I remember thinking at the time that I genuinely wouldn't have blamed any player from leaving if they got the chance at that point. Felt like an empty vessel of a club. I'd like to think he would have a lot more to think about if he was coming through now. Mowbray was on record in saying that he would've started in league 1 too, if I recall, so it might have turned out to be for the best for the lad for him to stay, but certainly can't blame him for going given how we all felt at the time.

Allardyce was good for Robbo, seemed to remember he got himself back in the England squad for a time. Even so, the fact that we've gone over 10 years without having a satisfactory long term keeper is shocking.

Shame that we have to wait so long between the 5-0 spanking and this match, would've been a great opportunity to keep the momentum going. Having said that, they're not travelling well at present, even if they're playing good teams. Soft club who won't be up for a winter midweek away game up north. 3-0 Rovers

Any idea about what he's like on the ball? Possible Tosin replacement come next year?

My instinct is that you're right, playing is the most important thing at his age. Flip side of that I suppose is that I think it's a mistake to get him playing at a lower level just so he can cope with the game physically. I think the way he gets past that weakness is by using and developing his strength on the ball. We might struggle to find a L1 or L2 team willing to take him and use him properly, but then again playing anywhere is better than not playing at all.

Definitely. I don't want to use Wigan as a yardstick for what our expectations should be, and doubtless we have made the odd decision on recruitment which might not look like being that wise as things stand, the state of the two teams at present is like night and day. They were genuinely gutted when Charlie came back to Rovers. That's the difference between where we both are.

Yes, certainly is easy it is to forget just how highly rated he was at one stage. Strangely though the Brereton case shows how big money might well be a possibility even at his stage, we spent money on potential, so there's no reason why teams with much bigger budgets in the top-flight might well do the same. On Buckley specifically, I'm still very optimistic. Even the Huddersfield game, for which he got a lot of stick, I remember him getting involved and trying some things which other players wouldn't have been able to see. Execution was off a couple of times, but definite progress from his 5-10 minute spells where he's looked like a little lad. Physicality is obviously a problem in the short term, but if his brain and talent are his strengths, he'll learn how to get past that problem in no time.

I've no fondness for the club (quite the opposite) but I live in the area so I try and keep abreast of their fortunes. You're definitely right on the creativity point, nobody with Powell's ability. It looks on paper as though having Moore, Lowe, Garner and Windass up front along with having no creativity in the middle is tailor made for playing on the break, but for whatever reason it's just not working out for them and the locals are extremely anti-Cook. Hopefully they'll be back at their level next year.

Think that's where the smart money is. Even Charlton I think can put a big part of their bad patch down a silly number of injuries. Can see them picking up slightly. Wigan are a difficult one to suss out. I don't think their squad is very good, but they've spent plenty and they're definitely under-performing to be cut adrift at this stage. Trouble they seem to have is that when they've put in their better performances, they still haven't found a way to win.

I think he was unlucky even last season to not get on the score sheet more often. Don't think I've seen a player hit the post as often since Kalinic, who also seemed to have an uncanny knack for it. Really pleased to see him kick on. The sort of player he is will mean that he'll probably go through a few quieter spells in the future, but if he carries on the way he is that couple of million quid or whatever we paid is looking like small beer.

It's a fair comment that I'm not actually mentioning any replacements! My view of things is that say we have the money for two left backs (money we might've spent on Cunningham & Bell's contract) then I'd use the money for Cunningham either on him or our 'good' left back target, and use the Bell money on either a useful looking prospect from L1, available from a top flight team or similar for our 'decent/prospect/back up' target.

I think he still has the opportunity to put the performances in to warrant that. He'll get games, so if he plays like he did vs Bristol City & Wednesday (I was still frustrated with him against PNE even if others were impressed, but he's certainly had worse games) then I might be inclined to give him another couple of years on modest cash. I'll still need some persuading before I think it's a good idea though. He'll be 26 by the time the season's finished, so isn't likely to get heaps better, and more importantly doesn't seem to be doing a good job of ironing out bad habits. As keep a player who is borderline L1/lower championship standard, I'd leaning towards looking to use the money we would've spent on his wages on another understudy.

Wonder if it will be dependent on Richie finding a new club? I agree we're pretty well stocked there on paper but if Holtby is now seen as an attacker to cover Dack and Evans is out for a good while, we suddenly find ourselves 3 bodies lighter if Smallwood leaves. Having said that, unless we've got an obvious talent/good deal on our hands, I'd be inclined to see this as a chance for Davenport to stake a claim rather than bring in a short term solution.

Agree that we can't go forward planning to have him in the XI, but I wouldn't go as far as finished. Wigan's fans look pretty united in saying they looked more solid with him in the side, stats seem to provisionally back it up. Clearly his ability on the ball & set piece specialism is still there. Compare that to the likes of Gordon Greer, who was definitely finished when he came for his second spell. Charlie's biggest problem is his contract and his pedigree. If he was willing to be a squaddie and not be one of our top earners, I'd have no problem whatsoever in having him as a part of the squad.

Easy decision this one, well worth another 12 months.

Been absent from here for a few weeks (5-0 win totally coincidental to my return), so do we know much about Rathbone? Any good and does the interest look real?

I've been completely back and forth with this over the last 12 months. I genuinely thought there was development last year which went a bit under the radar given the team's drop in form. Fast forward to this season and he looks just not up to it, and just when I think my mind has been made up he puts in a couple of performances which make him look useful. I'm still in the thanks but no thanks camp, a couple of swallows a summer don't make and the sum total of his work since he walked through the door isn't where we need it to be for us to go up.

Losing Tosin is a very big blow, but Williams started the season well. Otherwise the team I would've picked. Come on Rovers!

And the Leeds win was a fluke

Agree that this is a game that we have to expect to win, but Wigan haven't been getting battered that often this year. I'd be more than happy with a win of any sort to keep the run going.

Tried to go for players who actually played enough games to get a fair account, not many of the Portuguese lot make it. Kean Orr Greer Sanogo'o Henley Feeney Murphy (c) Etuhu Gladwin Best Goodwillie Fair play to Chris Brown managing to stay out of the list!

Played a huge supporting role in the Bellamy season (as did the much maligned Kuqi, too). Bellamy & Hughes rightly take the credit for taking us to the next level, but there were big wins that season when Bellamy was injured and they were excellent. West Ham, West Brom & Portsmouth stand out, but I'm sure there were others. On January, agree with the need for a keeper. I'm pretty relaxed about another centre half so long as we keep Tosin. Left back is more urgent for me.

Tried to base it on their contribution over the whole decade. Something which jumps out immediately is the shocking lack of full back options. Eventually gone for Emerton at right back due to his immense efforts in keeping us up in K**n's first year. Most of the other players from the top flight either didn't play enough after relegation or were past their best for me to include. Also gone for a ridiculously attacking 442 to accommodate everyone. Robinson Emerton Hanley Mulgrew Olsson Conway Dunn Dack Hoilett Rhodes Graham Unlucky to miss out: Lenihan, Cairney, Gestede, Samba (immense for the short period) the Yak and for his good spells, Marshall. Duffy can still do one.

As much as I miss having him as manager, some of the ones under Big Sam were not much better!

I completely forgot that John Filan won it! What a horrendous fall from grace that was. Some other interesting ones from my era, amazed that Benni didn't win it in place of Bentley. Don't know if that says more about Benni's periodic drop off in form or that Bentley was just brilliant (probably a bit of both). Also put Marcus Olsson winning to the back of my mind! Just goes to show how difficult picking a player from this decade is when players like him have won it.