G Somerset Rover

Dack's really not been at it this pre season has he. Let's hope he pulls his finger out when it really matters.

Genuinely think Bennett has locked down that RB position this season. Not a chance he’d drop him and with an addition of another wide man (ahem, Gallagher), where else would he get in? Going to be one frustrating season for Nyambe.

Yes, it’s okay if you completely don’t look at the back 4!!! How can you be happy with that?! Bennett and Downing full backs with Mulgrew captaining us. Jesus Christ. As Miller says, that’s a relegation back 4 right there.

#Rovers: Walton, Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew (c), Downing, Travis, Johnson, Armstrong, Dack, Gallagher, Graham. Substitutes: Leutwiler, Grayson, Magloire, Rankin-Costello, Nyambe, Bell, Smallwood, Rothwell, Evans, Buckley, Brereton. Downing LB, while I lost count of the times I said Gallagher would play wide if he came - I was right. While that defence...that defence is chuffing awful, pitiful.

Precisely. We are seemingly light years away from bringing in anyone from outside of the British isles. One tentative attempt at that Dutch lad is all we’ve seen from our revamped scouting team that was apparently ‘running on full steam’.

Williams and Mulgrew? Get rid of those and we’ve got one centre half on the books due to TM’s stubbornness to bring in a CB! No way is TM letting them go.

Mulgrew ain't good enough anymore BDS.

"Still waiting" according to Sharpe. The way TM is talking about our defence he probably feels we don't even need him anymore!

Yep, I’m the same. I need to wind my emotions in given there is still time, but everything’s pointing to one defensive loanee coming in - at best. IF this happens and we continue to ship goals at the rate of knots then he rightly needs crucifying. Clocks ticking - let’s hope his Cov experience ensures it doesn’t happen.

If he doesn’t insist, he needs replacing.

Yep. We’re one decent centre half off having a good shout for the top 6 IMO. Shit or bust on that front for me - it’s that important.

As I posted earlier. Another niggle apparently. His career with us really is: Injury, 2-3 decent games, distinctly average form for 7-8 games, injury.

Exactly. Don’t see what a year with bruisers will do personally. He already has PL vultures circling. He needs to be part of the squad with us this season.

In slightly better news, Evans has a ‘slight niggle’ (shock) so at least Travis should start the season: https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17793892.rovers-left-back-options-stretched-another-injury/

Any news on this city lad?

Jedinak is another CM? Rarely plays at the back. Hasn’t Richards retired now too.

Out and out CB - would have been much more preferable to this City kid for me.

Was hoping Buckley would in and around the 18 this season.

But we’ve been playing 4 at the back all pre season?

If we're after a winger on loan then I'd hope we go for Murphy at Newcastle this time unless he's now part of Bruce's plans.

Re: Tosin's arrival: Rich Sharpe@richsharpe89 after how long this has drawn out I'm giving up on timescales for signings. No guarantees it'll be today. Even Sharpe is fed-up! Guessing the fax machine in Pune has been turned off a fair bit of late.

Yep - at best. The new lad is now number 1 and it’s his shirt to lose. Big gamble and a very short term move unless we’ve somehow locked in a potential perm deal, but I doubt that very much or they’d already have communicated it.

Got to be a better bet than Benno there that’s for sure!

We simply have to bring in a decent centre half - outside of this Citeh lad (if he ever is to arrive) - or you're right. As an aside, that is a terrible quote by Mowbray. By all accounts the new lad is poor at commanding his area for a bloody start! I bet this is his answer to the defensive calamity that we were last season. 2016: "Wish we'd brought in a big lad at the back at Cov"....2019: "I know, I'll bring in a big GK to sort it at Rovers!"

Hart would have been a big upgrade on this lad. Again, putting aside the Burnley link, it's naive to think otherwise.