booth

Since the Rao's turned up I go into every a season expecting it to end painfully. And which other promotion chasing club would not support their manager in January, when in such a good position? Especially with an already stretched squad. The higher ups at the club nailed their colours to the mast with that one - there was no intention of promotion.

I would, but he'd probably have a panic attack when he saw the squad.

I didn't see last season as painful. It looked like finally we had some progress. Compare it to what came before, like the two 15th place finishes under Mowbray for example where he should have been replaced. Unless there's a big changes at the club we're going to go back to those days of mediocrity, but I fear it could be even worse with the way they are stripping the club of any quality. After last years 7th placed finish, the manager should have been backed. Or if they knew there were trouble ahead they should have let him go, appointed a battle axe like Warnock and appointed players for a scrap. It's not rocket science is it, but then we're told the simpletons in the office can't even click the right button.

I don't think we had it in our locker for winning the play offs (but we were decent in the cup so you never know), but just being in the play offs which would have been massive improvement on all that came before.

I understand the problems people have with him, but I can't bring myself to judge him on this season. He's operating under a team of lunatics who have assembled an incapable squad. Then we have absent owners wanting a certain kind of football, interfering with recruitment, and having the club set up as some kind of development agency. And all with a lack of monetary support. It'll happen again and again whoever is in charge. I'll be pleasantly surprised if Eustace or whoever can circumvent the absolute clown show that is BRFC.

Always someone else's fault with Venkys isn't it, yet there's only been one constant. Some of you lot are a soft bunch.

He got some of his facts wrong sadly, but he's not going to know the ins and outs of a club that's been down in the doldrums for the past 13 years. He did mention John Williams, but then went on to say they'd spent £200m without mentioning they undermined John Williams with a football agent, which forced him to resign along with the club secretary. Kean and Anderson led to relegation, and without people like Williams and Finn that led to them losing so much money. It led to them losing paying fans which they've never recovered from, and that's why now they are having to pay to keep the club afloat. Whichever way you look at it, they are paying for their own mistakes.

It'll be interesting to see what a more defensive minded manager would do with the players on offer. There's no way some of them will get anywhere near the first team.

But aren't you basing your opinion partly on Eustace getting a Summer backed Brum 6th place, two months earlier? I think it's very difficult to judge whether Eustace would be a decent appointment personally. And if he did keep us up he'll have the same trials to go through that JDT has. And that's not knocking Eustace, they all will.

The conversation wasn't about whether Tomasson should stay or go (he's already gone), it was about Eustace replacing him and being an upgrade, then a big upgrade. And that was based on him keeping Brum up ending in 17th place, then his 6th place October sacking after he was backed in the Summer.

If that's the case we need to stop judging Eustace on being 6th place when sacked. 9th October 2023, Birmingham were 6th and "backed" Eustace was sacked. Can anyone remember where "unbacked" and Brereton-less Rovers were at that point?

Be a nice holiday for Gregg and co in Orlando, but I can't see the lad signing a pre-contract.

If he keeps us up he won't get any money to spend in the Summer. We'll likely sell Szmodics and expect whichever bottom of the barrel signing to replace him. Then a large amount of fans will say he should be doing better and to get rid. They'll appoint another big upgrade and the process repeats.

You're not wrong, he'd only managed them for two months then we wanted him for some reason.

I think it's both, and having to use Wahlstedt. That fella alone lost us plenty of points and wrecked the confidence of an already patched up defence.

More about the soap opera than the football.

Cringe.

Any reason why? I'm not digging you out but in his first season for Brum he finished 17th. Then second season he was only there till October. I know he may have had a difficult job in his first season there, but it won't be any different here.

Many Rovers fans won't accept just keeping them in the league. This season perhaps, but next season when he has a full season, they'll expect him to make a silk purse out of a sows ear whilst Suhail keeps pulling out the stitches.

What an absolute set of hypocritical bastards. They shouldn't be allowed to have any voice in the matter, seeing as they created it. 13 awful years of failure.

When he was backed (and not even that well, January was a shit-show) we finished just outside of the play offs. When he hasn't been, we're heading towards L1. A garbage record will happen under most managers in that situation. I'd be surprised if it doesn't happen under Eustace. Too much has been taken out of the club and not put back.

I thought he started off shakily, then he had a good spell where he was unlocking defences and looked very good. He can't pass to a bloke right next to him these days.

Yes!