[Archived] Is It Just Me?

[Jan]

A right back and a creative midfielder.

Right now we need

A right back, a creative midfielder capable of playing NOW and a right winger.

We have bought defensive midfielders by the pound and a new "goalkeeper" who got a round of applause when he finally got close enough to a cross to catch it. Oh and a right back who is supposedly a specialist in the position but can't dislodge an out of position centre half.

Meanwhile we're back to Bert Mark 1 (headless chicken incapable of passing) or Stephen Reid (who looks like the player who joined us- this is not a compliment) as "this week's lucky midflield loser" on the right wing.

It's the Duff sale all over again.

[vyeo]

I concur with no reservations. At time last night, it felt like the end of souness' era, all over again.

My main gripe with signing grella is that I dont see what grella can offer that vogel can't, and vogel did well in the matches he played last season, after going 7-8 months without playing. Who's to say he wont get better with a full preseason? As for andrews, I've given up and there's no point griping about it. I suppose every manager is allowed one or two pet signings - hughes got savage, ince got andrews. so fair enough. But with one day to go, i'm getting increasingly worried. I just dont understand why we've now got a ton of central midfielders, but nowt on the right!

[rover6]

The parallels with the Duff sale are a bit unnerving.

However, you mustn't forget that post-Duff, Souness fully entered his happy world of madness. He made a conscious tactical decision not to field geniune wingers because Duff and Gillespie had apparently left his team defensively weak. Ince has made no such conscious ideological stance. His readiness to use Treacy is at least one small sign that he wants his team to play with width and flair. I hope he now has the guts to drop Pedersen.

And I totally disagree that we need a creative midfielder. We have Villaneuva, who, once fit, will be the source of our creativity, alongside our wingers (hopefully).

[jim mk2]

Wright-Phillips was excellent for City today.

Makes you wonder why at £9m Rovers didn't make a pitch for him as a replacement for Bentley instead of wasting money on central midfielders that were not needed.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Agree 100%. Scary that management can't see it.

[gumboots]

Agree 100%. Scary that management can't see it.

Is it that they can't see it or that SWP wouldn't touch us with a barge pole because we're not as "glamorous" as the teams like City who can be rubbish for ever but still somehow manage to be loved by the press and therefore by thick footballers who don't have their own ideas and just follow "public opinion" whatever that may be?

[LeChuck]

I'm terrified to be honest. Hughes always addressed our weaknesses in the transfer market, and 95% of the time did brilliantly.

Ince doesn't seem to have his priorities right at the moment, and his choices of players coming in are highly questionable. In fact, I think we've missed a massive opportunity this summer to really show we're a top Premiership side by bringing in quality with the large sum of money we've had available. All we look like at the moment is a club that can't adequately replace big players when they leave (as also happened when Shearer and Duff left).

Maybe we've just been spoilt with Hughes' excellent work in the transfer market over the last few years and now expect too much.

[roversmum]

I'm quite glad Miss Roversmum is moving to London shortly, it's giving me something else to focus on rather than what's going on at Rovers.

Very disappointed that we are already below the three clubs I desperately wanted to be above in the table - West Ham, City and Villa. Of course, once Mike Riley hove into view West Ham was always going to be difficult notwithstanding the Curse.

Still, on the bright side, at least Spurs are below us!!!!!!

Heaven knows what the rest of the season is going to bring, though. I'm not sure I can cope with the same old stuff happening, chaps played out of place; players turning up in body but not in spirit, etc, etc. and Jason Roberts waving his arms about at the ref at every opportunity. Oh dear me.

[gumboots]

I'm quite glad Miss Roversmum is moving to London shortly, it's giving me something else to focus on rather than what's going on at Rovers.

Very disappointed that we are already below the three clubs I desperately wanted to be above in the table - West Ham, City and Villa. Of course, once Mike Riley hove into view West Ham was always going to be difficult notwithstanding the Curse.

Still, on the bright side, at least Spurs are below us!!!!!!

