He hadnt shown that he could play for the first team because he had never played any first football before. Point being, it is impossible to be confident enough that a player from the academy teams is suitable to the point of not signing adequate senior cover until he has played game time at senior level, even if at least its in League 1 or 2 out on loan. Totally untested academy graduates shouldn't be assumed to be ready to be second choice in a position having never played senior football, as we have seen there is a chance that they aren't ready, whether now or ever. In this case, we only then had Pickering, had to play a right back at left back when he was unavailable and then sign someone at the next available opportunity in January to cover. The reason it happens is here is because of budget cuts but it leaves us inadequately stocked to cope with a Championship season.

Im trying to say that the gap between academy football and Championship football is so vast that we cant afford to just assume that someone will break through and cope competently without recruiting in that position. As a result when he didnt break through, we had one senior left back.

With Batty, it is another example of how we run the club under these owners, with their constant cut backs. We didnt sign a left back because we apparently "didnt want to block Batty's pathway." We then had to react because it was assumed that a kid with no first team experience would seemlessly step up and compete at Championship level and he didn't. You can only consider graduates to be first team worthy once they have at least shown signs of it.

It was a difficult game for him but I dont think he did much at all today, his lack of pace really holds him back. But his assist was exceptional, perfectly done.

Fantastic result and backs to the wall performance today and fair play to both the manager and the players for getting such an unlikely win. Pears was IMO no way the man of the match, not because he didnt play well as he did but it had to be one of the defence who were brilliant. Hyam embarassed himself midweek but was absolutely superb today and Carter slotted back in like he had never been away, the man of the match was one of those 2. Both full backs also bounced back and did really well as part of a great defensive performance across the whole team. In attack, it was occasional flashes with all the onus clearly on defending. Szmodics is the only one who gets the goals but Dolan and Gallagher both contributed excellently in the build up. I still am not sure on Eustace either way, the last 4 days have seen the 2 extreme results in his tenure that can cloud judgement either way, his overall record here is still poor with less than a point per game but he has at least shown signs that defensively we can become more solid with 4 clean sheets now. Today wasn't ever going to be the game to prove otherwise but there are obviously big question marks over whether he can get us operating effectively at the other end, if Szmodics leaves that becomes 10x harder, we need not one or two but three or four attacking players in the summer, we need goals and we need pace and the big question is will that happen.

If we are in the game of taking out one game anomalies, what about taking out his solitary win?

He made a massive mistake against Southampton too that thankfully went unpunished. Remain captain? Travis is the club captain or was before his temporary exit. And he actually shows signs of leadership. Lending him out becomes more and more baffling with each passing week.

For sure. 9 of the same starters that got embarassed 5 nil the other night, plus a LB on the wing and the forced absence of the player voted man of the match on here. Can definitely get a result at Leeds with that.

You could rid any manager of any blame with that logic though. Kean and Coyle werent playing either.

He couldn't say anything last night to make up for the utter embarassment he has a big responsibility for, no. I doubt he will go into next season with anything other than backing in ground but people judge managers (and players) as they go. Even if we scrape over the line, considering the buffer of points and teams we had when he came in, im not having that he deserves a clean start in terms of judgement, and if people feel that he needs replacing as part of that clean start then fair enough. 1 win in 13 or 14 is shocking no matter how anyone tries to twist it and he has not shown much if anything to suggest hes the man to take us forward.

As @Herbie6590 touched on, those conclusions are incorrect. Looking at the accounts doesnt factor in the various costs throughout those years that are exempt from FFP calculations. Waggott has boasted that we should make a profit this year after selling Wharton, I am unsure too whether the Raya sell on will be in these upcoming 2024 accounts or whether the deal to Arsenal will be in July. But either way, factoring all this in, we have plenty of room and FFP isn't a pressing concern nor a reason should as is likely we don't spend on the squad. Problem is, there is a lot of misinformation/incorrect assumptions about FFP and it can cause people to believe it is the reason we dont spend more.

He repeated post match that we have been "fantastic" in his time here up until tonight. Weve won 1 in 12. Kean, Coyle, Berg and Appleton will (I think) all have better win records.

1 win in how many games is it now?

Tonight is very much down to the owners. Weve been left with a threadbare squad full of gutless shit and a rubbish manager because the owners have turned the lights off. Shameful performance, hard to analyse individual performances because no one played even slightly well. But our terrible captain did manage to stand out with as bad an individual perfornance as youll ever see.

Cheaper tickets, not just in certain areas. Tinkering around the edges sums it up well if that is all that is even considered.

Broughton said what he would recommend to do but didn't come close to saying that it is likely to happen. I'm sure he is as aware as anyone that it is unlikely.

Any sane person would suggest reinvesting in those areas. I think Broughton's intentions are obvious and I am sure are genuine even if I doubt he would be the best person to achieve those. But its irrelevant because we know it almost certainly wont happen. Why would Venkys owned Rovers suddenly turn into a normal, logical football club?

He might not get in the team if Tronstad and Rankin Costello are both fit, which is a big if with the latter who is also needed in other positions. The supposed talk about him being disruptive was mentioned specifically that he wasnt playing the position he wanted in defensive midfield, when he did play he was expected to play further forward whereas Eustace is a lot more conservative. When he did play, it was often at full back. But I suspect there was a personal issue between Tomasson and Travis hence why he wasnt even selected in favour of Garrett, and also Wharton was here. Plus a clear financial motive to push him out. We need to get out of this habit of going, he wouldnt make our best team if everyone was fit so let him move on. He would get plenty of game time here even if we regularly had a fully fit squad.

Broughton isnt the first to talk about reinvesting transfer proceeds and trying to emulate clubs like Brentford and Brighton. Nice ideas but thats all they are working for Venkys. We have never threatened to operate with such efficiency under them, they turn down bids in favour of letting contracts run down and have regular spells where the taps are turned off, with occasional sporadic spending unconnected to sales. So why would that change now when they are at peak levels of disinterest and still not rid of further red tape caused by their wrongdoings?

Its bang average, maybe slightly below, a standard season when he plays a reasonable season is 8 or 9. Plus he gives us other parts to his game which maybe are helping the attacking players he plays with get the goal returns they have got. Obviously there are other considerations noticeably wages and injury issues. But from a purely footballing position, unless we get 2 new competent strikers at this level as a minimum in the summer, which isnt easy under competent owners, then we need him.

He is our only Championship standard. And he is Championship standard, he has proven it over a number of years. Certainly not a very good Championship striker or a prolific one and he never will be, but an average one. Take points about his injury record, but even signing one striker this summer is a task, if we even have any money. Let Gallagher go and we need 2. Surely we have learnt this season that we need 2 players for each position.

We have such a small pool of first team Championship standard players, and have suffered with the small squad all season as a result of the budget cuts. I can't get my head around people encouraging selling the ones we do have, even if people wouldn't start them if everyone was fit. Travis is more useful than Buckley, but getting rid of either only cuts us down further.

Even if he did get a goal somehow, I don't think it would set off a run. I don't see any redeeming features in him, we did get him from the German 4th division to be fair and I can see why both managers this season have only used him when absolutely necessary.

2 clean sheets and 2 goals conceded in the last 4 is much, much better. Problem is in 3 of those games, we failed to score ourselves.

I hope United go for Southgate. Continue their woes and help England too.