Im 43 and agree with the only change being Batty for Dunn. Don't think Tugay and Dunn ever worked as a pair. Pretty mad that only four or five premier league winners get in. Shows how much the league improved 1995 to 2006 when we are picking players who finished sixth at best over first. Partly also how ridiculously good Shearer was in driving the team to win the league.

I don't think we get any compensation as he has signed for a club outside England? Or am I wrong on that?

I know commenting on changes in the women's game can be construed as condescending but I only mention it as it is so remarkable... the quality is improving at a exponential rate. If anyone watched that game yesterday and compared it to the last three euros finals the difference every four years is massive. The Spanish team's technique and short passing was very very good. The keeping has come on hugely. Both scoring headers were technically excellent. Really impressed. And England well done! Really competitive and great penalties.

I agree, the only real push back is that we thought we had a terrible squad last year and ended up having quite a good season. On the whole as a supporter base we have not been very good at judging how competitive our squad is. Its tended to perform abetter than we anticipate. So we live in hope of this trend continuing.

I think our days paying for experienced premier league players are long gone now. In todays market we wouldn't even be able to get Downing or Graham. It really stretches us to get even experienced Championship players like Cantwell, Baath or Wieman. We're obviously trying to stick to 10k p/w max. I get the sense Eustace really had to push to get Cantwell.

The issue for Philips is hes decent but not outstanding at Championship level. For him going to Spurs made sense as his wasn't going to be a key player at a Championship club, so taking the short term wage boost at Spurs and being loaned out was the best financial option. For a player at 16/17 who is a step above, like Wharton or hopefully Tyjon the financial reckoning is a bit different. 1) Rovers will offer a much higher wage than Philips had on the table 2) if they go on and play 30+ games they then will get bigger offers after a season or two 3) for a player who is good enough to be a key player they get the security of being prioritised and developed by their championship club rather than shunted around on different loans. I think we are in a pretty good position with Tyjon. If it was someone truly exceptional like Rooney then we wouldnt have a chance as they could go straight into a prem first team squad. But Tyjon is in the zone where Rovers can offer him more development by being a key player.

Well hopefully hes just good enough to play straight away, and it looks promising in that regard, so signing on solves itself. His agents will look at their clients and their own earning potential and know a good Championship season will make them a lot more money than skulking round the reserve leagues and loans for a couple of seasons.

I agree on Philips. On Tyjon I dont think its loyalty, its recognising that your own value and career progression is reay tied up in how many first team games you are playing. Its worth more to his career playing first team in the Championship than U21s for a prem team.

I disagree.. if he is getting first team games he will sign up. Issue with Ash Phillips was he only got a few token games here or there. If hed been given a regular start he would have signed imo. Im not saying Phillips was worth playing as a first team regular, just that a scholar who gets first team games is going to sign. Same for Tyjon. Creates a strange incentive where shakier players are getting games just because they could be worth more when eventually sold. But that is where we are.

Bellamy was so quick but also technically superb. He did a few things Ive only seen Henry do. The end to end goal against Boro was absolutely ridiculous. He did okay career wise but he should have done much better with his talent, just such a total knobhead unfortunately.

What i thought was weird about Derek was for a big lad he was really poor in the air... Could get his head on things but had very little control over where it went. Made him impotent in the opposition box and very dangerous to us defending high balls centrally. Think he played full back to keep him away from our goal as opposed to any talent as a left back.

As far as Tyjon goes I think it's instructive to think of the 9 and 10 role together. Across the two roles we now have four players - Ohashi, Gueye, Tyjon and Cantwell. I think without blocking Tyjon we need at an absolute minimum one more in there. Ideally someone who could play either as a 9 or a 10 as I don't think we can have only four players for two crucial roles, especially when we get into the November to February madness. Even if we count Tyjon as a new first team squad player (and we should) five players in those forward position who have left (Dolan, Weimann, Woodrow, Dennis, ACB) so we are four short. Getting one more back in is the absolute minimum imo. In May last year we had eight players (Ohashi, Gueye, Weiman, Dolan, Dennis, Woodrow, Cantwell, ACB) who played across 9 and 10. I am sure we will sign someone. Maybe two. And that would be no real impediment to Tyjon, he will get plenty of game time.

Not sure I agree with your point on the CB front - we have signed good prem loans who did not arrive as guaranteed starters - e.g. Van Heck, James Hill etc.

Also Wharton is chronically injured, and while Hyam was ever present last season he had serious injury issues year before. Does feel like we are very light if we dont get one more senior CB.

I like Wharton a lot, but Id be really surprised if he can hold down a place. So injury prone, and as others have said , hes one of those defenders who has a regular unforced error in him without the pace to recover. Shame as he is good in the air, has a decent left foot and is Rovers through and through. Hope he proves me wrong.

Yeah, I thought maybe wed got a turkey after JDT and Eustace, but seems we have made another good call. Not sure how we keep doing it considering everything else at the club is such a mess.

Yeah the Championship in November to February is so intense its almost a different sport from games in August or May. You never know how the team will get on until end of November in my experience.

I do like Kargbo, think he's got everything to be a success.

Yeah started very shaky, but hes done very well end of last season and today. Looks like he can handle the English game.

Hes not a top Championship striker but hes pretty solid. Not quick, strong, good in the air or tricky... But is absolutely relentless and finishes when he gets a sniff as you say. I take ohashi over 80% of the strikers Ive seen in rovers colours in the Championship. Gueye though is the one with the raw attributes to have a phenomenal season if the stars align for him. If he is on song hes unplayable.

We've been pretty good. Main thing is we look fit and organised which is a good reflection on Ismael, and the players under contract/ transfer speculation all seem committed and hard working. Better than I was expecting.

Really impressed with how fit we look. Signs are that Ismael is maybe inclined to go down the ultra attacking JDT route.

Its weird that we have the resources to support a fee and wages to sign McLaughlin but not be able to offer a good enough deal to get any of 6 crucial players to sign?

Yeah if he was even a yard quicker he would be dangerous, but he gets forced inside all the time. His bulking up a couple of seasons ago was a mistake imo as it obviously slowed him down, when he already wasnt quick by Championship standards. Kargbo has pace so maybe has a higher "ceiling" as the pundits like to say.

Does anyone have a view on whether Ismael is signed up to this transfer strategy? I can't see how he can be much of a fan of letting probably six of our best players go (Dolan, Brittain, Bath, Wieman, Tronstad and Travis) and replacing with unproven imports. He doesn't look like a guy who will take it lying down to me. And he has a record of walking away from jobs.... Him not being around by Christmas seems possible to me.