I think I would probably stick with the back 3 for now for as long as we have 3 available centre backs, but if we was to lose one more, then I think that would be the time where we have to abandon that system and go to a back 4. One thing that a back 4 could potentially do however is get Pickering and Giles in the same team.

Magloire is not at the club anymore. I suspect that if we continued with a back 3 and someone got injured on Monday, then Johnson would go into the back 3 as he has done before. Failing that, at a push Nyambe.

Rooney claims to have turned down interest from his boyhood club in the Premier League to finish what he started at Derby. We are third in the league. We are where we are because of Mowbray. 3rd in the bloody league.

When did he say this?

Big selection call for a game we really need to win. Do we stick with the formation that was the catalyst for our run or try and switch things, maybe going with a 4-4-2 with Giles left and Dolan right with Gallagher and Brereton up top? Nyambe has to come in, he shouldn't have been dropped, Zeefuik hasn't looked very good. Pickering for me would start if fit. The false 9 role (Buckley had been good there prior, so the idea that Mowbray is an idiot for playing him there is nonsensical) is a key one if we stick with the formation, Buckley does deserve dropping and Dack isn't yet fit, do we play Dolan or Hedges there? And would they be that third midfield man in the same way that Buckley is? Also, Lenihan being missing may upset the balance. Kaminski Van Hecke Ayala Wharton Nyambe Travis Rothwell Pickering Gallagher Dolan Brereton Subs: Pears, Giles, Zeefuik, Hedges, Khadra, Buckley, Johnson

There was only a bid for one of them, and the manager was willing to consider selling him and reinvesting the proceeds on 2 or 3 signings to help in the short and long term but was not given the autonomy to do that. From the side that started last night, 6 players are only here for this season, so it is a massive assumption to suggest that Nyambe was dropped due to his contractual situation.

Lets hope we win a critical game in our promotion hopes, never mind to sign off an amateur journalist with a win!

I don't think that Rothwell has ever suggested in his career that he is likely to become a regular goalscorer. His goal record is not really hindered this season by the move and if anything he has been more likely to assist someone else.

Rothwell has had by far his most productive season from a deeper role. And Buckley rarely if ever takes set pieces.

Its probably better to play them at the end when the league has taken more shape and many of those opponents may have nothing to play for, including Fulham.

Rothwell has played deeper all season. And like for like replacements simply werent at full fitness at the weekend nor at Luton.

Tough game and one where anything but a win will make a genuine top 2 push seem all the further away with other teams gathering games in hand. Hopefully we have a few more players available, I think the main decision is who to partner Brereton with, Khadra had been poor for a few games prior to injury, Hedges had a fairly quiet debut and Gallagher has his faults although if fit may benefit from Giles more than most. Buckley is not in the best form either and if Gallagher is available, then maybe having Hedges in that false 9 role would be worth a go, with it being critical to act as a third midfielder at times which Hedges could do whilst also offering a bigger goal threat. Kaminski Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Nyambe Travis Rothwell Giles Gallagher Hedges Brereton Subs: Pears, Ayala, Zeefuik, Davenport, Johnson, Khadra, Buckley If Gallagher doesn't make it, then put Buckley in and move Hedges to the right. Johnson and Spence will be a big danger down their right/our left.

Nyambe as a wing back has been very good for the last 2 or 3 months.

Nyambe as a wing back has been a key element in the success of our new formation. Zeefuik has underwhelmed in his first 2 games, Nyambe created a few things down the right yesterday.

I would be surprised if he wasn't, with hopefully Brereton, Hedges, Khadra and Gallagher all available to play.

The problem is, we would have to sell it to someone that they will never start if they did, we would have to totally alter a formation that has got us to this position. Also Mowbray implied that any striker would have been on loan from the PL, so seemingly it would be impossible to get someone with the experience and know how that you mention from that market.

