It is really hard to judge Broughton especially this season with not only the budget cuts but the policy on not signing anyone out of nappies. I certainly don't think that recruitment has improved upon before he was here, I am not convinced by him and getting the job was a big jump for him.

Based on the fact that the owners won't permit older signings as shown by them allowing Hill after stopping Batth, that isn't his doing.

The state of that first goal.

They also have Adebayejo, Bodvarsson and Jerome though so not convinced he will be a regular.

I really hope Sigurdsson has not picked up another injury. If he has, that leaves us with no real wingers of note, so I would personally consider going 3 at the back with wing backs.

The point about the goalkeeper is a fair one. I do think the style is the main reason though. Both Carter and Hyam have had very poor seasons and the goals conceded column highlights this. But all of our defenders are regularly left exposed one on one with the way we play. When we signed Hill, one of the justifying factors by Broughton was his recovery pace because defenders would be left one on one in this setup, I might be paraphrasing but it was something like that, and he again struggled in such situations. My worry is that nothing will change on that front, so defenders who have previously shown that they can do a good job at this level will continue to struggle. Carter isn't the most graceful of players, lumbersome is more describing of how he moves, he is usually fine with the ball at his feet and not like Scott Wharton who has lost it numerous times including in the lead up for the corner that led to West Brom's third. He is quite lanky and gangly, maybe it is just a harsh word to use. He looks more "lumbersome" as a right back where he is not nearly as comfortable.

Him and Markanday score for fun in behind closed doors friendlies. In real games, they fall short.

I am not convinced that Hyam has chucked it in. On his day in a solid team, he is a good defender who reads the game well and is decent on the ball. He isn't the quickest and even last season he was occasionally exposed whenever left one on one, but he was more well protected. He also isn't the most commanding in the air and he has never from memory scored a header for us. He is experienced but doesn't strike me as a leader. In the current setup, we leave our centre backs one on one regularly exposed one on one. Unless we change tactics, it likely will keep happening that Hyam (and any defenders) will be left in similar situations. I don't think he was fit enough to come back in regularly but such are our lack of numbers, Tomasson felt obliged to and worryingly likely will with Rankin Costello and Gallagher, with risk of another injury and some teething issues as they work their way back. Ennis going out on loan is a sad indictment on a very poor signing. Not convinced he will play much at Bolton.

Leonard is still an unknown, he is miles away at the moment from the standard and the jury is out with a player so raw as to whether he will go on and improve massively or struggle to ever establish himself. With Gallagher, a lot is being made of his ability to head the ball away defensively but he isn't our best striker just for that. You compare him to Leonard, he is much quicker, stronger, more powerful, better in the air and overall even when he doesn't score, and accepting that even then his all round game can frustrate, defenders would have much more of a hard time facing him than Leonard. Goals wise, he will also get more, Leonard does have better movement but is even more wasteful in front of goal.

I think if any full back is to play wide to justify dropping Moran, it will be Brittain and it again wont work. Out wide is another position we badly need to strengthen and even then, are desperately waiting for Ryan Hedges to return as if he is anything other than decent at this level.

Would you genuinely play Ennis, Telalovic or Leonard over him? Especially considering that the owners you keenly defend will as you touch on likely pocket the money and not reinvest any. We wont be banking it, the owners will. He is a bang average Championship striker, he will get you 8-10 goals a season, hes quite quick, powerful, strong, decent in the air in both boxes. A fairly well rounded player who will never threaten the top scorers chart. Offering far more than the other 3 strikers we have and probably about standard for a lower mid table side, every team below us would have him in the side. It shows the state that the owners have put us in that he has become so important, but there you go. None of the people that have justified a potential sale have gone on to say that any of the other 3 strikers are any better, because they clearly arent of the required standard, and many of those who have are deluding themselves into thinking that we would reinvest and get an upgrade. A normal club with interested owners, a totally different dilemma and one that would surely lead to a sale.

