Yeah, but that doesn't fit the narrative....

We don't know that they aren't. The offer to Lenihan, according to Waggout (sp), would have made him the highest paid player at the club but Boro blew us out of the water. Same with Rothwell.

All the 'talent' is under contract for the next 3/4/5 years. Venky's now need to let JDT/GB make the decisions about who to sign and who to sell. In hindsight, refusing to sell Rothwell was a mistake.

Good lad Sutty

If they refuse to sign contracts we aren't letting the contracts run down. They are. They were all offered contracts.

I think we were inaugural members rather than founder members. The Prem was formed the season before we joined. Notts County and Oldham were founder members though, now they're non-league.

Good win today matey, you must be happy with that?

Fantastic result for Stevenage at Villa. There won't be many Prem teams left after the 4th round.

Told you Vale has potential!

Huge credit to JDT for changing the culture at the club - we'd have lost that under Mowbray. As others have said JDT deserves plaudits for instilling a resoluteness in the team that just wasn't there before he arrived. People wrongly refer to it as 'hanging on', it isn't. The work they were doing on the 'low block' was referred to in the summer, they are now skilled and comfortable at defending their box. It's tactical and has served team well 95% of the time when we've gone ahead. JDT now needs to improve the performance at the other end of the pitch when teams sit deep against us. Mowbray couldn't do it, hopefully JDT can. His man-management is excellent too. He held Dack back when he was champing at the bit and he's now reaping the rewards. He did the same with Buckley, dropped him for months until he could trust him to play the right way. Adam Wharton will hopefully take note. Pleased for Vale. IMO he's a natural goal scorer, they are hard to find. Great result today. First FA cup tie win since 2017. A non-Prem team could go a long way in the cup this year. Hopefully it's us. Up the Rovers!

Sharpe has said that's where JDT wants to strengthen.

Er, hardly wholesale changes.

JDT said there would be changes, but not as many as for the League Cup. If the predicted line-up is correct then he's been true to his word. And it's only missing a few regulars, and they get slagged off anyway (Gally, Morton, etc). Nothing wrong with that predicted line-up.

JDT up for the cup in that way!

A repeat today of the 3rd round score 16 years ago would be nice!

That looks a sensible team selection. Travis and Wharton need to stake a claim and it gives Markanday a chance to show what he can do. I may also be alone in thinking Vale has got potential!

Palace have only just signed him on a 5 year deal so I doubt it. He's off out on loan,

I think you're right.

So you could match AA for pace, is that what you're saying?

Intuition.

He'd also be good for the ball over the top which seems to be about our only attacking play at the moment! No complaints, and no idea why it wasn't done sooner. Teams press us high up and leave a big gap in behind their defence. AA would be superb at exploiting that as he's very good at running off the shoulder of the last defenders.

You'd never catch him.