Didn't see either of those games, I had lost interest in the Mowbray train wreck long before then so I'll take your word for it. I didn't think he was particularly good v QPR. Terrible first half, a lot busier second but gave the ball away a lot and not much end product. Much better yesterday imo.

Only team with 6 points - two clean sheets. It's hard not to get carried away but I'm trying desperately hard not to and casually chalk it up as a "decent start". Think the success over the first couple of games has been built on the two centre backs, Ayala and Wharton. Thought Wharton in particular was absolutely sensational here once again. The worry surely has to be Ayala's injury record and if we somehow could get JPVH in it would be a massive boost. Kudos to Hedges, very good yesterday and it was the first time I've thought he may end up a decent acquisition. He looked like a bloke off the street who had wandered into a professional football match last season so it shows the difference a bit of decent coaching can make. How the hell has anyone managed to unlock the howitzer in Travis? He never looked like he had one of those in his locker previously. Gallagher still woeful, the two results are all the more impressive playing effectively with ten men, if we could replace himwith someone decent we really would be flying imo. Super goal from BBD. Although the same type of gamble didn't come off in Jan, for me we need to roll the dice once again with him and keep him until January then see where we are imo The funny thing is, I don't think we've even played that well yet! There looks like there could be a lot more to come from this group of players under this manager. Come on Waggott and Broughton, there's something potentially a bit special in the offing here. Do your jobs and give the manager the quality and strength in depth to succeed over a 46 game season.

Can't recall anyone ever saying that specifically. My view when Allardyce was here (and still is) give me 38 or 46 horrible scrappy 1-0 wins all day long. BUT if you're not in contention for League titles or trophies and are only winning enough games to ensure you stay up you need a bit of nice football or entertainment along the way as well otherwise the whole thing becomes exceptionally dull. Going back to yesterday, I didn't find our team's performance displeasing on the eye at all. I thought we could have played a lot better but it's only this group of players second game together under JDT and that will hopefully come.

Literally anyone. Vale was quiet but showed up far better than Gallagher last week imo. One's been dropped after a game because he's young and the other has retained his spot because he's "experienced". IAlternatively put Dack in. I'd rather the side was picked on merit and players who aren't up to it didn't retain their place regardless.

Very disappointing Gallagher has kept his place. Otherwise a decent looking side.

If it were down to me I'd drop Hedges and Gallagher for Markanday and Dack but I expect Vale will be scapegoated and dropped after one game and replaced by Szmodic and that Gallagher who was far worse than Vale on the day will retain his place. That's what would have happened under Mowbray anyway, let's see if JDT views things differently.

I believe so.

I suspect the two Clubs are still currently a long way apart in terms of asking price unless Brighton have a massive rethink.

Well, the structure of the fee obviously DOES make a big difference as if for the sake of argument it's £500k down and the rest is add ons then if he's shite it's not as big a deal as if we paid the £2.5m upfront. Obviously we all hope he's a roaring success in which case at what point exactly we paid the £2.5m all becomes academic.

Why, what's up with Wharton?

Graham hasn't, I'll give you the other four though. An interesting post. We've also had our share of donkeys in recent years though, Best, DJ Campbell, Chris Brown, Luke Varney, Simeon Jackson and Gallagher etc etc so prolific goalscorers aren't that easy to unearth despite appearances to the contrary.

I also think that if BBD leaves we need two strikers not one as as we saw in the second half of last season, unless Dack gets back to somewhere near his best there's barely a goal in the rest of the team. Will people also stop with the "if we do X,Y and Z with Gallagher he'll become a 15-20 goal a season striker nonsense?" He's 27 and has only managed double figures once. It ain't happening, stop torturing yourselves. I did think I'd snap anyone's hand off if they offered half our money back for Gallagher. After his display on Saturday I'd reduce that down to £1m and get his wages off the payroll.

Although we're in no position to complain about any bodies coming in I'm not really convinced by the two latest signings and a BBD departure would make it a very poor window indeed imo. Shows up the "It takes longer to get quality in" argument as the players concerned have been linked to us for a while and you wouldn't exactly say either are out of the top drawer. At this stage of the window I'd wager BBD would be replaced by someone who isn't as good or temporarily by a loanee on the basis "it's difficult to do business at the last minute" or "everyone wants good players". If BBD absolutely has to leave to leave the best deal for us would be involve a top quality player in PX such as £10m plus JPVH from Brighton. Otherwise I fear we'll just bring in a substandard replacement and be weaker as a result in the long run.

I know that in your eyes no-one could possibly do as good a job as Saint Tony but it is incumbent on me to point out that since finishing 8th we've lost nine players from that squad (for nothing) so it's totally unfair for you to use last season's finishing position as the benchmark. If we do beat it, fantastic, but it would be some achievement I feel.

I couldn't give a monkeys about how it appears on TV or social media platforms, I'm only bothered about our own team having the maximum possible advantage which to me entails putting the away fans as far away from the pitch as possible whenever possible. Why do fans need less stewarding in the upper tier than the lower one?

We'll have to wait and see if there is a genuine "Dack stuation" or whether it's a figment of people's imagination. After yesterday's game, assuming JDT has 2 eyes in his head and isn't someone who "should have gone to Specsavers," I'd be rather more worried if I was Gallagher than Dack.

Bit harsh to sack the manager after one game one win! 🙂

Sorry I wasn't clear, I meant that due to the general nature of some of our play we looked to have a lot more potential "going forward" I.e. "looking to the future". I didn't mean we were dynamite going forward in an attacking sense yesterday, indeed we looked quite toothless up front which is why I don't think we can afford to lose BBD without getting 2 quality replacements in.

Thought Ryan Giles looked quality playing at LB for Boro under a decent manager. Not one of Lenihan's better games though

It doesn't take much these days! 🙂

Had this argument over and over with John Williams back in the day. If you're planning on the basis that you're going to fill the Darwen End with away fans half the season, you can never put into motion serious plans to fill the ground with home fans. I know we're a long way off even those days now but I'm sure there were home fans who enjoyed going in the DE lower when it was possible to do so and I'd have kept that going and been looking at ways to give us a credible presence of home fans at both ends of the ground.

Yes, with our own fans.

If there any actual evidence he's sulking though or is it just some nonsense posted on social media?

Rather more to do with Mowbray sulking and falling out with all and sundry, refusing to sign a striker and playing Bradley Johnson as a false 9 and losing the dressing room I'd have thought!

I strongly disagree on this. Keep away fans as far away from the pitch as possible imo. Why would it save a few pennies sticking them up top as down below? Wouldn't make any difference would it?