On 12/02/2022 at 20:44, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Reading this I had to wonder if I was actually on BRFCS! https://www.wearetherangersboys.com/forum/general/qpr-fans/2572283-barnsley-match-thread

Seems like they’re expecting the worst now and are also upset at their failure to bring in a striker in January. 

Someone on the transfer thread I think it was said that Hendrick was a great signing for them at this level. Whoever it was clearly haven't seen much of him play. As a glutton for punishment with an Ireland season ticket for 5 years, I couldn't tell you what he is good at doing. Deadly serious. He's the most over rated Irish player of the past 10 years. What did Burnley pay for him, £14 million , wasn't it? Crazy.  

Reflecting on the Forest game, I think Brereton was trying too hard , huffing and puffing, and was getting involved in too much verbals with the officials. This is a worry and it comes back to the pressure on his shoulders to deliver the goals. We need some others to step up and contribute and tonight is the night to do it. 

On 11/02/2022 at 14:01, JHRover said:

I'm not sure anyone can say that contract issues have been out of Mowbray's control.

He was able to get approval to give expensive contract extensions to Bennett, Mulgrew, Smallwood, Evans and expensive deals to Downing and Holtby. I am pretty sure that in the summer of 2020 he could have focused his budget on new deals for Lenihan, Nyambe, Rothwell and there would have been more than enough scope in there to get those done. Instead they were overlooked and the money spent on other things.

Jesus it's very difficult for you to grasp this, but lets go again 🙂

Those you mention , yes he approved those deals and we agree some were unnecessary. However, he also approved deals for Lenihan, Rothwell and Nyambe, or are you saying he didn't/hasn't done so? The issue is they want more than the club is offering, which the aforementioned players didn't, likewise for Kaminski and Gallagher. 

On Downing and Holtby , we don't know what they were on and to be honest I had no issue with Downing signing and Holtby was a let down, but these things happen with transfers.

Surprising and good news. Hopefully a few others join him soon 

22 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

I find it hard to judge Mowbray partly because I just don't know what managerial talent is out there as an alternative and the concerns about our record of appointments, from Kean to Ince, is a worry. However, at some stage we will have to make a change, so that uncertainty can't hold us back forever. If need be, we could try to appoint internally, when the time comes.

The other reason I find it hard to judge Mowbray is I haven't kept track of Rovers' transfer spending compared to other clubs in the league, which is a measure (but not the only) for achievement of a manager. Rovers have spent quite a lot just on squad players or up and coming players, it seems to me, which seems a luxury. Edun, Hedges, Davenport and Chapman, come to mind, and I would speculate that they could be close to or, over, £1m in transfer fees. Then there are loans which must cost us in fees, as well as wages, though I have no idea how much. How that all compares to other clubs, I'm not sure.

The forward line option, last year of Elliot, Armstrong and Brereton (pre-Diaz) does weigh heavily against Mowbray, I feel, given that we finished 15th. Skip a season, in today's inflated transfer market, that's probably a £90-100 million strike force - though Elliot is really a midfielder, Armstrong hasn't yet justified the fee and his valuation is, at least for now, in decline and Brereton will need to maintain his form to justify a huge fee. Throw in Rothwell and some other talents from the squad last year, and I think an argument can be made that Mowbray has an eye for attacking players but hasn't  often put together a team.

This half season, or so, has changed that, and Mowbray has found a winning formula. However, it is only half a season and we need a lot more to prove that it isn't just a temporary improvement.

 

About £1.5 million and I don't think that's a lot, at all, for 4 players. They were all worth the risk at what we paid for them...

Then you have Dack, Armstrong, Pickering, Rothwell and Brereton.... You could be looking at the bones of £80 million recouped there going off what their values went up to under Mowbray ,leaving aside injuries and contract issues that are ,by and large, out of Mowbrays control.  

15 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Yeah hopefully BDS, always a worry though.

Reading between the lines of that article, I wonder if he's looking to bring Pickering back in, but also keep Giles in the side, hence the mention of changing formation? I'm not aware of Pickering playing for the U23s, so his match fitness must be questionable.

Pickering and Giles would give some great balance in the side. Giles just looked  a bit caught in the headlights against Forest, whereas Pickering is very calm, mature beyond his years and keeps the ball very well 

12 minutes ago, Darrenbot said:

I've never been a Mowbray lover but i would say he's deserved the chance to see out the season and see what happens,I will say if we don't go up this season we can forget it for the next few years too with at least half the team probably not here next season.I had hoped his desire to tinker too much with a winning team had left him but it seems it's returned in the last month and our results have shown he's at his best when he just leaves things as they were.

This tinkering labelling was fair enough, but it was out of his control in most instances recently. If we don't go up I wouldn't just give up on the next few years, yes some will have left, but some wont and we have good young players coming though. No issue with looking at the manager situation at the end of the season, but calls to sack him now are dumb. 

21 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

It's one thing confusing the opposition pre-match.

It's another thing to bring confusion onto the pitch, which we all know has happened before.

Ya, that's true, but hopefully won't be the case this time. 

I would stick with 3 at the back and bring Nyambe and Pickering in

Has Pickering played with the under 23s? 

1 minute ago, Darrenbot said:

I personally don't give a shit what other fans think of us,but that's just me.

I don't either, but I'm making the point that fans of other clubs would read some of this crap and think they would love to be in our position in the table 

WBA appealed Livermores sending off, but were unsuccessful. So both teams will have stand in captains. 

