Will be sad if he goes.

But maybe he makes Pears his first signing for his new team, and Kaminski stays. What a silver lining that would be 

I've found Pears extending his contract really deflating. 

I think Kaminski is so much better, and I was counting down the games when he was injured, hoping Pears didn't do too much damage before returning to the bench. 

I would say putting Pears before Kaminski puts a question mark against JDT's judgement. 

Missing out on the playoffs on goal difference after countless opportunities to get over the line, Brereton walking for nothing, and Pears here for the foreseeable. Another character building time to be a Rover. 

1 hour ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

 I think old Tone Loco will go for this :-

                 Kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Williams Bell

       Travis Holtby Johnson

      JRC  Armstrong  Brereton

 

         B'mouth 3 v 1 Rovers 

No Bennett?! - Hope you're right but is it realistic that Tony won't find a place for him?!

Unless he's injured 

Shame not to give Davenport 5 minutes rather than Bennett.

Looks like we are suffering because Mowbray gives contract extensions as rewards for what players have done in the past, rather than because they will be of further use.

Smallwood, Bennett, Williams and Mulgrew were great getting us out of league 1. But they are holding us back now by clogging up the squad and wage bill.

Mowbray may call it loyalty, but it is a ridiculous way to run a modern football club. I had a guy who fitted a kitchen for me last year, he did a good job but when he was finished I paid him what I owed him and he went away. Mowbray would have paid for him to stay in the house for 6 months in case one of the taps leaked. 

Would have Nyambe in for Bennett, Rothwell in for Gallagher and Chapman instead of Downing.

I thought if he ever stopped playing Smallwood I would be happy. Seems Mowbray will always play a couple or more of his favourites instead of the best team.

As others have said, thank God Smallwood got suspended last year and Mowbray had to pick Travis. 

I think with Downing Mowbray is a bit giddy to have a player with his CV - England caps, Liverpool etc.

With Bennett he has said he likes a few senior players to manage the dressing room. So we get lumbered with a rubbish right back because Mowbray doesn't want to do a key aspect of his job.

Gallagher is in because mowbray needs one of his expensive strikers to work out.

Feel for Rothwell not starting after how he finished last season. And for Brereton after his goals in pre-season.

Rant over, COYB

Just now, Crimpshrine said:

Feels to me like the budget is much lower this year compared to last summer.

I think a deal for Gallagher would eat up virtually all the cash.

So the choices are 

1) Gallagher + cheap goalie + loan defender(s)

2) Decent goalie + money spent on defender(s) ( No Gallagher )

3) Sell someone (Travis ?) allowing us to afford Gallagher + decent goalie and maybe a defender.

Loan market not really active yet so it may all happen approaching deadline day. 

Just me thinking aloud. I'd go for option 2.

The difficulty in predicting the budget is that I think Mowbray would be just as uncomfortable if the Venkys told him he has to spend 20 million, as if they told him there is only 3 million in total. 

Or he could just be putting out the message / impression that we have no money to bring prices down.

Can't remember but didn't the Brereton 8 million come out of nowhere?! - was anyone aware we had that much to spend?

Normal Championship clubs probably have a predictable budget, but we aren't normal. 

Don't mind selling Raya - as others have said - great shot stopper within his reach, but he is quite short for a keeper, and the faults he had as a keeper - like coming for crosses etc are partly due to him not being the biggest so not much hope of improving on them.

Not sure about Gallagher - but a lot of the doubts up front seem to be around whether our £8 million pound man can step up any time soon. If we didn't have Brereton then Gallagher coming in as Graham is phased out makes sense - but I can't see Gallagher and Brereton as a two, and how long are you going to leave out such an expensive striker?! 

Just now, Stuart said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/june/rovers-seal-downing-deal/

?

Really poor signing this.

I know it is only one signing, but Downing was average at 24, and at 34 I see this as us just being one last pay day before retirement.

Might seem like an over-reaction, but after Etuhu, Murphy and Whittingham it is sad to see another.  

He might not be on the wage he was at Boro, but he won't be cheap, and any salary on him is too much in my opinion. I would rather any of Chapman, Armstrong, or Rothwell get a bit more game time than give any to Downing as he is only going to decline further. 

Also concerned because I fear Mowbray will give him quite a few chances, even if it is immediately apparent he isn't up to it. 

On the plus side at least the Venkys have got a former england international midfielder after we narrowly missed out on Beckham in the early days of their ownership. 

I would be more excited giving two of our youth players a chance in the squad than signing Whelan and Downing.

They will want decent wages for the last contracts of their careers, and I can't imagine they will give anything like the effort Craig Conway would have done this coming season.

Really disappointing. 

If we have to sign an old midfielder from the north east I would rather have Peter Beardsley than Stewart Downing. At least Beardsley was a top player in his day. 

Hoping Downing rumour goes away. But unfortunately I can imagine it happening. 

He will have been one Tony has had his eye on for a while. 

On 19/04/2019 at 19:58, DE. said:

Cool. Out of curiosity has he told the public about Mulgrew dropping below last season's standards? Or Smallwood? 

Don't think Smallwood has dropped below the standard he set last year.

He was a decent'ish League 1 standard, workmanlike midfielder. And that's what he has been this year and will be next.

Hope we move him on in the summer

Delighted to have Chapman back!

Since he went back to Boro I have been checking their line-ups in matches in the hope they wouldn’t play him and realise his potential. Glad I can stop doing that now!

Not sure if we have a chance of signing Reed, but would definitely prefer the permanent signing of Chapman than Palmer.

If (appreciate its a big if) we can get Chapman fit and keep him fit then he is a really exciting player. Very rare to find a young English player in our price bracket with his pace, ability to go past players and score. And Dack seems to like him which would make him another anchor tying our best player to the club.

Palmer has some decent tricks and can hold on to the ball. But I don't see him really hurting opposition teams too often when he has the ball. 

I would be excited if we sign Chapman in January!

Free kicks against us are as good as penalties at the moment. Raya needs coaching on where to stand.

Nyambe with the cheap free kick last time, now Reeds turn. 

Sat so deep we invited them on. 

Very frustrating.

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

From.Nicko

Blackburn. Mowbray going to India for budget talks. Some close to Venkys say there might not be much cash around. #bitinpaper

I am reassured by the fact that he rattled off comments about loads of clubs. So he was going to say something about rovers even if he has no info.

But given what we have been through I think that, if it is just fiction, then it is out of line coming out with something like that. 

Mowbray sounds like he will want to see some commitment. I'm as nervous as during the promotiin run in. 

Duff and Dunn. The last 2 rovers players who forced the opposition to take the ball off them, or they would create something or score.

Would have loved such a player against Reading.

Maybe I am being a bit harsh on Conway there, but Duff's running with the ball was different class.

You lot are lucky to have chants - I am in the Jack walker stand - we don't have chants.

This following closely after the shebby rumour is not fair to rovers fans. We are an easy target because of the travesty of the past 3 years.

Venky's could limit the affect of rumours if they put a decent board in place with a respected spokesman. It has come to something when the signing i would be most delighted about is someone like john williams!

There were rumours shebby was returning, now this clown. In between that our financial plight was made clear.

Why can't supporting rovers just be worry-free fun for a bit?!

I have been a member on the Rovers Messageboard for a while, but there seems to be a lot more activity and information here.

I bought my season ticket yesterday (despite living 200+ miles from the ground) which I am told is a bit crazy but I want to get behind the team