The January 2026 Transfer Window

[ruggles1995]

12 hours ago, Polky said:

Time to get rid of some deadwood!

Looking at that list you imagine the following will be in the bracket of potentially being sold or loaned out to make room:
Carter - never available
Pratt - would be harsh but hes 22 and i fear they may sacrifice him to go out on loan
Pickering /ribeiro
Hedges - due to injury
Gueye - going to go
Kargbo - doesnt fit in the system

[Dreams of 1995]

9 hours ago, ageoftherover said:

I remain on the fence about the actual recruitment team (as distinct from the brass above them).

Theres been some dross, but some decent finds in there too and its pretty hard to play poker when every hand you get dealt is 2 8 off suit.

Exactly this.

Our recruitment team are forced to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. We consistently let them down on the better, more quality acquisitions & the budget they have is limited to say the least

Although, this season it strikes me that the power is now out of the hands of the football department. Suhail rules this roost and cash is king. Rudy is told what to do. 

[RoversClitheroe]

16 minutes ago, ruggles1995 said:

Looking at that list you imagine the following will be in the bracket of potentially being sold or loaned out to make room:
Carter - never available
Pratt - would be harsh but hes 22 and i fear they may sacrifice him to go out on loan
Pickering /ribeiro
Hedges - due to injury
Gueye - going to go
Kargbo - doesnt fit in the system

De Neve useless

Pears useless

Tavares useless

Forshaw useless

Bet rid of all of them.

[roversfan99]

Pears is fine as second choice.

[rovers11]

Cashin is a good first signing. An experienced defender who went for a lot money just a year ago. By all accounts he's a no nonsense defender and good at the basics. 

If only we went for more of these types of signings in the summer rather than the dross we ended up signing. Or as VI politely put it 'gambles'.

[KentExile]

25 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

Cashin is a good first signing. An experienced defender who went for a lot money just a year ago. By all accounts he's a no nonsense defender and good at the basics. 

If only we went for more of these types of signings in the summer rather than the dross we ended up signing. Or as VI politely put it 'gambles'.

Cant agree with that

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

Our new "experienced Championship centre back" has only recently turned 24, and has struggled at this level previously.  in his 3 partial seasons at this level, one ended in relegation, another he was in or around the relegation spots before being transferred, and this season, he has struggled to impact a Birmingham side who have not pulled up trees. 

All of the noises about game time suggest he is a cheap option, who will play regardless of performance, which given our predicament, feels dangerous.  If this is a data driven signing, I wonder if the data used, was the bank balance of the club?

I hope he proves me wrong

I do agree with your analysis of Atcheson in the next post though, if not your analysis of Pratt

Pratt i think has the makings of a slid Championship defender, Atcheson & Litherland are destined for the Premier League

Edited yesterday at 10:28 by KentExile

[rovers11]

24 minutes ago, ruggles1995 said:

Looking at that list you imagine the following will be in the bracket of potentially being sold or loaned out to make room:
Carter - never available
Pratt - would be harsh but hes 22 and i fear they may sacrifice him to go out on loan
Pickering /ribeiro
Hedges - due to injury
Gueye - going to go
Kargbo - doesnt fit in the system

I think Pratt has done OK but I'm not sure he has the attributes to be a regular in a championship. Atcheson on the other hand does look a player - tall, good with his feet, quick, agile. 

[RoversClitheroe]

3 minutes ago, rovers11 said:

I think Pratt has done OK but I'm not sure he has the attributes to be a regular in a championship. Atcheson on the other hand does look a player - tall, good with his feet, quick, agile. 

Atcheson is class yeah - would genuinely pick him ahead of McLaughlin who quite frankly is a liability.

[TheRevAshton]

Surprised to see a few complaints, could do a hell of a lot worse than Eiran Cashin when in need of a CB.

I have very low expectations from Rudy and Suhail when it comes to signing players... so i'm happy with the signing personally, think he'll do alright for us.

Edited yesterday at 10:11 by TheRevAshton

[rovers11]

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

Is 50 games "a lot"? 

It sounds like just over 1 season to me

 

Good luck to the lad, but it feels like a slightly false narrative is being pushed, likely at the behest of his temporary paymasters. 

Our new "experienced Championship centre back" has only recently turned 24, and has struggled at this level previously.  in his 3 partial seasons at this level, one ended in relegation, another he was in or around the relegation spots before being transferred, and this season, he has struggled to impact a Birmingham side who have not pulled up trees. 

All of the noises about game time suggest he is a cheap option, who will play regardless of performance, which given our predicament, feels dangerous.  If this is a data driven signing, I wonder if the data used, was the bank balance of the club?

I hope he proves me wrong

I don't agree with the logic that he's not a good player because he's played for a struggling team who got relegated/nearly relegated. The fact that he played in a poor Derby team and stood out enough to get a big money move to Brighton - who are the best in the business at recruitment - suggests he is a very good defender. He has struggled at Brum because, from what I understand, they play a high line and that doesn't suit his game. 

[davulsukur]

I think Cashin will be ok for us, our ambitions and expectations are significantly lower than Birmingham's.

The focus needs to quickly shift onto getting some Wing backs and Strikers through the door now though.

[roverblue]

22 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

Surprised to see a few complaints, could do a hell of a lot worse than Eiran Cashin when in need of a CB.

