We may aswell close the forum if we have that attitude. Coyle and Kean spent years and years in professional football but I presume you didnt use the same defence of them? Performance in training is irrelevant, Gladwin and Brereton are 2 Mowbray signings that have been the best player in training but judgement is solely based on how players do on the pitch, not in training.

We are doing pretty well but that doesnt mean we have to cap our ambitions to maintaining where we are now. The play offs and potential promotion are not a million miles away, however I do concede they are incredibly unlikely. Despite what some suggest, we cannot cherry pick when we feel we are ready to go up, promotion at any time is 100% positive, the whole aim is to get promoted, and nothing would be a formality once we got promoted as many unexpected teams have proved. I dont understand the mentality of writing off this season as a learning curve already either, when we are 6 points away from the play offs, and on the back of 3 wins. We need to be continuously progressive, there is definitely plenty to build around at the club but also obvious weaknesses and aspects of our squad that will hinder any chances of a top 6 finish in the short term. This is another of the windows Mowbray has mentioned and whenever possible we should be looking to discard/dislodge the weaker aspects and try and bring in first teamers, not replace squad players with squad players as you suggest at centre back. For example, you mention our centre back options as if we are well stocked there. We have 2 centre backs (Mulgrew and Lenihan) plus a third option of a midfielder whose conversion to a centre back this season has had positive spells (last 2 games) and shaky spells (giving away 2 penalties including a horrendous game at Wigan and all 3 are incredibly injury prone. Derrick Williams (nor Nyambe or Bell) is never an adequate centre back for a Championship team. Our defensive record is poor. I would like to think we are continuously on the look out for a first teamer in that position, if he can get in the team, good, if not, the 2 already in there have upped their game. Mowbray considered Downing to be our 5th choice centre back but hes far better than Wlliams is there. Left back and a winger are the 2 urgent priorities, but we should be continuously looking to progress, not sitting on our hands accepting how great we are doing.

Any notion that promotion would be anything but brilliant is unfathomable to me.

It would be a senseless move. One indicative of incredibly restricted and predictable scouting and recruitment, bringing back someone riddled with hamstring issues seemingly based on familiarity and sentiment. And assuming he is fit, to loan him out when we are short of wingers and an attacker down with Palmer returning would be equally brain dead.

Irvine is at the Asia Cup I think.

Surely not Travis going out on loan?

Left wing?

They are both shite. Bells attacking nature is a myth. Dont recall him getting an assist (may be wrong?) for us, horrendous crosser and so frustratingly reluctant to drive forward. We need a new left back urgently.

Raya Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Williams Rodwell Travis Armstrong Dack Bennett Graham Subs: Leutweiler, Downing, Reed, Evans, Conway, Rothwell, Nuttall Wouldnt complain at Rodwell and Lenihan continuing but difficult to leave out our best player and set piece taker. Throughout our turn in form I have felt we have still been weak at full back. Bennett can go further forward and hopefully continue to help set up goals. Hull have 2 excellent wingers and Nyambe is a natural right back, and Williams is IMO slightly better than Bell especially at stopping crosses. Reed isnt an automatic pick at the moment, his form has slightly dipped IMO coinciding with fatigue according to Mowbray. Definitely shouldnt play wide.

Home game v Barnsley is another shout from 2 years ago near the end of the season.

Dropping our player in the best form?

Lets not pretend this is a reaction to a one off experiment against Doncaster which ended disastrously. Every time weve tried it it hasnt really worked. As you touched on, we have a winning formula at the moment, so thats reason enough to not play it, just to shoehorn a third centre back into the team. But 3 at the back is a formation that requires constant training and dedication (not used every now and again as a plan b like Mowbray has) and specialists in each position. Sheffield United are the example everyone uses. They have O'Connell and Basham, outside centre backs who have the ability to get up and down. They have Stevens and Baldock, as effective as you can wish for in terms of wing backs. We would have the obvious 3 centre backs and minimal back up, therefore an injury to any of our 3 centre backs would then lead to a change in formation. We have no suitable wing backs, Nyambe is our only good full back and he is very much a full back, hence 2 assists in his Rovers career.

