We aren't signing Ben Marshall. Seems these lazy reporters can't look past the previously played for the club mark. Wouldn't fit in with the grafting attitude of the team either. Goes hiding when it gets difficult.

Should sign a winger like Jamaal Lowe at Portsmouth. Plays on the right, scores goals and creates goals. We need a right winger, left back and centre half before anything Get knudson from Ipswich for left back because he has 6 months left on his deal. Jamaal Lowe for right wing at Portsmouth and Bauer at Charlton with only 6 months left. Reed to be signed in the summer I hope with Dack staying and then another striker for up front. Armstrong will stay on the left of midfield so no point in signing a player for that side.

We aren't signing Brownhill from Bristol city. He's no better than what we have and Reed/Travis will become better players.

Personally think if both Reed and Gallagher come in from Southampton it's planning to go into a two up front formation with Dack sold to buy the two. Don't know whether I'd take a formation like a 442 with Travis and Reed in the middle and a new centre back to pull the defence together as a replacement for Dack. As well as another younger striker to add to what we have but then you need wingers as well. Could take 5 players in to compensate losing 1.

Can't see McDonald being a target. Bigger wages than our best players, other teams will be in for him and we've got Reed as well. He's not needed and would be a waste of money. I'd love to be linked to a pacy wide forward/winger or a centre back. Are we turning into prime Barcelona with Smallwood playing false nine? Only way to get all these midfielders on the pitch.

I wouldn't mind that if the experienced players were also being held to that standard. I can guarantee now that after the next few games, Smallwood will be starting again. Travis did a rash challenge last year and wasn't seen again. It shouldn't be one rule for one and another for the other. I'd expect more from the experienced than the youth. If your performing better and trying harder, you play. Simple as.

Someone mentioned Knudsen from Ipswich on a free in the summer. Realistically we aren't going to sign one unless we sell one first or play Williams as a centre back. I hope this manager knows that midfielder aren't the only type of players on a football pitch. This is either greedy or a potential replacement for Reed if he goes back.

True but if it's rumoured to increase to 7 million it will be around half of that up front. To be fair if someone said you could pick from Brereton or the Maja lad at Sunderland then I'd go for Maja. The guy doesn't set is own fee though so I won't throw it at him. I'd ask to show me why but not blame him for it. I'd look to set deals up for the summer right now instead of loans to block our own players. A few options could be. Maja - Sunderland Edwards - Ipswich Maddison - Peterborough Bauer - Charlton Whatmough - Portsmouth Lowe - Portsmouth Reed - Southampton Gallagher - Southampton Hector - Chelsea Stephens - Southampton A few would be a push but players from the premier league can be got through loans. League 1 players being purchased permanently and Reed being the marquee signing. They would be a few on my list for the summer. This seasons finish. We won't go up or down as long as injuries are fine.

Anyone whose after Chapman coming back needs to realise the lad will be lucky to continue his career. He's had the same or similar injury multiple times in a row which affects his main attribute, his pace. Bringing that lad back is basically handing out charity and for a club like Rovers that is not good enough. You could get a better player in Edwards in the summer for around 1 million once Ipswich go down. With Chapman being under 21 he will demand a compensation fee. That could be up to around 600k for all we know. Some players have moved for millions from tribunal. Wasn't Mahoney rumoured to be around the same as the fee we paid for Dack? At least Brereton will get on the pitch. Chapman would move from Boro's treatment table to ours. It isn't the lads fault it's just tough luck. What's Maddison doing at Peterborough? Sure he's got 12+ assists and a goal or two. Anyone who points to his attitude look no further than Dack who can do nearly whatever he wants away from the pitch.

Fair enough I didn't think of that. Speaking of young strikers. Sunderland Josh Maja who has 14 goal has just refused to sign a new contract and only has 6 months left I think. Is he any good? If so we would be able to get him quite cheap and would fit into best quality from league 1 signings.

Give some of the young players a start here. Lads such as Travis and Brereton should be starting this game. Would play Rothwell and Palmer as well. Leutwiler Bennet Downing Williams Bell Travis Evans Palmer Rothwell Armstrong Brereton Don't risk Graham, Mulgrew and Dack. Could push Lenihan into the team but for me I'd rather build in the league. Are there any academy players that could step up that anyone knows of?

Sorry for the confusion. I'm just stating it would make sense to be around that figure. Surely not even these owners could commit that amount up front. Especially after being tight for a number of years.

Deal for Brereton will be around the 3.5 million mark with it going to 7-8 million if he hits some silly milestones like getting us promoted. Forest would have it plastered everywhere that they've made 7 million up front rising to 10 million on an academy player. They needed any money from us just as much as we needed a player from them. Shame we didn't get McKay at the same time though.

