They have far too much quality to be anywhere near the bottom. The hope would be that they don't fulfil their potential under Kompany and their season fizzles away. I think a real weakness is that both keepers will chuck some in for the opposition I would suspect.

Brereton if he stays which he won't plays from the left anyway. So the question is whether Gallagher and Vale are enough for the central striking role, for me that would be a sure fire no. I would go for a central striker first and then replace Brereton with a left sider. But surely by giving him cameos, he won't be able to build up to start games like you suggest. If anything he will become rustier and rustier. He with his goal threat fitness permitting is absolutely key to our season. I would start him even if he can't last the full game.

Markanday too. Don't get me wrong, Bowler would be a very exciting addition, but I think across the front 4 that we are possibly least in need of a left footer for the right side. We are basing it on gossip but whether any bids have been put in or not, presumably with a huge price tag on his head, I can say with almost certainty that a 23 year old Chilean international forward coming off the back of scoring over 20 goals in the Championship would have plenty of interest if he was a free agent, and he would be in a really good personal situation. It would be a totally different proposition to convincing a side to spend big money on him. Bournemouth's policy of spending loads in the Championship then refusing to spend at all when they get into the Premier League is not sensible, it's very strange.

He is our biggest goal threat whereas a lot of our other attackers have yet to prove that they can score regularly, maybe Brereton aside. We have 5 subs so we can take him off without bother after an hour but that way its less a case of him catching up from the start. Point being that when Dolan played as a 9 and when Gallagher was wide, neither of which either player was stuck to rigidly, Mowbray was criticised. I was just wondering if people were worried that what they perceived as wrong tactical decisions could be repeated. I do wonder if the main attacking target should be a striker even now with Brereton often playing to the left. And then when he goes, bring in another left sider.

You dont know that he has a "lack of suitors." Even if we have had no firm bids, teams will know with a year on his deal, we are in a weak negotiating position that gets weeker as we move closer to the deadline. But even if we dont strike an agreement with anyone, as a free agent he will have lots of interest. I dont see Bowler happening anyway. But no concerns that Bowler is a player who plays in a position where we have 2 options already?

Of course, there are many factors to consider. When you dig deeper, it's more to do with the potential money and the fact that they feel that he perhaps doesn't suit a move to 433 especially with some exciting youngsters coming through. I just think that for 7 figures, a player who has really struggled at Championship level on 2 different occasions would be not the best way to spend the money. He didn't have a guaranteed starting spot all season last season which backs up doubts about him at Championship level. I found it interesting that they described him so commonly as inconsistent, his goal record specifically at League 1 level is very good for an attacking midfielder. He got 15 goals the season before last and 6 last season, including 7 braces. Not that it specifically matters but it could be that there are more games in which he was anonymous compared to when you look at his goal tally alone.

City for the Prem. The Championship is a difficult one, Norwich don't convince me quite as much as usual but I can't see an outstanding candidate, Watford are an interesting one depending on who they keep, (Sarr and Pedro) Boro are totally reliant on the strikers they get in and West Brom should be right up there. League 1, I don't fancy Sheff Weds under Darren Moore, maybe Peterborough for me there. Don't know enough about League 2 but with the big signings made Bradford should run away with it.

Wharton I would say is middle of the road on the ball, in general he is quite composed but I am not convinced that he is good enough on the ball to suit playing out from the back. I would definitely agree though regarding mistakes made, his form like many really declined towards the end of the season. I remember against Stoke at home I think and maybe v Blackpool too, my heart was constantly in my mouth and Kaminski made a few saves.

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/peterborough-united-fans-say-sell-sammie-szmodicsbut-only-if-the-price-is-right-3778005 Peterborough fans think they should sell Szmodics to us.

There seems to be particular praise in the direction of Phillips and Adam Wharton, and they certainly didn't let themselves down, but is it a case of them getting more praise than a more experienced player would for the same performance? The defence was totally untested really, Phillips didn't do much if anything wrong but it was all at half pace for the whole defence and he didn't stand out, and Wharton was caught a couple of times in dangerous areas, as I suppose is a risk with playing out from the back.

