If someone doesnt rate a player, a forum is the perfect place to share such an opinion. I dont see how that warrants comments about the relief of the poster not working for the club, it doesnt mean that in that scenario he would just repeatedly tell the player how much he doesnt rate him. There is also an element of hypocrisy in saying that you "dont see much in Grayson" only to immediately follow it by saying that you wouldnt say so on a public forum!

I disagree that Johnson is technically better than Evans. Evans is very limited but he is neat and tidy, you can give him the ball on the half turn and he wont usually give it away. Johnson is really poor technically, it was his poor pass that led to the winner and he has tried to pick the ball up off the defence countless times and had the ball taken off him in his time here, he has been lucky that it hasnt led to more goals. He is a powerful player though and has scored lots of goals at this level.

I am not saying that you are implying that Brereton is brilliant, I know you aren't. I also disagree that Brereton was the best of the 3, I thought all 3 were equally totally ineffective to be honest. To be honest, my comments were mainly aimed at DaveyB who said that "the fact that Ben is getting pelters and the other 2 aren’t being mentioned says more about the posters on here than it does about him." I think that until he starts contributing in front of goal, and thats not me expecting a 20 goal season, just a contribution, or really impacting on games, he will always be picked out. I also dont think that its realistic to totally eradicate the price tag from any analysis, although the standards that he is failing to meet are not that of a 7m forward. I think that there is a common implication that Brereton is unfairly picked out, I actually think that overall, our fanbase has been patient with him considering how poor his Rovers career has been to date. You did put: "I find it pretty pathetic your obsession with Brereton, he didn't put the 7 million price tag on his head, didn't force Mowbray to pay it, as far as I'm aware he has never bigged himself up but this season at least he has been trying.And whatever you say he did play well in the first 3 games, last 2 games not many have played well" so I mainly included your post in regards to your comment that "this season at least he has been trying" as an example of how low the benchmark is for him. I am desperate for him to succeed and indeed naturally I have on occasion seen little slithers of improvement post lockdown and got excited, perhaps prematurely.

I would say that useless as an overall judgement is harsh. I think in 2 games he has been totally unthreatening but has done neat bits and pieces in non dangerous areas. In 4 games, he has done nothing. And in the Doncaster game, very mixed. Missed an open net, good play in the build up to the second.

Mowbray definitely warrants an element of sympathy for the missing players, no doubt about it, but it also doesn't give him a free pass regarding his management of the players that were available. You look at how he used the attacking players especially in the second half. The constant Gallagher on the wing experiment, it has never worked. There was nothing stopping Gallagher going alongside Armstrong up top, especially when Chapman came on, a winger played in a number 10 position to allow Gallagher to continue to plod up and down the line unsuccessfully. If either of Armstrong and Gallagher were to play anywhere apart from right up front, surely it was Armstrong who is far more effective out wide and also was struggling to get much of the ball in a central role. You also look at how he used Johnson, a player incapable of taking the ball on the half turn, much deeper than Evans who is incapable of any sort of creativity or goal threat. The late winner came from sloppiness in possession by Johnson, and it is far from the first time. It is also not satisfactory to avoid criticism simply by "putting every attacker on the pitch." We only have 2 out and out strikers and the taller one was lumped on the wing. He did change the formation but it didnt make any positive difference. Not this myth about people being "obsessed" or overly critical with Brereton. If anything, many are incredibly patient and cling onto any slither of hope of an improvement desperate for him to do well. For most of his Rovers career, he has not looked comfortable on a football pitch. Since lockdown, he has shown small glimpses of hope, occasional runs, neat touches of hold up play, little contributions into moves for goals, but bar one goal, he has offered no goalscoring threat at all. Sometimes he is neat and tidy, he is ok if not threatening, sometimes like today he is totally ineffective. He was decent away at Derby, ok but not stand out v Wycombe and poor at Bournemouth, as well as today and v Cardiff. I thought it was pretty telling that when we needed a goal today, Brereton was replaced for Brennan who is clearly a million miles from Championship standard. It shows the level of the benchmark he is aiming to improve upon that merely trying is an improvement! The thing with Armstrong is that he is the top scorer in the league with Toney, he was very quiet but he has credit in the bank having impressed so much to justify the occasional quiet game. I think whilst understandable, the excitement over Dolan was well over the top, he has not been in a senior squad before this season. Brereton has played over 100 times in the Championship and he offers absolutely no threat whatsoever. You could argue that his lack of contribution in spite of plenty of appearances is more damning than the price tag. Also, @JoeH you mentioned that you felt that Hughton would play a much more aggressive and expansive game that what we saw to try and satisfy the fans at home and the hierarchy. I was personally not surprised to see a well drilled Forest built on structure and organisation and one that ultimately grew into the game and unfortunately I felt possibly deserved their narrow win.

