Even with Sigurdsson, isnt it only him, Toth and Ohashi that have ESC slots?

Even if we do let anyone go to clear up a space, and I am guessing that would be Sigurdsson. Venkys dont do Januarys.

Why were we scrambling around for loans for a winger if we has received all that money and had found one for just over £1m who had been identified. Venkys wont spend that in January.

I agree that goalkeepers are judged based on minimising mistakes. All keepers make them, its the QUANTITY that is key. And he makes loads. I provided a list earlier from last season, and he missed a big chunk of it due to injury. Regarding when does the point come where calls for Pears to be restored come in. If Toth makes a mistake or two, no I certainly wouldnt call to switch back. Only if he started making mistakes even more regularly than Pears, ie Wahlstedt, then yes of course. But Wahlstedt seems to have stung people to the point where every foriegn keeper seems to be assumed as a replica, or just as bad. There is no point signing him if that is the case, I am assuming that he was scouted and is seen to be a reasonable player. I am not having this idea of development. Even if that is the primary focus which is obviously totally backwards, I dont see much value being added to him. He doesnt have the ability to win points (he rarely if ever makes saves you think wow, how did he manage that, and even in impressive clean sheets, it tends to be a case of a mixture of great defending and wayward finishing ie at Leeds and Leicester) and he makes beyond a reasonable amount of mistakes. But even then, assuming Toth is better, or indeed any replacement, there is more value to be generated in then developing the better keeper.

That was quick.

The odd monumental balls up? Thats simply not true. As I listed earlier, he made a long list of howlers throught last season and he missed a big chunk injured. The own goal v Sheffield Wednesday, the bad mistake at home to Ipswich, the 2 errors away at Plymouth, at least one error away at Ipswich, one at Deepdale, one at home to Hull etc. They are just the ones that led to goals. The club should want the team to be as strong as possible and as Pears is the weakest player in the team then he needs to be improved upon.

I am unsure if that Joe who posted on here has much say on recruitment, possibly not, but hoovering up Rovers academy cast offs doesnt scream the result of a widespread data push.

Im not convinced that Eustace did specifically push for a number 1. He pointed out goalkeeper as one of many positions where (obviously as we only had 1 keeper) that we needed more options The media stuff has only been what youd expect, compete with Pears etc but I am not sure whether Eustace rates him or not, its not conclusive I would suggest. Hopefully he sees what most of us see.

Not really. If you went through the goals we conceded last year, you would be able to find an extensive list of ones that Pears was directly responsible for, when he played. Sheffield Wednesday at home, Ipswich at home, 2 at Plymouth away, Hull's second at home, Preston's second at Deepdale, at least one at Ipswich away, off the top of my head.

Their backing is purely being asked if they support their current manager. Obviously everyone will publically say that they back the manager. Non story, read nothing into it. Even without the predictable flurry of pull outs with people not arsed about the Nations League. The likes of Eze surely are much more deserving of a place. Agree on the national anthem situation. Dont care if he sings it or not. My issues with him potentially being the manager are it screams a lazy appointment of someone in with the FA, has to be "English," non controversial, wont kick up a fuss.

I suppose we could argue with JRC's lack of athleticism that it would hinder him wherever he is played. But he showed over a period of time that he can be a very effective right back at this level, that was his only prolonged run of good form at senior level. Agree on Brittain being poor at stopping crosses. I think personally that JRC was actually a lot better than I expected defensively when played at right back. Duru looks from the smallest of sample sizes at senior level to be very athletic but not really sure what to do in the final third. He reminded me of Nyambe when he came through.

Imagine if they asked players (especially seeing as one has been called up for the first time) if they would support Carsley longer term and they said: "No, I would prefer a better appointment. Carsley hasn't got any senior experience and we should look to get the very best manager we can possibly appoint, which likely isn't Lee Carsley at this stage." Never going to happen, obviously they will back him. His job shouldnt depend on beating 2 poor sides who couldnt even qualify for a 24 team Euros in glorified friendlies either. Love how Grealish will be starting, has really earnt it sat on his arse for over a year.

I think we are already seeing signs that Lee Carsley wouldnt be a popular choice if he became England manager. Southgate had an initial period where everyone bought into him as a patriotic Englishman at a time where our pool of players was limited and expectation was low, and it was only as time went on that we saw his limitations as a very average manager coupled with an emergic crop of players that led to people becoming frustrated by him. At this point, we have players where people demand success off the back of nearly moments. Carsley seems to have rubbed people up the wrong way by saying that he wont sing the national anthem (certainly no problem from me on that) and discussing his pride not only of his English roots but his Irish roots. My issue is, surely he can not be the best person we can attract especially if we forget this supposed desire to pick from such a limited pool of English coaches. But I predict that he will win these easy and ultimately pointless nations league games and be appointed longer term.

