Your friend should apply for the City job when Pep blags another ?

Steele is such a weird one. Always gets signed but always looks terrible. I think he's part of the reason people think Raya is so good because in comparison he was like Freidel.

He does need to toughen up but I'll have you a friendly tenner that Brereton gets 9+ goals this season.(paid as a donation to East Lancs hospice or something else worthwhile). The kid is 19/20 and has started to show what he's about. A superb header in pre season, excellent harassing at Rangers and using good feet getting in and around the box with the ball. I didn't see his other goals but the fact he is contributing at last is a massive positive because he showed nothing until he was rightly dropped to the U23's to get him settled and confident.

Simon Grayson is often at Brockhall, he watches a lot of the games so he'll know what a lot of our young players are about.

Is any of that based on fact? Samuel was injured within the first few games so didn't hold back his development and Brereton was played wide and off the bench. Nuttall did ok in spells but always seemed lightweight for a big lad and like the others didn't overly impress. Sadly, he only proved to be not a patch on DG and I couldn't imagine him being good enough to lead our line long term. Also, the players are always complimentary about Mowbray's man-management aren't they? I agree with the rotating though. For me, it should be a best and consistent 11 every week until they are fatigued or injured. Square pegs in round holes should only be during an injury crisis.

I can't see anything other than Mowbray going with Bell, Mulgrew, Lenihan and Bennett until we concede 3 or 4 a couple of times.

I'd prefer experience too because I also feel we are on the edge of a really good team - but clearly this City lad has something about him. One of the all-time greatest managers of the game rates him highly and sees a future for him at City. But self-proclaimed experts on websites chip away because they know better than Pep, often without even seeing him. Kudos to those guys. I wasn't on this site then but I can only imagine how excited people must've been when we signed Samba and Nelsen ?. I was on when people were slating the signings of Marcus Olsson, or thinking they knew better about the potential of Kalanic, N'Zonzi and even Petrovic who has also gone on to better things. Lesson learned by me, give the players support and a bit of time. Judge them in our shirt, not another. We aren't a top team anymore, nowhere near one. We can't pick the current best of the best like in the 90's and supporters have to be realistic - bargain bins, damaged goods (which we swerve) or youth with potential for profit. It is tiresome reading the same old characters on here righteously pulling everything to bits with such blinded negativity - worse so when they lack a pair of balls to hold up their hands when wrong. I honestly don't get what people get from that. You don't have to be an insane optimist but the proof is in the pudding at Rovers, some of our biggest successes are the unexpected ones. The biggest disappointments are often the expensive ones but everyone loves a battler. Anyway, cheers to the new season. I can't wait to see what we are actually made of this time.

Only just realised what an unfortunate first name he has.

Who'd win the high balls and fill the gap when they get caught out on the edge of the box though? ?

It's got 'Injured in the 1st game' written all over it.

Andy Todd always shone for me. He didn't seem at all tall for a CB - but my God, he was hard to shift from his spot when challenging for a header. What I'd do to get a good old-fashioned, no nonsense hard bastard in this team.

But in fairness, the pitch was in great nick last season, so they did something right.

Don't forget, "Keeping the powder dry" . That always crops up ?

Yep. That's him. Nice negotiating Mr Venus.

How dare you. He's not a patch on JR

It needs Mini Me and Dr Evil in the video

I don't rate him for our level, he's a very poor finisher. He'll be pretty decent in League One though and I hope he does well.

He will come good. No doubt in my mind ?

They'll come around ?

I've got to say, Brereton is really starting to impress me. In the build up to the Rangers and Bury goals he looked ?. Definitely got something about him but needs to relax in front of goal and pass them in, rather than lash at the ball.

I like Nyambe, he has improved almost game on game. He certainly shouldn't have been dropped. Bell - I just don't rate at all. He can't defend and is dopey. We definitely need a CB, no doubt about it if we are serious about breaking into the top 6. We must be after a decent player on loan, if we aren't it's an effing joke.

I think we need to ship some out on loan before signing someone.

Have those shelves been sorted??

Sounds a bit like David Thompson - he was a busy little bugger, class too.

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