2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, TimmyJimmy said:

Some really good posts on here recently, enjoying the reading.

On Hyam, the introvert thing is probably why he plays better with a tough guy next to him. He's defo not a shouter and organiser. I like 'nice' people, good for the dressing room. He's a good CB and I hope he stays.

On the Ferrari/Skoda thing (made me howl), I had a conversation with Bill Fox years ago about a player I wanted Rovers to see (they did and he signed but that's another story), my big plus point was that whilst raw he was lightening quick. Bill's comment was and I quote "You can coach a monkey to cross a ball but you can't coach speed, we'll take a look." Ferraris rule I think 🙂

On VI, I think I'm in a very small minority here but I really like VI. I didn't but I've warmed to him a lot. He's honest - players know where they stand with him and that's important, he's clear about his strategy and is getting the players in that fit with that (no square pegs in round holes), he's winning matches and those that he doesn't he come close to (dodgy refs mostly). Far from perfect but to damn by faint praise he's likely the best we could have got for this mad house and is exceeding my expectations. He also gives the impression that he actually believes that good times are around the corner, which is nice for a change. I know, hope kills you.

 

Is he winning matches? His record isnt the best and its 1 win 3 losses so far this season.

[BRFC.]

32 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He joined an Ipswich team already at the top mid season. They weren't going to change their team regardless of the ability of Travis. They had an established duo performing in his position, they signed him to strengthen the squad. It doesn't prove an inability to do anything.

Its narratives being thrown around by fans on X as a good excuse for selling him. 

[Paul Mani]

10 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

So if that's the criteria on which we're judging players, Tronstad REALLY isn't that good either then?

Can't even drum up any worthwhile interest in him.

I don’t think either are world beaters tbh. But both were EXTREMELY important to John Eustace’s team. It’s horses for courses. 

[Paul Mani]

8 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

YES!

But that hasnt stopped you obviously!

I haven’t judged Trav once….either way. He’s a good player. Not a great one. The end.

[Herbie6590]

1 hour ago, davulsukur said:

Nar, I think Suhail was always the gatekeeper with regards to the purse strings. 

I think this is his last ditch effort to save his skin. @glen9mullan has mentioned previously that he is very close to the edge, I think he's unleashing the fabled war chest (to an extent) in an effort to get fans on board. 

Quell the unrest and report all sunshine and rainbows back to Venky's.

Added bonus: he's managed to cut the wage bill at the same time.

I think cutting the wage bill is his prime objective. Reinvesting a % of sale proceeds makes sense to an accountant if it reduces your ongoing running costs. I very much doubt he views the football club as anything other than a project upon which to impose his “lean” philosophy. 

Everything he does is predicated on cost cutting. 

He views new players in the way a finance director will spend on a new printer if it uses less ink than the old one. 

Don’t be fooled. 

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Paul Mani said:

I haven’t judged Trav once….either way. He’s a good player. Not a great one. The end.

Hmmm.........

"You can't judge without knowing exactly what's gone on" (Fair)

But.......

"There's no smoke without fire!" (Unfair)

Obviously he's a (very) good player for the level we're at, not a great one and the Club will survive without him. We lost Shearer and the Club's still here (just about).

[Herbie6590]

41 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

I know where you are coming from, but in my own ( non premier league) lifetime, I'd say the likes of Field, Metcalfe, Brotherston, Speedie, Szmodics were legends..

Simon Garner says “Hi..!” 😉

[RevidgeBlue]

4 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

He views new players in the way a finance director will spend on a new printer if it uses less ink than the old one. 

Don’t be fooled. 

Exactly.

The T2000's are a lot cheaper to run than the T1000's to use Paul's analogy.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Simon Garner says “Hi..!” 😉

Also Sir Roger.

[TimmyJimmy]

7 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Is he winning matches? His record isnt the best and its 1 win 3 losses so far this season.

I'm not a stats guy but if memory serves he won 4 of the last 6 last season, didn't he draw the other 2 (?). This season he's had chaos to contend with behind the scenes. We played WBA and got cheated by the ref on a penalty.  The cup match was a resy team turnout with many starters rested - doesn't count in my book, Birmingham was tough to take, we lost but that was down to the naivety of the new guys not him so I'm putting that in the should have won column. Hull, yes a nice win.

