RevidgeBlue

I think your argument completely collapses when you state that Samuel would look to move elsewhere if someone came in on higher wages!

Sorry, it was a joke. It seems to be a hanging offence to say anything vaguely critical of England on here at the moment. You should know that we're going to bring the trophy home under the sage auspices of soon to be canonized Sir Gareth of Southgate.

Surely not sir. Don't be so treasonous. To the Tower with you and off with your head!!

I wish people would take off their England tinted specs and give it a rest telling me to give it a rest. We were poor last night, didn't muster a shot on target in 120 mins and were the width of a crossbar in the penalties away from a tame exit. Still we got away with it and I'm as pleased as the next man. Kane and Maguire were awesome last night, proper players and real men as opposed to a lot of the others who look like silly little lads running about at times. Surely we have to lose Sterling out of the starting line up, he's atrocious.

Best thing about tonight is the penalty hoodoo has been buried and the players know they can go through that way if all else fails.

Why? He made a deliberate choice to avoid Brazil in the QF and took the risk of playing a much harder last 16 tie. If you gave me the same choice again I still Wouldn't do it. He got away with it just about but having gone down that route has to see the job through now

Gareth Southgate you lucky lucky man. No shot on target over 120 mins. Still his gamble has now paid off so good luck to him. Having put all his eggs in one basket of going down this side of the draw it would be a massive failure now if we fail to reach the semi final. Thereafter Croatia are a decent side so whilst it Wouldn't be failure to go out to them it would still be a massive disappointment to get so close and go out to a mid ranking sort of side. It's on. Somehow.

Don't deserve it but I fancy us to sneak it.

It's been all Colombia for the last ten minutes of normal time and the first 15 of extra time. Gareth "put a glass eye to sleep" Southgate's pep talk at full time must have put them to sleep. A mate just sent me a very funny What's App saying "England's 5 penalty takers" with a picture of Harry Kane in various corny disguises.

Just rewound and watched BBC news a 3rd time. They said he's "only fit enough to start on the bench". Maybe they're completely wrong.

I could have sworn it said on BBC news just now he was only available from the bench unless I misheard and they said he'd be watching from the bench. I even rewound and watched it twice.

He is on the bench

Damn you England. We've got the wrong bloke in charge but by a sheer accident of fate if Southgate's gamble doesn't backfire and we can somehow get past Columbia we only have to beat Sweden and Croatia to get to the World Cup Final. It's the hope wot kills you.

Agreed. Don't know anything about Bauer, I'd have said "experienced Championship Centre half" personally but on the plus side he does fit the Rothwell and Davenport model of being young with potential which is great as long as they're all good enough to keep us up next season. I'd be ecstatic with Chapman as one of the wide man and fairly happy with Armstrong as the "fast" striker. I'd also rather say "striker who can find the net at Championship level" as opposed to "big striker". That summons up visions of Chris Brown! Lol. Still think a new contract for Dack is an absolute priority, never mind who else might or might not be coming in as well.

That might be all well and good in normal circumstances but as JH says we are 110m + in debt already and still losing money at a rate of knots for every day we are out of the Premier League so it is somewhat risky taking a slowly slowly approach I case the owners lose interest at any point. I think we need to try and go up asap by whatever means possible. I know that you have to have one eye on FFP and that there are other Clubs with far greater income (if not richer owners) trying to do exactly the same but there will always be a question mark hanging over the long term future of the Club until the debts are either written off or brought down to manageable proportions.

Have you got all night? I'd take just about anyone ahead of Southgate. His managerial record at senior level prior to taking the job was roughly comparable to Steve Kean. Do you think a top Club side in the Premier League would employ him?

Well as this deal is only rumoured to be worth up to a maximum of 500k with add ins. We'll have to wait and see. If another eight or nine players come in at that sort of level and/ or we spend big on a striker you might be proved to be right.

Would you want Southgate in charge of Rovers? I Wouldn't. His only attribute is he is a bland FA yes man who will never say anything controversial or ruffle any feathers and from the FA's point of view was the ideal man to come in and pour oil on troubled waters after the big Sam scandal.

What are you on about? Because we spent an "undisclosed" fee? I.e. not very much? Might turn out to be a very good signing in the fullness of time but It's more a case of pulling a rabbit out of the hat on the cheap than evidence we have much to spend.

For me we have some very good young players but the wrong man in charge and that will continue to be the case should he still be in charge when most of this lot are at their peak in 4 years time.

I'm not a fan of 3-5-2 but that doesn't look bas at all considering Williams looks much more comfortable at CB than RB. I'd wager TM is looking more at keeping faith witb last year's squad something like Raya Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Williams Bennett Evans Smallwood Conway Dack Graham and putting the new lads on the bench though.

Belgium are through. Remains to be seen if we will be in 24 hours time. Noticeable both Croatia and Belgium laboured badly after resting 9 players in the final group game.

Unfortunately whist extremely commendable none of that is of any relevance whatsoever if he isn't good enough. Out of interest do people see either Davenport or Rothwell starting?

Rothwell was out of contract wasn't he?

Don't worry Bob. In a couple of Days according to Nixon Kent will have Its' bag packed all ready to move to sunny Lancs but by the end of the week in a shock horror development the move will mysteriously and sensationally collapse.