v Luton Town (h) - 1/5/23

[RevidgeBlue]

11 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’d make Hyam captain.

Usually agree with nearly everything you post but I certainly wouldn't, I'd be more tempted to drop him, he's been all over the place and arguably our worst performer recently imo.

[RTM08]

3 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Wigan away?

May as well throw Wigan at home while we're at it. We've been god awful against some of the worst sides in this league.

[booth]

2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Imo, if the manager is to have any chance whatsoever of success here, he has to lose his seeming obsession with Gallagher and ditch him forthwith.

If we're to succeed he has to get everyone playing to their maximum, and get the team playing better than the sum of it's parts. You can't afford to carry any passengers, certainly not one as bad as that lummox.

Is it an obsession, or just that he doesn't have bugger all else apart from a teenager? He's dropped him several times, requested another striker, and criticised his striking options post match.

[M_B]

4 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Imo, if the manager is to have any chance whatsoever of success here, he has to lose his seeming obsession with Gallagher and ditch him forthwith.

If we're to succeed he has to get everyone playing to their maximum, and get the team playing better than the sum of it's parts. You can't afford to carry any passengers, certainly not one as bad as that lummox.

With the current squad, it still remains a fact that we're much more likely to win with Gallagher in the team. I don't know what part of the facts that people have trouble with. 

If you were Tomasson, and had Gallagher fit for Millwall, would you lessen our chance of winning by not playing him? I know I wouldn't. 

Longterm, maybe, but right now the stats say he's our best chance. 

[wilsdenrover]

9 minutes ago, Spankus Munky said:

For Millwall I'd agree longer term for next season I think we need to bring someone in. Nobody in the squad has the quality needed in a Captain

I should have caveated that with ‘subject to new signings’

I’d chose Hyam from the current bunch as I’m not convinced there’s any other option.

 

[roverandout]

3 minutes ago, M_B said:

With the current squad, it still remains a fact that we're much more likely to win with Gallagher in the team. I don't know what part of the facts that people have trouble with. 

If you were Tomasson, and had Gallagher fit for Millwall, would you lessen our chance of winning by not playing him? I know I wouldn't. 

Longterm, maybe, but right now the stats say he's our best chance. 

For Millwall Gallagher is a huge upgrade and by god I never thought I would say that.  But long term he's pants

[Aqualung]

Feel a bit sorry for Dack. Did nowt of note second half... Probably not fully fit but for me I would try and move him on. That goes for Travis aswell. 

[JHRover]

A couple of things that ring alarm bells with me

One is the claim in the Fans Forum that budgets have already been set for next season. At a normal club you might celebrate forward planning but here it means that Venkys (or more likely their financial gurus) have already determined that the Club is getting very little if anything beyond essential funding. 

That means we are stuck with the academy and loan routine again.

I don't think the talk about a 'project' comes from anything more grand or idealistic than simply realising that the only way we are going to assemble a side to compete in this league is going to be turning to our kids and hoping enough make the grade.

One look at sides to make the play-offs recently - Middlesbrough, Luton x2, Huddersfield, Forest - not many academy grads knocking around their sides. Somewhere along the line you have to recruit experience and know how. Talk of letting Ayala, Dack and Kaminski leave fills me with dread TBH, not because we necessarily need them for the first XI, but you have to have some older heads around the place somewhere.

A lot of people bemoaning recent form and slip ups, but that's what happens when you rely on inexperience. 

The other thing that worries me is that with arses to protect the henchman in the shadows / Waggott / Broughton may be tempted to 'cash in' on a few or be forced to do so by upstairs. After the debacle of losing last summer's players and now Brereton for nothing there's something of a gap in transfer income. To gain favour with India certain people may be tempted to cash in.

[wilsdenrover]

29 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Usually agree with nearly everything you post but I certainly wouldn't, I'd be more tempted to drop him, he's been all over the place and arguably our worst performer recently imo.

As I’ve just replied to someone else, I’m not sure who else is ‘captain material’

That in itself is a worry as we should have ‘leaders’ all over the pitch.

edited to add - I’d worry if anyone agreed with me all of the time!

Edited May 1, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[47er]

1 hour ago, wilsdenrover said:

Last season ‘tailed off’ and we still managed 11 points out of the final 27

Those late games last season didn't matter though?

