47er

Yes, my feelings too .2 pretty ordinary sides. There were 3 strikes on the woodwork from us and 1 from them plus a missed penalty in the first half! Makes it sound a really entertaining game but between the odd goalmouth incident there was lots of ponderous turgid stuff with which we have become too familiar. Neither side looks top half to me. Very pleased with Downing---still got plenty of pace, Gallagher showed a bit more, Cunningham was terrific, Williams was exceptional, Bennet was much better than usual but still has at least one clanger in him! Much more secure in central mid-field now with Johnson and Travis though both need to be more constructive. Creativity and fluidity is what we lack. Real wingers in a 4-4-2 would suit me but maybe the time for that has passed.

Obviously true but, at the same time, its foolish to ignore the fact that there are harder challenges ahead. Get through them and its a different matter.

Me too!

We do all want him to succeed but many fear he won't. You are simply incapable of recognising that I am as thrilled when Rovers win as anyone on the planet. This doesn't stop me being realistic about a future under Venkys and TM. And my fears are long-term, they don't vary from game to game. I've dropped no guise because I never had one, except in your little mind.

And "stability" Stuart, with this manager, means, at best, struggling to make halfway in this League---- forever.

I still think he's too "kind" (if that's the word I used, I prefer" too loyal") so what are you on about? Just so you can't accuse me of bending with the wind I'll go on record as sating that TM is an average manager at best, his sides play unattractive football, this side is so unbalanced, we will never go up with him as manager and, if the owners had any ambition for the club, they would sack him before its to late. Is that unambiguous enough?

He doesn't seem to have learned much from his experience. I'm afraid you're being too kind.

He's right to move away from it provided his successful Transfer Window has provided the players to make it work. He's not right to move away from it when its still the most effective system we've got. It is actually possible to worsen our League position remember!

1500 wen't impressed by what they saw?

Seemed a fair enough assessment to me! He's just providing examples that show TM is not a very good manager. Is the jury still out on Brereton by the way or did it pack up and go back home a while ago?

It seems to me that Waggot's remit is to rake in as much match day cash as is possible rather than to increase attendances. Result is no increase in home support. We'll lose support next season if he keeps going.

Can't argue with any of that but we are not scoring enough goals and not creating enough chances. Football should be about goals but with TM our football is sterile. He's gone as far as he can and should be replaced. That is , if the club actually wants to get anywhere.

You'd be delighted with the own goal and penalty we've got this season then?

In the long term we're all dead! (Keynes)

Reminds me of Kalinic does Gallagher. On a lower level of course. Will run around all day but rarely an end product.

Sigh! I'll say it again. I don't read any clamour for Johnno to take over from TM, just a recognition, born out of experience, that this is how Venkys prefer to operate. However, most(?) of us would have some degree of optimism because he has done so well with the under-23's. Its not the right way to go though, I admit that. A real club would throw the position open and see what came up. Postponed for a while anyway because WE WON! Yayyyyyyyy!!

Or another way of putting it "we ordinary fans got it right weeks ago."

Saves on travel expenses for interviewees!

Again, I think Johnno will succeed TM. Promoting from within does appear to be Venky's preferred modus operandi.

His football is dour and boring though. If he is passionate in his enthusiasm it doesn't translate to the pitch.

My thoughts too. Get rid of him for sure but at the start of the transfer window not the end, for obvious reasons. Everything TM does now seems to defy logic. No faith in him anymore.

It didn't seem that way at the time! Fergy Time, demonisation in the media of refs he didn't like. At least Hughes and Souness didn't do it publicly (as far as I remember). I was only being flippant anyway, anyone who's met him seems to come away with a good opinion of him. He definitely did everything he could to advantage his club. I have often thought we could have done with a bit more of that over the years.

Its worth a thought till you see them on the pitch.

Its a results game and he's in danger because we are not winning. Ever thus. The owners are responsible for the debt, the manager for the points.

Football is a simple game and the bottom line is---if you can't score and you can't defend you will be relegated.