January Transfer Window.

[Mattyblue]

I get that we may not have seen the best of him as he looks like a fish on a bicycle at full back, but on what evidence would he be ‘cracking’ in midfield?

[goozburger]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

Let's see Mola in his proper position he seems like a lively player we often need to be closing down quicker in midfield.  He certainly isn't a LB or LWB that's obvious and i'm no fan of shoe horning players in anywhere just to see how they cope.

Unless I'm mistaken, Edun has largely been competition for the left wing-back role. With Mola staying, Sharpe has suggested that this has now opened the door for Edun to leave on loan. Reinforced by the fact that Mola has been a stand-in operator on the left side of our defence (name your position), I'd suggest that Mola hasn't been brought in to play as a midfielder. He's here as competition for the left side of defence based on evidence so far.

[RoverCanada]

13 hours ago, BRFC4EVA said:

So here we are almost in mid Jan and not a sniff of a signing. It's the lack of planning that frustrates 

What were Broughton and JDT doing during the world cup? They would have known that come the Jan xfer window, we would be round about the playoff spots no matter how bad our form was. So why arent we thinking to ourselves, ok here is an opportunity this season, we need 2-3 quality players in these xy positions. Let's go out and get them early.

If you do business in the first 2 weeks of Jan, with the fa cup game, the new signings don't miss any league games. Sign them on 31 Jan and you've already missed another few league games.

Have we learned nothing from this time last year?! Scrambling around on deadline day? 

Fair point about it being better to get our business done early (if not necessarily easier to do so!), but worth remembering there was pretty much no scuttlebutt surrounding most of our signings in the summer. I think Szmodics only came up because Peterborough's chairmen couldn't keep his mouth shut, the failed van den Berg loan was a bit of a saga, and a loan like Morton being reported is a bit different. I think Brittain, Hyam, Hirst, and Mola all came out of nowhere. Broughton seems to run a tight ship so far in that regard.

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, islander200 said:

If City made Palmer available for loan it would be a premier League team or Foreign team he would be joining unfortunately 

 

Not sure that's necessarily true, watched him again last night and I don't see the hype at all. Markanday looks better than him 🤣

[Danny O.Brien]

I feel sorry for mola he was thrown in against Burnley and certainly wasn't the worst player that day. He's been played as and when needed in a number of different positions/roles. I think he's better as a centre back than a fullback personally. 

[Exiled_Rover]

2 hours ago, Mellor Rover said:

Won't find any complaints from me, 3 goals in 22 games this season. Looks like a body for the sake of a body to me!

He's also a thug - tried to leave something on a few of our players at Ewood.

[goozburger]

Was wondering why van Hecke couldn't be loaned to Feyenoord in this window. It's because Brighton already have eight players loaned to clubs outside England. I found that quite astonishing, but having checked Transfermarkt, and it is correct.

Feyenoord cannot afford to purchase van Hecke permanently in this window because they are prioritising a midfielder.

If Rovers are prioritising a forward and a midfielder, I suspect that also rules out a permanent move here, even if the fee is modest. I wonder if a loan deal could be on. It would be a huge boost to get him, even if it's just for a few months. Who knows what it could lead to thereafter?

[tomphil]

51 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Unless I'm mistaken, Edun has largely been competition for the left wing-back role. With Mola staying, Sharpe has suggested that this has now opened the door for Edun to leave on loan. Reinforced by the fact that Mola has been a stand-in operator on the left side of our defence (name your position), I'd suggest that Mola hasn't been brought in to play as a midfielder. He's here as competition for the left side of defence based on evidence so far.

Yes i can well believe that will be how it pans out which worries me greatly and not something i'd be doing.  We've gone from Bell to Edun to Mola now and they all seem exactly the same in that position, not competent enough.  It's as if they keep trying like for ;like players just hoping one clicks instead of getting in a proper operator in that position to duke it out with Pickering.

Mola to me is every bit the defensive mid who'd probably end up a centre defender in time although whether he'd be up to it at this level remains to be seen.  Middle is well stocked though and Garret will obviously be the fiesty one they turn to first but we'll never know if Mola might be better if he doesn't get the chance.

[goozburger]

Andreas Schjelderup is about to sign for Benfica. I'm not sure if Benfica were ever interested in Vetlesen based on Twitter rumours that I mentioned, but if they were, I assume that means Vetlesen is now off the cards for them.

I've seen figures of €6m-€7m bandied around for Vetlesen. If that's the ball-park figure, it would take the bi-decadial Venky war chest to get him. I still think that this figure won't be spent in the January transfer window, and Vetlesen must be attracting superior suitors.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

I get that we may not have seen the best of him as he looks like a fish on a bicycle at full back, but on what evidence would he be ‘cracking’ in midfield?

