I wouldn't really agree with that. In our recent great run in November-December we looked pretty much invincible. With Mowbray I would characterise it more as we go through periods of looking really really good (start of 20/21 season being very much like that as another example) for around 10 games, then the wheels fall off, till we put them back on again around 10 games later. It's been such a feature of Mowbray's teams, not just at Rovers but elsewhere also (Celtic, West Brom etc).

Mowbray is so odd. Came across like he wants to top himself in that interview after a sensational comeback win.

He's used him as a false 9 to replace Buckley a few times this season. Pretty mad. I guess the thinking is he provides some sort of aerial capability. Terrible today, could barely run. 4231 looked good when we switched at half time. Totally overran Derby. Playoffs looks just about possible. So tight though. We have played so many more games than teams behind us. Sheff Utd, Luton and Notts Forest all have enough points in their games in hand to over take us.

I wouldn't be surprised if the person to ultimately decide to move on is Mowbray rather than the club. He's had a good season, stock is high, will find a roughly equivalent club pretty easily. I doubt our ownership will be decisive one way or another in terms of a new contract, and given that a lot of key players are leaving because of contracts running out, and he's been here a fair while, I can see him leaving. If we don't go up of course. But going up looks very unlikely to me even if we do make the playoffs.

To be honest I would say everything was a positive except actually scoring. Everyone played well up until the penalty box and then we became terrible. If John Buckley had some shooting boots we'd been about six points better atm. He's young though and obviously has the quality so hopefully it will come.

I always like to think of forwards in terms of "how can they hurt the opposition". Gallagher is taller, stronger, quicker than the average centreback which gives you hope. But he rarely dominates a defender, and loses the ball cheaply very often, and has virtually no link up play, and he very rarely gets in goal scoring positions.

I thought it was one of the the most one sided game I've ever seen us play. We were totally dominant and created thee or four stone cold chances. Millwall offered nothing, our defence was (again) outstanding). If we'd got a goal it would have been a near perfect game for us. However as has been the issue since the turn of the year we just can't finish. There's no real route out of that I can see until Diaz is back, and maybe Dack - though it's a lot to ask a guy coming back from two ACLs to come in and score regularly. Lack of goals is a major major major problem, and looks like it will cost us a playoff place.

Totally dominant performance. Even generated a string of good chances. But never confident we could score. And we didn't.

I am a bit perplexed by Zeefuik. Want him to do well but while he seems a decent athlete, but not in Nyambe's league, lacks Nyambe's excellent one on defending, and hasn't really shown much going forward. I'd prefer a fully fit JRC who has the quality of delivery. But he's looked well off the pace whenever he's played this year so not really a go-er.

Mitrovic will eat Van Hecke for breakfast. If Ayala is fit he's got to play I think.

He's quality at our level, but not sure he'll make it in the prem though. Against physical forwards he has struggled when isolated, and the forwards are a lot quicker and stronger in the prem. Personally would say Lenihan more likely to make the step up But we will see!

If he can sort his decision making and final ball out he's going to have an amazing career.

Great result, fully deserved win. Played some excellent stuff. Hopefully kicks off a run for us now. All that said the only player who looked like scoring was Khadra so thank God he did. We need some scoring form. What's annoying is when you are struggling to score set pieces are so important but our corners were all completely terrible. Anyway superb performance, let's kick on.

Near perfect half from Rovers. Ive thought Johnson was finished for a while but he's been brilliant. Dolan superb. Khadra great except his finishing. It's been a really strong performance just without any goals....

Kaminski, Lenihan (c), van Hecke, Wharton, Nyambe, Travis, Rothwell, Buckley, Pickering, Khadra, Gallagher Harsh on Dolan.... Great to see Pickering back though.

Anyone know what the team was going to be?

Yes was at the Preston game. First half the ball was literally holding up up in puddles of surface water. Totally ruined the football. But was totally fine by second half.

Not for me, Giles in a front three seems a waste. Hes got a terrific delivery but beyond that not much more as far as I can tell. If he plays its LWB (but if Pickering is fit I'd rather have him).

I am sure if we played a two up front he would be in the box way way more than he is now. It's not just that he's way out on the right side, it's also that he's expected to track all the way back down the right side, so he really is pulled a long way away from goal.

Yes - if we go up we will in all likelihood get absolutely battered. Only players we have imo who are likely to be able to step up to acceptable Prem standard are Kaminski, Wharton, Lenihan. We've got a bunch who might make it - Travis, Buckley, Rothwell, Brereton, Dack - but I am not that confident about any them. So we'd probably go up, get absolutely minced, come back down, but at least have some money to spend and a couple more years of experience in our young players. That said some teams have gone up and looked totally insufficient on paper and stayed up the first season up (eg. Huddersfield), and some clubs have gone up and had a great squad and got sent straight back down (Fulham recently spring to mind). So it's not a foregone conclusion. But it will be a very difficult season I am sure.

I agree that we do need more than one formation. Though it's a bit weird to say that we haven't got any alternatives.- this season we've played 433, 4231 and 343. Tony has chosen to stick with the 343 because he thinks it's best for us to get results. Defensively it's hard to disagree due to the superb way the back three has performed. Since October only Hull and Forest have given us any real defensive issues which is a phenomenal record. When we played a four before October our defence was not that great. Offensively on the other hand is a different story. The thing that does my nut in is we don't seem to change away from a front 3 even when it's obviously not working. To go to a front 2 and put an extra player in midfield might have helped against Hull and Forest but we stuck with the same setup. Just so dispiriting to see Gallagher up and down the right all the time trying to cross the ball....

Always find Millwall away funny - all the "hooligans" are in their 50s and 60s and struggling with their weight.... doesn't stop them "waiting for the away fans" in a not at all menacing, slightly sad sort of way.

True.... but Hedges does look the very definition of a "wide forward" which is where Tony will play him. Based on recent subs the wide forward areas pecking order is roughly : Brereton, Gallagher, Khadra, Dolan, Hedges. Dolan might leapfrog Khadra and even Gallagher based on some decent subs appearances. Does seem a tall ask for Hedges to get his way up that list unless we have injuries/suspensions. That said we've got three games in 8 days so I'm sure Hedges will get a few minutes as a sub somewhere. Just needs to do something with it.

Dack has't played yet as he is building fitness. And it's pretty obvious he will go straight in at false nine when ready. Buckley they will have to fight it out with Travis and Rothwell for a central mid role. Dack coming in should add goals really. The false nine is perfect for him.

I'm going to the game! One thought.... Nyambe on the right side of the three CB worked really well. He can do in a more budget way what Walker does for England - drive right up the pitch in partnership with the RWB. Creates quite a powerful combination and Nyambe has the recovery pace to get back into position if we lose the ball. Obviously Lenihan is one of our best players, played RCB very well, and our captain, so I wouldn't advocate dropping him, but good to know we have another option. Maybe something we could introduce in a game if we want to change things and create overloads down the right. Team for me..... I really would look at playing Buckley deeper and playing more of a traditional top two. I think ultimately it suits Buckley and Gallagher better. Also Giles has been really disappointing, I would say looks nowhere near as effective as Pickering. So needs dropping. I'd go : Kaminski Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Travis Nyambe Buckley Rothwell Pickering Gallagher Brereton I think Mowbray will go : Kaminski Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Nyambe Travis Rothwell GIles Gallagher Buckley Brereton