Interesting indeed. Pears is obviously someone they like. Maybe they’ve got the option to have him for wages and want to bolster that keeping department. It would make sense if they don’t think Eastham Hilton or Fisher are ready. Whilst it feels like a luxury and maybe they have asked the owners for some cash, having Kaminski, Stergiakis and Pears as our three first team keepers says “We’re ready to go for it”. I fully expected a LB and maybe a PL loan CM or forward. If we get those AND Pears...wow! I think it could be a very interesting end to the transfer window.

I darent go back to my original point (which did not suggest that this place would go nuclear if we swapped Holtby for Bannan)

How is that provoking a reaction? I’m making a point...it’s valid. Lots of people Very accepting of it and others (maybe yourself) taking it personally and that’s their / your problem. The point still stands. It started as a light hearted joke...was rounded on by people who love to hammer the club and accepted by others. It’s no more provoking than lots of the stuff on here and seeing as the thread had moved on by at least a page or two then why have you brought it up again publicly? Maybe hoping for a few snide ‘likes’...sound ??

Shock!!

No ones mocked Brentford. On the contrary, it’s been accepted that their model has been good for them. But Watkins and Benrahma for Toney and Bannan is shit. And would’ve caused carnage if it were us. Also, I wouldn’t bet on them finishing above us.

Difficult one. I don’t think the manager would have any problem in selling one of our top players for £30m and then buying 2 or 3 £5m players....he’s said as much on several occasions.

I agree Joe and I’m not knocking their model it’s been good for them... But jeeeez....can you imagine if we had sold Dack and Arma this summer and replaced them with that motley crew Brentford have signed!! ?

They’ve blown it...Watkins and Benrahma for Toney and Bannan! ?

Downing was class for us and would be an excellent signing for the right money.

Bit salty cocker....in spite of your Brentford ‘love-in’ my point still stands. How fuckin bad would our residents take losing AA and Bradley Dack and replacing with Ivan Toney and Barry Bannan? ?????‍♂️

Holtby is a far better player than Bannan.

It’s been a good window so far without Douglas / a left back. If we sign one of those then it’s been a very good window.

Eh? Kaminski? Ayala? Douglas? So the only two starting are Nyambe and Lenihan....surely even you like those two players, right?

IF we sign a Douglas then this may be the closest we’ve ever been to unanimous agreement that the windows been a success, right?

Douglas is as good a signing as we could’ve hoped for.

We need a left back but I’d go for Downing again in a heart beat. He was in our best four players all season imo...Was THE best until Jan and prob behind Trav, Arma and Lenihan for the second half. Be a good older head in a young dressing room.

No need to over complicate imo....IF Lenihan and Williams are out then just play Ayala and Wharton. Not sure if Wharton is good enough but he’s earned his chance.

Tbf to Joe he actually thinks they’ll come and attack us which makes his use of the word ‘expansive’ bang on! I think going away to the highest scoring team in the league is the stereotypical “must not lose” game. Spend the week drilling them into a shape. Make sure they’re compact and hard working and try to nick one... I really hope Joe is right. If they come and attack us I think we’ll batter them tbh. Confidence high and lots of space. Fingers crossed

Argh come on pal, I’m with you on most things. I just think you probably used the wrong word in expansive. “In our face”, “pressing hard” etc is on point...expansive in football terms is when a team opens up on the opposition. Play progressively and often leave spaces in behind because they feel they will score more goals than the the opposition....that’s not what Forest under Hughton will do against free-flowing Rovers! Not imo

I think our biggest problem on Saturday will be Forest being the opposite of expansive. Hughton is a naturally cautious manager and they’re playing against the highest scorers in the league. My guess is they’ll get 11 behind the ball, be as organised as possible and try to nick one....that’s not good for us. We struggle with teams who do that.

I like that team and I think the players prefer 433 as it’s the formation they play mostly at club level. Id pick Pope over Pickford and Chilwell over Saka but the main issue I have is at CB and I don’t see two who can adequately fill those positions. Gomez and Maguire most likely. Having said that, I do think those three in midfield look very good, though I’d be tempted to play them as a flat 3 as Rovers do.. Front 3 is as good as any in world football imo.

It was the tactical change which was most impressive. He tucked the wingbacks in which released the likes of mount and Rashford. Southgate is astute. Had Pep done that in a match and turned the result around the media would be drooling over him...

I don’t think I’d ever want to use that term again after the Beckham, Scholes Lampard etc era which promised so much and delivered very little... But yeah, I think we’re as close to being a top International side as we’ve been in 20yrs. The results indicate that too. You can’t imagine many international teams enjoy playing against our forwards now. I feel we’re a couple of players off being the best and because of how young the group is, they’d be able to sustain it for a long time?

Same 11 as started vs Cardiff for me bar the cb’s. If Del is out then we start with Lenihan and Ayala.

Great result. Second half very strong... individual comments - I like the formation because I don’t think we have 2 x cb’s that can do the job. I’d also play Coady over Dier. I don’t know what Rice brings to the party at all...reminds me of Keith Andrews as every game seems to pass him by. We need a CM who’s willing to pass forwards. Winks? Chilwell and Saka capable on the left and TAA on the right. Excited with the forward options in Sancho, Kane, Sterling, Rashford, DCL, Grealish, Foden, Greenwood, Hudson Odoi etc ?? England have the potential to Dominate international football for a decade if they can find / develop a top CB (Terry / Ferdinand) and a top CM (Scholes / Gerrard)...I think Gomez and Maguire have potential to be excellent. Not sure on the CM options tbh...hopefully something coming through.