"if Brereton continues with his excellent post-lockdown and pre-season form then we might just have a very good player on our books." Surely this is as hyperbolic a statement as anyone could possibly make?! Or a demonstration how low the benchmark is, to describe his recent form as excellent. Or to suggest that if he continues and not massively improves, then we have a very good player on our books. There is undoubtedly more energy, more enthusiasm and more involvement, and a tidy goal in the dead rubber v Reading. Otherwise, there was him trying to round the keeper v Bristol City and falling over his own feet when gifted a chance. Then he didnt threaten v Wigan. Then he got petulantly sent off at Barnsley. Then pre season, not that it is the best indicator as he scored 2 last pre season, but he scored 2 nice goals v Blackpools second string, either side of which he missed a penalty in one friendly that he spent all half offside, and in the competitive match, he missed an open net. Until he starts scoring a couple of goals in meaningful fixtures and making a proper contribution, it is impossible IMO to start getting overly excited. We need him to contribute regularly for a team chasing promotion. Mowbray has done a good job overall but there is constantly this if statement, if he fixes the defence, we can do this and that. And it never happens and is never prioritised. I dont feel like, although id love to be wrong, that we are anything close to a promotion chasing squad, which has become the expectation. We cant afford to underestimate the priority of a good start too, we already struggle to keep the pace with the top 6 without chasing a deficit as we always have to. He made the same mistake in previous jobs. Including his last one where he had to walk away for not fixing the defence. I fear that whilst I appreciate the job he has done so far, there will constantly be the same ifs and buts and it will become stagnant. If we dont go up this season, I suspect that due to contractual reasons, a few of our key players may push to move on.

To be fair, with our porous defence and against a good side away from home, I think the additional solidity that Evans brings would be necessary.

I would agree that it is Adarabioyo's on ball ability that sets him apart but he is still a very competent defender at this level, and a better one than Williams and co. We will do well to get someone even solely based on his defensive ability on a limited budget. That is a big but regarding Holtby's fitness. Downing is a big loss based on last season although we have possibly dithered too long to get him back because he will be well off fitness wise. I also wonder how we fit Dack back in. With Brereton, it is all promise compared against terribly low standards, although I agree that there was a slight improvement. I am not convinced that he offers a goal threat. Neat finish in the Reading dead rubber, but he missed an open net last weekend, he slipped on his arse after getting the ball stuck under his feet when given a one on one v Bristol City, I know he got a couple of nice finishes v a second string Blackpool in a friendly, and I know that his running with the ball has shown a bit of promise, but we need a player who is contributing towards a side chasing the top 6 and until there is an end product he will always be judged unfavourably. We also lack that option of bringing Graham into the mix. I think our squad is weaker at the moment but we will I am sure sign some new players. But I am unconvinced in Mowbrays ability to fix the defence, and also I just wish we could appreciate the worth of a good start, alas it shall never be the case it seems under Venkys.

There have been 89 transfers so far, so quite a few transfers. It was true a month ago when people were demanding calm as the market hadnt really got going but now many teams have been busy before the season begins. Birmingham have signed 6, including a couple from Spain and a couple of players Karanka has worked with before, Brentford have signed Toney and Goode, Bristol City have signed Chris Martin and Joe Williams, (and are close to Mawson on loan) Cardiff have a couple including Kieffer Moore, Coventry have got 8 using their very technical scouting network, Derby have signed Groningens captain and re-loaned Clarke, and got Marshall in net, Norwich have signed some interesting signings, Forest have brought in some real experience in Lyle Taylor, Luke Freeman, Jack Colback and Tyler Blackett, as have Stoke with Steven Fletcher, Morgan Fox, Jon Obi Mikel and James Chester, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday have been busy, Swansea have done some good business, and Wycombe have bought in a few including Tafazoli and Horgan, very much scraping the barrel. No one is suggesting risking our financial structure but we certainly need to fix certain positions.

West Ham. To clarify, my comment about the difficulty of the game next week is in no way related to them winning a friendly! Just an update.

I think most people have raised doubts not about our opponents strength but about our weaknesses. @Ewood Ace was bang on about his analysis about our defence and if you asked people at the end of last season if they would be happy starting the season without any new defenders, no one would have said yes so the worries and criticism are fair. Bournemouth are a good side and obviously will be expected to finish higher than us but ultimately we cant do anything about their squad. It will be interesting to see if any of King, Wilson or Brooks play, hopefully not but they have quite a few players outside of that of very good quality at this level. Archer is not a Championship standard goalkeeper and I presume they will play Travers who is currently with the Irish squad. Pointing out examples of other teams who have struggled to strengthen too doesnt justify our inability to do so. We need to improve quite a bit on last season to finish in the top 6 and seriously threaten promotion. Thats the aim. Even if Kaminski is an upgrade on Walton, which wont be hard but we dont know for sure until he plays, the losses of Adarabioyo, Downing and to a lesser extent Graham and 7 games worth of Greg Cunningham make us much weaker than a team who finished quite a bit away from the play offs having conceded 63 games.

