No Leonard on bench

Hope you are right but we live in interesting times - any opportunity to bring in a fee and cut costs will surely be looked at by those entrusted with making sure we keep paying our bills. As for Travis/Tron: I think any team seriously looking at promotion might consider them a worthwhile option (even at a few million) to see out the season in case of injuries. Irony alert would be if we received an offer for Pears...

On Eustace - I felt like he didn't read the room on his appointment but will hold my hands up and say that he is a far better manager and coach than I thought. Also seems to have found a way to have good morale within the club whilst now being able to communicate to fans that he is aware of the bigger issue (without making it a distraction) On January: my biggest fear is that we will lose Beck back to Liverpool and maybe even accept an offer for one of our better players (Trav, Tron or Cantwell).

I like him, think he contributes a lot to the team ethos, is useful on the ball (at times), get in the right places for the opportunities and can actually win a header/flick on from a goal kick. Fortunately we, so far, aren't relying on him to bang in 20 goals because his finishing is absolutely dreadful but he genuinely does cause problems for defenders creating chances for others. Without his "charisma/cheerleading" i'd be way more critical but every time he has come on with 10 to go to see the game out then we have achieved that objective. If, on the other hand, we needed a goal with 10 to go then i would still consider him an option. Not to actually score himself but in some way to create the opportunity for someone else to score...

Wasn’t there something about toll roads when scouting players that got mentioned earlier this year as well that pissed off the scouting dept? Maybe he was informed that as part of rovers drive towards environmental sustainability that his bike (2nd hand) was being delivered next week…

Didn’t costs rise for the accounting period? I agree with what you are saying but Rovers always seem unable to actually reduce costs (on paper) when it is bloody obvious that they reuse teabags and use both sides of bog roll..

Travis and/or Tronstedt are but neither would bring big money. Maybe Pears if a PL club need a British player to fill their quota and don’t read this forum 🤣

Jack Vale or Gueye? I know which one I have seen contribute more to the team but we desperately need Chile to give him a call unless Leonard steps up or we sign someone else come January (or the summer if we are close enough to 50 points by January)

Then we could just shut down every thread other than the Venkys thread. That we as fans want the club to invest in players and be run properly doesn’t need repeating ad nausem. Discussing the merits and weaknesses of linked players and our squad based on reality that we have the owners we have and are currently looking at short term, cheap recruitment options

I don’t disagree but my only opinion is that if Beck is a better option than Batty then it is a signing that strengthens us. We aren’t looking to replace Pickering - we are looking for this season’s Chrisene (imo)

I think we will go 5 at the back against better teams

The only question then is whether the Liverpool lad is better than Gent. The answer from the scouts/coaches/recruitment team is a resounding yes.

We lack cover for LB and Pickering Isn’t the best wingback. A pacy lb on loan that can play wingback is a very shrewd move for strengthening the team/squad. What is the problem? If anyone genuinely believes that our sales are for anything other than running costs (in which I include cheap transfers to keep us in the championship) then I must be watching a different film… edit: Gent sold not loaned.

If the process is open and based on the mutual goal of improving the team/squad then the only problem is if the recruitment team can insist that a player is picked. Otherwise - John we are signing this guy for the squad. If he turns out worse than what we have already - no worries we’ll find a buyer. Provided the coach is genuinely interested in improving the team, hasn’t been lied to about his job description and is listened to regarding positions that need strengthening then the system works (to a point) and changes of head coach are pretty seamless

Pears or Ruddy - who would you want in a battle at the dingledome? Next season or even after January is another discussion but right now I think Ruddy would improve the team/squad. If we are really lucky he might even contribute to improving or at least validating our GK coaching