If the plan was (and Mowbray has said so in the past) to move Armstrong up front, it makes the 5m Gallagher signing even more baffling. Why not spend that money on 1 or 2 wingers?

Wouldnt be far off that team with our limited options. Would play Graham though over the ineffective Gallagher. Be tempted to get Chapman in as theres no pace aside from Armstrong. Suspect that Bennett will play as the 10 for Holtby and we will be otherwise unchanged though. I think it will be a struggle.

I think perhaps the fact that he is not the weakest member of our current starting 11 says more about other players than it does about Walton. For example, goalkeeper was not a pressing concern for me in this January window, a left back to replace Bell and 2 wide men (an area where we are really, really lacking) would come before Walton, who himself is error prone, unconvincing and on the flip side rarely pulls off particularly eye catching saves. Of course all goalkeepers do indeed make mistakes but it is the quantity of them mistakes that is important, and for me Walton has made far too many. As you say, the defensive stats (which are ok, nothing more, 10 teams have conceded less goals) are perhaps more down to other improvements we have made. I would say Walton is at least directly responsible for a quarter of those goals. The fact that he is young makes absolutely no difference, if he is not befitting the "experienced goalkeeper" that Mowbray earmarked then why was he signed? And critically, he is only a loan so his age is fairly immaterial as either way he will only be here until May. Agree with your post especially the planning aspect of it. Also, what Mowbray has said and done are again at odds with each other.

A glowing review!

Yeah on a TV. I know he is a young player. But that alone doesnt justify the title of an excellent performance from a winger when he did nothing going forward. You dont have to keep telling me he is a young player. If you were happy with his attacking contribution then I suspect you are easily pleased and would invite you to remind me of something he did, a shot, a chance created, a cross that may have slipped my mind. Dont re write that denial that his performance was "excellent" into me writing off a young player or thinking he was dreadful. Well if Buckley stays (is there any scope for lower league loans now?) I would still not recommend that he is put into the first team due to not being nearly ready. So the alternative is to perhaps stagnate somewhat playing kids football. Loan moves always carry a risk and Rovers have been guilty of making incorrect choices regarding loaning out players in the past. But give him to a League 1 or League 2 club that we can be reasonably confident of getting him game time, where it wont cost us. I am not sure exactly what you mean by develop his game anyway. You have recently defended Mowbrays illogical and unsuccessful use of Gallagher in a wide role, which for me is not positively developing the player at all as he will never be a competent wide man as long as he has a hole in his arse.

No one has said that he is the second coming or that they expect him to be the finished article. Its not a scathing criticism of a winger to suggest that his performance was not excellent. People have commended him on his work rate but ultimately he did absolutely nothing going forward to get excited about, that is pretty conclusive, that doesnt mean that people have given up on him, people are just judging him based on his performance and not massively over exaggerating and over hyping it just because of his age and inexperience. People are going to judge players, young or experienced on their performances, I am not sure what your alternative is regarding your platitudes about patience. Take Buckley, he is quite blatantly not ready in the eyes of most, yet many have constructively suggested a loan spell at a lower level is best for his development. Not the suggestion of someone lacking patience but indeed looking long term. And I didn't go but I saw the full game live.

That is the crux of the matter. Regardless of reasons, excuses, circumstances, whatever. What we do know and can judge is that despite needing reinforcements, and despite Mowbray signing time and time again that he wanted reinforcements, we didnt bring anyone in.

We were linked with these players, we dont know for sure, indeed all indications based on Mowbrays quotes where that our bids were absolutely miles away from signing anyone. If there is any truth in us bidding for Manning on deadline day then youd have to again question why the bloody hell we didnt bother on the 30 days prior!

Owners make mistakes just like everyone else. Just because it happened doesnt make it right. Lambert failed to improve Ipswich last season and is underachieving outside the promotion places after 2 months of dismal results, more fool them for giving a poor manager such a long contract.

I judge the manager on the players he does sign and of course, whether they solve the areas in the squad that required fixing. I think thats the fairest way. I am not going to start giving him a free pass because he was linked with 2 unnamed foreign goalkeepers, its irrelevant to me because he didnt bring them in. Thus, I will judge him on sanctioning the permanent signing of Raya and signing Walton on a loan deal, that is all. If he indeed wanted an experienced keeper, then he failed in that remit. That being said, I am not overly concerned as long as he is good, of which again there are big question marks.

Exactly, he definitely deserved a chance, and warrants more especially in the absence of Rothwell and with alternatives (Bennett, Gallagher) not up to it, indeed I specifically stated that I would like to see him given further opportunities. I'd like to think that to a rational person, my post didnt slate the player, suggest his application wasnt there, write off any future prospect or demand an instant removal from the matchday 18! Ultimately, young or old, and appreciative that a debutant deserves additional leeway, I can't justify describing the performance of a winger who didnt do anything going forward as excellent.

