Last comment on the subject as I'm clearly in the minority - considering yourself as getting 'lucky' that a lad you've had at the club since he was 7/8 signs a scholarship deal absolutely stinks. The system is beyond broken. Phillips and Finneran were stolen for nothing - and those are just the higher profile ones we know about (I know City stole a winger of ours a few years ago). Boro are able to player trade partly because they actually sell their Academy products for good value. What are they doing that we're not? How do they get players to sign on and show some loyalty?

I assume eventually they'll fold the club, having taken us down to the non-leagues. They'll ultimately blame the fans for not backing the side.

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He's been worryingly poor so far (if you're a United fan). I understand that they strong-armed him into taking the job mid-season and I understand that he's wedded to a system, but bloody hell the results have been awful. His inability (or unwillingness) to adapt to the players on the books and get a tune out of them is startling.

If we have these targets of x thousand minutes for Academy graduates (i.e. generally filling the back end of the squad with Academy players to keep costs down) then Duru has to be lined up as the #2 RB, surely? You've always got the fallback option of Carter at RB (I know he's much better at CB, but he can play RB in the Championship) if the Duru experiment fails and you need someone to hold down the fort before strengthening in January (try typing that with a straight face!).

Genuinely amazed he's not been sacked.

Don't get attached to them - any talented ones will be snapped up for peanuts before they turn 17.

Quite the opposite - that's a fantastic group of players (for this level). Wilder should be sacked this evening.

Four? Wrexham, Birmingham, Sheffield United, Leicester, Southampton and Ipswich will all spend big. Others might give it a go too if they're confident in their squads - someone like Boro for example.

Patterson has made a couple of absolute worldie saves, but yeah Sheffield United have offered nothing this half - just expected to see out the 45 minutes this half. You have to go for the kill. This is a bottle job of epic proportions.

One rough challenge and Bottler-Diaz has had enough - even in a Playoff Final. Never change, Ben. Cannon is a much better player to Sunderland might ultimately regret that.

Yep and apparently O'Hare has absolutely no pace. Keeps on turning back with the ball when there's acres to run into.

This ref booking people for tactical fouls, but not dangerous lunges - same as it ever was.

Ben Bottler-Diaz coming on for Hamer. Patterson with another great save too.

Wilder and Sheffield United showing why they finished third despite this squad. They should have put Sunderland away by now - they've come out in the second half on cruise control waiting for the final whistle.

They're the best team we played this season. Realistically they bottled the league - they should have won the whole thing with the squad they have, it's absurdly strong for this division.

Same as how they don't have VAR in the FA Cup until the QFs - moronic. All-in or all-out.

That's an incredible save by Patterson.

I'd be amazed if they lay a glove on Sheffield United.

How much cheaper can we go? The squad is made up of FAs and Academy players.

Genuinely why even bother with an Academy? Potentially a top talent? Stolen for a pittance at 16.

When Mowbray was here and he had a direct line to the owners my opinion of them was that, with the right guys in charge we'd flourish as the manager seemed to have carte blanche. Since they've turned the taps off and costs have been slashed across the board it's clear we're only heading one way - relegation and then liquidation.

Our best hope is Waggott hasn't signed an NDA and goes rogue, shining light on just how dysfunctional Rovers are behind the scenes. Sadly this nightmare doesn't end until the authorities step in.

LOL they're not that well paid.

Billionaire owners, apparently. Who else would buy us, they ask. We've sunk so low I don't actually recognise this club any more.