Contrarianism isn't entertaining. He will absolutely have been on their short/long lists. Crystal palace stole a march as they tend to do on championship stars.

I don't think they'll be too far off with that. Just about have enough belief that we'll avoid relegation but I think we'll be down there. That hope might have evaporated by tomorrow evening though.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/august/08/watch-our-battle-against-the-baggies-on-roverstv-/ If you haven't got it already

Again chaddy, quality. Its not about numbers, its about quality. We dont have enough goals, enough pace and enough creativity. The minimum should be a right winger and a striker. Which is exactly what you also want. The one you didnt want is an attacking midfielder which presumably you dont agree with the signing of as you didnt think it was needed. We arent close to registration limits.

Does anyone know if this is pay on the gate?

As @roverandout said, I thought pre season didnt matter? Scoring a few past some crappy Qatari side doesnt prove much. Where are the goals coming from in the side, beside some from Ohashi?

They would have done - had we hung on for 12 months!

In the context you wrote it, "or" means the same as "and". ie "both" not either/or. Straying way off the point though which was that I can't imagine we'll have learnt too much about how we're going to set up for the action proper from pre season and secondly despite efforts to complicate it football is basically a very simple game and within reason Id have to agree with Souness in that football is not won and lost by formations but by the 11 players out on the pitch winning their individual battles.

Of course, we hadn't thought of that. How wrong we all are.

If "EVERYBODY" knew that I would have expected the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal to have come in for him when he was available for sale - instead it was Crystal Palace.

Should of been in room, these are just minutes. I'm sure you can imagine what being in the room and what other things just slipped of the tongue

As Arbitro says the comment from Suhail on Wharton's fee says it all. EVERYBODY knew that Adam was special and would thrive in the Premier League and Play for England. Only someone who knew nothing about football could have reached any other conclusion. So what's he doing in charge of a football club then? We have no hope till he, at least, has gone.

Please read again, I said "or", not "and" No contradiction at all Apologies for the "maybe you should be watching another sport" comment, I just took exception to you pulling up Chaddy (on this occasion) who, whilst I do think trots out a lot of nonsense which borders on club propaganda, was not wrong in the comment he made that you responded to. But I am happy to leave it there

1) It remains to be seen IF we have been playing that way AND 2) IF that will be the preferred way of playing this season Which isn't too far from the point I was trying to make in a light hearted way. But I should be watching another sport or something. I haven't seen any of the pre season warm ups and couldn't care less whether we set up 2-2-2-2-2 or 4-4 fucking 2 in good old Mike Bassett fashion as long as it works. All that matters is that whatever formation we try it works, we score more goals than the opposition, and we win football matches.

I thought u said pre season games are meaningless

True, I'd omitted him on the basis I've not seen that much of him other than against our forwards which you don't have to be particularly quick to marshall

McLoughlin no faster than those mentioned either

I, like many loved periods of JDT ball, however a back 3 of Wharton, Hyam and one of Pickering/Carter/Ribeiro could be up there with the slowest defensive units we've put out, they'd make Nelsen and Ooijer look quick.

care to point out where?

Ooo bitchy. You just contradicted yourself twice in the space of 4 lines there though.

It remains to be seen if Rovers have only been playing that way due to who is (and is not) available or if that will be Ismael's preferred way of setting up the team this season, but if you cannot see that is what has been happening during pre season then you should maybe try watching another sport

It's very JDT, starting 4-2-3-1 and going 3-4-3. De Neve and/or Miller are going to have to be very, very fit with bulletproof hamstrings

Loving these new emoji reactions!! Great work forum team 👌

Lol. I'm impressed you managed to deduce all that from a few kick abouts pre season.

So like I said 3-4-3 is the base formation when in possession, what you've listed is basically Tuchels' version of 3-4-3