Quite the opposite for me Philip, I want a win and will take it under any circumstances. However if you offered me a draw now I would snatch your hand off.

I wasn't sure because there was some veiled criticism of Mowbray if it was a serious post and the 11th Commandment is Thou shall not criticise Mowbray. ?

So he's got part of it right. The criticism of him and the players is the other part which is costing us dearly.

I honestly don't think we will be relegated but my real fear is getting into a scrap given the way the team have capitulated recently. But the big problem of losing leads and conceding goals has to be addressed by Mowbray and my real concern is that he doesn't know how to. His post match comments yesterday frankly appalled me when he said about the strikers coming back to defend. Is he trying to exonerate himself and pass the buck? His demeanour on the touchline when he puts his head in his hands after a players error is a public display which is quite damning of the player. He appears to have belief in his players as evidenced by him handing out new contracts to players who the majority of fans think aren't good enough for the Championship. A few weeks ago the team defended terrifically well at West Bromwich in difficult circumstances which tells me the players do have some 'bottle'. This is a testing time for Mowbray with a transfer window coming up and a run of poor form. I don't believe we should be pressing the panic button yet but he simply has to make us harder to beat.

I remember posting after the first game of last season that we needed a big, uncompromising centre half who could organise and strike the fear of God into opponents and our own players. Although we got promoted our goals against column was embarrassing in an awful league and the fact we could invariably out score teams papered over the cracks. Fast forward to now and the goals we are conceding are poor in the extreme. The three conceded today were all from crosses into our penalty area. It seems that Mowbray isn't as concerned as some of us as he signed a plethora of midfielders, many of whom can't get a game. I really fear a relegation scrap but bringing in a centre half who sees defending as the number one priority and who will rattle a few cages to do so.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/december/lessons-to-be-learned---mowbray/ "Today, they threw (Pontus) Jansson up top and god knows why we ended up taking our strikers all back and leaving nobody up front to get hold of the ball or draw fouls. The quote above is from Mowbray post match. I find it incredulous that he, as the manager allowed this to happen without shouting to the players concerned to get up the field. I honestly wasn't going to be critical of him today as I thought we played well with some real positives but reading that nonsense has just irritated the life out of me and once again gives me cause to question Mowbrays managerial ability. We are going to be in a dogfight which was the real fear of some of the regular posters on here.

All the very best to Rovers fans wherever they are. One thing I think we all want for Christmas is six points from two extremely tough games. Hopefully Santa Mowbray and his Elves can deliver.

For me its got Pasha's grubby prints all over it.

It's been said several times that something about this deal just isn't right. The fee, the timing of the first bid and then the loan to buy agreement left quite a few feeling uncomfortable. In addition the story that a middle man was appointed by Forest to sell him and that Brereton didn't want to go. If there is some truth in Jim's information then Rovers have taken significant steps backwards in my opinion.

I really couldn't understand keeping him on today when he was clearly injured with what appeared to be a hamstring problem. The same thing happened twice last season with Lenihan (at Southend) and Chapman (at Wigan). Both of them were serious injuries which could well have been made worse by staying on.

That's exactly how I see it, a huge challenge for Mowbray. To an extent Mowbrays reputation is on the line as he has always been conservative in the fees paid for his signings and the £7m fee could be an albatross around his neck too.

I think it's more of an expectation of competence befitting a professional footballer. Brereton has so far failed in the basics but I certainly don't blame him. The fee was nothing to do with him but clearly is weighing heavily on his shoulders and he just doesn't look comfortable in his 'wide striker' role. Mowbray has to take him out of the firing line, go back to basics at Brockhall with him and give him game time in the under 23's. I see this as potentially Mowbrays biggest challenge at Ewood but certainly managing Brereton as he has is doing the player or the club no favours.

I don't know where you sit but around where I sit in the JW Upper fans were as critical of Palmer as they were Brereton. Neither are worthy of a place on the bench and after Mowbrays comments I'll be surprised if Palmer stays with us but we are stuck with Brereton.

Since the season started I have consistently said we need 50 points quickly otherwise we will have a difficult last few months. Mowbrays comments about potential signings in January reinforced my line of thinking as without decent new blood I believe the struggle will be greater.

We had a two v one situation with Graham and Brereton towards the home dug out which they screwed up completely. I looked at Mowbray who had his head in his hands. I thought his gesture was a reaction to Brereton for failing to do something relatively simple.

Mowbray is the only manager I have heard talk about 'wide strikers', it's like a description he has invented to justify playing players out of position. Both Armstrong and Brereton fall into this category and while the former look ok in patches the latter has generally been abysmal. Mowbray is far too clever at times and on this occasion he needs to swallow his pride to possibly prevent spoiling a young players career.

I quite enjoy he game today and thought we would have been decent value for a draw but I thought Mowbray got it wrong today with his changes. We were looking fine and matching Norwich but when Evans went off I just can't fathom why we didn't go like for like with Rodwell. Instead we had a couple of positional changes that we didn't need. Reed was giving us really good width and we were stretching them. It's almost like Mowbray is trying to justify the Brereton signing by bringing him on come what may but today I honestly think the personnel and positional changes cost us. Reed and Graham were excellent today with our full backs much improved from last week. Dacks body language after the goal worried me with the window opening soon. He looked desperately unhappy with the manner which we conceded. Brereton needs some under 23 football and Mowbray has to swallow his pride and play him there. He is shorn of confidence and his body language tells it's own story.

I have just noticed that Newcastle play the Rags on January 2nd with an 8 pm kick off. Hopefully this influences Benitez with his selection.

There are more southern based but at least ten clubs are within 100 miles of Accrington.

It appears that Accrington have the losing ticket in the EFL fixture tombola. Last Saturday they were at Southend and today at Yeovil. It makes a mockery of the notion that clubs prefer long distance games in midweek.

The downside is that some Rovers fans (I spoke to one yesterday) are tempted to take their £39 tickets back and watch it at home with friends. And I don't blame them one bit.

If Millwall on January 12th is free I'll do it.

Confirmation of the above but surprisingly Rovers only have a few hundred tickets left. https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/december/leeds-game-to-be-streamed-live-on-ifollow/

After a Rovers win my greatest hope is that it is Norwich nil. However given our propensity to concede I honestly can't see that. So I think we will have to score a few goals to win which means being on the front foot from the outset, something I doubt will happen. It looks likely that Graham, Dack or Mulgrew will have to once again come to the fore and get us some goals.

Would West Ham or Palace probably double his wages? If Rovers accept an offer I think he would be off in a flash particularly if it was a London club. Isn't he also back with the bimbo?