Ismael always said he was fully aware of what had happened before he took the job yet he took the job

Agreed 100% were a stepping stone a free hit for any manager succeed at exceeding club expectations on a shoe string budget and get a move fail and itl be because we haven’t been sufficiently backed it’s near a win win - obviously if you go on a massive run of losses etc they likely lose there job but still a chance worth taking whilst getting paid

I completely forgot we even signed Mafoumbi.

Eustace didn't want to use Buckley and I think Ismael will rotate abit more than Eustace did.

I don’t see it with him his interviews already have spoke about transition periods and losing key players and mistakes of the past etc Iv always maintained this stance…..any manager taking the rovers job SHOULD know what they are getting in to. I get the impression Val does more so that JDT or JE

🤮🤮🤮🤮

Well.. thats all to do with his success. If he bumps along like Mowbray did then he could just live with it for a few seasons. But if he does well and gets noticed like JDT and Eustace he will be off as frankly he will get better offers like JDT with Sweden it Eustace at Derby. We're in a situation now where if the manager succeeds he will leave in very short order as what is the point in staying?

Number of bodies isn't necessarily an issue, more the quality of those bodies to come in. Have to hope Henriksson and Tavares are any good if we don't want a repeat of last year when Trav and Tron were ran into the ground.

Lets wait and see how the season panned out, some players we don't know alot about but I am looking for Ohashi to get 15 goals plus this season and Gueye around 10 goals, Then you are looking for your wide players/attacking midfielders to score between 20-25 players.

They all speak like this at the start. Eventually he will be run down by not getting what he needs to succeed like the rest of them. Eustace and Tomasson both weren't hos they were towards the end at the beginning.

Very tangled web indeed !

Agree - Ohashi and Gueye can both player as either number 9s or 10s (Gueye is counter intuitively very good with his feet when he drops off, think I prefer him at 10 to up top on his own) so we could just play them together. But Ismael has explicitly called out Henricksson as being match fit so expecting him to get the nod at 10 and Ohashi up top with Gueye on the bench.

For me at least he’s acknowledged he’s aware of his restrictions the same restrictions JDT and Eustace knew about but constantly complained about (I liked both btw but they knew or should have knew the role they were taking) it’s obviously brutal from the owners/pasha but for me I’d rather a manager acknowledge the job ahead because it now means if things don’t go our way he can’t complain about it (or shouldn’t)

I think no squad number would suggest he’s on his way

Looking at the squad, we have depth in every area and 2 deep in every position apart from the right wing position and 3 keeper, 5 centre midfielders and if he is going to use Leonard and Tyjon we have 6 players for those 2 roles. Bringing in a new Right sided attacking midfielder is a must now great and interesting question there Mark

I pledge £100 too so let it be known if this is the path we are going down, as we need to get the gloves off once and for all.

I think something like that too, depending on shipping out Mafoumbi of course.

Ah yes. Rather than pointing out individuals likely to score, just quote cliches. (Eustace's cliches at that!)

Expecting Travis out baradji in new right winger Buckley to be moved on

You are again just parroting what the club say and what Ismael says we are doing. I am giving my opinion. We will be left short of quality, short of goals, short of pace and short of numbers (I dont want your squad plan, I mean quality in all areas) if its just one more. I suspect one more wide man and the budget has gone. He did say 6 or 7. That was before Batth left, Weimann left and Brittain left. Explain that. Gestede also mentioned competition for Ohashi and Gueye and they both pointed out power along the front line. Seemingly, that wont be happening. Explain that. People are really scraping the barrel suggesting Leonard is a reason not to strengthen. He has spent 2 or 3 years constantly out with serious issues including his back and he wasnt up to it even when he did play. He hasnt been with the first team. What could have happened during him being sat on the sidelines to make us think, actually, we dont need a striker. I love the assumption that it must be exactly what Ismael wants. Maybe its all the budget can stretch to and hes having to prioritise. Ismael doesnt seem the type to kick up a fuss, not yet anyway. Praising our terrible owners and suggesting that contract issues are an issue in the past. He seems pretty comfy, why rock the boat on a 3 year deal.

One more signing as things stand is a disaster waiting to happen. Squad hasn't got the goals in it at one end or the resilience in defence currently imo

I'll heave £100 in when it starts 👍

Expecting Cantwell to chip in with a few more and Henriksson to score. RW has to score and create - Ohashi and Gueye can't create chances out of thin air.

Good question actually and mafoumbi - hasn’t been given a squad number