Wing Wizard Windy Miller

Bet you wish you never started Madon!

I wonder if we are simply starting to play by the same rules as Derby, Boro, Forest etc. Over the 3 year ffp cycle, spend £30-£40 million. Making sure that you sell an asset every couple of years to balance the books. It's a great ploy if you have that asset sat on your books - which we do in Dack. We basically get to buy players for 4 windows, then sell Dack. If enough of the incomings are a success, you repeat the process - strengthening your chance of promotion. Asambalonga could be the example that TM talked about when discussing buying from rivals and having to pay over the odds and not seeing that back financially. I still think, Chapman aside, that we won't buy anyone straight this window. Any 'big' incomings will be a loan with a view.

Loan with a view for the Ass guy would be a great bit of business...we stump up a big portion of wages and if he fired us up, we buy him. If not, back to Boro and we unleash Brereton?

He can come and play wide for us ??

Agreed. If we spend now, you would hope it's on genuine quality to get us up. One or two astute signings may sneak us in. There are no nailed on certs in this league but a lot of competitively matched teams who can all beat each other. It will be the same next year, regardless of who comes down. Win 4 or 5 on the bounce and you're up there. Feb will be a decisive month I think. If we can get 9 points or more from those games, it will give us as good a shout as anyone.

Reed permanent? Wouldn't be cheap.

To be fair, they are rivals. I'm sure we'd have a few names for ex Burnley players....

This is why TM has to decide on the way forward. If it's 2 centrally, then you would look at Graham and Nuttall/Armstrong as a decent combination. If it's one, then it has to be a target/hold up man to make the system work. Alternatively, sign loads and take your pick!

That's why players are loaned out by the parent clubs. Go and make your mistakes somewhere else and learn from them. I'd be more than happy with Gallagher providing it's with a view to permanent. Different to what we currently have.

Seems to be putting himself about a bit more these days. Maybjystbve a flash I the pan though!

Don't think a 3 year contract would be wise either but an 18 month contract with an option would suit both parties I would have thought. Rodwell rebuilds his career and if he does well, he gets his choice of clubs.

Was completely against the Rodwell signing initially and he may still be injury prone but the last couple of games he's been superb. I have to hold my hands up, if he can maintain it, then he could take Mulgrews spot at the back. Certainly worth a new contract if wages sensible. Well done TM and Rodwell himself for putting his football first.

If the rumoured signings are true (Chapman, Gallagher) we aren't far away from challenging IMO. Especially if we could tie up Reed in the summer and hold on to Dack.

That jump though ??

I'd have Nuttall over Samuels long term. He surely can't have a place in the squad when he returns?

That was a fantastic performance and win. Well done TM and team. The level of harrying today was outstanding. Now get a couple of signings in and Keep the momentum going. If we can get 9 points in Feb we will be bang in the mix with home fixtures in March.

Absolutely different classes this half.

Interesting reading TM comments in the LET about buying from rivals in the champ and having to overpay to get players which we may not see a financial return on - due to the high purchase price. The alternative being free transfers, premier loans or buying players on Loan with a view from lower leagues. I wonder if he feels he'd had his fingers burnt with the Brereton deal. Last summer we were trying to sign several players from championship clubs. Now it appears he isn't keen on that route...and yes I realise that Chapman is from the same league.

Could be worth considering, given how Dack and Chapman are mates, that it might persuade Dack to stay another year...

*Except King Kenny - he wore a magic hat. **But took it off for European games ?

I understand your original point however, managers operate inside a bubble. How many times over the years have you watched a team (any team at any level) and thought 'this is clearly not working'? Generally, fans will realise something needs to change a long time before the manager. Yet the manager will persist with the same game plan/line up - regardless of their experience within the game. Souness at Rovers was a classic example. Superb for us over a number of years and an incredibly experienced and respected figure in the game. Yet I bet 80 % of fans thought he was losing the plot before he went to Newcastle. You also have to throw in reporting/social media these days, where a manager's comments are stored for posterity. Usually leading to a shed load of contradictions throughout their tenure. TM has come out with several to date. He's doing a good job and I love his integrity and enthusiasm for the game but he isn't above reproach. Sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly but that comes down to your personal opinion. I scratch my head regularly at games at some of the things that go on. Yet sometimes the manager has played a blinder that I wouldn't of seen coming and makes my musings look like those of an idiot. Other times, they completely miss the bleeding obvious and it costs us points. Football will always be a game that divides opinions.

That's the spirit ?. Lower league and short appearances etc but Chapman is the nearest I've seen to Duff in a long time. A player that genuinely gets you off your seat when he gets the ball. If he can be half as successful....

Dack, Rothwell and Chapman in a 3 behind Graham would be exciting to watch in the last 20 mins of games!

Not sure I buy the loss of pace issue in young players. How many times did Josh King do his hamstring at Rovers? must have been a similar amount and it didn't slow him down. Also didn't think Chapman was blistering. More 'nippy' and skillful.

Can't imagine it would be a large fee. You would expect around £500k plus a couple of add ons. Doubt they would get any more at a compensation tribunal. Injury issues yes, but the lad seemed an intelligent footballer and technically decent with both feet. Could easily adapt to the '10' role if he loses a yard. Seems a nice lad as well. Well worth the risk I reckon. Type of player that would only need one good season to massively increase in value. Good option to have on the bench at least. I also think that he may have had is heart set on a move (matey with Dack etc) and may not have wanted to sign a deal at Boro to gain the move (pure conjecture that bit!)