No. Nor is there one where he says he definitely would have.

I nearly commented on that too! I was thinking bollocks ago sounds like the bollocks was in the past, but I'm fairly sure we're still living in the Bollocks Era.

In the first halves of the last two seasons, it has. Formations don't lose form and fitness, players do. I don't believe the formations per se have been a problem, so much as the mentality, fitness and consistency of the playing staff. And to a degree, the poor decision-making of the managers. I would say it's not a good formation for a possession game that JDT supposedly wants to play, you can't afford to lose the midfield battle then. But when you can send it long to fairly quick attackers on the counter, as has been our most successful approach, it's not as important. Weren't we playing 4-3-3 for a lot of Mowbray's possession-obsessed phase?

That's pushing it. He did a decent if dull job, but the absolute best he could rank during just my time is 4th. Across the club's grand history, he's an afterthought. He shouldn't have been fired when he was, but I think he gets a bit too much credit on account of the total charlatan managers either side of him, Ince and Kean.

Pedantic would be me correcting you by saying 'being' and 'my'. Correcting someone with incorrect information is failed pedantry.

It's more of a 4-2-3-1 and we've been playing it quite a lot for years.

There was another interview where he said his mind was basically made up already, and that whilst he would have given us fair consideration if he got to come over, he doubts it was going to sway him.

What do you mean? What's the holdup in knowing they can press go on multiple deals? Do you mean we can't sign players until players are sold/loaned out?

😬

Has it actually been reliably confirmed that our bid was accepted? If not, another possibility is just that our bid isn't what they're looking for to sell now. Since this isn't a signing we really need to make immediately, I'd have gone straight to the player for negotiations, and only gone to Hibs with a bid once a pre-contract was signed. Stronger barganing position.

He had confidence early doors, banging in a couple of lovely goals. Personally I suspect some minor injuries have slowed him down and/or he has increasingly been asked to play the tippy tappy bollocks and doesn't feel comfortable with it, throwing off his whole game. Either way some time out of the team may actually be just what's needed to return to form, a la Dack.

You've got it wrong there. We didn't fall away after winning the league because we had 'grown too fast'. We fell away because Jack pulled the purse strings back together, and allegedly started asking Kenny to justify why he wanted players, which led to Kenny stepping down. This ultimately led to Jack having to plough even more money into the club under a manager who wasn't up to it. Failure to invest from a position of strength, and ensuring the right people are in charge. Possibly also the dangers of too much owner interference. Those are the lessons to be learned from what happened after 1995, and funnily enough they can be applied to recent times.

You're right - the tables before games are played will show us in 2nd I believe 🤣

Absolutely, such an annoying argument that keeps coming up. It's not the 1980's. If you have a Championship-level first team career in this day and age, and you end up penniless when you retire, then you've almost certainly misspent your money or been extremely unlucky. It's also not like there aren't other career avenues open to footballers when they retire. Punditry, coaching, agent work, etc. That's just some of the football-related ones, and they also will have enough money to get whatever qualifications they'd like (and still be eligible for student loans I believe). If you were a fairly high-level footballer in England and you end up penniless, you fucked up, or perhaps just thought that a few years of kicking a ball around should enable you and yours to live a lavish lifestyle forever.

A CB isn't going to make it sufficient though. Short-term, which I suspect is where you're focused, we don't really have a pressing need for a CB once Hyam is back in what, 2-3 weeks? An attacker on loan, a sub keeper, and a CB doesn't sound sufficient to me and doesn't solve the main problems.

If I couldn't put my prejudices to one side, I wouldn't say C. Ronaldo is the best player I've ever seen, as I think he's an absolute plank. The European Super Cup is the European equivalent of the Community Shield, it's not really a big deal, no. Cup Winner's Cup, sure, so one worthwhile trophy at Aberdeen (that no longer exists, I assume UEFA decided it wasn't that worthwhile) and did well for a smaller club relative to its league, in winning a few mickey mouse trophies against two competing clubs. But the point stands, he didn't travel around, stayed at a stupendously well-resourced job for an awfully long time, which let him beat most clubs to most players of his choosing most of the time, intimidated and bribed referees (well the club did, nobody can convince me otherwise so don't try), had a golden generation of youngsters coming through...and it shouldn't be forgotten that he nearly got the sack in his early days. I accept he was an extremely good manager and a winner, but overhyped for me, should never have been knighted due to his foul personality, and there are others out there that we, as Rovers fans especially, would be better using as examples.

Don't think there is any chance Venkys allow that after what we saw with the Rothwell situation, where more money was offered for a less valuable player and they said no. Maybe that stubborness would result in Villareal upping the offer to something they'll accept...but I doubt it. Not while we are sat in the playoffs. I would guess they'll want 8 million bare minimum even after a pre-contract is signed.

Whilst I lost faith in JDT's tactical acumen after the Boro game (it had already been fading for a while), I'm content to give at least the full season before making a firm judgement on this new regime. However, I reserve the right to make criticisms (and give praise) along the way. I don't expect to call for anyone's head before the season is pretty much done though, if then. Not saying it might not happen briefly in a fit of emotion of course lol, but the sensible time to make a full assessment will be season's end, IMO. Obviously any Mowbray-level death spiral may warrant an earlier call.

I expect Villareal will super low-ball us with such an offer once the pre-contract is signed. Probably offer us a couple of million, maybe 3.

He was also in charge of a very large, extremely well-resourced club yet never got accused of buying the title. Fuck him and his impressive but still overblown achievements, many of which came through chicanery anyway. If he had moved around clubs a bit and succeeded repeatedly (no I don't care about Aberdeen and the mickey mouse trophy), conducted himself with a modicum of honour, and not had referees on the payroll, I might be a bit more impressed.

Let's stop lauding Ferguson, the man's an absolute cunt and retired years ago, let's use another example please.

Butterworth put in several very lazy performances last season, so I can't agree that he runs around like a madman.

Yeh, but shit that doesn't stink as much.

Gallagher. You said yourself, Vale did nothing for the team. At least Gally puts a shift in, and has a much better goal record than Vale.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/23267526.tomassons-solid-verdict-blackburn-rovers-draw-bristol-city/ “At the end, I think the result is okay,” Tomasson said. “When you’re leading and controlling the game I think it was a very solid performance. “Coming away to Bristol City it’s a difficult place to come to when you look at the attacking quality they have and the last couple of weeks regarding their form. “With leading, you can be a bit disappointed with the way we conceded the goal, individual mistakes happen in football, but I’m happy to see the lads digging in, 10 against 11, with a great spirit, fighting together and I think we can be pleased and satisfied with a draw in that way. “On the other hand a bit disappointed if you see how we controlled the game in the way we wanted.” “It was a brilliant goal, overloading on right-hand side, played with few touches, a good run from Morton, a cut-back and Bradley chose a great position and a good finish. “Normally he does that.” On the goal Rovers conceded, Tomasson said: “That’s football, we all that Thomas has had excellent games as well and has been important the whole season. “On another day he keeps that ball.”