Someone on here said they can't keep winning every game with a late goal...guess he was right.

We aren't looking that hard to break down if you ask me.

Know what else happened when play resumed? We scored the winning goal. Thought warm ups were an odd choice by Boro. If you're not warm at what, 60 odd minutes into the game? Something is wrong.

Yeh if you say so.

I did read it, thanks for your concern.

He's very good. However I'm clearly no longer in the same universe I was in last season if people genuinely think he is better, let alone much better, than the lad who got one of the highest assists totals in the league last season. I've no idea why him and Reed were used as examples of poor loans in the post I quoted, rather than say Walton and Douglas, but it only reinforces my new alternate reality theory...

Where the team finished is irrelevant to how good the player has been for us. Plenty of our best current players were here when we finished 15th. Edun wasn't here, he isn't better than Elliott either. Brad Friedel was world class and we finished 6th or lower with him every season. Van Hecke wouldn't cost a quarter of what Elliott would cost. There's a reason for that - he's a good player, but nowhere near as good as Elliott. Our failings last season were due to repeated tactical errors by the manager, not because the squad was significantly worse.

In what universe is he looking 'much better than Elliott'?

That's more interest than our club has shown in him this season.

It sounds like you should listen to them more often...which creates quite the paradox.

Yes. We are not only in the same league as Bournemouth, we are challenging each other for promotion to the most lucrative league in the world. They're doing it to unsettle us at least as much as to actually sign the player. It's a bit of a dick move. But I'd definitely do it back to them now they've drawn first blood 😛 (Not really though, as their players will be much better paid, and Bournemouth would just turn to Joe's agent and say looks like they can afford high wages after all...)

I've seen this sentiment expressed a little today, and whilst it's not literally the end of the world of course, or the end of the club being competitive etc, it could very much be the difference that stops us winning promotion. It would be a perfectly fair sentiment in the summer, but midseason and sitting 2nd, it isn't. Signing someone at very short notice who will hit the ground running and suit the existing style without having a preseason to get is very far from guaranteed. Especially if you want like for like, as Rothwell is a fairly unique player. It would likely be someone with a very different skillset, which could mean that midfield unit doesn't work as effectively. I very much hope all our first team players stay. Although as I've said before, wouldn't mind Butterworth going out on loan with Vale and Chapman to fill the emergency cover role.

That does suggest that your sources are not entirely sure about it themselves.

What sale?

Eh? What Bournemouth player have we bid for?

I can envision this so easily...family member of Rothwell's thinks 'Joe's missus wants to go to Bournemouth, I'd best tell a random Rovers fan. Think I'll trawl on the FB page, pick one out and give em a ring.' Alternate story, they know the fan and decide to tell them in absolute confidence. Fan then immediately splats it onto the ole' Face like the moneyshot on a porno. Their friendship will assuredly remain untarnished. Either way, sounds legit.

I tended to think once the pre-contract was signed they'd be disposed to selling him now on the cheap. I expect some very bitter comments from their manager about it.

What is it about him you like the look of? I haven't seen him, but nothing I've heard has inspired me about him. It wouldn't be anywhere near the first time if an underwhelming signing came up trumps of course.

I considered that but I'd have to say no! Technically a different club that never entered the Prem. Dunno if they've been relegated to that level or not either, didn't they just reform in non league and get promoted back up?

But we are in that position now, and they're still not committing.

If you think the most we are paying is 10k, I'm highly confident you're very wrong. Talk in the past has been of more like double that being the ceiling. I'd be astonished if Dack is on less than 15k.

Those would cost 3 times as much as a keeper most likely, or more. We aren't approaching the end of the season, it's January.

Pears was barely challenged in those games. Our goalkeeper has already had an injury, hence Pears playing, and was down not long ago looking like he might have another. Yes, if he never gets injured it won't matter who the backup is, but if he does, we are SCREWED. It's a big risk to take when the position is so cheap to recruit.

We weren't digressing. This is a transfer thread and we discussed squad strength and where we need to strengthen. You think our squad is fine as is, which is lovely (we will revisit that when an inevitable injury crisis dicks our best chance at promotion since we came down), but if you don't think we need any more players I'm not sure what you're doing in the transfer thread other than maybe trying to antagonise people who do think we need signings.

Our backup strikers aren't as below par as our backup keeper. It's not even close.