Remember the results mean nothing today..... ....... ........ we'd better win 4-0 in each game or we're off down 😟 😎

Wonder if he's got something else lined up? Any idea why he's left?

Oh don't get me wrong, I'd love players like Garrett and Batty to come in, get some games under theirs belts and make a decent contribution to our season but it's a long season, if we are playing a higher tempo, pressing game, players are going to get injured/fatigued. I read before JDT got the job that he liked to rotate players a lot in his previous job. It's not doom and gloom, it's just realistic to think that should we be in a situation where injuries/suspensions mean we have to turn to our younger players, we might very well struggle. The step up from U23's to the championship is huge and despite players looking good at U23 level, plenty don't make it.

We'd be in the bottom 3 for sure. The back 4 has absolutely no depth in any position. Neither does centre mid. Beyond Travis and Buckley it's a 17 year old.

They are all the wrong side of 30 but I reckon Gayle would still have a couple of seasons left in him at this level. Not sure on the other 2, Hendrick might not be a bad shout (even if he was a Dingle) but always thought Clarke was pretty terrible?

Somehow, it's got worse since the new reporter came in.

My hate for Utd fans peaked when I was watching us getting a 1-1 draw in the pub. Dickov scored for us and then Saha blatantly handballed it, it fell to Smith who scored in like the 90th min. Some Utd fan in the pub walked up to me, got right in my face, laughed and then shouted "aw, better luck next time" He then danced off signing. What a tosser.

Oh I agree they need to be the right signings but the longer it goes on without signing anyone the more you can't help but feel there is still no plans in place, no leadership, no forward thinking. We always seem to be lagging behind. So frustrating.

We desperately need to get a couple of signings over the line here. Just settle is all down a bit.

I thought it was part of the deal he signed last year, as a scholar, that automatically kicked into a professional one this summer. Can't remember the length of the deal but was just stated as long term or something?

Awful news. R.I.P Karl. Thoughts are with his family.

JPVH fits the type of signings we should be making almost to a tee, given the added bonus that he's even less of a risk given his performances here. Even if we pay circa £4m he's young and under the correct coaching should improve no end. Recouping our investment and then some should be more than on the cards here.

Will they though? Although he's done well at Sheff Utd so far, i'm pretty sure Heckingbottom has been average to poor (at best) in his other managerial appointments? If we'd have appointed him last season, i'm pretty sure this board would have gone into meltdown.

Yeah it's a concern. Players who i'd class as starters (not taking playing style/formations into account) Kaminski, Ayala, Wharton, Pickering, Travis, Buckley, Gallagher, Brereton, Dack That's 9 and you're never getting more than half a season out of Ayala. You're then looking at players like Hedges, Dolan, JRC who have a few 1st team appearances under their belts but the jury is out on them for the most part. The rest, which include Carter, Brown & Markanday, are either totally untested at this level or academy players. So you could get 11 but the squad is pretty threadbare overall and we obviously need some depth/improvement on the first 11.

Another totally ballsed up scenario with Venky's at the helm. Couldn't have fallen out of the PL at a worse time and then made a complete and utter hash of any immediate return. We're now battling with mounting debt and a continuous need to slash costs year on year.

Getting 2 in would be a great boost for us. We always seem to drag our feet on stuff like this though, so unless the new regime has been given powers that no one else has ever been given, I'll go with a lot of speculation and 0 signings this week. Hope i'm wrong though.

Agree with this. There seems to be an assumption that Carter is up to scratch based off a decen tloan spell with Pompey and then subsequently wanting to sign him. Not sure he was all that in his appearances for us. Obviously the loan spell could have had an impact on that. I'd definitely want a more experienced CB in alongside Wharton to be honest. If we end up playing Brown or signing another young RB we'll end up with a very inexperienced back line.

Agreed. As said in the LT article, the season had already started before we signed anyone last season. Hopefully things work out better with GB running the show and not Venus but the overall problem of Venkys is still here. Optimistic about the actual signings themselves, as we have more scope to cast the net wider with JDT and GB's network but I'll be surprised if we get anyone over the line next week.

The amount of academy kids we seem to be signing up to professional contracts lately adds weight to this. The model is to push academy players into the first team, improve them and then sell them on. Or we buy other teams younger players for small fees, improve them and sell them on. Personally, I don't believe we'll be buying many established/experienced championship players. The odd one every now and again to keep a few experienced heads about but they wouldn't be big purchases.

He'd be out of our reach if we were in the Premier League.

Nar, not even remotely realistic I'm afraid.

Hopefully, he did show some flashes of ability in some of his sub apps.

Butterworth is a frustrating one. Seems to have some ability but no idea what to do with it or have much willing to put in some graft. Injury prone as well. Unless he's had an attitude readjustment, can see him being binned off to the lower leagues. Don't think Magloire is up to the standard required. Don't know a lot about Vale to be honest, apart from unimpressive loan stints at Rochdale and Halifax.

Nope, only player in so far has been that other lad that Preston didn't want.

I mean, I'd be backing Boro to go up over us right now, for sure. Better promotion chances and more wages. No brainer for him.