Why wouldn't he though? He had a core that helped him be in the top 6 for the majority of his time here last season, managers tend to use trusted players where possible.

It's almost as if there are 10 other players in a team, who vary in their availability and form, and different sets of opponents. By this sort of logic, Gally was a good player for us. Stats like this got used to show his alleged value to the team before. I like stats but they don't paint the whole picture.

Play done for the day. Who does the delay help more?

Haven't followed WBA's transfer activity at all but new, young manager, renewed hope in front of a home crowd. I recall they won comfortably in Mowbray's first game back there last season, so wouldn't be surprised if they come racing out of the blocks. The key will be to contain them in the first 20-30. That aside, maybe it was just yesterday's performance but I am very fearful going into this game. None of the new signings so far look like they improve us from last season, in fact I'd argue we look worse. Suspect neither Miller or whoever the other player they're close to signing will be ready for this one. As such I'm predicting this to be the starting 11: Toth Montgomery Hyam McLoughlin Ribeiro Hedges Travis Tronstad De Neve Cantwell Ohashi Does not look like a very good team at all. Very few goals in there. WBA 3 - 1 Rovers (Ohashi)

--------------------Toth Monty--Hyam--McLoughlin--Ribeiro ----------Tronstad---Travis Hedges-------Cantwell-------De Neve ---------------------Ohashi I'd be surprised if we came we anything tbh. A draw at best.

Hull away and Norwich at home aren't exactly bankers either. Could be a very difficult start to the season.

Maybe not fucking us over but taking advantage of his time here

Who is taking the set piece?

VI will have us organised, but a few new cogs still fitting into the machine. A draw would be a good results on the first day, but I'll go with a 1-0 Rovers win. Goal from a set piece halfway into the 2nd half, then backs to the wall defending to see the game out.

I'll make a guess based on a few patterns from over the years. Buckley to Blackpool. Probably for around £600k with add ons taking it nearer to £1m. I can see him being linked with Luton too. Pears to Birmingham for £1.5m. Travis to Coventry or Birmingham, is another prediction I'll make. I could end up being way off, of course, but let's see.

Much as I rate Beck as a left back the lad Liverpool signed from Bournemouth is a better prospect. He’s got what Beck has got but more of it.

Out Wimbledon'd Wimbledon in the wind up the opposition stakes. I seem to remember things like the away dressing room only having cold showers.

He's going to be a huge problem for the championship

Beck nearly got Cambridge into the first ever Premier League, although if you’re going to be a long ball side, do it with Steve Claridge and Dion Dublin up front. Leicester beat Beck’s Cambridge in the ‘other’ play off semi final in 1992. Otherwise that could have been an even more uncomfortable afternoon at Wembley under an arial barrage.

How is that Eustace 'fucking us over'? Baath - we didn't offer him a worthwhile deal (as far as we know), and Derby did. Beck - not our player. Presumably Liverpool happy with how Eustace used and developed him so makes sense for them to continue that. Whereas they don't know VI and he has form for playing back 3 - even though seems to be playing with back 4 for now. Liverpool mainly play trad back 4, as does Eustace, so again makes sense for them to send Beck somewhere that means he can slot into Liverpool's team if for some reason they need him. I get the frustration that Derby are taking 'our' players but Eustace is merely taking advantage of the situation in the same way anyone else would. Kendall did more damage to us when he went to Everton IIRC.

Brainless shot by Bethell. He's had a poor match. Nerves are jangling, England most not throw this away

Thought Mimms, Livingstone and Dobson were all fairly decent at the time. Without Jack's intervention and the impetus provided by their arrival I've little doubt we'd have gone down without a whimper that season.

Root gone. Starting to look sketchy.

John Beck - former Cambridge manager. Famous and briefly extremely successful but relatively short lived long ball merchant. Players were brick out houses who'd run all day. One of the tactics was to welly the ball forward as quickly as possible towards the opposition corner flags and chase after it.

John Beck was Allardye & Pullis way before they were. Kick and rush specialist.

Former PNE manager John Beck, long ball merchant, grass long in the corners so the ball didn't run out of play after it was hoofed forwards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Beck_(footballer)#Managerial_career

Hackney turned down Ipswich so Boro might not have them money for the transfer any more.

Gotta admit, you've completely lost me there

He's a guy with more experience of that kind of thing than the whole Rovers upper office put together yet again as per usual they didn't listen.

He was never prolific though - his best spell was with Rovers where I think he had a dozen goals in 30+ games. Think he spent over 10 years at Grimsby where he was a 1 in 5 or 6 man.