Obviously only including games I was at so neither the 7-1 loss nor the wins at Old Trafford count. Here are 5 that spring to mind. Best Doncaster away last season Worthington Cup Final (only was 9 but still remember!) United 4-3 when Bentley got a hat trick Chelsea in the League cup quarter final, won on penalties Burnley at home when Dunn scored a last minute offside equaliser Worst Brentford 1-3 Rovers (obviously) Southend 2-1 Rovers (horrible journey and depressing to see us faltering in League 1 Rovers 1-2 Burnley when they broke the 34 year record Bolton 2-1 Rovers (Big Sams last game) Millwall at home in the quarter final FA cup replay. Chance to get to Wembley meekly surrendered. I didnt include Wigan at home under Kean as relegation was all but mathematically secured beforehand. Swansea away that season was a particular low too.

Thats management for you. If we win and he keeps Rodwell in, he will be praised, if he brings Mulgrew back in and we win, he will be praised.

Over the course of the season Mulgrews defending has been much better than Lenihans, without factoring in his goal return. Mulgrew will rightfully be back in the team sooner rather than later although it would be folly to drop either Rodwell or Lenihan at the moment so the 2 options are to keep Rodwell and Lenihan together until theres a reason to bring our captain back in or bring him back as soon as he is fit and push Rodwell forward one alongside Travis. Changing formation would be a brainless move on the back of 3 wins to a formation that requires repetitive training and full committment to. And one that has never worked in the past.

Mowbray has continued to downplay him wherever possible. He described him as a comfort blanket last week, he said any new deal is "up in the air" too. He was far more complimentary towards Lenihan in this last week. I suspect either downplaying expectations of him signing a new deal or trying to keep his progress on the down low.

Lamberts tactics of playing out from the back ensured one of his own signings was hung out to dry.

Off the top of my head did he not get an assist v Scunthorpe at home last year for Graham? I think hes better defensively than offensively personally. Doesnt dive in like Bennett.

Whilst you are right that the primary focus of under age football is development. Winning is still important and as Stuart says, there is a balance there, get relegated and we spend a season with our younger players not being tested in the same way that they are now. I must say our future looks a lot rosier than even a month ago. Travis has come in and even those championing his inclusion long before it arose could not expect a novice to come in and be so consistently excellent. His least effective performances were v Sheff United and on Tuesday for me and even then he was 7 out of 10. Armstrong has really come to the fore in the last few weeks aswell. Big question marks around whether he could come close to replicating his incredible strike rate and performance level from last season in a league where he has previously struggled and bar the occasional performance (Leeds and Rotherham) he was again struggling and not contributing enough. This last week has seen 2 goals, 3 assists and 3 excellent performances. Lenihan was one I had big hopes for but his rashness and incapability on the ball seemed to suggest that he perhaps wasnt good enough to justify the potential we thought he had. His performances recently have been the Lenihan we saw last season and lets hope it was just a (quite lengthy) drop in form. Nuttall I had written off in terms of his capability to step up but he has impressed in the last week and with his recent numbers in the under 23s and he is a goalscorer, he can sniff out chances and is always on hand for tap ins. Needs a loan at some stage I would suspect but at the moment we cant afford to let him go. Nyambe and Raya both still have a rawness to their game but both are more established prospects. Rothwell is very raw but theres potential there and he was excellent yesterday. The elephant in the room is Brereton. Hes the one who cost the most who has shown the least sadly.

Disagree on your analysis on Nyambe. I think he is a good one on one defender and its his attacking play that has improved most over time. When he came into the team he was terrified of driving forward.

Its a formation that needs repetitive training on though, it has proved difficult to implement in the past and we should be loathe to change a system we have won 3 on the bounce with.

