Doubt we will get near Leeds.

Leeds to deliver a footballing master class and win by at least two clear goals.

Any win away from home is good but we were really poor after taking the lead against a very, very ordinary Championship outfit who we really should have put to the sword.

Mowbray again became negative with his puzzling tactics and substitutions almost costing us the game.

Rothwell looks very promising and was the one bright spark for me - Dack again too much on the periphery and I think we should be getting much more out of the lad.  Rodwell looked leggy to me and didn't show the athleticism of his early days.

A lot of work to be done and nowhere near good enough to think about top 6 in my opinion - with Dack in our team, we are a mid table outfit at best.

My Bolton friends were gutted about losing that one but at least had the consolation of me picking up the post match drinks' tab as is our tradition for the winner.

18 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

David Moyes new bookies favourite for Villa job.

Some Villa fans on twitter not happy at all. 

Neither would I be!

Saw Moyes in a Lytham restaurant a few weeks ago and he didn't look a happy chappy!

If Villa have any sense, they'd appoint Big Sam.  As close as you can get to guaranteed success.

2 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

Absolutely no chance we’re keeping a clean sheet, lad...

With Lowe, Evans and Smallwood in the two midfields, struggling to see where a forward pass will come from !!!

A tough game.  Will be sitting with some Bolton friends.  Fear we will be bored to tears and earn a point in an uninspiring 0-0.

3 hours ago, islander200 said:

Where have you been?Funny no posts of praise when we were picking up results and playing well?

Also be interesting to hear your thoughts on Dack and the fact the club reportedly turned down a deal with West Brom that could have potentially netted the club 15 million?Didn't you say you were 80% sure that Dack would be sold in the summer?

I've been extremely busy!

Seen a few games this season and by and large been disappointed.  Confidence and momentum go a long way in football, especially for promoted teams, but sadly. hasn't happened for us.

Yep, I did think Dack would go - WBA bid came in late and will be interesting to see what happens in Jan. if he maintains decent form.  My main concern is that his head will be turned and I think he might get too frustrated in a Rovers' team where he's almost the sole source of inspiration / creativity.  Think Mowbray needs to find a way of getting him more involved in the game - despite his skill, flicks and intelligence, I think he is too much on the periphery of games for long periods.

'Bright young things' stand out a mile.

If you've got it and you are good enough then you are old enough.

Yep, likes of Mbappe, Ampadu and Alexander-Arnold are exceptional talents but I haven't seen a shred of evidence to suggest Brereton is even going to be a decent Championship player, and certainly not worth a £7millionish deal, never mind blossoming into an exceptional talent.  I just don't get it and I'm totally bemused with his signing.

Would help if the manager stopped trying to put square pegs in round holes!

We've squandered some money on poor strikers over the years going back to the likes of Gilliver, O'Mara, Grabbi, Davies and now, in my opinion Brereton.

Think we paid £7million for Davies but at least he did have a record in the PL.  What has this lad Brereton done?  Can't recall the lad doing anything of note in our shirt.  A hugely strange signing.

Watching Rovers, it's a struggle to see what Mowbray is trying to do.

Don't think our organisation is great and there is no identity to our play.

I think we are poorly coached.

Poor stuff last night - think it was men against boys both on the field and in the dugouts.

Think Armstrong and Brereton signings are both poor and wasteful given the money involved and the glaring deficiencies in our team.  Too many bang average players who can't cut it.

Finding Rovers boring and uninspiring.

A long, long season ahead.

Just now, JacknOry said:

Not a surprise at all considering the quality and experience he has at this level and the fact he is practically out of contract. Lots of clubs will be looking to free transfers so I am not surprised that this dragging of our heels has led to further interest - if true.

To clarify, my surprise is the club that is interested not the fact there is other interest

27 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Mirror reporting we're after Trevor Chalobah and Michael Hector on loan from Chelsea. Don't know anything about either of them except I think Hector has been at Reading on loan in the past.

If either of these lads are decent, pretty certain they'll be out of Rovers' reach as Chelsea charge top dollar when loaning out their decent young lads.  The dross they'll let you have for nowt if your pick up the wages 

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

Yeah i seen that.Option or no option I hope we get Graham tied down soon

Understand there's another club in for Graham as well as Bolton - bit of a surprise really.

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Firstly no need for the bloody insult at all islander2000 I dont know who you think you are!!!

I suggested Bridcutt before Mowbray visit to India and what age of player since his owner visit. 

Mowbray is keen on Davenport from City. Dont know much about him but its could be cheap buy or a loan

If the lad is decent, he would not be a cheap buy neither would he be a cheap loan.  The 'big' PL clubs make millions and millions from loaning out the young up and coming.  One London club made £12 million in the season just gone for 'loan outs' and that is not an exception but rather the norm..

Just now, renrag said:

People who wish to donate to charity, in the main, do so without a song and dance and not subject to losing a bet.