I think that from what I have seen at U21 level. his best opportunity to make a step up would be as a left sided central midfielder. I am of the opinion he may just have enough to make it in that position. It is only my opinion.

[goozburger]

Gabriel Suzao was mentioned earlier in the thread. This article claims that Olympiacos, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş are all interested, with the latter two having been in touch with one of his agents. The agent said that Europe is where Suazo wants to be.

I don't really understand what sort of money would be involved in bringing him here, i.e., his wage demands. Ironically, it feels as though free transfers are a paradox for us if we want to keep our wage structure intact. Can we compete with the aforementioned clubs when they are perennially playing in the European competitions, and the probable bloated wage demands a player like this might have?

It feels like a non-starter.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

If we keep buying left backs I suppose we’ll end up with a good one at some point.

[goozburger]

Motherwell interested in loaning Markanday according to reports in Scotland.

I'd like Markanday to stay. He sounded like he wanted to stay and fight for a place in the team, which is healthy, tied in with him feeling as fit as he did before his injury.

[BankEnd Rover]

4 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Motherwell interested in loaning Markanday according to reports in Scotland.

I'd like Markanday to stay. He sounded like he wanted to stay and fight for a place in the team, which is healthy, tied in with him feeling as fit as he did before his injury.

He 100% has to stay, especially with the outgoings already out or believe to be going and STILL zero incomings to date.

 

 

 

[Mercer]

3 hours ago, BRFC_Polky said:

Liam Delap is joining Preston on loan.

I know a few people mentioned his name on here as a potential signing.

A good signing - wouldn't bet against Delap reaching double figures.

Think PNE will finish higher in Championship than Rovers.

Ryan Lowe was a very good appointment - a manager who knows what he's doing.

 

[Admiral Nelsen]

4 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Motherwell interested in loaning Markanday according to reports in Scotland.

I'd like Markanday to stay. He sounded like he wanted to stay and fight for a place in the team, which is healthy, tied in with him feeling as fit as he did before his injury.

 

Motherwell might not be the worst idea for 6 months. People tend to (slightly) underrate the SPL for me, but quality wise he should be getting regular game time and crucially, he'll get a steep learning curve in terms of what's required from physical, first team football. 

[dingles staying down 4ever]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He's also a thug - tried to leave something on a few of our players at Ewood.

There are times playing as a lone No.9 thats no bad thing. How many times do we say that SG is bullied by the defenders

[Northcote blues]

2 minutes ago, Mercer said:

A good signing - wouldn't bet against Delap reaching double figures.

Think PNE will finish higher in Championship than Rovers.

Ryan Lowe was a very good appointment - a manager who knows what he's doing.

 

Disagree Merce. Ryan Lowe is a gobsh1te, and PNE have been on the decline since Robinson, Davies and Pearson all left. Back to mid table mediocrity for them for the foreseeable. Not that they were much more than that anyway 

[Torgeir]

37 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Andreas Schjelderup is about to sign for Benfica. I'm not sure if Benfica were ever interested in Vetlesen based on Twitter rumours that I mentioned, but if they were, I assume that means Vetlesen is now off the cards for them.

I've seen figures of €6m-€7m bandied around for Vetlesen. If that's the ball-park figure, it would take the bi-decadial Venky war chest to get him. I still think that this figure won't be spent in the January transfer window, and Vetlesen must be attracting superior suitors.

Vetlesen's contract expires end of the year so I think a little less could possibly get him, and that's why Rovers are (allegedly) interested. But just can't see it happening, unless he's set his sights on England.

[Mercer]

4 minutes ago, Realistic Rover said:

Disagree Merce. Ryan Lowe is a gobsh1te, and PNE have been on the decline since Robinson, Davies and Pearson all left. Back to mid table mediocrity for them for the foreseeable. Not that they were much more than that anyway 

Given they hammered us at Ewood in December it doesn't say too much about Rovers and our manager!!!

[roversfan99]

We shouldn't loan out Markanday, he should be pushing for a start here.

[Mattyblue]

So why does the PNE manager who has them in 10th place ‘know what he’s doing’, whilst the fella who has Rovers in 3rd (and had six months less time in post) doesn’t?

[DE.]

Preston are the joint second lowest scorers in the division (they'd be joint bottom if we hadn't let them score four against us), so not sure where the confidence comes that Delap will get into double figures considering he only has three senior goals to date. 

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

So why does the PNE manager who has them in 10th place ‘know what he’s doing’, whilst the fella who has Rovers in 3rd (and had six months less time in post) doesn’t?

Because Mercer lost money on 'Big Dunc'

[Exiled_Rover]

41 minutes ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

There are times playing as a lone No.9 thats no bad thing. How many times do we say that SG is bullied by the defenders

Oh no, I'm talking taking guys out off the ball / deliberately catching them as they're clearing the ball. No place for that in the game.