I think the excitement understandably came from the manner and scoreline of those wins, there were specific small periods in which we scored 3 in quick succession. There doesnt seem to be an in between at the moment, in neither of the last 2 games did we even threaten the goal. Ultimately, a start of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses is decidedly average.

Its crazy, there seems to have been a shift in recent years within the whole culture of football whereby there is a certain type of football that seems to be considered acceptable and mandatory, passing it out from the back etc and if anyone shifts from that, regardless of results, they are treat with scorn. The result has almost become of secondary importance. Another aspect is that the skill of goalscoring seems to have fallen down in the ranking of importance for attacking players. Being a consistent, prolific goalscorer doesnt do it for some people anymore.

I do worry as to whether Mowbray even knows his best team and what it will settle down as, in spite of some exciting transfer business. I think that the back 4 and keeper picks itself, id like to think that Mowbray sees that Douglas is an upgrade on Bell, that Lenihan and Ayala are our best 2 centre backs, and that Nyambe needs to play and Rankin Costello as a full back is nothing more than cover. I think there is a lot of excitement especially in attacking areas that we have plenty of options but I have serious misgivings as to how many are of any substance and indeed how to build around those. I suspect that we are going to have to pick 3 central midfielders due to the abundance of players that we have in there, especially with Downing to come. But I am unsure as to which 3 are the best trio. In attack though, for all of the numbers, I am not sure which ones are going to make meaningful contributions. Armstrong is an obvious one but for the second game in a row today, he looked completely helpless, isolated, frustrated and fed up. We need Dack to come back in as soon as possible, and seemingly will have to guarantee Harvey Elliott a key role, a player of raw talent but one we cannot be sure if he himself will be a threat. Gallagher is poor and continuously stuck out wide, Brereton is mainly a waste of space, Dolan is so raw, Rothwell flatters to deceive, Rankin Costello doesnt really have the attributes to stand out, Chapman looks a bit of a busted flush, we only really have 2 forwards to play centrally. The 2 obvious ones that have to play are Dack and Armstrong, and then Elliott I am sure will have a big role. But how do you fit them 3 in to the same team to get the best out of them? If we keep the 3 in midfield, you probably need to go with a false 9, Armstrong from the left and Elliott from the right. The team at the moment seems to lack any sort of real substance in attack.

Absolutely horrendous watch and performance as per the Cardiff game but we couldnt even cling on to a clean sheet. I get that we had plenty of players unavailable but Mowbray got his tactics wrong again. Firstly, I mentioned earlier that Johnson cannot play on the half turn, his passing is not good enough and he is not a sitter, whereas Evans gets a nose bleed if given any license to attack. Them 2 were played the wrong way around. Also, the Gallagher on the wing shite again was bizarre. If he is to come on, of which we had little alternative due to only having 2 strikers in the squad, then either put Gallagher up front WITH Armstrong, or if you definitely want only one, Armstrong was getting little of the ball so move him out wide, get Gallagher down the middle rather than out wide which he clearly cannot do but only Mowbray thinks he can. Then he brought on a winger, and put him as a number 10 and then left Gallagher wide! Absolutely bizarre and costly. Buckley had a chance to make a real push for a place today and it couldnt have gone any worse for him, he was absolutely awful, didnt get involved and some terrible passing. I was always wary about the hype that Dolan got after a couple of promising performances, apparently that was being miserable but I felt that even then he seemed so raw and has been really poor in these last 2 games, even doing stupid tricks in the wrong areas. He is so young, so raw and we cant be relying on him to play every week. Take him out the side for now and hopefully he can learn and impact from the bench. Brereton was again absolutely awful too, we cling onto performances when he does little bits of neat play amidst offering zero goal threat, he has reverted back to looking out of place being on a football pitch. Lenihan and especially Ayala are not the most cultured defenders but I do feel that we are solid there for the most part, they do the basics well, Ayala looks a very good signing. I thought the full backs both had very mixed games, neither offered a genuine attacking threat, both run forward stop and turn back, Nyambe made a couple of defensive slips as did Bell with sloppy passes. Alot of snobbery towards Hughton and their style but I felt that Forest edged the game really, they had the decent chances and got very lucky with the goal but were desperately unlucky minutes earlier when Ameobi hit the post. Mowbray needs to be brave with his team selection v Watford. Buckley has missed his chance and Dolan and Brereton have been really poor in the last 2 games. Bell is constantly sloppy and obviously the midfield balance is not right. I would like to see Douglas, Trybull, Elliott, Rothwell and Holtby start if they are all available. He has said post match that "it was a team thrown together" and regarding the internationals, "how are you supposed to put a football team together thats well coached and structured." He is making excuses there. For a start, Hughton managed it, and Mowbray surely has had time to build a structure that doesnt require loads of work each game to be structured and organised, its not as if the new players all started, it was a set of players that have featured regularly so it shouldnt have a feel of being thrown together.

