Because of the lack of consistency in how Venkys run the club, assuming we don't go up this season, our best player leaves on a free and we go massively backwards in the "project."

No chance does Stewart come here. He technically due to an option his contract has 18 months on his deal, and Sunderland will want big money.

The way that we can compete with these clubs is by effective player trading, continuously and consistently earning profits on players and then reinvesting a percentage of that immediately, making any idea of a "project" with a start and end date a nonsense as it is always happening, in which case you don't need to write off seasons. Brentford are a great example, as soon as they sell a big name, they invest a decent chunk of that money on a new player. They were competitive with the likes of Hogan, Gray and Watkins leading the line and ended up going up with Toney having made massive profits even before that season. Had they not gone up with Toney, they would likely have sold him for a massive fee and spent another big chunk on someone else. That will never happen under Venkys. We have signed players that have appreciated in value in recent years and they have made it up as they go along. Mowbray signed Armstrong and sold him at a huge profit, then they refused to reinvest any of it. With Brereton and Rothwell, they were developed to sell at a profit, Venkys intervened and refused to sell, so instead a big chunk of over £12m to reinvest has instead disappeared. We also have repeatedly assembled and destroyed backroom staff teams throughout their tenure which is why I am not remotely excited by the supposed new team we have, it will likely be skeletal within 2 or 3 years. We are clearly at a disadvantage to some teams with parachute payments, although we have an Academy as good as any and we aren't saddled with Premier League wages, so we do have advantages. Because there isn't anything like a consistent attempt at efficient trading, it is little wonder that we tend to fall away. Our squad is particularly weak and thin at the moment with 5 of the 6 summer signings ranging from woeful (Hirst and Mola) to underwhelming (Morton and Szmodics) and made of glass (Brittain) leading to an over reliance on the academy leaving players like Vale and Garrett who clearly aren't ready to play at Championship level getting regular involvements. When Mowbray implied that Rovers fans were living in the past, he was quite fairly lambasted. The idea that our fans think that we should be in the Premier League is simply not true.

Ive been as critical as anyone about our recent form and our performances. You specifically said bottom 6 in the quote I posted so I just thought a bit of perspective on such an extreme prediction was needed.

I think recruitment was seemingly done based on the assumption that Buckley could convert successfully to being a deeper lying midfielder which he has failed to adapt to. His best form actually came as a false 9 in a very specific formation which obviously tailed off. His biggest asset is his ability to press and win the ball back deep, and he also has the ability to put players through on goal. Further back, he can't press too much otherwise he leaves gaps, he is too far away to be a threat at putting people in behind and he takes too many touches and can't take the ball effectively on the half turn without being a major risk, just like Morton and Travis. I remember people in the summer implying that Buckley replaced Rothwell, but it just hasnt worked. With the balance of our squad now, it is very difficult to now cut our losses with the change and again consider him to be a more attacking midfielder due to the fee spent on an inferior player in Szmodics and especially with Dack also being an option and who is the best of the 3. We also lack quality in central midfield which is our weakest position along with centre forward.

How often have you watched Robin Hack at Arminia Bielefeld?

You also think that Hirst just needs a run of games, unless his pointless cameo on Boxing Day was the final straw for you? We seem to have got worse and worse going forward as time has gone on. We neither have a discernible style that gets the ball to the attacking players very often, nor do the attacking players look like any training has gone into attacking leading to an absence of pass and move and decisions repeatedly made that are wrong. You could point at individuals and question their form but when the whole team is not offering a goal threat, it goes beyond that.

I think we are well past that point and it now takes 10.

Presumably someone from Sunday League.

1) No, not at all, I mentioned the other day that it has been as boring as since Appleton's terrible tenure here. Every manager since (purely on an entertainment basis, not how good/bad they did) has displayed more entertaining football. 2) 100%. Hence why I have certainly never questioned Tomasson's position, even if I do have doubts and certainly not a complete, unwavering faith that this "project" WILL be a success. When Mowbray came out with similar guff about a journey, he was lambasted. Sick of hearing about the project. I think when Tomasson came in with what he said and with his playing history, people I think were easily fooled into thinking that he would be an attack minded coach. We have scored 6 goals in 7 games in the league including 2 own goals and barely ever look like scoring. The ball takes ages to get into the oppositions half, and combinations between players are non existent, as if they aren't being trained on linking up to break down defences. All season we have barely threatened in the early weeks were reliant on numerous screamers and clinical finishing, especially from Brereton and even he can't score anymore in such a dysfunctioning attacking side. I actually think his skills more lie in organising a side, especially defending and managing a lead. Recruitment has not helped either in attacking positions. Hirst is an absolute joke (first choice!) and Szmodics is an overpriced League 1 standard player, not one who can help other than occasionally with what our supposed aim is, to get into the top 6.

