onlyonejackwalker

Whenever you have a problem you have an opportunity. Our problem was the manager had sodded off. The opportunity was to galvanise the club and take advantage of our unexpected lofty league position. We needed immediate impact from someone with gravitas, standing, credence and credibility. A proven track record in the UK at this level, or above. Or a left field inspired appointment to catch a moment in time. We did neither. No one would have criticised a short term appointment targeted solely at promotion. We would have welcomed it. And now, if my feelings are anything to go by, we are all tired, frustrated and a tad exhausted having invested a lot into the season. So imagine how the players feel.

I can't help feeling we missed an amazing opportunity when appointing Valerian. Of all the names mentioned by fans from Duff to Cooper, from Allardyce to Edwards, from Warnock to Lowe, from Travis / Tronstad, no one, I repeat no one suggested, wanted, or recommended Ismael. Our manager had just left, we had an us against the world mentality and could have maintained and increased squad and fan harmony at just the right time, with the correct appointment. We all know that the financial and performance future looks bleak. It was therefore imperative we tried to maximise the returns possible this season by galvanising the club with someone we would universally unite behind. Just for three months if need be. Make it clear to the rest of the division we were trying to get promoted. Was that too much to ask? We knew the players were tired and overused with uncertain futures. And now even all of us are jaded. And we've not kicked a ball. So frustrating. We would all be buzzing if every set piece was being aimed at Gueye under Allardyce, or we were kicking people off the park under Warnock. Or Duffer had a 3.5 year contract, or Travis and Tronstad were trying to both manage and play. Win or lose we would all be re-invigorated. It's not all about big budgets, parachute payments, expensive signings and big followings as Luton and Ipswich and Brentford have proven the last few years. Belief, confidence, shared goals, comraderie, team spirt, friendship, unity, will to win, momentum, happiness, strength ie an appreciation of the psychology of sport are equally as important. Especially so when you cannot compete financially. I've nothing against Ismael. I wish him well with his project. Unfortunately as the rest of us knew already, there is no such thing as a project here and the only thing that could save us was promotion to the Premier League.

On the 21st December 2024 we lost 1-0 to Millwall. Since then we have a shocking return of 15 points from the next 54 available. We needed to win, or at least not lose to Swansea a couple of weeks ago. We needed to be strong at home and beat Norwich. We needed to beat the bottom of the league last week away from home. One point from those three games. A crushing, hugely disappointing performance at Derby. We've blamed injuries, the transfer window, the manager leaving, an under performing new manager, individual players. And through it all the fans as always have been brilliant. It's time the players rewarded them starting away at Stoke.

Feeling sorry for 2700 travelling fans.

Traitor? Hes not sold nuclear secrets to China, or told Putin where we build our submarines. Hes not moved to Burnley or PNE, or even a competitor for the play offs. Hes just a guy offered a better financial package to work elsewhere. If he had said that instead of bullshitting about projects and visions and home then few would have begrudged him his move. Ignore him with pleasure. Laugh at their results. It's neither here nor there. We could have been more proactive, he could have been more open. When money is involved people will always protect their own interests.

A million pound a year is a lot of money. Two million more saved on Ferguson. Millions more saved getting rid of all the dead wood. You are comparing losing money in one area of the business to justify losing money in a different area of the business. Neither are sensible, but you know that already. They are losing money. They need to cut costs. Its pretty straight forward.

He left for a lot more money. There's nothing absurd about it. Or hard to understand.

Chaddy, do you think Man U will cease to function after losing all these high calibre staff members? Or do you think they will cope just fine?

It's £ 5.00 a week DE. Like Chaddy says its a pathetically small sum of money. So why is everyone up in arms about it?

Two rights dont make a wrong. Plus there is a lot more jeopardy with player purchases and management recruits. No suprise you are following me about with your little man crush. Its called business. Clearly you've always been an employee. Do you get free dinners off your line manager? You just love moanng for the sake of it.

Its still 20k a week. That is an expensive canteen! When you are paying Harry Maguire 10 million a year its no wonder that none of them ever want to leave. ---- I saw that our directors are pulling 1 million out of Rovers each year. It's hard to fathom the stupidity behind these decisions.

They were spending one million a year on free food for all and sundry. Let thst sink in. They've lost money the last five years. The amount of waste and dead wood in large organisations makes your hair curl. I'm not suprised they are rationalising everything. ----- I was reading that the minimum spend in transfers and wages over the last six seasons, for promoted teams in the PL that stayed up, was around 130 million. The only exception being Brentford who spent around 60 million. Anyone spending less went down. Sadly it looks like what goes up, must come down.

