His overall managerial career suggests that he isnt Didnt he spend £4m on Vince Grella and sign his old mates Andrews and Fowler?

The lack of incoming defenders means that we likely will have to flog Phillips again which will have the Sheffield United forwards licking their lips. I would probably go: Kaminski Brittain Phillips Ayala Pickering Travis Morton Hedges Dack Brereton Gallagher Subs: Pears, Markanday, Szmodics, Buckley, Dolan, Edun, A Wharton

Just because we lost doesnt mean we should have been looking to win and been frustrated with anything less. They lost 4 nil to Rotherham at the weekend, have Paul Ince as manager and their team is poor with the worst keeper in the league and a scattergun mixture of unwanted journeyman and a bench (aside from the unexpected return of Joao) of kids. Its a bad reflection on us that we played so poor. You mention a partial Brentford model but Venkys would need to consistently commit to that and they clearly havent to date. We could have made a huge profit on Rothwell with far less than 19 months on his deal and the owners stupidly intervened. We dont know if they will stubbornly do the same with Brereton. They also have a random policy in terms of budgets where often they have allowed no investment or even reinvestment of big incoming fees rather than encouraging a consistent churn of selling for big money, reinvesting a percentage and using the rest to offset losses. Also, loans are a necessary evil, many promoted teams have had a sprinkling of loanees.

We have spent over 2m on an attacking midfielder and 1m on a right back which is far more than last summer and the summer before too. Nowhere enough though so far.

It was quite clear from my post that I am giving him the platform to prove himself but I merely commented that I have not been wowed from his first 3 games in which he hasn't really stood out. We need big things from him coming for a relatively hefty fee. If you have no business in making judgements after games (which is hypocritical as Miller11 points out) then just scroll past, shutting down my opinion because he has yet to play what you perceive to be the correct number of games to judge isn't very constructive. Just because teams haven't made signings this week (are the 2 Delap and Fosu at Stoke?) doesn't mean that they haven't across the course of the summer. But I was on about us and we desperately need players in, I would fear for Phillips for whom it is a big ask for him to go again for a third game in a week in which he has failed to last the full match twice and against a tough opposition. Did you watch the game last night? And if so, what did you make of Vale's performance?

It would fall into second place if Chelsea sign Gordon for the money quoted.

I think we have already seen again how different Championship senior football is to kids football. Vale was banging in goals left right and centre for the under 23s last season despite having a poor goal return in non league, and looks so far away from the level it is untrue. Out of interest @chaddyrovers having seen him v QPR, Hartlepool and last night, would you loan or keep? Phillips is the same, so highly rated but he was well of it yesterday having shown a few hesitant moments at the weekend.

Its a coincidence.

Thought he really struggled last night and was a clear weakness. On Sunday he misjudged a couple of things but got away with it, yesterday he looked so nervy. Of course he is very young and raw and ultimately we should have players ahead of him.

We should be looking to move Vale out on loan to League 1 or 2. Nowhere near Championship level and to be honest struggled v Hartlepool. If Tomasson doesn't have any new players available by the weekend then he has been let down.

Questions about Sammie Szmodics especially considering the fee spent. A long way to go to start to prove that he was worth that money.

And to Venkys. Hopefully they will provide the money. Amarii Bell and Tayo Edun must have been erased from your memory. I am guessing that you didn't see Sunday's game? Or when Edun played last season. Pickering has started the season well bar yesterday where Brittain was just as bad. Tayo Edun is not the answer.

Absolutely embarrassing. Broughton and co need to pull their fingers out. That being said, from what he has available, Tomasson got it badly wrong tonight. Vale nowhere near good enough, get him loaned out to the lower leagues. Phillips is nowhere near ready. Ultimately no one comes out with any credit.

Dreadful first half, out played and out fought by a dismal Reading side full of proven poor players and managed by an idiot. Tomasson has unfortunately got his selection wrong. Vale is nowhere near Championship standard and shouldnt be starting games for us. Dolan has been absent too and the other 2 attackers not much better, Szmodics needs to do more considering his price tag. Both midfielders have been off the pace and Buckley still needs to prove himself as a deeper midfielder. Phillips isnt ready for this level and Broughton needs to pull his finger out and get a defender in before the weekend. Dack and Hedges or Gallagher on at half time please.

Not sure about the changes, Vale was ineffective in his previous 2 starts but hopefully he repays the manager tonight. If changes were to be made, Dack should have come in.

