Talent, yes, application, no. The occasional flash of excellence but only really useful as an impact sub on the rare occasions he was fit. Might be useful in another league, if he can get back to proper fitness, but don't think he's suited to a physical league like the Championship.

They've hired a manager whose system doesn't work with the players they have. Some lucky wins over some shit teams briefly papered over the cracks, but it's obvious Amorim is going to need significant recruitment to implement his vision, and there's no suggestion INEOS are going to provide that. If anything they are doing the opposite.

If we hire Boateng then it's sabotage from the top, plain and simple. We'd be better off keeping Lowe in charge.

I totally agree. That's why I'd like to hear some more details, if unleaded knows any more about the situation. I'm mainly curious about who allowed Eustace to supposedly have enough say in transfer policy that he could delay transfers to the point where players would lose interest. I can understand taking his opinion on board, but if the transfer committee had the final say then it shouldn't have been a factor in whether a player was signed or not. If Eustace was threatening to leave or refuse to play signings he didn't approve of, then we should have parted ways with him sooner. If he wasn't making these kind of threats then why would it delay transfers? He'd just need to get on with it, if that is what he agreed to when he signed. The only conclusion I can come to is that someone in the hierarchy gave him enough sway to significantly delay transfers he didn't approve of, and the only person who makes sense in that scenario is Waggott, as the CEO and the person who hired Eustace.

If Burnley had a better manager they'd have a good chance of autos, considering how strong their defence is. Parker's limitations mean they're likely to end up in the playoffs, possibly even finishing 4th if Sunderland keep going as they have been. Playoffs are obviously a lottery, and the lack of goals must surely be a huge concern. We've now scored the same amount of goals as them this season, with a fraction of their budget.

Have to admit I look at our run in and think, with some momentum behind us we really do have a good chance of getting a playoff spot this season. It's Rovers under the Venky curse so I can't say I expect us to finish top six, but... it's definitely there for us.

Great result against a team who were starting to pick up momentum. Unfortunately for them, so are we! Big decision to make - do we have faith in the remaining backroom staff and squad to get us over the line, or appoint an external manager for what remains of the season? It was a much easier answer before we won two on the spin without conceding. Good performances in both as well, and the list of external candidates is uninspiring to say the least. It's only two games, granted, but can't deny we look like we're getting on a roll, and momentum is vitally important at this stage of the season. If the current team know how to carry on what Eustace had implemented, do we leave it be rather than bring in a potential disruption? My head says stop being stupid, we obviously need a proper manager in situ, but at the same time...

The post stated: JE knew he was signing up to be a coach with transfers above his head. However, he got a big ego and started interfering. (Literally what the post says, not inferred) Park walked because JE was slowing down transfers and refusing to follow the model. If there is agreement that Waggott, Venky's and Suhail are ultimately still culpable for allowing the situation to happen in the first place then fair enough. That's why I wanted more details, as otherwise JE is singled out explicitly for criticism whilst anything else is simply inferred.

I've asked unleaded some follow up questions which hopefully he'll answer. We know he has an inside track when it comes to transfers so I don't doubt his source or sources. I'm sceptical about apportioning 100% blame to JE though. Something about the last 14 years just makes me cynical. Who knows why.

Yeah, suddenly Eustace is the root of all evil at the club. Not only a liar, snake, backstabber, but also responsible for our transfers being slow, wanted to keep poor players, wanted to bring in nothing but old players on long contracts and is even responsible for Park leaving, lol. I'm expecting to read next that it was actually Eustace who sabotaged the McGuire deal by sneaking into Ewood and distracting the secretary long enough for send not to be hit. A master plan to ensure JDT left and he would get hired.

Could you clarify a couple of points, Unleaded... - How was JE able to interfere, exactly? If his job is to coach and the transfer committee to sign players, who was giving Eustace scope to interfere in the first place? There must have been a member of the hierarchy letting Eustace have his say and overrule things - who was it? Waggott? This suggests a highly disorganised and chaotic structure at the club. - Why were things different in January? By all accounts Eustace did not get the players he wanted in this window, and instead these players were the choice of the transfer committee, which Eustace wasn't happy with. It's strange to me that there would be such a sudden change between the summer and the winter, and that Park left despite the January window likely to allow him to wield more influence rather than less. This also suggests a highly disorganised and chaotic structure at the club. - Since JE has gone, is there a possibility of a third return for Park, as you say he left because of Eustace, and Eustace is no longer here? People at the club clearly seem to like him, as he's already been and gone twice.

Two managers and our head of recruitment (five months after re-joining) have walked or forced moves out of the club in the last 12 months, so I think that tells its own story. This place tends to be pretty realistic when it comes to the state of the club behind the scenes, but maybe it's somehow even worse than we think.

