To be fair, his problem is that he very rarely does have involment in goals. His goal and assist tally in his games played is really poor. Yesterday albeit he didnt directly score or assist he deserves credit for 2 very important passes in the build up. That of course doesnt remove any blame for the third goal when he lost the ball. He does need to start contributing far more when he does play and yesterday he was much better in that regard.

Even during that run though, it was Dack that was our difference maker when we was nicking games. He scored 2 of our 3 v Barnsley, the only goal v Brentford, the first v Stoke before making a key pass to set up the second, and he was key in creating Grahams goal at Swansea. There were a couple of isolated wonder goals in there too from Downing and Armstrong but usually to edge games built often on organisation, we rely on one man to sniff out a goal or create a bit of magic. Of course then followed the win v Bristol City which was very much the anomaly within that run of success. I am not defending Mowbray but I dont think a new manager could necessarily manage to get this set of players much higher in the League, not least a manager whose only experience is in a kids league whereby results are of secondary performance. Our squad is lacking in many areas, notably in attack whereby Mowbrays only proven, consistent success of a signing succumbing to injury has really brought to head how poor our recruitment has been under Mowbrays tenure, with considerable resources and time. For me, the managers job has to be questioned not because he is massively underachieving with a talented squad of players, because it isnt, but because the squad is not much better (without Dack) than the squad he inherited 3 years and 20m pounds ago.

Who in our squad could you say is a top 6 quality player at this time? I think the squad Mowbray has expensively assembled is lacking in many areas.

I dont think we were anywhere near as bad as we were v Huddersfield, but still another poor performance and very disappointing defeat. I would challenge how without Dack how even the most positive of supporters could suggest that this squad of players built by Mowbray could get anywhere near the play offs. I thought central midfield was the most functional area of the team, with Downing easily our best player. Superb goal, some brilliant passes although his set pieces are not particularly good and there were a couple of examples of either tired or quite simply lazy play, notably in the build up to the third. Evans is a neat and tidy player but hes not a leader or a player who grabs a game by the scruff of the neck, and he should have scored in the first half, poor finish. Travis was ok too until he went off. Its either side of this where we have a problem, mainly ahead for me. Our attacking players without Dack simply do not score nearly enough, yes in the last 4 games (in which Dack played just over half of one) we have scored a penalty, a scruffy own goal and a good goal by Downing but he wont score more than 4 or 5 a season. Brereton was totally anonymous, like Gallagher people will focus on the short period he stupidly was played wide but he was non existent in the first half, he doesnt get himself involved at all and often when we had the ball in attacking positions, he was out near the touchline or nowhere near the box. Armstrong was fairly non existent too, he does chip in with occasional goals and to be fair got another handy assist today but otherwise he goes into hiding. If he increases that goal and assist output then maybe he could get away with it more. Rothwell is an enigma, constantly giving the ball away, notably leading to the third goal and he laboured back for the first too. That said, something he doesnt usually do is contribute to goals and whilst he didnt directly today, he was integral to the build up to both goals so fair play for that. Gallagher is shite and didnt do anything, no surprise, and I dont know if Graham had a kick either. Chapman was much brighter but frustratingly on the wrong side, put in our best corner and was just much more positive, running and getting crosses in. Full backs are just diabolical, Bell constantly puts no pressure on wingers allowing them to get crosses in, as demonstrated perfectly for the first goal. He is also brainless going forward. Bennett is rash, often dives in and gives away fouls when we are on the attack ruining any momentum, and often out of position. I dont think the centre backs were necessarily directly responsible for the goals but neither can say they had a good game when the side conceded 3. And of course Walton was directly responsible for 2 goals, shocking. The Birmingham game represents a big conundrum, after that it isnt a busy schedule, and I definitely want to progress in the cup for 2 reasons, of course to end our run without a win and mainly because with no chance of the play offs realistically IMO and with little chance of being dragged into a scrap, we could do with some excitement in our season. But then again, on the back of the run of games we have had, 2 or 3, notably Lenihan and Downing may need a break, and Holtby and Travis IMO belong in our best 11 without Dack, but even if they could play it may be better to not risk them from the start. Equally, I dont see the point in starting the likes of Buckley and Brereton, who quite clearly arent capable of contributing at this stage, so I think I would go for something like this: Walton Rankin Costello Adarabioyo Williams Bell (no alternative, unless Hart could play?) Travis Evans Johnson Chapman Graham Rothwell We need to strive for consistency, I think this is the best side we could name as it stands going into the PNE game, but we need a couple of signings before then, someone to get us goals, and someone to play LB: Walton Nyambe Lenihan Adarabioyo Downing Travis Evans Holtby Armstrong Graham Rothwell (maybe Chapman in for Armstrong)