I would say that saying that Edun "wasn't at his best" is a massive understatement, he repeatedly gave the ball away and was caught out of position on a number of occasions. I thought Pickering was steady as he has been all season and certainly not giving me comparative worries either at left back or out of position in the middle.

How do you think your midfield would change if you was to play Twine as a 10, would Brownhill perhaps play wide or play alongside Cullen deeper, which would move out Cork? I imagine Bastien will play in the midfield too when some attackers come in/are ready. I saw on twitter that apparently you are done for strikers which I think leaves you short, Barnes is finished and Rodriguez is old. Brereton will likely go yeah, the narrative is that only with a replacement although we have heard that before.

Agreed. That being said, I am not sure that the prospect either of that or being 5th/6th choice here is necessarily an attractive enough prospect to snub Spurs for. He seemingly picked up a lot of injuries last season and I know it was warm but he had to come off on Sunday. Tomasson I think mentioned that he is growing into his body so he might not even be ready for regular football hence why I would be concerned if he has to play for the rest of the month

Questionable source. But if it is true, I don't see how we would be likely to give him first team football, if we are after 2 more centre backs. He is a young lad seemingly growing into his body so I would like to think that we aren't guaranteeing regular football. That being said, would be a huge boost for the future.

Why would he accept if he can get that bigger pay rise and move up the ladder sooner?

The problem is Venkys unfortunately and whilst they are having summers where they allow no reinvestment of a big sale/sales whatsoever or are stubbornly refusing to sell players at a profit who will otherwise leave for free, we can never be comparable. It should be steady, it should be continuous, a case of buying, developing, selling at a profit, reinvesting some, pocketing some to balance the books and somewhat self-sustain, continuing the process.

To be fair, when everyone is fit it seems that neither would make the bench for us at the moment so I am unsure exactly what he would say! I usually don't like the "developing a player for another team" line when it can benefit us just as much but Phillips would be a different case to Van Den Berg for example who has 18 months Championship experience and would clearly improve us, whereas Phillips wouldn't make the squad.

I think some of the signings that you have made in Maatsen, Cullen and to a lesser extent Harwood Bellis seem to have really settled in very quickly, accompanied by some more familiar faces in Cork, Brownhill, Roberts, Taylor and Rodriguez. Very strong in the centre of midfield and at full back in particular. My main question would be how your attack comes together, lots of unknowns at this stage.

Phillips is clearly a player with enormous potential but I wonder when the last time that a player with 60 minutes of League experience potentially leaving would seemingly cause so much anger, not that I am necessarily saying that it is misplaced. Would he be in the squad assuming we bring a couple in and with Wharton fit again?

I find the Lancashire Telegraph article a bit worrying assuming it is true, that we are after 2 centre backs and a forward which itself is potentially dependant on a Brereton sale. Not enough. It could potentially be 2 defenders and a striker in, with Phillips out, Carter loaned out and Brereton out. Our first 11 plus 3 or 4 of the subs when all fit are very competitive, beyond that the gap is too big, Can we expect an equal deputy to Kaminski, Brittain, Pickering, Travis or Brereton should they be unavailable, clearly not, but the gap between them and the next player is too vast and if any are out for a period of time, we could struggle in their absence. Pears is blatantly not a capable deputy. If we sign 2 CB's, we will look strong there, but Rankin Costello and Edun are not able to step in without being real weaknesses unfortunately. In midfield, if Buckley missed out then maybe Morton would come in so less of a worry, but we have no other senior options who could provide that maturity and tenacity if Travis missed out. Also if Gallagher who himself is average missed out, is Vale up to a regular run? A big unknown. Regarding Phillips, I can totally understand if he chooses to join Spurs, a massive pay rise, a huge club and excellent facilities. We should not break our wage structure regardless of his clearly massive potential which he may or may not fulfill. With his immediate future, the comparison between Brereton and Phillips' couldn't be more stark and the former is far more of a worry. Phillips is only playing because we have 2 defensive injuries and we have been unable to get in the defenders we seemingly want, if most of them are fit he doesn't make the squad. He has only played an hour of senior football, at his age of development there are questions over his durability playing games in quick succession and for all of his potential, we don't know if he could cope with the level at this stage either. I wouldn't want him back on loan because if he was a talent at a big club already, we would dismiss the idea because he is so young and untested. I would rather he left soon rather than next summer if he unfortunately goes as we get no benefit from having such a player around this season considering his place in the pecking order.