13 points in 22 games would take us above the points tally of 6th bottom from last season. Hyperbole is certainly your forte. Whereas your unwavering echoing and defence of everything in the club is equally baffling to others.

I wasnt asking whether you watch Rovers as a whole. Do you specifically enjoy watching Tomasson's "style" of football?

Not interested in theories about fitness stats. He was the most useful of the front 4 and replaced by an absolute donkey who didnt bring any energy, just left us essentially with 10 men. It was the wrong call.

I think they had a few Scandanavians when Solskjaer came in and took them down.

Berget only played one Premier League game for Cardiff.

I still am unclear as to how he wants to play.

The most pressing position is to sign a good, experienced central midfielder, we are as weak there as anywhere. Neither Travis nor Morton are particularly good and Buckley's transition to playing deeper has been unsuccessful. Adam Wharton is a talent and he would benefit from some know how and quality alongside him.

Results are most important but put that aside for the purposes of this question. Do you enjoy watching a Jon Dahl Tomasson managed Rovers and how they play? And how would you describe the style?

Kaminski Rankin Costello Hyam Ayala Pickering Buckley A Wharton Markanday Dack Brereton Gallagher Subs: Pears, Hedges, S Wharton, Travis, Szmodics, Phillips, Edun Buckley incredibly lucky because of a lack of quality in central midfield. I'd send the 3 loanees back if possible and look elsewhere.

Absolutely shocking performance yet again against a bang average side. We deserved to get nothing and thats what we got. Our squad is not strong enough partly due to an underwhelming transfer window and there seems to be a lack of a specific style. The defence were ok for much of the game with Rankin Costello a stand out and Dack drops into space and plays clever passes that no one else can, Tomasson clearly has a personal issue with him because he always takes him off when physically he looks fine and the shake of the head said at all. Gallagher was appalling, all of the flaws in his game evident, he couldn't hold it up at all which was really problematic. Brereton and Hedges are in poor form too. I always had doubts about Buckley being a sitting midfielder and not unlike Morton, he is so ponderous that he regularly concedes possession. Neither sufficiently protect the defence

It is such a strange situation at the moment, the main thing that matters is that somehow we remain in third so if anyone is calling for his head, I can't see how that can be justified. But I am really struggling to find things to suggest that we will finish there or anywhere near there. But I have no idea especially in an attacking sense what Tomasson is trying to do, we so often pose no threat at all with our goal yesterday being a total fluke and everything is so slow, dull, boring and often unproductive. He also is not getting the best of/fully utilising players like Dack, Markanday and Adam Wharton who do at least give a bit of spark. Entertainment is obviously not important like results are but I think we are as boring to watch as we ever have been since Appleton. I think most saw a decline coming with recent poor form and I struggle to cling on to much to think that it won't carry on, the standard of the league is poor and we have some winnable games but a lot needs to change, including some proactive early transfer business which simply won't happen.

It might not mean much to them, but such an attitude is undermining any attempt to instil a plan at our club and it pisses me off.

Not really one to get heavily involved in ITK gossip, but why do Venkys get involved just enough to block certain sales? Senseless. Our CEO is a clown but these issues were here before he arrived.

Ill judge as we go. First window, very average with one clear success. My doubts mainly are around Venkys who have historically failed to ever oversee the consistent application of a plan on 12 years. Not a reflection on anyone else.

Do the accounts show that? The profits/losses include expenses that are not eligible for FFP calculations. Also, all the way through the summer Mowbray said that we cant spend because Venkys had "gone through a tough time due to covid." If it was FFP im sure they would have trotted out that excuse and it would make a little more sense. Either way, if we followed a consistent plan of selling assets and buying new ones straight away for a % of the proceeds then we would be fine with FFP anyway. I wasnt advocating selling him and not reinvesting a big chunk. It would mean buying a new striker for perhaps £6m but it would also mean that it isnt as essential as it now has become to get promoted specifically this year. We would then be able to push again consistently year after year.