Yep, not sure it really matters what players Mowbray scouted or was linked with if he didnt sign them, then its irrelevant. It is even more questionable if the criteria was experience and he signed one at the same age as Raya.

Totally agree with your analysis. So would it be fair to suggest that perhaps whilst Lambert initially had the fans eating out of his hand with what he was saying rather than what he was doing, pointing out the flaws of his predecessors and culminating as many possible excuses and restrictions as possible to blame and complain about, ultimately as time has gone on it has become evidently clear that there are serious doubts as to whether he is actually capable of turning that club around at all. What was the reaction to the ridiculous 5 year contract? His recent managerial record is shocking with a twinge of a desperation to give up as soon as possible thrown in so I am unsurprised that he is under fire. i felt that considering his record last season and inability to even improve on the inept Hurst's record, he was very lucky that the inevitable criticism has taken so long.

You are very quick to believe everything you read and harass journalists every waking hour of the day for any rumour that you can get to be fair. A lack of necessary signings is a contributory factor to my prediction that the play offs are well away, had we made a few shrewd additions to eliminate the need to have the likes of Bell and Gallagher as guaranteed regulars in our side and bring in some added quality to boost us then maybe that could have changed but not to be. Sadly, I was right to predict that the kitty was dry and that we wouldnt be able to bring anyone in and it proved to be true.

Effort and determination is a minimum requirement, Bennett would give us that and he isnt good enough. He wasnt excellent as a winger, I was happy with his application and think he seems physically more robust than say Buckley but would expect something going forward if he is to become a regular. He obviously gets a little more leeway being on his first start in professional football but I am not going to just baselessly say that he was "excellent" although I dont think any of our team was yesterday. He didnt let anyone down though. The chance is there for him to cement a place, the alternatives of Gallagher and Bennett have repeatedly proven to be not up to the task so I'd be happy to see him and Chapman get plenty of game time, especially in Rothwells absence.

Totally different situation. Aston Villa had only appointed their new manager in October, so it made sense for their general consistent performance to improve once the manager had settled in, we dont have that so a consistent increase in point accumulation would be somewhat unexpected. Add to this, Villa werent hit by the same injury problems, Dack is a huge blow for example, whereas they still had Abraham banging in the goals. Throw in Evans, Cunningham, Rothwell and Holtby and we are struggling. And crucially, to rectify their main issue, they made a huge signing in the January window of Tyrone Mings, as well as signing Kourtney Hause.

Are they? Especially accounting for the injuries and considering the lack of signings?

One or two? He has made far more mistakes than that, the one yesterday brings him closer to double figures I would suggest. Brilliant save at the end though. He plugged away and you cant fault his determination but he didnt do anything from an attacking persepctive, and as a winger who offers nothing going forward, I think its difficult to judge such a performance as anything above ok, certainly not remarkable or excellent. He seems physically capable, but I would like to see something from an attacking perspective next time he plays.

To be fair, the fact that its from Alan Nixon means that we can write that one off. He looked good v Everton though. We needed players right away. The window has sadly quashed any flicker of a top 6 hope.

Surely Owen Coyle could have argued that things could have been worse as we were 23rd werent we when he was sacked? Feeble response. Lambert is a crap manager who talks the talk and has excuses but cant back it up. Did just as bad a job as Hurst last season.

Why do you hate Hull?

To the question of why not, I think that an extensive injury list to important players, a lack of necessary recruitment to cover both injured and pre-existing weak areas, never being in the play offs all season and a significant points gap with an additional 3 teams between us and the play offs is a pretty conclusive set of reasons! I did also see a stat the other day that showed that in terms of current League positions, our remaining fixture list is the toughest in the League.

Definitely should be on the bench over the likes of Samuel and Brereton and considered wide before Gallagher and Bennett. Would be between the 2 for that spot. Obviously Rankin Costello deserves perhaps more leeway as it was his full debut but I was a little underwhelmed, he plugged away but didnt offer anything from an attacking sense. As you say though, deserves another go.

I always find the sentence "willing to play anywhere" a bit of a curious one to be honest. Basically every player would play "anywhere" if the alternative was not at all, ultimately the main reason that he is considered here there and everywhere is because he is not particularly good in his actual position. He played half of League 1 out wide and even there he didnt impress.

With Holtby out I would revert to 442 next week and play Graham with Armstrong. Theres a real issue out wide still, where I would reluctantly move Downing out of the middle and on to the left, with Johnson coming in. The dilemma then comes on the right, it would be between Rankin Costello and Chapman and certainly neither Gallagher nor Bennett. I would be tempted to go for the latter, JRC didnt pose any threat today and Chapman has a bit more pace to offset the ageing Downing on the other side.