. We just can't seem to catch a break in that department. TM has loaned 2 prospects with good reputations, granted they're babies but not sure what else we could reasonably have expected him to do. Times up for TM for me, hail fellow well met, but time to move on. I still maintain though he's had a dog's luck with injuries this season.

I haven't changed my mind, we should shake TM's hand, wish him well and send him on his way. Time for a change, absolutely. But the guy can't buy a break can he. We have 5 centre backs on our books Ayala, Williams, Wharton, Lenihan and Nyambe, if you consider him the cover for centre back All of whom are crocked. Thank goodness he brought in loan cover, realistically though they should never have expected game time outside of league cup matches and the like, yet here we are, here he is, two babies at centre back. TM has built a good squad I think we all agree on that but this injury situation and the others in midfield beggars belief. He's done and continues to do much wrong and sometimes things that are plain incomprehensible but he's really had a dog's luck. Other managers will do better with the players we've got so time for a change but jeez the guys got bad luck. On the match, we were unlucky, but you get kicked when you're down, there's been other matches where we've scabbed an undeserved win but yesterday we were unlucky and so was TM, again!!

Awful just awful.

OK I've seen the light and I'm converted, time for Rovers and TM et al to part company. I'm a strong believer in decency and loyalty but enough is enough. I like TM as a human being and I think his values saved our club. I'm grateful and wish him well and nothing but the best but the time has come for a change (and it pains me to say that). We've had bad injuries this season and no settled team available so many square pegs in round holes were necessary, c'est la vie. But now!? No, Tony this is all wrong. The team selection is wrong. Player positioning is wrong. Strategy is wrong. Tactics are none existent. We have good individual players yet you hobble them every match. I scream out for someone to pull the ball down and pass it rather than hoof it. I cry out for someone to complete a pass. Hello! Does anyone want to show for a throw in!!! Does anyone fancy moving off the the ball please. Whilst we're at it a bit of tracking back would be nice. We have enough creative talent in the team Tony, tell Nyambe to be a defender, tell Douglas to be a defender, can we have a George Graham back 4 unit all moving together and as one please. Stick Rothwell in the middle and scream at him until he's creative. Use wingers in wing positions, get someone physical in the centre forward positions. Doing the same old shit over and again and expecting a different result is the oldest form of madness. Sorry Tony, I really am, but it's time to go.

We have ball players up front, Elliott, Dolan, Armstrong, why the hell do we keep lumping balls into the air in the box when it's full of 6 foot + defenders?

Can someone please bring the ball down and complete as pass, PKEASE!!!

Elliott love-fest from the commentators, interesting what they would have said if it had been him going over for the penalty instead of Gally.

Just heard Travis name for the first time all match.

Welcome or not? OK this is my take on it. I'm an old guy. I've had to deal with some serious health issues in my past but right now I'm good and have convinced myself that the nightmare times are well and truly behind me. I get up every morning and thank all that's holy that I've been given this day and try to live it with a vigour and verve. The past belongs in the past and it's not going to clutter up my present. The Venky's made terrible choices, really terrible choices. The club almost went under. At one point I could see no way back. We were not only crap at football but we had lost our soul as a club with allegations of corruption and dirty dealings. Then Mowbray arrived and gave us something back that I feared was lost forever. I'm proud of my club again. The football has been iffy and patchy but at least we are the Rovers again and I can say that with pride. What's past is past, today is what's important and looking at the Venky's through that lense, they're doing alright. I'm grateful for their continued support of the club and for me long may it continue. Time for the hatchet to be buried, I'll judge them now only on what happens going forward. I'm sure they are as hurt as we are about the naïve and gullible early days but it's time to get on with things, we have work to do and the top 6 calls us on. Well that's my two pennies worth, I say forgive and forget.

Didn't care before the match, won't care after the match. Disappointed not to have seen a bunch of U23 on the pitch though, missed opportunity. Should be resting the established players.

They're in League 1 who cares what position they're in. They won't turn up with their strongest team they have too many other things to worry about. I'd factored that into my opinion. Not too bothered if we progress or not to be truthful, rather keep key players uninjured and take a closer look at the U23 prospects. But that's me, happy to take others opinions.

Not bothered about the cup this year, we need to be focused solely on the league. As others have said I'd: Pick every U23 who has a chance of breaking through this season. Then fill the gaps with players who are usually on the bench eg Dolan, Downing etc.. Then look at minutes for players recovering from injury. Should be a nailed on win whatever we do (famous last words).

Gallagher had a good game. Some great defensive tracking back. Worth his place IMO.

Happy, happy, happy. The boys are back.

What to say. I love Rovers, I hate Rovers. I'm desperate for a win, then I think what's the point it won't make any difference. I'll pay my 10 quids again, but I don't want to. I'll feel awful before, during and after the match. But maybe THAT is the point, there isn't one, the whole damned rigmarole is pointless! Rovers are a Labour of love, I'll always be a Rover no matter how hopeless it gets so once more into the breach dear friends. Expecting a defeat again but what the heck, I'm going with a 0:3 scoreline. Come on St. Jude.

Agree with a lot of your post. The bit quoted above though not so much. The full backs are the problem. Mowbray is so hell bent on attacking that he uses his full backs as surrogate wingers. That leaves big holes in defence that are easy to exploit with big heave-ho Hail Marys. We are NOT as good in attack as Mowbray thinks we are. We are weak in defence when the full backs go awol and there's no cover from defensive midfield despite there being three of them. If/when a new guy comes in he can either buy his way out of trouble (not likely to have the cash though) or acknowledge the defence is the problem and make the back four stay together. A back four. A shape. Stay tight. Move as one. I don't think this is rocket science, I genuinely don't understand how we can all see it but TM can't especially as he was a centre back by trade. wtf?

So, if we were all on the coaching staff what would we advise Mowbray to do (other than to leave)? My input. 1) have a plan B 2) Fix plan A by a) not playing 3 of your midfielders so deep b) move the ball MUCH quicker c) stop passing the ball across the back 4 d) stop running the ball into cul-de-sacs on the wing and recycling to the back four e) press more f) put round pegs in round holes 3) Plan B a) keep the back four as defenders, no full backs running out of position to play at being world beating attackers ... we need defenders to defend b) get round the back of tight defences by using wingers ... yes we have some Tony think Dolan, think Chapman or just plain think ... c) put the biggest men in the middle of the attack eg Gallagher or Brereton d) get midfielders into the oppositions box [or close by] instead of them relaxing in the centre circle as if they were watching the action on a film screen e) MOVEMENT!! please can we have some!? That's my input, anyone with any others? Come on guys, he needs all the help he can get.

Never saw that coming. 2:1 loss. Who knew?

We've no centre backs. Open house.

Good shout.

How to beat the Rovers : HIgh press Crowd the defence Practice set pieces Look to strike on the break Field as many bruisers as possible to run into as many Rovers players as possible Play as many Hail Mary passes into the heart of our defence as possible We see it every week. When will Mowbray learn. Less Arte more, Labore please Tony.

As a good friend of mine used to say ... there's only chaps and lady chaps! Happy New Year anyways.

Elliott had a bad game. We overhit everything. More players sitting behind the guy with the ball and no one in front (when we're attacking). No movement. Poor match poor result.