Probably because Wharton is injured long term and O' Riordan is untested at Championship level, leaving us with just Hyam and Carter at the moment as the clubs only proven championship CB's.

Nixon just tweeted that Danny Batth is not training at Wolves today and that its 'game on' in regards to a move (presumably that's where he's been doing his pre-season as a free agent). I'm fine with Batth and Fadz both coming in, as long as we don't ever find ourselves in a situation where they're starting together 😂. If O Riordan isn't good enough and with Wharton out for a long time, we need the extra cover for Carter and Hyam.

Not Liam Millar is it? The lad who was on loan at PNE last season...or is he still with Basel?

My favourite Shearer goal will always be his third against QPR in 1994/95 at Ewood. It was a fantastic strike, but what made it extra special for me was that it was also my first ever game going to watch Rovers.

I imagine that the 3 booked in for medicals are the young French lad (although surely he did a medical already if he's been over for a week...?), Ohashi and McFadzean. Its something, but its nowhere near enough at this stage, especially with Sammie and Gallagher on their way. Not arsed about the latter, he's be awful and injury prone for the last 18 months or so, so it doesn't really feel like much of a loss.

Gallagher needs to be moved on, but only if we're actually going to sign some adequate replacements. A forward line of Hedges, Dolan, Vale and Markanday isn't going to keep Rovers in the league. Granted Ohashi might be decent and the French lad might be a gem, but its looking extremely bleak in that area. Szmodics deserves his chance in the prem and I wish him all the very best for his efforts.

If somehow Szmodics is still a rovers player in September then he MUST be made captain. There is no other candidate that comes close to him IMO. The club is seriously lacking leaders on the pitch.

Completely agree. There is always plenty of decent Championship level players available on a free every summer, and yet Rovers never seem to do much in that area...or maybe they can't compete with other clubs in offering contracts, not sure. Tronstad was on a free last summer wasn't he? I'd call that one a win.

150k...it's all making a lot more sense as to how this deal has been done now 😂. But whatever, the fact is Rovers are signing someone for the first team, and at that price if he turns out to be decent it'll be labelled as a fantastic deal. Hopefully the young French lad is better than the U21s and can challenge for the first team as well.

Who knows whether this J-League player is any good or not, but there's certainly potential for it to be a decent signing. Danny Batth...really not sure about him but my judgment is clouded because of last summer's fiasco trying to bring him in, and the fact that he didn't exactly pull up any trees at Norwich. That being said, he'd be coming in as cover for an injured Wharton and a replacement for McFadzean. If O'Riordan turns out to be up to the task of championship football then that gives us Hyam, Carter, O'Riordan and Batth as 4 main centre halves. Not brilliant, but not bad either. Sign a new left back and there's also the option of Pickering filling in at CB as well if needed.

Thanks. Sounds like an U23s type signing to me, but hopefully he's something special.

Pardon by ignorance, but who is Mafoumbi? The only one I'm aware of used to be a goalkeeper for Morecambe and Blackpool.

Ipswich will be testing the waters with that first bid. They know Rovers are a mess so they'll have gone in with a low ball offer. I imagine they'll be back with another bid in the coming days / weeks.

Indeed. Jason Roberts at championship level was a monster. To have someone like him in this Rovers side is the stuff of dreams now. Sad.

This. 100% this.

I think Wrexham would be a good fit for Dacky, but he'll likely spend more time on the Disney+ documentary than on the football pitch.

It arrived just now! Absolutely gorgeous home shirt, dare I say the best for 30 years

"That doesn't work for me, Brother"

Markanday having a decent pre-season so far. I do wonder whether he'd be better playing up front off the shoulder of defenders rather than out wide. He's always seemed like a solid finisher of the ball, more clinical than Dolan and Gallagher IMO.

Completely understand wanting to keep Southgate on, and according to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter the FA also want him to stay....BUT I do feel like this might be a case of outstaying your welcome. I think he'll decide to move on, it looks like its taken an awful lot out of him. He can go with his head held relatively high as well. So he hasn't won anything, but what he has done is repair the damage done by Capello and Hodgson in recent times. I reckon the culture within the squad hasn't been as good since Euro 96. Agree that Howe and O'Neil would not take it. Managing clubs is far more appealing than international management in this day and age, and getting the England job is no longer the pinnacle of success for an English manager. Rio Ferdinand couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag. He's an awful pundit and probably an even worse coach. Carsley would be the most sensible appointment as he's already part of the FA setup.

Up to the point that Cole Palmer scored I thought there was a sinking inevitability that Spain would win....and then the Palmer goal gave me hope that it was going to be like the Holland, Switzerland, and Slovakia games where England pull something out of nothing. Sadly not to be, and you can't really begrudge a team winning it that had to get past Italy, Germany, France and England to win the thing. Spain were the best team in the competition and rightly deserved to lift the trophy. England simply need to make a change now though. Time for someone else to have a crack at it. My only concern is that its the FA making the appointment and I can totally see someone like Frank Lampard getting the gig. Graham Potter would probably be the best option of those out of work, or perhaps they'll promote from within again and give it to Lee Carsley. He has at least won something as an England manager. Also time for the likes of Walker to step aside, he's had a really poor tournament. As has Harry Kane, who should take note of Alan Shearer and retire from international football now to prolong his club career. The man could not control his first touch last night and has been a passenger in this England side, lumbering around with no energy.

No they haven't provided one. This is the reply I got: Doesn't fill me with much confidence. Haven't had anything from Barcode Logistics, but tomorrow is a working day so maybe it'll show up then.

Anyone else had issues receiving their online order? I ordered the home shirt on the day it released and I'm still waiting. Club sent me a dispatch confirmation the day after ordering, no tracking details. I messaged them on Thursday and they replied saying the dispatch confirmation they sent me was an error, but still confirmed it'd been dispatched....still hasn't turned up though though urrrrgh. I'm assuming Waggott was responsible for shipping my order 😂

I can and I will 😂...but as I say, I'd take him over Pears. As for Dykes. We already have one donkey of a striker that averages 6 goals a season. We don't need another. At least Gallagher is reliable as a defender when we're under the cosh.

Just because he played 46 games for QPR last season, that doesn't mean his best days aren't behind him, which they clearly are or he'd still be playing premier league football and not at a side that finished bottom half of the 2nd tier. Christ on a bike. That being said, he's an upgrade on Pears, which says a lot!