Elliott Bennett comntinuing to let his team down, rash challenges, being massively out of position. Bell just as bad on the other side. Rothwell keeps giving the ball away, poor again. Brereton looks lost. Armstrong has done nothing. A depressing watch so far. Only Downing can take any pride, a couple of superb passes and a great goal albeit a little flimsy for their third.

Im watching and hes barely got involved, hes out of his depth. As for Walton: 2 v Forest today, 1 v Huddersfield, 1 v Preston, 1 v Stoke, 1 v Barnsley, 1 v Sheffield Wednesday, so 7 off the top of my head. Absolute dog shit.

May aswell not be playing.

Would be nice if Brereton could get some game time in the second half as I havent seen him yet. Walton must be close to double figures in terms of goal costing mistakes now. Downing a class apart thankfully and has us in the game.

No goals in that team but I suppose theres little scope to change that. Although why Graham isnt playing I do not know. With players like Bell, Bennett and Brereton in it we are always going to be up against it.

Buckley has proven that he is absolutely nowhere near ready for our first team. He should continue his development in the lower leagues for now.

Ive never seen either player but they hardly have pedigrees that suggest they could make massive differences to what is at the moment IMO a practically impossible play off push with this squad. Im sure its just gossip and will be forgotten about tomorrow. Smallwood doesnt HAVE to accept a lower wage, he could justifiably see his contract out if he wanted. Che Adams is the mind of signing that would make a big difference. Southampton owe us a favour after selling us a waste of space!

Downing has been a good signing to be fair. Johnson not so much. The majority of younger players that Mowbray has signed have thus far been abject failures and as I touched on in the Mowbray thread I dont think our squad (excluding Dack due to long term injury) is noticeably more valuable than when Mowbray arrived.

These links to Gillingham defenders and Blackpool midfielders are the exact types of players we need to turn into actual, genuine play off contenders!

I would say that Mowbray has done a good job, not a superb job, unable to stop relegation, promoted but not as Champions, then on course for a second season of stability and mid table consolidation. Certainly a man who will be looked back on fairly fondly. One thing that is interesting is with Dack so unfortunately out of the picture, with his injury covering the majority of his remaining contract, putting him to one side as we may have to do, is our overall squad massively better/more valuable than when Mowbray came in, prior to spending what is not much shy of 20m I would suggest, and having 3 years to build and room to manoeuvre wage wise? The situation with Dack is very unfortunate because as a signing both in terms of effectiveness and value it was an absolute masterstroke, but ultimately should all of your eggs be in one basket. He has made quite a few signings for 6 figure fees, Bell, Chapman, Samuel, Rothwell, Davenport, Gladwin, Hart, I dont think you could argue that any of them have come off, Rothwell is the closest but whether it is down to the limitations of the player or the manager, or a bit of both, he has failed to impact games. I dont think any of these can be suggested as successes or a new manager would be excited to inherit them. Who are our most saleable assets, if indeed we have any? Lenihan who he inherited is probably our most valuable, and he has question marks over various things, can be rash, limited on the ball and injury prone. Beside that, maybe Travis or Nyambe but you wouldnt get that much for either. The only one of Mowbrays signings that may have some value attached to them is Armstrong, who often flatters to deceive and I suspect you would be fortunate to break even on. The majority of Mowbrays funds have gone into 2 players whose values will have massively depreciated. Baring in mind Gallagher I suspect is on very competitive wages, I would suspect that we would do well to get any buyers, especially for a 7 figure fee for either. His use of the loan market and also of short term deals has been mixed, some undoubted successes, Reed who has now gone, Adarabioyo who is still here, both good, Palmer and Payne less so, Antonsson and Walton in between, same with short term deals, Downing has been good, Whittingham terrible.

He is shit in midfield too. Just not a Championship standard footballer.

