It’s right there, Rev.

Walton - Leutwiler is no better a combination than Raya - Leutwiler. Bennett - Lenihan - Mulgrew - Downing is about as poor a defence as we could select. A back four made of converted midfielders at varying stages of experience (let alone ability) and three of them at the tail end of their careers. Mowbray was a defender yet seems to have no clue when it comes to establishing a defence. I would normally say that pre-season games aren’t really important and it is next week that we need to worry about but I can’t see there being anything different against Charlton.

Who else’s mouth would you use? ? ?

Do what you love, love what you do. Providing it’s legal! Fair play to someone trying to get somewhere in life and putting himself out there.

Astonishing view but if you support the top clubs having 40-50 players signed including the brightest prospects then fair enough. Carry on being grateful for being taken the mickey out of by the big boys.

Clubs can’t go out and buy these players outright because the big clubs have hoovered them up with no real intention on playing them but make money out of loan fees. If one of them turns good they get to keep them or any resulting transfer fee. It has distorted the market even more in favour of the big clubs. Can’t believe you’re in favour of that, Rev.

Who’s that Sa..mu...el guy?

It may not be true in this case but big clubs insisting on their players being automatic starters at other clubs is another symptom of football as a huge failure. Talk wanting your cake and eating it too. If he’s good enough, he will play. Provided he breaks into Mowbray’s inner circle and not his packet of chocolate digestives.

Fill yer boots, Vinje!

The blue looks a different shade again in that photo. Still haven’t seen it live.

0-7-4? Is that the formation or the padlock code for Coyle’s old doughnut stash?

Post a funny or not funny Rovers-related or at least football-related photo for others to provide caption comments for.

That’s wide of the mark, Joe. Fans would still have been pointing out that we needed to improve our defence, they’d just have been more easily shouted down by the supporterati. As it is both the +ve and -ve fans agreed with Mowbray when he said we needed defenders. Now he’s done a u-turn some folk are having trouble knowing how to react. He can’t be right with both statements so “Trust Mowbray” doesn’t work on this occasion.

We’ve probably already been beaten to it by Albion Rovers.

There is logic in everything if you ignore the context and timing. For instance there is logic in buying two strikers for £12m but not if you are £180m+ in debt and they aren’t part of a squad that can challenge for promotion because you won’t buy quality defenders. When you apply the context, it makes no sense. If he had brought in his new number one (we think) in June then him missing the first couple of pre-season games wouldn’t have mattered. He will still have to shout at the players and upset them even after he has had to endured Graham or Mulgrew parading around the indoor centre in their y-fronts - or whatever team building activity Mowbray thinks he needs before he can face the likes of Bury in a practise match.

No way will they sack Mowbray. This is part of the problem. His job is as safe as a cheeseburger at a vegan bbq. He has already had the worst run of any manager at Rovers under their watch and it wasn’t even a question.

We keep talking about these clever formations because Mowbray keeps buying more and more midfielders and attackers and letting defenders leave!

Which of course is utter nonsense given that we have now run out of pre-season games. How well does he need to know the lads before he can play? Middle names or inside leg measurements?

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/july/new-deal-and-loan-for-scott/ Scott Wharton signs yet another contract and goes out on loan again. Another potential defender no longer around.

He’s out of contract so he won’t be on anyone’s list until the window closes.

It’s frightening how badly managed our squad is. It’s so imbalanced. Too many of the same type of player and positions and not enough in others. Mowbray doesn’t care about getting in defenders because he has this thing about versatility. Bennett and Downing to cover for full back. Nyambe and Williams (even Bell) to cover at centre back. Gallagher and Brereton and Rothwell and Armstrong to cover on the wings. The young lads are waiting in the wings for injury and suspensions. Meanwhile we reward loyalty by giving players who should be on exit strategies new contracts because our wage-structure-led recruitment strategy can’t guarantee replacements - which then make them difficult to move on so they end up in and around the squad. We are paying them more than others and they need to be in the shop window for January so...

Wonder if Walton will step in right away as number one? Mowbray’s M.O. is more about loyalty (so reward Leutwiler for his pre-season so far) and new players having to prove themselves (so 6 weeks working with Benson while he gets used to being part of “the group”). To throw him in for his debut against Blackpool and then at Charlton is new territory for Mowbray. I genuinely can’t believe we haven’t brought in an experienced goalkeeper if we are sticking with the same poor defence. As Matty alluded to in another thread, it looks like we could be about to throw away another impressive attacking squad for the want of some decent defenders. Which wouldn’t be so bad if Mowbray didn’t insist on playing defensive formations (like his 2 CDMs for so long).

He needs to be judged against Championship opposition, not lower league pre-season matches but the early signs are promising.

Nope!