This team is relegation fodder with the exception of the front 3 and Kaminski

So 4-3-3 allegedly suits Armstrong and Elliott, what about the other 9 players? Because we look worse in defence and midfield, and we’ve certainly not improved as a team year on year, or year on 2year. This is despite loaning what you’re calling our best / 2nd best player as well as improving at GK and not selling anybody. When I weigh up the pros and cons I see more benefit to a 4231 than a 433 with our current team and I think the last 3 years show that, despite spending more money, not selling anyone, getting in players on loan we’re regressing in the league on previous years. If you genuinely think it’s working and you’re all in favour of 433 I have to question if you’ve actually been watching for the last 2 months as it’s frankly been pathetic. I honestly can’t remember the last time we dominated in midfield (against 11 players) - maybe the Derby match? All well and good against 10 men Wycombe and Coventry. The system clearly doesn’t work, or it doesn’t work with the players he’s using (half fit Travis and a carthorse in Johnson).

Live on Sky in the middle of a transfer window.... 10 shots for Armstrong and a 1-0 Rovers defeat.

Here is the Steele clip...

Has he ever won an FA cup game with us?

He actually looks like he’s falling asleep sat down there. I just can’t support this anymore. It’s turgid stuff and I’ve seen nothing over the last 10 games that can prove otherwise.

This pitch is as bad as what I saw at Chorley earlier. Elliott is a mile ahead of the rest. Mowbray really is running out of excuses. 2nd week of January and we’re 11th in the league, out of one cup and heading out of the other at first attempt to a lower league team.

Yep true, considering the 3 CMs are all ‘holding’ types. They did get in between the midfield and defensive line far too easily.

Dolan and Trybull both been okay. Not much to say about the rest. Bell isn’t good enough, I don’t think he’s even much of a L1 defender in all honesty. Seeing Henley on the bench for Chorley makes you think how far a player could drop. Youth team LB must offer more than what we’ve seen from Bell or Douglas. Shocking from Pears. Johnson and Lenhian both stood off too much. Over a week into the transfer window and we still need a LB and 2 x CB. It will be the same cobbled defence for the next league game and probably the one after that.

27 Goals in 170 (in League 1).....Well Keith Andrews scored 15 goals in 86 Championship appearances after he left us. I don't think many regret letting him go though. The majority of this board will never have seen Whiteman play so can't really comment on whether he is this or that. If we're going to spend a few million then it's CBs we need not CMs. Assuming Mercer is on the wind up if he's saying he'd play a lad whose never played above L1 ahead of a player who made 16 appearances in the Premier League last year (31 appearances in a title winning Championship side the year prior) and has also played in the Bundesliga. Then again, I bet he's never seen Whiteman even kick a football and probably only watched Trybull across a handful of appearances for us. Not like him to voice a big opinion though.

Having said that....Sparks will be donning the lilywhite soon...

Well - Preston have just signed Ched Evans. That club is a bit of a mess, yet they sit level on points with us and an extra win to their name.

I'd go pretty similar to this except Thompson for Bell and Butterworth for Brereton. Would also rest Lenihan but not sure who is available to replace him?

Whoever we get, let’s do it quick so they’re ready to start from the 16th Jan

Absolutely brilliant to see Dacky slot that. Superb finish.

He was ref when we played Luton and waived away the two penalties at the end. One on Arma and one on Brereton I think.

Not sure if this is in jest or not, but there are 6 teams between ourselves and Reading 😂 we’re still in the bottom half with this win.

Peacock and Dailly 😂 yeah that was pretty bad. Our top scorer scored 5 that season! Wasn’t good at the back or up top.

I thought it was a typo from a previous game. Has Travis played for the u23s or anything? Not even had a run from the bench. Really hope he is 100% here as the FA cup seems more logical. Back 4 of Douglas, Johnson, Lenihan and Bell. Gallagher back in the first 11. I just give up.

Oh, if he’s at the mighty Braga then we may as well give up now then. Let’s just aim for another L1 manager with that mentality Whos to say Pearson, Bilic or Jokankvic wouldn’t be interested either? We’re attractive for managers, the squad is top6 quality, the academy is top level, and you get freedom away from the owners. Personally I’d go out for Wagner, he had a bad year at Schalke but took Huddersfield up and kept them up. I think he’d be interested if he was willing to come back to the UK. We’re not far down the road from Huddersfield, better academy and a squad he can work with. Thinking outside the box, De Zerbi, Seoane, Julian Stephen, Diego Martinez. No doubt they’ll be touted by clubs higher up the pyramid but you’ve got to try. Look at Barnsley trying someone new in Ismael. Won 10 of his first 15 there Its all dreamland anyway, he’s staying for the foreseeable.

I don’t understand how passing sideways slightly more than at previous clubs is meant to be bad for a 30 year olds body, or ‘an extra workload’

Mowbray trending on my Twitter. Albeit 19th. A lot calling for him to go now.

Could Damien Johnson be any worse for 6 months? What frustrates the hell out of me is this fantasy that we can’t do better than Mowbray. He came to us as L1 fodder. He’s taken us as far as he can, and spent money without selling a name in the time! No previous managers had that luxury. We’ve a team which people looking from the outside think is good (for the Championship). Managers will WANT to come to us. Too much fear over Appleton, Berg, Kean and what Venkys will do. I was excited at the start of the season, thought top 6 was a realistic chance, injuries haven’t helped but it isn’t enough of an excuse. He has failed to address the defence, you could say we’re unlucky with injuries but Williams looked like he was on his way out and nobody expected Wharton to feature. The irony is that Nyambe was probably our best CB option on the pitch but got subbed to put Buckley in at RB. What the hell is that about, I can’t even visualise what it’s meant to achieve. Ironic that Saar scores both goals. Free transfer this summer wasn’t he? He had his favourites in the past and it took injuries / years of shite for him to change it (Bennett and Smallwood come to mind). It feels the same now with Johnson, we’ve played loads of games through December and I think he’s started every time, he has barely left the centre circle this month. Not fit enough for that challenge. Tony has helped stabilise us, I left some games feeling like we were brilliant (L1 level clubs and PNE) but it’s now 5 points from the last 21 available. Worse than the results though is the regression in our style of play. We no longer press high which is what defined the 433 formation. 2 months ago I went into games expecting us to win, and entertain. I tuned into this expecting nothing, I guess that’s where we are now.

Gally through the middle. Finishes one flagged offside and puts that tap-in in. He just isn’t a bloody winger.

Defenders are coming.....Johnson and Buckley being two of them. Ayala actually looked like he went to sit on the bench at first. Pulled a muscle -1 degree what are you doing? Get some treatment.