Exiled_Rover

The fact he's talking about summer signings is terrifying.

Now THAT is a penalty. Harwood-Bellis was being undressed in the 6 yard box.

Buckley on as a False 9?

Even a team getting relegated from the Championship (an absolute cloggers league) is full of divers. Bloody hell.

Agree to disagree.

The Wycombe commentators are scratching their heads about it too "surely you want him on the end of those crosses....". Everyone but Mowbray sees it.

Brereton isn't a Mowbray favourite - he's often the first guy subbed.

Oh bloody hell, Downing. If he's the answer you're asking the wrong questions.

Elliot has regressed massively. He's been shite since Christmas.

I'd like to see him played further upfield. He's not a FB.

Nah, JRC just clearly isn't an athlete. It's obvious if you watch him for 5 minutes.

Yeah he's a talented lad, but if he wants to leave I'm not against it as he's never available for selection.

Wycombe commentators saying this is the first time they've played three at the back in two years - they couldn't work out why. I felt like calling in and saying "Rovers can't break down any team that plays 3 at the back and floods the midfield". Even the manager of the team at the bottom of the league is more tactically astute than Mowbray.

If anything he's hurting their value by playing them in this disorganised, demoralised mess.

Which is why I'd heavily lean on the Academy if I was the manager. I'd have as strong as a starting XI as finances allowed and have the bench filled with Academy players. It's a great sales pitch for people on the fence about which Academy to sign for - if you're any good you're going to get playing time in the Championship with Rovers. Obviously we already have several Academy graduates in said starting XI, which helps.

Bearing in mind that we could almost field an entire Academy XI and stay in this league, that's pretty impressive. We haven't produced a great player for a while - but I think that's mostly down to the competition we face for signatures in the North West.

I'd counter that with Brad Friedel (however much he likes to gloss over the fact he played for us in interviews...).

Two of the players on that thumbnail were doggers.

Brilliant, it gets better and better at Ewood(!)

As I said previously, whoever is in charge of scouting / signing the released players from other Academies can stay. They're doing a brilliant job. Everyone else on our coaching staff can go though. Sadly that's where we find ourselves - even with a Cat 1 Academy we're low down the totem pole on resources / attraction for any NW players. Why sign for Rovers if City / Utd / Liverpool / Everton offer you a contract? We just have to continue to polish up their discarded gems to promote to our first XI (I think Mowbray has been incredibly conservative with the Academy prospects, I'd have more of them playing for the first team) while we remain in the Championship.

Come off it. We've clearly been stuck in the mud for too long. Literally nobody in our current side would get a sniff in our PL sides. Dolan might have quick feet down here (his only one real 'super strength' tbh), but he's not a patch on a while host of ex-players I could mention. I'm glad we got him for free and that he's making a go of his opportunity, but he'll never play in the Prem.

Surely Holtby has been told he's not going to get a new contract. He'll be on a fair whack and he's absolutely not deserved it. Clear some of this deadwood off the books now to give the new manager a chance.

They were loaded - albeit not as loaded as they are now. Funnily enough I was lamenting that today with a friend. We get lumbered with awful Indian owners who won't bugger off despite a decade of incompetence. Citeh get back-to-back rich owners when the first one was arrested for money laundering. Doesn't seem fair, really.

I would honestly sack whoever said that on the spot. I don't care if it was Tony Parkes. Unbelievable. Brentford.

Well it begs the question, who's making the decision on these transfers?