Thanks for that bigdonnybob. It's good to hear about reserves and youth policies as, like you , I have been harping on about this for a long time.

Perhaps the tie up with Willie McKay will provide the cash to enable these to be financed properly instaed of large wages going to mediocre players.

We used to produce all our own young players, but now the likes of Danny Rose etc think it's better to go away from the town. Let's hope for a change in that.

Unlike some, I see a brighter future without SoD than with him. Thanks for what he did and good luck for the future, but as someone else said. He's gone, get over it.

I was at Rovers Alliance last night & new fitness coach is ex-SAS call Mal Purchase I think

Ex-SAS....didn't one of them try to burn down Belle-Vue?

No improvement on the pitch but the first team can now enter any embassy uninvited.

i too feel a lot more hopeful about the future since saunders has taken over, he talks a good game and hes also playing one too! the reserve squad is a must its ridiculous we havent had one as it should keep players match fit then when called upon are fit an ready!

If all goes according to plan,we'll be a reserve team ???? just playing at a higher level than the rest of Europe's reserve teams but hey that's only my opinion.What ever it takes to stay at this level is fine by this Zigger

Yes Azza, you and your dad know my feelings and I am even mopre convinced we will stay up. I wonder how many more clubs are wishing they had a Willie McKay living down the road.

By cutting the weage bill it will free up money for a reserve side and a good quality Academy set up. Mind you I think we need a better quality of coaches for the Academy than we have now.

Will it all happen over night ? No! Will we stay up? Yes! Will this work out for us, I don't know, but this fella has made a lot of money by knowing what he is doing. He could also have leads to other investors, prepared tp look at the Rovers where our beloved Chief Exec hasn't a clue.

Maybe he just saw us as a soft touch, on the brink of going down and an easy option. I'm not going to say much else ( I have a ridiculously early start for the game tomorrow) but lets all make screen prints of these discussions to review at later dates

But I did find it interesting when Saunders was asked how many loan players can be played (at the Alliance meeting last night) he said he didn't know

I believe you can sign as many as you like but only can name 5 in your match day 16

I have posted this before, but explains the rules..........
The new rules affect both permanent and loan transfers and in order to comply The League amended its own regulations governing this area. Previous restrictions on the length of loan periods have been altered to allow players of all ages to be loaned from window to window for either a half or full season. Clubs are allowed to register a maximum of eight such signings, four under 23 and a further four over 23 in any season, with only two of the latter age group being allowed to come from the same club. Such loans are referred to as standard loans.

Additionally, The League, with the approval of the FA, has made provision for clubs to take players on short term emergency loans during the closed periods in exceptional circumstances. This provides clubs who have to operate with smaller squads the opportunity to sign short term cover for injuries and suspensions.

As in previous seasons, no more than five loan players will be allowed to feature in a club’s 16 man matchday squad.
But not sure where free agents figure, as he has said he will be looking at them too!

NY, when you say Mackay has earned a lot of money by knowing what he is doing! Yes I think you are right!!!! AS you know my neighbour is a sports journalist for a well known paper no longer sold in Liverpool. He gave me a 20 minute lecture on his knowledge of Macs methods of operation and what he has done in the past. Our only hope is that he has now seen the light
And he is not after a swift buck. Just like DL I reserve
judgement and I will be watching real cost of the promised success.

What would the true cost be 12 months from now in League one though, because that is where they were going

League one is where we were going anyway! If we do McKay would probably go somewhere else as League 1 would hardly be the best shop window for his players! The rules on loanees should mean we won't be completely swamped with them. It just remains to be seen if it works from a team perspective, especially Saunders view on who controls team selection. On balance I'm positive but nervous.

I think we will get some half decent loan players that could give us a chance of survival in this league and that is all I ask for.
All the talk of players with Real Madrid 1st team etc on their CV coming to Donny as a shop window though is fantasy no matter how good Mckay is at wheeling and dealing.

"Beware the inflated ego" - another piece of sage advice from John Ryan.

Sorry to disillusion you Fuzzy, but JR has a big ego also. Why else would he have been on the subs bench at Hereford, and why else would he have written!! his book? Ego. He was probably warning against himself.

I'm not disillusioned - I didn't say it, Ryan did

A big ego is a common trait among successful businessmen.

The sub bit against Hereford was actually a great bit of PR. I'm not sure he intended it that way, but it did work

Who did it work for Fuzzy? Headless chicken running round laughing, what an insult to Hereford Utd FC. He is no more lilly white than my neighbours underpants on the line, clearly not

Well after today's showing I have even less faith in the McKay set up than before - or Saunders ability to use the signings. Chimbonda and Ilunga spent most of the time past the half way line waiting to put non-existent crosses into the box leaving us with a 2 man defence of Hird and Friend. - both had shockers but they were trying to cover the back line on their own too many times

I actually think Saunders could keep us up without this current situation. These players, minus Ilunga and Chimbonda actually got us 7 out of 9 points and now we're shipping goals again. Saunders commented on RS tonight about the back 4 needing to gel and leaking goals whilst they do - problem is there wasn't a back 4 today, it was 2 plus Stock. Not the way to combat Varney and Kitson who imo are one of the best strikeforces in this league

Two big dirty timber centre halves would sort them. tippy tappy crap is no good. get this sorted cos we are going to struggle, But we will be running the Keepmoat, and Donny _ Lass I know you were at the ill fated Westlife Concert that cost the SMC £70k. The lot want clearing out. It appears that a lot of people actually had been brainwashed into relegation because S O God said so

The reason a few are thinking relegation has nothing to do with brainwashing.It is because we keep losing and are 2nd bottom.As you would say Simples.

He claims in his book that that appearance led to a lot of TV and newspaper interviews. Whatever it did, it put Donny Rovers name in the media again.

Which is the only thing that can be said for the sorry state we're going to be in with the Keepmoat Car Boot.

Oh sorry I though SOD was god, he must be little god and JR BIG GOD.

Hey Fuzzy, be careful if the SVP get in

Ionly
I believe we'll run the Keepmoat though what that or me going to the Westlife concert has to do with my view on yesterday's game is anyone's guess. I went to all the others at the KMS too apart from Elton and the Tinchy Stryder guy. I also could have predicted it would lose money - concerts in football stadiums unless its U2 or Take That usually do

2 huge nasty built like brick outhouse centre halves would not have solved the issue at Pompey yesterday (unless they could each be in 2 places at once) The right back and left back being in the right positions to do their primary job of stopping crosses going into our box (primary job as defined by Saunders on Thursday) might have gone someway to helping though