2 minutes ago, HowieFive0 said:

Sam Hart signs a one year extension at Rovers 

Must admit that caught me off guard quite a bit. 

41 minutes ago, Madon said:

Worst - Edinho Junior vs Leicester City in the Premier League. Wow... 

Was thinking this myself. No idea why Kean picked him, he looked like a kid that had won a competition, just looked lost and the few times he got the ball it just bounced off him.

Genuinely think that was an Ali Dia situation, within a year he was playing at Whitehawk!!!

3 minutes ago, Stuart said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/january/grimsby-move-for-grayson/

What the actual f...?

We have no reserve defenders and the one we do have is allowed out!

Mowbray had better have some plan up his sleeve!

Magloire, Platt or recalling Wharton?

21 minutes ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

BBC are saying that Ashley Cole is talking to Frank Lampard's Derby County. No surprise really.

Would that make Marcus Olsson available? Would anybody take him back considering the issues we have at left back? Am I being unoriginal by suggesting a former player?

20 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

What's the betting we're back to Smallwood/Evans in midfield on Saturday?

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/january/positive-signs-on-the-injury-front/

I he drops Travis i'll cry

2 hours ago, only2garners said:

It doesn't matter how many times you beat a player if you give the ball away afterwards. What matters is the end product.

I don't know if he's got no end product because he barely gets a chance. Armstrong playing on the wing frequently fails with his final ball but still gets chances.

1 hour ago, benhben said:

Disagree with this. Williams must be the worst player I've seen in a Rovers shirt since Lowe. I also said this all last season. Bell isnt good by any stretch but much better than Williams. Id look to replace both in summer. 

 

Important we win this to get over the newcastle game dissapointment. Hoping Reed is fit. Given Armstrong has found some form and scored a few goals lately I would keep him upfront even if it means moving Dack around a bit. Give Dack a free role off the left. We shouldnt be worrying about Ipswich at home and play how we want. 

                      Raya

Nyambe   Lenihan Rodwell Bell

               Travis Reed

Rothwell                         Dack

       Graham Armstrong

Don't agree with Dack wide left, but agree about Bell. He's not good enough but he's a lot better than Williams.

43 minutes ago, skous18 said:

Love Rothwell but he looked disinterested tonight. Cant blame him thou.

 

we were unlucky here and our season is pretty much over now. We are definitely not going down and surly not making the play offs, are we?

I feel sorry for Rothwell. What does he have to do to get a game. Nuttall on the wing was baffling.

playing a barely able to move Graham for 120 minutes when we have a game Saturday was equally baffling 

Just now, neophox said:

Time for Leutwiler to get his chance on saturday?

Nope. 

4 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Wouldn't be against having Smallwood in somewhere, given he's had the last few weeks off, but I'd be more than happy with that. 

I think Tony will bring him straight back in as he's fresh and he loves him. That would shunt Reed back out to the wing.

I'd love to see Reed and Travis play together in centre mid.

Think Evans and Mulgrew won't be risked. I'd go

                                Raya

Nyambe      Lenihan       Rodwell         Bell

Bennett       Reed            Travis         Armstrong

                             Dack

                            Graham

Subs: Leutwiler, Grayson, Smallwood, Rothwell, Butterworth, Brereton, Nuttall.

4 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Tugay loves liking Rovers pics on Instagram. Legend

He likes nearly everything Rovers post on Instagram. He was supposedly desperate to come back a few years ago as a coach. Or am i mis-remembering that?

What’s always annoyed me about Nuttall is that he never worked hard enough or put himself about enough in his previous chances in the first team. 

So when he got picked to start today that’s what I was looking for, and he really impressed me in that respect. It was a big improvement, he closed people down, won headers, offered himself more often. 

It wasn’t a perfect performance but enough to warrant another chance.

Hes clearly got that strikers instinct in the box, he’s quick (ish), he’s strong, he’s tall, and he’s better at leading the line on his own than the other Danny Graham deputies. I hope he gets some game time as Graham’s 70th minute sub.

Just now, ChrisPriceBaldSpot said:

Downing out Bauer in, Wharton and Grayson to be involved in the squad. I would be more than happy with that. If Downing wants first team football then we shouldn't stand in his way. He did really well last season and was a complete unsung hero I thought. Good luck Paul if you do leave. 

No point keeping Wharton around unless the lad is going to play. He needs to be recalled and sent somewhere he will actually start every week. I still think that he could do that at league 1 level, lad needs 1st team experience.

14 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Downing should only be allowed to leave if we bring in another centre back. By letting him go we'd be left with 2 first team centre backs, both of which are converted midfielders.

I was underwhelmed by signing him to say the least but his attitude won me over. Did a sterling job for parts of last season but then dropped off understandably when Lenihan got fit again. He doesn't seem to moan about being back up and always gives his all when he comes on. A good player for us and it'd be a shame to see him go but, providing we have a replacement in mind, it's the right decision. He deserves to be playing every week.

Judging by what Mowbray has said it looks like he wants to go play 1st team football which is fair enough. 

Got to factor in he's out of contract in the summer anyway along with Rodwell. We really need another centre half even if he was to stay, I prefer Williams at cb to lb but doesn't mean he's any good. Rodwell at CB hasn't worked so far and I can't see it working unless we switch to a back 3.

Would anyone fancy Steven Caulker, I see he's without a club?

6 minutes ago, Tom said:

Letting Downing leave for me would be a really poor decision, when called upon he’s been better than Lenihan this season then unceremoniously dropped at the first opportunity!

