Mixed window, although the Brereton situation dominates everything and it wreckless to allow him to run his contract down and it shows that lessons have not been learnt, he has a value in excess of the 3 that left last season combined. Selling and signing a direct replacement was a key objective. Hyam and Brittain are the best 2 deals in my opinion, short and long term. Szmodics potentially the most questionable, spending so much on a player where he is unlikely to be first choice and with a poor record at this level. Lots of reliance on loans, good that 2 have options for permanent deals. Hirst was apparently the first choice which is not the most ambitious move but maybe he can kick on, not sure our 2 number 9s are the most prolific. Mola is an interesting one but minimal first team experience like Morton. 5 or 6 out of 10 overall.

You say that but I suspect that if you put it to vote, that people would rate Dolan more.

Dolan is not very effective either but hes a level above Vale.

The ball didnt stick more than once Vale came on and based across his various appearances, I dont think that he is ready. Phillips likewise, he is much younger and has I dont think managed to last the full game in any of his appearances, he seems physically not ready for Championship regular football and prone to muscular injuries as he grows, didnt he also miss quite a few reserve games due to injury last season? He also has struggled in the air and although it is obviously not solely down to him, its not a coincedence that we have 3 clean sheets with him and 4 without him. Thats fine, hes probably 6th choice now so he can be used sparingly and maybe even loaned out either this season or even next if he signs long term.

The 4-2-3-1 suits us and worked last night, I wouldn't change that.

As it stands I would go: Kaminski Carter Hyam Mola Pickering Travis A Wharton Hedges Dack Brereton Hirst Subs: Pears, Phillips, Buckley, Morton, Markanday, Szmodics, Dolan That is assuming that the squad is unchanged transfer wise and that none of Wharton, Ayala, Brittain and Gallagher are back. I think Travis needs to be back in midfield as soon as possible ideally.

No Hedges?

Really enjoyable away day last night and great result to stop the rot. I don't think the performance was brilliant but key to get 3 points. On a day with numerous positives, Adam Wharton was the stand out, not only very good on the ball but very industrious off it. I stand by my comment that we could never come into this season expecting a flurry of youngsters to all come through at once and that they should be able to come through only if and when they are ready, Vale isn't ready and may never be and Phillips isn't ready yet either but Wharton has taken to it like a duck to water. Obviously question marks longer term about whether he can sustain it but very exciting. Elsewhere, outstanding pass by Dack who showed his class and why he needs to play week in week out, you do wonder where Szmodics fits in other than back up to him. Also was really happy with how Hyam slotted in aside Carter who was also good. Pickering has got lots of criticism lately but really solid and steady again, one of our better performers at the start of the season.

Who is the person without being exact, someone within the club, an agent maybe? LT have dismissed it.

Where have you heard about Brittain and Gallagher are out for 6 weeks?

Unsure really what to make of the Mola deal, minimal first team experience so hard to know what to think. Versatility could be very useful especially being able to cover left back where I am fine with Pickering but not with Edun. How ready is he for instant involvement would be a big question, ideally he could play on Saturday assuming neither Ayala or Wharton play to allow Carter to play at right back and Travis alongside Adam Wharton in midfield. Tomasson said the other day that 3 more were expected and money is there still to be spent, so 2 loanees wouldn't be enough. As it stands, it would be a below par window with also the inevitable loss of Brereton for free. Keeping him would also diminish the FFP excuse going forward. Dembele seems to have other suitors, would be a nice surprise as a permanent and good even on loan but the LT don't seem to think it is likely. @JoeH where did you hear that he is having a medical?

15th, 11th, 15th and 8th definitely puts him on par with Kean.

Dolan at wing back and Dack up front?

Who said this?

Brereton if possible or Hirst if he signs in time. If neither are possible, probably and reluctantly Dolan. Hedges and Markanday either side of Dack.

Dack up front? It doesn't work.

Really underwhelmed by the potential loan signing of Hirst. Not a particularly impressive goal return at a lower level and as an initial loan, would have been more excited with his calibre had it been a permanent deal. Lets see though, maybe a late developer. We did badly need a striker as Vale is nowhere near up to it, but is Gallagher and Hirst as 2 striking options the armoury of a top 6 side? Not for me, especially if their responsibility increases upon the potential sale of Brereton. Will Hirst play wide too? Tomasson laid down the gauntlet expecting 3 signings today and some money to be spent, a slow start with Hirst, lets hope it picks up with the other 2. Wonder if his loan signing can be done before 12, could he be on the bench tomorrow night?

