That *was* the January Window

[Danny O.Brien]

We offered more money than Plymouth were willing to. We got him on a free with the potential to sell on for a fee further down the line. It was a calculated risk but I just don't see him ever improving unfortunately. Bear in mind this deal was done very early in the summer before all the budgets got cut, because of the whole Indian tax thing. Knowing what we know now surely the club could've used the wages elsewhere.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

1 hour ago, rovers11 said:

I can't remember us having a worst set of striking options. Gally, Ennis, Vale, Telalovic, Dolan, Leonard. That has to be the worst in many decades. 

I am probably definitely in the minority here but I still think if Gallagher got fit (I know I know) and was just told to focus purely on being the number 9 striker and do NOTHING else but be a selfish p***k in front of goal then I think he could still turn it around. I'd even tell him to come into training and just kung-fu kick Doris the tea lady on a daily basis just to lose the nice tag he has. 

I think the issue is that we need to recruit a few players who are willing to flip out and be more aggressive in the changing room. We have a bunch of really nice guys representing the club. As much as I love the group we have, you need someone to get stuck into them on the pitch. We don't have that and it shows when the heads drop.

Edited January 9 by Tim Southampton Rover

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Not really. And I'm not sure about this "no one else will touch him" bit either, I think most league 1 clubs and a good hand full of championship clubs would have liked him in the summer if we didn't gazzump them on wages

Signing him was a gamble though due to his fitness record and it's one that doesn't currently look like paying off! 

But yes giving him a long term contract was the ridiculous part, just hope he's only on a very modest salary in case we do need to pay him off

I think we probably guzumped on length of contract rather than wages.

[joey_big_nose]

53 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

If we are including Dolan as a striker, which isn't his real role, we have to include Szmodics, who I'm quite sure has played there more times and is smashing this league.

Szmodics is a striker.... He's constantly our furthest forward player. He's not Frank Lampard coming in and pinging the goals in from the edge of the bx. He leads the line and scores strikers goals.

In the last two Championship games his average position has been further forward than the supposed number 9 (in this case Telalovic), and that can be seen all season.

 

 

 

Edited January 9 by joey_big_nose

[dingles staying down 4ever]

14 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Szmodics is a striker.... He's constantly our furthest forward player. He's not Frank Lampard coming in and pinging the goals in from the edge of the bx. He leads the line and scores strikers goals.

In the last two Championship games his average position has been further forward than the supposed number 9 (in this case Telalovic), and that can be seen all season.

 

 

 

I agree that fundamentally that Szmodics is a forward and we are playing as a 424. This is why we are so wide open defensively.

Then if our forwards aren't good enough, which none of the presently fit ones are, then we need another midfielder in the team rather than any one of them to help protect defensively.  

 

[CambridgeRover]

12 minutes ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

I agree that fundamentally that Szmodics is a forward and we are playing as a 424. This is why we are so wide open defensively.

Then if our forwards aren't good enough, which none of the presently fit ones are, then we need another midfielder in the team rather than any one of them to help protect defensively.  

 

 

I wonder if that new loanee could play in midfield just off Szmodics? We would not have a real physical presence but the rest are all quite poor

[bluebruce]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24035012.blackburn-rovers-boss-chrisene-deal-batty-plans/

JDT says Batty may go on loan now. Also seems to confirm Chrisene is seen as a midfield option as well as LB.

[joey_big_nose]

30 minutes ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

I agree that fundamentally that Szmodics is a forward and we are playing as a 424. This is why we are so wide open defensively.

Then if our forwards aren't good enough, which none of the presently fit ones are, then we need another midfielder in the team rather than any one of them to help protect defensively.  

 

To be fair I think it's less that we have no strikers and more JDT's mega attacking philosophy.... I doubt we will start committing less players forward if we eventually get proven striker. I expect us to setup the same. 

As for now I do think we would be better with one extra mid, especially on this horrendous run we are on, but if JDT was going to make that change he would have done it by now. 

[davulsukur]

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Szmodics is a striker.... He's constantly our furthest forward player. He's not Frank Lampard coming in and pinging the goals in from the edge of the bx. He leads the line and scores strikers goals.