I think that being a bit selective. He made a massive mistake in the Boro game which got him dropped. Complete air kick under no pressure that put their striker clean through on goal he got very lucky that it didn't cost us a point. He had a very good game vs Sheff Wednesday but he was very poor in his appearance earlier in the season. He's a League 1 defender who did a job for us when we were at that level. If we got an adequate replacement such as Bauer I would be fine with him leaving.

34 minutes ago, Tom Stinny said:

We aren't signing Ben Marshall. Seems these lazy reporters can't look past the previously played for the club mark.

 

Wouldn't fit in with the grafting attitude of the team either. Goes hiding when it gets difficult.

What Nixon lazy reporting? Never

                            Raya

Nyambe   Lenihan   Mulgrew  Bell

 Bennett    Reed       Travis     Rothwell

                          Dack

                       Graham

Subs: Canadian, Williams, Rodwell, Evans, Conway, Armstrong, Brereton. (wouldn't mind seeing Nuttall or Butterworth on the bench)

45 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

To say that we've struggled for a consistent line-up and are weak in two or three positions, our formation has served us very well. 15th is still above the expectations of bookies, and we are comfortably clear of danger. It's those two or three positions that could really do with being addressed in this window if we are to establish ourselves in the top-half.

I don't think we play with inside forwards. I think we play with one defensive winger (Bennett, Conway, Reed) and one attack minded inverted winger (Armstrong/ Palmer/Rothwell). It's still a flat 4 in the middle. We still use a right footer on the right, no reasons why we can't go get a proper winger to replace Palmer.

1 hour ago, savage90 said:

As much as I like the core of our current squad, I can't help but notice our scouting does appear weaker than ever. Where are the new Olssons,  Sambas,  Nelsons, Friedels, Pedersens, Hoiletts and Mokoenas!? I can't remember our last successful signing from abroad (although I haven't thought that hard about it)? Surely Championship equivalents should be easier to find! A lot of the more competitive squads in this league have had an edge from abroad and most haven't paid a lot either. I don't think you necessarily need to spend big in this league (of course it helps), which is why the Bereton signing has been a bit frustrating - to look at the extreme, that could have been 7 players for 1 million each which is potentially enough for a promotion squad in this league. 

Cardiff - Zohore, Gunnarrsson, Manga

Watford - Ighalo, Abdi, Paredes

Huddersfield - Kachunga, Billing, Low, Van La Parra, Schindler, Mooy

Wolves - Bonatini, Boly, Saiss

Some great signings and I'm sure there are a lot more team's players that have been unearthed via this league.

Let's spend a bit on some well scouted talent in the right areas, as much as I love Tony, I think it's time he broadened ones horizons 

I really like Zohore would be a good direct replacement for Graham. Holds the ball up very well

2 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I think Evans is playing well though and Reed has shown he can play on the right of the front 3 

Evans is okay. I think Reed is better. On current form so is Travis but he needs to prove it over an extended run of games.

For my Reed does well out wide because he's one of those players who can play anywhere, his work rate and stamina is incredible and he's tidy technically. But he's not really a wide players he doesn't offer anything attacking wise you'd want from a winger.

I'd also argue we don't play a 4-2-3-1. we play a more 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 with Dack as a second striker

23 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

 

--------------------Raya

Nyambe---Lenihan---Mulgrew----Bell

----------------Travis-------Evans

-----Reed--------Dack-----Armstrong

--------------------Graham

Would be my strongest team. Hard to leave Bennett out though. Was tight between him and Armstrong. 

Reed isn't a winger. Would need to see Travis and Reed as a partnership before declaring it the best but they are the best two players at least on current form.

9 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

Graham will be 34 by the start of next season he is not going to be getting any fitter. Brereton doesn't look up to the job of replacing him and we need someone who can. I would not be against signing Gallagher for a reasonable price. He did decently last time here in a poor side, decent in the air, a very hard worker and not a bad finisher. I still think that long term Mowbray would like to play 3-4-1-2, although for me a substantial overhaul of the defence is needed if that is going to happen. 

Gallagher would suit a 3-4-1-2. They’d be a greater emphasis on pressing and unlike Brereton when he was here he worked very hard and harried everything despite the rest not following suit. 

Anyone notice that Preston moved very quickly to bring in two players. We seem to be behind the curve a little bit. Seem a little bit reactive must mean we are looking at players from Leagues above us rather than from below us like North End

18 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Why? 

Why Lenihan right back?

Why Bennett left mid?

Why Nuttall? 

Why Downing and Rodwell?

Why is Mulgrew not even on the bench? 

Why 

Just....why? 

Lenihan Right back because Bennett isn't very good at RB. Also Nyambe is injured. Lenihan played there a couple of times last season and did okay.

Bennett or Rothwell the wide men, doens't matter which way round.

Graham and Mulgrew shouldn't be risked at all. We've had 4 games in 10 days (I think). 4 games in 10 days is a lot give them a rest not worth the risk.

Downing and Rodwell - I dont particularly rate either. If the Rodwell experiment is going to work then he needs to play games as a cb. Don't want Williams anywhere near the starting 11 at the moment so by process of elimination thats Downing left.

Up top, I've said i'd rest Graham. Brereton meh, Armstrong is an option up front but a bit lightweight. Nuttall is in form and deserves like Travis another chance. He's out of contract in the summer. Why not see if he's up to it. Save us having to go buy someone else.

Also its the cup, if you're not going to try something a bit different then whats the point