Running a small squad intentionally in order to allow for youth development? I remember when I was lucky enough to meet with John Williams. He met many fans on a one to one basis at that time. It was after Jack Walker had died, while we were still in the PL but owned by the Walker trustees. He explained that finances were much tighter and that the wage budget had been reduced. He said there were two options open to him. Either run a larger squad which would have been with a likely reduced player quality, or run a smaller squad that allowed him to potentially bring better quality players in. He had opted for the smaller squad because he believed without top players the club would struggle. I thought he’d made the right decision. No mention of Academy players at all. Compare that with the way the club is currently going. “Intentionally” going with a smaller squad - not with the intention of bringing in better players. It’s very, very obvious we aren’t bringing in better players. We’re either selling them, or watching them walk away for nothing. Academy players would make the first team in a championship side anyway, if they were good enough. We’ve seen it happening now for lots of years. That’s a plan? It’s a plan for disaster IMO. It’s a defeatist plan. It’s a plan based on just HOPING some of the youngsters come through. If they don’t come through, what then?

Never seen such negative football from an England team. So poor tonight.

“We got an offer that met our valuation, so we had to accept it and we had to put it to the player” BOLLOCKS.

I originally thought Arbitro was talking about an incoming loan. Im far from convinced that the player recruitment is either set up correctly or has the right personnel involved. It seems as though the manager has no say in player recruitment. Of course scouting players in modern day football can’t be as it used to be. No manager anywhere can be expected to know everything about who’s available, at what price etc. He can’t be expected to know everything about every player. To me though, it seems that the manager here just outlines the positions that need filling and the player just turns up. Well at most clubs they turn up - but not necessarily here. Im not convinced that the system is set up right to get the right players in, nor am I convinced that Waggott/Broughton and whoever else have the experience needed. You have to look at the people responsible for things being this way. Ultimately, the owners.

On attendances, the average when Venkys took over was 25000 with Allardyce as manager. Top half prem side as well. Anyone remember the “I’d rather watch rovers in the lower leagues than watch this crap”? I do.

It looks pretty obvious to me that whoever issued that statement doesn’t know what’s going on either. There is just nothing to be taken from it.

Making decisions like deducting points from clubs at this time of year stinks. About time they scrapped these ridiculous rules and allowed clubs to run their finances as they wish.

Yep, I reckon we have him to look forward to next season as well - managing whatever is left of the squad. Should have fans licking their lips.

Good luck to them. They know what they have to do and so far are deservedly doing it.

Watching Huddersfield vs West Brom on telly and every time I think of Huddersfield I think of this guy. Allan Gilliver signing for Jack Marshall in 1966.

Well that wasn’t the plan.

If I’ve ever seen relegation football, this is it.

Aimless crap.

Something like “buy second division players, get second division football “?

What football club would willingly sell their best players, not replace them and “plan” to just stay up? nobody with any idea of football would think that’s possible.

So many times I’ve looked back at the squads that we had when we’ve been relegated and just thought “that was such a poor squad”. We’re pretty much at that point again. will I blame Eustace if we do go down? Heck no. The bottom line basically is that you fail or succeed depending on the quality of your players. JDT in my opinion did as much as any manager could have done, but the task he had, given the squad at his disposal, was just too much to ask. No particular manager is to blame for where we are. They can only work with what they have. If we want to pinpoint where things have gone wrong then we need to look at the people responsible for the impossible position every manager is being put in. It’s not good enough.

Fantastic video. A tremendous amount of credit to everyone involved in it. Very touching.

Talking about cricket, about the test side, about the first class county game, the one the one day game and the general direction of cricket in this country…. I was at the members forum at Old Trafford last night. The agenda was limited to the latest county wide updates on the hundred competition. Bear with me, there’s a lot to take in and I might not have got this 100% correct. Manchester Originals and the other seven Hundred teams are currently owned by the ECB. They are nothing to do with the counties apart from some of them lease out their grounds to those teams. The proposal is that the ECB will give a substantial allocation of shares in Manchester Originals to LCCC. I assume the same applies to everyone else. LCCC will receive an amount of shares worth well into the tens of millions. Being a part owner of M.O. will also allow them to look for and obtain sponsorship wort somewhere in the millions. Where does the money come from? Sky Tv. It should be known that Sky see no value in the county game. As far as the county game goes, the county championship loses money. Mark Chilton told the meeting that it’s so very difficult to get players to sign first class contracts because the players don’t make enough money from it. The players want to be playing franchise cricket, especially in the IPL. He’s hoping that some of the money that could come into LCCC from the obtaining of shares in M.O. will go into the county game. Who knows? The other side of cricket that excites the LCCC board is the women’s game. It’s growing so quickly and holds so much potential to become a money spinner. The current contract for the hundred ends in 2028. Lancashire could soon become a very profitable business. The counties that don’t host the hundred presently receive £1.3m per year as their share of the Sky hundred contract. Lancs will be way above that figure. Be in no doubt of where the game is heading.

He looked good here Philipl. Not everyone could see that.

@Miller11 mentioned the Crewe model. It just sickens me really. (Not Miller). Bringing through talented kids is brilliant. Having an Academy as good as the one at Brockhall is such a bonus. Surely though, you use the youngsters to supplement and improve the first team. That’s how to progress, that’s what we should be aiming for. I always believed that was what the Academy was set up to do. Under this current ownership and this current management these kids are simply there to bring in revenue - to help pay for the day to day running. Just as Crewe do, or did. I know it’s not easy to hold onto talented youngsters, but at least try. A superb Academy at a club seemingly with no idea how to use it. we seem to exist around loaning or selling kids.

I’d take Big Sam and top half Premier League football every day ahead of this sh1t.

I’m watching him Gav. My heart sinks. Talk about mixed emotions. Brilliant to see his talent on show in the PL, but livid that Venkys sold him at the first opportunity - and without a replacement at that. I’ve never accused any rovers chairman of that before. Does anyone think Venkys will have any emotions about selling such a young local talent so soon? I don’t think they will , not for one second. I’m not sure Waggott or Broughton even gave him or the fans a second thought. Theres no heart and no soul in this club. It’s an empty shell. I’ve never said that before either.

I don’t think there are any red button games this week.