saint1977

Agree with your analysis but there is the issue of Long's new contract and also he'll want to be based in the south. So unless Eddie or Chris H wants him that restricts the pool of buyers rather and SFC might have pay some form of adjustment. It was madness to not replace Pelle - I can understand selling him for that money not to a competitor - and we've missed him just as much as Mane IMO. Just as it was madness to not replace Fonte in Jan. Les Reed has had many good windows but those two windows stank to high heaven and I'd rather the manager forced their hand with rather more input this time. Boufal has potential and may come good like Mane but looks as lost in the current system as Gaston did in MP's. Tadic - thanks for the 3 seasons but not consistent enough and seems a moaner. J Rod and his nearest and dearest clearly want a move. So Long and Austin more likely to stay put. Redmond has done OK - some excellent games like Anfield in the LC SF but link up with Bertrand not always great and needs a lot more work to develop a football awareness. For the money spent, that's about what you'd expect. PEH has gone backwards massively and it's whether we can find the player in there next season or sell to invest in attacking midfield options. Sam Gallagher new deal and either impact role or loan to NPC promotion chaser like Norwich or Villa please.

Sums up my feelings. Find his media output and his brand of football insipid which is why I was strongly opposed to his appointment in the first place but I don't think Les Reed has helped him one bit. Les has done very well in the last few windows bar the last two but the last two by contrast have been diabolical, even MLG thought the last one was bad! Injuries haven't helped (Vardy enemy #1 V Leicester next season) too but if he stays he has to be told to sharply improve the goal threat and entertainment at home games because I've seen some junk, or he leaves now. That has to be backed with freedom to wheel and deal - J Rod, Long, Boufal, Tadic and anyone else - and bring some new faces in who can beat players or consistently play in dangerous areas for the opposition. It doesn't matter who it is in the midfield and forward areas, if Puel or a new manager thinks we can do better than ship them off whether Les likes it or not. The Redmond as a striker debacle and lack of replacement for Fonte made me doubt Claude's independence from Les and if he stays that's another area he must develop in if he's going to have any fanbase credibility (bar a handful of loyalists on here). There was the odd bad home game under MP and Ronald but nothing regularly that dire. Away we've been better and more solid.

Probably by one of the known PR plants put on here at the time as well. The club look like they - according to a growing volume of reports - are seeking replacements and that Claude genuinely hasn't settled. Looks like a mutual parting of the ways is imminent. As for the takeover stuff, we'll see!

Although Jamie Overton bowled a much better spell and with his pace (90mph plus) and height it takes clusters of wickets. His first three overs Rossouw and Vince took for 40 which did the damage from Hants. Reminds me of an early career Harmison - when he's good he looks fantastic but can be dreadful. Hope for England's sake he finds consistency. Craig isn't quite as quick with the ball but a more refined cricketer.

I agree, but wasn't quite the point I was making. As a club, we have to develop players and can't have 11 players at Ryan's level of development all the time. However, with VVD linked away, losing 2 experienced members of the back 4 in one summer wouldn't be very bright unless the Black Box has an experienced or talented replacement. McQueen is promising but 12 or so top flight games do not a player maketh.

Completely agree with you Chez on this, I'm astonished some posters think we wouldn't miss Bertrand, one of the consistently best FBs in the league and one of our hardest working players. Also, he's the perfect role model for McQueen to learn from.

Which was true with Mane but not Ryan as he signed a new long-term deal last summer. I like the look of McQueen but I'm surprised people think he'll do the same job as Bertrand after just a dozen (promising) PL games when Ryan must have played 100-150 plus England, ECL Final etc.

Out for 55, which is a relief after his recent big ton. Also, that Surrey game was mad - 22/5 then a guy with no first class hundreds hitting 165no off about 140 balls, with great support from Elgar. That's the concern, Dean Elgar still there. 145/4 not bad though so far. Let's hope Van De Merwe has an off day at fifth wicket down!

Very good post Verbal and the political noise on both left and right make these arguments hard to hear but even more essential. Thank you to Buctootim for his reply as well. I dread to think of the chaos Trump has just wrought - although the Senate will hopefully show more common sense - on the health insurance system in the US.

