bluebruce

Agreed, I was done with him. Probably a nice lad, had talent as a footballer, but hadn't applied himself properly for years, and had never done so consistently for more than about 3 months. He had been in more last chance saloons than I can count. I wish him well, but it was long past time for him to go. I don't think he has the personality to be a success at this level.

Keith Andrews was a fairly shit Premiership midfielder. Then we loaned him to the Championship with Ipswich and he immediately scored 9 goals in 20 Championship matches. Different levels altogether these two tiers. JB and LT were never as dominant as that in the Championship at any point in their careers. OP was right, JB and LT would never have been regulars when we were a good Prem side. At best they'd have made a smattering of substitute/cup appearances, been loaned out, and never seen at Ewood again.

Think they'd be better telling them it's 5pm.

I thought the player liaison lady was fired?

As part of 3 own goals within about 50 minutes of football across 2 games, then a red card 75 minutes later (in the same game he scored 2 own goals). Persona non grata in Blackburn, for life.

Sounds like it could just be a cracking result then!

7 nil now I see. Vare with a hat trick, Joseph with 2. I wonder if Fulham fielded a weaker side with it being the cup.

That's highly unexpected. We fielded a strong team with some u21 regulars or something?

He played a game for Yverdon, yes, then if I understand rightly he missed the rest before he left. Possibly a case of putting him in a game to prove he could play, then when that didn't get a sale over the line they either gave him the operation or rested him in case he worsened the injury before the sale. It's still all a bit of a mystery though and we do know for a fact there was an issue with his medical the first time. The club needs to explain things since they've gone on to sign him anyway.

I haven't seen him play, and numbers aren't everything, but this made me curious about this Bowie you two mention. 22 years old with 8 goals in 20 SPL games. Those are only really David Goodwillie numbers when he signed for us at 22, having scored 17 in 38 the season before. Minutely worse actually. Is he really all that?

A year from now, whichever manager we have will be one he prefers to Ismael. The pattern is clear to everybody but he still likes to deny it.

The installments thing works both ways though, we get to buy like that too so it really doesn't matter. Agents and the player do not tend to get 30% of the incoming transfer fee. It's rare you give a player a sell on clause. What they get is a loyalty bonus if they haven't formally requested a transfer, which will be set rather than a percent of the sale generally, I believe. Agent fees and signing on fees are usually negotiated as part of the player's contract at the new club.

I don't think he's suited to those 3 roles either, doesn't have the attributes to come from deeper. He's more of a poacher. He's suited to playing in a front 2, with a player who causes more trouble with pace or physicality, but the game isn't really played like that anymore.

And this is why he is gonna have to be good. If he isn't it really opens him up to these jokes.

Those are generally below reports, too. Brittain reported at about 3.5 mill. Travis, the LT claimed about 3 million (not clear how much is inclusive of add ons, though I'd guess at least 2 million guaranteed). JRC was widely reported as 1 mill, not even seen the figure transfermarkt are using anywhere.

I really liked JDT, but you'd need to have never seen a football to not bring Adam into the squad around that time. If anything, I criticise his handling of Wharton, who should have been playing far more in favour of the fairly abject Tyler Morton.

Best season of Szmodics' career. I imagine there would be pull to working with Eustace again. I also doubt Derby can afford it though.

What do you mean he's had his year?

The notion that Suhail 'what else can we cut' Pasha is stretching the budget beyond its capacity, especially after the obscene amount of transfer fees received in recent years, is a strange take to me.

Yes, he qualifies as being a Japanese player 😉

Dunno about that. Hedges had a great game yesterday but he's a poor player overall. He could easily be allowed to leave because he's simply not good enough.

I struggle to see how Buckley has been treated awfully by the club. Hasn't been good enough, nor shown the right attitude, for years.

Nah you see the replay behind the goal and it's too high to get clean purchase on it.

That's the Hedges we know. (Not an easy header tbf, too high, just being glib)

Ok, the ref hasn't made any game changing decisions yet (although all these bookings not given may mean someone doesn't get sent who should), but so far this is the worst ref I've seen this season. Absolute bobbins.