Have you seen much of Souttar in full out of interest or just highlight reels like the above?

To be honest with Rashford I do think he perhaps was a little overhyped after the way in which he broke onto the scene. He has been really underwhelming for a couple of years to which the narrative was always that he was playing with injuries, but even after surgery leaving him pain free, he has been crap. He also displays terrible body language and minimal urgency like many of his team mates. Ability and attitude may both be contributing factors. Sancho looks a bit overweight and again is lethargic and seems not to be busting a gut. Easy to pin it on Ronaldo who at least unlike the likes of Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho etc has been scoring goals. But that bad attitude specifically this season is prevalent throughout a number of players. To add context, they did finish 2nd last season but they were never close to the title and the competition was weak. Chelsea had Lampard for half of the season who was massively underachieving and Liverpool had an unprecedented injury crisis deep into the pandemic which left them regularly playing midfielders and/or kids at centre back.

I disagree with them but I don't dismiss their right to an opinion purely down to their nationality. The poor attitude is throughout the team, and was long before Ronaldo joined. Rashford and Sancho are as lazy as anyone.

Where did you see about Barnsley having Covid? Feeling a case of de ja vu here...

I think the European Group Stages are often entertaining so I dont think that I would want them to be removed, the Champions League in general works well as it is. The Nations League was created as an alternative to friendlies so I do think it has been successful considering its objectives. I do think that the footballing schedule is too busy but I am unsure exactly what could be amended, although England playing teams like San Marino every year and battering them 10 nil does nothing for noone. But my point was calling out your ridiculous notion that foreign managers dont have the right to give their opinions and question the structure and logisitics of their teams schedule simply based on their nationality, and that they should simply go back to their own country if they choose to do so. Rangnick, Tuchel, Guardiola and Klopp have has much right to give their opinion as say Howe, Dyche, Gerrard and Potter ie nationality is totally irrelevant. And if they have no right to question it, surely it is hypocritical to then go on and start suggesting your own amended calendar!

I agree that the Cup games shouldn't be removed and I also do like a Boxing Day fixture, although I would suggest that the general festive schedule is illogial. My point was specific to the idea that they should go back to their country if they don't like it, as if their nationality gives them less of a right to an opinion. It shouldn't/doesn't and as you said in your quoted post, you'd think the same about an English manager.

So you can only comment on logistics around football in the country in which you were born? Got ya.

If you got a job as a manager in the Bundesliga, you would be entitled to an opinion just as much as a German manager in a similar role, bizarre to suggest otherwise.

Are they less entitled to an opinion because they are from a different country? I totally disagree with it but I am not sure that it warrants the "get back to your own country" style comments.

Is the team not as good as last season? Massive upgrade at left back/left wing back based on signings. Better quality at centre back due to one loanee and mainly availability of Ayala and Wharton. Better quality in midfield with Travis back fully fit, Rothwell used differently and Buckley really establishing himself. Also much less reliance on the depth of the squad compared to an unprecedented fixture schedule off the back of a 3 week pre season due to Covid last year. I wouldn't really say that the team was set up to benefit Armstrong, possession based football doesn't suit an explosive, pacy player. Nor was he disproportionately lazy to the point that it "destroyed us." He was the main man but we are equally reliant on one forwards goals this season, just a different player. Mowbray got his tactics all wrong last season, but takes pragmatism, intelligence and ultimately proves a lack of stubbornness to bin his "principles" to great success this year, so loads of praise deserved.

The 15th place was down to a multitude of reasons, a few factors that have changed this season seen below: - Misguided desire to play possession football that didn't suit us. - 2 horrendous left backs v one very reliable one this season and a decent back up. - Ayala being fit much more often. Wharton back, Van Hecke added. - Brereton being much more clinical, complex in itself. May well thrive as main man, but also increased confidence from Chile exploits, also much more clinical, last season his goal conversion was poorer than all other attackers. - Khadra a shrewd signing. Dolan much improved, Buckley improved. - Travis fit and sharp. Rothwell re-modelled next to him. - Numerous sub par players let go. - Schedule (so far) less congested. If we had Armstrong now we would be even better. He would also suit playing on the counter rather than the possession football.