Could be an interesting combination with Sarah Cracknell on vocals.

At most hospitals you will be treated by the same doctors and specialists as your local NHS hospital at Frimley Park or the Royal Surrey. Not saying at all that NHS couldn't be run better because it clearly could, the non-clinical side needs a right good sort out in a lot of trusts as it is way too senior-manager heavy (in my experience working with them) but really not sure wholesale privatisation by itself without some top-up funding is going to make a difference either. To answer your question, yes some of it is central funding and some of it is people clinging to their jobs that they've had for 20+ years (and stopped making a positive impact years ago in some cases and play the political system) but because of budgetary pressure Trust Execs baulk at getting rid of them because it is very costly even at mid-level to do so. Best thing Hunt could do is set aside £2bn to have a one-off non-clinical clear out - spend to save - because the wage bills will be a bit more sustainable afterward and many Trusts' decision-making will be unblocked. I'm talking NHS senior managers here because that's where the savings are, not the people on £20-50k who actually do the work. Whilst Jeremy Hunt is at it, please abolish the CCGs! It's an experiment has doesn't work and hasn't worked, just look at the last set of audits.

Lard's post apart - which as predicted has got more bites than a carcass dangled in a sea full of sharks - has anyone actually heard anything new? Very quiet apart from Gareth Rogers's departure, which may be and probably is coincidental. Don't like the sound of Lander so hope the Echo got it wrong and some of the other bidders are also more advanced and able to match KL's valuation/pass FAPP.

Hope you are right and suspect you are. J Rod is clearly going - assuming we find a buyer who is willing to pay what we want - so there are at least one striker berth spare assuming Gabi, Austin and Long are with us next term. Sam has to go be worth trying and use any investment on the areas supplying the strikers, especially with Tadic probably leaving, Boufal misfiring and Redmond more good than bad, but still finding consistency. Certainly, he didn't work out as a striker but much more potential as a wide player.

Because he's probably a club plant. Onto the purpose of the thread - my prediction is 47 points and 11th.

Good point and very impressed with the compact and organised back 4 - particularly Stephens - and FF's best game of the season surely? Harsh peno but justice via FF and great psychology on Milner. Midfield worked hard but Gabi very isolated and his supply options need a major overhaul in the summer. Without Mane facing us again, we actually looked a lot more comfortable in defence than the LC SF second leg but less capable on the counter attack. You can see how CP and Swansea have got results and Klopp might have had more of a look at Markovic before loaning him out because with Nivea Boy struggling to get fit from England duty, he's the type of player they lack. My Man U-exile supporting friend was very happy with the result - and then less happy after the Emirates. Weds night well set up now.

Would be a huge risk to sell Cedric and have this guy as first choice - not that I think it'll happen. He may be a good player but he's only just back from a very serious injury and has only a few minutes in this league as a cameo. If Bertrand was replaced with McQueen on the other side, there would be a strong whiff of asset stripping.

Selective and one eyed as ever. WGS as you well know took over the Gray debacle in Autumn 2001 adjusting to a new stadium and with a squad only just recovering from the Dell restrictions so 11th including a 4-2 win at Chelsea was pretty good. 2002/3 was one of my favourite seasons and we were higher than 14th when WGS left. Mor selective nonsense busted. Ps - how did your fellow UKIP knuckle draggers get on midweek? Lol. My local Tory MP voted remain, sensible lad

WGS did more than alright though

Given members of his family have openly criticised Puel on social media that's hardly a surprise, not to mention J Rod's actions such as the Sunderland frustration outburst.

Hope you are right Hypo but the narrative of needing new owners to sustain top 10 EPL and the reported (and alleged) activities of Lander so far in having to borrow money and the FAPP test (which was real) don't add up.

Yep - don't want them anywhere near the club but not much we can do about it. Always expected us to be sold at some stage but not to an outfit like that. Disappointing legacy from the happy Liebherr years and with heavy debt leveraged on us the Blackburn and Coventry parallels may not be inappropriate.