Its very much as a last resort but above playing the dreadful Bennett who I hope is moved on in January. A dismal player.

One of them touches was a goal.

We are short in a few positions but our absence of any goalscoring power takes high priority. At Centre back we have 2 plus a dodgy deputy which usually would be a major concern. As it is it is a strength of ours! If you are seriously suggesting playing them 2 dollopers up top at Forest then you must see our problem! (Surely Graham has to start that)

No idea what team we should be putting out. Graham is a certainty. Would give Holtby a run in the 10 position and not shunted out wide if he is fit. Would go for Evans alongside Travis again if the former is fit. The centre backs and keeper pick themselves. Would play Armstrong back on the right. Left side, Downing is a given but between Williams, Bell and Rothwell, its who to play down that side alongside him. Rothwell has been crap and Bell is always crap so for the purpose of having no alternatives, even though hes not very good himself, I would play Williams LB and Downing LM. Right back we need to hope that Nyambe recovers, otherwise I would go with Rankin Costello. If he is injured, then Travis to RB and Davenport CM. Dont want to see Bennett near the team, dont want to see Gallagher, dont want to see Bell and dont want to see Buckley.

Eddie Neketiah is leaving Leeds with Bristol City leading the chase for a loan. Good job that we dont need any attacking reinforcements as Gallagher, Brereton and co will step up to the plate.

To be fair, Gallagher played central v Birmingham and for 2/3s of the Huddersfield game and was equally ineffective. There is no logic behind him playing wide but he has been poor when played central which he has been more than half of the time. There is also a reason that he rarely if ever gets the chances that Dack and Graham have had because he lacks their anticipation and movement to be able to get half a yard or sniff the chances out. I agree with much of your general post but I have to say that Gallagher is a really poor player and should never have been signed.

He has 2 in his defence! But you are absolutely right. Its incredibly naive to expect poor players to just suddenly start scoring goals when historical evidence suggests that its incredibly unlikely. Good strikers in poor form miss chance. Gallagher is a poor striker so he doesnt get into the right positions. He can only somewhat hide behind the playing on the wing narrative too as more often than not he plays central and is still dog shit.

Its becoming increasingly evident now we cant rely on Dack to regularly get us goals and get us out of the shit how lacking our squad is, 3 years and over 15m down. We have players who might chip in with the occasional goal and get away with it when Dack is regularly the match winner, take them out of the equation and they arent up to taking on the mantle because quite simply they arent good enough and moving them into different formations and shuffling them about is just moving the deckchairs on the titanic. Armstrong is a player who could regularly be described as predictable, one dimensional and lazy. His Championship record is poor, he has had 2 brief hot spells, one in each League, but he doesnt contribute enough over the course of a season. As it is, he along with the ageing but still streetwise Graham are our only 2 goal threats. Gallaghers incompetence and the way he has been judged was summed up today. Played more than two thirds up top, did zilch, then stupidly was stuck wide, which I agree is mental, and all the focus is on that, but regardless of where he plays, he is useless. Look at Grahams goal, he has made that chance by peeling off his man, Gallagher never does that, its the duty of the striker and his movement to create spaces, poor strikers dont get chances and he is very much a poor striker. The farce around Brereton continues, unused again. Rothwell repeatedly flatters to deceive, and the money spent on Samuel and Chapman was also pissed down the drain. And Buckley is so far off it is untrue. We 100% need attacking reinforcements as a matter of urgency but how can you trust Mowbray to spend more money.

He is dismal no matter where he plays. Agree on the management but he played up top for most of the game and was dire.

Absolutely rancid display, totally dismal from a team who I suspect are very lucky to have accumulated the points they have with Dack as without its gonna be a struggle. Devoid of any goal threat and littered full of shite players. Managers bizarre tactics didnt help. Buckleys performance was embarassing, I am not even sure hes a League 1 player at the moment. At least hes got an excuse, Bennett was dog shit again and set up their goal, if he plays another minute he will continue to cost us, get him gone in January. Gallagher typically totally useless and our 7m striker gathering dust when we need a goal. As I said, with Dack gone NOW we will suffer from the 12m Mowbray has poured down the drain. Elsewhere, both centre backs and central midfielders dismal on the ball, and all 3 subs did nothing of any use. Great header by Graham. Overall a very depressing further demonstration of our impotence minus Dack.