LDRover

'Defensively we're fine'. Are. We. Shite.

I see McBurnie is going for 20 million this summer? I think I was in a very small minority (of about 1) in wanting him last summer. Would've been cheaper than big bad project signing Ben and yielded an instant profit. I'm bloody good me.

Mods, can you not let chaddy back so he can tell us why this is a great deal? While he's at it he can update us on how well our European scouting department is getting on.

Yeah. Shades of Riquelme to Petrovic back in the day

The next couple of weeks will be full of Mowbray downplaying expectations in the press to try to safeguard his job. For me he's toast, he'll be gone by Christmas.

Bang on DE, our upturn in form coincided with Reed's return to CM, it's bollocks from Mowbray to suggest he wasn't disciplined enough. I didn't see Smallwood and Evans' discipline gathering us many points during that awful run post January.

Well said that man.

Do we have one? Trust me the lad will turn out crap - I'm here to be shot down if I'm wrong.

For what it's worth I think Gallagher is crap and I'm rarely wrong on player ability.

Wonder when our euro scouting network will unearth a few gems. I think a reasonable assumption is never...in fact aside of catching the odd game on eurosport I bet it doesn't even exist.

This league is about pace and power, if you play 'in front' of teams fannying about going square and backwards you achieve sod all. Our form last season only picked up with the inclusion of the younger more direct players such as Rothwell, Reed and Travis and ditching the slow and ponderous Evans and Smallwood. So the signing of Downing, for me, is a reverting to type. He's hardly going to drive past anyone more spray a nice crissfield 30 yard pass that looks nice but achieves sod all or hit the odd good dead ball. I may be wrong but I doubt I will be. Feel free to bring this back if I am.

Not really Mike. Buying the previous year's League 1 player of the season to mount a promotion challenge in that league was hardly brave, especially at the price we paid.

Seen quite a bit of Downing over the years when he was supposedly in his prime. Thought he was one dimensional and a bit shit then - now he's an older slower version I can't see what he'll add to be honest.

Showed unbelievable composure when one bears that in mind.

I do believe I put his name out there a few pages ago (edit page 58 to be precise) - the leader we crave. As for Downing, I've always thought he's shit ..now he's old and shit.

About J-Lo? I called it after a couple of games, same as Brereton. You want to hang your hat on one attribute that they have, just one and take it from there. Lowe had none and BB hasn't shown one either.

Sounds even worse than his dad and he was pony.

So how do you deal with , say, a dead leg that keeps someone out for a week, or a back strain? You must be inundated with claims?

And you know that for sure? So why did the club not get paid out in the well documented court case years ago when Martin Dahlin hardly kicked a ball for us and subsequently retired? If arbitro (who has worked in the game for years) has not heard of this arrangement your statement sounds a bit sketchy to me.

It's times like this I long for a Chaddy post validating TMs decision on Gladwin.

No brainer then and you'd think it's a deal that could be done - I'm sure the player would fancy it.

Thought that myself, Cowley the Lincoln manager also saying he's one of the best in the division.

He'll still stink L1 out. He's at least 2 divisions above his 'ability' level even now. It'll be interesting to see if he exercises his right to give notice though bearing in mind he struggled to find a home when he deemed himself too good for us after relegation.

Not read back through the thread and I'm sure he'll have been mentioned but Jagielka would be the perfect player to bring in. The right type of mentor to Lenihan and a proper leader. Sadly I think his wages will be out of reach.

It has to be said that Elliott Bennett has now regressed to little more than a tub thumping cheer leader - like a modern Howard Gayle without the end product. I mean , thst cross yesterday...blimey.