@Sparks Rover & @chaddyrovers Any chance you could leave each other alone for a bit and let other people have a turn posting?

If we do end up loaning in another young keeper then it makes the decision to sell Raya a very odd one and I say that as someone who thought selling Raya was a good decision. When Raya was sold I assumed that we were going to be signing an experienced keeper on a permanent deal, Infact David Marshall on a free was the name I suggested. It makes no sense to get rid of a young keeper who made mistakes but who had years ahead of him to improve and replace him with other clubs young keepers of a similar standard. Instead of developing our own keeper for our club we are developing other clubs for them.

Can we please stop arguing over who is the most/real ITK? Got to be honest, it's a little sad.

Said it before two untested and inexperienced loan keepers is a recipe for disaster. We’ve had 12 months to plan for this and our much vaunted European scouting next work, comes up with two inexperienced kids. It’s almost like we’ve learnt nothing in 12 months it’s inexcusably bad if either sign as first choice

So to clarify chaddy, Paul Mani told you these 2 names last week, and ever since that is why you have been bigging them both up, because you had heard we were interested and wanted to make sure that you appeared to endorse them before if and when they actually happened

If you were a Prem manager would you let your promising keeper out on loan for a year to be mentored and developed by Biz Ben Benson?

Everyone, including Mowbray, knows that permanent deals are better than loans, especially in key positions where the players are likely to be needed to play for 90 minutes across 46 games. Mowbray has publicly admitted several times he would rather not loan these people. He also keeps droning on about building something. It is almost funny therefore to see the Telegraph listing the longest serving Championship managers, of which Mowbray is one, having been in the job now for 3.5 years, a long time by modern day standards, yet he is still going on about building something just like he was 2 years ago. Then to be sat here with the new season a month away with no goalkeeper and one CB. No other club has such a farcical situation. Mowbray has had time, money and complete control of transfer policy yet has delivered a dangerous situation whereby we are still completely ill equipped to even put a remotely competent defence out. I know what is coming next. Names will do the rounds and they will tease us by making us think some decent options are being lined up and then nothing will happen until a couple of last minute loans. Derrick Williams will be 'like a new signing' and Mowbray will use the pre season schedule to 'have a look' at some of the younger lads before deciding not to bother. He shouldn't need friendlies to have a look at them as he has already done this in the past and could watch their loan games last season. Ultimately either he is responsible for a botched recruitment policy or the owners won't allow signings in those important positions.

That Muric's shite, it keeps me up all night. Classic Oasis.

Not sure Brighton is the right place to be doing that

To paraphrase Roy Keane: "Good shot-stopper? Isn't that what they're supposed to do?"

My manager used to scream at me to 'get up his arse'. I took him at his word and duly obliged. I wasn't picked again.

Can we set up a transfer links thread again? It was good for the days you wanted to see links without having to sift through the usual spiel Im trying to figure out whether we have been genuinely been linked with Muric, Phillips or whatever or it is just another rumour

Get a room FFS! ?

Afternoon everyone. Just had to tidy up a few petty squabbles in this thread. Can we tone it down and be a bit more civil please? If anyone wants to know how to ignore any posters that clearly get their back up, slide into my DMs and I’ll talk you through the process. Failing that, it’s a cracking day and whilst I never want to dissuade people from posting on here, get out in the sun, have a walk, visit a beer garden, or pick your mate up from the airport later like I have to....

What happened the last time we heard that about a Charlton player we were after ? Either sign Philips and stump up the cash if they really want him otherwise move on. It's the dithering that ends up costing more in the long run.

old news

old news

For the European Recruitment Network to work you need a manager who’s open to that ... No point having that when everything has to be run past him .... It just doesn’t work ... On one side you have a whole department with lots of information and players piling up and then it has to be bottled necked for our man in charge .. theirs only so many videos a man can watch in a day .. A Man needs to be put in charge in hiring players ...We are miles behind other clubs

Another Cloughieism. If I have a disagreement with someone, we sit down and discuss it, then decide I was right.

Making your tea wrong if it's lukewarm

You had all of them? You big stud you

In our pomp, we released plenty of youngsters who trickled down to the lower and non-leagues. Just because they're on a Premier League club's books means squat.

"If that had gone in, it would have been a goal." - David Coleman "I couldn't settle in Italy - it was like living in a foreign country." Ian Rush on his spell at Juventus (later claimed that Dalglish made it up!!)

Just catching up. In the absense of a transfer links thread, has anyone actually reported us being interested in Muric and Iverson? Or is it just fan gossip which the tubby tabloid peddler has picked up on?

I would offer Marshall a longer deal with a view for him to become the keeper coach.

There's one from Shearer that irritates me: 'Not just a great goalscorer, but a scorer of great goals'. ...and? Some of the dreariest, off-the-keeper's-backside goals have given me as much joy as a Tugay special.