Dolan is deceptively slow for all of his energy and enthusiasm. This needs to be the season for him to really come to the boil, his contributions are too fleeting in terms of his end product, hopefully he can push on.

Pre-season is meaningless but I have noticed that some of the tactical things (Gallagher wide, Dolan as the main striker) have continued into the Tomasson reign. If these continue during the actual season, I wonder how that will go down?

No chance. Even if a team doesn't come up with a serious offer in this window, he would be best advised to let his contract run down as he would have lots of suitors on a free plus a sizeable sign on fee to boot. Szmodics scored 2 today in a friendly v Hull. Not that he would be a player that would be close to top of my list. Bowler would be a real feather in our cap but even if he is realistic, one issue is that we could do with a player capable of playing from the left and/or centre rather than a left footer from the right.

Pre-season games are ultimately a means to an end but very pleased to see Dack get 60 minutes and score, as rusty as he predictably was. I doubt he will be but I wonder if he is in contention to start next weekend, even if he comes off after an hour which is even less of an issue with 5 subs, he gives us a goal threat that not many do. Also interested by Hedges this season, he came unlike Dolan/Markanday with a bit more pedigree as an established player in Scotland and whilst he is somewhat not typical of your usual small flighty winger, his left foot certainly has a rocket in it as @Andy mentioned earlier. Brittain gave us a bit of width that we didn't have in the first half, his cross for the goal was outstanding even if he wasted 2 other attacks with wayward crosses. Hopefully he will give us a new dimension in our team.

“We spoke about finding solutions at half time and second half you saw a totally different Blackburn, a brilliant Blackburn." Rovers please!

I don't get why people who meet Waggott feel the need to go out of their way to suggest that their background/job makes them less likely to be "fooled" into being bullshitted by him. Ultimately I don't think many if any people have questioned him as a bloke, but there seems to be a shift following these meetings to people judging him on how he is rather than what he does, these meetings are a very savvy move by him.

He didn't say from Rovers. I am not convinced Cantwell was ever likely to go anywhere, if indeed an interest was there. How are you so sure that it was real? Absolutely. He isn't close to imminently leaving/hasn't got a club deep in talks with us like those other players aren't imminently coming here.

I worry about us if we look set to play out from the back this season, nothing to do with today but just knowing that our players don't suit it, even the ones not involved. You look through the team, Kaminski isn't great with the ball at his feet, Ayala is just a very old school defender, Travis is functional on the ball and little else, Gallagher and even Brereton (although he will go) are clumsy and cumbersome, we are setting a trap for ourselves. We also have a worrying lack of width.

Has the stream gone live yet?

I've always found this idea that he is good going forward to be a bit of a myth, or at least it is unsubstantiated. Never seen it myself.

Adam Wharton is 6, they may well both be actual changes but in past years I think when academy players have played, they just take spare numbers during pre-season.

Cantwell starting for a strong Norwich side today. I think that rumour was only ever a figment of Alan Nixon's imagination. Brannagan starting for Oxford, Styles as mentioned starts for Barnsley although reports of no bid anyway, Peterborough kick off an hour later so interesting to see if Smozdics plays, although not overly excited by that potential deal anyway.

Embarrassing sales yet again, you would think that consistently poor sales would lead to some responsibility and Waggott getting his P45, alas no under these disinterested owners. At least he can charm people.

Perhaps, although might be a bit risky in itself within a week of the first game, especially when most of the first team is playing today, that could be 3 lots of 90 minutes in 8 days which is a lot so early on.

Just my opinion as much as it is as speculative as anyone . The narrative seems to be to replace the main outgoings, and we have lots of big holes to fill on a finite budget. You was saying only the other day that you would be happy with just 1 incoming and even when I said that a second midfielder would be on my agenda even if the second is a loan and/or it means only signing 1 CB, you dismissed my point as potentially leading to a dilution of quality. So would you be unhappy if it was just Morton. I hope you are right by the way, I have been consistent in saying that we need 2 in there.