That team is a company of heroes. Well, and Croft. He never did effectively replace Le Saux. Valery, Dailey, Croft, Wilcox - none really worked at left back during this period.

Yes of course it was Parkes. Still Davies instead of Casiraghi or Henry is even worse. Strange to say I really enjoyed the Rovers team of those 2 years - Parkes and Roy's first year. A proper British (and Scandinavian) hard man yet likeable team. Lots of potential heroes and characters in that team.

He isn't going anywhere. He is bulletproof. Actually that's not true as that implies someone is wanting/trying to get him out and that isn't the case. The majority of fans it seems, away from this board, want him to stay. After Coyle and Kean and providing the sole highlight in a decade TM is considered the golden boy. Venkys really don't give a hoot about us. The CEO is his mate. The local media is a brown nosing oushover. There's no threat whatsoever. 9 losses in 11 - who cares? Spunk £12 million on defunct talent - so.what? Bottle every playoff push - meh. Honestly he doesn't go anywhere at any point. Which could be a worse situation for us given the absolute clowns we have had in charge. Problem is it isn't a very good position to be in either by any stretch of the imagination.

Well that makes signing Pedersen even worse! To think we went from possibly Henri to this. Didn't Casiragi play for Chelsea for a bit? Didn't do too well if it's the player I am thinking of. What this thread is really showing is my lack of interest in football compared to when I was a kid!

I need to be a bit braver in guessing. Would have for Brooms and Croft. @LeftWinger you found the article. How was a kid meant to not think that was not a superstar we were getting? Reading it now it doesn't seem half as promising.

Wow. Given his badly Wycombe have started that shows how much we are underachieving. Perhaps a tad premature but a bad start really can cost you just look at our latest relegation. Those first 6 games proved to be the difference maker.

Thing is with Pedersen is I was young enough to believe what I read in the programme and not too aware of their ahem, overly positive slant. I thought we had signed an absolute superstar.

Well that isn't great news for us. Of course the deduction that they have still helps us but yes that does reduce our margin for error.

I don't think we will go down for several reasons but there is a distinct possibility of it. My reasons for thinking we will be safe are: 1) there is a good chance we will get better when players get back. I've said before we can't rely on this but logically of the 7+ players out at least one or two will improve us. We can't rely on all of them coming back being all guns blazing so there are question marks as to whether it will it be enough. But there should be some improvement in the team. 2) We have battered weaker teams. If we can batter enough of the weaker teams, and we are doing that convincingly, then we should have enough points to stay up. It's not looking great against any competent team but there are a number of weak ones that we have done well against so that should see us up. 3) Wednesday and Wycombe started late. The former are still not in positive points whilst Wycombe are only just got off the mark 6 or 7 games in. You have to think that the headstart over them means both are prime relegation candidates. These two clubs have a huge disadvantage which means there are less, certainly at least 1 less, relegation places at stake. That can only help. The big worry that makes me think we could get relegated is over complacency/relying on players to get back. This season has a bit of a 99 echo to it, especially with the injuries and overconfidence. Back then we shouldn't have gone down even with the injuries and poor management, and teaches us shouldn't isn't the wake as won't. There's a bit too much of a deja vu feeling for me to be completely comfortable even with the factors above suggestingnl that we should stay up.

I'm on his ignore list so please can someone repost. Having an opinion does not count as a valid reason for thinking something or make something true. An opinion needs evidence to back it up to be valid. For example if I say Messi is a rubbish footballer or the moon is made of cheese they might be my opinion, but they are not true, valid or unchallengeable. Same goes in this case too. Just stating it's your opinion doesn't make it true, valid or unchallengeable especially given the evidence strongly suggests otherwise. So what evidence is there to suggest we will get top 6?

That Stuart is the question. And given there is "no chance" of relegation despite our form and injuries, you do wonder how these conclusions are made. And if the unchallengeable opinions reason comes out I may bang my head against the wall... Edit I'm also not sure how someone can think there is no chance of being relegated, think we will make top six and be happy with the job the manager is doing and where we are languishing in the league...

Too right. And if I'm honest I don't think they bring that much to the team when battering weaker opponents. Certainly Gally, one goal aside, hasn't looked that promising or threatening at all. And Bereton though much improved, is at best useful, and without this system that favours him, his usefulness decreases significantly. At present we have Plan A for beating weaker teams, which is great, gets something out of Bereton, and is key because we have often struggled to break these teams down. But we don't have a Plan B for facing other teams, that doesn't leave us too vulnerable. Perhaps this should say we don't have a Plan A because, as you say, these are the majority of games.

Likewise have never been that convinced by him. That said I also think he is clearly the best manager we have had under Venkys (not counting Big Sam) which is a sad indictment of our recruitment process.

And this is what debate about Rovers has come to. Whether a team that beats us is crap or average... Not a dig at you Hoochie, I can see your reasoning, more wondering how we have got to this place where this is the debate under TM.

We played Cardiff and Forest who both count as bang average and got 1 point... Not sure we can infer too much from 2 games but that's not a promising start.

I thought this but surely the kit is too late for it to be him? Didn't he leave before then?

And crap for Rovers.

I really did have a misspent childhood... Number 1 going out on a limb O Brian or something like that? I'm guessing now!

Anders Anderson the blonde in the ASICS/CIS kit? Or Tore Pedersen but think it's the former. Is number 7 Per Pedersen?

Konde with the dreads? Diawara from under Souness?

Who is counting? Certainly no one at the club or in a position of power. If he managed 12 or 13 without a win a year or two back without censure, not sure 1 in 7 will bother them.

Thing is I don't think it's a given even with these players back. I mean on paper yes, there's a lot of quality. But Dack has been out a long time and could take a while to get back to what he was and Ayala had always been injury prone. Armstrong looks the real deal these days but it was only a year ago he was an inconsistent chap with potential. Not saying he will regress but there's a lot of pressure on him to keep performing and a lot of eggs in that baaket. And of course, this is assuming they get back quickly which as you say isn't a given...

You know this whole injury tale of woe reminds me a bit of 1999. "When they're back we'll be fine" Only we weren't...

There's always a mitigating factor. Great point with the players out/in the circumstances. Where's the ambition? Our current team on paper is better than many of the teams in the bottom half, and yet we still set the bar so, so low. A needed point. A surprising clean sheet. But really, we could and should be doing better.

1) Is it a coincidence that 4 are from under Hodgeson's stewardship? 2) What does it say about me that i can name some of the older ones but not the more recent ones? Am I getting less fanatical?