Central midfield, especially one whose a ball winner, seems an unnecessary utilisation of our remaining budget. Can't see us signing someone from the MLS anyway, seems a bit of a random deal to try and squeeze through in the next 48 hours. Someone like McGinn i'd understand more, as he would offer more of an attacking threat alongside a more conservative Smallwood/Evans/Davenport.

Would like to see us go for Jordan Jones. Fast winger at Kilmarnock who I think is in the last year of his contract.

I'm not convinced that we will sign a winger sadly. Not sure Mowbray is a fan of wingers, had Chapman but didnt know how to use him. Prefers "wide forwards" and "defensive wingers" but I do prefer to have wingers, even though I appreciate that Armstrong is better wide than central. Nmecha was telling mates he was going to Swansea at the end of last week and was coming here at the beginning of it. Nixon's Nmecha lottery. Link him with every team in the League and he will go somewhere!

Wheres this from? Not what we need to be honest.

Get the feeling that you may be aiming a little high there! Chris Martin would be a very good addition, wages and fitness the potential issues. Jerome not for me, couple of years too old and reliant on pace which will now be on the wane, never rated him. Central midfield, Butterfield not the best and really strongly disliked at Sheffield Wednesday by their fans last year, Thorne a tidy play but injury prone. Not convinced we will sign anyone in that position unless its someone who we cant turn down, in that we are well stocked in there. Strikers the key position, needs to be someone who can hold the play up. Would love Maddison but for me considering his price, he may be unobtainable. Chris Martin and Bauer permanently and a pacy winger on loan would be very good. Feel like the same names are cropping up, mainly ex players, Chapman and Gallagher the main 2, only Baeur im convinced we have a strong interest in, I would be surprised if anyone who we do sign is a name not yet mentioned.

No need to be quite so uptight, not all opinions need to be "positive", we need healthy debate. Not seen anyone suggest we should release Smallwood on a free. Nor even sell him from what I've seen. So now youre "misleading." He wasnt discarded as you say so you are right in correcting Scotland1 but I feel like what you go on to say is unfair. Hes still a popular and useful player, I personally am fine with him in the team but understand the scrutiny in that his performance levels did dip below those of Evans towards the end of the season. No one is beyond criticism if its deserved. Downing was never more than a stop gap whilst Lenihan was out. He had age and mobility on his side over Ward so was a big upgrade but his performances did deteriorate after a couple of months and I wouldnt be confident with him as a Championship defender over a prolonged period. The reason no one talks about Gladwin and Whittingham is because neither play.

I watch the majority of televised Championship games and I think the quality of it is overestimated. Entertaining? Yes. Competitive? Yes. Wide open? Yes. Nothing much to fear though. Just watching Hull Villa and Todd Kane is on the wing, hes been ok to be fair but its quite incredible.

Surely well down his priority list with Bobby Reid signed.

We also need a target man first and foremost, before any of those.

The same way as last year, when he scored plenty of goals and worked perfectly in tandem with Graham and Dack as we kept winning games?

Unrealistic on so many levels. Firstly, Hibs could never afford his wages. Secondly, theres a massive assumption that Evans would be willing to move up to Scotland to play for Hibs. Thirdly, I personally cant see us spending so much on a midfielder, but I'd love to be proven wrong on that. (Thats not mindless negativity, that would be a big fee especially on the back of Armstrong) I do agree that Bauer wouldnt be coming solely as back up, that said, if we can get him for a decent fee, makes sense to get a player thats more than just a stop gap. That said, I dont ever remember Mowbray playing Mulgrew as a centre back, I think he saw early on that hes at home in the heart of the defence, so I'd suggest its more likely to be in a back 3, which I would not want.

Bennett is an important and versatile member of the squad. But not one of the first names on the team sheet for me. Not for every game, anyway. Wide, depends on the game. Millwall at home, organised, resolute but ultimately a game we can try and target a win in. Would hope to unleash Palmer and Armstrong with Dack and Graham. Other winnable games, especially at home, for me Bennett's industry will not always be needed, UNLESS he can add goals/assists to his game, as he wasnt good enough in this area in League 1, for a player with good technique. Central midfield, can't see him getting much game time there, not convinced he has the ball retention in a higher league. Right back, can do a solid job as a stop gap but no more. I'm not underestimating his importance, I just think that to get a guaranteed place in the attacking positions in the easier games (relatively speaking) this season, he needs to do far more than he did last season, specifically goals and assists.

