Commondore

I'm well familiar with their new manager, he started at my hometown club before moving into the Swedish top tier and then Aberdeen. Aggressively uncharismatic but tactically shrewd. Last season he completely transformed his team over the off season from a possession-based style into focusing almost completely on counter attacks, and lost the title on the final day against opposition with much more money and resources. I had my doubts over whether he could manage abroad with such a low key personality, but it seems to be working so far.

I don't buy Gueye being a complete donkey. He had three assists in his first four games (really should have been four, apparently the one he provided in the Derby game didn't count in the official statistics) and offered some good and savvy center forward play in those games, particularly against Burnley before the red card.

Usual Eustace setup away from home: Keep it tight, defense comes first (every attacking player in the lineup bar Cantwell chosen for their defensive work rather than attacking skill), get a draw or sneak a one nil win if the stars are aligned. On a normal day Batth scores that rebound, they ger their penalty, and its one point away from home. Not exactly inspiring stuff, but I’m not worried yet.

According to the LT, Markanday was at Ewood tonight in the director's box. Possibly about to be recalled?

Had a look at the size guide for this years kits, are they really small? If I'm reading the chart right I would need to go up two sizes from my usual t-shirt size...

For sale is a Uhlsport Rovers third shirt from the 99/00 season with 15 JANSEN on the back. Size is XXL. The shirt in itself is in good condition for its age, two small bobbles on the top right of the red band across the chest notwithstanding. The printing on the back is a bit ragged. Price is £45 net to be paid via Paypal or bank transfer, including shipping from the EU. Let me know if you have any questions!

Only seen highlights so not fit to comment on the game as a whole, but from a pure squad perspective it seems very strange to persist with JRC as an attacking midfielder when we've got loads of those and only one recognized right back, a position JRC could easily make his own and which would probably be better for his own career in the long run. Also noteable that Buckley's ability to thread a pass from midfield was key to us getting a penalty and our second best scoring opportunity, he's not a perfect player even at this level but we'd be a much more dangerous side if we found an effective place for him.

Markanday's loan is a head scratcher for me. Even if he scores 15 goals in League 2 his status in the Rovers' squad wouldn't change (unless we're relgated that is), and his market value would still be miniscule.

Gallagher played under four different managers while at Rovers, and was a preferred option by every single one. He's like catnip for them for some reason.

Hopefully Hirst least season filled that quota for a good while.

One inevitably starts thinking of ways to play Ohashi and Gueye in the same team. I feel like we have a more than decent basis for a 3-5-2 formation, with the only downside being that it leaves a significant portion of attacking midfielders with no real place in the team. ---------------------Pears/New-------------------- -----------------Hyam---Batth---Carter----------- Brittain/Hedges-----------------------Pickering-- ------------------------Tronstad------------------- ----------Rankin Costello-------Travis------------ ---------------------------------------------------- -----------------Gueye-------Ohashi--------------

...and scored against Real Madrid and Roma in the Champions League. A while back of course, but he's only 25. Eustace needs to move heaven and earth to get a tune out of him rather than dismissing him because he's not 32 and has 400+ games in the Championship and League 1 behind him, which i fear is what's happening. We'll see.

FWIW, Ayari was interviewed in Swedish media ahead of a couple of pre-Euros frendlies this week, and he claimed that he enjoyed his time at Rovers and that Eustace wants him back. All up to Brighton's incoming manager apparently.

"Kyle has been fantastic, we have spoken about having more quality and experienced players around the group to help and develop. He is one I would like to keep for sure, if we're allowed to do that."

Stone age thinking from Eustace, apparently we need to keep someone on who can’t control the ball under any kind of pressure and is so slow that we need to change tactics and formation to accomodate him just because… he’s experienced? Cheap? Shouts a lot in training?

Viktor Johansson, who's been among the best keepers in the league for two seasons running despite playing for a hopeless Rotherham side, has a £750.000 relegation release clause...

Let’s be real, the vast majority of posters here would have been up in arms if we’d offered Brereton a new contract before him unexpectedly coming along in the 21/22 season, and then it was likely too late with him (correctly) envisaging a golden ticket to somewhere even higher in the pecking order than a lower half PL club with his contract running down.

I remember Nzonzi doing a similar (but even more egregious) thing in the 11/12 season. Hope that's not a portent.

We already knew he's a good shot stopper, but I'd like to see him go 10 games before throwing a ball into his own net before I'm even near satisfied. As things stand we still desperately need a safe pair of hands for next season.

Another cameo appearance today. There's not really a place for him in Eustace's current kick-it-and-run stye, and I doubt him nor the club are prepared to wait and see through next pre-season if he'll fit better into whatever JE supposedly cooks up then. Which is a shame, because I genuinely believe he's the classiest player currently on our books, and probably the one with the highest potential.

Thanks, that's very enlightening. Any hope for Bloxham or the two Polish lads?

Are there any other under-21s apart from Gilsenan who might be close to a place in the first team?

We clearly need a mixture of the two. I concede that we desperately needed bodies in the last transfer window and couldn't afford to think about long term development or sellability, but in the long run we'll never go anywhere if we exclusively keep going for the Flecks and Fazackerleys of this league. Academy players and buying cheap young talent from places where everyone else isn't looking and developing them to sell on with a big profit is the only way to go if we're hoping to go anywhere in this league or above.

There's an argument to be made that Hanley ended up with the better career.

Early days, but very worrying that the defensive frailty of Tomasson's days persists (three missed opportunities to get the ball out of the penalty area before their goal!) while the attacking flair seems to have been replaced with counter attacks as our sole route towards goal. If Eustace is just another bog standard Championship coach we're in trouble.