Fair enough. I suppose he has said things in the past that have not carried any weight in his actions, its all about what he does not what he says. My worries on the playing side is that the main failure of last summer was the one that had the biggest outlay and supposedly the most long term use. When next August arrives, are we much better than we were at the end of last season? I think that the rest of the season seems again like a development phase ahead of next season, with controllable factors (transfer recruitment/lack of) and uncontrollable factors (bad injuries) making any play off hopes practically obsolete. What we could take from this season is players proving that they can make a tangible attacking impact at this level to help us going forward. Rothwell, Rankin Costello, Chapman, Gallagher, Buckley, Samuel and Brereton have all yet to prove themselves (obviously I am not saying they have all had loads of chances) but if a couple step up it may ease the burden on a potentially very demanding summer window. Waggott im not sure warrants too much respect, regarding issues of contention such as surcharges, ticketing etc he mainly bats them off and provides lip service that wont go any further.

What did he say of interest afterwards?

The usual hot air at these events, absolutely no constructive response about the surcharge, just placating fans by saying he will look into it, nothing will happen. Nothing to see here!

Another huge blow. With these injuries and the inability to sign anyone, we look horribly short in attacking areas. No idea how we go from here. If Armstrong stops scoring we are really up shit creek.

I do find it interesting that both Bennett and Gallagher have again been defended because they work hard. Travis, Lenihan, Nyambe and Downing all work hard for example and give their all but thats never mentioned because they have other qualities that they bring to the team. Which of our players dont work hard?

Its not to do with it being aesthetically unpleasant, because you could argue that playing Graham also falls under that category. I just dont think it will be effective with Bennett in the 10 especially as part of that 3 as you mentioned. Such a tactic may work as a one off but you want someone who can use the ball well and offer a threat. If we want to continue to be a bit more progressive with the likes of Adarabioyo and Downing then it will fall down with him as a 10, and if we decide that we have to compromise then we may aswell at least use someone like Graham who offers a goal threat. I understand the furore around his potential inclusion because I think really he should have been culled as with Smallwood and Mulgrew as a League 1 quality player yet for much of the season he was the first name on the teamsheet regardless of position. In the last couple of months, refreshingly he has become far less integral.

He had Rothwell and Armstrong either side in that game. You need someone in that role to take advantage of the space between the lines and he lacks the technical ability and the vision, and offers absolutely no goal threat. As you say, theres certainly no confidence in them 3 and we would become solely reliant on Armstrong. Thats why I suspect Graham will need to play. If anyone left is to play as a 10 it should be Downing.

Contrast that to last season when we put in possibly our worst performance all season at home to Stoke and he played there and I dont think we mustered a proper chance all game. We cant play him there, he doesnt have the ability to take advantage.

It looks ok on paper but such a formation doesnt tend to work when you just play it as a one off and it doesnt tend to work when we use it or flirt with the idea anyway, add to the fact that Mitrovic is a lone striker and it seems a bit of a waste to have a third centre back. I dont think it suits Nyambe to play anywhere but as a right back in a 4, obviously as a centre back he looks uncomfortable and aerially lacking and as a wing back as you have shown, I dont think he has the end product to play wing back as for all of his power and pace, he hasnt started chipping in with assists, and only then will teams start to sit up and take notice of him. Bell doesnt provide assists either but Downing is our only remaining player who plays between the lines so it seems a waste to push him back. All being said, I think its a real struggle to name a team for the weekend with the injuries and lack of reinforcements. I dont want it to seem like I am just criticising for the sake of it. I think I would either accept that without so many key players, we have to compromise somewhat and be a bit more pragmatic and revert to 442, and play Graham up top with Armstrong, and Downing and Rankin Costello wide. That would potentially leave us exposed in terms of central midfield but both wide midfielders would naturally be a bit more narrow. Alternatively, we could play Downing as a 10, Armstrong up front to maintain the formula of having Armstrong up top and a player to link behind him, but then who do you play wide (Rankin Costello and Chapman for me, we know Gallagher will be shoehorned in there) and where do the goals come from? Its a tough one.

