joey_big_nose

I said earlier the game is perfect for Gueye... Portsmouth dodgy defence, loads of space, high line. He'll get a few more chances.

Always said Gueyes the new Drogba

Cantwell is a technically good player but he just lacks cut through. So little of what he does actually hurts the opposition defence.

We've definitely been by far the better team... Just cant finish.

Id get ACD on for Hedges and Gueye on for Wieman.

Feels like a game for Gueye this

Hayden Carter

Seen a lot worse... Quite a lot of chances already. Brilliant from Cantwell there, abysmal by Hedges!

Portsmouth seem to be playing quite offensively despite looking very poor at the back. We'll keep on getting a lot of chances.

Yes... looks like he is more of a winger signing to me.

What brought you to that point of view?

Asante's goal scoring record is not that brilliant - 1 in 4 at Salford and West Brom, and now dropping to 1 in 25 at Coventry (!!!). Admittedly across those 25 games he's only played about 900 minutes so I guess more like 1 in 10 if we are being generous. WhoScored.com is not that generous with it's assessment....

He signed a new deal after a year at Rovers (https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/february/new-deal-for-dolan/) and that he has resisted signing a new one since suggests he is probably on decent money.

Yeah unfortunately due to our messing around with contracts we have created a community of players who have made a huge amount of money running down their contracts. Dolan will know Lenihan, Diaz, Rothwell who each will have made hundreds of thousands from letting their contracts expire. I am sure he will have a Whatsapp exchanges with them to discuss the best way of getting the best deal.

Ah so the coaching staff don't think he has an attitude problem? But you, me and everyone on this board does?

I I am curious about how both the bits in bold can be true??

I'd say he can tackle and press quite well - that was one of his major assets when he got a good run a couple of seasons ago. He would win the ball high up the pitch nicking it off opposition players. He has lost that for some reason. Hopefully he can bring it back. In terms of shooting and goal scoring his numbers are equivalent to any other centre midfielder we have had (i.e. pretty abysmal - Travis, Rothwell etc good for 2 to 3 goals a year which is where Buckley is at over a full season). And I would say he can cover a decent amount of ground for a midfielder too... He has looked demotivated and off it, but he's got those ingredients imo.

Team for me : Pears Britain Batth Hyam Beck Buckley Tronstad Cantwell ACD Leonard Wieman A small innovation I would make is change from a 4231 and turn it into a 433 with Cantwell on the left side of midfield. Kind of how we used to play with Rothwell on the left of a three under Mowbray. He wants to play deeper anyway and isn't much of a goal threat so let's use him in the midfield to dominate the ball with the other two. He's actually pretty good off the ball so I don't see a defensive or workrate issue in this reconfiguration. Tronstad would hold and Cantwell and Buckley expected to get forward. Also I think that sort of 433 setup will suit Buckley better too, think his best season was when he played in a midfield three with him, Travis and Rothwell I think in 22/23?

Yes... we've never really produced strikers, and those that we have that have had decent careers we have moved them on to do so elsewhere (Beattie, Garner etc). I always really liked Paul Gallagher as a number 10, such a clever player. Looked like he was really going to make it in the prem but then had to drop down.

Baker has got the nod over Buckley, but my feeling is it has was quite a marginal call, and that we have gone for a very low cost option to replace Baker and keep funds for attackers suggests to me that he thinks Buckley and JRC can cover the role. We'll have a better idea about if it was the right call or not in 4 or 5 games, as it stands Buckley hasn't had enough game time to judge. Often us as experts on here come up with definitive opinions hat players are not good enough or finished or that Rovers will get relegated etc and it turns out quite different (in recent times writing off Pears, Hyam, Szmodics, Pickering, Travis, Britain, JRC, Brereton-Diaz, that we are near the playoffs now when most said we would be in a relegation fight etc etc) Obviously everyone will have opinions, me as much as anybody, all I am doing is making the point that as often as not they are wrong... I am hoping we will be looking back in a few months and Buckley will join that esteemed list above.

I'll reserve judgement on Buckley until he gets a run of games. He's only played 134 mins for us in the Championship this season across 8 very short sub appearences.... and last season only played 500 odd minutes. He's got a chance to come in and make a big impression over the next few games till Travis is available, so looking forward to him making a big impact. I think Eustace is interested in getting the most out of him, that is why he was made captain in the league cup games.

Yeah... I personally think Travis has come on so much he might make it in the prem. Carter and Tronstad maybe too at a stretch. But that's about it.

Yeah, I think JE is a very good manager so while on paper this looks very underwhelming its reassuring that Eustace knows him well.

I am not sure I would swap Travis or Tronstad for him. Would swap Cantwell based on what I have seen so far which is a shame as so much was expected from Todd when he signed. Edit - what I mean obviously Shelvey on form was a great player, but so many of these swan songs just don't really work out. Murphy or Etuhu at us for example. Happens all the time across the Championship. Travis and Tronstad have not only proven themselves in this league, they are also getting better and better both having brilliant seasons this year. That is better than taking a player from a higher division who may not be motivated, fit, in the right headspace etc...

A mere 29 players!