League One journeymen? You mean hugely invigorating football project? But you are quite right. The one thing Derby can do is run. And give their all. So we have to match them in that area. That's why I'd start with Ohashi, Dolan and Hedges and match their effort early in the game.

Yeah let's all be really nice to Eustace. Can everyone please remember he only left for purely footballing reasons and a longer term project. And the communication and vision of the owner. And to be nearer to somewhere else. And because Rovers are so toxic that no one else in their right mind would come and work here. Three games, no goals, zero points, from fourth bottom to bottom, please give him a big cheer. He needs every bit of support he can get.

Other than the odd result Derby haven't been conceedung many. But are really struggling to create and score. We also know that feeling. Team selection is interesting. The back seven pick themselves, but that is where the fun starts. People suggesting Cantwell out left, Ohashi out right, Kargbo out left, Hedges out right. I wouldn't try and be too clever in this game. I'd start Dolan, Hedges, Ohashi and Gueye. All in their preferred ppositions. Its a basic requirement of football to be able to run. All four of them can and will.

Always loud and proud in decent numbers when they come to Rovers. Especially seeing as they get tonked away from home. Genuinely seem a decent bunch when you visit their forums or listen to their podcasts.

Maybe that is all he would agree to. I wonder why no one else was interested in him.

Pleased we found a way not to lose. The point keeps us up there and maintains the gap with Norwich. Credit to the players for their resilience and not giving up. Someone amongst our attackers has to find another gear and go up a level. We need some goals from somewhere and can't go a whole season relying on clean sheets.

Totally agree. I constantly read on here they don't want promotion. But it doesn't make sense to me.

It's not even a question of getting promoted on the cheap. At 17 to 20 million guaranteed overspend each year its hardly cheap maintaining our position and hoping for promotion. The problem being that 10 of the last 15 promoted teams had parachute and / or solidarity payments. Often even those missing out like Leeds last year come very close in either year one (play off final) or year two (top of the league) following relegation. Last year Burnley spent 100 million, Sheff United 50 million and Luton 20 million on their PL squads. Upon relegation these squads are thrust back into the Championship and the rest of us have to try and compete with them. This year Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester will come down and immediately be favourites to go back up. Yo yo clubs, too good / rich for the Championship, but not good enough for the PL. You either catch the crest of a wave like Luton or Ipswich have managed,, have 60% more income as a parachute club, or face the reality that getting out the Championship even for biggish clubs like Wednesday, Sunderland, Coventry, Rovers, West Brom, Boro, etc is a very difficult proposition. None of these are happy floating around in the Championship losing millions each month. All would much rather be minted in the PL. Let's hope we can bounce and maintain our play off place with the new coach. And somehow scrape promotion.

I've not seen any evidence this year to support this view. Fans have been stating that certain players are not good enough to remain in the top six, that the team will plummet like a stone into a relegation battle, or that mid-table mediocrity is a nailed on certainty for months on end. These views fail to acknowledge the strength and resilience of our senior players, the unity within the group and the lack of quality elsewhere. Plus we have a couple of our better players returning, we have more options following the January window and some of the squad are improving as the season progresses. Sheff United made us look average, Coventry and Swansea beat us easily, but they represent our worst defeats of the year. It's now March and we remain in the top six. I'm backing this squad. COYB.

Very pleasing that he was focusing on our title winning season in the mid 90's. What a bloke! I wonder if he preferred Atkins over Sherwood?

Bournemouth, Brighton, Fulham. 7th, 8th and 9th. Brentford in 11th. United, Spurs, Everton, West Ham all below them. Well done to the four of them.

For now, all that matters is the next ten weeks. If he keeps us committed and focused that will suffice. We know the players will give their all. We must put everything we have into finishing in the play offs. We need the players to regroup, energise and go again. I quite like this appointment. Wait till Beck, Tronstad and Ohashi are 100%. Plus the new signings ready to contribute. The squad will look strong. As always its up to the players and if he keeps it simple that will do for me.

Why don't you formulate your own opinions? Hedges has played circa 30 times this season. Starting 80% of them. We've been in the top six all season, but you think he's crap. Top 6 + regular starter = crap. Mmmm ok then you know best. I'll be glad if Hedges starts tomorrow. We've seen how poor we look with Cantwell and ACD away from home.