So if Mulgrew is on 12 grand per week here ( it's probably more ) then they can only pay 1.5pwk. The rest is allowed to be covered in a loan fee. A) Already clubs finding loopholes B ) How do Pompey come up with over half a million quid in one go for a 34 year old ? And surely if that's in installments it's just like paying him directly anyway ? Chip paper !

The two " big strapping lads " we have up front at the moment make Kalinic look like Alan Shearer ! What was that defender called we got from Rangers back in the day ? Dawson ? He was pretty average. I thought he came from Rangers ? One worse than that from Rangers was Stuart Munro, we spunked the town hall clock on him and he played ONE game for us. I think his signing was the final nail in Don Mackay's coffin. My claim to fame - I saw Stuart Munro play for Rovers !

To get the player, rather than risk someone else coming in with peanuts and pocket lint.

Lets assume that there is genuine interest in Phillips, Iversen and Muric. Why is the first target one that will cost a fee and the other 2 are kids on loan? Last year we had a permanent keeper. We couldnt get in a permanent replacement because wed blown our money elsewhere and the Walton loan seemed very much a late in the window last resort. So IF that happened again and we ended up with a kid on loan, I think people would be very entitled to be annoyed.

Then, people will have to do the unthinkable- put their big boy pants on and just keep scrolling....

Chaddy he plays for Kosovo not Brazil. He has 10 caps for his country, Louis Annesley has 9 for his country but I don't see you advocating playing him at centre back.

I agree. We are just plugging gaps by signing loan players as first team regulars. Mowbray once again is talking about building but it simply cannot be done with loans.

Where do you think Nicko heard it from? ?

This would be class.

So, Iversen, Muric (Young Prem Loans) eh? Who knew? Only a week or so late Nicko! ?

Mowbray: Take the Lemon Drizzle, Eat the lemon drizzle. Have a nice cup of tea.

Jonathan Wilson, one of the more perceptive football journalists, has an interesting article in todays " Sunday Observer ". He's referring to some comments Guardiola has made about City. It has a bearing on our manager's recent love affair with possession of the ball. Apparently Guardiola has blamed failures in both boxes for some previous poor results. Wilson comments - " Perhaps this a necessary failing when your dream is essentially a team of midfielders. If you value players for their passing, movement and tactical intelligence, necessarily you don't value the more defensive and attacking arts - tackling, heading, marking, shooting, finishing quite as highly." Sounds very much like what is happening at Ewood Park also.

Memories of Andy Todd...

Not football, but my all time favourite " the bowlers holding the batsmens willey"

Time to move on from Downing (unless of course he has already signed but it hasn't been announced) it's been nearly three weeks since it was announced he had been offered terms, if he hasn't signed by now then his heart obviously isn't in it. Let's not allow him to take the piss with his contract offer like we did with Rodwell last summer.

This thread was showing "hot" when I switched on to read whilst I was having my tea. Turns out it wasn't even lukewarm... ☹

There is nothing to research chaddy, thats the whole point. His career resume is 4 Championship games, 6 League cup games and one game in the Dutch League game.Plus 10 internationals. And this is my point! Loaning in a kid who has barely played any senior football is a massive and unnecessary gamble. Is being Kosovo number 1 now a badge of honour? Hardly a goalkeeping fountain of quality. Plus he is theres forever, so at least if he does get good they will get to see the benefits.

I'm afraid that he has all the hallmarks of a total chancer. For all the stick he (justifiably) gets on here, information from Nixon is like Reuters compared to most transfer rumour accounts on twitter.

Doesnt make any sense if it is true. I am not rubbishing the idea of loans full stop, a couple can help you on your way. Goalkeeping ones are a massive risk though. It is impossible to feel anything but deflated at what has happened, selling Raya I could live with. Putting the money towards Gallagher and entering a risky chain of loaning kids in goal, I can not understand at all.

Is having inside info, even if it is not even shareable, a massive point to boast about in your life? No, I moan at the potential, ie its not happened, of loaning in kids on a temporary basis, having sold a more talented and permanent goalkeeper to part fund a poor striker we dont even play in his correct position! Hardly something to be happy about is it. Whereas you have gone out of your way to repeatedly mention these names all week, because you knew we would be publically linked. As others pointed out with you waiting and seeing on Downing, you wait to see what Mowbray has done before agreeing with whatever that is.

Would be well up for us signing David Marshall. Experienced, knows the league, been around the block etc. Don’t know enough about these other lads to make a comment tbh.

Tbf mate, you kept it under your hat, thanks. It’s actually one of Iversen and Muric as No.1 and O’hara as no.2. (Don’t shoot the messenger) Hope they get some cash quick and go for Marshall who would be keen too.

Bit of naivety from Pakistan. Young bowlers and an inexperienced captain. Where was the short stuff at Woakes? Especially as they weren’t finding any reverse swing. Wasim was going mad in the comms box. P.s. How nostalgic for the 90s does it make you when you hear Wasim and Athers commentating? Rovers champions of England and Lanky as cup kings!

Agree. That Jansen fella turned out alright!