Blue blood

After how many years of being dumped upon by Venkys I don't buy Ismael's latest comments - other than the fact its embarrassing. Offering the January transfer money to pay for the pitch is like a parent saying we'll pay for the kids food with the money we were going to spend on their clothes. Both are needed and its a farcical situation to be in. Owners who never hesitate to sign a cheque? A couple of words too many in that sentence. Cue another hodge-podge sticking plaster on the ground and a convenient excuse to continue to underinvest in the squad. The downward spiral continues.

Yes but even before the season panned out as it has, it was clearly obvious it wasn't (I know you are being sarcastic and don't think it is mind!) Mind you it could be stronger than it is by playing our left backs, even as subs. And by playing anyone but Guye up front...

For me its a triple fault/blame game. 1) Ref - very erratic to the point that it had an impact on the game. Commentators said worst refereeing they'd seen in ages and whilst it's not the sole reason it contributed to our defeat. Not that this excuses the team because the next two issues solidly are on us. 2) Game management. You don't have to have played in the championship to clock how to see out a game. Its not rocket science from pub leagues to the premiership. Even if it is experience and mentality our manager is meant to y'know instill those things in the players. For so many late goals and this not to be addressed is negligent on the managers part. Oh and not subbing on a left back when we have 2 adequate ones is also criminally stupid. 3) A weak squad. Surprisingly our first 11 or 14 seemingly can go toe to toe with most teams in the division. We are seeing that on a weekly basis. The problem is a third of our squad really isn't of tje required standard. That most of the below standard players are recent additions is appalling and a huge inditement of Gestedes inability in the role. Not since Kean days have we had so many obviously below par players. A worrying sign.

thanks Rev. Maybe it is overconfidence on reflection but I think it is founded on us a) being in a lot of games. We've not looked vastly out of place in many games. Sure, thats sometimes being as bad as the opposition, but we don't look vastly inferior. And b) we are doing way better than I thoihjt we would. Given the exodus of talent and experience and the paper thin squad i figured we would do a lot worse than we have done. As it is, we're still picking up points and aren't struggling like Wednesday are (which outside of the penalty points, was form i thought we would replicate). Another game where we got a point, and could/should have got more, adds to the optimism. That said I can see that there is a strong case to argue the opposite too, especially when considering Venkys self sabotage as well. So yes, maybe overconfident, but its certainly not the certainty I feared with all the changes. And with only 2 spots to play for - which is huge - and some weak teams around us I think we'll still stay up.

Good review @DE. Think that echoes my thoughts of not being too concerned desspite todays loss. As younsay Oxford and Portsmouth haven't really kicked on and though I rate Rowett, having the lowest budget in the league is making it tough. Neither team look comfortable yet in this division. Sheff Utd have a lot of quality so you feel they'll get out of it sooner or later. But the rest I feel are well in the "race". Don't think Swansea or Norwich have done well in the manager stakes and feel that could really haunt them. West Brom seem to be sneaking the way down the table. Tonight's last minute draw will be a huge blow to them. Think they'll get out of trouble too especially if they appoint a seasoned hand. But its a nice mix of teams down there keeping us somehow looking comfortable of staying up.

After Rovers wearing me down to apathy this season, watching the Preston game revived my interest somewhat. My biggest question is how on earth are those two performances from the same team? We battered a team in the playoffs yet laboured against a struggling team. Against Preston we played some fantastic football and looked fairly threatening. Today... Looking back across the two games as well as being gloriously (horrifically) inconsistent. On reflection though there are probably a few consistencies within our inconsistency. 1) We aren't ruthless enough. Against Preston we should have won by more. When on top we should get more goals, when we are struggling we create little and don't have any "something out of nothing"/take the one chance we have. In wins and losses it feels like we lack a clinical edge. 2) As everyone knows and has said the squad quality is poor. Too many who aren't cut out for this level making us overly reliant on our best 11 to always be fit and performing at their best. We can't afford to have so many passengers in the squad and the substitutions significantly lower the quality of the team. 3) We don't seem to defend crosses too well. Preston in their sole 20 min spell had a free header their CB should have got on target. Today was a shambles. Definitely something to work on. Not sure #2 is redeemable with Venkys and mid-season. But 1 and 3 surely can be worked on.