Heaven knows what the rest of the season is going to bring, though. I'm not sure I can cope with the same old stuff happening, chaps played out of place; players turning up in body but not in spirit, etc, etc. and Jason Roberts waving his arms about at the ref at every opportunity. Oh dear me.

It's not now that matters though. It's where we are at the end of the season that counts. This was always going to be a difficult season regardless of who took over. Look at Spurs. They thought that all Ramos had to do was turn up and they'd start climbing the table. Didn't happen and so far still isn't happening. At least our hopes, expectations, aspirations are realistic. Top half would do me nicely. They thought this was their season to get into Champions League place at last, but that's already looking unlikely.

[S15]

The arguments raised are all valid only if one thing is certain...

We are planning on playing the season with a standard 4-4-2.

I will reserve judgements on team strengthening until Villenueva is fit and all the new signings have bedded in.

I have a feeling we will switch to 4-3-3/4-5-1 sooner rather than later.

[JAL]

So far Ince has made a mess of the transfer window by squandering a lot of money on inferior players, his remit was to bring in better players, theres still time but with what nicko is saying Rovers are looking everywhere bar the right places whilst huge sums have already been squandered recklessly.

[Exiled_Rover]

Wright-Phillips was excellent for City today.

Makes you wonder why at £9m Rovers didn't make a pitch for him as a replacement for Bentley instead of wasting money on central midfielders that were not needed.

I'm constantly surprised by fans saying we didn't need central midfielders. Reid (can't run or pass), Mokoena (can't run or pass) and Tugay (can't run) are simply not Premiership quality players and Dunn can't be counted on to stay healthy (and even then he's a 70 minute player at best).

Yes, we need a right winger with pace and crossing ability, but week after week we were being overrun in the centre of the park (even under St Mark of Wrexham). Ince has tried to address that - we'll just have to see whether he's brought in the right players to do that.

[gumboots]

So far Ince has made a mess of the transfer window by squandering a lot of money on inferior players, his remit was to bring in better players, theres still time but with what nicko is saying Rovers are looking everywhere bar the right places whilst huge sums have already been squandered recklessly.

Squandering a lot of money? Huge sums? Where and on whom? We don't seem to have spent much at all and have brought in several players on whom most of us are reserving judgement. How do we know what the right places are? If we did presumably we'd all be premiership managers, or at tleast top scouts. He's bringing in players he thinks will do the job he wants them to do. We don't know what that is because we're fans, not football people, so stop over reacting.

[JAL]

Squandering a lot of money? Huge sums? Where and on whom? We don't seem to have spent much at all and have brought in several players on whom most of us are reserving judgement. How do we know what the right places are? If we did presumably we'd all be premiership managers, or at tleast top scouts. He's bringing in players he thinks will do the job he wants them to do. We don't know what that is because we're fans, not football people, so stop over reacting.

[/quote

Its not an over reaction far from it, hes spent the best part of £10m on what ?

[colin]

Its not an over reaction far from it, hes spent the best part of £10m on what ?

Got to agree with Gumboots here, Ince has not spent anything really in Premiership terms.

[BRFC1995]

eerrmm, grella,villanuava,andrews,robinson...............i'll reserve judgement on all but robinson, the fellas terrible i'd feel 10x more confident with a run of the mill prem goalie like a maik taylor or niemi or anyone really.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Its not an over reaction far from it, hes spent the best part of £10m on what ?

England Goalkeeper

Chile's current player of the year

Sound defensive international midfield player

Best lower division keeper (as cover)

Andrews - gotta agree on paper doesn't look good - but as he showed at West Ham - football is played on grass.

Only really comes to £10m if we sign Carlos - and then probably a little over.

Who would you have spent the money on - and be realistic - who would have actually come to Rovers ? I think this is the big mistake fans make .

[JAL]

Got to agree with Gumboots here, Ince has not spent anything really in Premiership terms.

I want Rovers to spend as little as possible but the players bought have to be right, not gambles, not maybes, but definitelys, so far Ince has been shown up as to knowing what is the premiership standard.

Luckily for him hes inherited a good premeirship squad which can carry him but only for a season i'd have thought, then he has simply has to stand alone.

