Saints v Wigan on Friday night.

The biggest problem would be that there wouldn't be anyone to take up the free tickets, given that they're all staying away because of the Venkys 😁

I've never accepted the Venky argument, I don't believe people who say it,otherwise we wouldn't get the bigger crowds as and when we do get them. The trouble on here is, you can't give any kind of counter argument as to why tickets can't be shifted without being accused of being a Waggott sympathiser, your reply only goes to to prove it. I'm not beating anyone with anything regarding the Reading game, but it only went to prove that it isn't just about pricing, just because it didn't suit your purpose doesn't mean it wasn't correct. I personally think the aim should be to try to fill the lower tiers.it would make a massive difference, even without the Darwen end lower. If we could sell those, then it could well work with much lower prices. As a season ticket holder, I have no problem whatsoever with the club selling cheaper single tickets, or match bundles. There's nothing I'd like more than actually having to queue to get in. Hopefully we'll get off to a flier and the numbers pick up significantly as we go along.

Nobody is saying they should be half price, it was a simple example of the correlation between sales and prices. The Shearer stuff is absolutely relevant, I've heard it myself loads of times, although it's usually disguised as a Venky thing, ( which is also a load of bollox). I'm just giving an opinion from what I hear regularly.

The problem is, from Waggott's point of view, that if tickets were half price, we wouldn't sell twice as many. You're then gambling that the shortfall would be made up from food sales and so on. It's his job to make money for the club, I'm not condoning it or otherwise, but that is the conundrum. Personally,I think the main problem is that a whole generation got into going to Rovers because they were good. In short, and to put it bluntly, if you're under 45,you probably wouldn't remember Rovers being crap. This isn't what that generation signed up for, it would be interesting to know the figures from the Shearer gig. How many of those going to that, don't actually go any more? It might tell a tale.

From a travelling point of view, I just hoped Posh didn't win it, so happy with either. As for yesterday, I was hoping to welcome Leeds and Everton, but hearing this morning that Lineker is gutted Leicester went down, so every cloud.......

Alan Brazil reckons Arne Slot should be working in Vegas..

I'll agree with you, I made the same suggestion back on page 180(had to look up the spelling mind😁). He was on TV at United the other day, first time he's been back in 2 years. Could well be putting himself in the shop window. I thought the same, could be a good fit for Rovers.

In which respect, no chance of getting him, or he isn't good enough?

Can't really see Tomasson leaving, but if he did, I'd certainly be asking Solskjaer if he fancied a bash. You don't know the answer unless you ask the question. Quality manager, top bloke.

I ticked the bottom box, I realise some people have other priorities, but for me it's the best value purchase of the year. The poll is a good idea, it's easy to read a lot of comments from a small number of posters and see their comments as the common concensus. There are also a lot of overseas fans who can't go, I'm assuming they will have to pass on this one.

You could be right there You could be right there, if Carrick can avoid the second season slump.

Robbins has done a brilliant job at a club whose fans have been put through the wringer for year after year. I wouldn't mind if Sunderland do it,I think Mowbray did a decent job and left a perfect squad for Tomasson to work with, but to be honest, i don't particularly care. I don't think of Mowbray every waking second, he's nothing to do with Rovers any more, the obsession with some people on here is just weird.

Glad Sunderland beat The Harlem Globetrotters a win for football. Hope Coventry go up, but if not, Sunderland.

I agree it was infuriating earlier in the season when there didn't seem any point to it, but the longer the season has gone on, we're making chances from it, and it's really easy on the eye. The Brighton comparison is interesting, it brings into focus Tomasson's comments regarding his remit. That remit being that the club has to play in such a way as to show our young players can make the step up(it's almost as if there's a plan). We missed out last season and it was a real disappointment. This season, with a much weaker Championship, it should be even more galling, yet I'm really upbeat for next season. Thankfully the Tomasson leaving rumours seem to have been knee jerk and unfounded, it's the last thing we need.

The boos when passing out from the back all but disappeared for the last few games, because everyone(almost) could see the reward for doing it. We played some really nice stuff towards the end of the season but the shortcomings were obvious. Put Gelhardt and Diallo in our squad and we walk into the play offs and Sunderland miss out. The recruitment department have a lot of making up to do.

Without doubt, especially the last few weeks. The shortcomings are obvious,but with Buckley back and if the recruitment dept get their fingers out and add to the forward line, we can look ahead with plenty optimism

The squad Mowbray left behind has been top 6 virtually all season,with hardly any help from incoming transfers. It fell short because our recruitment team did a pathetic job, and Sunderland's showed them how to do it. Put their loan players in our squad and we make the top 6 without doubt.

The passing game has gradually come together over the past few weeks, the boos have all but subsided. We've started playing some really good stuff, without the obvious cutting edge that is obviously needed. We need the recruitment team to earn their money and sign game changing players over the summer. Ultimately, it's probably Sunderland's use of the loan market that's probably made the difference. Ours was a pathetic effort.

As Tommy Doc said to Leighton James, you're very deceptive Leighton, you're slower than you look.

The scenario feels a lot more relaxed than if we'd beaten Luton and it was all in our hands. It may yet play into our hands and pile pressure on the others. We had to beat Millwall anyway, so that hasn't changed, I just feel we're more likely to beat them in this situation than the other.

I agree, if we could add to that every week it would be a good start. But the Reading, Coventry, Hull and even Burnley gates were poor. The pricing is always going to be subjective, I think it's an absolute bargain, but let's have a discussion, rather than being accused of being a Waggott supporter the second someone points out the difficulty of the situation.

What were the gates, I can't remember.

I'm not exonerating anybody, that lazy argument is always thrown out the minute anybody has any kind of conversation regarding ticket sales. As I said, the tickets were reduced and the attendances were up, but not significantly. The correlation between the two isn't evident. I've enjoyed this season, and had no hesitation in renewing,it was never in question and never is. But it isn't me they're trying to convince.

I don't know the figures, or the prices,or what constitutes "hugely". The club is in the doldrums, it's suffering from having virtually a generation of "fans" who only got on board because of the obvious. The same people compare the club now to how it was in the 90's, I hear it from customers all the time,using the same old excuse of Venkys for not attending. I've no proof, but from the outside it looks like Blackpool suffer from the same, as do many others. That's why our support is poor, and it's the job of Waggott and Co to reignite some passion into the club and get people believing again, but the poor turnouts over the last few weeks, despite a play off chance and discounted tickets, shows how difficult the job in hand is. It was a tenner against Reading, yet the turnout was pathetic, yet the usual excuses were rolled out, on Sky, night match and the rest. If it was all about pricing, it should have been heaving. In short, you could give season tickets away and it still wouldn't be full, that sums up the job in hand.