Exiled_Rover

I suspect Travis is on his way out. He's one of our highest paid players and forced his way out on loan in January - I think his card is marked.

Eustace came in with Rovers in absolute free fall. People argue that JDT's early season results kept us up - he'd just failed to win at home against Huddersfield, Rotherham and QPR (with several thumping away losses in that period too). Again, I'm a card carrying member of the JDT fan club, but he'd clearly lost the dressing room and his arrogance was on full display during that period - he didn't adapt his tactics at all and was determined to keep Brittain / Pickering bombing on leaving us wide open at the back. That arrogance is partly born from the fact he knows he can get another good job somewhere with his credentials. Eustace knows that he'd be lucky to get a job managing Kidderminster again if he relegated us - the downside of being an unfashionable English manager - so he had to be more pragmatic.

In a 'backs to the wall' back 3 he can still play at this level that's for sure.

Was he ever mentioned as a potential manager here? I can't seem to recall that discussion. He's a decent / good Championship manager, but he can't do it without the players. JDT managed to drill the players within an inch of their lives to play his system - but when it went wrong (mainly when the lack of ability our players have showed up) we got thumped. There was no middle ground - which is why we couldn't eek out a result to get into the playoffs last year when we needed it and why we were losing to everyone from December onwards when injuries mounted. Eustace has come in, assessed that our best chance of survival with the collection of players he had at his disposal was to essentially shut up shop, and got us over the line. He gets far, far too much criticism on here.

Have the players not worked hard for him since he arrived? It's not their fault (or his) that they're simply not good enough. They've all put a shift in and put their bodies on the line.

When he's had some money I think his signings have been good - Brittain, Hyam, Szmodics, Tronstad (he won't be on peanuts). Sadly he's never had money.

I think he has a year left on his contract, so I'm sure Villa would talk - I can't imagine he's in their plans going forward. He's a better all-round player than Pickering for me - mainly because he's a plus athlete, whereas Pickering runs like he's got a piano on his back. I doubt we'd stump up the fee though. I'd ask after Ayari too, but again we won't be able to afford him.

Praise in public, criticise in private. As much as you'd love to hear him call out Gallagher for being shite in the media, that gets him nowhere. If he's not banging on Broughton's door tomorrow morning asking for a new GK and CF then he's literally wasting everyone's time.

That's not difficult. Hyam gets the captaincy because he's a big, experienced CB - nobody seems to have taken into account that he's clearly a flake.

You have to think they're in massive financial trouble too - spent £110m on shite after spending £40m the year before. They won't get their money back for any of those players.

That and not having a Championship standard GK and CF on the books.

BBD diving in his own box, which results in a Nottingham Forest goal. True blue (also he's still soft as shit).

I feel for the Hull fans - that's a loooooooong drive home for such an abject performance.

Wagner again.

Love the down votes you're getting. Every other post laments that we have a shockingly poor squad and yet the same fans expect us to get after teams. Eustace has come in and done a job. Let's see if the taps are turned on again in the summer.

The problem isn't Broughton, the problem is that due to their dodgy financial dealings we haven't invested in the squad in 3 transfer windows - and we're approximately £22m in the black (not including the Raya money, or the A. Wharton add-ons) in that time.

Should have been booked for diving.

The 2023 January transfer window when we failed to invest in the team (the transfer deals were deliberately sabotaged in my opinion). The money was officially stopped in the summer (with drastic cut backs of the playing squad) and this state of play continued in January 2024.

If we go a 4th straight transfer window without investing in the squad, yes.

You're talking to a card-carrying member of the JDT fan club who was devastated that the Venkys poisoned the well so badly that JDT paid to get out of his contract. He's a fantastic manager. Eustace is a Championship clogger - I just feel he's being unfairly crucified on here because he's followed JDT.

Not quite. Eustace has steadied the ship, but he has absolutely nothing to throw on upfront to change a game... and the starting options outside of Szmodics are shit to begin with. Sheff Weds have gone on a ridiculous run (by hook or crook) - they were dead and buried at Christmas. If they stay up their manager is Manager of the Season without a doubt.

It is when you look at the squad he's been left.

If you'd given Mowbray's budget to JDT we'd be playing Premier League football right now. I don't know how he managed it, because he's far from charming, but he managed to convince the owners to back him with significant cash and allowed him to have free run of the place (appointed Waggott, Venus was our defacto Head of Recruitment etc).

Picked him up from Aston Villa last year: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nathan-dlamini/profil/spieler/1112481

Yep, incredibly lucky. You make your own luck with the way they play - just relentlessly positive and attacking - but just look at our game at Ewood. Two 'offside' goals and a GK throwing a weak shot into his own net.