Football is all about winning and whether it's the Guardiola inspired City way or playing percentages I really don't care. Any manager worth his salt knows his players and a style (and system) that suits his players. This is where I think Mowbray gets a touch delusional by trying to evolve players into a style they either aren't good enough or suited to play. His three at the back tactic was an unmitigated disaster but in fairness he learnt the hard way and changed back to a four man defence. Hopefully Saturday and the result will be a salutary lesson to Mowbray that to get results he has to play to our strengths.

I wouldn't normally buy any food or drink but my granddaughter skipped her dinner yesterday as she wanted some chips at the game. They cost £3 but it was a large portion and they were actually very good. Significantly though I got these around 2.50 pm and there was hardly anybody else at the food outlet. The other week I offest my club cash against a new kit for her (minus socks) and even with £23 club cash it cost me £38. This included printing her name on the back. Without club cash there is no way I would have paid the full amount.

Does anybody else think Christian Walton looks like Rodney Trotter?

I actually thought we played with a false nine as Armstrong and Gallagher were predominantly in wide positions. Buckley seemed to get the Dack role.

I didn't have time to get one today - are you at Hull on Tuesday?

I thought we were good in the first half and was slightly disappointed to only be one up at the break. And the focal point of our play was once again Danny Graham. In fact Graham going off coincided with Boro's best attacking spell as the ball just came back and put us under unnecessary pressure. Defensively we looked decent as Williams and Lenihan stood firm although I wish the coaches would tell Lenihan that he doesn't have to try and win every ball. Cunningham was a real upgrade on what we already have and I'm impressed with the Johnson and Travis partnership. Dack was busy without hurting Boro and our wide players did their jobs effectively. The feeling of winning is why I go to watch Rovers and it was good to hear similar comments on the way back. We weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but winning really is all that matters.

It's about the here and now though and not what has been achieved in the recent past. Ranieri won the Premier League and such was the speedy regression it cost him his job. Mowbray isn't at that stage just yet but I really don't believe that he can take us above lower (mid table at best) Championship.

You got it in one my friend.

I don't think you're Mexican at all.

You don't think players get 'lumped about' in amateur football. How many are actually 16 year old who are playing for Bolton? These are pretty much men at 18 so the physical aspect shouldn't be an issue.

It really does sum up the current snowflake society we live in when there are objections to kids playing three or four times a week. I remember when people played on Saturday, Sunday and midweek depending on the time of year (there probably still are some now). And went to work/school too.

Mowbray seems conflicted as to what style of play we should adopt. The more football, quick tempo style simply hasn't worked and Tuesday's performance where we played through Graham seems to have put him in a quandary. Having seen all our games (with the exception of Mansfield) I just haven't seen any evidence that the players we have are anywhere near good enough to play the way Mowbray wants. We can pass along the back four and across midfield but when we get ten yards into our opponents half they press and invariably we go back. To be honest I find it monotonous. I think we need to go back to Graham being the focal point of the team and then getting players in and around him. We also need to press high up as Middlesbrough try to play out from the back as Woodgate seems to think his players are good enough to do that.

I once confronted a manager who came into see me after a game to complain about some decisions so I told him I was sure I was correct. I was backed up by the other officials and assessor. On the way out I saw him and he pulled me over and said I was right but he complains about decisions most weeks and his logic was that when the referee has his team again his complaining might just buy him team a decision or two.

I'm not sure if you know that last November Mulgrew was given a new two and a half year deal. To go from an important player, captain and regular into persona non grata in a few months adds credence to the theories. Don't get me wrong Paul I think he was finished but the speed of his departure without having a replacement for him just doesn't sit right with me.

There are very few managers who don't to varying degrees. Two of the worst I ever came across were Souness and Hughes.

Well I didn't know he was a bully. I met him several times and had a meal with him once and he was absolutely fine. Public and private persona are completely different you know.

In real time I thought he stumbled over the ball but I had a side on view from the JW Upper.

That criticism should be done in the privacy of the changing room or Mowbrays office. There were worse than Platt and Grayson last night but no word from Mowbray about them. Mowbray should have been more professional than that.

For anybody not there Smallwood was a 'victim' of the new law change whereby a player being substituted has to go off at the nearest point. In Smallwoods case this was an empty Riverside and he opted to walk in front of the Blackburn End and JW Lower. In fairness he got a decent reception and he reciprocated but he did appear to go straight down the tunnel without acknowledging anybody on the bench. He didn't appear to be injured neither.

The most annoying trait of Mowbray is one he does publicly and is quite degrading. He did it several times last night but on really stood out and my opinion of him dropped lower. In the first half Nyambe knocked an easy pass inside when he should clearly have gone forward. Mowbray, on the edge of his technical area stood for a few seconds with his hands on his shaking head. He then turned and walked back to the dug out still shaking his head with his hands in the same position. I just can't see how that helps a young player who doesn't seem to have great self belief. And the fact that Nyambe is still doing things like that after Mowbray has been coaching him for over two years says more about Mowbray than Nyambe in my book. I saw Mowbray do this several times last night with Grayson too but not Brereton.

Quite frankly he was embarrassing, much worse than the centre halves who were called out. I just don't see anything at all in him that gives me confidence that will ever be a player. For a professional footballer his body strength is pitiful, I lost count of the times he was knocked off the ball. All things considered he is becoming a huge headache for Mowbray as the huge fee he paid hangs around his neck like a millstone.

Mowbray publicly calling out the young centre halves tonight is an absolute disgrace. I am beginning to think he is a bit of a bully after his public outbursts against some of the youngsters. And in the same interview he praises Bennett who wasn't even playing tonight. Poor from Mowbray who does seem to be getting erratic as the pressure mounts.

I thought there were some poor individual performances tonight and any fringe player with first team ambitions can put them to bed for a while. I was disappointed to see Downing starting on the right and Nyambe didn't know whether to stick or twist at times. The two young centre halves struggled at times and Evans and Smallwood were............pretty much Evans and Smallwood. Brereton was poor in my book and looked anything but a big money striker. Without doubt the introduction of Dack and Rothwell changed the game as they, along with Chapman were prepared to run at League Two defenders. At times I hadn't a clue what system Mowbray was playing so for the players it must be baffling. I thought we got away with one tonight but winning is the most important thing.

Hopefully they will Andy. You have a long family tradition to carry on despite the distance. I hope you are teaching them Darrenese ?

That is all well and good if Graham is happy to play second fiddle. They are both a similar age and appear to be surplus to requirements because Mowbray wants to play a different way. I'm not sure the position they play is important. I would imagine, like all good professionals they want to play every game.