I think if the squad loses any of its key players without strengthening we could be in trouble next season. It's imperative we don't lose anybody we don't want to lose.

Who's going to take them on current form ? They'll both be on a decent wedge. I think we're stuck with them unless something changes.

Shearer would always be my No 1 striker but in the very long list of players I've seen and admired Craig Bellamy would be my choice to play along side him. I go back, just about to Roy Vernon and Peter Dobing, I remember Andy Mac and Fred Pickering really well, and coming up to date you have David Speedie, Chris Sutton. Kevin Gallagher, Matt Jansen, Andy Cole, Santa Cruz, Benny McCarthy, Yakubu even. There's some truly great players in that list but I'd take Bellamy above them all.

I've always thought he was a bit of a blunt instrument. He's never going to be a prolific goal scorer. Nobody takes every chance, I'd say Armstrong maybe needs two good chances for every goal he scores. Samuel needs half a dozen at least and at the moment we struggle to make that many chances in a game. If he had any sense he'd modify his game down the Kevin Davies route and start throwing his weight around as a target man but he shows no signs of doing that. In a normal world, pre virus, I'd say we could sell him and get a good bit of what we spent back. I don't think that sort of money will be being spent now, especially at the sort of lower level club that may be interested in him.. It looks like Graham will be going, the two "big strapping lads " show no signs of being the answer, there isn't a big striker coming through the youth ranks. So unless we're going to let Mowbray have another shot a signing a striker I think we're stuck with Samuel.

It certainly looks to me as though Johnno is being groomed to take over in the fullness of time. I liked him as a player , he was the sort of player every team needs, bags of effort and good ability, a real 100 per center. You've only got to look at him now to see how he's looked after himself in his career, that tells me a lot. He did a great job with the kids but I've got to say if he has had a serious input into the first team this season it's hard to detect what it is. However I'd be prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt if we did appoint him as Mowbray's replacement.

I agree with that and I've been a fan of his almost since day one. i wouldn't sell him at the moment but I'm a bit concerned about his lack of development. He's not a kid anymore. He's got all the attributes to become a really good right full back bar one - the ability to create chances for team mates. In particular his crossing of the ball is mediocre. In todays football full backs have to be able to do more than defend, some fullbacks probably have the opportunity to cross the ball more than the " wingers ", especially at Rovers. Sometimes it's the early, unexpected, crosses that catch teams out. But they've got to be accurate otherwise you're just giving the ball away. The lad's got great athleticism, you can't teach that, but crossing and passing are basic skills that can be worked on. His lack of progress in this aspect of his game will hold him back from playing at a significantly higher level.

That crossed my mind as well.

It's the players that we don't want to sell that we may struggle to hold on to. Players like Travis who can put it about a bit are few and far between theses days. Players like him are what you need to get out of this Division. Other teams will be watching. Ditto with goal scorers.

None of the rest will bring much more than £500k at the moment.

I think Armstrong's highlight reel will be a bit more exciting than the one Brereton put out. His was all running and not many goals. Armstrong's will be not much running but lots of goals.

Hilarious. Kelvin Skerrett with the swinging arm I think. When you think what you get a red card for in football.

I was there that night mate, a game to remember.

I heard he was on the grassy knoll in Dallas when Kennedy got shot, just saying.

I was at a sportsman do when somebody asked Dean Saunders who the best player was in his time. He said Paul McGrath was easily the best player he played with.

Then there's Sam Hart, another mysterious signing.

Well there's a difference between optimism and blind optimism.

Reading the initial posts in this thread is interesting. There'll be one or two red faces on here now. Same with the early posts on the Sam Gallagher thread

Yeah you didn't have to be a pro scout to see he looked the part. A very good full back indeed.

You weren't at the World Club Championship game, Wigan V Manley then ? That showed how much of a Rugby League town Wigan is. The ground was packed to the rafters with over 35,000 on and there were hundreds watching outside Central Park just to get a glimpse of the game through a gap between the stands. I agree with you regarding Ian Lenagan, he's nobodies fool.

It's " Jack And The Beanstalk " all over again. We sold our cow and got a handful of beans in exchange !

It's same with the players, nobody will say a thing until the manager actually gets the bullet then the truth sometimes comes out.

When were Coldplay good ?

Apart from Travis there's not a tackle in any of them beyond the back four.

It's even better now they're playing behind closed doors. There isn't a possibility of a " Mowbray Out " chant anymore.

I thought Johnson did a great job with the " reserves " before he got promoted to chief drone pilot or whatever it is that he does these days. Unfortunately in my eyes he's become tarred with the Mowbray brush. They're all as bad, anybody with any degree of responsibility for that rubbish we've seen recently needs to go.