For anyone driving the M6 southbound is closed and might not open again until sometime in the morning. Should be sorted before anyone sets off but you never know so something to check on.

The most iffy thing for me was the fact he let HSH Smallwood sit on his contract until he was ready to sort himself out when it ran out. Not only that he got a few months covid extension despite never being used and knowing he wasn't going to be. Then there's a lot of rumours around Ayala who hadn't played since the previous Jan yet walked into a 4 year contract at age 30/31. Word is he wanted big money but couldn't get it here so was going to play somewhere warm. Then the phone rang with Rovers offering 17k pwk ! No idea how correct that might be but he'll probably be one of if not the highest paid players now. Funny how we suddenly managed to tip up the money for that one.

That will have been the pitch to Pune to get him the gig. 'John wants 50k per year plus expenses and % but he works 100 hours per week. So it's a bargain and still a saving from who we've got rid of' 'Ok Tony we like that a lot'.

I think it's safe to assume if we sign 5 or 6 at least one will come from Boro.

They've been incapable for 4 or 5 years of bringing in a permanent center half or two. So we are stuck with this revolving door policy that also wastes pots of money. How much has been spent the last 3 seasons on defensive loans ? Tosin, THB, Branthwaite, Douglas, the other left back etc ? So good ones are expensive or injury prone and old but where have been the signings or a center back or two with promise to develop ? Some defended it by saying we are just plugging gaps until some of ours are ready for a chance. Well...... Nothing but incompetence and neglect that has lead us here but it's been coming it was there for all to see.

I was going to mention this early but on the point of listening to him i don't think iv'e ever seen a manager at Rovers bring the concourse to a standstill pre game when they had him on the in house tv. It was noticeable the hush that came over the pre match chatter when he popped up on the screen. Could definitely listen to him all day if ever a guy always said the right things and you believed he meant them it was him.

Cole was superb for us he had the same sulks all through his career wherever he was. Certainly helped a young Duff no end but i think Soueys biggest mistake was stroking his own ego trying to pair him up with Yorke again. That never worked although Yorke was still quality but they didn't gel here and just strolled around like the big I ams. He should have know that would happen though. Still, it was a glorious problem to have though !

That's his philosphy though but to be honest when has he ever been in this position as a manager ? So much youth to choose from it must be causing him to over think the over thinking even by his standards. Some gaffers in this division would kill to be in his position but he's just as blase as ever. If a few go out and a few loans with agreements to play come in they'll get picked first. Job done for him.

That's how money gets flushed through the tubes though the loans of Tosin and THB and Branthwaite with have cost significant money. Of course it could be argued we needed them badly as our kids were nowhere near ready. Although again arguable Wharton could have filled in. Iv'e no issues with loaning them out for a season i think it's good grounding. However this season it is a bit different and they could be used, some are ready to have a go at least. In reality he's just making room to loan lads in but is it counter productive this season seeing as we are in a big transition to youth ? Also we don't have the spare money and i for one don't want to see him spending the Armstrong deposit on 500k loan fees for 3 or 4 players. Once that money is gone it's gone and it's beyond pathetic that neither he or anyone there seems capable of turning up a decent cheap or free transfer prospect. One we can actually sign and might become our asset.

I thought it was unusual when i saw he was a winger but then again that means nowt once they get here.

A manager players would run through brick walls for and if they didn't well he'd kick them through it. Shame he lost the plot but it happens to the best of them i think he was always the type to be destined for a short but spectacular reign. Makes me howl when some of our fans try and slag him off he's one of the best modern day managers we've had. And the guy engineered his exit before he had to be sacked and got us 5 million in compo in the process. Proper bloke.

I'm getting a feeling we might be being played again here. One might have broken down over personal terms, terms that we must've know about from the off. Now the next one suddenly flags up an injury at the 11th hour, chances are neither will come. Were they ever though ?

When these lot finally create a steady base they tend to rip it up again ie the late Bowyer/Coyle/Lambert era. Mowbray to his credit created another good base a few years ago but couldn't build on it clearly. So instead of taking the reigns and doing something proactive they just let it slide and now it might all get smashed up again. 2 steps backwards every 5 years it looks like being.

I'm seeing a return to 1989 gates finally in this one with about 7k home fans but the away following will send it above 10 again. Been predicting it will happen eventually and here we are Waggot will finally have tipped it over the edge. Some achievement that is and it's the only legacy he'll leave here.

Yep at a push.

Are they bringing 7k ?

So Morecambe draw Preston at home..... Well done skint Rovers that's a 15k+ crowd you've bypassed right there. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but all hail the messiah he's come up trumps yet again.

We really can't say Kean wasn't well protected here he didn't need to bring anyone in they were already here. Hellfire he even hired a body guard and a load of rent a thug doorman from Bolton/Manchester to weed out vocal aggressors in the crowd !

A guy i was speaking to went to the Swansea match and enjoyed then looked at the West Brom prices. Said sod it i'll go to the league cup game then have a day out at Millwall instead. 'They can stuff 30 odd quid games against non local opposition with the flimsiest team we've had in years.' I think there'll be quite a lot doing that kind of thing this season.

Mowbrays young counter attacking side put Keans expensively assembled keystone cops to the sword not long before he departed. The gap on the pitch was noticeable although we know TM can look good against weaker opposition and manager. That was one of those nights but Keans team would never have produced a performance like that whilst he had a hole in his arse.

Like i said though he isn't Kean on or off the pitch i think his intentions were honorable but he lost the plot some time ago. Hes been winging it ever since stringing it along to hold onto his comfy position. It isn't right but it's standard football stuff Bowyer would've done the same thing. Yes he's a fully paid up member of the Coventrio but i'd say he's more monkey than organ grinder. I don't think it's a coincidence that a lot of the bull shit started again once Waggot got here and got his feet under the table. Honest humble Tony has morphed into cunning Tony once in the presence of enough allies within the club. They all need the boot.

The acid test for that might be coming very soon but yes can't see him resigning unless he gets mutual terms offered before he's pushed. They won't push him though because they don't sack people they get others in to try and get rid.

I thought it was debatable people comparing Coyle to Mowbray but now Kean ? Come on people Mowbray is an experienced football manager, a limited one who got lost in his own world a few seasons ago. Kean was a bibs and cones coach at best who was also on the dole before he slithered in here. On top of that he was an outright con job whereas Mowbray is just merrily winging it along. He's guilty of hanging on to be pushed for his pay off for sure but from his point of view, the longer he clings on it's just as likely he'll get another contract instead. If there are snakes still around now i'd suggest they are buried a bit deeper. Tony is just a DJ who only has one record.

He needn't feel ashamed or alone many Rovers fans will kick household objects and sometimes each other. Good lad Matt, if you ever come across Jordan North you know what to do !

Agreed and iv'e said fir years the shadow man should be a target for serious questions as well. I cannot for the life of me understand how people don't want to see this guy finally front up and answer some questions. He is the line of communication from club to owners they tell us. He is the owners eyes and ears and reporter back others tell us, some say he is actually the power at the club after the ownership itself. Come forwards and tell us what the hell goes on behind the scenes and in between here and India. Tell us what the real ambitions are and if the owners give more of a fig than just chucking money through the club. In the meantime though start with Waggot this guy is on a bigger gravy train than Mowbray and co. He himself has a hell of a lot to answer for and i'd still be saying that if we sat top of the league. The local media say they have been after an interview for ages, well call him out then. That's what you are here for it doesn't take individual reporters just to relay everything the club says in press conferences to the public.