Dreams of 1995

There's a lot to be said for that, for sure You look at some of these players and just know they'd be a nightmare to play against. You are 100% right about Beck In the lower levels of football a lot of the 3g pitches have barriers running only a few metres from the touch line. I've seen a few nasty collisions, including broken arms and cheek bones. Some defenders revel in the opportunity to put a man on his backside. Beck is one of them There was a moment yesterday when it looked as though the winger got past Beck and somehow he managed to stay with him, track the run, and basically run the winger off the pitch. As a centre half you love those types of full backs. There's a few who would miss the first tackle and so will just let the winger past, even at this level Coincidentally, as good a footballing side as JDT had us, I'm struggling to think who I wouldn't have liked to come across in that squad. We had a very soft underbelly and have done for years. So it is refreshing to see us winning the battles this season. It used to be that when we did see players give a bit, they got sent off for doing it foolishly - I think of Garrett or of Buckley throwing the ball at that Boro players head. It was all naive and nicey-nicey. Never a recipe for success

Ah I'd take anything people say with a pinch of salt He got into double figures for goals each season with Baggies. For a man with no end product, playing from the left, 10+ goals is a good return You'll struggle to find better for the same cost in this league. If we go cost to value then BTA seems a good option

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this Tyrone. A lot of talk about how Gueye is awful with his feet...I don't see it. He isn't the most technical player in our team but awful is a stretch It's another game that Gueye has changed. We looked blunt in attack before that, When Gueye enters the pitch, the defenders have to think about something differently. Weimann wants to get in front of the defender for crosses, whereas Gueye is happy to have that ball lofted and he'll attack it wherever the centre half is Is it a stretch to say Gueye wins us the three points? Maybe. We were much better than Pompey and would have probably found a goal elsewhere but I'm going to give it to Gueye. Just like against Sheffield Wednesday and the last minute equaliser for Leeds (it was Gueye's assist) - that is 7 pts that Gueye has come on and contributed heavily to in a month. I'm sure there will be more going back that I have forgot Overall thought it was a scrappy game to be honest. They are as poor a side we have played this season. 3 pts in the bag and a 3-0 home win is exactly what this fixture deserved. Owen Beck and Callum Brittain are fantastic on either side. I think Beck is my favourite player though. What a signing he has proved to be

FWIW the chap who works in our corner shop is an avid Baggies fan. Sometimes you just want a pint of milk but it's never that easy with him..... He mentioned we were interested in BTA and the comment was "so frustrating, he will run his socks off, beat 2 players and then the end result is crap" So I told him he will fit in perfectly here Unfortunately, this is the pool of players we are in. Players with consistent end product end up in the top leagues of Europe. At this level, you can occasionally pick up a gem but they never last and you will see that across the Championship teams are filled with players exactly the same. BTA is a good player though. He gets a few goals from out wide and whilst it may not have worked out at Cov for him, it could be very different here

Pompey are a bad side lol

100% Coincidentally the all white memo didn’t include the bold adidas logo

Yep. I agree he is a bellend. Heard from a number of people who have worked with him that he’s a bit like marmite. Posh boy irritates some people But as a footballer, he’s good. He is better than what we have. Given a run of games as the main man then I reckon he will show his quality

Yeah. They are still appearances though. We shouldn’t belittle that cup - a lot of the 2nd team in Prem footy would walk into good Championship clubs Lowe and Evans aren’t in the category of Morton

Ahhhhh come on Tyler Morton is not a rubbish player. He was a young lad when he was at us but he was clearly gifted. He played 3 times for Liverpool - against West Ham, Southampton and Brighton. They won all 3 games. The season before that he played practically every minute for a very good Hull City side. The year before that, he played a lot of football for what was a good Rovers side We need to have a bit of reflection here. There's no point just throwing the term "rubbish" around. At the end of the day, he is going to struggle to break into a Liverpool side that is where it is. There's no point judging his game time there. But in the 2 seasons he has played Championship football - as a teenager - he has been an ever present midfielder for a top 10 side For me, that is a sign of a good player The fact he seems to be free from injury is another positive too. 40+ games in the Championship, in midfield, is a sign of very, very good fitness levels In any case, it may just be a rumour. But I'd be delighted with swapping out Baker for Morton. Not saying I didn't like Baker - I did - but Morton is a better option imo.