That assumes that creating chances and then the conversion of chances are mutually exclusive. Better strikers have more chances as they get into better positions, therefore essentially create chances for themselves via good movement, as Armstrong did.

By all means test earlier which would have reduced the inconvenience to supporters, can't argue with that. But the main issue is that it is the 8th of 10 games to be cancelled from the fixture list today, and that would have happened whether the tests were done first thing or not. This shows no sign of ending and I have no idea what the answer is to stop it. How though, what if a team has say 16 players without covid and 9 with covid, but 6 of those are injured. You are just playing games to fulfil a fixture list. It isn't called off due to injuries, it is called off essentially as 9 from 25 players have covid, the Boro example is incomparable as it wasn't at a time of peak infection within a pandemic. We speak today knowing that if Hull could field a team of kids, we'd win so we are biased. I mentioned above though, I do think it could have been called off earlier, but they don't care about fans hence why last weekend, Bournemouth away at Boro was selected by Sky at 12.30.

His pace and anticipation often created his own chances too. His goal tally is an argument of itself anyway, if it was as simple as taking loads of shots and scoring goals, every team would have a striker on 28 goals.

What would your suggestion as to an alternative to the current rules? Because of injuries being a grey area, it seems impossible to come up with rules that cannot be manipulated or questioned. Also, it could be deemed to be negligent not to do another round of testing on matchday if testing is daily in general and if players need to follow the same rules as supporters to get into the ground. Seems impossible to manage at the moment.

Behind closed doors would not solve the problem in that it is players getting covid so much that is causing the cancellations.

There is no way that transfermarkt or indeed any website can justify accurate transfer values for players. Khadra is not worth only 250k.

If it was that simple, every team would have a striker on 28 goals.

I have no idea where football can go from here. I suppose they will have to do daily tests therefore ones on the day cannot really be avoided. From 10 Championship games today, 8 are off. I don't think a circuit break works because that relies on Covid not being prevalent once the season restarts. The current system of playing as much as possible seems pointless when so many games are being called off, when can they be replayed? Unfair on fans potentially calling games off so late too. You can't do points per game as it is far too early to justify that. And to null and void the season would seem crazy too, unless the alternative is behind closed doors rubbish. There is no answer that I can see.

Probably Khadra. Brereton and Armstrong on the counter attack playing the way we do at the moment would be lethal.

Utter nonsense, Armstrong scored 28 goals for us last season. It isnt his absence that has led to us doing better, if we had Armstrong now we would be even more dangerous, there are so many factors that have led to our improvement. Stopping trying to have excessive possession and being more pragmatic. Pickering coming in and massively improving on the woeful left backs we had. Ayala staying fit more often. Buckleys development. Brereton coming to the fore boosted further by confidence from his Chile exploits. Travis returning to full fitness and sharpness. Rothwell being somewhat re-modelled. Khadra and Van Hecke being here. Wharton being back fit. Many sub par players being released rather than being relied upon due to an unusally compact fixture list last season. The list goes on. I think all of our players would struggle in the Prem.

Does cheating only exist in the Premier League? And VAR has now overcome its teething problems and just makes for more correct decisions.

I dont get how football can be enjoyed when progression ie promotion to the top league is seen as counter productive. Bizarre to me. I love the idea of Rovers hosting the very best teams in the country and some of the worlds best players and hopefully competing with them, rather than games in front of less than 10k against teams like Peterborough, Barnsley, Oldham and Shrewsbury.

Absolutely not. Leicester were the favourites for relegation in a league with big teams like United, City, Liverpool, Chelsea etc. I have always maintained that for us to get even into the top 6, it would take overachievement, but not an unfathomable or unrealistic one. Barnsley made the play offs last season, it is a poor league with usually 2 or 3 teams likely to make the top 6 and then its a bit of an open floor.

Would be an excellent season and achievement if we went up, but on par with Leicester winning the Premier League? Behave!