Would have rather signed Watkins from Brentford for the money we spent. It is a poor deal with the player also being handled poorly. Do I think he's got absolutely nothing about him. Not really because I would never have got to this level. Do I think he's the right deal for Rovers. The idea is right in signing younger players but the price is crazy if it's 7 million. Should be closer to 3 million really. Think it was a case of Brereton or nothing though as he's a low risk potential double money back investment. He's been wagered against any fee for Dack in the future so no money has been lost on the owners side. That's why only a very small amount of managers would get this club promoted because the owners look for business investments rather than spend 20 million on the team, get promoted and get 100 million plus back.

Is he good enough to displace Lenihan? If not I don't see the point of wasting money on transfer fees and wages. Thought Rodwell was his back up centre half. Then you've got Downing as well. I'd rather take the best talent from league 1 and spend an extra bit of money.

I agree with you. After spending around 12 million over what was brought in and having only a handful spending more. I would certainly be aiming around the 12-8 place mark. Above 8 is a masterclass of a season. Anything near the drop zone and it's a poor season for me. Remember Ipswich are a complete disaster. Bolton can afford player wages and there are other teams that are certainly struggling this year. Hull beating Bolton 6-0 says everything about this league. Consistently takes you far further than individual class. If you asked the teams who came down from the prem to pick players from Sheffield United for example. They probably wouldn't have their eyes on many if any. Yet as a team they are probably one of the best in the league.

When you think of some of the very very limited technical players that play in midfield and fallback. Danny Graham becomes gold dust when he can hold it up front like he does. Could you imagine having Smallwood, Evans, Bennet, Nyambe and either Williams or bell to build attacks from with any space they find. We'd forever be in our box. 80%-20% possession per game if that.

It can be taught and learnt but you have to remember where Danny Graham has played and at what level. He's played every division so has scrapped for everything he has. Brereton is an academy lad who forest only found at 15/16 I think. It takes years to develop the game to Grahams level of consistency. Put it this way, if he still had pace and was a few years younger. He wouldn't be at Rovers, and Dack wouldn't be the star player no where near. I'd drive Dack to any club in the country for a prime 26 year old Danny Graham. I'd like to see more of a two man strike force during games. Whether it's starting that way or making a change at half time or 60 minutes.

Keep the lad starting. He's someone you can build with for the future whereas Smallwood and Evans are just barely good enough for the now.

I remember at the time many said Cairney couldn't play in the middle because he could defend. Fulham picked him up for peanuts at 3 million. Put him in a midfield 3 and he dominated the league.

I think eventually Rothwell will take the position of Dack once he's sold. Am I right in thinking he's similar to Cairney or are they completely different players? Would he fit in a midfield 3. Reed Evans Rothwell With then a new look attacking 3, a new centre back and a left back in a 433 formation. Similar to how Fulham set up.

I think the manager is more of a people manager than a tactical manager. You look at some of the things that have gone on behind the scenes and he fits in well in that regard. A few examples is how he's managing the owners at the moment. He managed to get a decent investment from them in the summer where as previous managers have not. Dack is also another example with his pratting around off the field with his court incident being a more recent issue. I don't think many managers would put up with that or help out either. Sometimes I wonder if a very tactical number 2 who knows the best formations and tactics to play for the players we have would be far more valuable than a signing. I think it was Ferguson who used to get new coaching staff every few years so that he could keep up with the times and keep the players engaged. He would then be the person manager and meet players families and keep them on the straight and narrow. He even had people spying on players activities away from the pitch. I think that kind of setup would work well here in our current situation. The manager is a nice man from what it appears but does lack the tactical smarts at this level. Perhaps a compromise like this would get us progressing again. I've heard people talk about a guy called Johnson from the under 21s? If he can fit this mould then I think he should be brought up along with the best u21 players and told here's your opportunity, sink or swim along with the youth players.

If the rumours during the summer were true I'd much rather the team below compared to what we have now as a starting 11. Raya Nyambe Bauer Mulgrew Williams Reed Rodwell Bennet Dack Edwards Graham At least then every player plays in their position. None of this "he can play 3 positions" I can't see the teams structure at the moment.

I don't understand his use of the wide forward. To me they should be a lot closer to the striker if they are inside forwards/wide forwards. The way our manager plays them you would think they were defensive wingers. If we had even 1 out and out clever winger then Dack would have far more impact. What was the game where Conway started at home in? I'm sure we won. Might have been Wednesday but it showed that wingers with Dack and Graham are very effective. We could do with a younger prime Conway right now that's for sure. I'd certainly swap Armstrong, Rothwell and Palmer for one.

Does that also apply to Smallwood, Bennet, Evans and Armstrong?