Says in the Lancashire Telegraph that there is still no contract offer on the table for Travis. With mention of his wedding! Absolutely no excuse to get into these situations, theres always an excuse. Mid way through the season, dont know what division we will be in, focusing on signing players, a bloody wedding. Tying down key players long term is as important as anything.

I am (within reason) one of his biggest critics. But he obviously should be within a million miles of a professional football club. Probably at League 1 level.

The Brittain part does, if he stays.

I think Gestede said we want a right winger "to replace Cozier Duberry." Probably another untested kid on loan I suspect.

No one has said that they wouldnt prefer to win a trophy over finishing higher in the league. Its just that some people think that the overall performance of the club this season predominantly results in the league season make it understandable why the club have decided that Ange isnt best placed to take it forward and understand the sacking.

I have a question for you. Would you take a season here where you have to accept relegation but we win the League Cup? And would you keep Ismael if that happened? I would take that for a memorable trophy win, but also want Ismael out as he would have failed to demonstrate the ability to get results week in week out.

I dont get why this Wigan comparison keeps coming up. I think most would agree that this season for Spurs will be a memorable one and they wouldnt swap it in isolation for a much higher league finish and no trophy. That doesnt mean though that the manager should stay. Results across the whole season have been awful and Ange has not demonstrated that he is the man to take them forward. They would essentially be keeping him on the result of one game against United.

And the club is run by billionaires. They shouldnt require volunteers or fan funded standing sections.

Exactly, you surely cant just absolve yourself of any responsibility in the league. Trophies are more important than anything so I do think that their season has to be seen as more successful and more memorable than the 16 years (?) prior. That being said, merely just winning that trophy doesnt automatically mean that he must be the manager best placed to go forward. Its not even as if they finished 9th or 10th and won a cup where there might be an argument to justify keeping him, a team who more often than not finishes in the top 6 finished 17th, thats not a minor underperformance. The league is the best barometer when deciding and they did pathetically, humiliatingly badly. The cup win doesnt mean that he is going to repeatedly win trophies either, they wont be in that competition for a start but cups unlike leagues are much more influenced by luck. I think him going benefits everyone. The fans will forget how shockingly badly they did in the league and he can go as a hero with a big pay out, and the club can potentially get someone to get the players performing on a far more consistent basis in line with where they should be at based on the squad and resources.

How would Kargbo fit in though? A player who the club seemingly spent ages trying to sign. And also, Gestede was quoted as saying a right winger is on the list of positions he wanted to fill.

I dont have much of an opinion, I dont have any opinion on the quality of the player. I am just speculating as to where he may fit in. You are questioning me and only me as if I have said he is shit and I am appalled by his potential signing.

Left back. Strange.

I get questioning what type of player he might be etc. I dont get how you can just flippantly come to that conclusion.

That makes any potential signing a bit more puzzling in terms of where he is likely to fit in.

Im not sure what I have said about Kargbo that is relevant. With transfers like this, ie players from abroad, its obviously an unknown but totally witholding any opinion would eliminate the point of this thread. So we can just base it on what we know, so position, standard that hes playing at, how his team has done, how regularly he has played, if hes an attacking player how many goals and assists hes got etc. On Kargbo, I raised the point that he seemingly did really well at Serie C but was often a sub in Serie B. So the question was always, is he capable of coping with the jump to Championship standard. That question hasnt been answered positively or negatively as he has barely played due to injury. On De Neve, I never said that he isnt a wide man, you've misread what I put. Based on what we know, he isn't a wide man who has scored or assisted many goals in his career, probably partly because he has often played at left back. I have no idea how good or otherwise he is, I am just speculating on what type of player he seems to be, and whether he seems to be the type of player we need or where he will fit in, if he signs. Ultimately, we have no idea if this player will even sign.

I didnt pass comment on him as a player. I have never heard of him. Its not like you to be focused on trying to police any perceived negativity either. We need attacking players who can help us to score goals, our attack was poor last season and that was what (on the pitch) cost us finishing higher. This guy might be a really good player, but I am just speculating as to what he is being signed to do based on the very limited information we have. He doesnt seem to score or assist many and he has often played as a left back which is possibly the only position where we have decent cover. He may be a useful potential signing if he signs but I am just wondering as to what role he is likely to take up. The comment about Gestede was purely an observation about the market he seems to be drawn towards. Although even if anyones preset reaction was negative, its hardly abnormal considering the shit we have to put up with as Rovers fans.

Elliott Jackson has said we are "working on" a deal for De Neve.

France possibly have the best set of players in the world but the feeling is that Deschamps is overstaying his welcome. I watched the nations league game between France and Spain and it was a fantastic match. Spain were the stand out side and obviously won it and look a class above everyone else. Brazil have struggled recently but with their set of players they surely will be a threat now Ancelotti is in charge. Portugal also have some really good players and impressed v Germany but their biggest issue maybe Ronaldo who is now 40 playing until he decides otherwise and Martinez in charge. I still think that England's side is overhyped and it feels like we are beyond the peak of this current team, with a number of key defensive players that were key in getting far in previous tournaments now over the hill. We have a weak set of defenders, issues balancing the midfield and a number of quality attackers but ones who all want to play in the same areas.

Those 2 were also relegated from the league we are currently in, and Brittain in particular had shown that he was very capable at this level. The question is how inferior the Belgian league is, we signed Gueye who had also been relegated from that level and he has struggled. Obviously none of us know who this player is, or if he will even sign. So we dont know if he is one of the better players for his current team. The curious thing would be what type of player he is. He seems to have played a mixture of left back/wing back/left midfield, and he clearly isnt a wide man who has offered much of a goal threat. We need attacking players who can improve our attacking threat which let us down last year. On paper and on the face of it, it seems unclear whether this guy would do that.

So you think aside from one off changes to our recruitment team, which seem to happen far too often but ignoring that. You think that otherwise, there are no issues in how we are run and the timing of our transfers isnt affected by our owners and board, for example meeting well after the season ends often in India to sort the budget?

I specifically said that a trophy makes a more memorable season. Tottenham had a more memorable season than Arsenal and City. It doesnt mean that Ange should then have a guaranteed future at the club and Arteta and Pep shouldnt. But I also dont think that winning thatt trophy automatically wipes out how badly theyve done across the season in terms of whether Ange is the person to take them on. Juande Ramos also won a trophy more than Pochettino and co. Im not sure hes remembered too much anymore.

There is no need to be so defensive. I have never heard of him no, I am just saying that IF he signs, that it would be the second time that Gestede has signed someone that has been relegated from the Belgian league. I didnt pass comment on my opinion of that. Our club is run terribly and more often than not, we are slow, there are often delays getting budgets agreed etc, beyond the usual fact that a big chunk of transfers are done beyond the start of pre season. We were particularly slow last season too. Broughton seemed to be more proactive both in terms of transfers and contract extensions but has now gone. My comments on us being slow was more of a general comment under this terrible ownership and board. You dont have to constantly plead for patience and defend the club constantly, often missing the point, so repeatedly.

Looks like a player who has played some games at left back and has barely ever scored. Rudy doesnt half love a player from a relegated Belgian side if its true.

Read my first paragraph again in the post you quoted to see my answer. Im pretty sure that you are the one in the past who has endorsed teams resting players in cup competitions. But that doesnt mean that Ange has proven that he is the best man to take them forward. Im guessing that you will be hoping for Spurs to get relegated.

I think though that you can consider it as a more sucessful and memorable season even than say Arsenal, as football is about trophies. But equally decide that the overall performance in the season doesnt suggest that a manager has demonstrated that he is the man to take them forward.