roversfan99

This idea that someone will always step in unexpectedly when the key striker departs/is out is flawed, hopefully it will happen again but there is a reason that goalscorers cost so much.

I do think that it is very difficult for any team to be without their main man, if Fulham lost Mitrovic, they would be much less potent, if Bournemouth lost Solanke they would miss him etc. Undoubtedly I would have liked an extra forward in the window, on a tight budget I suppose it was difficult to find someone who could play as one of the wide forwards in a formation that has brought us the success we have, but I would have liked someone. A lot of onus on Gallagher now which worries me. Khadra is in his first proper season of football and has just the 3 goals, Dolan only scores occasionally, I am interested to see more of Hedges who for a winger had a reasonable goal and assist tally in Scotland but hes not going to make up what we lose without Brereton. Hopefully in a couple of weeks we have Dack and Brereton back involved.

Could be a critical, terminal blow to any promotion chances if our main goalscorer is injured for any period of time. Any team would miss their main striker, take Mitrovic out of Fulham and they wouldn't be half as good. Who will score the goals now?

Perhaps, I appreciate the need for accountability and totally understand that side of thing. Mind you, surely the pandemic creates a fair argument that the rules which were obviously created prior become a whole new ball game? But either way, it wouldnt sit right for the competition to be undermined by numerous teams being given points deductions before a ball is kicked based on a framework that isnt flexible to compensate for unforseen circumstances.

This season has been as productive as ever on that front, still not scoring many, but it suits him coming from deep rather than already being well up the pitch I think. Certainly not a natural goal threat but capable of occasional brilliance.

Obviously as someone who supports a club who would be potentially positively affected by such deductions, I still think it would make a mockery of the league should a series of teams start a season with a points deduction. I remain skeptical too until it happens.

Rothwell has thrived in that deeper role and the best season of a previously average career. And Gallagher is better running long distances than he is holding the ball up and playing with his back to goal, so it makes a bit of sense. He wouldnt be in my starting 11 though, thats for sure.

He was instrumental in our winning run, no one was calling him to be moved then, for me it allows his main strength to be maximised which is nicking the ball off people, and also playing through balls. Conversely, his main weakness is his shooting which is blatant when played there. Gallagher hasnt played as an orthodox striker for a long while barring maybe the odd cameo that doesnt immediately come to mind. I have never subscribed to the idea that he is a natural centre forward wasted, I just dont think he is very good full stop but he is probably no less effective as one of 2 wide strikers compared to as the main central striker.

Buckley has played as an attacking midfielder all season including throughout our winning run. Gallagher has played either wide of a 3 or as one of 2 wide strikers in basically every appearance too.

Correct. If you said that footballers are as versatile as theyve ever been or something along those lines, fair enough. To imply that formations and set positions dont exist is blatant nonsense.

Apparently positions in football are a thing of the past. All about dimensions.

*it's likely to be. Past performance (more this season specific to the 2 teams in general than over previous seasons at Ewood Park when both teams looked very different) is always a useful barometer but only up to a point.

Of course, its a game we should be expecting to win, at home v a mid table side, anything less than 3 points would be a huge source of frustration. We are third in the table so any dropped points should be a source of frustration, in our position we should feel capable of playing any team in our division and beat them, the table doesnt lie. This game coming up did stand out however amidst a block of 5 games as the easiest on paper and thus the one with perhaps the most pressure but it will not be easy.

A really important game in getting us a bit of confidence ahead of 3 tough games in which we certainly need to be continuing to pick points up. It might be a big banana skin, if Brereton is injured that could be a crucial blow and Millwall have won their last 2 having picked up since Jed Wallace returned to the team following doubt over his future.

Hes only played an hour of football in a Rovers shirt. We cant get rid of the 3 centre backs in the formation as they are not conceding goals. Just need to tweak ahead of that.

I would stick with the 5 at the back, our defence is ensuring that we gain points even when not scoring many. I would perhaps change things slightly and have 2 wide men either side of a striker but that would be Brereton if fit. Hedges and Dolan either side, see if we can get a bit more spark. I certainly wouldnt be desperate to give Gallagher a run of games in the middle, although Breretons injury may make this a necessity.

If you would play Brereton as the false 9, based on your recommendation, I don't get how Gallagher would be played in any different a position to where he plays now ie as one of the 2 wide forwards? The formation would need altering to bring in out and out strikers.

There is a common myth that Gallagher is a potentially effective forward being totally misused as a wide man. The current position is sort of a hybrid between wide man and striker, and in a counter attacking team, is probably not far off the best utilisation of a very limited player. I also feel like he performs better without Brereton as was the case when Gallagher was very good v Boro the other week from this current "wide striker" role, the balance of our team looks more natural playing this way when we have one of Brereton and Gallagher playing (always the former if fit and available) and then a winger as we saw with Khadra. Whenever he has played up front in the past, many of his primary weaknesses become magnified, he cannot hold the ball up, he cannot bring others into play, his touch is horrendous and as the main striker he will never be prolific enough.

Every single time one of our players gets injured, you come on here and imply that they are likely to be out for a long time.

Where is this from and what is the injury?

Kaminski Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Nyambe Travis Rothwell Pickering Hedges Brereton (if fit, big if) Dolan

There is such an obsession at the moment with the current tactics, for some reason people have forgotten that it is the current system that was key to us going on such an incredible run to push us so high up the table in the first place. Wide strikers and Buckley as a false 9 are apparently idiotic experiments on behalf of the manager, implying that they have only come into place since the run of incredible form. They were cornerstones of that very same form. Talk of Mowbray being "lucky" or that "everyone knows it but the man in charge" in regards to his tactics makes absolutely no sense, you credit when things go well and criticise when it doesn't, not just choose which side you prefer to best suit the fact that you have an agenda and your mind has already been made up. Ultimately, its impossible to argue against the fact that we are struggling to score goals at the moment, and that is becoming more and more of a worry. The aspect that is not getting the credit that it deserves is how the current system has overcome the constant achilles heel that we had prior to this season, our defensive record. People have constantly cried out for us building from the back and being solid and now we very much are. In the last 8 games, we have scored 2 goals which is really poor. That being said, those 2 goals were in 1 nil wins, and there are also 3 nil nil draws in there, 9 points in 8 games is not a promotion chasing run of form, but it is not as disastrous as focusing on the attacking woes may make out, and it shows that when you are hard to score against, you can grind out results even when you are misfiring in attack which will happen to all teams, and it even has to Fulham and Bournemouth. The above is why I can understand the tactical conundrum regarding how we change things up. The natural first change people may recommend is to move from the 5 at the back but as shown above, we are defensively solid, Wharton and Van Hecke were again outstanding last night and Lenihan who himself has been superb this season returns on Saturday. So for me, it is about changing things ahead of that, a serious injury to Brereton would be a huge blow to that. And @RevidgeBlue we have "quite enough dung thrown our way over the last 10 years" you are certainly not wrong. That is due to the owners that you repeatedly defend, and we are currently at our best point within those 10 years (shows how poor those years have been) thanks to the man that you cannot bring yourself to praise no matter what he possibly does!

Very true. Any cap would have to come externally and that wont be happening.

Very true. Any cap would have to come externally and that wont be happening.

Such extortionate prices cannot be justified.