In the last two Championship games his average position has been further forward than the supposed number 9 (in this case Telalovic), and that can be seen all season.

 

 

 

Any wonder we conceded 2 against Rotherham, what's that a back 2?

[rovers11]

1 hour ago, Tim Southampton Rover said:

I am probably definitely in the minority here but I still think if Gallagher got fit (I know I know) and was just told to focus purely on being the number 9 striker and do NOTHING else but be a selfish p***k in front of goal then I think he could still turn it around. I'd even tell him to come into training and just kung-fu kick Doris the tea lady on a daily basis just to lose the nice tag he has. 

I think the issue is that we need to recruit a few players who are willing to flip out and be more aggressive in the changing room. We have a bunch of really nice guys representing the club. As much as I love the group we have, you need someone to get stuck into them on the pitch. We don't have that and it shows when the heads drop.

I think there was/is a player in there somewhere but I don't think we can spend anymore time or money hoping that player comes out.

I think he'd do well at a club that plays a more direct style of football and they just want him to be a handful. He's no good for a team that wants to keep the ball on the floor, he's got no technical ability.

I actually think Dolan is our best striker at the moment. He doesn't have a goalscoring instinct but his control and movement are good. He's the most lively player we have in that position (aside from Szmodics obviously who is one of the best players in the league). 

[RTM08]

1 minute ago, davulsukur said:

Any wonder we conceded 2 against Rotherham, what's that a back 2?

Only Bristol City have failed to score at least 2 against us since the end of November iirc, the current style of football is suicidal.

[neophox]

Ennis to leave then ..

[Trinidad Rover]

24 minutes ago, neophox said:

Ennis to leave then ..

we can but dream

[TheRevAshton]

I see potential in Ennis personally, don't think he's been that bad when he's played - his availability is my only issue.

If we're loaning him out, i'd like to see him have 6 months at Peterborough - they're about to sell JCH, I think Niall would get a good run of games there and do well.

[jny]

6 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

I see potential in Ennis personally, don't think he's been that bad when he's played - his availability is my only issue.

If we're loaning him out, i'd like to see him have 6 months at Peterborough - they're about to sell JCH, I think Niall would get a good run of games there and do well.

Has a nice touch and the right physique to do hold up play well if he can stay off the treatment table (and we had an actual striker...)

Clearly had a goal or two in him as well at Plymouth, maybe just needs to get on a run.

 

[Danny O.Brien]

He's shite same as telalovic unfortunately. People talk like they're 18/19 and learning. They're both mid 20s and should be further on by now. Dress it up however you want, take away szmodics goals this season and I dread to think where we would be in the league. We have been overachieving pretty much since we came up from league one. The owners refuse to back the manager. Despite a promising start last season and early this.

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, Tim Southampton Rover said:

I am probably definitely in the minority here but I still think if Gallagher got fit (I know I know) and was just told to focus purely on being the number 9 striker and do NOTHING else but be a selfish p***k in front of goal then I think he could still turn it around. I'd even tell him to come into training and just kung-fu kick Doris the tea lady on a daily basis just to lose the nice tag he has. 

I think the issue is that we need to recruit a few players who are willing to flip out and be more aggressive in the changing room. We have a bunch of really nice guys representing the club. As much as I love the group we have, you need someone to get stuck into them on the pitch. We don't have that and it shows when the heads drop.

People keep saying if he gets a regular run, if he plays down the middle, if he becomes more selfish etc year on year. He wont suddenly become a more selfish or more aggressive striker. 

He is what he is, an average Championship striker who will get you 8-10 goals each year. That still makes him considerably more useful than Ennis, Telalovic and Leonard, and our best striker, as frustrating as he is.

5 minutes ago, jny said:

Has a nice touch and the right physique to do hold up play well if he can stay off the treatment table (and we had an actual striker...)

Clearly had a goal or two in him as well at Plymouth, maybe just needs to get on a run.

 

A nice touch? Must not have watched the same player.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, davulsukur said:

Any wonder we conceded 2 against Rotherham, what's that a back 2?

it is really a back three made up of our two center-halves and the defensive midfielder. With our two full-backs pushed forward into half-backs. the two central midfielders play slightly more forward than normal. the forwards just mill about. It means that about 70% of the team are playing out of their accostumed positions, hence we are awful at the back.

