1 goal in 10 at Halifax Town perhaps suggests further that the under 23 league is not the best barometer either way.

Under 23s is not comparable to competitive football where not only the other team but his team mates are all kids but I would be amazed if Mowbray moved away from his plan of getting Dack at least 2 full 90s of under 23 football. I get the desperation to see him back in the squad and indeed I feel like his importance has multiplied in the absence of a genuine goal threat but it makes sense to let him play 90 minutes for the under 23s at the weekend, and maybe even one more after that. Then perhaps get him involved in the 3 consecutive home games. At that point, if he had 3 lots of 90 minutes (as well as 75, 60 and 45) under his belt, it might suit to have a midweek game that week too because he will only be doing cameos im sure.

He utilised the position to great effect throughout our excellent run. Lets not pretend it is manager meddling or indeed an experiment that has been a complete failure fron start to finish. He has always really played from higher positions whether that is from a number 10 role or now the false 9. He is very good at pinching the ball high up and also at playing players through, both of which were key to aforementioned run. His main weakness is obviously his shooting which has let us down recently but its not this bizarre experiment that people are painting out.

It hasnt reappeared. Buckley was the false 9 throughout our winning run, his lack of form at the moment cant be put down to Mowbray meddling with a successful formula, his position hasnt changed.

Jason Roberts at 6 a side is a terrifying thought.

It seems like he wont even be fit by then.

Mowbray mentioned today that it "looks like he could miss his game against Brazil in the Maracana" which is in the next international break, at least 7 games away, 8 if Millwall is rearranged before then. So it could be well beyond that. He also said "let’s hope he can impact the end of our season" so it doesnt look promising.

Brereton's injury could be terminal to our promotion hopes, I don't see where the goals will come from. Also affects our summer too. With essentially a year left, other teams perhaps will be reluctant to pay as much due to his injury, but if he doesn't want to sign a new deal, we are stuck in limbo and might have to accept less.

I suspect that such is in the inflexibility of your opinion, that even an incredible promotion wouldn't even slightly change your opinion. I don't get why anyone would corner themselves with their opinion and not allow themselves to at least give some credit and change that opinion even slightly. I wanted him out too last summer 100% but as it stands I don't get how anyone can commit to this opinion with us 3rd in the table.

If the attitude is validating the decisions of "the people that mattered" then that would imply that any decision is above us being able to discuss and debate it and would invalidate the whole point of the messageboard. Same with transfers, tactics, the manager, the owners, if all that matters is what decisions the actual experts make, we may aswell not have any opinions or indeed this site. I would like to think that more consideration went into keeping him as opposed perhaps to say last season whereby every point wasn't as critical at this point in the season. No doubt that on a personal level, him playing regularly is better for him and he seems to be getting plaudits at Portsmouth as he did at Burton. Hopefully it turns out that he would never have been needed here and we keep at least 3 of our 4 centre backs available at all times. If we don't and say we fail to win with Johnson at centre back, then there is certain validity in people questioning the risk taken to loan Carter out, even if he would very much have been 5th choice for 3 places.

I would disagree that either player is anything but a superior goal threat at Championship level, but equally you could point to numerous players near the top of the goalscoring charts that cost far less, Piroe at Swansea, Riis Jakobsen at Preston, Adebayo at Luton, Gyokeres at Coventry, these players are out there if a detailed recruitment team looks. But either way, focusing on the players we have left, expecting most of these to start scoring with any regularity seems more out of hope than expectation, that's always been my concern. We are hoping for things to happen that haven't happened before which need too imminently to keep us in the fight for promotion, which is why I and many are worried. Dolan has 3 goals in each of his 2 senior seasons, Khadra has 3 in his 1 senior season, hopefully they can score more, but I could not predict that with confidence. Gallagher has never been prolific and he does not fall into the category of a young player who is about to become consistent, he has always been a fairly infrequent scorer, yet we now rely on him more than anyone. Hedges as a winger has not got a prolific goal record. Rothwell's goals are occasional if spectacular, and Buckley in front of goal is not a good mix. Dack is the exception but he won't be starting anytime soon and it seems won't be involved for the next 2 or 3. I am not saying that these players wont score goals, maybe one or two will go on a streak of scoring, but its hard to be incredibly confident that they will based on history. Always a gamble letting Carter go, and one to which the success of will be determined by what injures and suspensions we suffer between now and the end of May. You mention playing Johnson at centre back, if that ever needs to happen, even considering the raw elements of Carter's game as a player who certainly has yet to fully establish himself as Championship quality, that would be a noticeable downgrade and could cost us crucial points. Bradley Johnson is not a competent Championship centre back. Maybe Nyambe's performance v West Brom will help to establish him above Johnson as a third centre back but then again, he still is by far the best choice at wing back with Zeefuik yet to convince in his few starts and Rankin Costello looking an million miles off. Lets hope that Ayala returns soon and of course the main 3 avoid injury and suspension going forward.

Maja isn't injured, he has covid. The Forss one with the guarantee aspect was more of a rumour but Mowbray mentioned Connolly which itself shows that he did want a forward. Was always difficult on a low budget, always risk v reward (risk is perhaps not the right word as it is a small risk, worst case scenario they dont play) but its a shame we couldnt get one who could offer more of a goal threat than what we have, minus Brereton.