Interesting and unsurprising stat about our fast starts this season. Good to see us hitting teams from the front. Of course some investigation required about why we have only won 12 games, including Sheffield Wednesday when we conceded first. Need to improve our game management.

Thanks. Lets hope its not as bad as first feared as we need him as soon as possible.

I think that if that was a serious option, I would have to lean towards playing Graham with Armstrong, as at least we would have have 2 goal threats. We could basically play with 2 banks of 4 beyond that, Downing and Rankin Costello as wide men who can tuck in when needed.

@Bigdoggsteel where does it say about Holtby being out for the season?

Bar Armstrong, I dont see who will score any goals. Assuming Johnson, Travis and Downing ahead are our 3 central, who on earth do we put either side of Armstrong? Rankin Costello and Chapman are the only 2, it is a huge ask of them but I dont see an alternative.

January may be a difficult window but I think it definitely was a failed window, even the manager was publically frustrated by the outcome of it so theres no point pretending otherwise. Suggesting that players might not have worked out is strawman, it is the managers job to locate and sign players that can improve us in each window. I am not convinced that the squad is in a particularly great state, short or long term. Being in the best state since Bowyers is not a particularly high benchmark, by the time he left all but one of his best players had been sold on and replaced by dross, bar one who was subsequently sold by Lambert. Its very much a mixed bag in terms of Mowbrays signings and the "work he has done" with a favourable budget to those before him. If you are looking through, Walton is at best average and on loan so goalkeeper is not an area of strength. Nyambe and Lenihan key developing assets (boths main issue is injuries) and Adarabioyo is a short term very good signing. Aside from that, Mulgrew and to perhaps a lesser extent Williams are on unnecessarily extended deals and Bell isnt up to it and hopefully his contract will be allowed to expire. Midfield, Travis' development shines well on Mowbray, Johnson is a senior, probably big earner who hasnt proven his worth, Downing a short term revelation, Evans is ok but injured, beyond that, its untested kids. Number 10, in Dack and Holtby, Mowbray is desperately unfortunate to have them both seriously injured, to get them both for under 1m is very impressive. Wide, totally different story. Rothwell is very much an enigma, doesnt contribute enough. Beyond that, its just a total absence of anything at the moment. We are relying on a Rankin Costello or a Chapman (doubtful) to suddenly come and nail a regular spot and contribute goals and assists. Its an area of serious long term neglect. Up top, Graham will do a job short term, Armstrong is getting better and proving his worth, the rest of his accumulation of attackers are more of a liability than an asset to the club despite their tender ages.

Graham would get the nod every day over Gallagher or Brereton in a 2 but as you suggest, there are pros and cons to using him and Armstrong in a front 2. If you do, you are accepting that without your 3 key attacking midfielders who could take advantage of the spaces ahead of the defence pushed back in fear of Armstrongs pace, you no longer have the technical ability to benefit and are willing to become more pragmatic. Graham is brilliant at holding up, his flick ons and link play is far, far more intelligent than anyone else that we have but I like you am unconvinced that giving Armstrong a partner will help him. If we are going to go with a 10 we cant look past Downing as our sole technical player remaining, but either way I have a huge concern over the wide areas and where the goals would come from. Absolutely bang on about over reliance on Downing. His levels have fitness do seem impressive but how long can his body hold up?

I think you make a valid point of losing him (as well as Rothwell) as Armstrongs pace would force defences deeper, giving Holtby in particular space in between the lines. The 2 options are to go with a Graham next to him or to play Downing as a 10 and Johnson beside Travis.

The injuries I have repeatedly said are unfortunate. I am not doubting that or blaming Mowbray for that. Youve named loads of players but where are the competent players to play in the wide areas? Gallagher, poor striker, useless winger. Brereton, not up to it. Bennett, not up to it. Downing, plays deeper with Travis. JRC warrants game time but we cant rely on him yet. Chapman, who?! Armstrong plays up top, we needed wide men. There were players who moved in January that could have improved us. Marcus Maddison, Scott Sinclair, Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts, Tarique Fosu, Albert Adomah in wide areas, strikers Nakhi Wells, Rhian Brewster, Scott Hogan and left backs Gaeten Bong and Harry Toffolo going off on a tangent. They are just players that were transferred. You dont have to pretend that the window was anything other than as Mowbray even said, was "frustrating." It was a bad window and a waste. I am mainly concerned about the mention that Holtby is out for the season. I have not seen that myself but it would be a hammer blow.

