Exiled_Rover

To me you can spend the budget how you like, as long as you get results. I imagine they were eating into the transfer budget to pay O'Brien's wages. The difference is that Mowbray had (almost) twice the money in wages to play with - in addition to all the transfer fees paid - and he spent it very poorly. I'll be brutally honest - I hope the transfer doesn't go through because it seems a waste of resources.

Holtby was poor for most of his time here - when he wasn't injured. I just picked out a couple, I could list a whole host of them, really.

You think he'd be a passenger? Everyone else is telling me he's the best CM in the Championship.

The annoying thing is that Mowbray was allowed a whole host of passengers on big money. Douglas, Downing, Holtby, Rodwell etc etc. JDT / Broughton aren't afforded the luxury of any, such is the new wage structure.

Your new CF cost £11m.

Vale, Gallagher and Brereton-Diaz haven't scored since the World Cup break. Dolan today put in a massive shift - he really puts Vale's work ethic to shame - but he's a 5'6" attacking midfielder (of some guise) being asked to compete against two 6'+ CBs. He can harry all game long, but he's not going to score you many playing there. When the window slammed shut without a striker being brought in our promotion challenge was over. We simply don't score enough goals and won't do with this current set of players.

He'd just sit out his contract in that case.

I only like loans if you're pushing for promotion. Mowbray used them to prop up his squad because his recruitment was terrible. I much prefer the 'project' we've got in place now - develop your own Academy players and pick up promising young players from elsewhere. Porteous, for example, would have been a cracking signing for £500k (or whatever it was) - that £500k would have been spent on a loan fee under Mowbray.

If you're being serious about a promotion challenge at a minimum (assuming Thomas is made permanent) you'd need a proper CF, an AML and a LB before you even look to address CM.

Mainly because we've just taken a very creditable point from Watford away - to add to the very good point away at Bristol City. The Wigan draw is disappointing, but when your £15m+ striker misses a sitter I'm not sure what you're supposed to do - they didn't threaten us at all. I was worried about relegation in the summer, so I'm seeing all of this as glass half full.

No, I don't think we have a more talented squad than Mowbray assembled - partly because he flooded the team with loans and partly because he was clearly given a much larger budget to play with. We have better permanent players now - but there's no real reason you couldn't have had Brittain AND Nyambe, for example, besides the fact that Mowbray soured him on Rovers.

He chases lost causes in the channels and harries defenders. He just doesn't know when to make an attacking run - it's not in his locker.

Agree to disagree I guess.

How are you possibly negative when we've just gone away to Watford and picked up a point? They spent £18m in the summer (not including loan fees) and 'loaned' a £19m player back from Udinese. We've taken 4 points off them this season - I appreciate that you think JDT should make wine out of water, but could you not just appreciate a good result and a good performance for an hour or so?

Yes, the three permanent transfers of JDT / Broughton are better than the players that departed and / or were left at Rovers. Mowbray built his teams on loans - and big, failed, purchases. He lived season to season.

I actually think that's how you should use him - a big, athletic player that chases everything down when you're ahead. He's not going to score you any goals though.

How was that a horrible watch? We were disciplined, committed and worked our socks off. A draw is a fair result because Kone missed an open goal for them - but I'd be livid if I was JDT at the FK they were awarded for their goal. If we play like that for the rest of the season I'll be delighted.

We've genuinely played well in 2023, we just usually can't take our chances.

At the end of the day JDT hasn't been afraid to blood youngsters - he clearly doesn't think he's ready.

I thought the midfield was fine. Morton was a passenger at times, but Travis had a cracking game. Hedges did more in his 15-20 minutes than Brereton-Diaz managed all match. He HAS to be dropped at this point I'm afraid.

Tony Mowbray walked into a better squad than the shambles that bastard left behind.

It's not gone unnoticed that it was a blatant dive.

Thomas is on a yellow too - probably the right decision to take him off.

Thanks for what? It wasn't a foul.

I spoke too soon about the ref - he's falling for their con now. Throwing themselves to the floor every chance they get - should be handing out yellow cards for diving, really. Just seen they've scored from this - it really is a disgusting game.