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Val has his limitations but he's doing alright with what's available to him. It obviously helps that the division is such a shitshow this season. Some of his recent comments have been very interesting reading between the lines. He himself identified the fans' discontent goes back many years, which combined with the comment about this being the most difficult challenge of his career and the club being run in an unusual way, was certainly him indirectly pointing the finger in Suhail and Venky's direction. Perhaps subtly enough that they wouldn't pick up on it, or at least he'd have plausible deniability. Self-preservation, for sure, but not the actions of a total yes man.

Obviously the correct treatment is to not include them. My point is, you and others are pointing out his good man management and the great team spirit. I dont see how there is any evidence or foundation to use that as a positive specifically to attribute to Ismael. In fact, players within the squad not training properly, not giving 100% in games or being questioned outside of football would if anything be red flags. The main barometer for any manager is results. Ismael's overall have been poor. Obviously with him being currently employed by the club, besides a very brief blip last season, you will go on full unequivocal propaganda mode.

Teams play more defensively away from home so he hasn't got the players to cut through or to put the few chances away.

Have to agree there. Wolves are down, Edwards job is all about next season and building a squad for promotion push next season Keith Andrews is doing a very good job at Brentford Burnley don't have the quality to stay up On West Ham, They need a goalscorer up front but other quality players signings needed but they are in this position cos of poor recruitment and poor decisions from their owners. Their squad just look poor and don't look like a team so Pep wouldn't have develop them into the players they are today?

Still on the books. 5 PL2 games for the U21s this season. Plus 2 PL Cup, 2 National League Cup.

You're deliberately missing the point here and you know it. Besides, it's not even January yet so we'll see how things stand towards the end of the season before concluding this isn't going to finish the same way that 110 of the 135 SPL seasons have finished.

and what did Ismael do with players not training properly? he dropped them from the match day squad. wouldn't you have done similar or not? do the players not have their own self responsible for not training properly? 4 points in the last 2 games against top 6 side and we see the match day squad playing for Ismael and for each other, and the supporters. the squad need readjust due to Ismael changing results to get points on the board. Also he has brought Litherland, Pratt, Diamini, Atcheson into the squad and they look fine and in the case of Litherland and Pratt you wouldn't know they were in their first few games at this level

I'm sorry that you don't like your opinions to be questioned.

So Hearts are top, you think Celtic are threatening and Rangers are not that far behind? Thats 3 teams isn’t it?

For a start, he isnt very good in the air. Even when he wins it, it isnt particularly accurate. I dont think hes good enough to be the main central defender. I think he is more suited to the left side.

Does Jake Batty play football at any level for us anymore? I remember him going to Stanley and playing quite a lot for them last season but haven't heard much this season.

And subsequently they wouldnt have been the players they are today had they stayed. People often mention it as if they let current day Rogers and Palmer leave. Not quite the same but there are similarities with Raya here. He was let go on the cheap but had be stayed, he certainly wouldnt have developed into who he is today, after 7 or 8 years in the Premier League, training with top class players and coaches etc.

what's wrong with McLoughlin in the centre?

I bet you didn't even have to look that up either.

Im not sure he has fully united the dressing room. I think youd have to go back to the Murphy/Etuhu days where it was clear that 100% wasnt being put in. But we have had problems of players not training properly this season according to Ismael himself, seemingly wasters like Gueye and Tavares. Also Kargbo not bothering to track back leading to a goal, public comments about Carter's preparation. There have definitely been performances full of grit and real character but also ones showing a real fragility. I certainly wouldnt be able to commit to bigging up Ismael's man management as a positive. There is certainly a lot of merit to the argument that he has been left with a poor and imbalanced squad, even if he has seemingly played a big part in endorsing the players hes been left with. And he isnt in the Kean and Coyle category. But I certainly havent been impressed with or warmed to his management overall.

Yes. The US has the worst of any of them. Mainly because it funds and enables most of those mentioned and more. North Korea, DRC, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Sudan are only in the state they're in because of US involvement. FIFA constantly say that we should keep politics out of football (which is impossible) yet they're more than willing to get involved in the politics when it suits them lining their own pockets. An absolute reprehensible organisation which needs to be gotten rid of and replaced by something fit for purpose.

They had a buy-back option on Rogers. Palmer forced a move away - they wanted to keep him, but couldn't guarantee him the game time he wanted.

Let’s summarise the position here… - Rovers sell digital tickets online - the Sheff Weds tickets are digital - home fans can still buy them via SWFC - away fans can’t buy them from Rovers nor Wednesday (for away areas of Hillsborough) Its boff all to do with staff “holiday entitlements”, the club shop sometimes not opening on Mondays or revenge for the boycott call. Someone, somewhere, with authority at Rovers has decided to take them off sale on the Rovers website. The key questions to ask are “who” & “why” because I can’t think of any positive reason for this course of action. 🤷‍♂️

I’m still waiting for the guys that were on here almost every day last season to come back on and give an update from the dingledome. . We all know who they are.

This last section is going to need some explanation. Have you been spending time in some dark corners of the internet recently?

Another win for Nigeria so they’ve qualified for knock out round, Ryan now there for longer. Once again no minutes played.

He has never scored more than 2 goals in a single season. Any screamers were very much the exception so are a strange area to focus on. I think Travis was a good player and has been missed but he isnt this all rounder you suggest. He cannot protect the defence or read the game as well as Tronstad and isnt as good on the ball. Travis was more athletic and got about the pitch more although he isnt the same type of player. You suggest that the stats back you up, what stats? Tronstad does a very specific role, he sits in front of the defence, he keeps the play ticking, he reads the game really well and he is essentially the glue in our team. We play much better and do better when he plays. 2 players of a similar style (obviously elite players) are Busquets and Makelele, neither ran all over the pitch and neither made it to 20 career goals. Did they hold their teams back as limited and peripheral players?

I agree, but I can't honestly see them signing someone unless it's certain that one or both won't play in the near future. If you add those 2 to the list of centre halves, I'm reckoning 7 including Aitcheson.

The last 135 years says so. Celtic are only three points behind and have a game in hand. This is despite them having a supposedly 'disastrous' season so far with Rangers not that far behind in third place and they had the football genius of Russell Martin in charge at the start of the season. The whole league is a complete joke and always has been. It needs a complete reset to make it into an actual competition.