Where did you get the word that Holtby is out for the season? We needed more attacking players especially in wide areas regardless of these 3 injuries because we have not been effective from there. Ultimately that was an area that Mowbray tried but ultimately failed to bring in reinforcements and even with the injuries to our 2 number 10s we still look desperately short in wide areas. Having players contributing goals and assists from there could have eased the burden on our central areas in the absence of Dack and now Holtby. I dont doubt that we have been unfortunate though with injuries. Same reply to you @Dreams of 1995

Where is that from? Undoubtedly incredibly unfortunate, but equally Dack was injured in December and Rothwell before the end of the window and Mowbray was unable to bring in anyone so that falls on him and the club for not reacting. We do have 12m worth of strikers so ordinarily we should still possess a goal threat. Cant imagine us being too easy on the eye now.

You dont answer any questions, you just swerve the points or tell people that "Mowbray does it." We are 10th (we want top 6) not because of the striker out wide experiment. There are functional aspects of our team elsewhere. Lenihan and Adarabioyo are a good pairing, one signed by Mowbray. Travis has been good in central midfield, promoted by Mowbray. Downing has been good wherever he has played, signed by Mowbray. Dack and Armstrong, both signed by Mowbray have scored goals. Im not saying that the side doesnt have good parts to it. The wings are an area of weakness though. So please can you give a straight answer. Do you agree with the tactic of playing Sam Gallagher as a wide man? Yes or no. I would be willing to play anywhere for Rovers but it doesnt mean that I should. I would watch videos all day every day if it meant I could become a Rovers winger but I like Gallagher would never become a success there as I dont have the attributes! Being willing is nothing to celebrate. If a choice is play out of position or not at all it is a no brainer.

His stats are unremarkable really in the last few years. Had an underwhelming spell in Russia too. He is playing at the highest level to be fair, always felt like the type of player who was capable of the spectacular and would contribute with a few goals and assists, usually really good strikes but was inconsistent and at times unreliable. Easy on the eye and I think his background at Barcelona helped to make him a real fans favourite. Very few of our players post Venkys have gone on to play regularly at a similar top level, Josh King, Shane Duffy being the stand out 2.

Do you agree with playing "inside forwards" or would you agree with the majority that it is a really ineffective tactic, especially with the inside/wide forwards we have used? Do you know that Amarii Bell and Ryan Nyambe have contributed 0 assists in over 30 games? Why are we relying on them to supply from out wide? You keep saying "thats the way Mowbray ways" but that isnt a defence. I know it is, I am criticising that aspect of how he plays because I dont think it works. I may sound like a broken record over Gallagher but its because all of our transfer fees were spent on him. I dont rate him full stop as Ive said once or twice but my main gripe at the moment is how he is repeatedly played, and from Mowbrays quotes about data analysis is seemingly being moulded into a wide man. He is (unless you see some value from him wide?) the only person who sees any use in him (or Brereton, Samuel etc) as a wide man. Has he scored or assisted from a wide role?

Think theres more chance of pigs flying than the latter happening sadly. Not up to it.

Graham is unavailable? Gallagher was a poor signing who adds nothing. Armstrong was clearly signed to play as a number 9, and we play with a number 10, so essentially Gallagher as a result of Armstrongs change has started to be moulded into a wide man which doesnt work. Why are we trying to directly replace Graham if we are moving away from that type of player? And someone with poor technical attributes at that. We should play with wingers, Mowbray should have long since re evaluated his use of players in the wide area. Its been a big problem area for him and just because he chooses to often shoe horn players out of position there doesnt make it right or effective. Would you agree that you personally would prefer to see natural wide men there over strikers eg Brereton, Gallagher, Samuel or central players eg Buckley and Holtby (when Dack was fit) primarily Mowbray signings who cannot do a job there? I just find the whole situation baffling. There is some merit in trying to build around Armstrong as a 9 even if he has limitations and a lot of work to do. But there is no potential in Gallagher as a wide man.