I think 3 central midfielders for 2 positions over 46 games is leaving us very short.

To be fair, Leighton Clarkson had also played for their first team, as much as I am keen to avoid that lazy comparison. Mowbray was quite successful in the loan market to be fair and there was always more of an onus on the loan market in the absence of funds. Hopefully this summer, there won't be as much focus on the loan market and we can get more permanent deals done. I may be wrong but didn't Broughton acknowledge that Brittain had been on the list before his appointment so I think the similarities are more than coincidence. Lets hope more creativity in the market follows.

Not an equivalent but at least someone who is a similar type of player.

Can't help but feel like Styles is this summers Maddison. Would love to be wrong as we need another midfielder.

I think that your point loses credibility when I wanted Mowbray out myself and am glad he's gone. But as I said earlier, the churn at Championship level in general is a large one, lots of clubs reliant on loanees and losing players with regularity. Last summer, we improved 7 places despite losing our best player and having to make do with loans. Mowbray was regularly criticised for mentioning the journey (Tomasson I suspect will in time) and it was somewhat justified in that it is so hard to build up and up consistently in the Championship. We seem to have a bit of a budget this summer so there is no reason that a bright new appointment of a manager shouldn't aim to improve on 8th.

Not too sure what to make of this Morton signing, mainly I can't help but be underwhelmed at the likely prospect of Morton being our sole midfield recruit, that would leave us very short of options in there, I thought we were last year so to expect Morton to replace Rothwell with kids replacing squad members would leave us looking lightweight in there to say the least. Travis cannot get injured or banned. I don't swallow this theory that it blocks our own youngsters, if they are good enough they will break through. There has to be an emphasis on the here and now and I would question whether Garrett/Wharton would have made appearances against the likes of AC Milan and Spurs. If Morton is better than our current options then get him. I must say that the current recruitment lacks the imagination we were all under the impression would unfold upon a new foreign manager and crucially a director of football being appointed. Totally acknowledge the restrictions notably work permit issues and a lack of time but a full back from relegated Barnsley who Mowbray had previously tried to sign, a playmaker from Peterborough and following tradition, a kid on loan from Liverpool could have easily been a window from summers gone by. Looking at replacements for who has vacated, obviously assuming that Szmodics does sign, are we better off or worse? Szmodics replaces perhaps the easiest of the 5/6 primary absentees in Khadra who was one of our biggest threats but forever injured, can Szmodics at the third time of asking step up to Championship level. Nyambe had strengths and weaknesses, is Brittain going to be any better? And the least confident I am of the 3, can Morton be expected to fill the Rothwell void? We are still left with Van Hecke and Lenihan shaped voids, our player of the season and captain, and probably our only goal threat from last season. Of course there are many additional factors, the new manager, a new formation, players returning from injuries, players inevitably succumbing to injuries and positional changes. But interesting to see what people think about the signings so far compared to last seasons equivalents?

“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?