Agreed it's weird. He's had a superb season and is a key part of our team. You'd think Fulham, Bournemouth, West Brom etc would take him just to destabilise us as well as get a proven Championship player. The key thing is probably the promotion bonus that Venkys have offered. Worth £700k I think for a near ever present based on reports. That's equivalent to £15k a week for a year! They're probably being paid around £5k a week at the moment. So for Nyambe, Rothwell, Lenihan that's massive. I guess they may have told their agent they want to stay so they get a shot at that, then can still get the same sort of contract from a new employer if they move in the summer. It's not like moving now gets a bigger contract. Makes sense if you think of it that way. They lose nothing waiting till summer and have a crack at a massive life changing lump sum (3 years wages). That bonus is probably the smartest thing Venkys have done since they bought us.

I'd hope that both don't need to wait two years. Highly rated players have always done well for us when they've got the chance. That both already made the bench this season for the first XI (Garrett pre-season and Wharton against Wigan) suggests to me they may get a go before the season is out. That said I went back and looked at Buckley and Travis. Neither got their first game till they were 20. So maybe your assessment is fair enough (Wharton is 17 and Garrett 18). Really exciting time for all the young players - they must all look at the first team with all the home grown talent and feel that they're valued and they have got a clear route and the support to become professionals.

I would hesitate to do that - Lenihan has been superb at RCB and I don't think Van Hecke looks anywhere as comfortable there. Rather have JRC step in at RWB - it's a perfect role for him. Agree until Markanday or Dack are available I would stick with Buckley at false 9. He's been a bit hit or miss, but when he has a good game he makes everything tick so well. Gallagher or Dolan through the middle is workable but don't offer as much all round.

Yes - Stewart Downing was a solid professional who had some good games. But was he worth the money we were spending compared to a younger cheaper player? I doubt it, he wasn't excellent, he struggled to stay in the side. If Davenport had to play more to fill in for him I am not sure we would have been much worse off.

I think his usefulness is really limited tbh - probably on very good money too. He should be going at the end of the season. If a players over 26/27 and not a guaranteed starter Id say we should routinely look to move them on. The whole "experienced heads" argument has been totally discredited for me, weve seen very little output for a lot of money spent on experienced players. Young players work harder, can be molded easier, get paid less, have more resell value. For one Johnson we could probably pay two or three younger up and coming players. If Ayala can't force his way back into the team we should let him go summer also.

If I was him I probably would be looking to move on. Really hard to see how he gets a major role. Wonder if we will loan him as there must be pretty much zero chance of any game time between now and end of season. Markanday and Dack coming back will push him down to eighth in line for the front three spots (Brereton, Khadra, Buckley, Gallagher, Dolan, Markanday, Dack, Butterworth).

Johnson I really think doesn't fit in anywhere except as a really desperate backup for CB. He just gets totally bipassed due to his lack of mobility in midfield. Id trade off a lack of heading ability in the middle for Davenports ability to get around the pitch. If we lost Travis Daveport would step in, if we lost Rothwell we'd drop Buckley into midfield and play Dolan, Gallagher, Markanday or Dack through the middle up top. Not perfect but pretty good I would say. Main issue would be losing Rothwells running from midfield but Buckley can do a bit of that, and his excellent passing would give something extra.

Yes teams might have worked out how limit us to less chances, but they certainly haven't worked out how to score against us. For me still think the 343 works phenomenally well, no one's got near cracking it yet. Our downturn in offensive prowess is due imo to 1) lack of quality from the flanks. Really need Pickering back and more from right wing back. 2) poor final ball - every game we actually generate a lot of really good chances but mess up the final ball. Did that three or four times against Cardiff. I'm really not worried at all at the moment. Even when we were down to 10 yesterday we looked in total control.

To be honest with the transformation of Brereton I hesitate to write anyone off now.

Weve got a loan, why not use that to get a left back in? Seems our biggest need. Lots of cover elsewhere. Ps. GK the other lack of cover but think we will struggle to find a decent sub GK who will fancy coming in not to play.