[JHRover]

Has Waggott or Broughton ever explained why, even if we are to accept the deadline day cock and bull stuff, we did nothing after that to bring in a free agent or two to bolster our options?

[Penwortham Blue]

I’m worried a win at Millwall will see us out the Teeside curmudgeon in the play offs, I’m not sure that I could stand that 🙈

[Penwortham Blue]

1 minute ago, JHRover said:

Has Waggott or Broughton ever explained why, even if we are to accept the deadline day cock and bull stuff, we did nothing after that to bring in a free agent or two to bolster our options?

As per JDT, ‘ask Greg’ !

[wilsdenrover]

7 minutes ago, 47er said:

Those late games last season didn't matter though?

Last season we were outside the playoffs on goal difference after 37 games (and with 2 games to go we were 3 points adrift) 

This season we had a five point cushion after 37 games 

Edited May 1, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[JHRover]

3 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

I’m worried a win at Millwall will see us out the Teeside curmudgeon in the play offs, I’m not sure that I could stand that 🙈

We just have to hope that lot at Deepdale do us a favour, though sounds like Lowe has thrown a wobbler after their Sheff Utd beating so they'll probably not turn up for it now.

[Crimpshrine]

Every year we get the excuse : 'how can we compete with teams receiving parachute payments ?'

When Venky's took over we were in the Premier League and Luton were in the Conference! Proof that a well run club can compete.

It's some 'journey' they are taking us on.

[M_B]

7 minutes ago, roverandout said:

For Millwall Gallagher is a huge upgrade and by god I never thought I would say that.  But long term he's pants

I've seen calls to get rid of him, I wouldn't do that,he's an important squad member and can do a good job. 

He needs adding to. 

[wilsdenrover]

8 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Has Waggott or Broughton ever explained why, even if we are to accept the deadline day cock and bull stuff, we did nothing after that to bring in a free agent or two to bolster our options?

You could have stopped at why…

[wilsdenrover]

4 minutes ago, Crimpshrine said:

Every year we get the excuse : 'how can we compete with teams receiving parachute payments ?'

When Venky's took over we were in the Premier League and Luton were in the Conference! Proof that a well run club can compete.

It's some 'journey' they are taking us on.

[roversfan99]

Also, we had no choice in net today. But what was Pears doing with 20 minutes left? Terrible judgement and very lucky that we wasnt put out of our misery there and then.

[Ghost7]

The issue is contribution vs salary, Dack and Ayala don't justify it and you can probably add Gallagher to that group too, he was likely brought in as a high earner on the basis of scoring 10 or 15 goals a season but his main use is running and defending corners. You don't pay 15k a week for that from a centre forward. It would be sensible to try and move him on... but difficult to do so.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Ghost7

[Spankus Munky]

5 minutes ago, M_B said:

I've seen calls to get rid of him, I wouldn't do that,he's an important squad member and can do a good job. 

He needs adding to. 

Its an expensive squad player to have. He cant be the one to lead our frontline as he is not prolific enough. We cant use him out wide as his final ball and first touch is poor and he doesn't have raw pace to skin his man! Thus he is a bench player who is one of our highest earners. Move him on if we can get something for him, otherwise we a stuck with a player who is not going to lead a side to the play-offs as a minimum

[tomphil]

12 minutes ago, Crimpshrine said:

Every year we get the excuse : 'how can we compete with teams receiving parachute payments ?'

When Venky's took over we were in the Premier League and Luton were in the Conference! Proof that a well run club can compete.

It's some 'journey' they are taking us on.

And Coventry were miles worse off than we were but look at them now.

Expect Ipswich and eventually Bolton to do the same in the next few years whilst we eventually go the other way, if they keep cutting back it'll catch up with us again sooner or later.

[Guest]

We've got a decent one in JDT, him walking sends us into another Coyle like spiral imo and ultimately ends in another L1 visit. 

[Spankus Munky]

16 minutes ago, Crimpshrine said:

Every year we get the excuse : 'how can we compete with teams receiving parachute payments ?'

When Venky's took over we were in the Premier League and Luton were in the Conference! Proof that a well run club can compete.

It's some 'journey' they are taking us on.

We haven't been a well run club since Venkys rocked up so that why we cant compete.

The summer window was one of slight change but gave me a little hope as for the time they had it was a decent start to move us forward, however January happened and back to square one. This summer is make or break as far as this current regime for me it has to be not only a good window it has to be 'special'