None of that alters the fact Pears isn't good enough. What's the Greek lad like? Can't be any worse surely. I remember people getting quite excited when he arrived - a couple for our European scouting network apparently. Again on the basis of errrrr....... a few You Tube clips

Don't think some including myself are moaning about him coming in as initial backup, more the possibility of him coming in as a replacement for Nyambe this month. And not only are a surprisingly large number of people not moaning about it, they seemingly can't wait to wave Nyambe bye bye!

Seems to be a couple more possibly sniffing round him than round the other two! Hopefully not an issue we have to worry about until the end of the season. If he gives it his all and we go up both Club and player will be in a vastly different situation and I would hope we'd then be able to agree terms with him. If we don't, I'd have thought he'd be able to get a move to the PL. If not however and he only makes a sideways move for similar money it'd be our loss.

Agree with your last paragraph, you may be some way out on your assumed figures though as I was told Rothwell wants more than double the figure you're assuming we might have offered. I'd imagine Nyambe would (rightly) want a lot more as well and that the figure for Lenihan wouldn't be too far out. However you're right, it's now reached the stage whereby it would be batshit crazy for the Club to let anyone go with us sat third in the table and equally inadvisable for the players to sign at this precise moment knowing that they might be able to re-negotiate as Premier League players in a few months time. The only risk the players are taking is if they don't sign now, the promotion bonus only kicks in for players who are under contract just after the start of next season, we go up and then decide to look elsewhere altogether etc etc. The owners have supposedly already said no-one is going anywhere this window and Mowbray has changed his tune and said the supporters wouldn't expect us to break this team up. On the face of it I think that's fair enough and for once let's hope they're as good as their word.

What's the point for him in that?

If not there should have been!

It makes zero sense for us to be contributing towards the wage of a player we can't use either. Is it not common practice for players to go back to the parent Club and for the loan deal to be terminated in the event of a serious injury?

Yep, keep him on his toes. Ideally you'd like competent back up in every position.

Isn't it just - although tbf the loan with an option is probably the best choice for the Dutch lad for the reasons I've outlined above. What will also be interesting this window is whether we finally end up with a replacement for Armstrong. The talk seems to be that no-one will be sold this window with us sat in 3rd, and there will be a modest amount of money available to bolster the squad as if we should be grateful. Well so there bloody well should be! It seems to have been conveniently forgotten already by those at the Club and the local press already that Armstrong was sold for £15m and not replaced (even on loan) and the owners carried out the accounting exercise with the training ground to give us leeway with FFP. So there SHOULD be plenty of leeway for a permanent Armstrong replacement. I have to say it's badly needed as an injury or dip in form for BB and we're goosed with Gallagher cementing his reputation as a dud with every additional run out. Will we see it, or will it be a temporary loan soon to be forgotten about once again the minute the season ends? Doesn't matter if said loanee fires us to promotion I suppose. If he doesn't, it's another asset we once had we no longer have. Let's see if Jocky can come up with anyone this window......

Would be terrible news because if it ain't broke don't fix it. We know for a fact Nyambe is an extremely reliable option at Championship level. This other bloke may be good or he may be fairly useless. Seemingly he can't get in the Hertha side at the moment. He may adapt quickly to the English game or not, he looks quite "enthusiastic" on the clips, might be a walking Red card. He might not take to living in East Lancs. However as back up it's probably a very astute move, get him over, see how he settles in, see how good he is, see how the promotion push plays out. If we go up and agree terms with Nyambe and this guy hasn't pulled up any trees then we can send him back alternatively if we don't go up and Nyambe moves on he might have done enough to show he could be a capable replacement.

I thought yesterday demonstrated how important to the side Wharton (in particular) and Nyambe are. With that back 3 set up, plus RN, we've been so steady that Pears has been well protected and we've managed to win games even with him in the side. Shuffle it up a bit and we didn't look anywhere near as composed, and asked to do a bit of work, Pears folded like a deck of cards. A salutory lesson to TM not to start tinkering in the League games.

If it goes through, good news if that's the back up RB/RWB sorted. Pretty terrible news if he's Nyambe's replacement this month.

Point missed completely regarding that particular poster, and no doubt a few others but I'm sure you realise what's going on. We also all know your position on Nyambe and you can repeat it as often as you want and no doubt I'll rebut it every time you do so because In my opinion you are completely wrong.

That is absolutely ludicrous. Players should be judged on not where they originated from but 1) Actual value to the team and 2) Potential resale value. If that's the case we'll soon be losing Wharton when someone twigs how good he is as well.

He really is and imo if we don't see sense, and he is allowed to leave he'll go to a Club higher up in the pecking order than us. Out of the 3 I'd be most tempted to play poker with Lenihan. Rothwell for me is somewhere in-between the other two, may or may not get a better move if someone is prepared to take a gamble on someone who fades out of the game for long periods in exchange for passages of brilliance.

Can anyone explain to me why modern keepers attempt to make saves with the wrong arm? Pears would have found it much easier to save the 3rd if he'd gone for it with his left arm.

It might be, you can't say for certain it isn't. We'll have to wait and see.

I know Mowbray can't be blamed for an all time poor performances from Pears (well, apart from signing him in the first place) but apparently a number of established players weren't at the races today either which is more my point. It can't be pure coincidence we keep losing to sides a division or two below us in the Cups. You can't put it down to bad luck every time. If we go up this season who cares about today? If not, it's something that needs addressing however.

I can't see anyway back for Pears after a horror show like that. A bit of a worry as we're now having to consider whether we need another keeper and we have enough headaches already with the out of contract 3 and considering who else we need to bring in to bolster the squad in general.

I think it's very harsh to knock Dolan because the manager tried him out at RB or RWB. I commented at the start of the game that I hoped Tinkerman Tony wasn't back. I think overall Dolan has done very well overall in his correct position. Pears I agree on, ludicrous signing and length of contract.

Why is Mowbray seemingly incapable of winning a Cup tie - even one against a side from a Division or 2 below us? It can only boil down to attitude, whilst ostensibly he has picked a decent looking side today he obviously doesn't care about the Cups and this attitude transmits itself to the players. If we somehow gain promotion no-one will care less. However if we don't and we collapse to mid table in the remainder of the season I will maintain my stance that he is a poor manager and that he is paid to manage us in 3 competitions and not just one.

It's OK. Nyambe will be VERY easy to replace .............apparently.

Is Kaminsky actually fit but just being rested today? Hard to see any way back for Pears after that.

Strongly disagree. Needed a confidence building win to maintain the momentum and move on.

C'mon, You expect certain standards from a professional footballer.