When money is tight you leave your buys as late as you can and do your selling as soon as you can. The savings in wages can be failry significant that way. Its far from ideal, but its a simple way to reduce costs

re rodwell, cant blame both parties for waiting really. Rodwell is waiting for a better deal, no harm in that its human nature. Its not like he was a starter here every week. TM clearly likes him as a squad player. He is already intergrated with the squad. Would be a decent signing that could progress further with another season injury free. He certainly shows flashes of ability at times, but he also looked lost at times which is hardly suprising for someone who has missed so much time playing. It was a low price gamble last year and I suspect it would be something similar again in the hope that he progresses further

TBH everyone is missing a trick here. Our best keeper from last season is still on the books and not looking like getting a game in centre mid anymore. Also a big TM favourite. Our new keeper is Smallwood people

I suspected he'd revert back to that this year also, but then surely he'd have played at least one half that way in the 1st pre season game, which by all accounts he didnt. So I suspect thats not his plan

You many be right, it may rise to 3 mil eventually. Even at 1.5 mil its a lot for us these days for a striker that will probably start more games on the bench than in the starting 11.

Danny Graham is still going to be the main man up top. If we sign gallagher our 3 big recent singings have been 7mil, 5 mil and 3 mil for arma. All 3 will be riding the bench or at best played out of position on the wing Im usually a glass half full type of guy, but its hard to put any kind of positive spin on dealings like that

To be fair to Raya, I thought up until he got his face smashed in he was seeming to make progress. He really seemed to regress again after that injury

You have to wonder why a side like derby are letting him go, but on the face of it it seems a good signing. Still gutted we arent getting Reedy back though ☹️

Agreed, no way someone as pragmatic as TM doesnt have his replacement almost boxed off if Raya is at medical stage with Brentford That said he does love a new position each season for Benno. Benno in goal maybe

Ooooo at last a new kit. I like it

I think similar to last season is my expectation. Just below halfway, but well clear of relegation. If we are lucky with injuries we can sneak into the top half. If we are unlucky with injuries we could be in the relegation scrap

You could say that for every player tho really I think TM is quite pragmatic and he just wants a rock solid 7/10 keeper he can rely on not to cost us games. Cosnistency is what gets you prmoted really. Whereas Raya has 10/10 in him, he also has 3/10 in him on a week to week basis. That said I'd be worried if we sold Raya as he certainly has the skills to be very very good if he can tidy up the rough edges

Clubs like us dont do business this early in the window. No point signing someone and paying them 10k a week to go on holiday to ibiza, then run about in pre season. Most clubs will save themselves the wages and make signings later. There will be the odd exception, but its not likely

For me if you let the CEO organise the budget with venkys, then it becomes a simple business decision based on balance sheets and we get £x TM probably feels that if he is there face to face with them he can sell them on a bigger picture and get them to give £x + more

Always been full of praise for Mowbray, but for the first time Im starting to get a little concerned. You see it with a lot of managers as they get older, they get quite stubborn and set in their ways. Feels like he's drifting that way on certain things. Hope im wrong and the things he says are for other ears and not the fans

His treatment of Rothwell this year is baffling. Fair enough if he questions his defensive work, but why then did palmer get game time ahead of him. Palmer was a less effective show pony going forwards and works far less than rothwell defensivley. Plus palmer wasnt even our player If we cant stop conceding goals playing pragmatic football and 2 holding mids, then we have to do it another way as the personnel aint changing now. Get rothwell and chapman either side of dack and push teams back. Find a way to get on the front foot in games and dominate teams. Its an old cliche that attack is the best form of defense, but in our case its got to be worth a try.

I think most teams in this league have really bad runs. Its that kind of league. My main frustration is a few times I have heard TM say he thinks teams have worked us out now. I think there is some truth in that. But my problem is if he thinks that then why is he not changing things. His idea of change is like for like personnel wise rather than changing formation / tactics / philosophy Also wouldnt be popular but Dack has been fairly ineffective for a while now. Not all his own fault, but maybe move him about and try and free him up. Get rothwell on also, give teams another threat to worry about. Its all a bit groundhog day at the minute for me

I actually quite like this. It at least proves Bala still knows we exist and he is interested somewhat

Reed is the kind of signing we need to get to the next level. But my point is about being realistic about the possibility. If there is a chance we sign him then fine. But if we know we probably wont sign him, then whats the point of us helping him and his club out. Him taking mins away from travis, chapman, rothwell plus some youngsters is pointless for next season. Tony needs to be ruthless now to reach the next level. He is going to have to upset a good few and manage the fallout from that. Its not easy, but thats why he gets paid the big bucks, to make these choices

I think he's done a good job to this point. However we are now at the stage were he has to look at the next evoloution of this side. For that he needs to identify a prefered style and formation and then get the right players for it. We have got this far on team spirit, graft and a splash or real quality in certain areas. We will need a lot more than that to get out of this league. We are very pragmatic, have a team full of effort, play 2 holding midfeild players and yet still concede way to many. We need to find a way to get on the front foot more and dominate games. Every game is to much of a 50/50 coin toss as we cant put teams away The season is over now for me. We wont go up, we wont go down. He needs to use the rest of this year as planning and testing for next season now No more conway, rothwell needs a chance to either sink or swim. Get brereton in wherever you see him long term and get him the game time he needs. If you think any of the youth setup have a chance at this level, then give them some mins and see what they have got If we have no chance of signing reed, then he needs to warm the bench. If nyambe is our long term right back, then he needs to start there every game The list goes on, but its all about next season now and how we move forward for me

Quite what Rothwell has to do to get let off the leash I dont know. He just looks a threat everytime he gets the ball. God knows what he thinks sat on the bench watching Conway and Brereton. The formation last night was perfect for him to play instead of conway Had a weird testimonial feel last night with folk playing anywhere and people just being chucked here there and everywhere to get a game

We have to try and be on the front foot. We are not a good team at soaking up pressure. Which makes the conway for Dack sub more frustrating. Let rothwell off the leash and try and get a 3rd goal

Every message board is the same after a defeat. Its just frustration coming out. Not much reasonable debate until everyone calms down a bit Tbf though 5-2 is pretty shocking

I know we rightly look at our own short comings, but I thought Brentford were mighty impressive

I think everybody sank a little when they saw them subs. Rothwell must be fuming