Are you the loan manager for Brighton scouting how he is doing and your car has broken down so you are doing your review remotely? 😉

Please read my post again. Moran is a good player, but given the system Rovers play, Rovers current player options and where Moran is currently in terms of his development, he is not going to fit into a full strength Rovers team as a number 10, mainly as it would mean dropping the top goal scorer in the division or at the very least moving him (Szmodics) into a position where he is far less effective. I am sure that next season he will get a few appearances for Brighton and wont look out of place. Within 2/3 years he will be a regular player in a top 10 team in the Premier League (Brighton), and he may well get higher than that depending upon how dedicated he is to improving himself. If anything he seems to currently lack a little concentration and consistency

Moran was impressive as a number 10 Vs Cardiff. But you cannot play Moran as a 10 and Szmodics as a centre forward (Szmodics is not a wide player so there is no where else that you could move him. Whatever formation we personally see JDT as using (4-4-2/4-2-4 with Szmodics as a central striker, 4-2-3-1 with Szmodics as the "10" or 4-3-3 with Szmodics as one of the "8s"... in reality it is all of them depending upon the situation, where the ball is on the pitch, and which team has position), there is no place for Moran as a 10 whilst Szmodics is in the team, and we cannot and should not drop Szmodics. Meaning that if Moran has to play anywhere, it has to be wide (he is not disciplined enough to play as an 8/box to box Moran can and will improve as he progresses, but right now, there is no place for him in Rovers best 11 as a number 10.

It expires at the end of this season but Rovers have an year option in their favour to extend until the end of next season (presumably this would only be taken up if he rejects any and all contracts offered - as we have seen in the past with Rothwell, Nyambe, Lenihan, Diaz ect) Negotiations apparently ongoing, but because of his age, even if he doesn't agree a new one, he won't leave on a free (edit - as long as he stays in England), and because of the number of games he has played, you would have to envisage it would be a decent fee.

He has played a few games for the U21s, despite still being an U18 player, but hasn't yet started banging them in at that level (2 goals in 12 appearances over the past 2 seasons) U21 stats - 2 goals in 12 appearances over the past 2 seasons https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/junior-nsangou/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/936903/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=GB21&pos=&trainer_id= U18 stats - 11 goals in 30 appearances over the past 3 seasons https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/junior-nsangou/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/936903/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=GB18&pos=&trainer_id= He may get there, but based on how many goals Leonard and Vale both scored at U21 level, I would guess that Nsangou is currently a long way from being a first team option. Maybe he will get there in the next couple of years?

If you look at our results with and without Dolan as a central striker this season, starting with the away win at QPR (6 wins in 8 )and since his injury (1 win in 8), maybe Dolan is a central striker? Or at the very least maybe he offers something when playing in that role that brings out better in our other forward players? https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tyrhys-dolan/leistungsdaten/spieler/647435 I remember seeing stats on similar fluctuations in win ratios with and without Gally in the team last season (unless my mind is playing tricks on me), and one thing they both offer is work rate (if not bags of goals). Maybe JDT should have tried Travis as a non scoring, hard working central striker after Dolans injury? 😉

Signing a midfielder to replace a centre back would seem to be a slight misstep on Crewe's part 😉 https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/lewis-leigh/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/747367/plus/0?saison=2023&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

That is exactly how it "works" . Higher wages tend to correlate with higher transfer fees with the exception of Bosman frees where the money for the transfer fee is instead paid in higher wages/signing on fees. * Note the words "tend to correlate". I am not saying this always happens, or it is a rule

I wish they were, along with exact structure and breakdown of transfer fees

Apart from Hyams reputation did not include a Championship relegation (and subsequent wage decrease) 😉

My guess would be that Brittain (as well as Szmodics) when we signed them had just been relegated from the Championship Hyams Coventry had stayed in the division (finished 12th and 5 points behind Rovers in 8th) so could be seen as a safer bet on higher wages (proven that that can do a job in this division) https://www.google.com/search?q=championship+table+21%2F22&sca_esv=596560865&rlz=1C1RXQR_enGB1071GB1071&sxsrf=AM9HkKl8B89JCgBkJ5nr3DxCO9MWfbYjng%3A1704725529271&ei=GQycZa-aEKXr7_UP3LuNqAc&ved=0ahUKEwjvivK8hc6DAxWl9bsIHdxdA3UQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=championship+table+21%2F22&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGGNoYW1waW9uc2hpcCB0YWJsZSAyMS8yMjILEAAYgAQYigUYkQIyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB5InQdQAFiEBXAAeAGQAQCYAWqgAfACqgEDMy4xuAEDyAEA-AEBwgILEAAYgAQYigUYhgPiAwQYACBBiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#sie=lg;/g/11r9n1dh31;2;/m/0355pl;st;fp;1;;;

based on this mornings discussion re wages, Szmodics going from £5-6K/week at Peterorough, to £10K/week at Rovers when he moved (all figures before bonuses), sounds life changing to me (doubled his money) and is far from unbelievable

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/20595301.peterborough-uniteds-praise-sammie-szmodics-professionalism/ Rovers paid Szmodics "life changing money" in the words of Peterborough's chairman. And that was when we signed him, not including his recent new contract

Yes, I am sure Szmodics was on about what you say at Posh (who had just been relegated from the Championship with Szmodics far from proven at this level) and he was probably on 10k/week when Rovers signed him But following the last 1.5 years and especially this season. His new contract a month or so ago would have included a very significant wage increase. And look at the wage bills that all clubs in the division post, I agree that Rovers wage bill looks mental!, and its still one of the middling wage bills in the division

Yep, he was a regular Championship performer with Coventry Also Siggy an a free will mean he will be at the higher end of the Rovers wage scale, and is anyone seriously kidding themselves that the top scorer in the division would sign a new contract last month on £10K/week. And as I said before, this would be before any bonuses.

Oh yes, he would be great to get on the end of all of those crosses that the wingers we do not have are constantly swinging into the box 😉 Moore is a good player at this level but would be wasted in this Rovers team under JDT

Yep, he also played for Bournemouth earlier this season, so cannot sign for anyone else Assuming that he doesnt perform so well back at Bourenmouth that he becomes a genuine first tieam option rather than just cover, it sounds like a (one horse) race even Rovers could win for his signature 😉

Yep, the finances of football in this country in general has gone off the rails

It is times like these when I think I have spent too much time idling, but to the tune of the chorus from Rupert the Bear https://www.flashlyrics.com/lyrics/jackie-lee/rupert-the-bear-56 His name is Sammie, Sammie Szmodics, Everyone knows his name! His name is Sammie, Sammie Szmodics, He scores in all his games!

I wasn't entirely serious, but maybe the brummies' fancy chartering him a private jet?

Teeside International? https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/mme/bhx/teesside-international-to-birmingham.html

If only we could

Yes, and the silver lining there is that Gally rarely would have got much more than his basic 😉

And as ridiculous as these amounts may seem, then factor in that Rovers are a lower/mid wage payer in the Championship, I think the last set of accounts had them at about the 12th-14th highest payers)

Appearance money, goal bonus, win bonus etc, add an extra 25% to the player wages (Rovers did ok in the year the accounts are from)