Are Burnley in financial trouble? A mate of mine texted me earlier today saying that Pace is struggling to pay what he still owes to Garlick and the other former directors. Any truth to it?

Did he not break an arm of one of them? Another one ran out of the house. Ferguson ran after him and dragged him back inside.

A very good summary. I'm not a La Liga watcher but have seen a lot of him in the Champs league and you articulate what I saw. Partey in Simeone's Atletico team was perfect. He was strong, broke up play, and acted as an excellent defensive shield. Arsenal was his move to the big time. I'll guess that he wasn't on big money in Spain. A massive signing on fee, a long contract, and a probable large wage increase tells the cynic in me that post move desire isn't what it was. His performances have been very uneven.

A team that concedes possession as Rovers now do - gone from first to last in possession % since last season - will always struggle to win games when conceding first. Coming out slowly is the worst thing the team can do. Like many I wonder if this is the beginning of a death spiral. Rovers never really looked like conceding yet let in a soft first and the ref gave them a second (although I do question what Kaminski was doing coming out). I've seen Rovers last 3 games, my summation on that small sample size is that wing backs and Gallagher are the team's weak points. Nyambe, Pickering (not seen him play but trust that he's an upgrade), and hopefully the highly rated new lad all play every week.

A slow start, Hull scored, and have done nothing since. A stonewall penalty waved away. Khadra unlucky with another. Rovers are the better side but I'll echo what others have said; the final ball is non-existent, Khadra tries one dribble too many, Gallagher has been anonymous.

I've watched Chelsea twice in the last week and can see why Lukaku is moaning and groaning. Tuchel doesn't set the team up to play to his strengths. He was woeful against City and anonymous against Brighton.

You'd have the new lad fighting for the last sub spot? I'd play him. He should be raring to go. Hopefully a win, and Hull turning it around to beat Bournemouth on Saturday.

Not for me. He doesn't have the experience, and I question if he has the smarts for a top level job. Everton had one of the best around in Ancelotti and he did absolutely nothing there. Why would newcomer Rooney do any better? Mowbray is a better candidate. He has promotions, top flight experience, and a sustained managerial career behind him. Rooney is a well known name who'd provide a bit of spark for the papers. He's hardly a club legend either. He left for Man U as soon as he could then came back for a short spell when his legs had gone. They are also still suffering post Moyes. Just like Arsenal and Man U have struggled moving on from long term bosses. Chopping and changing managers who all have different philosophies has resulted in an off balance squad with some very iffy signings. Everton the club needs sorting out. They binned technical director Marcel Brands a few months ago too. I assume that they'll replace him at some point. Gerrard is still very much on probation too. He won at Rangers but can he translate that to Villa over a sustained period? What Championship managers have done well in the Prem? Certainly Dyche. Nuno at Wolves? Anyone else?* *I'll keep Dalglish out of this argument as we all know what he did.

Lampard got Derby to a playoff final then got his dream job at a club where he was a legend. He lasted how long before being cast aside for a genuine top notch manager in Tuchel? 18 months? Rooney has nothing to lose at Derby. He's playing with house money, thus less pressure. If they get relegated it's because of the point deductions. Stay up and he's a hero. Adding 21 points to Derby's current total would have them sitting in 11th on 35 points. Hardly Alex Fergusonesque. If you ask me Everton appointing Rooney would be a mistake, yet football owners are very good at going with sentiment rather than quality.

If both of the above are the rules then if a club registers a u21 player today, they won't be eligible to play until the next fulfilled fixture? Then after that they are golden?

Lee Dixon was co-commenting the City game on Saturday. He and Arlo White were discussing the Arsenal postponement. I missed a bit of it but Dixon was saying that Prem rules are such that you can't play the u-18's. I need to read some more on it but I think that each club has to name a Prem squad and there's a limited number in it. I also don't know how often it can be changed. Either way, the Prem has to take responsibility. Arsenal played Liverpool in a cup semifinal last Thursday, then 48 hours later they were down to two men and a dog. If Burnley really are using the rules to their advantage they are going to have some fixture pile up at some point.

Playing badly and winning. I'll take that every week. It sems that Mowbray needed 3+ seasons and a change in formation to finally sort out his defence.

I was thinking similar watching the game. Villa have some tidy footballers but have no cutting edge. They signed Ings to score goals. He is nowhere near to that. Watkins has pace but has also lost his way. Add a 15/20 goal striker to that team and they'll be top 6 material. Man U are Man U. 2 goals from Villa mistakes put them in a good spot, but then had to scramble and hung on for a draw. Fred and Matic in midfield too.