Carter has been crap this season, really poor like all the defence. He was very good last season so probably a big factor is the style. I dont think he is poor and he has ability but equally a lot to prove to justify any sense in rumours of a big money move. He But my use of the word lumbering is more specific to seeing him at right back especially in his form, another not suited to the current style. Rankin Costello was not rated by Tomasson at that same time, he had one game (was it Bristol City?) where he was woeful and he had never established himself up until then. His upturn was as surprising and sudden as it was impressive. He is now a standout player. I was wrong in thinking Rankin Costello was not up to it. Tomasson was clearly of the same mindset. I hold my hands up in being wrong but that doesnt mean I have to reserve judgement going forward and I know ill be wrong again at times, as will we all. I think Carter moreso than Brittain can thrive again if the style of play is altered. Theres a good young defender in there thats horribly out of form and being exposed.

When hes fit he does contribute. Much more than the other forwards. Assuming we get nothing to replace him or just a loan, do you still sell? And do you disagree that he is an upgrade on the other 3 strikers?

Absolutely. He is average, a normal club would likely sell and look to improve with a replacement. With us, the alternatives we have are so bad and especially with such a low fee coming in and the owners having given up totally, we would at best get another young loanee.

People who want him sold dont (in light of the likelihood of no proper replacement) answer if he is better than Ennis, Telalovic and Leonard it seems.

Is he better than the other 3, by quite a margin? Tomasson seems to quite like him, especially as an experienced head. Suppose he would say that but he plays whenever fit.

Is the we never ever learn based on letting players run their contracts down? You havent answered but do you genuinely think Gallagher is anything other than considerably better than Ennis, Telalovic and Leonard? You like with other players regularly say he is shit and not good enough despite him having proven over a number of years that he is an average Championship striker. He is never going to be prolific but he will get you close to double figures. He also is strong, powerful, quite quick and can win headers especially in his own box.

A normal club would have sold and reinvested. For us with money often vanishing, to keep him is better as a team as he merely by being average at this level is a considerable and experienced upgrade on the alternative rabble. I just hope his head hasnt been turned with us messing him around. Doesnt sound like much joined up thinking either way having done a u-turn.

Gallagher, Rankin Costello and Pears all need to start and none are probably anywhere near match fit. I doubt the weather will help in getting them up to speed with frozen pitches and the under 21 game being called off. Rankin Costello looked particularly rusty and unfit at the weekend, they targetted him when he came on and there was one instance in particular where Wallace knocked it round him and sprinted past which showed how far off he was. Still, he is a quality player and so much better than the underwhelming Brittain, or even the lumbering Carter. Gallagher was less blatantly unfit ans rusty but you could still tell. Still, he offered far more than the other 3 have in many a week. That being said, he might be gone by then in a sale that still has people deluding themselves is part of a plan to make us better and not purely slashing the budget. Pears is crap but less crap than the Swedish clown so thats a no brainer. We also need Hedges back ASAP. Moran has been a waste of time, soft, lightweight, usually ineffective and not a wide man. Picking a team will be a real head scratcher and not in a good way. Especially with Tomasson too stubborn to move away from a style that alledgedly gets the best out of our team as it drops down the table like a stone.

When will the latest minutes be published?

Does someone only count as an ITK if they specifically claim to be ITK?

Their approach was to unveil a huge warchest to have a go but the manager declined and the money vanished. Apparently...

Alan Nixon, the fountain of made up shite. Still waiting on the £50m warchest.

The owners are and always have been the problem. It would be tackling the symptoms and not the disease. Not that we have any control sadly over any of them.

Im guessing you like me went on all of the protests years ago. They made no difference then so I doubt they will now. They dont care about us. The Wrexham game will be a very low attendance, a cup game with little fanfare. It would create minimal publicity even if it was possible with significant numbers which it wont be. Not many people protested back in the Steve Kean days, some of those protestors will have lost interest and many especially of the new generation think we need Venkys. Are you attending and if so what would you be willing to/propose doing specifically? Or is it a case of can other people protest on your behalf? And what do you think it could lead to? Say a cup game is abandoned, do you think that after all these years is the straw that broke the camels back and they then look to sell?