Must disagree here. 4/5 starters - who is for the chop? My post refers only to staying up and the team (not squad). I agree entirely that options are thin and the squad needs more quality but first 11 should be good enough for survival.

Trust Mowbray enough to say that IF the story is true then the reason maybe the conditionality of the money. 1 signing for 8 mill and/or on silly wages would undo a lot of hard work (and not just by Mowbray). The team is good enough to stay Up though options and backup are questionable. Next step is to build a solid championship squad and then add the "luxury" buys to push us into top 6 without being liquidated...

Seriously? Coyle and sensible in the same sentence ?

Just a minor counterpoint. TM has Mulgrew, Graham, Bennett, Evans, Conway, Whittingham, Lenihan and probaby Williams all on decent wages as well as signing Dack and Samuel. Transfer fees are only part of the equation with crowds of 12-15k and no parachute... So far he has not had anyone sold from under him either...

Perhaps TM wants him to toughen up a bit as well as gametime?

The other point is the payment structure. 3m cash can become 500k per year with any residual to be payed upon a transfer or contract extension. Looks good for selling club "we got our Price" and suits the buyer. Suspect that is how many deals later in the window happen (apart from top 4 in prem)

Only seen it on TV but thought it looked pretty good. Hope we don't do the black shorts routine though... Logo - bit "meh" but we've had worse though it looks weird with number 10 in all players ?

Cynical head on: host nation in extra time Naive head on: both sides fouling by holding and shirtgrabbing. After a few replays i've come to the conclusion it was a likely a dollop of both ?

Exactly why i wondered - a few that i started to wonder if i needed new glasses ?

Agree on that but thought the referees in general have been pretty damn good. Curious as to offside rulings. If the "cough" linesman doesn't flag does Var monitor every instance or merely if it directly leads to a goal?

This idea of an easier route to the final - might want to look at just which teams Sweden have dispensed with... (If we get past Colombia)

Agree with you. Part of the game for me is bitching about the ref when the decision favours the opposition whilst have a wry chuckle when it goes our way. Tragic that perfection is demanded from refs but players make 10s of mistakes in a game.

Regarding VAR: who decides if the referee has missed something? In the England game he was staring at the Kane incidents - do the VAR mob have the right to say "oj - look at this!"?

Gumboots - spot on. Another angle: could this be a friendly reminder to Venkys not to faff around all summer? As for wage rises: of course it affects transfer funds. Knowing about it doesn't make the money magically appear. Imagine also that certain players (Dack, Smallwood, Raya) may be offered new contracts on better terms to prevent last minute bids from rivals.

Think it shows that the players weren't following their instruktions/plan and knew it themseleves. Suggests tactical clarity and mutual respect between players and manager. José Mourinho aside, how many managers make subs at half time unless 4-0 down?? As for tubthumping - isn't that the point if behind at halftime (passion i seem to remember being high up on the/your list of requirements for a Rovers manager...)

Selling Steele was evil genious level - pretty much swapping Steele for Dack (financially) must be the best bit of transfer business EVER ??

Goulon - Grella injured ?

Frustration is one thing but Samuel shouldn't be anywhere near this list. Edit: saw your next comment so fair play. Actually thought Samuel did ok holding it up in the last 15 minutes.

Thought that Samuel and Antonsson worked well earlier in the season. Think he does a lot right when i have seen him as sub but obviously a tough job to come on for DG when the team is already nervous. Decent enough return first half of season and good enough with the other bits whenever i have seen him for L1 and possibly mid championship but needs players pushing forward in support.

Strange that the system isn't being used to punish divers and so forth - only to check decisions that affect betting - sorry i mean of course ensuring that results are correct in accordance with the spirit of fair play 

Shouldn't Croatia and Iceland have been kept apart?? Bizarre situation that they could lose out in the group stage to a team that they outqualified... England - if Hart is first choice then something is very wrong.

Great result but a bit of a downer to concede late.

Gulp

Under the cosh Good save and then a Superman flap by Raya

Up and walking thank goodness