I'm not making things out to be perfect but it's a pretty solid start.

New players in the house - we live in interesting times.

[Paul Mani]

3 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Hmmm.........

"You can't judge without knowing exactly what's gone on" (Fair)

But.......

"There's no smoke without fire!" (Unfair)

Obviously he's a (very) good player for the level we're at, not a great one and the Club will survive without him. We lost Shearer and the Club's still here (just about).

In terms of what has been said, I look at the scenario objectively and with a level of understanding about how clubs and dressing rooms are run.

I genuinely don’t know what’s gone on, but for VI to go that hard, there’s either a really valid reason, or he’s DEAD. Because the lads will stop playing for him if he’s lying. Based on what I’ve seen and heard, VI seems like a reasonable chap, and the lads obviously played (very well) for him on Sat (post said incident)…so I’m just saying if he very surprised if he’s made it up. Whatever Trav has done has REALLY pissed them off 🤷🏽‍♂️

[alcd]

7 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Also Sir Roger.

Anf Faz

[roversfan99]

35 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

I like Trav, he’s been a good player for us. But if he was ‘That’ good, he wouldn’t be signing for Derby at the cost of an average weekend on one of Balaji’s yacht parties.

I don’t think losing Trav will be end of Blackburn Rovers, put it that way. 🙈🤣

If that is the logic, doesnt that make Dolan the best of all of the players that have left?

20 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

I’d say based on previous experiences, I’d be happy to say Mclouughlin is good enough. Alebiosu is defo an unknown.

The real interesting part of that post and why many of us are now Intrigued is because now most of our squad are in the middle ‘not sure yet’ band…which is both exciting and fucking terrifying in equal measure!

I think McLoughlin will be a good signing, but he struggled to nail down a starting place as a centre back at Hull.

[Devon Rover]

3 hours ago, J*B said:

My officially unofficial "good enough or not good enough" ratings below, based on what I've seen over the last 12 months:

Good Enough

Toth

Alebiosu

Hyam

Mclouglin

Pickering

Tronny

Cantwell

Ohashi

Unknown

Michalski

Miller

Carter

Wharton

Tavares

Baradji

Henriksson

Tyjon

Miro

Not Good Enough

Montgomery

De Neve

Forshaw

Hedges

Kargbo

Gueye

I might have missed it but, "good enough" for what? Avoiding relegation, pootling around middle table, or pushing for playoffs/promotion? The lists of players considered good enough, or not, would, I assume, change based on the aspirations.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Footballers are fickle beasts - some are anyway.  Think of some of the hotshots that have left Ewood to do bugger all and some of the people we've picked up and been great.

 

[Paul Mellelieu]

Herbie is right: reduce running costs, stay in the league and maintain income streams.  Sustainable (until you get caught out) / unambitious.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

1 hour ago, Paul Mani said:

That’s because of two things…

1) A striker was not in the plan. Honestly, it feels like an impassioned purchase. Like VI and RG have twisted Pasha’s arm. 

2) The striker will cost much bigger money and was not originally budgeted for.

 

The striker was in the original  plan though - when Gestede outlined the areas that needed improving at the back rnd of last season.  It only disappeared from the narrative once we started signing loads of  midfielders.  

[Emerald Isle Rover]

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

If that is the logic, doesnt that make Dolan the best of all of the players that have left?

I think McLoughlin will be a good signing, but he struggled to nail down a starting place as a centre back at Hull.

Alfie jones and Charlie Hughes in front of him two pretty good centre halves 

Id actually say it’s a compliment that hull continued to play McLaughlin at left back they obviously knew his worth to the team

[lraC]

32 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Would it not be more prudent to understand what Travis might have done, before casting said judgement?

Here’s my take - VI doesn’t seem like a bad guy. He also seems quite straight talking. To publicly ‘out’ Trav, he must’ve done something he really doesn’t like. And for him to say he’s let the lads down is HUGE! If he hasn’t done anything wrong, then Ismael is finished with that group, they’ll never trust him again. Which makes me think there’s potentially something in it. That Trav has overstepped the mark…probably come out at some point. 

