He has scored 2 more goals for us, he would be.

You could say the same about us if Armstrong got injured with our second top scorer on 4. They also have Meite who has been injured who returned to the squad last night. 8 points is a lot to make up, 3 more wins whilst keeping up with them for the rest of the time. Bournemouth look the most vulnerable, their squad is definitely better and more rounded than us and indeed I would suggest everyone bar maybe Norwich but they are not performing to their maximum under Tindall.

Im not sure if Reading are that vulnerable, I understand that they werent top 6 favourites before the start of the season but an imaginative and inspired managerial appointment has made them the real deal. They are 8 points ahead of us which is a lot, they looked brilliant again last night and they have real quality in attacking areas with Joao, Olise, Meite, Swift and Ejaria. Brentford have also gone on a brilliant run and seem to be right in the mix for the top 2, backing up a good season last season. Bournemouth seem the most vulnerable but their squad is packed full of quality and are perhaps underachieving under a rookie manager, they have just added Pearson and Wilshire to a squad already containing quality throughout, Begovic, Mepham, Cook, Smith, Kelly, Stacey, Rico, Lerma, Lewis Cook, Billing, King, Danjuma, Stanislas, Brooks and Solanke.

Looks like Pickering will be strangely loaned back. But if we kept him we may aswell have a third left back rather than literally just piss the money up the wall.

It is simply not true that Armstrong blasts half a dozen 30 yard glory shots over the bar a match. He had that one game against Bristol City where he had too many stupid shots and it has left his reputation in the gutter. Today he had 2 other shots that I can remember, one was our only other one on target, and one was in the first half, poor execution of a player out of form but he was correct to shoot. I suspect his goal to shot ratio is better than most in the league simply due to his goal number.

"The odd one" is actually 18 this season, nearly 30 since last January. In the last couple of months he has won at least 3 games with late winners. To make out as if he is a burden holding us back is baseless and crazy, that we would be lucky to get only 10m again senseless and if they would all chip in more without Armstrong, why dont they when Armstrong is off his game, today when he whipped in a cross why was no one on the end of it?

Whats bizarre is that people seem to think that the goals cover up the flaws in his game, losing track of the primary function of a striker. Also, when we dont score, we criticise the player who has 18 goals before the rest, none of whom have got past 4 goals. Summed things up when he drifted wide, put in a brilliant cross and no one was in the box. Elliott, Rothwell and Brereton all were equally quiet, the latter 2 have flattered to deceive consistently throughout, so I find it strange that 95% of the criticism goes again to Armstrong. Hes a victim of his own success. No one has ever implied that he is perfect or the finished article, no Championship player ever could be. But he is not fully appreciated, something Rhodes shared with goalscoring not deemed as important as it actually is.

People dont put so much time, effort and indeed money to want their team to lose. End of.

It goes against all instincts to be willing to accept a loss and its all hypothetical as if he has ever been one loss from the sack. I cant ever get on board with such notions. But as mattyblue correctly says it isnt out of enjoying us losing as was suggested.

It wouldnt make sense to loan him back.

Im not sure what side of Bells full back play that would be argued as his strongest. I dont think that hes got an assist in his time here, hes never shown any attacking quality IMO.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19052228.rovers-closing-crewe-alex-left-back-harry-pickering/ But a deal which would see him move to Rovers is expected to go through, however, there is the prospect of Pickering being loaned back to the League One club for the remainder of the season.

I dont think you appreciate that we will have to pay him no matter what. If no one wants him then just keep him around just in case.

Why do you think people arent pulling for the team? Offering praise and criticism alike on an internet messageboard doesnt affect performances or suggest that people are not desperate for the team to win. Lets stop this nonsense.

We dont but if we cant offload Bell we have to pay him either way so it makes zero sense to just pay him off. People seem to be basing their analysis on Pickering on stats/data and videos in an absence of seeing much of him. Have you seen much of him?

Bennett leaving would make sense for everyone. For us, on the pitch he is well off the standard and will be on a senior wage. He does however deserve to leave with his head held high and with his pride intact having given everything for us and be should be able to make an impact and give crucial know how in League 1. Good luck if it happens.

Because we have to pay him regardless so he may aswell be available in case of injuries if we cant shift him. Pickering seems like he ticks lots of boxes but I will wait to see him play first. A lot of people seem excited solely on random stats and highlight compliations which is a dangerous game.

Does it? The expenditure would still be the same, it would make the decision to activate an extra year ridiculous, and if no one wants him even paying a fraction of his wage, we may aswell keep him.

We shouldnt do as Bell isnt up to it but I cant see anyone taking Bell.

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Im not sure that Brereton has come close to showing why we paid decent money for him, not the amount we paid. And he has made plenty of signings who have yet to fully convince, but 3 stand out. Kaminski has been one hell of a find, when something comes into his vicinity you expect him to deal with it convincingly and thats crucial. Dack and Armstrong are also stand out bits of business. The majority of his other permanent deals range from inconsistently frustrating to poor/underwhelming, including the 2 big ones in regards to value for money. One thing he has managed well in addition is the loan market I would say too, Adarabioyo, Reed, Elliott, Armstrong initially and hopefully Branthwaite.

Maybe he will stay there on loan for the season.

"But its all about results, 10 points from 4 games in which we have scored a paltry 5 goals but have conceded only 1 because we are finally seemingly building from the back, 3 clean sheets and we have match winners, Dack coming back, Elliott and of course our main man Armstrong." I presume you missed the above? Before a detailed defence of Armstrong and praise for various individuals. The performance was widely recognised to be poor, the tactics do keep changing without reaping rewards in attack in my opinion, but its about results which we are getting because the defence has stopped conceding goals.

Dreadful performance yet again, inconsistent shape, and a semblance of Mowbray just changing things regularly throwing enough shit hoping some will stick. But its all about results, 10 points from 4 games in which we have scored a paltry 5 goals but have conceded only 1 because we are finally seemingly building from the back, 3 clean sheets and we have match winners, Dack coming back, Elliott and of course our main man Armstrong. Some typical absolute nonsense about Armstrong. Any notion of a striker being overrated because of his goals is absolutely bizarre. He is not in his best form, but his drought is 3 in 11 I think. He has 18 goals, our next highest scorer is 4. Yet again, as he has done 2 or 3 times before, in games we have been dreadful in, he comes up with a late winner. When he comes short or goes wide, no one gets into the box. Performance wise, Douglas looks a different player, even if Pickering signs he cant come straight in, you cant drop Douglas. Both centre backs were excellent, especially Lenihan and Kaminski just brings an aura where he is safe, he deals with everything with minimal fuss. Travis was really poor, a lot of the time you wonder if it is rust or just the limitations in his game. The subs did make a difference, Dolan was bright and gives us something different even if there is rarely anything at the end of it and sometimes he doesnt seem to know where he is going, their full back didnt like him being against him and went off shortly after. Brereton and Rothwell were both really poor, the former looks back to his old self in recent weeks and Elliott is well off form too.

You speak as if being on the top scorer in the league is nothing. He needs to regain form but we shouldnt be so reliant on one player.