Bucksrover

No Bennett?! - Hope you're right but is it realistic that Tony won't find a place for him?! Unless he's injured

Shame not to give Davenport 5 minutes rather than Bennett.

Looks like we are suffering because Mowbray gives contract extensions as rewards for what players have done in the past, rather than because they will be of further use. Smallwood, Bennett, Williams and Mulgrew were great getting us out of league 1. But they are holding us back now by clogging up the squad and wage bill. Mowbray may call it loyalty, but it is a ridiculous way to run a modern football club. I had a guy who fitted a kitchen for me last year, he did a good job but when he was finished I paid him what I owed him and he went away. Mowbray would have paid for him to stay i

Would have Nyambe in for Bennett, Rothwell in for Gallagher and Chapman instead of Downing. I thought if he ever stopped playing Smallwood I would be happy. Seems Mowbray will always play a couple or more of his favourites instead of the best team. As others have said, thank God Smallwood got suspended last year and Mowbray had to pick Travis. I think with Downing Mowbray is a bit giddy to have a player with his CV - England caps, Liverpool etc. With Bennett he has said he likes a few senior players to manage the dressing room. So we get lumbered with a rubbish right back

The difficulty in predicting the budget is that I think Mowbray would be just as uncomfortable if the Venkys told him he has to spend 20 million, as if they told him there is only 3 million in total. Or he could just be putting out the message / impression that we have no money to bring prices down. Can't remember but didn't the Brereton 8 million come out of nowhere?! - was anyone aware we had that much to spend? Normal Championship clubs probably have a predictable budget, but we aren't normal.

Don't mind selling Raya - as others have said - great shot stopper within his reach, but he is quite short for a keeper, and the faults he had as a keeper - like coming for crosses etc are partly due to him not being the biggest so not much hope of improving on them. Not sure about Gallagher - but a lot of the doubts up front seem to be around whether our £8 million pound man can step up any time soon. If we didn't have Brereton then Gallagher coming in as Graham is phased out makes sense - but I can't see Gallagher and Brereton as a two, and how long are you going to leave out such an ex

Really poor signing this. I know it is only one signing, but Downing was average at 24, and at 34 I see this as us just being one last pay day before retirement. Might seem like an over-reaction, but after Etuhu, Murphy and Whittingham it is sad to see another. He might not be on the wage he was at Boro, but he won't be cheap, and any salary on him is too much in my opinion. I would rather any of Chapman, Armstrong, or Rothwell get a bit more game time than give any to Downing as he is only going to decline further. Also concerned because I fear Mowbray will give him qui

I would be more excited giving two of our youth players a chance in the squad than signing Whelan and Downing. They will want decent wages for the last contracts of their careers, and I can't imagine they will give anything like the effort Craig Conway would have done this coming season. Really disappointing.

If we have to sign an old midfielder from the north east I would rather have Peter Beardsley than Stewart Downing. At least Beardsley was a top player in his day. Hoping Downing rumour goes away. But unfortunately I can imagine it happening. He will have been one Tony has had his eye on for a while.

Don't think Smallwood has dropped below the standard he set last year. He was a decent'ish League 1 standard, workmanlike midfielder. And that's what he has been this year and will be next. Hope we move him on in the summer

Delighted to have Chapman back! Since he went back to Boro I have been checking their line-ups in matches in the hope they wouldn’t play him and realise his potential. Glad I can stop doing that now!

Not sure if we have a chance of signing Reed, but would definitely prefer the permanent signing of Chapman than Palmer. If (appreciate its a big if) we can get Chapman fit and keep him fit then he is a really exciting player. Very rare to find a young English player in our price bracket with his pace, ability to go past players and score. And Dack seems to like him which would make him another anchor tying our best player to the club. Palmer has some decent tricks and can hold on to the ball. But I don't see him really hurting opposition teams too often when he has the ball. I

Free kicks against us are as good as penalties at the moment. Raya needs coaching on where to stand. Nyambe with the cheap free kick last time, now Reeds turn. Sat so deep we invited them on. Very frustrating.

I am reassured by the fact that he rattled off comments about loads of clubs. So he was going to say something about rovers even if he has no info. But given what we have been through I think that, if it is just fiction, then it is out of line coming out with something like that. Mowbray sounds like he will want to see some commitment. I'm as nervous as during the promotiin run in.

Duff and Dunn. The last 2 rovers players who forced the opposition to take the ball off them, or they would create something or score. Would have loved such a player against Reading. Maybe I am being a bit harsh on Conway there, but Duff's running with the ball was different class.