I think it's clear JDT had to accept Lowe, Johnson and Benson and had no other option if he wanted the job. That is not being happy with them! It's also strongly rumoured we 'lost' two other managerial candidates (if I recall correctly Carvalhal was one but the other name escapes me - sure folk on this MB can recall) before JDT's appointment as they would not be allowed to bring in their own people and had to accept Lowe, Johnson and Benson. JDT effectively brought in one coach (Remy) and also Rosen as fitness guru - based on number of injuries, recovery times and reported fatigue, not sure just how good or poor Rosen is.

You are right about Achterberg, however, I didn't say Taffarel was in charge! Think you'll find Achterberg has hundreds of games to his credit as a professional goalkeeper whilst Taffarel's pedigree speaks for itself and he is still Brazil's national goalkeeping coach. No we aren't a club of Liverpool's size or in the PL yet we do have 3 goalkeeping coaches (Benson, Andrew and Renshaw). The gulf in pedigree between Liverpool's goalie coaches and ours is as wide as it can be. No we haven't the same financial resource as Liverpool but surely, surely we can find an experienced goalie coach out there who has played the game professionally and knows the game inside out (a Bobby Mimms type). Without being disrespectful, I think Andrew and Renshaw have very limited playing experience (mainly non league) and therein lies the rub - you would not get a Bobby Mimms type coming to work under Benson! You dumb down your goalie coach and therefore almost certainly have to dumb down those who work under him! IMO, the coaching support (Lowe, Johnson and Benson) for JDT is very weak and underwhelming and I do not think I am the only Rovers' supporter who thinks so! It is no good skimping on coaches when average / less than average players get paid £thousands per week - lose one of those costly Joe Average players and use part of those wage savings to employ some quality coaching staff. It aint rocket science but just plain feckin commonsense.

A good coach should inspire confidence in players, make them believe they can 'walk on water' and develop their all round game including technical abilities. If Leo's 'nerves are shredded' and he still looks like 'a schoolboy flapping at crosses' after 15 games or so on the spin then just what the feck is Benson doing!?

The same Ben Benson who Raya, based on what I saw in pre match and half time routines, had little respect for and needed proper coaching to further his development, the same Ben Benson who has, seemingly, reduced Leo to a goalkeeping wreck and the same Ben Benson who, presumably, 'signed-off' on the acquistions of Walton, Pears and Leo - arguably, 3 of the worse goalies to don the Rovers' number one shirt. Whatever coaching he does on a daily basis has certainly not helped Leo!!! Liverpool have Taffarel, a Brazilian World Cup winning goalie, on their goalkeeping staff whilst we have Benson from Carlisle's Community Department who has never played professional football. Tell me, if you were a goalie, which of Taffarel or Benson would you most respect, most likely listen to and most likely learn from !? It aint rocket science. Wake up and smell the coffee Chaddy.

When will the penny drop about Benson? He has no professional football experience as a player. He has not lived or breathed the work of a goalie. He has nothing in the memory bank about the trials and tribulations of a goalie. Just how on earth can you coach a Championship goalie if you have not been through the ringer yourself? As for being our set piece 'guru', it is the height of absurdity. As for set pieces and defending, I find it incredulous that with 5 coaches (JDT, Remy, Lowe, Johnson and Benson) we struggle so much defensively both generally and specifically from set pieces whilst offensively, I see nothing imaginative with our set pieces. Just what the feck do these 5 guys get paid for? If there aren't up to scratch they shouldn't be here.

This is the second time you have advocated making Mike Sheron our set piece guru. Just what makes you think he'd be any good in that role other than, IMO, no one could be any worse than the hapless Benson.

Benson's only focus should be on trying to find a new job when he's sacked and that should be tomorrow along with Lowe and Johnson. Not convinced by JDT but when you haven't a pot to p1ss in and when you are surrounded by, IMO, muppets and incompetents like Broughton, Benson, Lowe, Johnson, our recruitment and medical teams, I'm prepared to cut him some slack. Sack JDT and replace him with whom other than a desperado when they will face exactly the same issues. Our club is in one feckin mess and, IMO, this is down entirely to the gross mismanagement by our owners and their dumbing down of staff from top to bottom in our club.

