Bringing in "top quality" players. Phew! There I was, angrily waiting for the next Forshaw to come in and fill a squad space vacated by someone better, when the club was, of course, just negotiating for Cole Palmer and Isak. Top quality players, my arse. The rubbish that comes out of the employees of this football club...

I'd say we badly need two. But obviously thats even more unlikely. I'm aware there have been some positive comments about Buckley's recent performances and I haven't seen the last couple of games but, for me, we only have two top 6 quality central midfielders at the club (obviously, Travis and Sondre). The signing of Forshaw remains baffling to the extent that, effectively, we haven't replaced Baker. It's a mess. It always is with this lot. And all of this is aside from the perennial issue of our lack of a good quality striker. Hey, let's wait and see what great signings are made in a couple of weeks time though, huh?!

It sounds as though we've been very fortunate with a couple of big decisions. Makes a fucking welcome change.

Bloody brilliant! The improvement since the subs is stark. The starting front three for tonight was dire.

I've felt like he is our most improved player this season. Hyam might rival him for that. Pears with an honorary mention, but primarily because his baseline was so low!

Closer to the starting line up we should have had. Shame we've wasted an hour.

This needs changing. Should never have been the starting line up for a home game against a very poor team.

Still ages to go but so far this is going the way the line up suggested it probably would. Half way through the transfer window and we still don't have a striker worthy of the position. It's going to cost us

20 minutes until 'Howard' posts it on X? 😉

I'm with you. But I feel the time, energy and 'togetherness' for protests of any substance has been and long gone. I don't personally consider protests will ever, or have ever, had any particular impact on Venkys of Pune. They just aren't interested.

Leonard, JRC, Buckley all way off the standard we (or any championship team) need

What the fuck. This team.

What to do? I'd probably bring on Dolan, move JRC into central midfield and take off Buckley. In truth, I doubt it would make too much difference. We are a very poor team in attacking phases. 20 days left of the window to address this? Hmmm...

Solid defence. Absolutely nothing ahead of them.

Sounds like Leonard has forgotten offside rules?

Circumstances have combined to present Buckley with a great opportunity. I really hope he surprises me and takes it with both hands..

I am going to try not to believe this one. It is better for my health!! 33 year-old, injury-affected career, free transfer to Norwich 18 months ago and played fewer than 10 games before released on a free transfer to Plymouth and a regular in a very poor team this season. And some have been talking down the loss of Lewis Baker. With our owners, it is always who replaces one of our outgoing players that matters. And it is pretty much always a downgrade. We've GOT to be looking at better than this. Right...?!

Don't be silly. Fleck can't walk.

Is there any way we could crowdfund to persuade him to switch round the punch and the moon? Would love to see Parker get thumped, I'm quite sure his face is always asking for it 😉

Yes. So I'd have preferred a quote along the lines of "too expensive for this club". That is very different to "too good".

Like others, I agree he can come across a bit awkwardly/uncomfortably in interviews, but I also think he has been increasingly strongly messaging to the board/owners in recent weeks. It feels familiar to the last months of the JDT era (minus the charm/smarm) and that worries me a lot.

That is fair, but the quote itself is very strange. Perhaps let's consider it a 'mis-speaking' that I think is understandably not landing well in the current context. I do, though, think Eustace is canny enough, and the Rovers situation sufficiently frustrating, that the words he chooses to say to the media are generally selected for impact. So I'm always going to pay attention to them.

I'm a big fan of John Eustace but that is a frankly bizarre and ridiculous comment. Unless I've missed some huge and crazy link somewhere, it just seems like nonsense.

And the only one of those I'd expect Venkys to bring in is Billy Mitchell. The one from Eastenders.

I did. Still better than what Buckley has offered over a number of recent years, in my opinion.