Cool ideology, see you in League One 2023/24. Rather recruit some proper players, myself. Who presumably would want to be here, because we had only just recruited them.

With Van Hecke leaving and Lenihan probably leaving, we are likely to need Carter to come good at this level next season, so that's good news. Hopefully next year's Scott Wharton as you say. I dunno about him playing RB for us, so far he has had mixed performances there at Rovers. But as a potential backup option there, it's good to know he is getting the experience in that role as well as his main one.

Fair enough when you break it down to numbers like that, but they're still not so young it should be a problem. For one thing youthfulness also brings better legs to the table - pace and energy, enthusiasm. But really the majority of the squad has enough experience that they should be able to cope, and being old doesn't make you better overall (see Johnson, who apart from his physical limits also does really stupid things at times at 33/34). Lots of experienced players lack the fitness, pace or motivation, and they cost wage amounts we can't really afford anyway. We did have an experienced head at CB in Lenihan, arguably another in Wharton who may be young but has 3 promotions. Even Ayala when he is fit. The CBs have been excellent for most of the season so that's a non-issue for me. The nous we have been missing isn't experience on the pitch, it's managerial acumen and guidance.

Sorry but that's bizarre logic unless you think we are going to have a nice kitty to spend in the summer to replace them. You know we won't though, as you say. Not good enough for promotion they may well prove themselves to be. But with the sheer loss of personnel and lack of funds to fix up the squad, the question isn't going to be promotion, it's going to be relegation. And those departing players definitely have proven themselves good enough to avoid that. The potential Brereton money we may receive will likely be used to service debt again, maybe with a mill or two left. Any sales on top of that from the contract rebels probably could have seen a portion to reinvest, even if only in better wages or cheap lower league punts. And if any weren't sold that would be one less signing needed. I dread to think what our summer replacement work is going to look like as it stands. Think we may end up mostly hoping we get a bumper crop from the u23s who until recently looked like getting relegated from PL2.

Even Ayala probably forgets sometimes.

No, I'm concerned about a young player with no first team experience in a league of any note, and who we haven't seen in our first team at all, replacing a first team regular we've seen for the last few years. I thought that was obvious enough. I'd also try Brown...or more specifically, I'd have already tried Brown so we could have seen well ahead of the summer whether he might have what it takes. Since we haven't and probably won't, we 100% need a new RB and then Brown can try to come up as the deputy, along with I guess the pretty poor and perennially injured JRC. Pike isn't pulling up trees at Conference North level, as I posted the other day. We need a new RB this summer. We are losing two, but I realise we won't have the resources to replace both, and one has only been here for a few months with limited contribution.

The youngest in there is Van Hecke, who plays like a man and appears to have no fear. One of the joint-third youngest was so needed by Chile, who are full of experience, that they were absolutely desperate to get him back ahead of time. At 23-24 onwards, which all but two of those are, players should be moving into their best years and should certainly know their way around the highs and lows of football and understand pressure. 24 year old Wharton has had what, 3 promotions? It's not that young. And older players aren't necessarily better to have at all. Johnson is useless now.

I'd prefer it was someone who had been kept from playing for the first team for the last 6 months even when we had no right backs left at all. That's not a comment on the player himself, just that he can't be trusted much and I'd rather know what we were getting before relying on him to replace Nyambe and Zeefuik.

Shit, it is. I actually wanted Bournemouth to win at a reasonable canter, pretty much securing the autos (if Forest had also lost) and leaving them a bit complacent against us. Coming back from 3-0 down with 20 minutes left on the other hand, that's the sort of thing that builds momentum. Not a good omen, especially when we seem to love conceding a late goal. Looking on the time on their game, is it the same officials we had against Cov?!

If I were Rothwell, I'd actually be quite annoyed with Bournemouth. They courted him, got him to ask to leave and presumably piss off his teammates of the last few years, then apparently decided they weren't interested after all. It looks like it was no more than a game to unsettle him and us, which worked and reduced his chances of becoming a Premier League player at a critical stage of his career. I'd be absolutely fired up for this one in his shoes. Even if the above is true, the incentive of promotion, the bonus that comes with it, and the prestige on offer from impressing against one of the best sides in the league just before he runs out of contract...it would be strange if he looks anything other than committed to this one.

I wish we'd bottled it like Bournemouth have.

Or until our next win.

It's the 'or' in that first sentence that points out why this plays on the mind. Just playing like this in one of those matches would have put us in with a really strong chance now. Two and it would almost be a formality. All teams who miss out narrowly on their target look back on a season and question all the results they could have had, sure, but the reason this sticks in the craw is because we have been so dire for so long now. This run has been abysmal and as usual we kick into gear just when it's too late. Either Tony or the players have been bottle jobs for years, and as the most common denominator is Tony, I'm going to say it's him. Can't handle the pressure, as shown by his petulance in the press room whenever it's on.

Thought he got knocked over quite a bit tonight actually. Won a few free kicks from it though. We know that receiving free kicks isn't something we can rely on from refs in this league though... Hedges played quite well, good to finally see what he has in his locker after worrying it was going to be a very poor signing. Aberdeen fans supposedly said he can be inconsistent though, so that will be the test.

That's good for his next club then. A bit of versatility might add 1k p/w to his new wages. Saw him do an awful piece of control and pass first half at one point though, by the touchline.

Yeh the sad thing is I just can't get enthused by this. I'm greeting goals about the same as I'd respond to a surprisingly decent cup of tea.

Well done Travis, took that like a striker!

He's looking alright again today to be fair to him. Good to see.

Probably in the same place his own energy has been and still apparently is. Teams often reflect their manager.

It was a given. My reply is still the same, if a little exaggerated. Apart from brief patches like that few months purple patch this season, I can't recall how far back I have to go for when we weren't prone to some abysmal goals going in. The Hughes days I would wager. But maybe I should have said when Venkys leave rather than when the club ends (and I'm just hoping those two things don't happen simultaneously).

Bloody hell, biggest threat to our goal is ourselves...

Yes, when the club or the game have ceased to be.

And the movement, too. Some incisive passing that I had forgotten we were capable of. Ah and there's the achilles heel again.

I thought that after looking at the first replay, thought it may just have been an excellent tackle. But the other angle tells a very different story. His feet were dangerously high and I'm not sure he caught the ball before he caught the man either.

Probably on account of him never ever having done it before for the first team, despite having numerous attempts. Even Jason Lowe scored an absolute screamer once. Also, this only went in because it deflected btw. Well done to Buckley though, all you can do is notch.