Happy New Year one and all. Rovers to put Rotherham to the sword and fill us all with false optimism, at least for a few days! 3 or 4 goals to 1 with at least a brace for the new Shearer, Semir.

Agree JDT has not been backed but the big worry for me is he has no plan B and shows no flexibility. IMO, his 'support' teams all need clearing out. Broughton has done little to suggest to me he is a good DOF. Just where the feck do our recruitment department scout and what 'diamonds' have they unearthed? Lowe, Johnson and Benson, all seemingly 'unsackable', IMO, bring nothing to the party and live life on easy street. We have huge goalie issues and is it any wonder when our goalie and set piece coach has never kicked a professional football in his life? Okay, Kaminski said some nice words about Benson but from what I saw on match days, Raya had little respect for him and wanted away to develop under a quality coach. Also, presumably, as goalie coach, he 'signed-off' on the signing of Walton, Pears and Leo!!! Some go on about how wonderful our fitness and medical department are! Really? We seem to sign players who aren't fit and are carrying injuries, we pick up a big number of injuries (largely muscle) and it takes ages to get players fit again. We also have players 'fatigued' and need resting - for goodness sake these are professional athletes. We are in a reet mess and whether we get new owners or not there needs to be a huge clear out if we are to move forward.

Can't bear this any longer. Need some alcohol anasthesia to supplement takeaway which has just arrived

Something needs to change - a real spanking might be the catalyst.

Small mercies - at least we've had a feckin shot and kinda on target!

Not that bold but stuck £20 on him at 8/1 to net first goal.

These signings are like trying to build a house before the foundations are complete! We need players who can come in NOW and improve the team not players 'for the future' as the future may never arrive! iMO, more evidence supporters are being taken for fools by those idiots in Pune, Maggott and Broughton God help us.

Our form is dire, our options are very limited, we have players who unbelievably, for professional athletes, are out on their feet and our goalie is so mistake ridden that we will need at least one goal to draw and two goals to win and we have no recognised striker of note. This has Hull winning by 3 or 4 goals to 1 written all over it, to emphasise, yet again, what a feckin state our club is in. Hopefully, 2024 can only get better.

A new contract means next to nothing. The player gets his big wage increase and it protects the value in the player. It does not stop clubs come knocking on the door and I think the first decent offer we get will see Waggott salivating and SS joyfully skipping away. SS is a professional athlete and this tiredness and fatigue is, IMO, all b0ll0cks - more to this than meets the eye, IMO.

and that is the big worry! We scouted him for months and no one saw the chinks in his armoury!?!? Feck me, what do our scouts look at!?!? As far writing him off too early - my goodness, I would not expect a Northern Premier League keeper to make some of the howlers Leo has made. I think Pears is 'rank', and I was desperate for Leo to succeed, but Leo takes 'rank' to an even lower level. IMO, the lad simply hasn't got what it takes to be a good Championship keeper and never will. As for our recruitment department, based on their recruitment so far, I think they are a crock of sh1te and I'd sack the feckin lot of them along with Broughton.

Would be no surprise to learn there is an offer on the table for SS - would certainly explain a lot.

I think Waggott's modus operandi is survival in his job and for the club to survive in the Championship (a self fulfilling prophecy which, IMO, has sucked all ambition, hunger and desire out of our club). Just where the feck is the motivation for anyone!?

I've seen some poor Rovers' goalies - Barton, Ramsbottom, Butcher, Dickins, Fettis, Steele (for us), Walton (for us) and Pears all readily come to mind and there are most likely others. Sadly, Leo joins this infamous club.

Worries about Broughton continue - looks like we've blown almost £1million on a poor goalie. The lad's just not improving. Is John Butcher still about!?!?

Thanks Russell Martin!

Where is Scott Wharton? Difficult one to call today. We are running on empty and Hudders are a desperate team. Who scores first wins for me.

Seems something amiss. After his performances so far, he's an auto pick for me.

Wishing you all a peaceful and happy Christmas this year and every year thereafter. "Peace on earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day." — Helen Steiner Rice