It's because he hasn't had a pre season so isn't match fit.

A game earlier between two managers who were legendary players but who are starting to potentially come under pressure in Gerrard and Lampard. Neither has particularly impressed but Gerrard came out on top.

Seems like a very random worry. Even if those finishes happen, I doubt Newcastle with their millions would opt for a Championship manager based partially on an unsuccessful loan spell over 20 years ago. I'm sure that people will back the manager, Rovers fans are at times by some painted as a particularly impatient and negative group which has always been nonsensical. At the end of the day, if we lose a few on the bounce, a bit of frustration will simmer, that will always happen and it is unrealistic to expect otherwise because we all want the team to win but he definitely has peoples backing.

I think with the If everyone is fit, I would say that the best 18 would be Kaminski, Pears, Brittain, Pickering, Edun, Ayala, Wharton, Carter, Buckley, Travis, Morton, Hedges, Dack, Szmodics, Brereton, Gallagher, Dolan and Markanday. At the moment, only Carter isn't and that leaves the real possibility of being forced to chuck a 17 year old into an important league game. Even looking at that squad, in the main it is more than competitive but we have there an inept sub keeper, Carter, Morton and Markanday are young and unproven and Edun has question marks too. It is really important to have a strong bench even more so now with 5 subs available, you need all of the bench to be capable. Beyond that bench though is where the worry is, basically just purely kids. All that is before the likely departure of Brereton.

I said in my post assuming he recovers to close to his original self. Different level to Buckley. Was just about to share the same. Not good news for us.

Talented? Yes. But Dack was one of the best players in the league. Lets hope he still is.

Yeah I still can't see him staying, nor can we afford to keep him really. Teams will get more desperate as the window goes on. If he even stays until January, he can sign a pre-contractual agreement abroad. The sensible thing to do is to try and sell him for as much as possible and reinvest a good proportion back on another potential goalscorer. We can't let him go for free, the ones that left this summer are a different kettle of fish in that there are questions over whether anyone would have come in offering money even if they were contracted, bar Rothwell who himself attracted bids of a few million amidst a promotion push by Bournemouth. Like Armstrong, Brereton is worth lots more than Lenihan/Rothwell/Nyambe and it is a different prospect altogether. @Finlay McKenna who would? Obviously I am assuming a reasonable recovery, but easy to forget how good he is.

Even if Brereton is, he is unlikely to be here past the window. But either way, Dack is a key player if fit and Szmodics prefers to play as a number 10 so even if Dack isn't playing, why sign Szmodics and make do elsewhere?

The back 3 as a plan B to see out games has a semblance of sense but just because we could have a third centre back doesn't mean we need to play all 3. It also seems counter productive to play a formation that doesn't include a number 10 where both our best player and main summer signing play.

Mowbray was a 3 or a 4 on a dice, I don't think we would have been relegated if he stayed for a considerable period longer. Since we have come back up, we have never been in danger at all, just steadily mid table. That being said, for us to go up or even make the top 6, considering our resources, we have to roll at least a 5, most likely a 6 to overachieve. I am not sure that Tomasson is akin to Farke or even Carvalhal in that he does not have their track record at this level but that doesn't mean that he is inferior and again going back to the budget limitations etc, it can take a bit more of a "gamble" and/or a left field appointment that could in theory backfire to get us performing beyond our resources. Take Carvalhal for example, he has a track record at this level but no promotion yet even he was beyond our means, whereas teams may be wary of a manager who has never managed in England before or be unaware of his record abroad. I am not convinced that he was close to being first choice by the decision makers but lets hope that he turns out to be a masterstroke, however he ended up in the dug out. So far, so good.

I don't get the attitude of willingly accepting draws in home games, all things considered. Taking a slight loss beggars belief! We have won our first 2 games (plus the cup game) and everything seems rosy, plenty of confidence, the new manager has already left a good mark on things, no injuries that we know of and we are playing at home. I am not saying that anything but a win is catastrophic and I appreciate that it won't be easy but it is realistic to expect to have a reasonable chance of winning any home game as a side pushing for the top 6.

He is certainly living rent free in the heads of many of his biggest and often most unreasonable critics who seem unable to enjoy the Tomasson reign without endless comparisons of such detail.