To hazard a guess, his main role as moderator is to promote healthy debate. Shooting people down by calling them negative is at no point going to do this. People seem intent on spreading myths, I've had a flick through this thread, bar jim almost everyone else is in unanimous agreement that Armstrong is a good signing, yet you say "There is a lot of unreasonable moaning and negativity on here." and there are quotes like the one below that I highlighted earlier: .Posts like stop moaning, stop being negative, are not healthy debate, in fact they are boring and factually incorrect. Some fans were saying all summer we wouldn't sign anyone for more than we spent on Dack. They said we couldn't afford Armstrong and would be "scurrying around" "begging" for loans from Premier league clubs. - This was an assumption based on more than one Mowbray article suggesting that business was slow due to waiting for Prem teams to come back from pre-season tours so we could loan players from them. Couple that in with Mowbray playing it cool on Armstrong, and key to it all, an undercurrent of distrust from the supporters to the owners and it was a fair assumption to make. Now we have spent on Armstrong, people are almost 100% happy with the deal. As I said to @JeffRover please feel free to show me all of this negativity im missing and I'll hold up my hands and say im wrong.

Please can we have some proof of this allegation, aside from jims comments. Vast majority of reaction has been positive so I would like some proof of people saying he isnt good enough. Too easy to spread myths like that. Why the signing of a player we had to great success last year has evoked mass debate about new formations to fit him in. A 4-2-3-1 with Graham holding it up and Dack and Armstrong exploiting the space in behind was lethal. Add Palmer instead of Antonsson/Payne/Conway (or Bennett against better teams) and youve got a proven front 4. And @chaddyrovers i though you was very pro 3 at the back? Would you stick to 4-2-3-1 for now?

Very pleased with the Armstrong deal. One of the key priorities this summer. Hope he gets his first start on Saturday with Palmer, Dack and Graham. Do wonder where Bennett will play most games this season. Unless he ups his attacking output he will struggle to dislodge any of them 4 in games especially at home. Obviously a role for him away, cant see him as first choice at right back and in the middle either, obviously has a big role but shouldnt be guaranteed a start every week. Now for 3 days to determine our window. Armstrong and Palmer are exciting additions, the other 2 are projects really, neither first teamers. 3 keys now are a target man, a direct winger and a centre back. Dreadful signing. Can tell they are under embargo. Can see them going down.

Would personally strongly disagree and think its a bit of a myth. I think the fact hes such a threat going forward, plus that hes so elegant in bringing the ball out, seems to make people take for granted and underappreciated his obvious defensive qualities. Hes the leader, something I particularly appreciate at Ewood when I can see him organising. He heads away far more than he gets credit for, and his positioning is better than Lenihan hence not needing to throw himself in last ditch as much. Mulgrew doesnt have the legs to play in midfield at his age, plus many of his aforementioned qualitys are wasted there. Its almost as if people have a preset image of what a centre back looks like, and how he should play, blood and thunder, old school and Mulgrews pretty unique for a Rovers centre back in recent years, centre backs shouldnt be scoring free kicks, really good on the ball and taking risks that rarely dont come off, have long hair tied up. Hes a very good defender. And certainly not at all to blame for their first goal.

The transfer thread is a case in point. People have defended Mowbray when the point being made wasnt even about him!

People seem to get really uptight about any hint of anything that will paint Mowbray in an unfavourable light, to the extent that they become slightly paranoid and tell others to trust Mowbray etc even when nothing has been said to the contrary. Really frustrating.

Thats true, and why I think he should try and replicate such success in the loan market at Ipswich if hes skint.

No I agree, but you'd never play Tugay as the most attacking of a midfield 3. Allen is obviously their best midfielder, but my point was you dont need Etebo and Ndiaye alongside him, its too defensive. My point was more in regards to playing Ndiaye AND Etebo.

Maybe im being harsh like I said, but it just seems a bit close minded. Look at 2 of their best players last season, Waghorn was signed on the cheap from Scotland, Celina was signed on loan to provide a spark. Dont have to only look in the lower leagues.

Sorry to pick you out, I know your point is hypothetical, but we need to be careful not to take tittle tattle on here for fact, the suggestion that Maddison has a bad attitude thats put us off is totally baseless.

I do wonder if Hurst's transfer strategy will prove slightly one dimensional now hes at a bigger club. He aimed at just signing lower league players at Shrewsbury which he had to due to the size of the club and budget. Feel like you have to be a bit more open minded in the Championship. Maybe im being a bit harsh.

A fugure plucked from thin air. He has said he has money, he has said he is dependant on loans. No one knows. What one person considers a big budget is another persons small budget. We will see by Thursday.

20 goals in nearly 300 appearances does not scream playmaker. I meant more that hes too conservative to be the most attacking in a 3, he is tidy in possession but theres no need for him, Etebo and Ndiaye, theres very little attacking threat there, and you can sacrifice one of them in favour of someone like Bojan. As you say though, Rowett is very defensive.