Do you think a scheme like Burnley *spits* had would help? A free season ticket next year if we get promoted this year?

I bet the guy who has been dropped from the squad and the guy who will be benched for him are pissed, having helped them qualify to begin with.

I had no idea George Boateng was ever at the club? What was he doing, coaching?

Wow, really? Which thread? I wouldn't even be having discussions with them until that figure dropped by half (which I also wouldn't pay him, but then we can talk!). I'm amused by the idea his agent thinks we refused to pay 2 million for him just so that we could throw even more money than that at him in extra wages, whilst smashing our wage structure to get a centre half from League One. If he thinks he can get anything like that, good luck to him, but although some clubs will potentially pay more than we will, I don't see anyone paying close to 40k p/w for him.

That's easy to imagine, as it's pretty much always the case. Waggot made similar comments in the consultation, I read. Whatever they're staffing at now, it's insufficient. Or perhaps more accurately, they need better staff - particularly in the concourse. Those guys are painfully crap in the main.

Eh, I kind of agree with them to be honest. Although, traitor is strong...just not wholly committed to the cause perhaps, though it's a long way to travel and risks disrupting him breaking into the first team fully. He wasn't too young...that only applies if he still wasn't good enough, but I'm sure he was good enough two seasons ago. Quite a lot of players have become full, regular internationals for stronger countries at younger ages than 21. I'm sure they'll forgive him quickly enough when they see his value to their team, as long as he doesn't show reluctance in future.

He needs the extra game time after being unfairly benched so many times.

Subjective? On a football messageboard? That's a scandalous accusation!!

Rothwell cost something like 200k. The only reason he hasn't been playing a lot sooner is TM's stubborn approach. He now seems to be seen as a starter. He's been a successful signing. I'd say Nuttall has been successful too, as he was free and has had easily more impact than he was expected to.

I did. And now I've gone clinically insane and been committed to Broadmoor. My life is ruined. Thanks a lot, K-Hod!!

They offered that back in the summer, before he had shown he could notch 14 goals and 7 assists in this league. So yes, I think he could still fetch around that - if the right buyer wanted to fill the right position. I'd thoroughly expect the club to hold out for £20 million though. Not saying we could push it to £20 million anymore, but you don't have to sell lower just because somebody won't meet your price, unless you're desperate. They always say something is worth what someone is willing to pay. I've never agreed - something is worth what someone is willing to pay combined with what someone is willing to sell at. That's a separate discussion though - in short, yes I think we could get about £15 million if the right club needed that role filling. I actually don't think he will be off in the summer, personally. I think his recent form and his past form, plus his age, has created a situation whereby he is probably still worth about £20 million to us but I don't see any clubs going any/much higher than about £15 million. Not many Championship clubs have that type of brass, so we might not even get tested around the £15 million mark. A Premiership club being genuinely interested would change the whole dynamic, but I think the clubs watching him from up there are going to want to watch him for another 6-12 months at a high performance level before taking the gamble. Shame for him as a player, because if he'd played to his potential consistently this year and had drive, we'd definitely be fielding Prem suitors in the summer. Good for the club, as I don't think we need the money as much as we need the player.

Careful saying that, we know where he'd end up... Lad can pass.

Last summer has started!

I heard that too...hopefully he'd be more willing to do six months in League One though this time. If he's realistic, he will, as he can't reasonably expect to walk back into a Championship side when he's barely played in League One. The best he can expect right now would be to assume the Downing cover role. Even that may be a stretch, depending how the summer business goes. I don't see someone in the Championship trying to buy, nor someone in League One stumping up the few hundred grand I expect we'd want, so if he doesn't take a League One loan he may find himself back in the u-23s all or most of the season.

It's not, I don't think it has plummeted either. In fact quite a few made the argument that it was tosh.

If true, then it's even stranger that Davenport has yet to make the bench. Sure, he will probably get a run in the last game, but why give it just one game when we have been safe for 4? If we plan to use the guy heavily next season, now was the time to find out if he may be up to it, before doing our summer business. I'm sure he has been fit for longer than Chapman?

It's never silly to compare unless we're talking literally a handful of games. By your logic, it's silly to compare Rothwell's shooting to Dack's too, statistically or anecdotally, hell, maybe any aspect of his game, because we've only seen him for a third of a season. But we can only go off what we have so far (same with Brereton). I wasn't trying to make any point with the statistics, I was just presenting them to add to the debate, for flavour. For what it's worth my impression has been that Dack is a better passer and shooter than Rothwell, ie, I agree with you. I've never felt statistics in general paint the whole picture - some players attempt riskier passes which have bigger pay-offs, for starters. Some players get to have more shots in the area at close range because that's where they patrol.

I was curious if the stats bore that out...I found a site claiming Joe has had 17 shots for each goal he has scored this season. It says he has had 34 shots this season, 13 of them on target. I make that 38% accuracy. I think these stats were across all competitions. Dack has 52% of his shots on target this season, purely in the league, according to the BBC. 8.54 shots per goal according to fctables.com. Their stats imply (after a little maths) his shooting accuracy was 36.75% though, oddly. Since this is the same site I got Joe's accuracy from, this seems a fair comparison. Different stat but the same site said Rothwell had an 82% pass completion, which is very respectable and better than I expected since he can be a bit rash sometimes. Dack's was 79%.

I do get up off my seat when we score, personally.

You'll acknowledge all of those are exaggerations though, except arguably the last two (which I'd say are on-and-off issues)? Yes I'd put Rothwell ahead of Dack on those counts, but no speed means he literally doesn't move. Can't beat a man front on means he literally never does, etc. The way you've phrased it makes him sound so poor he wouldn't get into our U-23s. He was crap against Norwich, and has had iffy performances sprinkled throughout the season, but we shouldn't totally re-write the script on one of our best players, our most valuable player financially, on his first season in a new league when he clearly has some off-field issues going on too. That's what seems to be happening lately, especially that crazy discussion about him only being worth £5 million.

Are there that many players in football with the surname 'New' though? Are they all good enough? It really is an almost impossible ask.

You do that, I'll assume you and the OP are being sarcastic too and everyone can be happy. I'm purely going off today, granted. But that was the best I've seen a team look against us (outside of our customary capitulations) along with Sheff U. Norwich were no great shakes at Ewood particularly, so maybe you watch them more. Our manager was impressed with them though and said he thinks they'll be alright. I'm not saying they don't need investment, just no moreso than a promoted team normally needs, on the strength of today. You forget Huddersfield didn't come straight down.

No idea what you're on about, they were excellent, particularly first half (they took their foot off the gas second half, only needed a draw remember), and didn't look like they need much investment to be safe next season. Every promoted team does of course, but relative to all those previous promoted ones, no, I don't agree they need huge investment.

Really? Think AA has been struggling. Finding himself unable to roast the fullback like he usually does, and seems frustrated to the point of lashing out a bit. Del did a godly tackle earlier, can't lie. Seems so much better suited to the centre. He was just an impersonator at left back this season and much of last.

Good example of that a moment ago, excellent crucial interception. Think that's his second key one today? But as you say, at other times he just gets massacred. On the whole, shouldn't be there.