Is the team stronger or weaker after the transfer window?

[bigbrandjohn]

I have been reflecting on this over a perfect Guinness pour in a Young's pub. 

I think we had a sell by date on the team. By making the moves we did, we took a risk but I feel good about the replacements.

It is the manager's team and model and so we shall see how we progress.

I am optimistic. There was a negative drag from some of rhe established players and that has been swept away. 

Culturally I rhink this is less of a cozy environment but maybe we needed a change on the field and off it.

Change is always with us. Players and managers are ambitious. 
 

What are your thoughts?

[B16Rover]

I think it makes sense you had a pint before posting

[miqaayil]

In my opinion , i feel we are stronger for one reason ...

we got rid of comfortable championship players and replaced them with players who want to make a name for themselves ...there's no better motivation then redemption and seeking fame..whether they have the skill set..we'll know by november..

i critique the Vs at every turn because i don't believe they have the clubs best interest but one thing they doing right is giving chance for success for unknowns 

[Upside Down]

It's completely irrelevant. The club is not trying to get promoted so it doesn't matter if the squad is good, bad or indifferent. The only goal they have is to plod along in the division.

The existence of the club is pointless.

[Displaced Rover]

Club propaganda is getting more obvious by the week…

[Bronzed A Donis]

It's too soon to tell. We've taken a gamble in a league where know how counts for a lot.

None of us know how half this team will get on. Not to dismiss the question, but just as I can't write a player off after 5 games, I can't suddenly think we've signed some improvements. Let's assess after a dozen games.

Fir what its worth I'll plump for after 46 games we will finish lower than last year which is all that matters really.  We had the chances the last 4 January's.

Edited 16 hours ago by Bronzed A Donis
Typos

[Waggy76]

Time will tell, imo relegation is more than a possibility! 

The lack of ambition is more obvious now than at anytime I can remember. I have been watching since 1969. 

Without ambition, the club might as well stop trading! 

 

[BlackburnEnd75]

No we are weaker. How much weaker will only be seen in time.

If Wharton and Carter stay fit then the lack of a 4th cb doesn't matter so much.

If tronstad isnt injured we arent having to test the depth in cm.

If baradji is good and recovers quickly he could improve the team.

We arent likely to finish above last seasons finish. 

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, bigbrandjohn said:

I have been reflecting on this over a perfect Guinness pour in a Young's pub. 

I think we had a sell by date on the team. By making the moves we did, we took a risk but I feel good about the replacements.

It is the manager's team and model and so we shall see how we progress.

I am optimistic. There was a negative drag from some of rhe established players and that has been swept away. 

Culturally I rhink this is less of a cozy environment but maybe we needed a change on the field and off it.

Change is always with us. Players and managers are ambitious. 
 

What are your thoughts?

There was a negative drag from some of rhe established players and that has been swept away. 

A much more negative drag has been  in existence from the Venkys for 15 years. 

The established players, you talk about got new clubs at the same level or higher in Dolans case.. 

Let us see, where these new signings end up? 

[Herbie6590]

We finished 7th last season. I cannot conceive that this squad will finish as high as that. 

Hope to be proved wrong. 

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Far too early to be judging whether we are weaker or stronger. Let’s wait until all the new players are up to speed with the Championship.

If we are top half come Xmas I think we can say that it’s been a decent transition considering the number of new players. Let’s not forget, we had some horrendous results and performances last season despite finishing 7th. 

[Upside Down]

16 minutes ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

Far too early to be judging whether we are weaker or stronger. Let’s wait until all the new players are up to speed with the Championship.

If we are top half come Xmas I think we can say that it’s been a decent transition considering the number of new players. Let’s not forget, we had some horrendous results and performances last season despite finishing 7th. 

We shouldn't have to wait for players to be up to speed. 

If you replace somebody then their replacement should be at the very minimum equal if not better.

Last year we finished 7th. Anything lower than that can only be judged as a total failure. 

Since the club has absolutely no ambition to get promoted then it's all completely irrelevant. 

If the club isn't trying to get promoted then it has no reason to exist.

[47er]

2 hours ago, bigbrandjohn said:

I have been reflecting on this over a perfect Guinness pour in a Young's pub. 

I think we had a sell by date on the team. By making the moves we did, we took a risk but I feel good about the replacements.

It is the manager's team and model and so we shall see how we progress.

I am optimistic. There was a negative drag from some of rhe established players and that has been swept away. 

Culturally I rhink this is less of a cozy environment but maybe we needed a change on the field and off it.

Change is always with us. Players and managers are ambitious. 
 

What are your thoughts?

I never identified any "negative drag" from established players now gone. Travis bled blue and white, clear he loved the club,Brittain was our player of the season, Dolan was as enthusiastic in his last game as he was in his first and is now proving his critics wrong in Spain. And so on.

The Club has sold a narrative of the need to chuck out the old and refresh to cover the fact that Venkys are no longer funding us to a degree where we can compete.

We had good players well established in this League and that's what we should have built on.

Edited 15 hours ago by 47er

[roversfan99]

I would certainly say weaker. It wasnt the plan to lose so many key players and its easy to underestimate how good they were at this level.

Signs on the new recruits are mixed as you would expect.

[KentExile]

There are definitely some promising arrivals, but the loss of so manuch Championship experience is worrying over the course of a season

I said during the summer, and see no reason to change my mind, that if we are not involved in a relegation battle by the end of the season, then the scouting (incoming transfers) team have pulled off a minor miracle.

