oneandycrawford

It's amazing isn't it. For well over 100 years playing left footed players on the left was deemed to be ok but then some revolutionary geniuses decide that was a load of bollocks and we'd all been wrong all along. What next? A return to using long throws, mixing up long and short passing, putting crosses into the box if you have a 6'6" centre forward? Russell Martin et al must be turning in their graves - I know they're not physically dead but (hopefully) professionally. I know the game has to evolve but the best coaches mix up the proven 'old' styles with new ideas. Frank, Iraola and others seem to understand this and are all the more impressive because of it. It also gets the best out of their players as they play to their strengths

Will be interesting to see how they play in the 'must win' games against their fellow relegation contenders. They were hardly 'entertainers' last season despite co-walking the league with Leeds. I guess you have to play to your strengths - particularly if the alternative is Kompany / Martin style! The problem with the ultra-safe style is that, at some point, elements of the fanbase will want to see more entertaining football (as we saw here with Allerdyce), and then the club has to decide whether to take the risks. I used to doubt that the smaller clubs could survive any other way but the likes of Brentford and Bournemouth have shown it can be done by good - flexible! - coaching and mixing up your play to suit. You don't need a 'philosophy' - just know the game and how to adapt, as Frank and Iraola seem to do. Your point about the money is a good one if we are to believe what we are told about the financial position over there in Yorkshire.

Remember Hearts blowing it in spectacular style a few years ago! Just realised longer ago than I thought as it was 1986. Brilliant effort considering that it was the peak time for Aberdeen and Dundee Utd.

Why "unfortunately" ? He brings it on himself by his utter certainty that hisxway is right regardless of the evidence everyone else can see.

Not as bad as John Radford mind!

I guess one of the differences now is not many top level players drop down the divisions towards the end of their careers. Larger squads, better fitness conditioning and, probably most importantly, the fact they are financially set up for life (if they are half-way sensible) before they reach 30 means they have no need to continue playing at a lower level. Presumably some do for the love of playing or to get into management as a player-manager. The days of teams like Rovers picking up a Frank Stapleton or Howard Kendall are largely gone.

Well I've no Great Expectations for this season and am living in a bit of a Bleak House regarding Rovers

Great result....but was horrible sitting in the rain that night!

Said in a very quiet voice that the judge can't hear. The courtroom equivalent of clicking on 'Save' instead of 'Submit'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c0j93z96wd8o Says it all to me!

This is probably a fair view of his time with the club. As the public face of the club he restored some dignity but ultimately lacked the ambition to push the owners. Subsequent events with JDT and Eustace suggest he wouldn't have succeeded but it would have been better for his reputation if he had tried.

Either he really believes this guff and is truly deluded. Or he knows that spouting this crap makes certain people believe he is some sort of visionary and will keep getting him high paying jobs for the time being.

That seems to me a huge difference. I would love the Venkys to be gone as the club will continue to decline if they stay. But they do meet their financial obligations to both the authorities and employees of the club. Lots of clubs (and other organisations) don't invest and many treat their employees badly - Man Utd, P&O, etc. So although we, as fans of the club, know what is going on, the wider football fan base doesn't see the problem in the same way as they view the Sheffield Weds situation. Did we display much support for Big Club, Coventry, etc. when they had their ownership issues?

Surely this time the penny will finally drop with the ' experts' that he is a total fraud?

One of my favourite Rovers games - the Shearer chip and the look on the Norwich keepers face.