If he's being paid double by Sheffield Utd there's not much you can do about it.

Didn't need time away when the IPL was paying him a fortune though, eh? Convenient that.

He's a brilliant man manager, he just only has one trick - he alienates one player in the squad as his whipping boy (at Man U it was Shaw) and installs a siege mentality. Obviously it's not a long-term strategy, which is why he moves on so often, but for those 2-3 years players will run through a wall for him.

We don't currently have a team - I don't think people realise how threadbare this squad is.

As Mowbray never built teams to last (loanees and contracts running out), JDT basically has a clean slate - he needs to bring in 5/6 players regardless. They can all be guys that fit his high press system.

Having driven both - no chance.

They do it in College Football in America when Head Coaches are moving teams.

It's a trek from Manchester to Sheffield - almost as long as the flight from Malmo to Manchester. Surely a small plane like that could land at Leeds / Bradford?

Buttler and Livingstone couldn't be arsed tonight - Buttler having played his mandated 1 game a season for Lancashire on Friday. We'll be missing Gleeson, Salt and Parkinson on Thursday in the QF too. The ECB have made a farce of this competition.

Of course it's a farcical way to run a football club - have you not been paying attention for the last 12 years? They're the worst owners in all of football.

Personally I think the taps were turned off on Mowbray. The Venkys have spent money when properly motivated (£5m for Gallagher, £7m for Brereton).

If JDT and Broughton want to rebuild this squad then moving Ayala and Brereton on is the quickest way to do it. Assuming the owners haven't lied to our new dynamic duo, they'll be able to use the funds to reshape the squad in their image.

I'd let him go for a minimal fee - he's a fantastic Championship CB, when he's fit. He's just never fit. It would release a huge chunk of wages too.

So nothing we don't already know then. I do hope Broughton and JDT play things close to their chest because that's not a lot of transfer news for 2 weeks in the job.

That was at least during a game when all the subs had been used, right? I'm Mowbray's biggest critic, but I'm ok with emergency positional changes like that.

That's what the club is saying.

So basically "he's shit".

Why not? Keeps him fit and in the shop window - we won't be his only suitor.

Why? It's about your clients being happy - the wealth comes (and generational wealth if you're good enough) naturally in sport. Otherwise you might as well hire any shark in a suit who's looking for his piece of the pie.

I'll be shocked if we spend £10m in the transfer window - even if / when Brereton goes.

Genuinely think he'll be lucky to make the bench if they've got any designs on staying up.

I'd love him, but realistically the finances would dictate that it's an either or with him and the lad from Malmo. Get one of them and I'm very happy.

Exactly. Football has increasingly become a squad game - especially in the Championship where you're often playing a brutal schedule of 2 games a week. I'm all for playing Academy kids - it's one of the few sources of pride I've gotten from watching Rovers the last few years - but it has to be sensible. You simply can't expect a bunch of them to come through at the same time - 'The Class of '92' is a documentary for a reason, it's basically unheard of. I think realistically you can only count on Carter to add dependable depth to the squad next season - if any of the other touted names do it's a bonus. We should approach the season as such too - it's not going to do Phillips et al any harm to be in and around the 1st team squad for 6 months, but he shouldn't be relied upon as first change on a wet and windy Tuesday night.

We saw what happens last year when you don't concede many, but literally can't score.

They were in discussions with Kompany when they were in the Prem. They've been waiting for i's to be dotted and t's to be crossed. I'm sure they were discussing transfer plans during that time. We didn't know who JDT was until Broughton was hired. It's a different kettle of fish entirely.