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I do quite like Martin Samuel on the whole but he isn't reading the underlying situation at all there. Yes on the surface the dissent might look harsh but we only finished 7th last year thanks to an excellent Head Coach we alienated and drove out. And it's happened twice since Mowbray left. And their eventual replacement is taking us down.

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Looks like the Mowbray link is a wind up thankfully but that doesn't change the fact we're in a world of trouble. As you would expect from this shower the whole Ismael situation has been horrendously mismanaged. After Eustace was driven out the obvious thing to do then was to appoint a wise old head until the end of the season just to keep their hand on the tiller, and keep things ticking over. Then in summer, reassess. In the meantime, don't change too much and get someone in who would get the players feeling good about themselves. Someone like Warnock. Instead we got this chump and play off hopes evaporated immediately with a home draw followed by five defeats from his first 6 games. To say that was a disaster would be an understatement but bizarrely we'd given him a 3.5 Yr deal which seems ludicrous given he's barely lasted 50 games anywhere else he's been. A dire summer of recruitment followed and predictably Ismael has lived down to expectations and then some. Should have been sacked in summer after making such a balls up of the play offs and really with only two home wins on the board you could quite easily have sacked him at any point this season. Definitely no later than the Wrexham home game on New Year's Day when it was clear there was nothing left in the tank. Now due to the incompetence of management we're still stuck with the problem that he has 2.5 years still left on his contract and the January transfer window has been and gone. In my view: Worst possible case scenario: Ismael stays 2nd worst case scenario: Ismael is sacked and Mowbray is appointed until the end of the season. (In no way an endorsement of Mowbray, but shows how bad Ismael is) 3rd worst case scenario: Sack Ismael and give it someone like Damien Johnson/David Lowe until the end of the season. Ideal case scenario: Sack Ismael and make a decent appointment. If we were prepared to chuck some money at it, still wouldn't mind an Allardyce or a Warnock type until the end of the season to lift the mood around the place - possibly with the help of a younger assistant. Longer term if we go down we need to identify an up and coming young manager/Head Coach. Probably a vain hope but as I said at least a couple of months ago, it's a stark choice in my opinion. We either stick with Ismael and accept we're going down or we make a change and TRY to do something about it.

How many fingers have you got on each of your hands? We've only had 4 since 1975 if my Maths are correct!

I'm not saying you're wrong, I really have no idea either way (you have had some scoops lately though). But I think this tweet, by saying 'as reported by', is just quoting you, rather than saying they have also heard this information.

He had 15 games to make up a measly 3 points and wasn’t capable of doing it. And that was with a superior squad to this lot. No thanks.

Probably the best manager we’ve had under these rats, if only for his staying power. During my lifetime, I can count on 2 hands the number of promotions we’ve had, and I’m old. Mowbray is on that list along side Howard Kendal, who got us promoted from 3rd division too.

22 points in 15 games. That's 64 points in a season. 11th.

He doesn’t know him.

Just seen the new signings interview that is over 10 minutes long and they didn’t talk about Ismael once, weird.

First game there for 20 years it was certainly a feisty affair. Would end up about 8 aside these days.

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There's some outrageous stuff going on there. Ball was such a little shit stain, watch his after match interview where he deadpans disbelief that his tackle was sniffing but fair

I think there's a dividing line between being"hard" which to me means uncomplaining, giving it out sure, but within the rules of the game. But not complaining about taking it either. For me, Kevin Moran was as tough as they come, and a fantastic presence at the back. I'd rather have him than todd, certainly. You couldn't make Kevin back down. If he's not hard enough for people then really I'm at a bit of a loss.

Told ya it's true. He also mentions Atalanta from Italy, Man Utd, Arsenal, Polish sides, German sides, Aston Villa want him.

He was a bit of a thug on the pitch and master of the dark arts but if we are talking all round hard bastards you wouldn't want to play against or cross away from football i'd have to put Fashanu right up there. Him and Drunken Duncan.

Out of the that bunch Ribeiro is the most useful

This is why managers generally dead bat every remotely spicy question and spout nothing but meaningless platitudes.

You'll be waiting for a couple of years for that.

Could have been the same game when Hughes came on as sub, Rovers corner, he ran into the dingle box, knocked a dingle out of the way to announce his arrival 💪

Ball was a prick. I’d have been fuming if I was dingle. The game was still there to be won, once they went down to ten it was game over.

To quote myself. I had a look at the new pitch at Rochdale today. It looked no better than OK but I believe it’s only a temporary pitch until it can be done properly in the summer.

Yeah I think Andy was a bit of a rucker for sure. Is that the same as being hard? I'm not so sure. Not saying I'd like to meet him in a dark alley. But too be being hard is no quarter asked for and not having down from any physical challenge

Who remembers ball wiping out Dunn at the Dingle Dome, and skipper Flipflop grabbed hold of him by the scruff of the neck. You hear so much about how ball was this scary hard man, wiping out a flair player like Dunn like that was a shithouse move. I would've backed Garry against him though

Ah yes, Axel Henriksson, the cornerstone of the club, an un-saleable talent who deserves the longest of contacts...