I thought he was more a Hertha II player than the first team. Wiki says he played sometimes as a sub for Hertha first but mostly Hertha II who were third division. Certainly not an established bundesliga player. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Samba

Agreed. After Wigan I am of the view that Johnson at CLB is terrifying. Out of position, slow, poor distribution, beaten in the air. Think the whole 343 would struggle if we put him in there. Weirdly Johnson did quite well as a CB in a 442, but I think the 343 really exposes his lack of mobility brutally. I'd say our most important player - despite BBD's goals - is probably Wharton. If he goes, we are in the sh*t.

A lot of our best players have come from rubbish leagues (Nelsen, Samba, Rothwell, Pickering, Kaminski, Tugay etc etc ). Wouldn't write it off on that account.

Oh shizzle. Seems a bit shortsighted letting Carter go. Think he could deputy LCB quite well. Hope Wharton stays fit.

DIsagree personally. He's got amazing raw capabilities - pace, trickery, can score from distance and poach, go inside/outside, incredible workrate and pressing. He just needs to develop his decision making really imo. I doubt he will make it in the Premier League, the quality of his sort of player is outrageous, but can see him turning into a top Championship player, one who plays a key role in promotion pushes for us or elsewhere. Even with the signings he will play a key role for us, even if it is to come on with 30 mins left and relentlessly close down.

Yes fair - it's only really in this light the transfer targets make sense. Particularly singing another striker on top of Markandy given our options doesn't really seem sensible. I suppose the alternative explanation is if they see a good player at a good price they will buy them and figure it out later. That approach actually makes quite a lot of sense if you are willing to take time to integrate them into the team. Healey has scored 13 goals in 18 games in league 2 in France, and 2 in 4 in the cup - that's pretty compelling. I think as we've shown getting players from the down the leagues do often turn out to be very good (eg. Rothwell, Pickering), so if we can pick up cheaply and give him some time to integrate then it could be a good shout.

I wonder what will happen if Wharton get's injured again. Without Carter there is no one who can play left of a back three. I'd hope there is a recall option if needed.

I don't know really. If you play based on defence like we do you just need one bit of quality to get you over the line. While not individually consistent between BBD, Buckley, Khadra, Rothwell someone is going to turn up each week. Today it was Rothwell. Also as Nyambe is so muted in an attacking sense Pickering is a very big player for us to provide width and crosses. So when he comes back (or we sign an effective LB backup, or the new RB or JRC make the right side more offensive) we should be a lot better. Today we had absolutely nothing going forward on the flanks (for the second half I saw, presume it was similar first half, heard a stat we didn't make a single cross first half) which really hurt our way of playing. Anyway, as long as the defence continues to be sensational we are going to do well. We have conceded 3 goals in 10 games since Fulham. That is incredible. Any stattos like to figure out the last time we managed that across 10 league games??

Yes but for all of that Cardiff created one chance which Kaminski pulled out a superb save. If you can soak up the pressure experiencing pressure is no problem. In terms of scoring goals if our forwards had picked better final passes we would have scored second half. Cardiff didn't carve us open in the way we did to them on the break. The defence really is the foundation of a football team and we have an outstanding one at this level.

We've got loads of options. RB doesn't really worry me - more LB. Without Pickering we aren't anywhere near as good. Need him back. If I was Tony I would start thinking about how to get another left back / wing back. We have one loan left with the Liverpool lad going back - that's where I would spend it.

Going down to 10, bringing on Ayala, moving Lenihan to right back. Just so solid!!

Ah I stand corrected. Referees been terrible. Apologies to Nyambe!

Cardiff commentators are ridiculous. Teams losing, hardly threatening us, but constantly saying they are the better team. Ridiculous from Nyambe. Getting a card for dissent is totally unacceptable. Feel like we've got the players to close out the win. Don't think I've ever thought that about a Rovers team when we go down to 10.

Officially time to give up I think.... will have to watch back the replay.

Only real alternative would be to give Davenport a crack there. Or maybe JRC?