RevidgeBlue

Have you got a job as Steve's new PR man or something? 🙂 No way Waggott was sanctioning a deal for O Neil imo. All indications at the time were that talks with him never got off the ground and were over as soon as they started.

The win against Boro was in the Cup. Just had a quick look and between the Sunderland game and a good win against Preston end of Jan we had 1 win, 2 draws and 5 defeats from eight games. (Five points) I wouldn't call that "decent" but if you don't think it was down to Trav's absence it's irrelevant for the purpose of the current discussion I guess.

It was the rough patch over Christmas until mid to end of January when he was missing that initially de-railed the season. The next implosion was the 5 defeats when the players didn't initially take to VI.

"Hi there, would your clients be interested in exploring the possibility of a new deal?" "No? Thought not, thanks, See ya!"

This is my view as well - surely no-one with half a brain cell can actually think that "the project" of selling off anyone with a bit of Championship quality, not reinvesting the proceeds and replacing them with cheap untestested players or Academy graduates is doomed to anything else but failure. You can dress it up as bringing in young players with a bit of pace to match some mythical brand of football we haven't actually seen any signs of yet all you like. I'm in 2 minds whether VI actually believes any of this nonsense or already knows the gig is up and is merely trying to string his time out and earn £600 k or so here over the next 12 months. One thing's for sure, if he can get it to work, or even keep our noses above water, he'll be a bit of a miracle worker.

Have we, where has it said that? Even if we have, means nothing unless they sign.

Couldn't disagree more with the above. If we were getting £6m or £7m for Travis then you might be able to make out a viable case for selling him. (That's assuming the funds were being reinvested in his replacement). At up to £3m however there's no way you're going to be able to replace him with anything like the same experience and quality. He's the heartbeat of the side as we saw this last season. As soon as he got injured results fell off a cliff and it was effectively season over. All selling him at this stage does, scrapes together a bit of beer money to pay one or two bills and rips the heart and soul out of the team.

Yes, he's cheap.

Ah I thought the purpose of last month's case was purely to be allowed to send over £4.85m. With a by product of the hearing being that the "bond" was reduced to 50% on the basis that there'd previously been argument that 100% was too onerous etc.

Whoosh. Sorry my feeble attempt at humour. Not a reference for the teenagers. (The Enigma machine)

Agreed. Aren't the further hearings that are scheduled if they ever get heard) to discuss whether the need for a guarantee can be removed altogether?

Batth will be a colossal miss. Hyam is useless without someone extremely steady alongside him. Not too bothered about Weimann but of course if we lose him and Dolan then that's 14 goals missing from a forward line that was never exactly prolific in the first place. Grim times.

Perhaps he means he's a machine.

I think I remember reading at the time the player himself wanted the shorter contract. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of us but I'm far from being convinced by him either.

His job is purportedly to report on all things Rovers and he "missed" it. ROFL. If we went bust, I wonder how long it would be before he noticed that........

Ah diddums. I think doubling or tripling his salary should compensate for any hurt feelings.

Although if said journalist had been singing his praises, I'm sure you'd have been all over it.

Tuchel gave a lengthy interview on Talksport today and on the whole came across really well I thought. One thing I strongly disagree with him on though is that he doubled down about having Henderson in the squad - he said having seen Henderson in the dressing room it made the other players better versions of themselves and he was even more sure it was the right decision to have him in the squad. I really disagree with having cheerleaders taking up a place in the squad. It's the job of the manager and his coaches to get the players playing to their best and if they were told for example they could only have a 23 man squad instead of a 24 man one they'd go apoplectic. But apparently it's OK to carry a passenger.

2018 World Cup Semi Final 2022 World Cup Quarter Final Same (losing) result in both Euro finals. Not that hard to understand surely.

There's nothing whatsoever to suggest that's the case, things had started to get very stale under Southgate and results and performances were going backwards not improving. We were incredibly fortunate we didn't go out of last year's Euros at the last 16 stage against Slovakia. Southgate peaked at half time of the 2020 Euro Final. After that match he should have been replaced.

If he has, then that's more a reflection on the players than the manager. There's nothing wrong with Tuchel's managerial credentials. He needs to stop picking Gallagher and Henderson though. Former is useless, latter is past it.

Why's that then? Southgate only ever reached the semi final and most recently the quarter final of the World Cup.

Gueye has also been a good pick up for the cost.

Don't agree with Jimmy Armfield's old "Ewood Park isn't a crowd, it's a jury" quip. I'd say the Ewood crowd is as mild and forgiving as they come. Always has been imo.

But like Ohashi works incredibly hard. Gone a bit quiet on that front. Wonder if the interest in him isn't quite as keen as he was expecting? Anything to save us from Hedges on that side.