Blackburn Rovers MK II

QUOTE=Cartman;2484004] Forster - will be off anyway if rumour are true. Disappointing season and poor in the EFL Final. I put it down to an injury but that seems to have healed and he's still as mobile as a lamppost. Clasie - agree, although feel he harshly treated after the WBA game, poor management. Was a strange signing by Koeman! Gardos - going to be a loan somewhere in central Europe with us subbing half the wages Long - would probably keep him on balance as even if finishing is off, at least pulls defenders around and makes space Davis - great servant, maybe more of a squad option with a leaner squad. Isn't an AMC but has plastered over the lack of availability of good ones Rodriguez - his family's tweets plus the bench tantrums are a give away. Hope Pulis still interested. Austin - good finisher, if Puel stays I agree as Charlie doesn't suit the system but keep him if Puel goes as could be a good option for another manager Tadic - reluctantly I agree and has had problems with Koeman then Puel. Caceres - Not going to feature barring a dreaded injury to Yoshi or Jack so off in the summer. Done his cover job and got fitter. Either Alex McCarthy or Hassen - Hassen yes, McCarthy no Martina - free transfer. Done his job over 2 seasons Reed - Yeah, hasn't kicked on disappointingly. Championship club for Harrison. Either Pied or Jason McCarthy depending on whether McCarthy gets a new contract - Keep McCarthy - if Pied goes, Puel probably has Isgrove - Revival of the Bristol City move on a free. Has ability but just hasn't done in the few first XI chances he's had Taylor - glorified coach as others have said to bolster the home grown rule. Targett - good crosser of the ball but Zaha had him on toast in last season's FA Cup and with McQueen's sudden emergence not needed. Shame as a local lad. If Bertrand goes we'll sign another LB surely? Gazzaniga - Forgotten man and not pulled up any trees on loan. Quite a few clubs scouted him as well, including Perry Suckling at Everton. Not worked out. Gallagher - Disagree, has a rare combination of pace and height. 4th choice striker and would probably have done better than J Rod in hindsight Puel only if one of the following coaches are willing to come (all are out of contract this summer): Berizzo, Blanc, Marcelino, Roger Schmidt, Marco Silva, Valverde - Completely agree with this, Puel was a dogmatic choice with so many better and more charismatic choices available. Even if we are midtable again next year I don't mind if we are consistently half decent to watch again. Barely 1 goal per home league game is pathetic. I was looking up Hertha's Pal Dardai to see when his contract was up, has anyone ever heard of a coach getting an indefinite contract? Dardai's contract doesn't have an end date, first time I have ever seen that.

I think he meant write off - and I agree if he did. SFC should have comfortably progressed from that group. Sparta were shocking at SMS and don't think the other two teams were great. Having said that, Puel was left a striker short - Alpine would have had more chance of scoring than J Rod or Long in the away games.

No, I don't think SFC are a laughing stock. Everybody has a bad season now and again - even Man U. Lawrie had in 1982-3 when Keegan and a few key players left that were high profile and Shilts was bedding in. 83-84 is probably the best in this club's history. Different era I know but shows that you can regenerate. Look what we did in 2015 as well. The one concern I have on the team side is the manager - I've changed my mind 2 or 3 times - wanted him out, then impressed by EFL Final and style of play but the last displays V City and Hull have been dreadfully lethargic (Chelsea was better) with some very poor tactics and the unwillingness to learn from the second half mess v Bournemouth is a major concern. The manager can be changed though and someone a bit more engaging and upbeat would probably improve the 'mood hoover' atmosphere on here at present. Coming after Koeman was a bit like the Lord Mayor's Show - I'm sure Puel is a fine manager but plenty of fine managers don't work at some clubs but are brilliant at others (Howe at Burnley, Hodgson at Blackburn but Fulham legend). Les might just have to bite the bullet this time and fire up the black box. Lander worry me far more than who is manager and would in an ideal world retain the status quo in terms of owner until somebody far more suitable (and able to invest) comes along.