At the same time, the team/people dealing with contract renewals have been shocking (I am aware that there is some overlap between who is involved in scouting/buying/contracts)

 

Edited 7 hours ago by KentExile

[Beanie01289]

it really depends i think we look weaker this year so far although there is a chance with morishta yuki and gudjohnsen there maybe more goals in the squad.  Baradji could be a good un but need to get him fit whilst at the back the availability of carter and wharton is crucial. Toth in nets is a big step up.

Whilst it looks like im being positive above there's far to many ifs or maybes and cb is going to be a big problem as the games come thick and fast imo.

[Lancaster Rover]

I'd say on viewings so far we are weaker. The only player we've signed that I believe would get in last years starting 11 would be Gudjohnssen, and that is based purely on his Iceland games and the fact that we're so light at centre froward.

From a lively cameo (in a dreadful game)  and a start you'd maybe say Morisihito would interchange with Dolan. Other than that I don't think of the new players get in ahead of what we had last season.

Alebiosu looks like he will be a solid and athletic right back, but he doesn't possess Britain's technical quality.

Tavares, less said about him the better IMO, I've seen milk turn quicker. I'm 40 and would still be able to play sideways and backward 3 yard passes and jog alongside my opposing CM.

De Neve, doesnt seem to be anywhere near the team.

Baradji, there is a lot of hype about him being the man to galvanise midfield. When will he be ready, November? 

Miller, not a starter by the looks of it, as said before looks a walking red card to me.

McLoughlin, solid enough but turned like an oil tanker for the sending off against Norwich. 

TGH - Stinks of being an extra body to cover the cracks of letting Travis go, can cover a few positions which could be a blessing. Although you know what they say about a jack of all trades.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

I've thought for years that the squad lacked the moral fibre to finish in the play offs. We've spent a lot of time properly in contention over the last few years and then bottled it at the key times, so on the face of it a squad refresh ^ clearing out the characters who haven't quite got us there isn't a bad shout.

Problem is this in Venky Rovers 2025. The clear out is nowt to do with having the best interests of the club, its cost cutting and/or lining the pockets of the filthy agents still involved behind the scenes.

If its work for the next few months then I'll enjoy the ride but with the full expectation that it'll fall apart after January when nothing is invested and the squad is knackered. 

[philipl]

Saturday's bench looked stronger than most benches named last season.

I have always been impressed by what little I have seen of Garner Hickman whom I think too many are writing off.

[MarkBRFC]

Post this after a win, and we're stronger.

Post it after a home defeat to Ipswich, and we're weaker. 

A lot are very reactionary from one game to the other.

For me, we're weaker than we were last season at the minute.

If we finish 7th or higher come the end of the season, I'll be happy to change my mind.

[MarkBRFC]

57 minutes ago, philipl said:

I have always been impressed by what little I have seen of Garner Hickman whom I think too many are writing off.

It won't happen because they want Taveres to develop and be the main man in the midfield for the next couple of years, but for me I would be starting him over Sid at the minute.

[Atko's Engine]

Too early to tell imo. There are certainly promising signs from some of the new recruits, but the loss of championship experience is colossal.

FWIW, given the parlous state of the club at board level upwards I think there's a good chance that the recruitment team have turned up some good finds. It can't be easy sourcing good quality players with the right attitudes when we're offering wages at the bottom end of championship level. Looking at the Watford game & training BTS footage it does suggest that there's a good camaraderie amongst the playing staff despite the churn of players & loss of some familiar faces.

I have no doubt that this summer was all about cost cutting, & that the Vs & Pasha don't really care about our on-pitch fortunes. I am getting the sense though that VI, Adam Owen, Rudy & others of a footballing persuasion at the club have actually tried to make the best of that & unearth some gems to take us forwards & / or profit from, whilst still keeping us competitive in the division.

It's not what I want for us, as promotion is more likely a distant dream than a realistic ambition in this environment. But I'm a bit more positive about this season now than I was two weeks ago when the transfer window closed.

Time will tell.

 

[roverblue]

I am sure the squad is overall weaker.

However some of the signings on early performances look good enough to perform as well as those that have left like Abeyiosu, Morishita, McGloughlin.

The problem is a few injuries to them or the OG's and we are replacing with those that I think aren't up to the standard for the championship. Its at this point we suffer and risk our championship status.

[Torgeir]

I think Tavares will improve once he gets used to the physical demands of this league and his new coach Ismael. He certainly has potential, but been very sloppy last couple of games and thankfully Tronstad has been cleaning up after him with his excellent awareness.

A bit early to judge the team but there are signs that we have more players offensively that can spot a pass and are willing to run into the box and chase goals, something we have been lacking with Szmodics gone and Cantwell a bit AWOL at times last season.

Gudjohnsen seems like a very intelligent player with his movement and touches, but his goalscoring record isn't the best, but hopefully there will be some bees buzzing around his lay-offs that can slot the ball home. Quite certain he's an improvement on Gueye.

 

Impressed with Toth too, good to have a goalkeeper that we can trust. 

[aletheia]

Well, given that the "negative drag from some of the established players," the "cozy environment on and off the field" and the "snake" of a manager have been jettisoned, I fully expect us to go well beyond  7th, what with all these exciting new influx of lads. 

Edited 3 hours ago by aletheia