[Archived] Transfers Part 3

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, JHRover said:

But it shouldn't be the manager's job to 'reach out to them'. A manager has more than enough to do with training, matchdays, media, scouting etc. rather than have to worry about 'reaching out' to his own bosses. They should be the ones doing whatever they can to make his job easier and more comfortable, yet I get them impression the only way a manager gets anywhere with them - Kean, Bowyer, Mowbray - is by jumping through a series of hoops including flying around the world to kneel at their feet. Those who haven't been willing or able to do this haven't lasted - Allardyce, Berg, Appleton, Lambert.

Its working so dont see the reason to complained. 

Mowbray is running the football side of the club and doing a good job. Hes happy and speaking to them the way he is. 

[Rover_Shaun]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Its working so dont see the reason to complain

I must have missed our promotion. 

1 chicken..2 chickens...3 chickens....

 

 

[tomphil]

It's a bit early for Charlie to have the old 'Hanley Knee' isn't it .....?

[roversfan99]

A bit short at the moment, lets hope as well as Mulgrew and Lenihan being reunited by the new year, we have a pacy winger and a right back ready to join at the start of January, Badly needed.

[toogs]

I think we’ve needed a “pacy winger” the last 26 transfer windows. 

[roversfan99]

And a right back!

[darrenrover]

I don't know who they are but we should make an audacious bid for Shrewsbury's best central defender, full back and creative winger. Kill 2 birds with one stone and cement second place!

Duncan Shearer X 3!

[Miker]

Based on the last 2 games, we need to get 3 players as priority: a creative midfielder, a pacy winger and a decent target man.

Whittingham/Evans have been poor this season. I don't expect we will buy a new midfielder though unless at least one of them goes. Tomlinson is doing okay, but I don't think he's good enough yet to make that position his own, and he also seems to be too similar a player to Smallwood.

Conway and Bennett work hard and are mainstays in the team, but they just lack that ability to penetrate the defence, the way that Chapman did for us earlier in the season. Antonsson does ok there, but he doesn't have the dribbling to be consistent in that role.

Up front, Graham has been awful. Nuttall and Samuel have both done fairly well this season, but I feel we still need another option to compete with them in that position.

[JacknOry]

1 minute ago, Miker said:

Based on the last 2 games, we need to get 3 players as priority: a creative midfielder, a pacy winger and a decent target man.

Whittingham/Evans have been poor this season. I don't expect we will buy a new midfielder though unless at least one of them goes. Tomlinson is doing okay, but I don't think he's good enough yet to make that position his own, and he also seems to be too similar a player to Smallwood.

Conway and Bennett work hard and are mainstays in the team, but they just lack that ability to penetrate the defence, the way that Chapman did for us earlier in the season. Antonsson does ok there, but he doesn't have the dribbling to be consistent in that role.

Up front, Graham has been awful. Nuttall and Samuel have both done fairly well this season, but I feel we still need another option to compete with them in that position.

Would you say Graham's legs have gone or it's more that he does not look too interested? I really expected him to tear up this league.

[Miker]

2 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Would you say Graham's legs have gone or it's more that he does not look too interested? I really expected him to tear up this league.

Both. He has been absent last 2 games. Against Northampton I forgot he was even on the pitch in the first halfm

Today I thought it was interesting that his first reaction after our goal was to pick up the Rochdale player who scored the own goal rather than celebrate with his team mates. I'll be surprised if he's still here by the end of the season. 

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, Miker said:

Based on the last 2 games, we need to get 3 players as priority: a creative midfielder, a pacy winger and a decent target man.

Whittingham/Evans have been poor this season. I don't expect we will buy a new midfielder though unless at least one of them goes. Tomlinson is doing okay, but I don't think he's good enough yet to make that position his own, and he also seems to be too similar a player to Smallwood.

Conway and Bennett work hard and are mainstays in the team, but they just lack that ability to penetrate the defence, the way that Chapman did for us earlier in the season. Antonsson does ok there, but he doesn't have the dribbling to be consistent in that role.

Up front, Graham has been awful. Nuttall and Samuel have both done fairly well this season, but I feel we still need another option to compete with them in that position.

Can't disagree with most of what you say there apart from your comment that Conway and Bennett are mainstays of the team. They're both absolutely useless imo.

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, Miker said:

I'll be surprised if he's still here by the end of the season. 

I doubt we'll be that lucky.

[chaddyrovers]

we need a centre midfielder, pacey winger and a target man

I would send Harper back to WBA, Sell Evans and possible Graham. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

we need a centre midfielder, pacey winger and a target man

I would send Harper back to WBA, Sell Evans and possible Graham. 

I would imagine both of Evans and Graham are still on a decent  wage. Who do you think would take them off our hands on current form ?

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I would imagine both of Evans and Graham are still on a decent  wage. Who do you think would take them off our hands on current form ?

I never thought anyone would buy Steele but Grayson did. 