The Anel rumour came initially from Scandanavian press that we wanted him and Berget.

Why laughable? When he has played for our first team prior, he hasn't been good enough. I personally am hopeful that a second successful loan spell leaves him a much better player, but can understand a level of scepticism. As good as he is, if they have insisted on that then we should walk away. What if he got injured, how would that work? He will presumably not instantly come in and he would need to play 30 of 43 games, which he may well do, but we don't want a clause to in any way conflict with the priority of picking the best team for each match.

I also think the Morton deal had long since broke before he got onto it. Calling a journalist who you have never met by a nickname as is often the case is a little peculiar.

Is Edun strong defensively? Every time he has played at left back in the Championship he has been all over the place.

Edun caught the eye last night but it was purely attacking work with Hartlepool so poor and Pickering has been solid in the first 2 games.

Because Van Den Berg was so good at this level last season, if we did get him then it presumably wouldnt be to do anything but get a good level of game time, especially with other teams interested. So even if we assume an injury to Ayala, that second permanent centre back would have Wharton and Van Den Berg to get past so I couldnt see it being a real marquee signing. I would also say that a second centre back is less urgent than another central midfielder and a striker. I dont think from what I have read that Tomasson played a 3 at Malmo.

The imminent focus is winning games and doing well this season and Van Den Berg is a really good player, I saw Preston a few times last season and he (aside from when we battered them) stood out and Preston fans are gutted that he could be coming here. He also can fill in on the right which hopefully pushes Rankin Costello further from the team. I think his calibre is comparable to many of the other centre backs we have wanted this summer and also as an individual (ignoring contracts etc) he comes with IMO a more exciting recent history, 18 months of impressing at this level against a player in Morton who has barely played proper football, an attacking midfielder who has twice struggled at this level and a right back who had mixed reviews off the back of a relegation at this level, although that is not me being critical of those 3 as they have all started well here. Hopefully if there is truth in the story, we can get it over the line to have him involved at the weekend. Questions would follow regarding what we do from here, if we are going with a back 4 then is Wharton, Ayala, Van Den Berg and Carter enough or do we need another? For me, a striker and a central midfielder would both be more important than another centre back for the immediate focus. We also supposedly have more money to spend, will that money be available on other positions instead? I also have seen suggestions that he didn't join Burnley because they wanted a penalty clause if he made less than 30 appearances, I would strongly oppose anything like that.

Gallagher. He has not offered a threat in the first 2 games and Dack would be a huge upgrade. We could either go with Szmodics up top or Brereton with Szmodics left, Dack as a number 10.

Will be a really tough game and a test after a good start. Kaminski Brittain Ayala Wharton Pickering Travis Buckley Hedges Dack Brereton Szmodics Subs: Pears, Phillips, Morton, Edun, Dolan, Markanday, Gallagher

Very enjoyable night for a cup game against shocking opposition and a 4 nil win that certainly didnt flatter us. Dack doesnt look any less fit than he did prior to his injuries really, he was a bit rusty and played a few poor passes but he has that class and composure in the final third that you cant teach, he is crucial and should start at the weekend for me. Vale on the other hand looks well short even against poor opposition and struggled, his touch often let him down and his finishing was not up to standard. We do need a striker anyway so hopefully we can get one and maybe loan him out. Pears was totally untested bar one weird save right at the end, I could have played at centre back such was the opposition threat and Phillips wasnt tested and there were far more worthy man of the matches as much as he was totally fine. Rankin Costello is poor as we know but Edun was much better. Pickering still rightly will be first choice after 2 good league performances but Edun showed good energy throughout and got a very good assist. In midfield, thought both the central 2 did really well and good to see Dolan and Markanday score. Both had mixed nights in general with the former mixing some superb footwork and some poor decision making and Markanday missing a few chances, one run and cross in the first half though was particularly eye catching.

No extra time I dont think, straight to penalties if its a draw.

I hope the fact that we have started well doesn't reduce the urgency to get players through the door. The games are coming thick and fast and we will likely pick up knocks, if Ayala gets an injury which is quite probable (or if Wharton does) then things could turn.

Are funds clearly tight? All I have heard is we have a "healthy budget."