But not even "many millions." You are more likely to find a better player if you pay a million or two say compared to someone on a free. The 2 options arent freebies and big fees. You look through the majority of those released and its because they are not very good, and the ones who are even half decent in this country will be able to demand an above average wage because so many teams will want them.

We effectively have a Super League without relegation as the promoted teams are increasingly likely to go straight down. This will be even more likely if players get picked off like Jobe Bellingham and James Trafford, before a ball is kicked.

Obviously , if you're paying many millions for players then you can guarantee quality . At the level Rovers and many others are at, you're just as likely, even more likely, to pick up a good player on a free. Josh Murphy is a perfect example, whether the recruitment department is up to it is another matter,I'll wait and see how Gestede does,

Its humiliating and soul-destroying to know that, whatever the promises or the links, in the last hour and minutes of the Transfer Window we'll be scrambling around trying to sign someone, anyone to get the numbers up.

I’ve not spoken on here in a while but if the above image is how Rovers 150th Anniversary is being celebrated then that’s a absolute shambles, the kit is the starting point and should be looking at all the options what shade of blue,does the original badge go on the shirt ,just the red rose ,halves /quarters just seems like no actual real effort has went into it apart from a 150 logo at the back .

Was excited for the 150 kits hopefully this isn’t a final kit choice thank you for sharing Dave

If we dont have the possibility of paying transfer fees then obviously we massively reduce the quality available to us. There isnt a 100% correlation between cost and quality, but the less you have, the harder it becomes. It isnt a vain point of principle, and to be quite honest there is no excuse not to have money available for fees. Its not about putting timescales on things either, but the sooner players are in, the better. Thats why Ismael is so keen. It gets players a full pre season whereby they not only miss a few games having been signed after the season starts, but you have the majority of your team from the start of an important pre season both fitness wise and in terms of the manager getting his tactical ideas across. You can sign quality early in the window if you are run properly, sadly we arent. That being said, if you dont place any importance at all on when deals are done, then fine. At least it wont lead to you saying you want a certain number in by a certain point yet when that doesnt happen, still going around and dismissing other peoples criticisms contrary to that earlier demand. The fact that it is in anyway a "Gestede show" scares me and the vast majority.

I haven't got a link got sent it on WhatsApp. Crap quality as I've screenshot it from a video but that's the logo on the back below the collar

It's the Gestede show now, I'm prepared to see how he does, putting timescales on transfers is a bit silly in my opinion. I'm also not fixated about paying transfer fees,If the recruitment staff can do their job properly.

I liked Southgate, I think it was more based on seeing his transition over the years from player to penalty to England manager. Deep down we all wanted that elusive victory for his full circle but just wasn't meant to be

Link me

Please be joking.

Great effort by that moan utd. Team. I was surprised that Peter Bonneti didn't get more than 10 cap's for England but then again Gordon Banks was Infront of him.

Sorba Thomas signed a 3 year deal with Stoke

The leaked kit I've seen isn't much different from this seasons apart from there's no collar on it and there's a black 150 on the back at the top. Very underwhelming...

They would, hardly are going to slag him off in public. And they may well have liked him as a man, but it didn't stop them finishing 17th. And if you are basing a manager on whether he is the right man, you base it predominately on the bread and butter of a league campaign.

the toilets at the side of the blackburn end were exactly the same,hence you had everyone p*****g against the back wall,coupled with the smell of urine,strange looking tea/coffee,pies that hazarded food poisoning and the threat of getting your head kicked in,it`s no surprise that crowds were bad despite all that ,i found the blackburn end magical,i was devasted when they bulldozed it

did`nt he take 6 hours to make 80 in one test match😀

Not sure knighthoods are a barometer you can put much store in, whatever industry they are part of.

People went on like he was the new Alf Ramsey, but he never won a trophy, tbf. He did a lot of good, but he couldn’t get us over the line, so a knighthood was pretty generous, really.

Only a knighthood for services to football 🙄

Wherever he is, he’s surrounded by money and no medals. Nice work if you can get it!

Fair play to Tuchel who called the game and players exactly as we all saw it. Players lacking energy, lacking interest and unable to do the simplest of things. Spot on.

I know its a game that no one wants to play, but scraping to a 1 goal victory over a team that isnt even all full time players further highlights how we do not have a team that is at the very top. Lets hope we can get another set of favourable fixtures next summer.

Was at a one day international at OT when Tavare was batting. He was so slow we were convinced the opposition were trying to make sure they didn't get him out Ended up with the crowd shouting at his partner (might have been Gooch) to run him out!