Ignores the erratic nature of our masters.

and their manager is no slouch in the transfer market.

No its not a straw man, its just bloody obvious! Signings needed in defence as you acknowledge so what are you on about?I'm ignoring most of your post because its the usual stuff you deliver me everytime---everything's OK, no need to panic etc etc. I'm not panicking! I used the word "if". If Mike E's scenario is correct there nothing to worry about and we'll sign someone better and I will rejoice. But we turned this guy down for a million (your statement) and we haven't signed him now he's free! So one of two possibilities----we've changed our mind about him (despite talking him up for months) and we have someone better lined up OR we haven't got a pot to piss in. Which it is we'll find out soon.

The problem is defence! Even if we hadn't lost Conway and Reed, it wouldn't have prevented the disastrous goals against column. That's why we are a bit anxious. if we don't make good defence signings our season is likely over before its begun.

You missed out Sheffield Utd there. How did they go?

We publicly chased a centre-back for months because we wanted him on the bench? To be fair, its TM who wanted him not us fans. If that's your view about Bauer you should be asking "Why"?

Plenty of Mowbray's don't.

If he doesn't turn out to be a good player then surely its embarrassing that TM chased him so publicly for so long?

I would have seen him----from those little seats round the edge of the wall (Darwen End of the enclosure) but I honestly have no memory of him. So hats off to you! My favourite player of that era was William Fenton, a left-winger who only played 17 games for us! I was mortified when we sold him to -------York City!! I've never met anyone else who's even heard of him!

From the little I've seen of him Bauer is definitely "uncompromising"! Solid unit. However I would prefer Hanley as a player. Let's not forget though that Bauer would be our player and Hanley would be on loan. Something worth thinking about......

If we turned away from Bauer after all this time pursuing him because his agent wanted too much in wages, then Preston signed him-----surely we would have to think something was amiss?

Will one signing in defence turn things around?

But we wouldn't I suspect. We'll get Bauer probably and nothing more. Not even linked with any full-backs are we?

Whether he is or not wasn't my point. I want us to go forward, we can't improve without a good centre-back partnership. So, I'd welcome him as an addition.

Sure but its all about not conceding. There's only one Mike England!

I think that would be a good partnership provided Hanley retains the form he had when he left us but NOT,definitely NOT as a replacement for Linahan.

I should have known!

I think people see us as fishing in a very small pool. We need to cast our net wider. And that concludes the Fishing Report!

An aria?

TM signed him for WBA, 33 years old and out of contract-----fits the bill exactly!

If Chapman is Conway's replacement, surely that's an improvement? Davenport could be a suitable replacement for Reed for that matter but I accept that's a big if.

Doh! And let's not be prescriptive about the thread. In the absence of signings it always develops into whatever takes anyone's fancy. I'd suggest you'd be as guilty as anyone else if I checked back. And just to prove it: rigger if it is a straight choice between Brereton and Nuttall, I would take Brereton. renrag and BankEnd Rover like this

Well of course we are! But that doesn't prevent us having different opinions about any aspects of the club does it? There are differing opinions about Nuttall on here and I was agreeing with you while, I must admit, having a little dig at you over Brereton at the same time! You've come close to agreeing Ben can't head it by the way!

EH? I was on your side!

So Nuttall's only worth £6M then?