I have to admit, it wasn't until that diagram came about (thanks to the poster who did that - looks clean actually) that I realised the 'balance' of the squad, ie two first teamers to every position It shows just how perilous teams sit if a few injuries hit. And the importance of a good youth system to maximise total amount of available players The rumours of offloading McFadzean make sense if we are linked with better defenders on loan. It says to me that Rovers can't afford a 4th choice "out and out" centre back this year and instead need a defender who can play wide if required, like Carter With Garrett coming back I would imagine that we'd only move for Morton if we can't get in a striker / wide player, like we desperately need

Morton was and is a good player You are right - vastly experienced people are giving him game time, whilst he also seems to be present in top-half finishing Championship teams He will give us more than Buckley. And if he is matured since he was here then I am expecting him to be a good loan, should it materialise

Siggy is a real strange character isn't he Looks like he has bags of ability on the ball, but a player that has spent his time on 3G pitches playing no contact. Soon as he gets one put on him, it is all over When he first came he bagged a few goals too. I thought it was a real shrewd signing. Just goes to show how football works

Schlupp has had near enough 300 apps in the Premier League and has won a promotion from the Championship He is an international footballer Oh and he won the Premier League “Utility man”…whatever. He’s obviously a good player and better than we have so if the opportunity is there to bring him, do it

It wouldn't be too difficult to raise £25m in capital if they secured it against the Club itself

You underestimate how slow I was at 21… But in all seriousness, I don’t think professional athletes lose their pace at 32. Schlupp has been about sports scientists all of his pro career. He will have had nutritionists and full recovery / physio after any match, workout etc. We shouldn’t worry about his pace He does have a higher injury risk, sure. I also think the first two yards are in the head. As I have got older, where I position myself on the pitch has got better. There’s a lot to be said for that experience and Schlupp has plenty of it. He has a promotion from this league and then plenty of PL experience. Get him in the building

What is the beef with Schlupp? Do people think you lose pace at 32? This isn’t the 90s. Footballers look after themselves. I am 31 and I reckon I’m as quick as when I was 21 - I drink pints every weekend and love a chinese Schlupp will be fit and quick. He’s had premier league experience. He’s a winger. And a good one. What’s the problem?

Eustace got pelters on here from around March time. Can’t remember hearing any booing around game time though. Admittedly, I was not in the ground but it didn’t seem as though the fans were on Eustaces back. JE didn’t think so anyway The conduct of some posters on here March onwards though - embarrassing. That much we can say for certain

These are the games which suit Eustace. That’s what gives me confidence going into them. It was the same before the Leeds game There will be times today when will be uncomfortable watching. I suspect we will see out the first 15 by being hard to break down. Eustace’s system works best with a frustrated opponent. Them having not scored in 2 games could bring that frustration about earlier than usual

My judgement on Gueye’s season will come when our final league position is known If he is part of the squad that gets us into the play offs then he will have had a good season. He’s contributed to us winning some important points so far. That’s all I know

Tbh, goal contributions are just facts. The only person trying to convince people of something is you Across multiple threads over a period of weeks now you have been arguing against anyone and everyone regarding Gueye. We get it. You think he is poor The fact is, he has been involved in pieces of play that has changed games. They are called goal contributions. That you don’t recognise them as a ‘metric’ to judge an attacking player on is your own problem. All of those instances you discuss resulted in Rovers goals. Gueye was involved in them all. It is that easy

It is a classic Eustace display. We are organised and we frustrate teams Owen Beck is a fans dream. Gets stuck in there, always picks a man to have a row with and gets right back to his game. I wish he was here permanently And credit to Pears for the excellent save late on

I’d be looking at rinsing Plymouth Whittaker is a serious player but apparently has a stinking attitude. JE can handle that. And Galloway at left back is a useful addition - he can play left back or centre back. Serious player in his youth days but I don’t know what he’s been doing since

Apparently Rooney cancelled a training game so that he could go out on the lash for a freebie. To make up for it, he allowed the players to do the same This style of coaching only works if you then aren’t a wet lettuce when it comes to match days. He’s hardly a Neil Warnock type of motivator by all accounts He is a man who used to let his physical attributes do the talking. Screaming and smashing your hands on the wall whilst you’re an unfit and out of shape 40 year old, often on the piss, doesn’t go down well with a squad when the chips are down

Gareth Southgate was also a key architect of St George’s Park, which has improved English youth football no end Since retiring from playing, Southgate has spent the best part of 15 years solely focused on developing English football - whether that’s through the youth systems or FA education which is all complete through St George’s. He has also been a huge advocate of Women’s football. The English women’s coach credited St George’s Park for our success in that field Not only that, he guided us to two finals and a semi final. He played for England, coached England at various levels, committed himself to the betterment of English football and for me has been a great servant to our game Say what you want about the role of knighthoods in modern society, or whether a knighthood is even the correct award (MBE etc), but his service to this country deserves appreciation and I am glad he is getting it

Buckley hasn’t kicked on enough for me. He had his best spell under Mowbray when he played further up the middle. I would be more inclined to use him to rotate Cantwell than I ever would Tronstad. It’s a shame as he looked like he had real promise during his breakthrough years We are looking real short in centre mid. Tronstad has three big games ahead of him. The ideal situation is that we knock 3 past Hull first half and we can rest him after 50/60