Only if he doesn't sign we'll know it's totally separate.

If you say so...

Obafemi's contract runs out next summer, so maybe he's asking for too much wages, or this is part of a clever deal to get the Armstrong price down.

We should have had a replacement deal lined up as soon as Armstrong left. I'm fairly confident Obafemi wasn't on our shortlist before Southampton won the contest for Arma.

Worrying times. While it's positive that some of our academy players will get the nod, we also need to expand our scouting and bring in players with resale potential. Not many players worth north of £1m in our squad come next summer.

Total shambles if we don't sign one player on a permanent contract this window. We won't have a single buy option in any of the loan deals, and the club has know for ages that Armstrong was a goner sooner or later.

Got a goal against the run of play, brilliant by Gallagher. Thought he put in a real shift today. Midfield was lacking and Travis had a difficult task doing the running for Poveda as well, who did not impress me (mostly defensively). Don't think Mowbray can afford to start with Breo and Poveda with our current 'style' of football. Turned the tide when Morsy got sent off, he's a player I hate seeing on the opposition's team sheet. Always great battles between him and Travis I feel. Could have snatched a goal with a little more quality but in the end relieved to get a point today. Magloire played a good half too, looked slimmer than before and quicker on the turn.

Interesting that JRC played right-back tonight for the U23s, seems clear that's where Mowbray sees him and he did favour him over Nyambe last season. If it happens again this season then there's zero chance of Ryan staying, despite being the superior player. JRC is a good utility player but he's another average Joe for me, Bennett mkII. No names leaked from the list of 5-6 that Mowbray mentioned a fortnight ago?

Mowbray said he had 5-6 options on the striker front. Not sure what's the hold-up, but as far as I can see Obafemi hasn't moved anywhere yet so perhaps Mowbray is still hopeful that he can pull off a deadline 'coup'.

Small squad, think Chapman will get his chance to impress and might still come good. Didn't exactly pull up any trees last season so will have to continue to impress when called upon. Haven't seen Poveda play but looks full of tenacity, flair and pace - an upgrade from Dolan so I see him starting ahead of Tyrhys who is nice to have come on from the bench. Still waiting for some permanent signings, a goalscorer is needed. Perhaps Breo is staking his claim for a spot down the middle and uses it as leverage in his negotiations. Brighton lad probably not signing now though, right?

Johnson and Bennett looked like the two least experienced players last season when they came on towards the end. Bennett either ran down the win and lost possession or sent an early cross without address. Johnson will also lose the ball in possession a number of times and doesn't have any pace to win the ball back when we get caught on the break. Davenport is a great player to put on and will continue the fight Travis (and partially Buckley) puts on.

When signing a 19 year old Brereton for £7m who had to mature, it would be criminal not to protect the investment by extending his contract. Breaking the pay structure for Armstrong would have been with a view to sell (for more), so I can see the logic behind that. I asked Sharpe if Lenihan had a 12 month option inserted in his contract and he said no, but I'm not totallt sure that's the case for Breo? Nyambe we alrady extended I believe.

I'm guessing it would be a loan move? We need a permanent replacement as well.

I certainly hope he's quicker than Dolan. Obafemi is a better player, but not sure whether finishing is his strongest attribute when you look at his stats. Whatever happened to all the scouting we were supposed to do in France (Ligue 2)? There are lots of good cheap players in Europe if only they could be bothered scouting them.

Great preview, Mike E! Having watched the first three matches on TV, I will miss out on this one. Don't think their team looks too intimidating. Hopefully Ayala, Rothwell and Nyambe will be fit for this one, but I fear at least one of them will miss out. Clarkson from off the bench to score a screamer in the 85th to win it?

Looks like we'll come into that game even more depleted and it's not really one anyone expect us to win. They're still adapting to their new style, but will improve for each game under Ismael. They'll press us higher than any of the three teams we have faced this season, so we need an outlet for that, but I believe they have mistakes in them as well and if we can approach it like we did vs. Swansea then we have a chance of scoring a couple. This team will be buzzing to come back to Ewood now, that's for sure.

Difficult task for Dolan with his physical limitations. I think he did fairly well tonight and he stretches and works the defenders, although sometimes he tracks back too far and leaves us with no option on the counter. With the current squad I'm ok with him starting due to his workrate. He had a shot that pulled a good save out of Samba, an was close to an assist when Breo headed wide in the first.

I'll take a hard working performance like this over the slow build-up with the on/off switch in use every 15 mins.

Chapman really has evolved. Great defending and massive going forward. Davenport is a real nuisance and great at pressing the ball. Each and every player have worked their socks off for the past three games, and have been rewarded for their efforts. Ayala a real leader and a terrific defender. Great game.

Time for some subs Tony

Just put it out of play.......

Oh...and Lenihan as playmaker not really the answer here I feel.

Forest are there for the taking. Wish Dolan would turn once in a while, and him and Breo take their men on. Buckley also needs to release the ball into space sooner, and missed a massive chance to put us ahead. Dack would have put that away with ease. Good half though.

I fear that will happen as well, and we'll end up with a freebie or a very raw loan player, then he won't use the January window because the prices are inflated. If he doesn't manage to sign one of the five or six names he has shortlisted, then that says more about Rovers as a club and Tony as a manager than anything imho.

When Obafemi decides then he'll move down the list, that seems pretty apparent. Armstrong must have earned good wages here, and if he wants him replaced he has to fork out a few £. Mowbrays loan strategy with more players coming in towards the end of the window makes perfect business sense, so no complaints from me.