I might be wide of the mark here, but based on what I have heard and how certain  players have fallen out of favour, I think a some of the players have had a real go, over the situation with the players liaison officer, Lesley Fielding being forced out. I understand that she was very popular with some of the players, especially those that have been there for a while and in particular, Travis, Buckley and Harry Leonard.

It is a coincidence that all 3 have now been side lined and as we say with the Buckley Video yesterday, he appeared to be quite emotional about leaving Rovers.

It appears that Lesley left under the guise of taking voluntary redundancy, which on it's own looks a bit suspect, as there may well have been a replacement appointed, looking at yesterdays videos. 

[BRFC.]

1 minute ago, lraC said:

It appears that Lesley left under the guise of taking voluntary redundancy, which on it's own looks a bit suspect, as there may well have been a replacement appointed, looking at yesterdays videos. 

Think the replacement was chosen by Suhail and apparently players were angry by it? Suhail strikes me as someone who gets under people’s skin 

[M_B]

35 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Is he winning matches? His record isnt the best and its 1 win 3 losses so far this season.

Without wanting to turn it into another Stokegate, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have included the Bradford game if we'd won. 

Changed how many, 8? Including a complete back 5 with an 18 year old keeper . Come on, keep it real. 

[Emerald Isle Rover]

Just now, M_B said:

Without wanting to turn it into another Stokegate, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have included the Bradford game if we'd won. 

Changed how many, 8? Including a complete back 5 with an 18 year old keeper . Come on, keep it real. 

I get both sides of this argument 

with the off season we have had and the negative noise surrounding the club and how it’s being run etc for me the Bradford game after losing the opening game was a chance to relieve some of the pressure I wasn’t expecting so many changes and it told in the end (see Stoke last night) 

but yes we pretty much changed our whole team and the early stages of efl cup matches plenty of championship teams bow out so it’s not a real fair reflection 

[roversfan99]

10 minutes ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

Alfie jones and Charlie Hughes in front of him two pretty good centre halves 

Id actually say it’s a compliment that hull continued to play McLaughlin at left back they obviously knew his worth to the team

They didnt have a competent left back, they were short there. 

I think he is a good signing like I said, but obviously if we are witholding opinion on some (which i dont think we should, as long as there is a caveat that it is very early) that havent started well then surely it becomes a widespread rule.

26 minutes ago, TimmyJimmy said:

I'm not a stats guy but if memory serves he won 4 of the last 6 last season, didn't he draw the other 2 (?). This season he's had chaos to contend with behind the scenes. We played WBA and got cheated by the ref on a penalty.  The cup match was a resy team turnout with many starters rested - doesn't count in my book, Birmingham was tough to take, we lost but that was down to the naivety of the new guys not him so I'm putting that in the should have won column. Hull, yes a nice win.

I'm not making things out to be perfect but it's a pretty solid start.

New players in the house - we live in interesting times.

I mean theres a lot of mental gymnastics there. Discounting cup games, putting games lost into a "should have won category" etc.

I am unconvinced but equally I certainly havent written him off and there have been glimpses, there have been mitigating circumstances and there are new signings to consider. But results across his tenure overall, especially this season, are poor.

[Admiral Nelsen]

1 hour ago, Paul Mani said:

I like Trav, he’s been a good player for us. But if he was ‘That’ good, he wouldn’t be signing for Derby at the cost of an average weekend on one of Balaji’s yacht parties.

I don’t think losing Trav will be end of Blackburn Rovers, put it that way. 🙈🤣

 

The sky won't fall in! We've sold better players in the past.

Equally we shouldn't do what it is always tempting to do and pretend that they were never that great to begin with. I seem to remember one or two doing the same about Cairney who left to a similarly middling club for a similar fee.

(Not that I'm saying that Trav is as good as Cairney! But most clubs in the league would love to have him, and hardly any non-parachute clubs will spend more this summer than what Derby are offering for a central midfielder).  

Edited 2 hours ago by Admiral Nelsen

[roversfan99]

5 minutes ago, M_B said:

Without wanting to turn it into another Stokegate, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have included the Bradford game if we'd won. 

Changed how many, 8? Including a complete back 5 with an 18 year old keeper . Come on, keep it real. 

He chose to rotate the team, including picking a kid in net when we have 2 senior keepers, did he not?

Not as important as the league results, but overall they have been poor too. Like I said, its not all been bad but I am unconvinced so far.