The reason that it is irrelevant as to Moore is that you have brought up a player totally randomly, someone that as far as I have seen that nobody has suggested that we should have been in for, someone who is blatantly not suited to how we play, someone who blatantly is beyond our financial means, same with Dike on all but the style points, so introducing them to a conversation about what we could actually have done in the market is as I say irrelevant. The one thing that Moore does have though is a recent record of scoring goals, something Dolan, Khadra and Hedges dont really offer being natural wide men. Gallagher is far from prolific either and certainly doesnt have a recent 20 goal season under his belt. Moore seems to be a late developer who also really impresses me whenever he plays for Wales especially at the Euros. His recent track record has led to his price tag for a reason. We seemingly agree that it would have been a difficult task to bring in a forward befitting our style of play that could have really impacted us and offered us a goal threat on a low budget. I have accepted that and have suggested that it would involve a bit of risk and return perhaps in the loan market, perhaps based off minimal first team experience so I get that. I dont think that I have implicitly said that Forss would have been a good signing. Most of his appearances were off the bench to be honest with Toney the first choice, but he showed an eye for a goal in those cameos. Maja is another one whereby its limited info, factor in his previous injury, but I stand by the fact that we could have done with another forward, that we may rue not getting one and that the likes of Dike and Moore have far more recent proof that they can score goals compared to our current fit forwards, but were both unobtainable hence why no one suggested we sign them therefore are irrelevant in conversations. Plus have unfortunately for them both picked up bad injuries themselves since. If there is logic in saying that Vale could come in and score at this level, this season presumably, obviously it is not impossible but if thats the logic then anyone could do anything. Nothing suggests he will come in and do that or indeed is even likely to make an appearance at the moment, hence his inability to make the squad since his return regardless of how stretched we become.

Buckley played as a false 9 throughout our winning run.

Has anyone suggested that the injury isnt a bad one considering that there were pictures on Rovers twitter on Saturday (and prior I believe on Instagram although ill have to take peoples word for that) showing him in a protective boot with crutches?

I am as big a critic as anyone of Gallagher, well almost. If that is who is meant. But Dolan has 6 career goals and Khadra 3, Gallagher has a far better track record of scoring even if he himself is far from prolific.

Why would the FA purposely help Bournemouth out, as is implied?

My point is that I don't understand why you even at any point mentioned Dike and Moore, I can only presume that you have used them solely based on them being the 2 big transfers of the window for forwards at this level, but they are irrelevant, far too dear. Moore has had a stop start season following the Euro's and having had covid earlier in the season but he scored 20 goals last season, he is a marked upgrade on our current striking cast who I have gone into detail about below, but to be honest its irrelevant as he was well beyond our financial means anyway, and doesn't fit our system. I have never said at any point that we could have come up with a solution to a Brereton injury, in fact I have said that any team would miss its main goalscorer and that it wouldn't be possible to equally replace him. I felt that prior to knowledge of Brereton's injury, that we needed a player capable of playing as one of our (wide) forwards who has more of a goal threat than the majority of our players that we have at the moment, accepting that it wasn't an easy ask. Dolan has lots of qualities, but has 3 goals in both seasons, his goals are infrequent. Khadra has 3 in his first season of senior football, again there is no track record of anything other than occasional goals. Hedges having played as a winger again is far from prolific. You say we have potentially 7 forwards, Vale is not as serious option for a team chasing Premier League promotion having played 20 minutes of football (in a dead rubber) at this level and Markanday has a season ending injury that we knew about a week before the window closed. So that leaves Gallagher as our main goal threat who himself is far from prolific. It's not about how many you have in general, it is whether you have enough of the qualities we need. Any signing is a gamble and I concede that especially with a limited budget that signing a player (to clarify, I wasn't expecting a 20+ goal striker/direct equivalent of Brereton) was difficult but it wouldn't have to be a 5m plus player either and those examples are irrelevant.

The 2 examples that you gave where players that would have massively improved us, but ones who were so dear that they became instantly irrelevant to the conversation anyway aside from attempting to make out that it was impossible for us to compete. There would have been scope for a signing, yes it wasnt a straightforward task and yes it may well have had to be a loan.

Totally get the sentiment but your call for support will fall on deaf ears. Most people posting on a messageboard will by association be hardcore fans. I suspect the majority are already season ticket holders, or failing that will be unable to attend 5 games (perhaps location based) or are the in the very small minority who are boycotting so wont be turned by a 5 game bundle. Its the floating fan that is the target audience, they wont be posting on messageboards, they can give or take attending. These bundles are not the way forward IMO, we have seen before even as recently as selling only 500k for the double header. Waggott said earlier this season in a fans forum that the EFL dont like bundles either plus he has the access to the numbers which prove that they dont work. Floating fans dont want to commit to numerous games at once to get value, they dont want strings attached, thats why one off, no strings attached deals get better uptake. Maybe I will be proved wrong this time but I remain skeptical.

They have had a poor season with massive injury issues but the job Bielsa has done to date is excellent. They were mid table Championship fodder when he joined.

The main issue is that the pitch in general is not in the best of states provoked by an unwillingness by the owners to spend 2m on a revamp as promised last summer. Pitch problems always seemed likely from that point. I dont get why people are making out as if the referee is solely to blame, as if they know to the contrary that the pitch was playable. None of us went onto the pitch and tested it.

Very tough game. Suspect Mowbray will go with the same team as named today. Id swap Dolan for Buckley and Hedges for Khadra or even Gallagher and play on the counter attack.

The ball barely bounced at all such was the state of the pitch having been dropped from a big height.

Seems unfit to play.