2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

We wanted one when we thought Batth was staying. I’m not sure if we will sign two cb’s but based on the profile of high energy, forward thinking fullbacks we’re signing, they look more like wing backs. Which leads us to think we might end up with three CB’s.

Barnsley were 343 in that brilliant season they had with VI weren’t they?

But Ismael didnt play that in either of his subsequent managerial roles, as far as I am aware.

De Neve is a wide man equally comfortable on the left wing and was compared to Owen Beck who Ismael played in front of a left back when he was fit.

We need 3 centre backs if we want to play 3 at once.

[K-Hod]

19 minutes ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

I have opinions you do and all others do but when your option has been proven to be way off the mark would you continue to go with that same opinion each time (I wouldn’t)

 

I'm no different to everyone else, I get some things right, I get some things wrong. 

I can't account for why people think why they do, but I can defend their right to think that way.

[davulsukur]

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Its been reported that we only want one centre back.

Im not sure why people are presuming that we are going to change to a back 3/5.

I wonder if Silver Eze signing up has changed any thoughts? He wouldn't have signed up without a clear path to the first team, if he has turned down the likes of Juve and AC Milan.

Wouldn't be surprised if he was now part of the first team squad.

[Forever Blue]

3 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

 

I can't account for why people think why they do, but I can defend their right to think that way.

Totally agree, as long as you’re consistent,  and don’t just ride to the defence of the more negative opinions. 

Edited July 10 by Forever Blue

[Emerald Isle Rover]

3 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I'm no different to everyone else, I get some things right, I get some things wrong. 

I can't account for why people think why they do, but I can defend their right to think that way.

And I can defend my right to think my way…full circle 

[KentExile]

3 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

We wanted one when we thought Batth was staying. I’m not sure if we will sign two cb’s but based on the profile of high energy, forward thinking fullbacks we’re signing, they look more like wing backs. Which leads us to think we might end up with three CB’s.

Barnsley were 343 in that brilliant season they had with VI weren’t they?

 

 

[K-Hod]

Just now, Forever Blue said:

Totally agree, as long as you’re consistent,  and don’t just ride to the defence the more negative opinions. 

I've literally always said, I hate people dismissing views as either 'happy clappers' or 'negative'.

I like to think I'm always consistent, but I can't be everywhere all at once. 

[Lucimo]

6 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

Why are we guessing Swiss players? Has there been a link?

I'm guessing because in the post by brfcprivy there was a Swiss flag aswell as a Belgium flag.

[K-Hod]

1 minute ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

And I can defend my right to think my way…full circle 

Do as you please, as long as it's within the site rules!

 

[AndyB]

14 hours ago, Mercer said:

In my career, I have sat on opposite sides of the table and I can tell you it is not difficult to play a few tunes with the accounts without resorting to irregular practices and it wasn't too difficult to 'pull the wool' over the eyes of the external auditors. 

I would be intrigued to see the 'books' of Rovers.

My wife was company secretary for a large FTSE 250 company.

The external auditors who came to the office were often young & inexperienced and working to a checklist.  If they asked for a document, they didn't know what should look like and she could give them anything.  They were just happy that they could tick a box to say they had seen the document.

She used to tell the partners of the auditors that she should be charging them for training their staff in what they should actually be looking for.

[Paul Mani]

11 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

But Ismael didnt play that in either of his subsequent managerial roles, as far as I am aware.

De Neve is a wide man equally comfortable on the left wing and was compared to Owen Beck who Ismael played in front of a left back when he was fit.

We need 3 centre backs if we want to play 3 at once.

Agreed. Though you could argue that those subsequent managerial roles were comparable failures to the job he did at Barnsley. Maybe he’s going back to his initial idea?

It’s still up in the air and we could stick with 4231 it’s just something about these wide, high energy wide players which look much more like wing backs than full backs.

Interesting to see how many cb’s we sign…

[Waggy76]

There is a reason why these Clubs in Belgium got relegated , signing players from relegated clubs in a poor league , is not good practice .

Do these signings from Belgium have the same agent ??

