I'd like to see us try Alebiosu in front of Miller on the right hand side tomorrow. Then play Wharton, Pickering, Tavares, Montgomery, Gueye and Kargbo from the start.

There was another Rovers fan called Carl who phoned in Talksport last night on his way home from the Hawthorns who was also seemingly quite content with what he saw. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing imo if we were to play like that all season we'd be guaranteed to go down, probably with a record low goals tally for a 46 game season. Im sure we'll improve a bit, we couldn't possibly be that bad every game. The question is, will we improve enough. It sounded as though another Rovers fan phoned in with the opposite view to Carl later on but I only caught the very end of that one.

Just on recruitment after yesterday, our best “new” player was McLaughlin, who CB should come as no surprise as he has champ experience, I definitely think we should have been after a few more of this type. Josh windass for example, we have gambled with this new lads from inferior leagues taking the step up. None of them came out with any credit yesterday if we are honest. Worrying. Does anyone know if gestede is signing on analytics or is it just a throw of a dart on who is landing on his desk

Michalski Miller Hyam Wharton Pickering Tavares Montgomery Axel Tyjon Karbgo Gueye

I'm as pessimistic as anyone but I don't think things are bad as being made out. Yesterday was 2 typical championship teams playing a very typical championship game with not much in it. I didn't think we looked a worse team than West Brom in the 2nd half, in fact I thought we looked better just didn't have enough in the final third. I'm seeing a lot of negativity on the new signings, based on what I saw... Alebiosu, Miller and Tavares will do fine and be very useful and hard to play against. The problem yesterday was the players who were here last season. Miller's throw in ability automatically picks Gueye ahead of Ohashi in my opinion, would be silly to waste Gueye's arial ability on his throw-ins. We all know we didn't create enough chances but I think it's a bit simplistic to assume that's down to the strikers and that we don't have enough up front. We didn't create hardly any chances, the midfielders didn't overload hardly, Travis or Tronstad didn't gamble to try and break the lines. The forwards can't score goals if you don't give them anything to attack or chase. Once we find some balance, have an outlet on the right with Kargbo on the left and perhaps sort selling Trav for a hungrier younger player, we could look like a decent side. Lots of if's and buts there of course but considering West Brom will be talking about pushing for playoffs I think if we bed in the new boys and make one or 2 decent signings we're no worse than them. Fine margins but I think I good signing or two will be the difference.

Agreed. And worryingly the 3 stooges seemed to double down on him being "the outstanding candidate" during the car crash interviews so would they even want to ditch him if needed?

Don't disagree with your overall point but if missing out on the play offs when the Club were in the top 6 when you took over is judged a success - Im in the wrong job!

He has a 7th placed finish to his name already and whilst we see it as a bit of a failure because his early stint cost us the top 6 others will put it down to lack of funds again. Of which there is plenty truth in that also. Whatever happens league position wise this season he'll have dealt with a big player turnover and might well end up with a negative transfer budget. It's a no lose job here for these average joe types off the scrapheap.

JDT and Eustace were good managers in an upward trajectory. Mowbray did better than some give him credit for, but benefited from a brief spell when we would pay decent money and salaries for the likes of Gallagher, Downing , Armstrong, Elliot etc.. Ismael was perceived as having failed in his last 2 British jobs and was well and truly in last chance saloon. He’s also going to have to cope with Operation Downgrade with regards to the squad. I think there’s more chance we will be worrying about if we can afford or are willing to pay off his 3 year contract, rather than if he will leave us. Im just it convinced yet whether his aim is to take us forward, or to facilitate Suhail cutting costs regardless.

If Waggot was still here, they'd "look into it" No chance with these wasters.

In theory we've struggled against long throws as we:ve had nobody capable of taking them. Perhaps the Miller throw will help improve us in both boxes.

Gestede could head a ball as good as anybody. He needs to take Gueye under his wing.

It worked perfectly well for Paul Lambert, Tony Mowbray and John Eustace whilst further enhancing the profile of JDT. People in football know the reputation of those who run and own this club so obviously take that into account when judging the potential of these guys.

If that's his intention he's going to have to pull his socks up big time!

You're getting good at sitting on the fence, mind the splinters 😁

I said that yesterday. Being big doesn’t make a great header. Samba was a big lad, could read the flight of the ball and had a decent leap. Shearer wasn’t the tallest, but he could read the flight of the ball the moment it left the wingers foot. Gueye is just tall. He naturally will get his head on things, but there’s not a lot of control on it. Then again, as we say about a lot of players, if he could leap and head it like Duncan Ferguson he wouldn’t be here.

Gueye is such a poor header of a ball. Being big or tall means nothing.

Ah OK. Odds are they're still heavily involved then. We had that ridiculous conflict of interest situation didn't we a few years ago when it was in the best interests of the Club to offload Smallwood and whether Mowbray did or didn't want to get rid, the fact they were both represented by HSH was far from ideal.

You say that but out last three managers have moved up arguably. Mowbray restored his rep and got Sunderland job before his health issues; JDT is Sweden boss; and Eustace is at Derby who are similar to us but actually support the manager. Ismael will see that and think if he can get us top half a more ambitious club will come for him.

If its a case of budgets/number restrictions as to why we can only bring in another right winger, and then replacements for any sales. Then some of the current business needs to be questioned. McLoughlin (although clearly wasnt first choice) makes perfect sense. Good value and at a good age. Signing 2 right backs obviously was necessary, both are cheap, question is how good either will be but they make sense. Obviously a right winger makes sense if we can ever get one sorted. Henriksson sort of makes sense too, although he has played in a slightly different position before, again purely in terms of being a goalscoring midfielder, cant say yet if hes any good. The decisions to sign De Neve (aside from being so cheap) and of course renewing the contract of Hedges make no sense. Not willing to write off De Neve, but purely on type of player, someone with no track record of scoring and assisting, and someone who often has played at left back before, thats not the profile we needed. And Hedges is just shit, especially post 2 bad hamstring injuries. They arent the profile we needed, we needed more goal threat and pace, even if it means that instead, one was a permanent and one was a loan. We also badly need a striker. Which brings me onto Tavares and Forshaw. Why we gave Forshaw a new deal, I have no idea. A waste of resources. And I am not commenting on Tavares' ability but unless he is a real find, which I doubt, seems strange to spend our highest fee on a 3rd choice midfielder. Our attitude to loans has gone from one extreme to another. We usually fill the squad with them, now we seem unwilling to even consider them. One or two to top up the squad with extra quality is something all Championship clubs need to consider.

Suhail worked for Kentaro. As we saw with the minutes from the 2017 fans meeting, Mike Cheston was playing down Pashas role. He claimed he did not know his name or his job title and also eventually admitted he worked at the club, after initially suggesting he just worked for several business that the owners have, under their portfolio. Why has Pasha been hiding and how come so many people are linked to Kean still, who end up at the club?

Given they absolutely stole Wharton you’d think they’d be embarrassed enough to do us a favour.

Here let's finish this silliness:

rovers is`nt the best place to relaunch your career,it`s likely to ruin it unless you get out of the place quickly

I am not bothered about that one, he is fairly injury prone (stated this the other day when he was first mentioned so its not sour grapes) If the plan is to only sign one more player (barring departures), then we need a goal machine of a right winger, something like Messi in his prime coming off the right will do 😉 As it is, Rak-Sakyi on a loan would be the stuff of dreams. We might avoid an almighty relegation scramble then. Highly doubtful he is sent to a team who will not be fighting for promotion though