[tomphil]

29 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

I see potential in Ennis personally, don't think he's been that bad when he's played - his availability is my only issue.

If we're loaning him out, i'd like to see him have 6 months at Peterborough - they're about to sell JCH, I think Niall would get a good run of games there and do well.

The lack of using him when he's been on the bench alongside JDT's early season comments says to me he just doesn't fancy using him and never really has.

Very odd to sign a player on a 4 year contract then mark his card straight away.

[AspRover]

I have absolutely no proof to back it up, but if we'd known that Venkys were going to eviscerate the budget with a rusty machete in advance of the transfer window opening I'm sure that the Ennis and Telalovic money would have been spent on one player.

Taking a punt on cheap strikers is a good thing, low risk and potentially high reward - when you already have strikers, and you can afford to write off the expenditure if they don't pan out long term (see Joe Nuttal etc.), issue being that we don't have strikers and we can't afford to write off the money. Honestly think we'd be ok with both signings if we had a Danny Graham type in the squad - you'd be bringing them on after 60 or 70 mins, maybe they bag a goal here or there... Careers change on such things.

Also, in the face of all recent evidence, for whatever reason I still have a gut feeling that Wahlstedt will turn out OK. Probably wishful thinking.

[tomphil]

24 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

He's shite same as telalovic unfortunately. People talk like they're 18/19 and learning. They're both mid 20s and should be further on by now. Dress it up however you want, take away szmodics goals this season and I dread to think where we would be in the league. We have been overachieving pretty much since we came up from league one. The owners refuse to back the manager. Despite a promising start last season and early this.

Agree o the first bit but second bit is tripe if we are talking about Mowbrays time it was about standard there was zero over achieving.

He was allowed to spend 15 million on forwards over about 12 moths before they shut the vault again but he had enough in his budget annually to bring in guys like Holtby, Downing, Trybull, Tosin, Elliot, etc etc.

[rigger]

1 minute ago, AspRover said:

I have absolutely no proof to back it up, but if we'd known that Venkys were going to eviscerate the budget with a rusty machete in advance of the transfer window opening I'm sure that the Ennis and Telalovic money would have been spent on one player.

Taking a punt on cheap strikers is a good thing, low risk and potentially high reward - when you already have strikers, and you can afford to write off the expenditure if they don't pan out long term (see Joe Nuttal etc.), issue being that we don't have strikers and we can't afford to write off the money. Honestly think we'd be ok with both signings if we had a Danny Graham type in the squad - you'd be bringing them on after 60 or 70 mins, maybe they bag a goal here or there... Careers change on such things.

Also, in the face of all recent evidence, for whatever reason I still have a gut feeling that Wahlstedt will turn out OK. Probably wishful thinking.

I agree with you about Wahlstedt. What he is really missing at the moment, is self-confidence. I don't know what needs to be done to give it to him, but whatever is being done at the moment, isn't working.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

8 minutes ago, rigger said:

I agree with you about Wahlstedt. What he is really missing at the moment, is self-confidence. I don't know what needs to be done to give it to him, but whatever is being done at the moment, isn't working.

A Kevin Moran type centre half who organises his back four, a pair of full backs who can prevent crosses coming in and a goalkeeping coach who can teach him how to deal with crosses would be a start

[rigger]

1 minute ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

A Kevin Moran type centre half who organises his back four, a pair of full backs who can prevent crosses coming in and a goalkeeping coach who can teach him how to deal with crosses would be a start

I think the last point is the most relevent.

[gazza1981]

2 hours ago, rovers11 said:

I think there was/is a player in there somewhere but I don't think we can spend anymore time or money hoping that player comes out.

I think he'd do well at a club that plays a more direct style of football and they just want him to be a handful. He's no good for a team that wants to keep the ball on the floor, he's got no technical ability.

I actually think Dolan is our best striker at the moment. He doesn't have a goalscoring instinct but his control and movement are good. He's the most lively player we have in that position (aside from Szmodics obviously who is one of the best players in the league). 

Our form has really dipped since he has been out injured.