Agree we need him or someone else experienced as a number 2. He's had a few good games but wouldn't call him a match savers. Walton was auspect, he was awful. And if you look at his career since after a short stint upwards its been massively downhill. Not good enough. Like most of Rovers decisions we are playing with fire not utilising an experienced number 2. At least the number 1 isn't pears which is a small mercy.

It was sarcasm. I'm delighted.

This is what gets me. Most of the players they have are talented and have shown they can do it at other clubs. Granted theres a few plodders but even excluding the new £200 million strike force, last season they had some good players. Everyone just seems to get worse there. Shows how rotten the club is. It's a shame...

We won't get beat 6-0 again. Inspiring stuff. An utter fraud as others have said. If his philosophy doesn't work with Rangers having a massive budget over all but one of the other teams, then you can't see him having success or his plan working anywhere.

Which two are those? Because Walton, Steele and Pears all fit that description.

Thanks. Appalling behaviour. Where is the podcast?

Missed this. What was the minutes fiasco?

That's Rovers for you. Fans think we can't do worse than X, Venkys say hold my beer. Seen it time after time. We definitely need a no 2 with some decent experience but bet we won't get one.

My big worry is that we say the defence is fine and solid but so far we are averaging conceeding 2 a game. If that's the strongest part of our team...

I think they tried to avoid "big" games between title contenders on the first week. Im sure I've read that somewhere.

I mean this logic is as stupid as our defending from that corner. Are we really using what doesn't happen - as in doesn't actually exist- as the argument for us being decent/good? The mind boggles? Where to start? It doesn't guarantee a 2-0 win for certain, and where do we end with the hypotheticals? If the corner hadn't been crap we'd have got our second? If Cantwell stayed on he'd got a hat-trick? I get I am over egging the pudding but to defend a team with something that didn't happen (and even if it did wasn't a certainty as to what would follow) is Venky-esque. Ludicrous.

Interestingly the 2017 squad had a lot of attacking talent but little to no defensive ability especially after the sale of our two centre backs. This time it seems the reverse very limited attacking talent with a solid defense (including defensive mids.) That said once we've continues to ship off any assets even that ok defence might be in question as well. Both have hallmarks of a ton of players being shipped in and out and a manager of questionable aability.Both seem to have gaping holes in certain areas of the squad. Sheff Weds realistically means that there will only be two places left to avoid and I think there's enough other teams that will struggle. So its not nailed on but my word we will be in the mix.

One thing I will say in his defence (albeit also been underwhelmed) is that generally his vision in part relies on the intelligence of others to do good runs and show some smart movement. Since there's a fair few players low in the football IQ stakes it's no wonder we don't use him to his potential.

I'm less worried by our start. Hull were poor last year and Norwich and West Brom have under achieved the last few years. Whilst bigger names in this division and historically they've challenged well thru haven't pulled up any trees the last couple of years. It's the finish that worries me. Can't see us getting much out of it and they're teams that likely will be around the top.

That was my initial reaction too. It looks a rough ending.

What annoys me about Buckley is that what he can do and bring can't really be taught. Some of his vision stuff is fantadtoc. But the stuff which is basic and can be taught he doesn't do. That three different managers haven't drummed it into him doesn't auger well but there's definitely a case of what could have been with the lad.

Interestingly I watched it with the wife who has no interest in football. She enjoyed it too and had no idea prior to watching that they got relegated again. I think seeing her incredulity of the situation helped reinforce how nuts the whole thing was.

Having watched the documentaries- which really are excellent- I can't say I'm excited to have him here. Not sure Grayson was a bad shout, with 4 promotions for few failures at that point, but the contracts and the way the season went showed he was plenty culpable. The moment that stands out was Bain overseeing a machine that was brought to aid revoerely that none of the team used but that he did. Sunderland were a basket case club. So are we, so it's a good fit in that respect. The solution to some problems however - I'm far less confident of.

One thing people overlook when it comes to cheap punts and clever work in the transfer market is that under the previous competent regime it was always combined with spending proper money on players too. Nelson and Mokoena came in on the cheap - at the same time we paid good money for Savage. We had punts on whether strikers like Fowler & Jeffers had anything in them - at the same time as paying for the likes of McCarthy and Santa Cruz. Nothing wrong with punts so long as they are combined with proper investment. That never happens with this lot.