Thanks for telling me why I think things. But no, I just think he has mostly been a bit better this season when used. To be clear, I'm not a fan. I just think he has been better than the constant liability he was before. Actually played fairly well last game for the most part.

I wouldn't say in his Rovers career. Douglas this year is rather similar to Bell's first Championship season I think it was. Or second. Maybe it was both. Lad was an absolute liability. But I think based on this season he is currently better defensively than Douglas. Of course, this is a bit like discussing who is the tallest midget.

Mowbray has sounded extremely positive about Pickering, and he is one of few players we are likely to spend on this year. My suspicion is we are more likely to have the opposite problem - that even if Pickering turns out to be shit he will be kept in to justify the spend. Yes we spent something similar on Bell, but that was in League One and he has had years to prove his worth.

Well he has played both of the last two. But before that it seems to have been against Reading on 2nd March. Which is 13 games ago. So 3 in the last 13. Does make you wonder if he has only played him in the last two to justify a new deal.

👀 Well, whatever floats his boat I guess.

I've been worrying about that too. Is that pretty much official or just an estimate? Not that I can see us not falling short of the figures needed. It would be strange if the league don't at least move the figures on the losses though, given the pandemic.

I think there are laws regarding what objects can be brought onto the pitch. Sorry to answer seriously. Hopefully, it's more that he's been told 'on yer bike' and is taking it seriously.

Anything short of Armstrong signing a new deal, which won't happen (why would he?), is going to be a real sickener to take. If we sell this summer, we won't get true market value for him (compared to a full contract). Newcastle will then take up to 40% of the profit we do make. Teflon Tony will brag to Pune that his investments pay off, securing his undoubtedly ill-fated tenure for longer. If we don't sell in the summer, but sell in January, we will get our pants pulled down on the fee. Let's say something like 8 million at that point perhaps. Newcastle then take their chunk of that, and Teflon Tony still gets to say he improves player value even if it isn't by as much. At that price point it may even be another Championship club that bags him. And of course if we don't sell in January, we lose him for free. Possibly after he has sulked for a season about not getting his move. By next summer I expect Mowbray and Waggot to have failed sufficiently, for long enough, in front of angry enough fans, to have been fired or resigned. Even if he hasn't, his contract will be up and you'd think if we finish say 15th again they'll not bother renewing it. Assuming we haven't gotten relegated - indeed the one silver lining of this scenario is probably that Arma's goals, if he doesn't sulk too hard, might be enough to keep us up. It's looking like a nearly guaranteed poor outcome however you slice it.

Christ. I like to play devil's advocate so let's see. I suppose there is a difference between being able to do a leisurely cycle and being properly match fit. If he got a knock he might not have been quite fit enough at the time to give his all for 90 minutes on a pitch, but not carrying a proper injury that wouldn't maybe even benefit from some cycling. Then again, he was on the bench the game before that so he can't have had too much to need to recover from. Ah well, as the last two games have proven, he's hardly an asset we need. New contract it is then.

Gave Johnson the weekend off to go cycling? I probably wouldn't ask during the reign of any other manager we have ever had, but...you are joking, right?

That's reasonable news. Holtby has talent, but his consistency and availability have been serious drawbacks, and I doubt he has been cheap. It was a gamble worth taking but it hasn't really paid off. The bad news about that is that he was left out of the squad altogether because he is leaving. Which means the following players are probably being offered new deals: Johnson, Bell (did well today tbf), Evans, Bennett.

Thing is, there are always some failings from the players on the field. I'm struggling to think of a season with this many failings from a manager, and with him correcting zero, or close to, of them.

He had started playing well. Tone couldn't be having any of that shit, that's just not what he's in the team for. If he wasn't gonna do his job of fucking up anymore, the mantle needed passing to Johnson, who showed today how you do it.

Almost as many as they can create.

Before we even set up our 'wall' I had a feeling as soon as the daft free kick was conceded. Especially with the Derby score turning round, just felt more drama was pending in the relegation fight.

On his day, absolutely. His day just comes too infrequently. I'd play him most weeks though.

Silly foul from (Lenihan again was it?) and a great free kick smashed into the space we left absolutely uncontested.

Glad we're bringing Elliott on now so we can develop Liverpool's player some more.

Definitely makes it better, but the shots on those were pretty woeful (angle probably blocked off on the second tbf, but if that's the case you keep the ball). Third one he was unlucky. But mostly he just hasn't had much impact on the game. I'm a fan too.

Probably to not miss three decent chances.

All season he does 3 subs on the 60 minute mark. Winning a dead rubber and an admitted need to look for the future? Wait til the 72nd minute and an injury to make any change.

Yep, unlucky just then though.

Agree. Probably not cheap either. But from the fact he started today, I imagine he is one of the ones who have been told they'll get a new offer. Bloody hope not.

Johnson strolling around after giving the ball away in a dangerous position. Get him off the pitch ffs, bring Davenport on.

Not been selfish today tbf. Seems to be playing wide this half with BB in the middle?