The funny thing is their fans on social media are absolutely rejoicing in the fact Livermore is banned and therefore can't play

What absolute tripe 🙄😂

He has us in play off contention for the first time in 10 years. It looked like we may never be here again and most tipped us to be closer to the bottom of the table this season. 

This blinkered Mowbray bashing I think is a combination of people being unable to admit they got it wrong this season and kind of a "I know better than a football manager jack" attitude. Fans at other clubs must be laughing when they read some of this s**te

He's right to come out saying this stuff-keep the opposition guessing! 

Not all about money, look at Phil Jones and Conor Mahoney. 

He could be better off waiting til he has cut his teeth here and then move and challenge for a starting spot at a big club, not get lost with all the under age talent they sign. 

9 hours ago, bazza said:

I'm looking forward to discussing "tripe" at the end of the season when we don't finish in the top 6.

Make a note, Gav.

This comes across that you would enjoy the "I told you so" if we don't come top 6- hardly??   

9 hours ago, JHRover said:

I expect he will get one if he wants one simply because it will be the easy and obvious thing to do. I don't think this lot have a managerial search in them.

I think and hope there will be more to it than offering him a new deal based on November-January and doing better than expected.

I'm concerned by Mowbray's revelation in January that he wanted to sell Rothwell to Bournemouth to generate funds to rebuild but the owners refused to allow that and as a result he is going to leave for nothing leaving us with little/no money to spend.

We are already facing a mass exodus of talent in the summer and Mowbray has to take some responsibility for that. If the owners won't back his judgment in January and won't sanction spending and won't allow wages for new contracts then what is the point?

They should have let him sell Rothwell, I totally agree 

7 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Not sure why Gallagher is being seen as a pick by many, he showed up better than  he normally does but when push came to shove he reverted to type and muffed his lines by missing a sitter put on a plate for him by Dolan.

The obvious thing is to go back to the line up which has served us well which Mowbray hasn't done in the last two games.

Then and only then should he try to change it if things aren't going well in game.

Do you think Khadra played well last night? 

20 minutes ago, Butty said:

Magloire would weaken us defensively more than anyone at the club to be fair.

I know 

31 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Some people like yourself are reading things that aren't there, I thought Rothwell's attitude was absolutely spot on last night, he ran his socks off.

Lenihan's head didn't appear to be right but up until the last couple of games people had been complimenting him on how well he'd been playing and what a warrior he was.

Were you one of the ones that was ok with dropping Nyambe pre match as well?

Hard to tell about Rothwells attitude. What we do know is he had a bad game and is yet to contribute anything positive since January. 

Lenihan got too fired up wanting to win and made a stupid decision. It's the opposite of downing tools and not trying. 

We have signed Zeefuik, who comes with decent pedigree and Nyambe often has muscular injuries and needs his work load managed, I wouldn't be too critical without knowing the ins and outs behind the decision. I mean actually knowing, not going off random posts on a forum where there is huge form for things being said that proves to be untrue. I think people like yourself are reading things that aren't there and forming conspiracy theories about the manager and his perceived dislike of Nyambe.  Did Zeefuik have a good game, no, but he wasn't alone in that. 

6 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

I believe it means he's now on 9, the same number as Buckley. If I remember rightly (for some reason) the second yellow card is cancelled as he serves a ban for the red. Could well see him back for the Millwall game and then out again for 2 games though as a result!

Says 8 in the LT 

6 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Without me having to go back and check the rules can anyone tell me what the rules are with yellow card suspensions?

Lenihan I believe was on 8 yellows before last night, with 10 triggering a suspension of 2 games. He should now be on 10 - so does he just get a 2 game ban for 10 yellows and nothing for the red, or does he get an extra game?

He's still on 8 I read 

9 minutes ago, toogs said:

What did he think of Lenihan?

Hot head.

I text him at half time and said Lenihan will get sent off if he doesn't calm down 

49 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I am not convinced that it suits Giles playing so high up, I felt like he came into his own on Saturday when he went back to wing back whipping crosses in.

Like I said, I wouldn't move away from a back 3 yet but a 4231 with Giles down the left, perhaps Hedges as a number 10 and Dolan on the right behind Brereton with Rothwell and Travis deeper could work. 

He needs to play at least 3 games for the under 23s before being signed off by the physio.

I totally get the desperation to get Dack back, he is our best player, but we do need to be careful not to rush him and be without him for ages again.

Giles was poor last night at wing back though. He was far more productive further forwards. How do we benefit from his crosses though , do we have the players. That young lad Vale is banging them in. What harm to have him on the bench. 

I would put Buckley is Rothwells role and drop Rothwell for Dolan or Dack, have them playing where Buckley plays now. 

I would spring a surprise Dack start in the home game against Millwall , be a huge boost 

2 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

Definitely bad defending but also good play by the Forest forward who, I think, came deep and pulled Lenihan out of position. Our defence is a good unit that isn't blessed with great pace and likes to sit deep to absorb attacks. It seems a tactic of opposition teams to drop off and pull defenders out of the backline.

I don't know much at all about defending but I wonder whether the defenders need to track forwards so deep, or whether midfielders should be taking up the work. I suppose a problem in the current formation is that the midfield can be quite light, in numbers, at times.

Good play alright, but no way he should have been let do that. He needed to be taken down. 

I think you're onto something there. Lenihan was sucked out a few times and ya it should be the midfielders taking some of that, Johnson is decent at winning headers and getting Infront of things, but Rothwell isn't, so it just leaves Travis. We are predictable, so ya I think teams are figuring out what to do. Which is worrying.