I still feel like it might have been better to wait until the summer and take a look at the lay of the land then. Even if we finished in the top half that would be a great achievement with our budget, and you'd think there would be some interest there. I wonder if losing out on the WBA, Coventry and Hull jobs spooked him into just taking whatever he could get at the first opportunity? It seems like he's wanted out since the summer - and who could blame him? - and seemingly the thought of another summer under Venky employment was too much for him. I don't really buy the family distance and the past history with Derby as legitimate reasons for leaving a club in the top six to join a relegation battle. Nor do I think Derby have the kind of cash to give him a major payrise - unless he was on absolute peanuts here, which is possible. As you say, he must have absolutely hated it here to the point where he was so desperate that anything would do. Time will tell whether, in the end, it was the right call to jump ship ASAP rather than remain patient and wait for a potentially better opportunity.

Eustace won't have as long as Derby as he did with us to start turning things around. He can't afford to wait until the last few games of the season to pick up some surprise wins - they'll be down by then - and there's no Sammie Szmodics in that Derby team to rescue points. Pretty much the worst possible start for him. Transfer window closed as well so no chance of bringing in any reinforcements. Think he's going to realise very quickly the huge drop off in quality when it comes to our squad versus Derby's. We may be lacking in depth, but our first eleven are very solid for this division. No guarantee of coming straight back up from L1 either. Some big clubs (including Derby themselves) have gotten stuck down there for some time. Can't afford to have the mentality of 'we'll take the hit and bounce back'.

I knew things were bad at Derby when I saw them salivating over the thought of getting Siggy and Dolan in the summer. I've stuck up for Dolan more than most and think there's a player there, but he's still far from the finished article and time will tell on whether he gets to where he could be. Siggy meanwhile has injury problems and even when fit is a 15 minute player. If those two are a huge improvement on what Derby have, then little wonder they are getting battered 4-0 by QPR.

Indeed so, I thought it was very telling as to what Eustace is walking into.

I saw a thread on their forum where they were extremely excited at the thought of landing Siggy and Dolan.

Lol, first question "are we going to have to pay any compo to get you here?" "Yes" "Okay, that'll be all. Thanks for coming."

I was really impressed with Big Mak's first few appearances for us. He was a handful and contrary to what was said afterwards, he showed good link up play, some nice passes and a decent touch. He looked a player. That early momentum unfortunately got derailed after the sending off at Burnley, but it's possible that would have happened regardless. New lad trying to settle in, having never played in England before, and came in for a budget price. It was never likely to be smooth sailing. When his confidence was at its lowest he really, really struggled and I have to admit I had some doubts about what I'd seen at the beginning, especially during the games when he couldn't seem to even control the ball or have any idea how to shoot correctly. Thankfully in the past month or so he's really kicked on. Fair play to the big man for persevering, his attitude is infectious and I think it's a huge boost to the lads to have a personality like Big Mak on the pitch. Fingers crossed he's past the initial barrier now and his confidence will continue to grow. He won't hit the heights of WBA every match, but if he can just do what he does best then that will help us in numerous ways, as he brings various things to the table that nobody else in the team has.

Just to confirm all chat goes to the new manager wishlist thread:

I voted for Big Sam, but still think it's pretty sad he's leading the poll tbh.

The problem is not the core first team players, who are of a decent standard (forward positions questionable and inconsistent, but you can't argue with where we are in the league). The issue is with squad depth, which has been a problem for years and was the catalyst for our downturn in form under both JDT and Eustace. Once players start getting injured, tired or suspended, we inevitably struggle because we can't rotate anything close to that same quality into the team. With a lot of players out of contract in the summer with no signs of renewals, and past evidence suggesting little to no money to spend for a rebuild, it's little wonder Eustace was looking for a way out. Now granted, it's extremely debateable whether it's worth the risk of going to Derby versus waiting until the summer to see the lay of the land, but it's a gamble Eustace clearly felt like he had to take. No manager is going from a team in the playoffs to a team in the relegation zone without having a pretty big reason to do so. We should remember that Park also walked after only five months, so clearly Eustace is not the only one with concerns when it comes to our ability to recruit. We'll have to wait until the end of the season to judge our recruitment efforts. If we get a playoff position under a new manager then fair enough, credit where it's due, they (Park included, despite no longer being here) will have done an outstanding job considering the lack of resource available to them. If we slip away and end up in mid-table then it's very much as you were and little has changed.

I mean, he was sacked from Birmingham so what was he supposed to do? Keep taking training and going to the dugout on match day regardless?

Delighted for the big man. Proper cult hero type of player.

This is exactly the type of game you'd expect a Mowbray team to lose tbf. Just glad it's not us dealing with it anymore. Big statement from the players tonight. They aren't giving up. Ball's in your court, Waggott and Suhail.