Agreed although very difficult for the sort of fee and presumably wages that Markanday cost.

Really good performance today and to be honest a one nil win flattered QPR. Mowbray got his tactics and subs spot on and it was really pleasing to get an overdue win. Khadra can be so wasteful and needs to improve his end product, but so pleased for him to score the winner. The thing about him compared to Dolan and Gallagher was that he was posing far more of a threat to begin with, he was getting in great positions, something the other 2 need to work on. Dolan did really lead by example from the front and was shattered at the end and is always a threat. Johnson was also very impressive, as was Van Hecke. A good team performance really.

Totally agree on the Vale point but why is it down to Mowbray's arrogance that we didn't sign a striker in January? I do think that we should have got one and I was disappointed that we didn't but I am under no illusions that with a minimal budget, it was a very tough task to bring in a striker that could improve us. We spent around 700k, 500k was on a young player with no first team experience for us to mould who unfortunately got injured. The other 200k was for an attacking player due to the desperation of his club to get a fee. Its not much, perhaps there are loans we could have got but it isn't as clear cut as many make out.

There is a growing push it seems for Vale to play. We are desperate and maybe it is worth a go but for perspective, he scored 1 in 10 this season in non league. I get that he can score against kids but it would be a huge ask. And this nonsense about hating Nyambe keeps cropping up. 9 times out of 10 he starts.

His best form came as a false 9 in the exact same position as he is playing now. He is playing shit now and should be dropped, but lets not re create history.

@Mercer is this you? Rothwell out for at least 2 games?

Do you agree that automatic promotion hopes are gone?

.

Based on their goalscoring records and our recent attacking displays, you are easily pleased.

Brereton was clearly in the right position hence the 20 goals. How is pressing suited to a deeper role? Surely its best high up when as we have seen on a number of occasions this season can lead to us creating chances very quickly once we win the ball. Totally agree on his shooting, prior to the last month he did add to the attack with his passing although aside from the ball for the Brereton goal when he strayed offside v West Brom, even that has gone off the boil. Hence why he should be dropped.

I do think that people are underplaying or forgetting his high standard to which he played whilst as a false 9 throughout our winning run. He started the season well as the most advanced of a midfield 3 but his performances improved when he went as a false 9 and our form skyrocketed us up the table. His main 2 strengths are his ability to win possession back and his ability to play a through ball in behind a defence, both of which do suit that false 9 role, or at least a role as an attacking midfielder. Im not convinced how he would adapt to play deeper, he played there away at Hull (granted next to Rothwell which isnt the most balanced duo) and was totally ineffective. The problem is that his main weakness is his inability to score goals or strike a ball and it really must improve for him to be properly effective. If everyone was fit, for me he would probably be a sub in the main simply because Dack is in a different league to him.

To clarify, I have been very critical of his performances lately and he certainly needs dropping. I was just saying in general that he has always played further up really, that is where he impressed up until a month or so ago. His pressing was also coupled with us carrying a goal threat mainly through Brereton with Buckley often slipping him through. To play him deeper would very much be asking him to do something he has never proven to be able to do, it would be a new position for him. Im not convinced that he would dictate games and to be honest we arent a team that suits dictating games anyway, I wouldnt drop Travis or Rothwell for him to try him there.

Gallagher is crap though, at least Khadra makes things happen. I suppose we dont have great options though in attack in general.

So its not even a holiday.

Play him deep and you dont have his pressing. All of his good performances have been higher up, maybe he can play a deeper role but its an unknown.

At one point he very much merited his place as a false 9, he played there and was very important during our winning run. Him being there now isn't Mowbray meddling or coming up with weird experiments, it is the continuation of a successful tactic. That being said, his performances in recent weeks have been as bad as anyone so he needs dropping.

I'm sure that wont stop. This messageboard is essentially a place for us all to air our grievances and debate things, but its the people in the stadium that matter. And the support is very much there in the ground.

We have the 2nd worst disciplinary record in the league, now of course that doesnt totally correlate with aggression but I think its an easy and perhaps misguided conclusion to suggest that we have a soft team. Football ultimately has changed massively even from the Souness/Hughes days when we had senior leaders throughout, full of aggression when needed. @Bigdoggsteel you say that "You need hardy boys , battlers to get out of this league." Is that true? Would you consider Norwich, Brentford and Watford to be bunches of "hardy boy battlers" last season? The main reason for our poor form is an inability to score at the moment, not helped by our main striker being out. I also think that having had such success playing on the counter attack, our opponents are perhaps wising up and when we have to break teams down, we can struggle. I don't necessarily think that there are many questions about spirit or heart.

I know he missed the penalty, but Khadra was far more effective than Gallagher. He won the penalty after a mazy run, he nearly scored with a curling shot at the end, he put in a ball at the start of the second half that was dying for a striker to tap in, (Gallagher was nowhere near) he hit a decent free kick in the first half, he got someone sent off and he got to the byline a couple of times, once with a very good cut back that Buckley got in Rothwells way for. What did Gallagher do bar win 2 free kicks miles out?

I would be really wary of moving away from the back 3 which even recently has not been leaking goals. We don't have that good an attack in the absence of our 2 primary goal threats, to try and overcompensate for that at the expense of defensive stability is a big risk. We definitely do need to change things, Hedges needs to start, Buckley needs dropping and Gallagher too. But I would probably keep the back 3.

If he has gone away, its probably for a week before coming back and getting involved with the rest of the team again. He was at the (eventually called off) game at the weekend, its a few days away to rest, its hardly leaving the rest of them in the lurch. I imagine its common and with Brereton, he was looking tired anyway so maybe going to get some sun or whatever is what he needs to have is what he needs, a quick break and then he can begin his rehab. Its a mental break as well as the physical rest, his last 12 months have been so intense. Ultimately, everything is micro analysed nowadays, to make out that it is weak management is just bizarre to me, looking for reasons to criticise unjustifiably, but seemingly we will not agree on the issue so maybe best to agree to disagree. Off the back of him being given a few days leave on the back of getting a bad injury? I think its obvious based on his contract that he will leave but I very much doubt that anyones opinion has changed on the back of such a trivial issue.

A rest is probably a kind way of putting it. He needs dropping, hes been crap for for 2 months.

What?

Amongst the lads doing what? He isn't a cheerleader. Even if we remove the assumption that he is feeling low after getting a bad injury and missing a key period for his club and also a potential once in a lifetime international appearance in Brazil. He has played a lot of football with minimal breaks and Mowbray and many of us on here commented on how tired he has been looking. Surely a week with a mental and physical break far away is just what the doctor ordered. It's hardly as if he has asked for a jolly up mid season when fully fit and the manager has turned a blind eye to it. Surely the intention is for him to come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle his rehab head on in the right frame of mind to impact the end of our season with a spring in his step? What do you think they are thinking?

A physical break having played so much football in the last year without many breaks which was notably taking its toll even before the injury? A mental break to get over the disappointment of being injured and missing a crucial part of the season, as well as a once in a lifetime chance to play at the Maracana? What use is he moping around not even really able to do any rehab so soon into his recovery? Just to prove that Mowbray isn't laissez-faire?!