 

[Paul Mani]

16 minutes ago, KentExile said:

 

 

Yeah, I’m not sure Elliot would 100% know that. What is fact is that we offered Batth a contract, AND Rudy came out saying we wanted a cb at around the same time. Which tells me they initially wanted two…

But who knows? Tbh we probably do need two regardless of formation when you consider the injury record of Carter and bearing in mind Wharton hasn’t played for the best part of 12 months.

Are any of the Academy CB’s ready to step up? I’ve got brain fog.

Edited July 10 by Paul Mani

[Exiled_Rover]

58 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

Can we perhaps sign a player from one of the other relegated sides in Belgium? You know, just for a bit of variety. 🙃

Alebiosu sounds on paper like an even less inspired signing than De Neve, who was at least a starter in that side. Any more players from Belgium this summer and it's going to become the new version of all the Portuguese players that signed in summer 2012.

That being said, if JRC is indeed out the door then this feels like a straight replacement and backup to Brittain (hopefully). Maybe Rovers will use the rest of the supposed JRC money to finally laund Kapuadi, who is the only player we've been linked with that seems like he would actually, genuinely improve the team.

It all seems a bit desperate, doesn't it? Granted we've not seen any of these new players kick a ball yet, but none of them make me think "yeah that'll improve the starting 11". It feels much more like squad fillers ahoy while Rudy spins his wheel of fortune / misery on who we bring in next.

I suppose compared to last summer it's still early days on Rovers recruitment. Wasn't it the last week of pre-season when they signed a bunch of players over the course of a week? I remember Ohashi and Gueye played 45 mins each in a friendly the week before the first game of the season.

At least he's English and his Scottish Premiership team wanted him back - if he's a backup I don't think its a bad signing. 

I guess it means Duru is going out on loan again though.

[MarkBRFC]

1 minute ago, Paul Mani said:

Are any of the Academy CB’s ready to step up? I’ve got brain fog.

Also let O'Riordan go.

Tom Atcheson has been training with the first team squad so far in pre season, seems he is the next one they want to push through.

After that probably looking at Litherland who is also highly rated.

[Paul Mani]

1 minute ago, MarkBRFC said:

Also let O'Riordan go.

Tom Atcheson has been training with the first team squad so far in pre season, seems he is the next one they want to push through.

After that probably looking at Litherland who is also highly rated.

Agreed - O’riordan hasn’t been fancied by any manger. Weird one. Needs to go.

Litherland was the one I was thinking about. He looked decent last season. Maybe having lost out on Batth they decided to go for Kapaudi and promote Litherland and Acheson?

Also was thinking they might see Kristi Montgomery as CM cover as he’s played there for the youth team / 21’s right?

[...]

1 hour ago, K-Hod said:

If we can't judge or comment on signings when they're made, we might as well shut the forum down.

Can we have a separate thread were we can call each other nasty names like 'bloody wazak' and classics like 'pillock' and 'toe rag'? 

[MarkBRFC]

5 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Agreed - O’riordan hasn’t been fancied by any manger. Weird one. Needs to go.

Litherland was the one I was thinking about. He looked decent last season. Maybe having lost out on Batth they decided to go for Kapaudi and promote Litherland and Acheson?

Also was thinking they might see Kristi Montgomery as CM cover as he’s played there for the youth team / 21’s right?

Well he has, he's on loan at Doncaster for the season.

Probably wouldn't rule him out just yet as Carter and Wharton needed multiple loans out at his age to get ready for this level.

I think the plan is probably to go with 5 centre backs, Carter, Hyam, Wharton, "new" (I don't think there's a chance we get Kapaudi), and Atcheson/Litherland as 5th choice.

Montgomery is another who has been talked up by Ismael so yeah expect him to be on the fringes of the side as 4th/5th choice in midfield.

[...]

17 minutes ago, AndyB said:

My wife was company secretary for a large FTSE 250 company.

The external auditors who came to the office were often young & inexperienced and working to a checklist.  If they asked for a document, they didn't know what should look like and she could give them anything.  They were just happy that they could tick a box to say they had seen the document.