Perhaps it is somewhat short sighted and even selfish. The predominant reason is that it provides great entertainment and the best players which I feel is enriched by having more than one team from the countries that naturally have the strongest leagues. But equally, wouldnt it become even more elitist if we had the same dominant side in each country being in the tournament potentially year after year. I suppose you could argue that one team wouldnt win the league repeatedly but take City now, wouldnt their strangelhold on a now predictable Premier League become even stronger if they were the only team pocketing the UEFA millions? We have Aston Villa in this year, Newcastle last year (I appreciate thats a seperate case due to Saudi money) and Leicester not too long ago, all of whom have been in the Championship not that long ago. I also think that a lot of the issue seems to come around the fact that the Champions League is named how it is. If it was still known as the European cup, that argument that it should only br My issue with chaddys view on Sky is that I feel that because he has Sky and not BT, he can not look beyond endlessly defending and parroting everything Sky does. The endless kick off changes, thinking that every single pundit on sky is great, he can not see any fault in what they do because he has Sky. The issues more domestically could be eased with the removal of parachute payments, a fairer distribution of funds and on a more logisitical level, a limit in kick off moves both per individual team and across the board.

Maybe I am reading too much into that particular sub, but I cant remember at any time under Eustace JRC even filling in briefly at RB.

Yes, correct. Based on that late sub last week, it seems that it is Brittain first choice, Duru 2nd choice, then I am unsure who is next. Especially when JRC has been dropped from playing out wide and down the pecking order in midfield, and considering his level of performance as a right back in the past, I find that very strange. It wasnt even as if JRC was playing elsewhere and would have had to be moved.

He clearly doesnt think that JRC is suited to playing at right back and isnt considering him there. Thats the point. On this, I don't agree with Eustace. A novel concept I know. Calling for me to give Duru some time shows that you havent read any of what I put about him. I would have JRC as probably first or at least second choice RB. And that if specifically Eustace wants a right back who goes outside to cross to Gueye, I dont think Duru would be more suited stylistically to do that over JRC. And that because Duru is young, there is no rush with him.

Is this the case with all of the decisions he ever makes? I think JRC should be at least 2nd if not most likely 1st choice RB, Eustace wont play him there, for example. Is that also a big contradiction? Its an easier choice to pick Pears. No one could potentially kick up a fuss, no one is dropped, Toth has been away with Hungary and he is a new signing.

Im not having a go at him. Im saying that with JRC having shown that he is a player who performed very well at right back, I wouldnt understand the decision if Duru is at this stage higher than Rankin Costello in who is likely to play in that position. Duru is a young lad, no rush. Also, if the argument is that Rankin Costello can only be effective in that position in Tomasson's tactics and we now need a better crosser there. Duru doesnt appear to fit the bill either, more of a physical and quick player.

He said in his interview that he likes to play from the right, so I presume he would be less effective if moved left.

Its an obvious "obsession" though because hes proven over a period of time that hes not good enough, and will make mistake after mistake. We have to assume that we havent signed any old clown. If we have, because the alternative is Pears, it will massively hinder our chances.

But we didnt chuck in the last one, he had been here over a month and had played a couple of cup games to ease himself in somewhat. Just because he is from abroad doesnt mean that he will be another Wahlstedt. Kaminski was chucked in from the first game and was excellent. Toth is neither of those individuals, but the current keeper is proven to be inadequate.

Why does it always end up about "backing" a player? As long as he is backed in the stadium, which he is, if you think hes crap or think hes good, then saying on here doesnt determine whether you are backing him or not.

The problem is that we would need IMO pace on the opposite side to even give it a chance and our only pace is in the form of a right winger. I dont think that the balance of our squad suits this experiment I certainly think above all else that he should at least be the immediate competition for Brittain at right back over Duru. If the argument is that we want our right back to provide crosses for Gueye, not that I can remember one cross this season so far from him, then is Duru a natural for that specific task? He appears to be Nyambe like in that his strengths are physical, indeed he got past people a few times v Blackpool only to really struggle with the cross. I get the logic somewhat of having him as a wide midfielder but I also feel like it benefitted him having space in front of him. Not the same type of player or situation but I remember Brett Emerton struggling as a winger but being a different player when put to right back.

He is a very good right back at this level. His performances there were of a higher level than Brittain has since displayed. He seemingly wont be considered there, so he may spend time spent on the bench, but it is a valid point to question why we are not using our best right back in a position where he excelled when he has struggled since being put here there and everywhere. Why did we sign a pacy right winger if we specifically want our right winger to come inside and play as an extra midfielder. JRC certainly isnt athletic enough to play wide. We have seen him play excellently at right back over a prolonged period. Im not having this narrative that he was only good there because of Tomasson's very specific tactics, and that there is no way that he can do well there under Eustace. He can attack especially coming from deep, he is good on the ball and he is a better one on one defender IMO than Brittain. Unfortunately Eustace has not got anywhere near the same performance levels from him that Tomasson got and I think the primary reason is moving him into 2 seperate positions, and I fear that his struggles will continue if playing at right back is off the table. Duru looked very raw against Blackpool as seen when he got past someone, he didnt seem to know what to do next. Whereas we know that JRC is a good Championship standard right back in the here and now. Pears hasnt had criticism for the goal, he has had criticism for errors that he HAS made, but thankfully has just about got away with due to his team mates/poor finishes. I think its proof that the Wahlstedt has stung people but you cant just assume that every keeper will be as bad, otherwise we would never sign anyone. This better the devil you know idea would make more sense if Pears was a competent Championship keeper.