“Strategically we knew we needed to add another central midfielder to the squad for this season and a loan suited us ideally to ensure we didn’t block the medium-term pathways of some of our own young midfielders who have done so well for us over the last eight weeks." The words of Broughton, who apparently shouldn't be speaking. Doesn't sound like we plan to sign another midfielder, which would IMO leave us short. Hope Morton is a success, we could be very reliant on our captain this season.

It would not be progress to potentially drop 4 positions in the table.

I do find it strange how people are underplaying our chances and our expectations this season. Especially when we keep getting told that we have a healthy budget, as much as we have heard it before. The Championship is particularly volatile when it comes to building a squad, there is a large reliance on loans, a regular churn of players and the yearly introduction of 3 sides sitting on parachute money. We have seen this summer more than ever how the exit of loanees and the inability to offer competitive wages causes a huge problem. Mowbray used to get criticised for going on about the journey ad nauseum yet so many people seem happy with a mid table finish and in some cases, writing the season off altogether as a learning curve. The benchmark has to be to improve on 8th.

I never said that I wouldnt give him time and patience. I dont get why you keep repeating it and it doesnt mean that we cant comment as we go, game by game.

I would worry if Travis gets injured or suspended, that is for sure.

Natural goalscorers (of which I am not saying that he is or isnt, its an unknown until he shows at senior level) tend to have many more chances because they anticipate chances, its not simply a case of supplying, although our whole attacking game was not too effective at the weekend. I just thought he struggled in general, a few times his lack of physicality meant that defenders got to the ball first, I suspect not many if anyone on the pitch had fewer touches, he wasnt a focal point, I dont remember him winning any headers, he didnt seem to have any pace. Anyway we agree that we need a new striker so thats the main thing anyway. I just dont see it happening. So many transfer rumours have been mentioned and rarely do they happen so I wouldnt assume anything or get your hopes up just yet. Because he is a young lad, I feel like people are more forgiving shall we say, perhaps understandably compared to a more senior player.

I have never said that he is not good enough. It's a big ask for him to come into a Championship side and play regularly and he really struggled at the weekend in my opinion, and I believe that any judgement has been caveated with him being a young Academy lad since. All I am saying is that he shouldn't just be given a run of games because the most important thing is results, not his development. If he does well both objectives will align. As it is, like Gallagher who was also poor, I would take both players out with a few different players all on the fringes waiting for starts in that front 4. I don't get why you regularly comment on my quotes if you seemingly thing my judgement is so poor, but that is a separate issue.

Never said it won't take time, and my consistent message has been that it is all about results so 1 out of 1 isn't bad. We created very little but we won the game, that's all that matters, no matter how many pretty pictures with arrows are drawn. In the meantime, like most I will be judging following each game and commenting on what is good and bad. Didn't really work going forward but might take a lot of trial and error to get where we want.

Did he? And we can't afford to just give him a run of games unless he merits continued selection. Buckley didn't get that, he was in and out. Maybe like Wharton, that regular initial gametime could come elsewhere initially.

Yeah it is a tough one for him but he certainly struggled. The main issue for me is that if we don't sign a striker, Gallagher is not good enough to be our main one if we genuinely want to improve. Vale is seemingly being judged by different standards, constantly with the caveat of "for a young lad." I purposely see potentially more merit in a loan spell to see if he can score goals regularly in League 1 or 2, but regardless of his immediate future, we need a striker. Preferably someone with a bit more of a track record above 2 goals in 15 League 2 appearances. I didn't realise that you was including Morton, so tallies up more numerically. Don't see Styles signing and certainly not by the end of the week. We certainly look thin on the ground, a couple of injuries and we would really look light.

Was he? Aside from one flick to Brittain, he did nothing really and he looked overawed. And "for a young lad" cannot be the benchmark when he is fighting for a place in an area where we have various options, but I think that is the problem when judging him. In terms of the here and now, if he is to stay around the team, he should be judged equally in comparison to anyone else, not with the caveat of him being a "young lad."

So potentially from 6 to 4 signings will do?

Because he was anonymous, yes.

All very nice in theory and diagrams with arrows and talk of possession based pressing tactics seems to be in vogue at the moment, but didn't really produce much going forward at the weekend. Gallagher was as out of place out wide as he ever was, Hedges didn't suit the number 10 role and Vale couldn't bring others into play. Lots of improvement required and hopefully will come with a mixture of time under the new manager, a realisation of what our current players can and can't do and an introduction of fresh faces, whether totally new or in Dack's case, a hopefully resurgent old favourite.

We definitely need a new striker, it is a signing of critical importance. Long season with Gallagher and Vale as the only options.