I have very low expectations from Rudy and Suhail when it comes to signing players... so i'm happy with the signing personally, think he'll do alright for us.

I think it's more that we replaced Hyam with hundreds of games of championship experience with nobody for a half season and now this lad who has no real record other than that he moved for big money a year ago. 

Could be a great signing but feels another gamble plus he isn't ours to keep. I think we made £3m on the Hyam sale but guess that money has disappeared like it always does.

[roversfan99]

I think the issue is not so much Cashin as an indiividual. There are both reasons for optimism and pessimism there. But moreso the general balance and overall quality of the back 3.

Its too left sided and I think there is a potential weakness both in the air and in terms of pace in behind. 

It has a bit of a cobbled together feel to it and ultimately I still dont feel like we have come close to replacing Dom Hyam. I am also not sure what our best back 3 will be.

I suspect the most common back 3 will be Cashin, McLaughlin and Miller but thats not a back 3 that convinces me either in terms of balance or quality.

[KentExile]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

I suspect the most common back 3 will be Cashin, McLaughlin and Miller but thats not a back 3 that convinces me either in terms of balance or quality.

Probably due to Whartons fitness, rather than McLoughlin being the superior player, but yes agree

Edited yesterday at 10:40 by KentExile

[roverblue]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

I think the issue is not so much Cashin as an indiividual. There are both reasons for optimism and pessimism there. But moreso the general balance and overall quality of the back 3.

Its too left sided and I think there is a potential weakness both in the air and in terms of pace in behind. 

It has a bit of a cobbled together feel to it and ultimately I still dont feel like we have come close to replacing Dom Hyam. I am also not sure what our best back 3 will be.

I suspect the most common back 3 will be Cashin, McLaughlin and Miller but thats not a back 3 that convinces me either in terms of balance or quality.

'Cobbled together' is the perfect term for the rovers squad.

I have never had less confidence in the strategic direction the clubs recruitment has taken since this past summer. The only thing I believe drives it is cash, nothing at all to do with the playing side of things.

[neophox]

Callum Wilson, experienced striker could leave West Ham. Would be a shrewd singing for anyone in the Championship.

[roversfan99]

10 hours ago, ageoftherover said:

I remain on the fence about the actual recruitment team (as distinct from the brass above them).

Theres been some dross, but some decent finds in there too and its pretty hard to play poker when every hand you get dealt is 2 8 off suit.

The recruitment team obviously arent THE problem, Venkys are and always have been and that causes issues everywhere including recruitment.

But I have seen enough to suggest that the recruitment team overall are not fit for purpose.

The number of duds compared to successess is far too high. Also, the squad is so imbalanced and feels like its been cobbled together with little regard for what a players best position is. The fact that we built a squad for a 4231, dont have a single competent winger and had to change formation mid season says a lot.

Our selection of centre backs are imbalanced as I have touched upon. Theres no pace in the team. They havent bothered to sign a set piece taker. And there are so many inconsistencies. Signing a really attacking right back and then a really defensive one. Signing one target man. Signing a central player to be one of the wingers.

Theres also not nearly enough experience and leadership although that more than most of my other points may be due to restrictions on wages.

[rossyste]

The most worrying thing for me is that Cashin seems to have come here for guaranteed game time regardless of what footballing ability the lad has ! Regardless of our defensive injury woes this season the 6/7 in front of them have been the biggest weakness for me with the likes of Gueye, Kargbo, Tavares, De Neve, Forshaw and Henriksson stealing a living from the club.

As an aside Brighton who seem to facilitate a good chunk of our loan business were taken over by Tony Bloom the year before Venkys got there hands on Rovers. At that time they were still playing at the ramshackle Withdean and were languishing in League 1. With sensible investment, management and care and attention look where they are now, Premier League regulars calling the shots on a cheap loan to a club that had an infrastructure, support, management and playing staff they at the time could only have dreamt of.

Sad times....

 

[davulsukur]

10 minutes ago, neophox said:

Callum Wilson, experienced striker could leave West Ham. Would be a shrewd singing for anyone in the Championship.

He'll be way above what we can afford in wages.

[Tom]

15 minutes ago, neophox said:

Callum Wilson, experienced striker could leave West Ham. Would be a shrewd singing for anyone in the Championship.

He’s already left and is a free agent 

[den]

1 hour ago, rovers11 said:

Cashin is a good first signing. An experienced defender who went for a lot money just a year ago. By all accounts he's a no nonsense defender and good at the basics. 

I always read this as technically limited. 
 

They should all be no nonsense and good at basics.

 

[AspRover]

Wilson is the sort of signing we have a chance with if no other club has even given him a hint of interest by February, and he wants to keep his fitness ahead of a real move in the summer.

[TheKitGuy]

We lack creativity and spark in the middle. We are so lacklustre and slow the majority of the team prefer a backwards or sideways pass, it will only ever get us so far. 

[Herbie6590]

1 hour ago, neophox said:

Callum Wilson, experienced striker could leave West Ham. Would be a shrewd singing for anyone in the Championship.

...who is prepared to cover his wages.

[RoversClitheroe]

41 minutes ago, TheKitGuy said:

We lack creativity and spark in the middle. We are so lacklustre and slow the majority of the team prefer a backwards or sideways pass, it will only ever get us so far. 

But but but Cantwell, the highest paid talisman 

Edited yesterday at 12:07 by RoversClitheroe