I think as a one on one defender, he often proves a liability with his tendency to dive in. Quite simply, he is not a right back and it shows with regularity. I dont like shoehorning players in unnatural positions, even if it is an attempt to bring in experience or keep certain characters in the team. We need to be far more ruthless if we want to progress. I dont want that to come across as a criticism of Bennett. Like I said, for me his versatility is considerably overestimated, possibly due to his character. He is a midfielder and should be played there unless theres an injury crisis. Playing anyone outside of their natural position makes it difficult to judge. So the question then becomes, does Bennett deserves a place in his natural position? Armstrongs place in the side is I would suggest pretty safe considering his excellent recent form. I also though Rothwell gave Mowbray something to really think about with a superb impact off the bench yesterday. That being said, Bennett has made 3 quality contributions to goals in the last couple of weeks, so for me Armstrong and Bennett would get the wide roles v Hull, with Rothwell as an impact sub breathing down their necks. Such has been our upturn in form, I would suggest something that may have seemed crazy a few weeks ago, that Reed may be the one to give way in the starting 11. He is far less effective wide and his form has dipped with seemingly fatigue catching up with him. Central midfield is an area we are particularly strong in at the moment. Travis is one of the first names on the team sheet and credit to Mowbray for resisting the temptation to put Smallwood back in. (who is right at the back of the queue now) Evans was tidy enough again yesterday and compliments Travis well, but if Mulgrew is fit I would be tempted to drop Evans as well as Reed to make way for Nyambe and Mulgrew, with Rodwell in midfield.

Do you honestly think that if Nyambe is fit, that Bennett is a better right back than him? Barnes is a quality winger but hes not the only one to give Bennett the run around. His tendency to dive in and always try and win the ball worries me, its more of an asset further forward because it can be incorporated into a high press and he has the safety net of a full back behind him. He did improve his goal contributions right at the start of the season if I recall. His assists v Hull and Brentford helped to get us crucial 1-0 wins but then for me it dried up to the point where his place in the team should not have been guaranteed. His lack of goals is a big criticism too, 2 goals in 18 months of mainly League 1 football is indiciative of a team overly reliant on Dack and Graham for its goals and we know he can score goals. Like I said, for me theres a element of picking his best/favourite 11 players rather than picking them in their right position. Even yesterday, it would have made more sense to start Nyambe, play Bennett in midfield where he is more comfortable, and drop Evans or Reed, the latter whom looks shot of his normal energy levels at the moment. You make that one change and you have 2 more square pegs in square holes.

Regarding Mulgrew, its a difficult situation. I dont think theres anyway that he could play as a left back or midfielder anymore, but its very difficult to leave our captain out. Lenihan and Rodwell have been superb keeping clean sheets but lets be fair, the 2 sides they have faced have been pretty toothless. That being said, they have still been outstanding. When Mulgrew comes back (any doubt and we have the freedom of being able to not rush him) I suspect that the best suggestion would be potentially to move Rodwell forward one alongside Travis.

I know theres a hint of sarcasm here but no one has said he "is shit" but hes somewhat of a liability at right back. The main reason for that is because hes not a right back! He dives in far too much, his positioning is suspect, even this year he was given a torrid time by Harvey Barnes, he played a suicidal pass across the face of his own goal at Newcastle, and god knows what he was trying letting the ball run back to Raya. I think that Mowbray overplays his versatility, for example he certainly cannot do a job as a left wing back as he was expected to play on Tuesday, but hes got a good attitude so he gives it his all which I admire but you need more than that. He should only play in midfield (if theres no alternative at right back then fair enough) and thus he should only get into the midfield on merit, and not be an automatic pick. If we want to progress, we need to be ruthless enough not to automatically start players solely on character. I have been criticial of his attacking contribution many times before, there have been spells when he hasnt assisted and his goals tally has been poor in the last year and a half, but in the last few weeks, there has been the cross at Newcastle and the pass yesterday as mentioned, as well as an excellent pass for Armstrong at Millwall. Therefore I would suggest he would be right up there in terms of picking the 2 wide men.