No fun in winning promotion, battering Preston on their home ground, winning 5 nil at Hillsbrough, winning 6 games on the bounce last winter including a 2 nil win at Bournemouth etc?

Shows the total disregard and lack of care that Sky have towards fans that Watford have twice been plonked on a Monday night. Regarding our cup recent history, it is piss poor and it is often coupled with regular supporter suggestions that we are better off out of the cup with even the occasional remark that they would rather lose! Its something I have never been able to get my head around, I would make a number of changes on Wednesday night but still hoping and expecting that we can make the draw for the next round.

Pickering has started the season well and has been an important part of a very impressive back 4. Edun had a good cameo at the weekend but historically has been poor at left back. Not sure why there would be a decision to make.

There is absolutely no chance of us signing Bowler, Birmancevic and a number 9 in this window. This Bowler link seems to linger despite there being nothing but tenuous bits of historical gossip linking him. Why would he sign it? Him as a prospect to a top division club even reasonably priced is different to him as a free agent.

The owners should have zero involvement in transfers.

As much as Conte is a great manager, their team is not comparable to Liverpool.

I didnt say they were.

Just because he is a good player doesnt mean that it is a fair assumption that he is a primary target of ours. He may well be but as I said, seemingly was never first choice if there was truth in the rumours of the 2 other defenders that we tried to sign. Both.

They may get itchy but even if they do they will know that we are between a rock and a hard place.

I would think that Armstrong is perhaps one of the least popular players in a Rovers shirt in recent years considering his personal performances on the pitch. Unsure if maybe the fact that much of his goalscoring came when it was behind closed doors, and also if because we tend to (by luck or by judgement) tend to regularly have goalscorers, even Rhodes, Graham, Dack and now Brereton that the crazy goal tally that he scored is somewhat underappreciated. Not overly surprised that like Rhodes he was unable to make the step up, it is a huge step that most Championship players suffer with.

He could sign a pre-contractual agreement with a foreign club from January.

I am not totally convinced by the notion that we are even seriously interested in Van Hecke. We obviously have a new manager who will presumably have his own ideas and assuming that there was any truth in the Ahmedhodzic and Davies rumours, then Van Hecke clearly was at best not his first choice for that position. Not saying we aren't interested either but it seems a case of adding 2 and 2 and I am unsure whether people have got 4 or 5.

Very strange recruitment, they have gone for quite a lot of well known and British players, Tarkowski is a really good signing, not sure on Coady, McNeil was horrendous at Prem level last season and (obviously not British) but Gana Gueye was brilliant there first time but it was a long time ago. Amidst all that, they are close to signing Onana who is apparently a really good, young midfielder for big money. They still are horribly short in attack and the signing of Dele Alli is up there with the strangest you could find, no doubt a big earner, a player who could incur many more costs if he plays more games and just in general an unnecessary sideshow.

David Brent levels of business speak.

Coady is not particularly good so I can see Evertonians having a right moan as and when he makes mistakes specifically because Coady is a big Liverpool fan.

Maatsen was outstanding v Huddersfield and seems to have got lots of praise again yesterday, and impressed at Coventry too. Think they have a good one there unfortunately.

The obsession continues with now solely Ronaldo now Pogba has moved on as if he is the sole problem. Their side is crap though, lets be honest. Rashford scored 4 last season and hasn't scored when starting for over 15 months, missed a few sitters today and generally looks half arsed. Sancho looks a real waste of money, every time I see him he looks out of shape, lacking pace and always choosing the safe pass back rather than beating his man, McTominay has to be one of the very worst starting central midfielders in the league and Fred is little better alongside him, why they have their best CB on the bench is beyond me, Shaw looks like he is towing a caravan, De Gea regularly makes big errors, the list goes on. I don't think that they can afford to let Ronaldo go simply because he is the only person who scores goals with any regularity. It's painted out that he is the egotistical bone idle prevention to a young, dynamic side playing energetic, pressing football. The rest of the players are more bone idle than him!

What is meant by being "fair enough?" I disagree with the concept of a strict playing style being dictated to by people above the manager, it is nonsensical. In this instance, Swansea fans got moany about playing style despite Cooper getting Swansea into the play offs in successive seasons. They let Cooper go, and have massively downgraded with a desire to pass it about (by the way, it is so boring to watch) yet throughout last season, it seems from afar that their fans were happy regardless of a sharp decline in results. Managers are the ones qualified to play a style how they see fit, and it should be based on results, not the principles of men in suits.

Vale struggled to get involved, so I am just saying not even specific to yesterday that Dack even as a sub could be a very useful tool to run down the clock. Swansea an example of how an obsession over "the right way of playing" and philosophies can be to the detriment of the club.

Surprised to see United playing so badly with neither of Ronaldo and Pogba playing for them, they were the 2 problems or so it was portrayed? Absolute shite, McTominay is stealing a living.

Since the PL days, Dack I think is by far the best player we have had at seeing games out, game management and using his brain to run the clock down. I think once we went to a back 5 though, his natural position was obviously no longer there, but I think there would have been merit to bring him on instead of Vale to use his know how. I don't think Martin is a very good manager. Shows even more how stupid they were not to do everything to keep Cooper who got them into the play offs twice. Hedges was very good v Stoke, Preston and Birmingham at the end of last season. He has not suddenly become a different player. He really did fit the tactics yesterday with his work off the ball.

The thing is, as a big money signing with a reluctant seller compared to a free agent, he becomes a totally different prospect. A second good year and there may be numerous clubs in the PL and in top leagues elsewhere who see Brereton as a very tasty free agent. The thing is too which is in his favour is even if he failed to replicate that form and attract Premier League interest, we would be cutting our noses off to spite our face if we withdrew that offer.

He quite clearly has proven himself as merely a "good" Championship CB, maybe debatable is whether he is top class at this level or even able to make the step up but he is at least good at this level. Has your view on Hedges changed at all?

Dele Alli has to be one of the strangest signings in recent history. No doubt on a decent wage too.

Brilliant result and what a start to the season so far with 2 wins from 2. The result was all built on defensive solidity with brilliant organisation throughout, excellent concentration and clinical when we did get chances. Ayala and Wharton were both outstanding, a shame that the former will drop down to injury at any moment as he really is a top defender at this level. Kaminski reliable when needed and the full backs both sound, Brittain was wasteful with his crosses but both are sound technically and I thought that Pickering was particularly good after some criticism lately. Travis a driving force in midfield and has taken to captaincy like a duck to water. Buckley more of a mixed bag, poor from set pieces and dawdled a couple of times which on one occasion in particular left us exposed, but the 2 were also key to our defensive shape. Going forward, I don't again actually think we were particularly great but we were clinical when we did get into the final third. Hedges was the stand out player and I think he could turn out to be a real bargain as a parting gift. Szmodics I actually thought looked off the pace in general and struggled to get involved but getting on the scoresheet with a composed finish was a very good contribution. Brereton very good and assuming he leaves, we have to get a good replacement as he brings so much both with his goals and his hold up, Gallagher worked hard but quite ineffective.