Even if we naturally dismiss your nonsense about people moaning and not getting behind him... The price tag has to play a part but even without it, on his individual merits, he has looked out of his depth for most of his Rovers career, which has progressed to offering zero goal threat but going on maybe a couple of neat dribbles in unharmful areas. He also had a good pre season last year, it meant nothing. Why do you think he would get 6-10 as a striker? He played up front on Tuesday and he never gets into the box. He doesnt have the goalscoring instinct, and even when he gets presented with chances he misses, v Bristol City he was put through by a defender and fell over his feet, v Doncaster Armstrong unselfishly squared it for an empty net, he missed the target, v Newcastle the ball fell to him and he couldnt get it out of his feet.

A big worry is the lack of goals throughout any of these teams, with no Dack and even the hardly prolific Gallagher. Brereton has 2 in 2 dead rubbers over 2 seasons. Rothwell 2 in dead rubbers in each of his 2 seasons. Chapman, Rankin Costello, Dolan, all very raw. Holtby, Johnson, Lenihan might get 3 a season each. We cant be solely reliant on Armstrong scoring tomorrow, we could do with these players, especially looking at Brereton to step up and get a goal tomorrow.

The rumours that a left back has signed seem to have come from that Jacob Crooke, who has in the past run with assumptions that we were close to signing a few players, Dillon Phillips, Maghoma, Garner etc that seemed to be little more than speculation, posting that eye emoji at someone suggesting that Manning has signed, before then retracting that by saying that he heard that there was an agreement about a player he didnt know the identity of. Then it all blew up on here. I hope I am wrong but I think people have jumped the gun slightly.

The pitch looked awful v Doncaster, so bobbly and cut up easily, so good to see that its been sorted. He might be a nice guy but hes overseen and taken the credit/blame for some awful decisions in his time.

I think the guns been jumped a little bit.

I definitely didnt want Gallagher and I wasnt on my own. To be fair even chaddy the biggest defender of all things Rovers admitted that buying him over other more pressing positions was the wrong call. Even as an individual hes never warranted a 5m price tag or even close to it. It was a lazy purchase. Chapman again split opinion, I didnt want him because he had been injury prone and I knew Mowbray clearly didnt trust him to start games and was right on both. Leutwiler wasnt competent back up, when he played he was out of his depth. And Johnson has been poor more often than good, not sure he starts with everyone fit. Total nonsense that no one is willing to praise the manager for Dack and Armstrong, who definitely cost more than 1.7m, wasnt Dack 750m and Armstrong 3m? But ultimately there is no scope for debate because everyone agrees that they were good signings. No one says that they arent. Whereas some people try to defend even the most obvious poor transfers that Mowbray has made.

Sam Gallagher at 5 million? Ben Gladwin, Sam Hart, Paul Caddis? Chapman and Davenport have done nothing. Is Rothwell a success? Cunningham would have been good but barely played. Dominic Samuel at 500k? Walton? Kasey Palmer? Rekeem Harper? Peter Whittingham? Jayson Leutwiler? Jack Rodwell as a centre back? Bradley Johnson has been dissapointing. Transfer record is very mixed.

You cant give him credit for his good signings then when he blows 7m on a dud, assume that it is someone elses doing.

Yet lockdown is tightened and it seems that there will be no Rovers for months. I am starting to feel like a season ticket would be pointless. Will probably get one but wavering more than before.

Surely if Mowbray wanted Whiteman, he would have him by now. Venkys never refuse to write a cheque.

I dont think theres any chance that even if these sell on fees are paid, that they will just be added to the transfer budget.

I think the name will have come from here to be honest.

I am unconvinced by his cameos to the extent that I would want him in the team but my point was more that he didnt appear lightweight when he played, if anything a little over eager. All I do know is that Bennett is not the answer to play in holding midfield. Far too ill disciplined, will leave gaps and concede free kicks. Not good enough on the ball either. If Johnson failed to make it on Saturday, we would either have to play Davenport and/or improvise without having a player comfortable sitting in front of the defence. Indeed the answer to the void left by Travis isnt internal. Magloire has been mentioned as a holding midfielder on the transfer thread, a kid who isnt up to it in his own position.

I think Preston fans in general are generally unhappy with no signings and their best players courting interest from elsewhere with a year left on their deals. Ultimately we dont yet know if he has end product. It is far too early for either set of fans to be going too over the top, nothing more than a few bright cameos at the moment, glad weve taken him as he looks a raw talent who can hopefully develop but I think that the overall reaction is intensified because of where he came from.

Bennett's experience counts for little if he still has the naivety as he does to charge around, firstly getting caught out of position, and secondly his actual tackling just gives away fouls to a side who will want to win set pieces. There is no way that he can be trusted to be a sitting midfielder. When Davenport has been in the first team he certainly puts himself about. It sounds like Johnson is going to be fit but there is no way that Bennett should play that role if not.

Even with the injuries, there are no excuses. We have 10m worth of 2 strikers, and some big earners like Holtby, Johnson, Ayala, a goalkeeper who cost half a million from a very respectable side, and quite a few players from an academy Wycombe could only dream of. Even the likes of Williams, Rothwell, Chapman and Davenport would almost certainly have been unaffordable to Wycombe. Time for Brereton to finally get a goal in a game that matters. Has to be a win here, 100%.

A lot of Boro fans comments about Ayala were about him falling out with managers in the past who believed he was fit to play but he was unwilling to do so. Hopefully that wont be a problem here. Bennett hasnt got the discipline to play central midfield to break things up, he starts charging round everywhere and giving away fouls. Wycombes main threat will be likely from set pieces, play Bennett and I am sure that they will get plenty of them Not Johnsons biggest fan but he is far better there than Bennett. Bennetts reputation as a competent central midfielder was based on that one game when him and Smallwood (and he still wouldnt be in the squad) put themselves about v Shrewsbury. It didnt last and Bennett was moved out wide and then to right back as soon as Evans returned. When we played Preston, we played a 4-4-1-1 with Emnes off Joao and Bennett and Conway out wide if I recall, both of whom scored.

I think Bristol Citys local reporter denied any interest but you are right, I cant see us spending 7 figures on a player this window in fact.

If Dack doesnt play pre Christmas which seems an overreaction then thats a huge blow.

Somewhat expected but not good news. We need him back as we only have one goal threat at the moment.

If Bennett plays in central midfield then we are in trouble. He is not a tough tackling defensive midfielder, he is a liability. Johnson is back training today so hopefully he will play. Failing that, we have Davenport.

He missed the first game, played the second in Lenihans absence, then got injured himself missing 4 games, came into a back 3 before being subbed after an hour v Milwall, didnt make the squad v Reading, then was sub for the next 3 games and only came back into the team upon another injury to Lenihan at QPR. Looking back, I wonder if and when he would have broke in had it not been for injury to Lenihan.

? bit slow today!

Yeah there seems to be imbalances which ever way we set up doesnt there. I am unconvinced that we have the mobility and energy in central midfield without Travis. I am not convinced for example that Johnson and Evans would compliment each other very well, Evans played with Downing I recall last season and there was not enough energy. When Holtby played in a midfield 2 last season, especially at Leeds (admittedly the toughest game) he was so poor, he kept giving the ball away. He needs 2 more working around him really. Getting him and Dack together will be tough. I just think with Dack and Armstrong, youd have to put probably both of them in unfamiliar positions to get them in a 4-3-3.

Dack is not a central midfielder either. If you move him too far away from the opposition goal he will not score with regularity as he does as a 10.