If someone with significant quality comes up and is available for loan it would be silly not to have a look at it. Can’t see any way come sept we haven’t filled one or two loan spots

That last bit is the key. We need another first team attacking midfielder.

My granddaughter pointed out to me that Harvey Higgins was on the photo shoot for the new kit. This young lad is a few weeks into his first year scholarship and the recognition of being in the kit launch is hopefully how highly he is rated. Get him tied down as soon as possible if that's the case, no waiting or hesitating. Of course it might just be that he was included because he is a Blackburn lad and from a family of Rovers fans but in my opinion it's the former.

Quite interesting to hear that he said publically that Wharton isnt fit to play how he wants. Obviously hes been out for ages so its not quite like calling out any random player but still. Presumably he will want another centre back after McLoughlin. Did he say which position he sees Montgomery playing in? Also, we know that he isnt interested in loans so if any come they arent necessarily to his approval. Its a market we have relied too much on but its probably not one to totally dismiss, if you use it purely to bring one or two bits of quality we couldnt ordinarily afford. Did he say anything else about how many he wants to sign or anything else interesting?

My apologies, it was Ryan Alebiosu who was an Arsenal academy kid. I have been furious with us playing loanees such as ACD and Tyler Morton instead of our own. I personally love the route we are taking with our own more playing time. in some cases it has worked out well with JVP and Harvey Elliot, but the club has no gain on it afterwards.

Probably. Will we be in the away dressing room I wonder?

Apart from the happy clappers on LET i think pretty much every other fan would absolutely detest the way our club is run.

At the kit launch yesterday Ismael spoke a lot about Montgomery. Heaped praise on him for his on and off the pitch attitude. Can see him being used a lot this season. Said Scott Wharton is unfit and needs to improve on this to play the way Ismael wants to play. So can see us really pushing for CB, ala Mcloughlin, as he clearly doesnt see Wharton as the answer to replace Batth. Said he has no interest in loan players when asked about using our relationships with Liverpool and Brighton. So can see the academy getting a lot of minutes this season. Also fits with Gestedes words. Think thats a mistake personally. Logic would dictate that lads at Liverpool academy are better than ours. I know most of this is common knowledge but interesting to hear direct from the horses mouth.

A healthy direction! Wow. Under Venkys, with Suhail, Gestede etc making decisions? Im not sure many if any will agree. (Also, Tavares came through at Leicester)

I wonder if the teams will come out to "Johnny Todd" (The Z-cars theme tune) ?

no point using this thread to discuss this more, I think we agree on a lot of things and we disagree on others. I think we are going in a healthy direction, and having been involved in a board for a football club I know how extremely difficult running a football club is. There is small margins for error which can lead to a negative spiral. This is spending too much, too high wages and investing wrongly. With Rovers as with my kids when they say the other kids can do that or get that, I don’t give two pennies. I care about me, myself and my family and try to make the most out of it. I don’t care what other clubs spend, because in my book big money spendings are not necessarily the ones that shine the most. looking forward to seeing our biggest signing this summer Tavares who comes with English language, Arsenal academy, International experience and network and ticks most boxes. Looking forward to see the blue and whites against Elche later 🙂

In terms of best position, his lack of physical presence or real speed, but being a clever player (his awareness & movement is very impressive for his age), probably mean that being a 10 (more in the mold of a Dack rather than a Cantwell) is where he will end up. Which is where he featured mainly last season, and also in the friendly last weekend Can see him being Cantwells deputy this season, as it will enable that 1st team route, and also means that they have an excuse for not signing someone

They didn't buy into whatever he was asking of them for his first six and a half games and ultimately that cost us any chance of the play offs.

It'll be a cold day in hell before anyone from the Club will ever announce that the aim is promotion!

When Venkys took over , we were in the top ten of the Premier League . I rest my case !

We were the 2nd lowest spenders last season after Rotherham. To say we over-achieved is a big under-statement. As for the wage/turnover issue, we are well clear of difficulty there after sales but hardly any money is ever made available for transfers. As for the Academy, I'm suggesting that while we think its there to provide players for the first team squad, increasingly its looking like its there to earn money to keep the club going. And, of course, while they're here these young players are cheap. As for "we have a lot to be proud of" tell that to the women's team. In truth we have a lot to be ashamed of and so much to be angry about. The club is dying season by season. No better decisions, it's a tale of wasted opportunities which suck the life-blood out of us and will lead to relegation and administration. That's my firm belief. You'll call it negativity, I'll call it realism. And as for Racing Santander and the rest, what about Wrexham or even Bolton and Burnley? No good telling me things could be worse. Venkys have had 15 years and things get worse every season.

Im reminded of the brilliant 4 Yorkshire men sketch. 🙂 https://youtu.be/VKHFZBUTA4k?feature=shared

Yep, think we'll struggle to get any decent fee for him with his injury record. We'll be stuck with him and his 12 games a season.

Flying scoucers ?

The lad is made of glass.

Or the Rovers

He took his goal really well last weekend. That was a real strikers goal.

In the early seventies, the school I went to (Billinge) had computer studies. At that time I could only wish for a job paying three pounds per hour.

I watched him in the Accy game. A near and tidy player who obviously knows his way around the pitch. He not particularly big and not particularly quick. He kept possession ok and passed the ball around with short passes. I wouldn’t say the game passed him by but I can’t recall him doing anything that really caught the eye. Buckley also came with a massive reputation at a similar age. It’s a real achievement to be playing against men at such a young age but I didn’t see what Arsenal scouts are allegedly seeing. I suppose they can afford hoover up as many likely young players as they like on the off chance that 1 in 10 might make it.

You never know, Yuki might have a 'Szmodics' season or the breakthrough like we saw with BBD. People will scoff, but Szmodics scored just 5 league goals in his first season here, Yuki got 9 whilst adapting to not just a new league, but a new country too, after playing a shed load of games. As it stands, we certainly need him to shine.... Gueye I'm not as confident with although he does randomly look capable now and then so can hopefully play a part. It's crunch time for Leonard too, he's managed just 32 appearances now in 3 seasons, simply not good enough at that age, if he spends another season crocked we may as well assign him to the scrap heap I'm afraid. Question marks remain over his ability but he's never going to prove himself from the treatment room or with the odd fleeting substitute appearance here and there.