This season is going to be one big learning curve for Paul Ince, question is, can he and Rovers survive and both come out of it stronger.

With a lower premier league place gauranteed for next season will Rovers have a healthy transfer kitty come next summer?

[JAL]

England Goalkeeper

Chile's current player of the year

Sound defensive international midfield player

Best lower division keeper (as cover)

Andrews - gotta agree on paper doesn't look good - but as he showed at West Ham - football is played on grass.

Only really comes to £10m if we sign Carlos - and then probably a little over.

Who would you have spent the money on - and be realistic - who would have actually come to Rovers ? I think this is the big mistake fans make .

A soon to be EX ENGLAND goalkeeper

Who was the last Chilean to perform at the highest level in Europe ?

Sound defensive midfielder is the' Axe' not a sound defensive midfielder?

Best Lower league goalie who says hes the best ?

I take what your implying is, I should lower my expectations for Rovers which if so is fair enough.

[DingleBaiter]

cripes, not all this jibber jabber trotted out again. Reminds me of a line from 'The Untouchables' film....

"I pray to god if I ever had a grievance I'd have a little more self respect. One more thing, you have an all out prize fight, you wait until the fight is over, one guy is left standing. And that's how you know who won."

The logic still stands here. We didn't judge MH on his first transfer window, why Ince? Equally, why rush to make decisions (either way) on players until they've got their fitness and a run of games. Carlos may have had a lucky game, and peaked already. All the vitriol towards Andrews, only for some hasty retractions after yesterday.he may still prove to be pesh. Grella may be another Ferguson, then again he may be another Batty.

At least give Ince the courtesy of seeing the window out - I'm only trying to save embarassment for you all when Kaka, Messi, Ronaldo (ladyboy chaser) turn out for the reserves against Bolton on Monday night.

[BRFC1995]

A soon to be EX ENGLAND goalkeeper AGREE TOTALLY

Who was the last Chilean to perform at the highest level in Europe ? SALAS,ZAMORANO

Sound defensive midfielder is the' Axe' not a sound defensive midfielder? NO

Best Lower league goalie who says hes the best ? HIS MUM

I take what your implying is, I should lower my expectations for Rovers which if so is fair enough.

[RevidgeBlue]

A right back and a creative midfielder.

Right now we need

A right back, a creative midfielder capable of playing NOW and a right winger.

We've got a right back (Simpson) and a creative midfielder (Villenueva)

I'd agree a right winger is a priority and can't see much happening at this late stage but I suppose you never know.

[tcj_jones]

A right winger should have been signed a month ago, we should not be in a situation whereby we are panicking with one day left of the transfer window to bring somebody in. Hughes and his scouting network might have moved on, but surely their work wasn't for nothing? The club knew that Bentley would be a leaving MONTHS before he did. There should have been a short list of at least five replacements who should have been scouted extensively and we might even have started a few casual talks with clubs about whether or not they'd be available come summer.

The current situation is shambolic, there is no other way to describe it. If you have money, pay that little bit extra early for a position which is of vital importance, don't hang around waiting to save that 10 - 20% in transfer fees. I won't have any of this rubbish about there not being the right player available either, because it's exactly that - rubbish.

We now have eight central midfielders and no right wingers. We have one striker who I would class as good enough to be starting for a top ten Premier League club and one who wants out but is not being sold, despite being fourth choice. It's all well and good Ince bringing in his own type of players, but if you bring in three central midfielders, then at least two need to be sold. Just imagine our wage bill right now!

If the club do not bring in a good right winger and I'm forced to watch Brett Eerton play right wing again, I'm not sure I'll be able to contain my anger the next time I'm watching Rovers play.

[savage90]

Bentley should NEVER have gone with out a replacement ready. Look at Barry at Villa. Who cares if the player doesnt get what he wants, Villa will benefit, at least till January.

[Nayef]

Don't be too surprised if we end up in a thick relegation battle. Appointing Ince as Hughes's replacement was never going to be a good idea and now we shall see one absolute horrible season unfold while the likes Man City and Aston Villa go from strength to strength and may even challenge the top 4.

RIP blackburn rovers.