It makes no sense to me without blue and white tinted glasses for him to tie himself down to any contract when he has a free market if he is a free agent, with clubs then able to give him a bit more personally as opposed to having to pay a fee. The 1 year offer if true (big if) would be a desperate attempt having ignored bids in the past. If we did add a year on, that would be particularly brainless of him to agree with the condition that we would look to instantly sell, as that really would hinder his chances of picking a move, therefore it would just be a short term thing, essentially an expensive wage bill shattering loan.

But signing a new deal means that teams do then have to part with cash. If his agent would even consider a year or two extra in the situation he is, then he isn't a very good agent.

Gallagher is not great but he is a lot better than Vale.

I think there is a very loose usage of the word "objectively" here! Couldn't be more subjective. We are too far past the "better than nowt" mentality having stupidly turned down money in the summer. I can't fathom how a 1 year deal is in anyway in Brereton's benefit. If the intention was to instantly sell, he would essentially be massively hindering any scope for him to get a decent deal elsewhere. Him as a free agent is miles more appealing to bigger clubs even if it is to have him as a squad player, with the lack of transfer fee allowing scope for a higher wage and signing on fee. To justify a fee on a Championship player and having to be part of an auction will deter many. That is not even considering how he already knows that Venkys aren't logical in accepting bids. The 2 year deal is not much more appealing from what I can see. Even if we can (not considering smashing apart the wage structure, the problem of Venkys intermittently popping up and removing any sense of order) offer £30k, again he would likely get more at Villarreal.

I'm sure he does, but he has done enough to generate concrete interest from a top La Liga club that plays regularly in European competition.

Doesnt sound particularly good to lose our only 2 goalscorers.

Of course, these are all opinions. He could jeopardise a big money move to Villarreal though if he does sign for another year here.

Exactly, why would Brereton himself do that? Makes zero sense at all. Villarreal wouldnt want him for £15m months after approaching him for free.

He would be crazy to potentially jeopardise a massive multi year contract a top La Liga club out of some sort of obligation that he feels he has to us. We didn't pay the fee we paid as a goodwill gesture and we have chosen to turn down approaches that could have left us in profit that could have got him a move. If we sign him on an extra year then we wont get any money still anyway, it would just be like an expensive loan deal. Why would he best served playing in the Championship where people know he can score goals over playing in La Liga?

Seems a bit far fetched, surely makes sense to get a house arranged by the summer and then be settled for 5 years. Either way, from our perspective it is desperate after stupidly throwing 8m down the drain.

It makes no sense on every level. If it is a pathetically late attempt to claw back some money, then presumably we would then try and sell him in the summer. Why would he massively reduce his options and potentially reduce any deals on the table elsewhere by tying himself down here?

Him as a free transfer is a different proposition to bigger clubs compared to at £8m.

Assuming that our 2 goal threats are out: Pears Carter Ayala Hyam Thomas Travis A Wharton Pickering Hedges Gallagher Dolan Subs: Hilton, Brittain, Rankin Costello, Buckley, Szmodics, Phillips, Leonard Looks so weak, would stick to the back 3 just because none of the 3 deserve dropping, have Thomas linking with Hedges down the right. Adam Wharton in for Buckley who was poor but is still better than Morton or Garrett.

A 1 year contract, I'm sure he will sign that!

That subs bench is terrifying.

If a manager sees his team perform so badly in the first half amidst a rotten run of form as is true in both cases, if the team then improves and wins, he deserves credit regardless of any in depth analysis of how he acts on the touchline, and even if it doesn't eliminate doubts about how we will go from here on in.

Is this on par with Mowbray "sulking" and then the players coming back against Derby last year "in spite" of him?

As bad a first half as you are likely to see and the second half wasn't particularly good but just much better than the first half. The formation and tactics far too cautious and negative against a poor and predictable side, but the most important thing is the win and good to see some spirit with a rare late goal. There was a response in the second half but the game seemed to be fizzling out prior to Ayala's winner. The injuries to Brereton and Dack could be catastrophic, the forward line looks bare without them. I really do worry if one/both are out for a decent period of time. Lots of people on social media in particular seem keen from their keyboards to want to criticise the fan base. Can only presume there is a big correlation between those and people who watched from home as I felt that the boos were understandable but the fans were dying to see something to get behind and even at a glimpse of something to cheer, everyone got behind the team to see them over the line.

Yes, not too positive at this specific moment. We are in poor form and have been since the World Cup Break, 10 points from 10 games and boring football to go with. That is how people feel at the moment, just as when we got to March say last season, we was still "in a good position to secure a top 6 finish" and our position was above some expectations at the start of the season, but we all still felt negative about the situation. Because for a decent period of time, performances and results had dropped off. What is the need to ram this superfan nonsense down peoples throats? At the ground, people back the team. On here when we are playing poorly, people will criticise. Nothing to do with backing the team.

Dack dropped. I did feel he was one underwhelming performance away from being dropped. Seems quite a defensive side.

Utter nonsense. They would happily spend time and money watching their team do poorly just for a bit of self justification and to say I told you so on an internet messageboard?

I am looking at the last 10 games because you used the same 10 games as justification that we should continue with 4231, saying that Tomasson has used that formation since then. My point it that it is a strange justification for your stance that essentially nothing should change when our points tally in those games has been in line with a relegation struggler, not as a side that went into said run in third place! Like I keep saying, I am not necessarily saying that we should change formation but it should be considered considering how poor our recent results have been since we changed tactic. A 3 at the back formation would be a reasonable suggestion IF it meant Dack behind Brereton and one other, as it would potentially allow a third attacking player, in recent weeks the wingers have been so pinned back that we have only had one striker (who has been either the useless Vale or Dolan who is not a striker in a million years) and Dack in attack. Especially with Wharton out (our only left footed competent centre back) I would not personally choose this, I would just swap Dolan and Brereton around.

The main blame lies in India.

Who said that? Clearly nonsense and a one off. People are IMO understandably not too positive at the moment, we have won 10 points from 10 games in the World Cup. Performances have also been poor and we have seen basically the same set of players nosedive in the new year only 12 months ago. The 2 latest draws in isolation are solid points away at 2 play off contenders but amidst the run we are on they feel less important. I don't get the constant insinuations that people take pleasure in their team not doing well.

Davenport was one of those players who became better when he didnt play, as was often the case. When he did play he was unremarkable and the main reason he didnt was injuries. I did think at times he was used as an example as a stick to beat Mowbray with, as if he was hard done by. He just was not reliable fitness wise nor particularly good as can be seen post Rovers.