So again, if it was obvious in training that any of them are ready to step up, why weren't they used in the dead rubbers? It's more obvious even in a game with little on the line than it is in training. If he had faith they were going to be ready for this season as legitimate squad players rather than just getting their introductions, they would have played in those dead rubbers. They didn't even come on as subs.

He isn't making the argument that they're not good enough though. Just that we can't assume they are and not make signings in areas we will be short. You don't assign a full squad spot to an untested youth player unless you've seen enough in training to feel really sure they're ready to step in regularly. Our illustrious manager has made it clear he doesn't have that confidence in them yet. So instead that means you drip feed them in. Injury crises, sub appearances when we are winning comfortably, that kind of thing, is the usual approach for blooding youngsters. Not saying we need a new X position player so how about we shove a lad from the u23s in and hope he swims.

I'll never forgive Tony for that. Not the first time he has done it either. He has done more harmful things for sure, but not trying out the youth players on the fringes when there is NOTHING of any importance to play for other than arguably salvaging his own job is up there with Gallagher at RB for pure stupidity that can't be excused in any way.

They played games, so they need replacing. Whether we thought they were hot property is not the point. It's a long season, where rotation is necessary, and our manager's default approach. Depth is required, that's not really up for debate. I'd say we can probably go with 2, maybe 3 less bodies overall than last season but any more is a big risk to take for a side that wasn't far off a relegation battle last season. For returning loanees I'll grant Carter seems a plus, but Chapman looks to be off and nobody else looks likely to get a look in. Our u23s is a similar story - despite all the talk, Mowbray didn't even trust them enough to give any of them a debut in the end of season dead rubbers. It's a huge leap to assume we, and he in particular, can rely on them now. You'd be happy to replace 10 departing players with 2? And not even in the position most required, central midfield, where we have ironically been carrying too many players previously but now are short. Thank god you're not in charge, I'd rather have Mowbray than someone who thinks we only need two new players this summer. My comparison doesn't remotely prove your point. Firstly, highly rated Liverpool youngster with first team appearances for them under his belt and having been bought at 16 for 4 million is an absolute non-starter comparison to Jason Lowe at any age. Secondly my comparison didn't reverse-age Jason Lowe, I was talking about the player of right now, who is absolute dog shit. So basically, if Rovers signed me tomorrow - aged 36, never played professionally, injury prone and entirely out of shape, that would be equally as likely to pay off as if we got Elliott back. You'd be just as happy with it because all signings are a gamble. Got it.

10 first team squad members have left, or am I mistaken? That's close enough to half a squad for me to use the phrase. To illustrate that it's a silly argument - if we re-signed Jason Lowe, that would be an equal signing to getting Elliott back would it? Yes there are risks inherent in any transfer, but the risks can be broadly calculated as better or worse ones. Just because it's not an exact science doesn't mean you can't try to pinpoint good and bad signings before they happen. It's literally what our recruitment department are there to do.

If all signings are essentially equal because they could go well or badly (which is a silly argument btw) then the difference is that they at least seem to be organised and on with it. We have half a squad to rebuild and could do to get a shift on. Normally I'm in the far more relaxed crowd on here when it comes to patience with signings, but this year we have a LOT of work to do. It probably is a little early to actually complain, but all the omens are ominous. We will take some beating. Preston's discarded u18s player was one of our biggest transfer successes last year. Blackpool have a striker we covet that they got for peanuts but would now cost more than we can afford without sales. Of course their signings could turn out well.

And equally, all of them could be mint.

So, with all things considered, what bid would you all accept for Brereton if a bid came in tomorrow? So, before the Armstrong saga is resolved but still knowing he will likely leave too. And not knowing if we will be in embargo, nor whether selling someone in the next few days could prevent one.

Interesting.

I couldn't find bookies giving Championship relegation odds yet, who is that with?

Nope we still employ him.