Kaminski Brittain Ayala Wharton Pickering Travis Buckley Hedges Dack Brereton Dolan The keeper, central midfield and back 4 pick itself, I am in a minority it seems in thinking that Pickering was fine on Saturday and equal to Brittain on the other side. Maybe a bit of confirmation bias? The front 4 didn't work very well so the potential for various changes. Dack to start for me, plus Dolan who was bright at the weekend, him and Brereton could swap positions too if necessary. Vale was anonymous, Gallagher poor too and Hedges isn't suited as a number 10. Hopefully we will have some new faces for the bench at least too.

How are you so sure that Tomasson can "adapt his system to the teams strengths instead of the square pegs round holes mentality" that Mowbray apparently had? He played Gallagher out wide at the weekend and for all the talk of "fluid systems" that had been mentioned, he was as ineffective as he ever has been prior. You also mention Vale out wide, can he do that? He struggled in his natural position. @Paul Mani implied that he had heard that Ayala and Dack were really struggling in training following Tomasson's appointment. I haven't had it clarified whether it came directly from a member of the coaching staff (which would be grossly unprofessional) or passed on. Definitely agree about reading too much in to it. As a side note though, Dack is excellent at game management when leading so he would have been a useful sub. The usage of subs was chalk and cheese, they just made loads and failed to generate any momentum, I was surprised to see only 1 made in comparison but ultimately it worked. What does that even mean? If he had scored and led the line well, would I have still been "negative" and said he was poor regardless?

He was our best player prior to the injuries, he showed signs of being back to his best after the first but has not started since the 2nd. As a senior player he wont be affordable for teams in lower divisions even if he wanted to go. The aim has to be to get a tune out of him. If we can he is still our biggest goal threat especially assuming that Brereton will soon depart.

It may well turn out that Dack doesn't return to his old self and establish himself but it certainly cannot be concluded from yesterday. He got a slight set back in pre season leaving him without a full game's worth of fitness, so rightly or wrongly was not considered to start. We were then holding on to a lead, had we been chasing then he would have come on. If he did have a bit of a sulk on which is conjecture, he wouldnt be the first to do so having not played. The Wharton comment was to a specific question about either the need for strengthening or the young make up of our squad in general, you have taken it out of context. The last sentence implies a lack of application on his part. The only question as far as I am concerned is whether he returns to a similar level after 2 serious knee injuries. If not then it isnt symbolic of an exciting new dawn, it is a crying shame that one of our 2 goal threats will not be back to his best especially with the other 1 set to leave. Has any context been added to these supposed whispers about training? Where (even if you cant name the individual) did they come from, are they direct from source and if someone is saying such things purely to appease curious fans, I do wonder if Tomasson will cut him away should he ever find out?

My mistake. Even then, I wouldn't say it was anything we didn't see numerous times at Ewood last season. Results are the important thing though, so a great start on that front. Totally agree on attacking replacements. A key priority is to sign a striker regardless of Brereton's future as he plays from the left although it becomes heightened if a key attacking goal threat leaves. We need more than Gallagher and Vale as central strikers, im sure we strongly agree on that.

Surely the benchmark is the 8th placed finish last season?

How has Vale kept his place? Just an ineffective as Gallagher.

There seems to be an overreaction to Dack not coming on yesterday with conclusions about his future. I would have started him but he seemingly was never like to, but it is a different proposition in terms of whether to bring him on as a sub. He was smiling at the end when the whistle went, he probably was pissed off that he didn't come on but is that abnormal? I struggle to strongly believe that coaches actively working at the club are telling randomers that Dack has been struggling in training, it would be totally unprofessional plus we saw the accuracy of Rothwell's dad mouthing off on a train... It is braindead of any partner or relative posting anything on a player's future/opinion though and totally unproductive, we also have a weird thing of our fans spamming Carter and Phillip's mums! I would be pissed off if I was Dack and his girlfriend has put that. The one thing I am sure of is that our best player is Dack if he is anything like his old self, and if we can't get him working and firing in our team then we will be much worse off. I suppose that you could argue that the selection is correct if we win and incorrect if we lose, so to an extent I would agree. And his inclusion was understandable having scored a couple in pre season. But I wouldn't agree that he looked "fine," he really struggled and looked out of his depth. Nothing against the lad, either he will get more chances or go out on loan, but we need a new striker 100%. Deserves it how? He struggled and had no impact, why would he deserve to keep his place? Lets not pretend that we were a different attacking proposition just because you hate Mowbray, to clarify it is a work in progress and only results matter. But aside from a Travis goal from nowhere and a couple of half chances, we struggled to create. When was Armstrong's head not right? He didn't play a competitive game did he last season prior to his move, and he ended the previous season scoring for fun.

The backing of the supporters has never been in doubt and there would be more if the tickets were priced appropriately.

How much have you seen of him play? The reason I ask is I have always seen him play as a number 10, I am curious to know how often in the past he has played either from the wing or as a striker to see if he could fit in the same team as Dack.