Devon Rover

I think it is clear that isn't the suggestion. An option would be changing the team's formation and/or style to better suit the players you have available, rather than dogmatically sticking to a style that doesn't suit what you have at your disposal. Letting go of your experienced players reduces your ability to do that. It is a perfectly reasonable challenge that should be made, with no manager/coach being above that challenge or constructive question. Sometimes all of us have to accept we are wrong and change our approach, in life. That is ok. And much better than stubbornly continuing with something that isn't working.

Other than as a symptom of a need for desperate reduction in the wage bill, this doesn't make much sense to me, at all. This is the club captain, who it could be argued would add something to our currently overrun central midfield. If he isn't seen as an option for the first team, then why loan not sell? Why loan, at all? It can only be either 'cut costs at every opportunity', or Travis has asked to leave and this is the only viable option at the moment. In the first scenario, I can't see a replacement brought in. In the second, it would surely only be a loan, and unlikely to be a better option than Travis, so we downgrade (again). Odd. Very odd.

I agree and, to support the point you are making, this scenario would obviously have a significant impact on many of those laid off, which would be very sad. However, as you say, I can only see this as being the eventual outcome, anyway, after some period of ongoing uncertainty about wages being paid, etc. A court decision to keep these 'survival payments' being made will essentially be a licence for Venkys to continue their stranglehold and the painfully slow killing of our club.

When this lad's work permit comes through, though, he's going to be better than Ronaldinho. PS How hard is it to spell 'Delhi' correctly twice in one article, LT??

And those funds will be just to pay wages and bills. Dark days.

Surely worth a go?

I think the people would be out there for that, but I'm not sure it would ever be welcomed by Venkys, or be a sufficient solution. Firstly, because we need a much bigger overhaul in the club (income generation, marketing, community engagement, ticketing strategy, mentality etc etc) than just a chunk of cash that possibly wouldn't even compete with the spending power (or established talent) of ten of the clubs in the division. And we might not be able to spend their investment due to FFP and Venkys' accounts. Secondly, and linked to the last bit, Venkys are nothing but a cancer within our club. They will ruin anything positive that comes in 'alongside them' and will drag investors, and us, down with them as their financial situation deteriorates. The only possible answer is for them to go, and it will be painful itself. I just don't see it happening unless and until their ability to pay the bills is stopped.

I agree. I've understood the concerns of some about the 'going into admin' scenario over recent years, but I don't think there can be much doubt from anyone about the route and direction we are currently following under these owners, anyway. The club is slowly (but increasingly) dying, right now. Or, perhaps, being killed. The value of the club, in several senses, not just financial, including to many long-standing supporters, is plummeting and relegation, if not this season then next, looks inevitable. I find most Rovers match days unbearable now. There is no pleasure in them, nor in seeing how our club has been torn apart and left a shell of what it had been. So, I'll take the administration, the relegation if necessary, now if it means rid of Venky's and a chance to start a rebuild - because ultimately, that seems unavoidable, so let's crack on if we can. Until they fuck off, we cannot even begin again and we will lose more supporters, sponsors, respect in the game etc etc. Perhaps, in the end, even the club itself.

Oh, Jim. What did you do?? (Second thoughts, don't answer that). 😉

Even greater stupidity than Buckley last year. Don't want to see him back in the team for a long time. Fuming

Nearly an hour "chasing" a game and one attempt on target? Nowhere near good enough from manager or players. We concede first in any match and my hopes for anything out of the game are virtually zero. That's really, really not right and gone on for far too long.

I really didn't think it was anything other than game over from when the first goal went in. No real fight or belief in this team. Knock it around nicely sometimes but so what?

Its the same shite refs that take charge of all the games. The best teams in the division take control of games and are tough enough that the standard of refereeing doesn't matter. We aren't one of those top teams in terms of strength in depth, quality in key positions (GK, ST), or mentality. Frustrating - yet another missed opportunity.

Nice start to the football weekend!

This would have helped. Moran one of several who have gone missing here

15 minutes of fantastic precision and urgency in everything we were doing. And then we've just stopped...

Brilliant, brilliant team performance since half time. Substitution was spot on. This is fantastic!

Their finishing has been rubbish but I really like the directness of Bacuna and Dembele. I genuinely feel they are more like to score. Big half time team talk needed. More urgency required...

Whatever Ennis is being paid, he doesn't deserve it.

I feel like I'm fighting against the tide on this but there is no way the profits of a sale get reinvested in the team.

I feel the opposite today, suspect we could play for five hours and not get a goal. If we had signed a proper striker - at any time over the last two years - we would be a proper top 6 team

Not for me. I think we should all know by now that isn't the way transfer funds work at this club. We'll just have lost our most creative central midfielder - and a potentially much better one - and gained some youth team striker on loan for 4 months.

I agree, Tom. There was no need to do it. However, the main fault is with the players in the build up knocking it back under pressure and inaccurately. Wharton shouldn't have been put in that exposed position. Now we are under pressure neither Rovers nor Norwich deserved.

Clearly, we still really need a new goalkeeper.

I really want to believe this, and hope you are right. But I don't feel it, right now, because of the significant imbalance, and weaknesses, in our squad and, based on my hazy memories, were not reflected in the teams of Boro, Forest etc that marched up the table. Each had a goalscoring striker. Each had strength in the midfield. Each had transfer window money to call on. We aren't the same proposition.