Spurs-Arsenal called off tomorrow due to injuries, more injuries, Covid, and AFCON absentees affecting Arsenal Apparently they can do it as Covid is one of the reasons.

He wouldn't be any worse. But I do think that he'd be a better than both options Rovers have at the mo. Sorry for that. I misread your post.

Does this team need Garner? Brereton is banging them in. Based on last week I'd have Baz Rathbone. If not, I'd have Barker in midfield. The current back 3 are pretty solid.

There were lots of things that struck me. I see all sorts of old footage but that video somehow has more in it. They don't look at all physically like modern day footballers. The way the keepers booted it. Windy Miller's job to get as wide as possible and cross it. There are some frighteners in there. Blimey.

Brilliant. Rag tag Rovers v. the best team in England. How old does everybody look? Players, fans, the lot. There has to be a psychological explanation for it. I was a young kid in 1983, I am years older now than anyone who was on the pitch yet they all seem old.

An interesting signing. Newcastle get a 1 goal in 3 game top flight striker who can lead the line and cause a bit of of bother. Or they paid £20m in an attempt to secure Burnley's relegation. I don't know if the signing will make Newcastle better, or even make Burnley worse. It's hard to tell.

What would you like to see Sparks? Not being snarky, I'm genuinely asking. You are involved in youth football so see what goes on to some degree. Should all clubs fire off their academy or just Rovers?

Prophetic. Rovers were a class above Wigan without playing well yet lost due to an utter goalkeeping horror show. If you ask me we wouldn't be talking about a loss if Travis had made decent contact when he had an open goal or Buckley had squared it to Brereton. Did Pears save a single shot? It could be a career defining performance for him. 3 mistakes, 3 goals conceded. I've seen plenty of goalkeepers have awful games but Pears's performance was exceptionally bad. He was lucky to get away with another mistake too. If the Wigan player was looking at the ball he would have had an easy finish. The final ball was non-existent. I don't think one pass made it to its destination. He hasn't won an FA cup game since 2017. 5 losses in a row. I thought that Travis was OK, I agree with you on the others. Dolan and Edun get some reprieve as they weren't in their preferred positions. Johnson was terrible. He was so erratic and panicked.

A lot of what you said is in this article; ESPN FC - Man U mess There's a line in the article that players want Carrick back. He was with Solskjaer for every second of his tenure and the players didn't play for him. What would Carrick do now? I think that Rangnick is on a hiding to nothing. Too many ego's, too much dysfunction, and probably too much recent history to overcome. Man U need the top 4 to keep their income streams up. They are already playing for 4th competing with Arsenal, West Ham, and Spurs for that spot. Of the 3 Arsenal and Spurs are improving, and West Ham are an organised lot. It will be hard. Trippier has nothing to lose. I'm sure that he'll have a relegation clause in his contract. If they stay up he'll get lots of credit and he'll get a front row seat at the spending spree that everyone expects.

West Brom have signed USA striker Daryl Dike. He was banging them in for Barnsley last season when he was there on loan. If he carries on where he left off it makes Rovers job that bit harder.

I'll be able to watch this game. The last Wigan game I saw was as dull as dishwater highlighted by Dack getting whacked. Hopefully Rovers win and get a glamour 4th round tie.

I'm not using Ronaldo as a scapegoat. As you said; Man U were crap before he got there and without his goals they'd be out of the Champions League and a few spots lower down in the Prem. I question the haphazard, knee-jerk, short term one-upmanship perception of it. Signing him ran contrary to what they need and won't help them long term. City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea (mostly) sign younger players who they hope will give 5-10 good years. Ronaldo already gave Man U that prior to him going to Madrid. His return was hailed as the final piece of the league winning puzzle when it was not. They already had an aging superstar striker in Cavani who scored a few. 20 year old Greenwood who, if managed correctly, has sky high potential. Injury free Rashford isn't getting a look in in what I think is his best position because Ronaldo is in front of him. Ronaldo is a continuation of the slapdash way Man U is being run and has been since Ferguson retired. They would rather sign fanboy favourites with established revenue generating streams than players who they can mould a team with. I don't feel an ounce bad at all for their fans or the club. They lived it up for years. Watching them burn through money and playing mediocre football is sadistically satisfying. I've no arguments with you on Sancho. He's been a disappointment, not that I knew much of him before this season but he doesn't look anything like a top tier player. He should have stayed at Dortmund for another year or 2.