Very, very weak bench and not the strongest line up, A shame that none of the new signings could be on the bench. Missing a lorry load of players. Hopefully at least most of Elliott, Trybull, Douglas, Holtby, Rothwell, Pears, Williams and Rankin Costello can be in contention midweek. Maybe Downing too. Hopefully we can grind our way to a victory, Forest will be a different animal with a new manager but ultimately a home game v a team with 4 losses in 4 has to be one we expect to win. I would disagree on the best roles of Evans and Johnson. Johnson is better breaking forward, sit him in front of the back 4 and he is not very good taking the ball on the half turn, his strengths lie in the power he offers and the goal threat he gives us breaking from deep. Whereas Evans is very conservative, a lot more neat and tidy and can take the ball on the half turn and perhaps more disciplined but offers absolutely zero going forward.

"Hate" towards Bennett? Absolute bollocks. I have never seen one person question Bennett as a leader, a role model, a human being, or a representative of the club. I dont think anyone could or does show anything like "hate" towards him. It is not hate to hold the opinion that in any position, he weakens our side and has nothing to offer an ambitious Championship side on the field. That isnt hate or disrespectful, thats a fairly widely held opinion from the looks of things. We always seem to veer back towards this glass half full v glass half empty, positive v negative shite too. I dont think you need to get to know him to realise that Bennett as a personality seems to be fairly unquestionable. No one has ever doubted that. The perfect man to lead our club is an interesting conundrum really. As a person, unquestionable, but I would also argue that as a leader/captain, you also have to be able to contribute on the pitch. Sadly for Bennett, as was the case for another good professional and leader in Mulgrew before, the time came when his ability on the pitch let him down. As it is, we do have experience and leadership amidst the team, Lenihan seems a leader, Ayala, Douglas, Johnson, soon to be Downing, of course all of these can offer competence on the pitch. I believe he suffered a serious injury when at Norwich, I remembered him as being much faster for them compared to when he signed for us. Maybe the Bennett we got had matured as a person to the man we see today, but a lot of what made him the player he was had been lost. I mean that as it stands, our 2 contracted left backs, one loan and one permanent both are out of contract I am not suggesting that we will go into next season with no left backs. I am happy with the signing of Douglas, less so with the renewal of Bell, but I was just comparing the situation to in goal last season, when we had Walton on loan and Leutwiler with a year to go, both departed at the end of the season and the position needed a factory reset, which it has had. Maybe if Manning was available at such a knockdown fee, he would have perhaps been a more long term focused addition at left back. That being said, Douglas should be a shrewd short term addition.

No one has ever expected them to be at Jack Walker's standards, such a comparison is illogical and ultimately provocative. They have gone from years of being disruptively prevalent to conveniently absent. A transfer window in which weve relied on frees, loans and a couple of minimal fees is no reason to start blowing smoke up their arse.

