But you have to look at the age of the team. Only really Giroud from that starting 11, maybe Matuidi, they might have another tournament in them max, most of the squad are actually at the start of their development and should improve further. They seem to know what to do to win already, countries like Spain, Germany and Brazil have teams more reliant on experience than youth.

Its an international tournament, that they won their group in, and efficiently won every knockout game in 90 minutes. You need a bit of fortune, but their team is brilliantly balanced, defensively solid in the main, quality in midfield, and has 2 star players working around a target man. Im not sure what else you can ask for. Probably because he downed tools, which is unforgivable. Im guessing from the "fans" aspect of your post that you are on a wind up, as you dont lose your right to become a fan by not rating someone.

Just because people dont have a detailed scouting list of potential transfer targets under their arm doesnt mean they have to be satisfied with the targets linked through transfer rumours. You need to realise this. Was a joke chaddy. Chill out.

I understand your point in regards to its the application of VAR rather than VAR itself, but could you not argue that it is better in theory than it is in practice? The time it takes and other minor points may be ironed out but even with VAR, these sort of issues will always exist in terms of how the human referee uses it, or how the human team in the room judge whether the referee should use it or not. The fact that VAR is the main talking point in the first World Cup Final that it has been in use in suggests that surely its not usable.

Very well is a massive exaggeration. All 4 players linked by Alan Nixon are the ones you want...maybe @Tom was on to something...

I know you have been very pro-VAR all tournament but surely that isnt an obvious error? At best, its debatable. The ref spent ages watching it so it was clear even he wasnt sure. Hands by his side, no intention at all to handball it. Has to be an obvious error, it certainly is not. VAR is the talking point of the World Cup final so far, never should be the case. Could rob Croatia of winning the World Cup. In terms of the actual football, which has been secondary, Croatia massively on top, Mbappe hasnt shown up yet, Perisic's goal was brilliantly worked and Croatia have controlled the midfield.

"Premier League Strike Ace" is a slight exaggeration.

Hope todays conclusion to the World Cup (probably the best in my lifetime) is fitting to what has been a thoroughly enjoyable month. Think it might be quite cagey, the 2 finalists are definitely the most efficient you would say, both full of experience, both know how to win games, fancy France just to being a bit fresher and a bit more of a cutting edge. The tournaments had basically everything, its fair share of brilliant games (Spain 3-3 Portugal, Croatia 3-0 Argentina, France 4-3 Argentina, Belgium 3-2 Japan, Germany 0-1 Mexico, Belgium 2-1 Brazil, Uruguay 2-1 Portugal) and a healthy dosage of shocks (Argentina being humiliated, Germany out in the group stages, Russia dumping out Spain There have been plenty of breakout stars, Pickford, Golovin, Lozano, Rebic, Trippier etc all impressing more than you could expect. Everything seems to have run smoothly in Russia and the 2 potential things that could have spoilt it were England crashing out early, yes theres regret that we couldnt take advantage of a favourable draw but the nations involvement with the team has been great, and also VAR, which I still dont agree with but more often than not it worked well. Sadly, this might be the last brilliant World Cup, with those in power intent on ruining it by moving the next one to winter, making it more of an inconvenience, and then changing it to 48 teams.

Dont think Kent came on for Liverpool at Bury today. Wonder if hes close to a move.

like who? considering our budget please - its not really his job to state, weve got this apparent upgraded scouting network to take care of that. Silly question. on his time at Birmingham, how many chances did the team created for him and the team style of play considering who the manager was for majority of the season - do you think he would get loads of chances here in comparison? No he wouldnt, his career goal record thus far is really poor. you seem dismiss every player link we had recently - they are just all rumours at the moment, its clear that rarely are they true and we tend to sign players unmentioned. You'll actually find that you always think EVERY signing without fail we are linked with is a good idea. Theres no debate, everyone is a good signing. That said, I try to take each potential signing on its own merits. Armstrong, Maddison - id very much like, Gallagher, Harrison and McFadzean - no thanks, do better. Kent, Chapman, Baeur, I am unsure, all 3 have potential plus points with also big reservations (Kent has been really poor in recent loan spells, Chapman has big injury question marks and if he wouldnt be a potential starter I wouldnt want him anyway, Baeur im not sure we need another centre back as a priority) source is rubbish? how? - Nixon gets loads wrong as we all know. Talks shite. Mowbray and Gallagher got on very well when Gallagher was here on loan last time - how do you know? The point was if we signed 2 ex players, it would perhaps lack imagination as others have said, and render any scouting upgrades pointless if he was to just resort to players weve had before, Armstrong id like (permanently), but Gallagher I think we can do far better than him as mentioned previously.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/15680956.Tony_Mowbray_looking_to_overhaul_Rovers__scouting_and_recruitment_departments_and_awaits_the_green_light_from_Venky_s/ It would show that Mowbrays attempts to get the scouting system developed havent come off!

Was an example of how the World Cup does indirectly affect signings for Championship clubs. Agree totally. Lacks strength, doesnt score nearly enough goals, need better to avoid being right in the thick of the relegation trouble. The source is a rubbish one so lets hope its not true. Nixons put a couple of teams in to increase his chances of stumbling across an accurate story. I cant see Mowbray going back to Gallagher anyway, think its a lazy link.