She used to tell the partners of the auditors that she should be charging them for training their staff in what they should actually be looking for.

That sounds very similar to all the old boys on the water and river trust. They exclusively told these auditors fresh out of uni that the banks would burst and that the village below in Whalley would flood so they area needs dredging. "BuT iT sAyS oN mY chEcKlisT cAnt Do That bEcAusE..." yadayadayada.

Banks burst. Houses flooded. 

[chaddyrovers]

19 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Agreed. Though you could argue that those subsequent managerial roles were comparable failures to the job he did at Barnsley. Maybe he’s going back to his initial idea?

It’s still up in the air and we could stick with 4231 it’s just something about these wide, high energy wide players which look much more like wing backs than full backs.

Interesting to see how many cb’s we sign…

I expect 4-2-3-1 with proper wingers 

[lraC]

48 minutes ago, JHRover said:

It seems clear that Gestede has well and truly got his feet under the table with the signings we are making. 

There will have to be more than a few fingers and toes crossed that he knows what he is doing here because on paper it is worrying. Granted he is, like everyone else around this club, working with his hands tied behind his back financially, but it is a high risk strategy.

We've seen a similar sort of thing before with the Shebby and Portuguese influx. And thanks to someone last night pointing it out it does concern me that we've now signed two this summer from Vincent Tan's Belgian club who signed Gestede for Cardiff. I don't believe in such coincidences. 

Vincent Tan and Gestede have links via Cardiff City. Rovers employ Gestede as a trainee and give him some work experience and all of a sudden he is catapulted, into a role that he seems under qualified to undertake.

He just so happens to have played under Kean in Australia, who was also catapulted into a role at Rovers, that he was under qualified for.

Now Gestede seems to be dictating what players we sign and by pure coincidence has made two signings form the Belgian club that Tan has links to. Both of these players, seem to be under qualified to play in the Championship (although like some on here, I will wait to judge them).

Nothing to see here perhaps, but something smells a but fishy to me.

[Forever Blue]

19 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Yeah, I’m not sure Elliot would 100% know that. What is fact is that we offered Batth a contract, AND Rudy came out saying we wanted a cb at around the same time. Which tells me they initially wanted two…

But who knows? Tbh we probably do need two regardless of formation when you consider the injury record of Carter and bearing in mind Wharton hasn’t played for the best part of 12 months.

Are any of the Academy CB’s ready to step up? I’ve got brain fog.

Tbf EJ has consistently said for quite a number of weeks that the club only wanted one LCB regardless of whether Batth left or not

[RoversClitheroe]

Just now, lraC said:

Vincent Tan and Gestede have links via Cardiff City. Rovers employ Gestede as a trainee and give him some work experience and all of a sudden he is catapulted, into a role that he seems under qualified to undertake.

He just so happens to have played under Kean in Australia, who was also catapulted into a role at Rovers, that he was under qualified for.

Now Gestede seems to be dictating what players we sign and by pure coincidence has made two signings form the Belgian club that Tan has links to. Both of these players, seem to be under qualified to play in the Championship (although like some on here, I will wait to judge them).

Nothing to see here perhaps, but something smells a but fishy to me.

If it looks fishy.

Smells fishy.

It absolutely is fishy.

[Forever Blue]

4 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I expect 4-2-3-1 with proper wingers 

Is De Neve a ‘proper winger’?

[jim mk2]

22 minutes ago, AndyB said:

My wife was company secretary for a large FTSE 250 company.

The external auditors who came to the office were often young & inexperienced and working to a checklist.  If they asked for a document, they didn't know what should look like and she could give them anything.  They were just happy that they could tick a box to say they had seen the document.

She used to tell the partners of the auditors that she should be charging them for training their staff in what they should actually be looking for.

 

The above shouldn't happen. Amateurish, people not qualified for the jobs they're doing, not doing their job properly, so eventually businesses fail. Plain wrong. Happens right across the country and the economy. Why are we surprised that the same is happening at Ewood?