I have no doubt that Mowbray is respected in the footballing world, but Rodgers is hardly going to say "I am really disapointed not to win because I have little respect for Mowbray and they will be struggling with him as manager." And ultimately I think we did pretty well today and indeed even if I have various doubts about us and our current squad, I also am happy with quite a few players and indeed if Mowbray left tonight I would consider him to have done a good job. But managers will always support one another.

Bournemouth won 5-3 in a friendly v today. Not the ideal opening fixture in terms of difficulty. With Mowbray pulling his finger out and getting some defenders in prior seemingly an impossibility, would personally go with this: Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan Wharton Williams Travis Evans Holtby Brereton Armstrong Rankin Costello Subs: Eastham, Gallagher, Chapman, Rothwell, Buckley, Davenport, Johnson Obviously Dolan very unlucky to miss out on a weak looking bench and am happy for him to be sub over either Chapman or Rothwell really. Dont want to see Bell hence the choice on the left hand side of defence. Rankin Costello is back up to step back into defence should we get an injury. Cant say that I have any confidence on opening day, even with Bournemouth in some sort of limbo and with a rookie manager. Only goal threat comes from Armstrong and defence is hardly a strudy one. Would love to be proven wrong and see us get a good result.

Ward Prowse and Rice are not good enough, thats for sure. Or Dier at CB! Pickford shouldnt be near the squad either, although Southgate could have gone in net today.

The problem is that the situation isnt as straightforward as your hypothetical scenario. Its an immeasurable difference. What if that 2 place gap was 6th and 8th? There needs to be a balance in the squad and at the moment im not sure there is. Signing a couple of extra players doesnt cause a total block on the younger lads either. Take the front line, across 3 places we have 2 proven goalscorers in Armstrong and Dack. We have a couple of players with reasonable experience in Gallagher and Rothwell who have convinced very few then beyond that, kids with promise and potential but none of which have proven capable of starting regularly for a Championship side in the upper regions of the table. You chuck 1 more first team quality player in there, and theres still plenty of scope for the younger lads to break through and establish themselves beyond that, for 3 positions, where subs are most common and necessary across 46 games. Indeed, you look at a couple beyond the (slightly) more established ones such as Rankin Costello and Brereton, and maybe one or two could do with a loan as its unlikely that 5 or 6 will all break in at once.

Watford also have a couple of players who were out on loan who had been playing in La Liga to come back in. Bournemouth have to wait to receive the money from selling Wilson and co as a result of relegation. An excuse we do not have.

If ever you wanted a summary as to why the continuous wait to fix the defence has infuriated most and left few thinking that it will be fixed, please see above. I do find it baffling that anyone can genuinely have faith (rather than hope) that we are going to fix the defensive issues based on what we have seen so far. Personally next week, assuming that our incompetence to fix these issues continues, I would go with a back 4 of Nyambe, Lenihan, Wharton and Williams. No way can we play Bell. I also don't really understand any particular confidence in a team with a front 3 of Armstrong, Rankin Costello and Brereton scoring enough goals to compete for promotion. Even if we havent got the resources to strengthen, you've got to chuck Dack in the mix. We have 2 goalscorers and beyond that, lots of promise but ultimately lots of question marks too. Yes, just as much as before todays friendly started.

Fingers crossed, although i dont think anyone will sign before next weekend. Dont think Mowbray and Venkys appreciate any urgency and importance in making a strong start.

There were quite a few people suggesting that Kipre was going for the money and to sit on the bench, the latter of which is an assumption not only that he wont play but that he has been told he wont play, when there is no reason to suspect either. As you say, any sane minded person in his situation would have chosen West Brom. Obviously it is just looking at the situation through blue and white tinted glasses, but it is quite ironic because when a number 2 goalkeeper joins, there wont be people questioning his ambition and motivation.

I agree that we need another keeper, Fisher is miles away, but that wasnt the point I was making. There is irony in slagging off Kipre for going to West Brom for money (based on a fictitious theory that he has gone to warm the bench) and slag off Mulgrew for sitting on a decent contract yet endorse us signing a keeper who knows that he has not come to play. Plenty of which has been seen, not specifically you, at Rovers fans in general. We dont know that, we can only guess until he does what we might think he can do based on kids football and the very limited experience he has in the first team. Until he does, we can never be sure. Cautiously optimistic and hopeful. My issue is that although I would like to see him play plenty of football, no one knows if he is good enough to be a regular starter in a side chasing the top 6, and like in other areas, I dont feel that the balance is correct between proven quality/effectiveness (Armstrong and a currently injured Dack who may prompt a change in formation again) and very raw, untested but of course promising players but ones who we do not know if they can regularly contribute for a team chasing the top 6, getting us goals, ie everyone else, Rankin Costello, Brereton, Chapman, Dolan, Vale, Butterworth, and to a lesser extent, Gallagher and Rothwell. In an ideal world, we would have maybe 4 or even 5 more proven options, and then that raw potential bubbling underneath, contributing as much as possible but without too much pressure should they not be ready at that time. Talk about 20m price tags is absolutely crazy though, thats what I mainly took issue with.