If they are your standards, not being in administration (the 2 comparisons are totally different situations) and being thankful merely to be in business then fair enough, each to their own I suppose. Mowbray hasnt spent loads of money at all this window, he personally (plus perhaps scouting etc) deserves the praise if deemed that he has utilised his limited resources well to the benefit of the squad. Venkys havent bankrolled a summer splurge of transfers, Mowbray has just utilised the loan, free agent and European markets to improve the squad on a budget. Nor is it this brilliant deed to ultimately have gotten themselves into a position whereby a company they own is making losses that they have to supplement. I understand that but I also think that if people post things that arent right, then they shouldnt be untouchable either, as others have said im sure he understands that it is just a bit of joking around, if someone posts a rumour that repeatedly doesnt materialise, I am not sure if it is fair to start intervening as you have threatened if people have a bit of gentle ribbing that the rumour isnt correct, just out of fear that ITK titbits will dry up. Of course it is welcomed but "ITK's" shouldnt surely be treat any differently/favourably?

He is one of the signings that I would say I am most happy with. Ayala is the main one for me, the one I am most confident on but I am happy with Douglas. The injuries are of course a concern and I would have preferred Cunningham, who also has injury conerns. Also, my worry is that we are in a similar position to in net a year ago, in 12 months we havent got a left back, Douglas will be a free agent but also 32. But I am happy with his signing, I think he is a big upgrade, he also can give us good set pieces which is a bonus. I dont think pace is critical and he will be an attacking threat.

Even Mowbray wouldnt play Bennett carrying a serious injury! Wouldnt be surprised if Gallagher starts however.

Its a strange do if chaddy is called negative after a signing spree! To be fair to him, he said beforehand that he didnt want a winger and he is sticking to that opinion. Disagreed at the time and still do but fair play for not changing his opinion ?

A window in which on paper the manager has utilised fairly limited resources very capably, with 2 fees of under half a million, 3 freebies and 3 loans, and it warrants asking to welcome back the idiots owners!

Bristol City, Birmingham, ourselves, Cardiff and maybe QPR have had good windows for me. Sheffield Wednesday decent too, and Watford have done well to keep so many of their best players. Derby and Huddersfield have had particularly strange windows. Not sure on Forest, plenty of quality but also plenty of holding midfielders and far too many bodies. That being said, their last 2 of Knockaert and Hughton are very impressive. Preston a strange one. Very quiet but plenty of players with only a year on their contract.

He definitely doesnt deserve to leave amidst any bitterness or contempt for a tongue in cheek if slightly petty tweet. He has been an excellent servant for us and seemingly has been very professional when not playing. There is no reason to do anything but wish him well.

Some really good signings there. Swansea have also signed a young defender from City, are in talks with free agent Fabio Borini and have sold Joe Rodon to Spurs. Cardiff have made a couple of very good signings.

Very tough. Back 4 and keeper is easy, Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan, Ayala and Douglas. The shape and personnel of the 6 in front is the hardest. Trybull from what I have seen is ideal to sit in front of the back 4. I think Johnson is better slightly ahead. If it is a 4-3-3: Trybull Johnson (Travis when fit) Holtby Elliott Dack Armstrong Not sure that is the best balance of front 3 but you wouldnt want to play against it. 4-2-3-1: Travis Trybull Elliott Dack Rothwell/Dolan Armstrong Better balance, but no Holtby.

He isnt in his final year: https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2019/july/tom-trybull-signs-new-contract-with-norwich-city/ I am also unconvinced that he is coming as back up.

Happy with the signing of Elliott if he signs in that I felt that we are light in the wide areas and mentioned as such yesterday. It has come out of the blue and I hope we get it done and over the line. Ideally we could get someone like Wilson, a proven performer at this level. Obviously that was financially beyond us and we have had to go for someone who is really raw, but he has looked a real talent whenever I have seen him for Liverpool in the cups. Talk about him rotating with Dolan seems naive, he has not come to sit on our bench, we must have guaranteed to Klopp that he has come to play hence him not planning to even loan him out. I suspect that he will jump above Dolan, Brereton, Rankin Costello etc in the pecking order. I am also glad that Fisher has been let go permanently. With Pears also signing, it made no sense to cling on to him, with a year left to go letting him go is correct.

I am guessing that like with Trybull, the Elliott deal would be one you are totally against for the reasons outlined earlier, that he will block the development of our own youngsters?

His contract is up at the end of the season, when he will be 32.