There are 2 different arguments here, once about the January window, and one about yesterdays selection. The first is the selection just based on who was available. One think I am sure of is that it couldn't be described as "tinkering." It is questioning how Mowbray has used very limited options based on unavailability of a number of players, most of which will imminently be available to start. Brereton had not since landed after a game at high altitude and was deemed not to be fit to start, when he came on he looked very sluggish, and Khadra had a hamstring injury and ducked out a couple of times when he was on, I am assuming that it was correct fitness wise that they couldn't start, I suppose that could be debating. But with the players left, I am not sure that there was another attacking player that could have meant us avoiding playing Giles further forward, which then had a domino effect of Zeefuik on the wrong side. The second part is the January window. You mention Butterworth, he can't play 20 minutes without blowing out of his arse, and he has never scored a senior goal, he also doesn't try hard enough, and seldom has any impact on games, even if he was available amidst a lack of alternatives, I would have been very reluctant to start him. He isn't up to it, so loaning him out isn't an issue. Signing another forward is more complex, for me it would make no sense not to sign someone who can fit into the way we currently play, so ideally someone with pace who can play on the counter attack, someone who could run the channels and someone with physicality who could score a goal. I did want another forward but if it was going to be a loanee, then I suppose it is very difficult to get someone with all of those qualities. Both are in training, not full training but Mowbray said that they were sprinting and kicking balls so hopefully very soon, they just needed signing off by the physios.

He didn't have choice yesterday, the team with square pegs in round holes was due to Brereton and Khadra being unfit to start and Gallagher and Dolan not quite making it after injury themselves, we only had Hedges out of our 5 options there. That had the knock on effect of having to push Giles forward where he is less effective, which then left Zeefuik on the wrong side with Pickering and Edun also out. So you have 2 players in less than ideal positions because of 6 fitness concerns, at least 5 of which should clear in the next week or 2. It wasn't down to the manager having loads of options and tinkering, it was the complete opposite. He is right in that the way that we play using a false 9 and 2 wide forwards has brought us the success to get us into 2nd. I do think that we could have done with another forward who has the mobility to play in those 2 wide forward positions, similar to Brereton and Gallagher who give us a bit more physicality to the other options. Saying that, it cant be easy to get similar to the options we have when he seemingly was in the loan market only based on his quotes last week. This talk of having someone pressuring him "when we falter" seems counter-productive, we are still 2nd, our form has stuttered lately coinciding with some fitness issues, but why would someone being on his back after a run of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses help, surely it would cause further panic.

It looked undoubtedly toothless but it was very much borne out of severe unavailability issues that seem to be about to ease. Brereton was deemed not fit enough after his travels and Khadra the same after a hamstring twinge. Gallagher has an injury he has now been given the all clear for, Dolan is almost back and Dack is hopefully a couple of weeks away from inclusion in the squad. We likely very soon will have a situation whereby one or two of the above names may even fall out of the squad.

I dont remember one good delivery from him so far and thought that especially v Luton, he tended to lose the ball when he got into the final third. Nyambe IMO has done nothing to deserve being dropped.

Has he done anything to show that as of yet? Nyambe set up one or two things today with good runs forward and won the foul that led to us hitting the post.

I dont get why Zeefuik would play. Nyambe was one of our better players and hasnt done anything wrong. Zeefuik albeit on the opposite side has looked shaky in the last 2 games and has done nothing going forward.

Really poor first half. Buckley particularly poor, I feel like he is succeptible to a red after a pathetic dive and his miss was shocking, he needs to add a goal threat to his game. Zeefuik keeps getting caught out, Nyambe has been very good as has Giles albeit he is too far forward. Brereton and Khadra needed.

I don't and my comment was not a criticism of either player. Ideally Giles would be at wing back where he was so effective for Cardiff though, he is more of a creator than a goalscorer. I feel like we really will miss Brereton's goal threat.

Worryingly blunt looking side with Brereton only a sub. Not too sure where the goals are coming from.