But there is a trickle down effect. For example, Liverpool have only just been able to wrap up the Shaqiri, which will allow them to allow Wilson out on loan.

Golden Boy Captain? Hes our sole world class player, proven to score goal after goal. Granted hes not look his self these last couple of games, but no way do you drop him. Maybe the injury he rushed back from at the end of the season has affected him? You are using massive hyperbole and exaggeration by saying very poor. Even today we had a massive spell of pressure and should have scored. Japan did well v Belgium to an extent but they lost as well, so dont wax lyrical too much. Slow and pedestrian again is incorrect, we have I think the youngest team in the tournament with plenty of energy, its been know how and intelligence for me that weve at key moments lacked. Rashford for me has had a particularly poor tournament whenever hes been given a chance. Those suggesting that Sterling should have been dropped for him seem ignorant to that.

Whilst you are right about the draw, and the lack of chances in open play, to say we are "very poor" and "fortunate" (in anything bar the draw) is a big overreaction.

“I am not looking at systems, I am just trying to get the players 45 minutes or an hour." “I am just giving everybody game time, I am not looking at systems or thinking of playing a particular way." Whose right, you or Mowbray?

Gomez and Holgate are in their respective first teams.

Very good post, perfectly put.

We played it for half of a pre season friendly so therefore we should build our squad for that formation? I hate the idea of us playing a formation that failed in the past but cant be bothered having thag debate. But surely if you want to play 3 at the back. Youd want to sign a starting centre back! A good quality one to improve us. Not a back up. Makes no sense. It was a massive overreaction by him. To question whether some people are fans because they dont rate a player is out of order. Its an internet messageboard, people have different opinions on individual things, its not a lack of support. You think they played well? You wasnt there?!

You are comfortable with absolutely whatever is chosen. Raya up front, Graham in net, Dack left wing back.

Oh give over. People are debating about whether we need competition for him whilst in the main acknowledging his obvious improvement. All on a forum. If you think that is not showing support then you are talking shite. The argument "show them some support" or "stop being negative" is one whereby a reasoned and constructive argument is lacking. Some people want this messageboard to basically be one where no healthy discussion can be made, only.a soundboard for how great everything is. Nyambe has grow on me, im glad we have him but I feel that we are lighter at right back than we are at centre back. (And for the record, being better than Orr, Henley, Kane and Caddis is not the sort of benchmark I want to be using)

Why are we signing a 4th choice centre back?! (If we are) we need players to push the first team and to improve us. Not players further down the pecking order than Downing is. If thats your only argument lets re sign Elliott Ward, shall we? Ive never made an assessment about McFadzean!!! In fact I went out of my way to say I wasnt. I dont know enough about him, from the sound of it, neither do you. Just that hes a 31 year old relegated centre back with an underwhelming CV. Your staunch defence of him is bizarre. No chaddy, most people are balanced. If we look to sign good players, people are happy, bad players, people will question. Armstrong, people have seen him do well for us, positivity. 31 year old Burton centre backs, people will be more inquisitive. Everyone knows if we signed a 50 year old youd still be happy and telling people to stop moaning.

We had all of them players bar Davenport last season, and he you would think would be good alongside Smallwood in a 4-2-3-1. Dack was so ineffective when we played 3 at the back, we was slow, we was laborious, we were at our best when we played 4-2-3-1 and an aggressive press. Pre season is rarely indicative of anything other than fitness.

You arent listening to my point, either that or you are arent understanding it. "Some people have been asking for experience centre back to be sign and now we being linked with one and still people moan. that's my point" Experience is not the only requirement! If we re-signed Elliott Ward, would you say the same thing? I cant believe you dont understand it. People want us to sign a pacy winger, Liam Feeney fits that criteria, but we dont want him back either because hes shit. People have mentioned a target man, if we went and signed Akinfenwa, people would complain because again, hes not good enough. It goes without saying that part of the requirement of these targets is to actually be good enough! I cant believe that even needs saying. (and im not saying, before you again misquote me, that McFadzean is or isnt good enough, but I can understand people questioning his track record) "why do we need a right back when Bennett has played right back/wing back in both games so far. " - Because Bennett is not a natural right back, and will undoubtedly be needed in midfield more often than not. We have Mulgrew, Lenihan, Downing and if we had 2 injuries, Williams to play in 2 spots at centre back. I feel we have at least a semblence of cover there. At right back, we have Nyambe who isnt unfamiliar with drastic losses of form, and then after that Bennett who is a midfielder. You are only in agreement because according to media tittle tattle, we do want a centre back and not a right back, so you feel the need to say that its exactly what you would do too. Your problem chaddy, is that you are so blinkered, so defensive, that you refuse to even acknowledge any potential negative aspects or worries, and you are insistent on ensuring that no one else can point out valid points. And if they dont agree, you spit your dummy out and tell them to stop moaning and have faith in Mowbray, which is totally irrelevant.

I am a season ticket holder and I did think Nyambe was much improved in the main last season, albeit he still doesnt know how to put in a good cross. That said, we definitely could do with another proper right back, and I find it strange that we seem to be targeting a centre back, when we are far more covered there than at right back.