Commondore

...and there were similar rumours around the Andy Cole transfer as well. Something to remember when heralding him as a man of character.

"No one in their right mind would ever come here!!" etc. etc. I genuinely don't think that's how it works. A handful of managers can pick and choose between jobs, but the vast majority will listen if they're offered a step up in the football pyramid and/or better pay, regardless of what goes on at the club. Tony Mowbray once said something akin to that every manager thinks they're special, and think they're the ones who can turn an underperforming club around, get a tune out of a wayward prospect, fix someones' constant injury troubles, etc., and everyone else has just been doing it wrong. I think there's a lot to that. I can however believe that Venkys wouldn't want to pay compensation fees or offer a decent wage, but that's a different kettle of fish.

Disregarding everything that goes on off the pitch in the sad shell of a club we’ve in many ways become; Johnson until the end of the season, then regardless of what division we’re in someone hungry and on an upward trajectory. I’d much rather have an appointment like Mousinho at Portsmouth, (pointing) Keith Andrews at Brentford or for that matter Eustace at Rovers than another Ismaël or Mowbray type.

I agree in principle, but in 1977 newspapers held massive sway over football clubs in a way that's been completely reversed. Today clubs can send out their own news, interviews, or anything else they want via social media and get way more eyes on them than they would in the local paper, all without any pesky followup questions or negative angles. Local media is basically hanging on by a thread.

Surely a deflated fee would be more advantageous from the club's perspective? Less pressure on the player, and the club doesn't look as wasteful if he turns out to be a flop.

Dønnum is apparently a right midfielder/wing back. I wouldn't complain if he came here, but it does seem like a strange position to spend what I imagine is relatively serious money on for us.

Isn’t Gardner-Hickman supposed to be able to play there as well?

That's actually a pretty good way to run a football club though, if you do it correctly. Get young and/or "unknown" players in the door, develop them, sell them for a substantial profit, re-invest. If our main transfer business would concern players with Championship experience and high wages, we'd just end up with Paul Downing, Matt Kilgallon, and Chris Brown again (unless we're bought by modern slavers or become vassals in a "multi-club project" of course). You'd of course still have to have a solid backbone of experienced players likely to stay at the club for at least 3 or so seasons, and the economical infrastructure to re-invest transfer fees rather than patching holes in a massive wage bill, but in theory I'd like us to go down that road.

Brönner was on the Guardians list of Europe's greatest talents born in 08 last year. I didn't see enough of him last season to form an opinion, but his team were dreadful despite having an OK squad and went down against the odds.

Apparently the local paper in Doncaster has a higher opinion of O'Riordan than what's been showing in his post match grades lately (from the LT): It's no exaggeration to say he's probably been one of the best players for Rovers in the first half of the season - probably only skipper Owen Bailey beats him to that title. Safe to say the majority of Rovers fans were gutted when the news of his recall was officially confirmed by Grant McCann. He looked a Rolls Royce at times. Just so calm and unflustered on the ball and dominant aerially. At first glance it's hard to spot any weaknesses. He has the height, recovery pace and defensive nous certainly to make an impression at Championship level. Perhaps against more physical forwards he may have a job on his hands, and there's the obvious issue of second tier experience (or lack of), but that only comes with being given the chance - and it seems he'll certainly get that back at Blackburn in the second half of the season.

Yeah significantly might be pushing it, I forgot Lenihan had already broken through at that point. Still, we had Jason Steele in goal. A midfield with, apart from the solid Conway, Jason Lowe, Hope Akpan, Liam Feeney... And I can't say I'm the slightest bit nostalgic for players like Emnes, Ward, Guthrie, Gallagher or Bennett.

That side had Danny Graham and very little else, I honestly think the current lot is significantly better. Doesn't mean we'll stay up mind you. I can see us keeping Oxford and obviously Wednesday behind us, but avoiding 22 will be a scrap.

He won and laid off the ball in midfield that led to Baradji's shot against the crossbar. He was about as dreadful as the rest of our players, but at least he has the excuse of being played wildly out of position with a striker he doesn't complement one bit. I thought both Baradji and Cantwell did some criminally lazy backtracking today, and if Tronstad is not on hand to stop or at least slow down balls like the one that led to their 0-1 I don't know why he's playing.

Seems unnecessary to check the pitch at 3 if you're going to reassess it at 5 anyway.

There’s a case to be made that Mori (needlessly) goes down too easy in that situation and should be cautioned for diving, but then where does the yellow card to the Ipswich player come from? Just a monumental f***kup from the referee regardless of how you see the situation.