Neither should play in the reserves ahead of the younger lads but if either should be given the chance to keep ticking over out of loyalty, or kept somewhat fit in case of a major injury crisis, youd think Smallwood would deserve that as a key player in our promotion, rather than someone who has done absolutely nothing to warrant the token gesture of not only game time in the reserves but more importantly in his case, a contract.

1 goal. As ive said before, whilst service hasnt been great I dont think he will ever be a goalscorer because he doesnt anticipate chances, his movement is non existence and technically he is below par. Look at Rhodes when he played for us, especially at the start in a poor team, no particularly stand out attributes but he knew where the ball would drop. Dack is the same to an extent, so many goals from close range. Im not sure what type of service that would actually supposedly suit him. He needs to learn how to hold the ball up though, you cant always run onto the ball although hes not great at doing that either.

I think Gallagher is getting off lightly in terms of people overstating the proportion of games he has played wide. He has played central in at least half of his games and has been awful in all but one of them.

Mitrovic, Kalvin Phillips, Jarrod Bowen.

How have I been proved wrong, or dissapeared? I think Graham is a very good striker, I always champion his inclusion, I used to debate especially with chaddy who wrote him off at one point. But Rhodes was superb for us and its foolish to forget that. He was better than Graham has been IMO and his goal record backs me up.

Graham is class but has never scored 20 goals for us. Rhodes did every year. Goals are overrated though I suppose!

Nothing wrong with Brereton and Chapman playing, young lads like the rest of them. Not keen on Gallagher being back in the squad this week. Samuel should never play for the first team and is older so not sure on that. Gladwin is a pure sentimental gesture so thats wrong.

The side on Wednesday night was well balanced, with that front 6 being the same one that ended the season so well. It would be criminal to change things up out of fear of Stoke. That 11 was good off the ball and offers a threat on the break and an out ball.

I never go, its irrelevant to the point I am making, I am able to look past my own wants and needs and am looking at the club and the constant down scaling that Waggott overlooks.

But our performance last night was very good, the side was well balanced and everyone was 7 out of 10 minimum. Why break it up and change it? Mowbray has often over compensated for his opposition at the cost of our own strengths. Armstrong can run at Stephen Ward and Downing linked up very well with Rothwell down the left.

I suppose if you wont be affected, if you dont go, if you go somewhere else, then the club are correct to discount any attempts to be proactive and attempt to increase potential custom and simply continue to downscale the club.

Isnt "pathetic" a little strong for someone who, quite undertandably I may add I am not saying you should have been, wasnt there themselves! It was a standard crowd for a midweek game really with a minimal away following and of course ongoing inefficient pricing strategies by Waggott and co.

One personnel change there has caused two problems. Graham is critical like last night because hes the only player we can have who can hold it up. Armstrong was far better wide right after a shocking display on Saturday where he was repeatedly offside. He is a poor striker.

It makes no sense to keep altering the line up, we have to strive for consistency. We need to focus more on what we are good at. Obviously be mindful of specific opposition strengths and weaknesses but look at what we are good at. Try to develop a partnership between the 2 centre backs. Apparently Evans and Travis partnership has played together 11 times and we have from those games 25 points according to the Lancashire Telegraph, as you mentioned they have to play. Dack and Graham is the strikeforce that works, have partnerships right through the spine. Rothwell and Armstrong running at full backs.

Graham looked like a player who hasnt been playing enough football, hes bound to be rusty. But hes the perfect foil, he holds the ball up so well, Mowbray said the other day he doesnt want to play him as we struggle to get up the pitch with him but the opposite is true. He did well and we are a different team when he plays.

Superb win, fair play to Mowbray I criticise him often but he got it right tonight so its only fair to praise him. Stand out was Corry Evans for me, I wouldnt have played him but he was superb. Not sure I can name any of the starters as having a bad game. Graham is a little rusty but I think we are a different team with him as a focal point, holds it up so well. That front 4 played like it did at the end of last season, both wide men were constant threats. Dack as always is our goal threat, suggestions of dropping him look sillier by the game. Downing is a potential weakness at left back but he did really well. Nyambe a vast improvement on Bennett as we would expect, Travis very good with Evans and both centre backs solid.

Your argument is becoming very strawman. As a paying season ticket holder who spends time and money supporting my team, please explain how it is in my best interests for him not to succeed. Id love him to score 20 goals but its not going to happen. Bennett and Armstrong along with Gallagher are the 3 players I and many others repeatedly criticise Mowbray for blindly selecting, im fully aware he is the one to blame.

Yes I do. He was central v Charlton, Fulham, Reading, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, West Brom, Birmingham, Forest, Luton and Preston. (you accidentally typed twice instead of once) I dont think Ive misremembered any of those but my memory may be playing tricks on me.

I might be wrong but I remember Gallagher playing up front more than on the wing this season, history is being re written that he is solely being played out wide.

We are hardly a creative conveyer belt but look at @Sparks Rovers post which shares my views. Dack scores loads of goals inside the box, poachers goals, tap ins, because he comes alive in the box, he can anticipate potential chances, scraps, he can sniff out goals. Graham is the same. Gallagher rarely gets himself into goalscoring positions, he doesnt have a strikers instinct, he is not a good finisher technically, good strikers have chances because they get in the right positions and they make chances for themselves by doing that. Gallagher is a poor striker and a stupid signing.

I certainly dont enjoy watching Mowbrays football but continuing to play Sam Gallagher will not help.

Very few teams dont play with more than one striker so thats not an excuse. And playing 2 strikers would mean dropping our best player and only goal threat. Dack is a second striker and he manages to score goals.

Conversely, surely if they played at the expense of our best player and only goal threat, the pressure would only increase? Gallagher has had plenty of chances this season, hes started 14 out of 17 times, more often than not up front, and ultimately has been really poor in all but 1 game. Brereton hasnt had that amount of chances but when he did play last season he looked, if it was for any other team, laughably out of place. Dack scored 2 goals in the last game, dropping him would be ridiculous. We are playing 8th place Brentford at home, yes they are in good form but theres no way we should be writing a game like that off. I dont understand how only in November, and yes I personally think that theres a large chance that the season could fizzle out, but that we can treat tomorrow as anything other than a "must-win" game, its not like near the end of last season when our fate was mathematically certain and we was experimenting. I and many others have paid money to turn up tomorrow on a cold Wednesday night on the assumption that the manager will at least try his best and put his best side out to try and win the game. For all his flaws and misguided opinions id like to think he is putting a little more importance on a potential win than you seem to be doing.

Why dont we have much to lose in this game? Its an important game. I think the value of them 2 players is far lower already than what we paid. Ultimately Gallagher has played many times this season and not impressed at all bar for one half. I dont understand how he deserves another game ahead of Dack or Graham. Brereton has never shown any glimpses to suggest he should be thrown in tomorrow ahead of 2 proven performers. It is very difficult to "give up" on 2 players who cost us so much but its also counter productive to play them at the expense of our chance of getting results. Dacks attacking output at the club has been consistently excellent, backed up statistically. To drop him (if hes fit as Mowbray hinted at a major player having a tight hamstring today) would be absurd.

That quote was from ages ago and whilst of course goalkeepers can play well in struggling teams, Walton isnt playing well. Theres not a 100% correlation between goals conceded and goalkeeper performance but there is a strong one. Hes made major errors leading to 4 goals in 6 games lately. He has not filled me with confidence all season, bar the penalty save I dont recall many really good saves that hes made, his kicking tends to stay in the pitch but it has really poor accuracy, hes made judgement errors notably at Preston coming to catch, hes just not very good and is a downgrade on the unreliable Raya.