Yes they do.

I have supported church and many good causes for decades and do not make a song and dance about it.

This was an initial offer to Chaddy and a subsequent gesture that I think have been misinterpreted by many of you.

I will leave it there.

Just now, K-Hod said:

I don't think it is, for what it's worth, someone else made that observation, I was just paraphrasing. You can spend your money on whatever you want, that's how life works.....

You can also think as you please.

I think that it ignorant and disrespectful of you and you would realise that if you had an insight into a person's personal life.

Just now, K-Hod said:

Glass houses and all that, Mercer.

Incidentally, can any threats of wagers/charitable donations/people showing off that they can spare £100 (however you want to interpret it) be done via PM? 

Many thanks.

You can think what you like.

It is a genuine and sincere gesture.

It was not a case of showing off.  Perhaps, there is very good reason for me making that gesture.

I think your response is churlish.

My two £100 charity bet offers were specifically for Chaddy.

Chaddy always disses my contributions so my two offers of charity bets were a case of either put up or shut up.  I think his refusal to take up my offers underlines the nonsense Chaddy sometimes spouts. 

It's Bank Holiday weekend, the sun is shining and as a gesture of my goodwill, I will now make a £100 donation to a charity of my choice.  It would be nice if Chaddy made a similar gesture.

Happy Bank Holiday weekend to you all. 

11 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Well Lenihan is practically begging for a new contract, and Mulgrew is unlikely to get better money at this level of competition at his age.

Only ? is over Dack and that's only because of his Mrs. He's untested at this level and adored here, I just hope he doesn't do a Bentley and squirm an opportunity with us.

It's older players like Mulgrew who are often the most vulnerable especially if in the last year of their contract.

Using hypothetical numbers  - an older player has one year left on his contract at £30k pw (£1.56million).  Along comes his agent who can get him a two year deal (possibly even three years) at £20k pw (£2.08million over 2 years, £3.12million over 3 years) with the possibility of some coaching thrown in at some stage.  What would you do ?  

1 hour ago, Ladyboys of Bank Top said:

It seems Mowbray will be allowed some money to spend but not a great deal, and will have to adhere to a strict wage budget. All very sensible. He already has the basis of a good Championship squad. These are Don Mackay times, not the times of King Kenny.

It shows what we are up against when we had a to agree to a 7 figure fee to buy Antonnson as part of his loan deal. Armstrong is apparently out of our price range in both fee and wages. 

A good summer will be keeping hold of our best players and adding a few young lower league players on cheap/free deals, which is pretty much what Mowbray said is going to happen. 

 

Bingo!

Sadly, I don't think we've too many to hang on to - after Charlie, Lenihan and Dack, you are left scratching your head.

If I was Mowbray's agent, unless he was going to get significant backing from Venky's, I would be advising him to move on whilst his stock is still pretty high.

With a couple of frees and a couple of loans, think it's going to be one helluva an upward battle (ala Bolton).  And therein lies a problem, do our 'big' three fancy staying around for that !?!?

18 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Firstly, im very chill out and relax. Looking forward to the start of the season and Mowbray's signings. 

What stuff have you got right? Please list these. 

 

Hey Chaddy, I left school decades ago !

Not willy waving but I posted two previous 'big' exclusives over a week ago and you dismissed them as 'at best guesswork'.  Anyhow, enough of the playground stuff.

Clearly, I have more conviction in what, IMV, will happen as you wont take on the 2 * £100 charity bets.

Either stop slagging me off or put your money where your mouth is.  If I talk b o l l o c k s and get nothing right, what are you afraid of ?  As you have often said 'simples'.   

6 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

why don't we wait and see what Mowbray says first publicly. 

we all know about your predictions don't why? it never happens

also prediction that Rhodes would be sold about 4 times. including to teams like Bolton and Wigan. also Venkys would sell up. that was about 4 years ago. 

look at his comments about Dack recently. tell you everything you need to know about Mercer

It gets under your skin Chaddy !

You need to chill and relax - whatever you say / post on this MB, no matter how many times you say it, wont make it come true!

You conveniently ignore some of the big stuff I've got right and put that down to wild guessing!

Tell you what - if Rovers spend more than £1.5m net on transfer fees this window, I will donate £100 to a charity PROVIDED you do the same if  Rovers don't spend more £1.5m net on transfer fees this window

If you want the same £100 charity 'bet' on Dack being a Rovers' player when the season kicks off then I'll take it.

Either put up or shut up.

4 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

 

So you think when Sharpe says he has heard "positive things" he is lying? 

It's all about spin.

How do you define 'positive news'.  The positive news may well be that Mowbray has a neutral transfer budget - in other words, he can spend what he realises.  That could be construed as positive, though I imagine it would disappoint most fans (especially Chaddy)  given Venky's have 'lost' some £150million to date .

Sadly, where the LT is concerned, I think informed and intelligent journalism went out of the window years ago.