Does that fit in with the fluid front 4? Scores goals is a bit of a stretch. He is a donkey so hopefully if he is coming we can get him signed up for a trip to Blackpool tomorrow.

We can barely patch a team together for tomorrow. I am making the big assumption that Brereton stays: Kaminski Carter Hyam Ayala Pickering Travis A Wharton Markanday Dack Hedges Brereton Subs: Pears, Phillips, Edun, Buckley, Morton, Dolan, Vale

Not withstanding the fact that Dykes is shit. Would a focal point fit the "way JDT wants to play" considering how many other players you have shot down for that reason?

You can use the business speak as much as you like but I know who I would fancy to have a better chance of survival or if they do go down, promotion.

To @SAFCfaninpeace I think Rovers fans have had their impression of him soured by the fact that our owners are disinterested and he ended up staying on longer than he should, ending in a season where we had a quite remarkable first half and a catastrophic second half and it got a bit unpleasant at the end. I would say that he is a good appointment for you as a promoted club with probably more expectation (like us when we came up after only 1 season down) than the majority of promoted sides, he came in here with an uphill battle to stay up and a weak squad and didn't manage it. We then got promoted and finished 15th, 11th, 15th and 8th with probably a bottom half wage budget. His transfer record is not perfect but pretty good nonetheless and he can develop players so if your owners don't interfere and allow full autonomy and the ability to partially reinvest, he can make profit on assets. We sold Armstrong for a big profit, Brereton should be sold for a big profit, Rothwell would have been had our owners not intervened and Dack would have was it not for terrible luck on injuries. We have a few other very good signings in his tenure especially his use of the loan market and he gave the chance to numerous youngsters, some of whom (Wharton, Travis, Buckley, Nyambe and Lenihan) played important roles for him. Tactically he went quite pragmatic at the start which worked, tried to make us into a passing side which didn't, then went to 5 at the back which was a masterstroke for a while but eventually became something that he stubbornly stuck too when it isn't working. He is prone to overthinking things tactically and has tactical ideas that might seem clever in his head but not as good in practice, and his sub usage was mixed. His seasons follow a very typical pattern with a dip in the early months of the year and although he is a safe pair of hands that shouldn't have you worrying too much about going down, he will likely only take you so far. Steady but not spectacular.

I think Rovers fans have had their impression of him soured by the fact that our owners are disinterested and he ended up staying on longer than he should, ending in a season where we had a quite remarkable first half and a catastrophic second half and it got a bit unpleasant at the end. I would say that he is a good appointment for you as a promoted club with probably more expectation (like us when we came up after only 1 season down) than the majority of promoted sides, he came in here with an uphill battle to stay up and a weak squad and didn't manage it. We then got promoted and finished 15th, 11th, 15th and 8th with probably a bottom half wage budget. His transfer record is not perfect but pretty good nonetheless and he can develop players so if your owners don't interfere and allow full autonomy and the ability to partially reinvest, he can make profit on assets. We sold Armstrong for a big profit, Brereton should be sold for a big profit, Rothwell would have been had our owners not intervened and Dack would have was it not for terrible luck on injuries. We have a few other very good signings in his tenure especially his use of the loan market and he gave the chance to numerous youngsters, some of whom (Wharton, Travis, Buckley, Nyambe and Lenihan) played important roles for him. Tactically he went quite pragmatic at the start which worked, tried to make us into a passing side which didn't, then went to 5 at the back which was a masterstroke for a while but eventually became something that he stubbornly stuck too when it isn't working. He is prone to overthinking things tactically and has tactical ideas that might seem clever in his head but not as good in practice, and his sub usage was mixed. His seasons follow a very typical pattern with a dip in the early months of the year and although he is a safe pair of hands that shouldn't have you worrying too much about going down,

Of course some players defy historical form and suddenly spark into life at a certain club, you could say that about anyone. But equally, using that as logic to back up the suggestion of a signing is setting yourself up for a fall. It is preferable to sign someone with a decent track record rather than using isolated examples of when players have come here having rarely scored in the past and done well.

Is he? The team spirit always seemed good in his tenure and I thought that he developed especially the younger players very well, Brereton, Buckley, Travis are 3 good examples. Always had his people skills as pretty good, he developed players well, but tactics were not his main strength.