No chance we had scouts in France looking at Maja. He became available and agents did started hawking him aroundH

Alot of our signings - especially last minute ones are argent-related, nothing to do with scouts. Look at BB, as our most expensive example.

You text Maja regularly?

sounds about right

Much like TM with us, even an average manager can get promoted with the biggest budget in the league.

Plus they dodged FFP rulings by appointing him as a player/coach which did not count against FFp - they deserve it for all their wrongdoings.

We were there this time last season i think - which doesn't fill me with confidence. We have a fragile squad that once a few losses sets in, we spiral. I hope it doesn't happen but history suggests we're in for one of the infamous spirals at some point.

Doubt it - especially with Maja - Forest were in for him too. Thats agents - not scouts.

Not sure we should be comparing stats on a sad day - lets all agree that he was one of the best strikers to ever grace the English game. RIP Greavsie.

Our 4-year journey under TM can be summed up by this. TM walked out on Coventry after 1 win in 10, leaving them bottom of League 1. He signs for us, gets us relegated, barely finished second with the biggest ever League 1 budget. Fast forward a few seasons to now. Coventry are in 4th position, 3 points ahead of us in the Championship with 1/10th of the budget we have. Herald the King.

MEH People getting ahead of themselves with top 6 bs. Give me 10 quid, ill double it if we make play offs

Klopp must be playing Mowbray. One year we get Elliott, he does well and gets in Liverpool team - our reward, a 12 year old that a breeze could blow over. You only have to look at his pic on the ratings page.

Glad to see you have returned to doing this. Very interesting. The addition of the scoring tells a lot. Some, well (one) thinks BBD was MOM but he got a 3 here.

This where are the detracters now stuff is also being peddled on FB. I seriously cannot remember anyone claiming Ayala was not a good CB when we signed him. Most were impressed with the signing at the time. It was the injuries (which boro fans warned us about) and not his ability that fans worried about. And so it proved as he was out for most of the season. Really hope he can stay fit as he is certainly one of our better players when he is.

Nope it never is. It's always somebody elses fault or bad luck as far as he is concerned. Personally, I like to single out the common denominator whenever this happens, and that is TM.

Unfortunately/fortunately (whichever way you look at it), I was still learning how to shit in a potty and walk without falling over when most of those were playing.

I have to learn to force myself not to read the comments after reading the latest story in the LT.

That's how I remember those days too. The little Juninho fella at Boro, Klinsman, Di Canio, Asprilla, and Kanu could add to your list above. The Premier League did create the best league in the world but back then it was a splattering of the best foreign footballers. Preferred it then to how it is now by a country mile.

I think this is a great idea and will be adding my ratings after each match. Will be interesting to see how the ratings level out come the end of the season. Not a good start for Gallagher, so he has his work cut out.

Its an FFP cycle, not them refusing to back. Their hands are tied. We cant spend. Hence its down to TM and how he has spent the backing in previous seasons. We now cannot spend nothing, have players leaving in their droves, and cannot even tie down our assets with decent contracts - thats on TM for me. Yes, owners are fckin assholes - but they have backed this guy and this is what we're left with.

Is BB a 7 million pound player? Gallagher 5m? Would a good manager have spent that money better? Would a better manager bring in Downing for another season but not use him - or give Smallwood a few months extra contract out of generosity?

Or, its because TM has misused the funds he had?

Spot on.

TM certainly isnt.

TM has had four years to build a squad and we're now relying on academy kids. How can anyone defend that? Our four year build has resulted in a depleted squad, and a bench of untested kids - slow journey this.