Colt Seavers

Buckley consented to a farewell interview with Rovers TV today, still in his club tracksuit. It is a hard watch as the lad is clearly devastated to be leaving. He appears shellshocked and close to tears. He started here twenty years ago - aged six. What a shame he couldn't build on his early promise. He is a good lad Bucko and I enjoyed watching him when in form and confident. I believe this move is best for both parties and I hope he can settle abroad and recover his love of the game .

Yes, I would say he looks a prospect. I think he is still just about 16 but regularly playing in the 21's which is obviously a huge leap in terms of experience, relative strength etc. His body shape is nothing like his dad's. He is more a Buckley or Adam Wharton type. He plays very much in that style too; just in front of the back four, playing on the half turn with nice, crisp passing and decent vision. He is confident, despite his youth. I imagine he would possess his dad's unshakeable self belief when playing in his own age group. He has a good engine. Very early days obviously but definitely one to watch.

Knowing this lot they'll probably try to cash in on him in the next week or so...

Toth Alebiosu. Hyam McLoughlin. Ribeiro Tronstad. Tavares This looks a good, strong 7 to me and an upgrade on 12 months ago. Cantwell Kargbo. Ohashi. Hedges If Adam Armstrong was in place of Ohashi this would be fine. This tells me where reinforcements are needed. Also, once any of the above 11 are subbed, injured etc, we look much weaker. If we can add bodies in key areas we could potentially be competitive. As things stand it will be a long demanding season.

I agree with this. Neither of our two current first team squad strikers possess the instinctive movement to create a yard of space for themselves to be able to pop up in the right place for a simple tap in. I'm thinking of a Cole, Rhodes, Dack, Graham or Garner type. Added to that, we don't have enough creativity across the squad to provide those chances. I don't advocate either Leonard or Buckley as starters at the present type but to not even have them on the bench when we need something is very odd. I know Leonard has been unlucky with injuries and has failed to establish himself yet but I saw enough of him at youth level to know that he possesses at least some striker instincts. As regards Buckley; Tavares was clearly spent after about 70 minutes the other day. Ismael didn't dare bring Montgomery on in my opinion due to his performance in the cup, but why have him on the bench over Buckley at this point?

Toth Miller Hyam McLoughlin Alebiousu DeNeve Tronstad Tavares Cantwell Gueye Kargbo

In the interests of retaining at least a bit of stability at the club I would look to now keep Buckley and let him battle it out with Tavares who I thought looked extremely promising tonight. No need to replace Travis, our immediate pressing need is for a goal scorer and that's where any money must go.

I wonder if Buckley and Pears might start tonight for any watching scouts?

Good lad James. Local too. Family from Feniscowles

Fantastic to watch. Just three years before I started going. You can hear the chant of "Rovers" (clap, clap,clap) throughout this broadcast. Does anyone know when this chant changed to "THE Rovers" (clap, clap, clap)?

I've just renewed. It's the first time I've had to carefully consider whether or not to bother. Five of us go, including my 23 year old son who has gone with me since he was seven, and my Dad who first took me when I was seven in 1978, so 47 years and counting...

regarding the below quote, apparently from Glen: "My final post probably until I'm back , whilst we are discussing legals. The club have appointed forum and Internet spotters looking for absolutely anything they can use as a road for legal action." I retired a few years ago from a 30 year career dealing with legal matters. I was at the game last Friday night, and on returning home (being a glutton for punishment) I read through the entire match thread. Time and time again, two or three respected posters on here who seem like decent chaps made a number of comments expressing a desire for fans to invade the pitch. In think it is important as a fellow fan to urge caution when posting these type of comments, especially when consuming alcohol as seemed to be the case. You may remember prison sentences being handed out like confetti during last summer's riots to social media posters who appeared to be fanning the flames. A pitch invasion is a criminal offence, and inciting others to do so on here could land someone in a whole world of pain.

You have to wonder what has been going on this week behind the scenes to produce that performance. We were so woefully off the pace it was baffling. It looked like a group of players in mid table, limping along to the seasons' end with nothing to play for. Thats what happens when you are near to the end of your contract with no new deal being proposed. Why risk a career threatening injury for employers who care absolutely nothing about you? I've now got a bad feeling about the impending appointment following the capitulation I've just witnessed.

My first thought was cockney rhyming slang but I may be miles off the mark

Call me mystic meg

I don't know but surely he gets half an hour tomorrow

I seem to develop a magical ability to peer into the future about 24 hours before kick off every week...🤔

Maybe. I definitely don't have a source on this one

Sadly no, I'm confident this will be right

Not an itk but I'm hearing Gerrard to be announced monday. Don't shoot me, just passing something on...

I'm hearing Cantwell out tomorrow. Dolan, Weimann and Hedges to start with Forshaw starting again.

However good O'Neil might be, it is extremely unlikely that he would get another premiership job as things stand. His route back to the top flight would be promotion. He is young and probably desperate to get back in the game. The appointment of our two previous managers shows that even our bizarre set up doesn't necessarily override their desire to be in employment at all costs. He doesn't need to do much as our style of play is well drilled and suits the division- thanks to Eustace. I think he would be great here.

If I was a betting man I might follow the below timeline: 1. Eustace let's it be known that he is not happy and actively applies for other jobs. 2. Gerrard leaves Saudi Arabia and returns to the North West. 3. Eustace follows through on his threats and Rovers give assurances that succession planning is an ongoing process. 4. George Boateng is rumoured to be interviewed but only in the capacity of a number two to the new manager. 5. Boateng has previously worked under Steven Gerrard in a similar capacity... All speculation obviously but given that the current generation from which the lads in our squad comprise, it's hard to think of a player they watched as wide eyed boys who was more famous or admired than Gerrard. A bit like Shearer signing (and playing out of his skin) for Kenny.

David Lowe seems to be a good bloke but I put the last two results down to a good set of lads showing some solidarity and possibly some anger towards having felt somewhat abandoned by the previous regime and a spirit of "we'll show 'em" That spirit will only take us so far and if we appoint Lowe next week and lose the next two matches we'll have a long time to regret his appointment. I would like to see a no nonsense manager who knows how to get promoted from the Championship given a short contract until the end of the season, with a sizeable financial incentive and a promise to discuss the future in the summer when we are preparing for a season in the top flight.

Agreed. Bringing Dennis up to speed might just motivate Cantwell to rediscover his best form. Having some depth in the squad which we now seem to have should provide the necessary competitive edge for all of them.