He only played 2 games in League One. He has played in the Scottish Prem more recently than that, 10 games this year, so it wouldnt be going higher anyway. I expect the thinking is that he needs a run of regular games, and the level directly below us is the closest test you can give really. I'd argue the SPL is only slightly, if at all, a 'higher' level than League One anyway. Some League One or below level clubs in there for sure. We have two other young centre backs on the cusp here, Ayala returning and will probably look to get a new CB if possible, so someone is going out on loan.

He has then compounded that impact by raising prices and thereby slashing thousands off our number of season ticket sales.

The fan reactions show that isn't an issue. Maybe it's more that his teammates don't like the attention being stolen from them. Or maybe the players just need to get used to each other.

Everyone who has been here for long enough to see me post consistently, and you post, will be under no illusions about my capability in batting your nonsense down, but frankly pal I can't be arsed. You're just being tedious as per. There's nothing to be gained by a battle of wits with an unarmed man.

Very strange - does he not need it for the second half like?

Bore off.

I can tell you all of those occasions: Done.

You really confuse me with this 'Dack has never really delivered in this league' thing. There was certainly a valid argument to be had pre-injury that Dack wouldn't be able to compete in the Prem, but any argument that at that time he hadn't delivered in the Championship is the purest of nonsense. And Mols absolutely didn't deliver in the Spanish what was it, 4th tier? Be better to just admit you got it wrong on him too rather than keep looking silly, people would respect it more. Sometimes players shine at youth level and can't make the step up, there's no shame in admitting you got over-excited about one. Mols had a lot of talent, he just didn't make it count.

I didn't even think Cameron Jerome was still playing.

Christ, you drive, drink and eat fast if that all lasted you a combined 15 minutes!!! Maybe you'll enjoy your spends a little more if you just take the time to savour them 😉

In fairness I think some younger people these days mean 'legend' in a far less extreme sense than the traditional one. Like your mate down at the pub who is a 'legend'. Seems like a top bloke, as a person, does Benno, and that might account for some of the hyperbole.

I wouldn't have been furious if he had signed up for another year only, on a vastly reduced wage and only to be used as backup, in his actual position unless a dire emergency. Since I doubt any of those things would have been the case, this has to be considered good news.

The general vibe I get. And the losses we have been posting. The way we seem to be leaving it very late (as far as what I've seen reported says anyway) to submit the final clarification over our accounts, and the league needing clarification over them. Which to me suggests we may have been trying some 'creative accounting' to avoid an embargo (yes I know some will say we want an embargo but I don't buy it). I could be wrong of course, it's just a general impression/expectation. We will see. Or we might indeed be doing creative accounting and it actually work. But the EFL seem to take a very dim view of that kind of thing these days.

Today's (yesterday's now) LT article made depressing reading. What we thought was nearly 2 million for Brentford's promotion turned out to be 500k. Getting rid of five loanees, Downing, Mulgrew, Evans, Bell, and Holtby only comes to savings of 50k per week apparently. On the plus side this means we were paying less for them than we thought, but the downside is it doesn't free up as much budget as we thought. I'm very much suspecting that when the Financial Unfair Play decisions are made we are going to be in an embargo. Which will weaken our bargaining position for Armstrong and other players (including contract renewals) even further. And as has been mentioned, the usual nonsense hard luck stories with zero accountability will come out. Couldn't possibly be things like selling a highly rated keeper for peanuts to a club renowned for finding bargains and foregoing the next season by loaning and sticking with one of the worst keepers ever to wear blue and white. Or raising season ticket prices in a pandemic, resulting in millions in lost revenue. Or fannying about with delayed season ticket and shirt sales. Or signing 12 million quid of strikers who haven't delivered and playing them on the wing. Or signing expensive crocks from TM's old club. Or knowingly paying players to do nothing because we feel sorry for them. Or tactical midgetry that repeatedly cost us any real chance at the land of milk and honey. Nope, it will all be us being the only club affected by covid, and that FFP thing we've known the parameters of for years. Hell if Maggot is feeling especially talkative he might even implicitly blame the working class fans again for not spending enough of their hard earned, limited money to support millionaire footballers whilst the club utterly takes the piss.