Exiled_Rover

Occam's razor applies here. There's no conspiracy theory - Broughton / JDT can't really complain if the CEO says "sorry, we can't commit to paying £10m for O'Brien if we get promoted". WBA said exactly the same thing. It's incompetence, end of.

He also holds the UEFA Pro Licence (coaching) and Technical Director's qualifications from the Football Association. He lacks experience, which is why he's cutting his teeth as a Director of Football at this little backwater club (thanks Venkys).

I would much, much rather just play Garrett / Buckley / Wharton and Travis. Use that spare wage bill (if there is any!) on a free agent striker - whoever that is.

In Broughton's defence he's literally THE most qualified person at the club. He's failed to get any of the striker signings over the line, which is very poor, but unfortunately we're a small fish these days and beholden to others - Undav didn't fancy it, the french lad was coming until his club said otherwise etc. After all that he managed to get O'Brien and Brierley lined up on deadline day until the Club Secretary / CEO failed to do their job. As I've said previously, the most disappointing thing is that neither he or JDT have brought in a Scandinavian player based on their background - you'd think they'd have a whole Rolodex full of them.

We said that last year too... If you put out an organised side in this league you'll be there or there abouts. You can't win it, but you can sneak into the Playoffs and then it's a roll of the dice.

To be honest they should avoid Forest too - they only signed O'Brien in the summer for £9m and now they're not even registering him.

Agree to disagree. There's no goals in Gallagher and Dolan should be a 20 minute impact sub. Dack and Brereton-Diaz are our only 'consistent' goal scorers, but one of them hasn't found the net for 11 games. Replacing Vale / Gallagher with a goal scoring #9 (of any variety really - target man / quick, whatever) would have seen us win the Boro and Rotherham games quite comfortably.

We've improved, just not enough. Obviously there's a big reset in the summer, but that's tomorrow's problem.

I mean this lot even managed to fuck up the best shirt in football (it's crap and wrong this year too, as it has been for about 12 years) - so I'm not surprised they fucked up a transfer.

His set pieces alone will get him in the team - I like Hedges as an all round player (one of the few that can receive the ball in a tight space and not lose it), but his end product is a lacking. Brereton-Diaz hasn't scored for 11 games...

He won't be here in the summer and that won't be our choice.

Underwhelming, but not terrible - Thomas will walk into our starting 11 and at least Markanday is going to develop out on loan. We really needed a striker.

I appreciate that it's a disappointment, but I don't understand the sudden outburst of anger now that the EFL have confirmed that the transfer is invalid. Anyone with an ounce of common sense knew that this wasn't going to get through when rumours started to leak about late submission of documents. The EFL are jobsworths, they'll always fall back on the letter of the law. I'm more annoyed that we haven't signed a striker this window - that's the criminal part and the reason we're slowly slipping down the league. As good as O'Brien is, I don't particularly want to see a midfield of Morton and O'Brien when we have Buckley, Wharton, Garrett and Travis all sat on the bench.

You'd think the EFL would want proven quality players in their league...

Sheffield United should be on the receiving end of a 15 point deduction as they've failed to pay past transfer fees... so they should probably keep quiet.

I'd just point the outraged clubs to Tevez and Mascherano and tell them I'm sorry for their loss. It's a moot point anyway, we won't win the appeal.

He hasn't scored in 11 games and at this point he's missing sitters.

No it's not - however the component we need, a goal scorer (that can hopefully bring others into the play) isn't coming in.

You're down to the bare bones of the fan base as is.

My dad grew up a Man City fan (as he grew up in Manchester). I converted him to Rovers when I was a kid when the family moved here. I apologise at every home match.

Why waste your breath? The Venkys aren't going to be pressured into selling.

"Erm, here's our new signing, some kid from Rochdale".

You can get buggered if you think I'm taking on the CEO job for a third of what Waggot has been paid for the last few years.

He doesn't have to come here permanently if we don't get promoted.

Chelsea LITERALLY just messed up the Ziyech transfer. They can hardly be considered an inexperienced club in the transfer market considering they've spent about £600m this January.