I refer back to that post now because it’d be easy for me to gloat but the opinion I expressed on Buckley wasn’t even mine… In context, I’d been told from a member of the coaching team that Buckley was the gem of the academy and someone they believed was destined for stardom. We played a night game and Buckley played. I was a guest at the game of a friend of mine and got speaking to a scout in the lounge at half time. It turned out he and a couple of other PL scouts had been alerted to the fact he was starting that night and had turned up to watch him…fwiw, I couldn’t see why!? But when I pushed a bit harder it turned out that the club knew he was (still is) being circled by PL clubs because he’s a special player and that’s when THEY said it would take “8 figures” to take him from Rovers at that time. They think Adam Wharton and Ash Phillips are very special too. Harry Leonard the other one to watch!

💯….he was our best footballer last season. Will now be our best player, full stop. It won’t matter who we sign. We won’t sign any player with a better (purist) football brain and / or ability than him.

Buckley has played his whole life as an 8 and will be FARRRR better than Rothwell there. Tony only played him as a 10 or false 9 because of Dacks injury and to protect him whilst he developed physically…. So, for me, Buckley is Rothwells replacement and Szmodics is Buckley’s replacement (as 10 or false 9). I still believe we’ll sign another forward (like Bowler) whether we sell BBD or not but the emergence of Vale could save us the job of replacing Khadra’s goals and assists last season. Morton is Brad Johnson’s replacement as first sub in that midfield two and Garrett and A Wharton will provide further cover. Fwiw - my next prediction is that A Wharton will the ‘next’ chosen one, after Buckley is sold for BIG money. Now, we need one permanent cb signing and I genuinely believe that will be JPvH. The sars are aligning. The second will be a loan. The sale of BBD will likely spark some more signings. We’d need two to cover off his goals and impact. Birmancevic +1 👍🏼

No, I think there’s plenty of Championship knowledge in the club with both playing and coaching staff. It’s very much a collaborative approach these days so there’s less chance of things being missed.

Hmmm, maybe he can be judged aka Firmino on his ability to link up play and assist the assisters though…I must say I didn’t see the same stuff Joe did on Saturday from Vale but I will 100% look for it this weekend…. And…in all fairness to Vale, his career so far tells us that if/when he gets a chance, he’ll probably bury it! He Is more of a natural finisher than Gally, that’s for sure!

Prove it. I really don’t wanna go down this line…let’s see if he’s any good hey? If he’s brilliant it won’t matter a jot if he was about to get loaned out or not OR what he cost….if he’s shit then for us to have paid 50p for him will be a waste!

£2.5m from Barry Fry!? It’s in his interest it’s in to inflate the fee. The point I’m making is, who knows what the fee is and quite frankly, as fans do we really care? So long as he does the business, right?

Whoever the source is, even if there is no source…it’s no less believable than those basking in us ‘having our pants pulled down’ at £2.5m for a player that no one has actually seen play.

Whattttt!!??? 🙈

Fwiw, I’m certainly not writing Dack off. I know for a fact that the club were concerned very early on about Ayala and Dack fitting in with the new regime. I posted this at the time (around 5 days after JDT had been unveiled). Since then, this issue has started to play out more publicly and the weekend along with the signing of Szmodics in Dacks position plus the explanation given by GB around Szmodics make for an interesting dynamic… That said I really hope that Dack forces his way in, runs around like a mad man and discovers his best form! He’s a brilliant player and was the best in the league pre-injury! I’m pretty sure of one thing though, JDT won’t be relaxing his game plan / style for any player. Even Bradley Dack.

This is what I’d want, plus a ‘special’ signing (aka BBD) - Striker please

A ‘couple’ of years ago!? Mate, do you drive a delorian? Hignett (top player btw) signed 22yrs ago! 🤣🤣👍🏼

JPvH and Styles by Thursday please 👍🏼

5 min warning!!!!

Just a couple on here saying that he’s close…

If there’s any truth in the Cantwell rumours tonight then BBD must be going!

There is likely to be a high turnover of players in the next 12-18 months because the former and current manager are like chalk and cheese… Anyone who thinks Dack isn’t in trouble after yesterdays match really isn’t reading the signs. Dack is our talisman and highest earner. He played 60 mins in his last game and was overlooked in the starting XI buy a young debutant, then again when that debutant was subbed and then made to watch on whilst his team mates ran themselves into the ground and a manager who didn’t trust him to make an impact or even keep the status quo…from JDT’s post match comments it was 17yr old Adam Wharton who he was considering bringing on, not Dack! Like I say, there’s always a way back. It’s usually through hard work and guts…let’s see how it unfolds.

🤞🏽

I don’t think anyone in here is a Dack detractor. I certainly am not…I love Dack and I badly want him to be a pivotal part of our team for years to come. I, like most others on here a simply saying what we see. One thing I am adamant on is that I’d never forgo my strategy for the sake of one player. So IF Dack needs to change, then I’d hope he will do.

That’s because I think that JDT has reservations about Dack based on an earlier conversation I had with a coach at Rovers. The signing of Szmodics and the manager not bringing Dack on for Gally, BBD or Hedges when they were hanging out of their arses is further corroboration….I don’t believe JDT fancies him. That’s my opinion 👍🏼

I think the focus should always be on the needs of the team. If he’s not the right fit then HE must change to fit, NEVER the other way around. Relaxing team standards for any one individual, even a top performer results in the whole process collapsing. Stick to your guns JDT, let’s pray Dack changes for us!

I thought he looked ok, was pretty lost at times but I’d defo start him at Swansea. He deserves that.

Praying it’s JPvH, this week! What a buzz that would create! 🙏🏽

Of course!! Fry said that the bids they’d turned down were “over a million”. I reckon it’s still only a touch over a million now, probably half (£500-600k) upfront and the rest in appearance and promotion incentives to a max of £2.5m My guess is that unless Szmody is 100 appearances in having helped fire us into the PL, Posh will never even see £1.5m of Rovers money. With that in mind I pray we end up paying em the full £2.5m. Though I’m dubious of that figure as it looks like it’s been made up on Posh’s side to keep their fans happy…Overall, looks like a JDT type. Best of luck to him 👍🏼

TBF to the manager, he always tags on the importance to winning now, for the fans etc etc… I think we’re a project, like Liverpool were when they took Klopp and City when Sheik Mansoor took over, the same as Newcastle and the Saudi’s…it’s Mowbray who has created an aversion to words like Journey and project. Because he hid behind them during 15 game winless runs when all we wanted was the truth. I can’t ever see JDT doing that. I’m just relieved that there finally feels like there’s a plan.