Lots of elaborate theories, assumptions and bits of supposed gossip about Dack. What we can look at is what happens on the pitch, and I think it is fair to suggest that Vale and Hirst are not up to it, and that Dack (even if we write off his chances of a start which we shouldnt) could potentially be a better option. We have never come back in 8 games from conceding the first goal so although Tomasson in general has done very well thus far, that is a huge area of potential improvement based on the fact that what he has done in those situations has been objectively unproductive.

I must have missed that summary.

Its a non starter anyway as he wouldnt come back and we couldnt afford him, but obviously that is the case, you could say that about anyone. Armstrong is better than Gallagher.

He would have had to have a serious downgrade to be any less useful than Hirst or Vale when we need a goal. When he has played he has seemed physically fine, was really good at Blackpool and won us the game with his pass.

If he came back and scored 28 goals in a season again, that would probably be beneficial to the team.

Blackburn End yes, and I think a fiver.

As I have said on another thread, I feel like he is far superior to a number of our attacking options who considerably weaken us, and even if he doesn't start games, he is far more likely to impact games than those aforementioned options, but he has been under utilised in those situations, and we have won 0 points from those as a result.

It's just as credible a theory as the one that he isn't grafting, I am just speculating but with more and more of a focus to reduce our wage budget, then surely the removal of one of our high earners has an element of sense to it. Football is judged on results so every time we win then Tomasson can justify it. But did we win yesterday BECAUSE Vale (and Dolan) were brought on and Dack wasn't? No, both really struggled and couldn't get us up the pitch. Every time we have gone a goal up, we have won, but we have never come back after conceding, which thankfully has only happened once in the last 6 games. But Tomasson CAN be questioned on his ability to get back into games, and I feel like Dack has either been brought on either too late or not at all, in favour of inferior players who have not gone on to change those games, so criticism in that regard is fair. We are better off going forward with Dack being regularly used than not, especially when some of our attacking options are so shoddy.

Dolan is definitely far more useful than the 2 players mentioned, but yes, Dack is equally far more useful than him.

I probably wouldn't start Szmodics at Burnley. Vale and Hirst's absence is self explanatory, like Edun and Rankin Costello. Lack of quality,

Eric Dier showed his defensive inability with a terrible header leading to Liverpool's second.

Went for a pint with 5 or 10 minutes left in the first half yesterday and didn't get one until a couple of minutes into the second half, at which point the Amstel had run out, leaving only piss poor Fosters which I obviously had to down to get back to the game. The bottle bar bits were unused and still no sign of pre-pouring drinks to ease the queues, plus there was also supposed to be a deal on 3 for 2, no sign of that so I am guessing that it was poorly advertised and was just a pre game thing? At other away grounds I have yet to witness similar levels of sluggishness. Simply unacceptable really, could it be mentioned at the next fans forum please?

Rumours is the key word. We don't know if he isn't putting the effort in, they might have had an argument, he might be under pressure to jettison a high earner, we simply don't know. What I do know is that Vale and Hirst are not good enough and them being on the pitch over Dack is not to the benefit of Rovers.

I never like the idea that Cup games are a hindrance and we have seen instances in the past where people actively want us to go out, I still want us to (unlikely of course) get through. That being said, using the squad is necessary and in these circumstances more than ever, we cannot afford to risk key players, especially Brereton who is shattered. Pears Carter Phillips S Wharton Mola Buckley Garrett Markanday Dack Dolan Szmodics Leave Brereton, Brittain, Pickering, Ayala, Hyam, Gallagher and Hedges at home.

"Get over the fact this his missus is away" is one hell of a fabricated narrative. Being sent off for dissent is really stupid by Dack but there is clearly frustration that anyone would have if massively inferior players kept getting chose in preference to you.

100%, people love talking about high pressing, playing it out from the back etc in modern day football but to be honest very little of that has been evident by us so far despite that being mentioned in the summer. For me, by far the biggest strength that I have seen from Tomasson tactically is our organisation once we go a goal up. 12 wins from 12 winning positions is absolutely outstanding. There are 2 areas of concern, our use of the ball when we are sitting on a lead, massively hindered by having subs like Vale, Hirst and Dolan who simply don't have the ability and intelligence to keep the ball and take pressure away. And of course Tomasson's inability to ever get back into a game after going a goal down. Pragmatism and moving away from supposed principles has for 2 seasons running benefitted us, last year we became a really effective counter attacking team and this season we have very rigid and organised.

The Dack to Sunderland rumour is the easiest story to write in the world, whether it is true or otherwise. If there was any truth in it, it would be Sunderland's gain and our loss while players like Hirst, Vale and even Dolan and Szmodics play ahead of him.

Great to see us get back to winning ways, the performance was underwhelming although it is sad to see that many are keen to call any one out who wasn't convinced with the performance as "negative." Expectations will naturally change based on where we are in the league. Tomasson can say what he wants but we are 2nd and therefore are considered part of the promotion push, similar to last season, and if our season fades away then like last season, fans will be frustrated. It's a terrible standard this season in the Championship so why not? We are very well drilled when we go into the lead under Tomasson and well organised. Huddersfield (who were appalling like many of the teams we have faced) never really looked like equalising. That being said, we need to be better on the ball in those situations, not aided by a lack of quality coming on. Vale is out of his depth and Dolan is not useful either as a sub in those situations as he lacks the intelligence to be able to keep the ball and run down the clock. The one man we do have on the bench who is very adept in those situations seemingly has fallen out with the manager. Performance wise, my man of the match would probably be Pickering, the 2 full backs were good as were the whole back 4 in a solid performance. Pickering is underrated but he is reliable and came up with the bit of quality in the match, compared to the likes of Douglas and Bell in particular he is such an upgrade. Brereton after a poor start again was our only real attacking threat. Travis again was very poor in possession and the price tag on Szmodics' head continues to make you wonder whether he was a wise signing rather than spending that money on a striker.

Will this not infringe on the rememberance tributes pre kick off?

Every manager does, obviously he is under no immediate threat but all managers sing from the same hymn sheet and get expectations as low as possible. What managers say in interviews is fairly meaningless because they all say the same crap.

We will make a similar amount of signings next summer I bet, and each summer following. Thats the nature of the Championship. We have 3 loanees that will go back, our top scorer will go, Dack and Ayala will probably go and that is before any further players leave and before considering gaps we have in the squad.

Had Mowbray said that, he would have been endlessly criticised and even now people revert back to Mowbray when Tomasson says the same stuff. Its all just managerial spiel I guess, mission one is self preservation.

Our squad is already packed full of youngsters, the better ones will play lots of game time regardless because they are good enough, or at least close to in your situation to still justify regular minutes. Of the players you mentioned, Edun is crap and is nowhere near the first team, Buckley is usually a first teamer but his form has been so poor that he has fallen away, Garrett is perhaps the most obvious one but we shouldn't avoid signing what I would deem to be a necessary more experienced option, we could either keep him to compete with (minus the loanee) a 25, 23 and 18 year old, or let him have a loan spell and regular football in League 1.

If there was any intention of playing how we have been, it made no sense to put such little emphasis on striking reinforcements in the summer, so I suspect that we didn't intend on playing 5-3-2. I don't agree with the idea of not signing players as to not "block" the younger lads. If they are good enough to contribute like Wharton then they will remain regardless, if not like Vale then they shouldn't, Edun will never be good enough.

Seems particularly cautious for playing bottom of the league at home. I would go for a back 4 with Dack in but even if he sticks to a 5, I would play Dack off the front 2. Don't get the Garrett inclusion, all he has shown he does is charge wildly into challenges. Surely someone more attacking would make sense?