Graham out of contract in the summer

[Dunnfc]

5 hours ago, Miker said:

Both. He has been absent last 2 games. Against Northampton I forgot he was even on the pitch in the first halfm

Today I thought it was interesting that his first reaction after our goal was to pick up the Rochdale player who scored the own goal rather than celebrate with his team mates. I'll be surprised if he's still here by the end of the season. 

 

5 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Would you say Graham's legs have gone or it's more that he does not look too interested? I really expected him to tear up this league.

Really... I don't think he's ever "had the legs" but it's definitely a movement issue, looks languid and I've heard he's sometimes got to take it easy in training due to a hip issue though I'm not sure how reliable that is but he's certainly not sharp. When he came he harried under Lambert and finished, under Coyle injured with niggles but seemed to have a more prowess with finishing (so did Sam Gallagher) see Derby 23 passes? Goal.

He has never had pace but he's always been able to latch onto something, get his positioning right to receive , playing the ball to his feet is key as his control and feet should set him apart in this league.

So do the attackers lack shooting practise and finishing training? Do we not give them the service into feet? Our shots on target compared, shots off usually isn't in proportion so I'd suggest somewhere midway.

Looking at his body language he doesn't seem frustrated as such. 

[Miker]

Graham has looked okay when playing in a front 2 I think. If I recall correctly, he tends to popup with goals whenever we play 2 up front. That's probably true of all of our strikers.

The problem is that our best player is an attacking midfielder, and we have to play one up front to accommodate that. Squad is a bit unbalanced in that sense... especially since we have no replacement if Dack gets injured.

I do wonder if Dack would be as influential if he was part of a central midfield partnership with Smallwood in a 4-4-2 instead. Has he played in that position in any matches so far this season?

[roversfan99]

Letting Graham go, if anyone even would take his wages, would be total madness in January.

His know how and experience will be critical and who could we possibly get whose better in League 1 for not much that can guarantee goals.

Keep him, and make signing some attacking creativity and pace to help Dack to create chances for him.

[chaddyrovers]

50 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Letting Graham go, if anyone even would take his wages, would be total madness in January.

His know how and experience will be critical and who could we possibly get whose better in League 1 for not much that can guarantee goals.

Keep him, and make signing some attacking creativity and pace to help Dack to create chances for him.

Why Madness? 

Graham isnt good enough to start regular in this team. Did nothing today or at Northampton. 

Samuel would be my 1st choice with Dack. 

Could we get better? Dont know..

But I deffo wouldnt be renewing his contract this summer. 

[Blueandwhitemike]

 

I think there has been some way over the top criticism of Graham this season, I guess it stems from the high expectations we all have of him but it is often based on poor analysis, especially from one or two above that just parrot the views of others.

Playing up top on your own is one of the most difficult jobs to perform if you're team are not playing very well.  In quite a few games this season I have seen our forwards get some pretty poor service, especially early on in the season.  Yesterday was a typical one in which the team didn't really get going as an attacking force and didn't create a lot all game.   DG ran about and worked hard but there were not many opportunities for him to show his ability, just the odd good touch.  I don't think he played well or badly, I think he did ok with what he got.  I don't think Nuttall or Samuel would have done much better.

 

There's also the fact that it's very unlikely that anyone would take DG or Evans off our hands in January.  DG is too old and Evans too fragile.  

[philipl]

Definitely keep Graham. Evans if anyone offers is a bite their hand off but is the only player I would be willing to part with at this point in the season.

I'd hope we could find a hungry youngster or two out there which have the ability to be good enough in the Championship as well.

 

[arbitro]

10 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I would imagine both of Evans and Graham are still on a decent  wage. Who do you think would take them off our hands on current form ?

Corry Evans has never hit any heights in all his time here but since the penalty incident for Northern Ireland in the WC Qualifier he has been poor. Mowbray spoke about managing this at the time but it doesn't appear to have worked. When a player is so bereft of confidence they need to be well away from the starting eleven.

[philipl]

9 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Corry Evans has never hit any heights in all his time here but since the penalty incident for Northern Ireland in the WC Qualifier he has been poor. Mowbray spoke about managing this at the time but it doesn't appear to have worked. When a player is so bereft of confidence they need to be well away from the starting eleven.

Very good point.

Lad probably needs a change and the confidence of knowing someone sees him worth investing in.

Good for him, good for Rovers and good for whoever buys because there is probably a decent player if he can get his mojo back.

 

[FGS5635]

I think the team has a couple of areas that need improving. Centre mid to partner smallwood and we need some pace and trickery out wide

If/when Leinhan comes back he can play along side smallwood and give us an insant upgrade in the centre

If/when chapman comes back he gives us the pace and trickery out wide.

Be great if we sign some new players who improve the starting 11, but I'd gladly take everyone staying and Leinhan and Chapman coming back fully fit asap

[tomphil]

How many other clubs would've accommodated Evans the way we've done for the past few years considering his fragility and pandering to his International career ?  Not to mention his wages when all we get in return is a passenger in most games, the guy should've been head and shoulders above most in this division.

Get 500k for him and wages off the books and replace with a hungry player who occasionally might just step forwards a few yards with the ball and release a pass !