Thats one hell of an unfounded suggestion glad we have him, did some good things today and hasnt let anyone down during his dozen or so senior appearances, mainly out of position. And I would start him next weekend. But we arent sure that he can establish himself as a regular in our side yet. Talk about 20m plus price tags in the future is at this stage speculative and baseless in the extreme. Another point of irony that i find is that we are all calling for a back up keeper, yet when a player goes elsewhere, even when there is no suggestion/guarantee for example in Kipre's case that he is going "to be back up" that he is a greedy money grabber and everything that is wrong with the game.

I agree with Mowbray that we need more men back there. Nuhiu might be an extreme example but there will be other wily experienced strikers that lie in wait.

Behave. Any drastic conclusions shouldn't be taken either way. All of the things I have said are things that I would have said prior to the game. Of course, it was a promising performance which I did point out to be fair. Maybe, but he hasnt even played a minute in pre season and I dont expect or think that he will be around the first team this season. I am overly cautious that another summer in which the manager publically declares the need for "men" in defence is still not sorted. I also am unconvinced that we have enough goals for all of the pace, energy and potential across the front 3.

I think people quite understandably are getting a little carried away at a very decent performance in a friendly v a Leicester side full of kids. Magloire for example, he looked well out of his depth playing against a very limited player like Nuhiu, and struggled at Rochdale I believe. Also had a couple of wobbly moments today. He could do with another loan, we need experience at the back and I dont want Mowbray to fall into the trap of thinking that the likes of Magloire and Carter who have struggled when dipped into the first team before are ready to play now. i feel like we have quite a few quick and energetic players to play that front 3 but still remain totally unconvinced that there is much substance there at this moment. Armstrong, we know his quality, even if he did nothing today. Brereton was his usual dithering self, for all of this talk about him bulking up, new man post lockdown, we dont have any evidence that he is up to it yet. Starts next weekend though, also his defensive "contribution" belies why Chapman doesnt start if that is the reason! Rankin Costello, that run was superb, also had a decent but comfortable shot at the keeper, id start him next week, obviously though we have no evidence that he is a top 6 player across that front line playing regularly. Dolan is bright and energetic, and has raw talent. But a total unknown to us. Chapman went on a nice run, has talent, but he has come in from the cold. Rothwell, full of pace and energy, did little with it. Theres plenty of raw talent there but I just worry beside Dack and Armstrong, how many of our other attacking players can hit 5 goals this season? There is reason to be excited by the youngsters but I dont expect too much from them all. It also cannot be lost how much we need to add quite a few to the squad. Obviously defensively but also could do with a drop of quality in attack.

Do people think that front 3 has enough goals in it to challenge for the top 6?!

Hope Mowbray doesnt get any false impression over the likes of Magloire and Bell helping to reduce the urgency we need to fix the defence. I also seem to be the only person who thinks we are really lacking going forward. You look at that front 3, Brereton usually comes up woefully short and we havent seen enough from Rankin Costello to suggest that he can be a regular. Beyond that, there is barely anything. Gallagher and Dack to come back aside, its all unknown and kids. We need something else going forward, we look lightweight and overly reliant on Armstrong. Our strongest area is central midfield although even there we could do with another technical addition. Travis, Evans and Holtby should be the main 3 in there, not Johnson who cant use the ball.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2016/may/hanley-named-player-of-the-year/

Ireland play again on Sunday. With only one absentee, our back 4 will be a frightening indicator of what we could field in a league game should we not get on with our transfer business. Leicester will have plenty on international duty.

I am not sure how you have come to that conclusion based on that back 5 to be honest. I get that you are implying that Walton is less than tolerable, which there is some truth in, but "tolerable" is hardly a glowing endorsement for the standard we would like from our goalkeeper. However, I take your point that if Kaminski is better, obviously we are better off there. But youve underestimated the downgrade that taking Tosin out would cause. He might not have been the very best defender in terms of his ball playing being the stand out attribute but he was a very competent Championship defender. Wharton has done well in League 2, happy for him to be 4th choice, but as a replacement for Adarabioyo that is a huge downgrade. My worry is that we will struggle to get someone as good as Adarabioyo this summer even as a defender, and even then, we would need to improve the defence anyway. Naby Sarr has been repeatedly mentioned, a player who has earned cult hero status but that is not for his solid defensive play at Charlton. But it has to be more than just a good centre back coming in. We need a new left back, we need Kaminski to be good (and a good experienced number 2 in case he isnt) we need to change the way we defend as a team (no need for full backs both being so attacking simultaneously) and we also need more options, whenever even one of our key defenders missed a game last season, we struggled. There is also left back. Bell only actually started 19 games last year, plus played the majority of the game at QPR. Cunningham obviously had a spell of games where we picked up plenty of points, and Downing also was at left back during our upturn in form. Either way, and obviously I dont think it will be so its moot, but that back 5 would have us closer to the bottom 3 than the play offs! That is not an improvement on last year even if Kaminski is ok.