Dreams of 1995

Gallagher will get goals. He did under Coyle and that was the worst squad since the dreaded takeover.

Which, of course, Mowbray stumbled upon by pure accident...............

Feeling positive about this. A few good performances under our belt now, team seems to be taking shape, brilliant depth in midfield and up front and a new signing that should up everyones levels. We have a real chance with this next run of games to get ourselves up the table. I wonder whether he will go with the 3 at the back system again. It's going to be hard playing all 3 centre backs at a time, unless he's planning on giving the academy lads more of a shout or sees Nyambe as capable of stepping in as a wide centre back.

Holtby also provides serious competition for Dack. We need that competition in midfield because it drives players on to be the best. If we can come up with a system that allows us to play Dack and Holtby from the start, with Rothwell coming on to replace the leggier of the two, then we have a serious mix of creativity and pace.

4 clean sheets out of 5 league games. Continue in that form it'll do for me.

There is definitely an argument to be had about the match day experience. It’s shit to be truthful. However we need to be realistic and admit that whilst it may gradually increase the fan base it isn’t the real reason to as why we are 10k fans down from last decade. Ultimately these arguments are about making the experience more enjoyable for us, the fans who do go, and if a few hundred are more inclined to go on the back of the changes then it’s a bonus. We do need better beer, better food, the weeds removing, the fan zone to be more in tune with its target consumer base but all of these ideas won’t suddenly improve our attendances like some are making out. 10k won’t come over night because we have a nice three tuns ale, proper spud pie and perfect paving. It will help though. I think throwing aside the myth that crowds will return gives these arguments a better standing. For me it’s about pride. I want us to aim to be the best we can be. Is that possible though with a 30k seater stadium and a 10k attendance? Ideally we’d have a smaller stadium and I think that would improve the atmosphere but that is obviously not in consideration.

The type of player worth paying for. Other players will see him play for us and be more inclined to join. Quality attracts quality. Need to offload Smallwood now in January.

More importantly what’s yours? Out of the signings he’s made this year all of them have featured almost straight away. Tosin being the exception but back in the squad when fit. You've literally admitted the mans point is correct but tried to make excuses for why

This is the same for all clubs though Pete and not just limited to ROVERS. Living in the Midlands and having gone to Villa, Blues and Baggies games with friends I can say that a day out watching Rovers pales in comparison to the cost of a day out watching the 3 teams mentioned. Our pricing structure is quite fair although I agree there are lots of room for improvements in the match day experience

There are 2 things the club can do to get attendances back to pre-2010: 1) Promotion 2) Venkys sell That is it. Beer offers, free days, school tickets all pales into insignificance in comparison to those 2.

Nope. Mercer made out that it was perhaps Mowbrays brand of football which is stopping him from attending, then diverging to his credibility on a topic dedicated for attendances. My point remains that should we be promoted then he’ll be back, suggesting it is not the brand of football that we play but our current stature in the game which is bothering him. Incidentally our stature in the game has risen year on year with TM involved so it’s not out of the question we won’t be back very soon. Also it is you that has decided people are bitter or annoyed. I’m certainly not.

100% certain fans like yourself will be back if we are in the top 6, or ultimately the premier league, even if Mowbray is in charge

By that sentence I meant anyone trying to peddle that line, not you individually

Hamburg fans actually petitioned to get the club to sign Holtby to a new deal. That can only be a good sign. More than happy with this signing. I assume he can play anywhere along the front 3. If that means Gallagher can move inside and we have a front three, with two of them Dack and Holtby, I'd wager us against most defences. Get him signed

No there isn't. After the Hull game Williams explained that he went to see Mowbray at the back end of last season and told him he wanted to play centre half, not left back. Mowbray got rid of his other left footed centre half and kept Williams. He didn't sign a centre back but signed, albeit on loan, a left back to replace Williams after he moved centrally and dropped Bell. In 4 moves (Sell Raya, Loan Mulgrew out, Drop Bell, Sign Cunningham) Mowbray has solved our defensive issues. That isn't an accident - it happened and he deserves credit for it. There's not a single shred of weight behind the argument it's accidental except the fact that you want it to be.

I'm sorry but where is the confrontation/insult/generalisation in that? If you mean me typing "fucking nonsense" then I'm sorry but it is. That isn't an insult or a sweeping generalisation.

No it wasn't because Mowbray could have either bought or loaned different players or simply not got rid of Mulgrew/Raya. Such a case of bias if ever there was one. Tony Mowbray got pelters on this board for not addressing the defence which, at the time of writing, seemed fair enough. When Miller11 posted that the lack of defensive acquisitions extends far beyond Mowbray, and perhaps shown a link between Venkys ownership and lack of investment in the back 4, it was ignored...indeed, one post suggested that if so Mowbray is complicit and, as a direct quote, "the book always stops with the manager. End of". Fast forward and Mowbray cites Williams and co as adequate cover for the defense. He then gets even more pelters on here - which, at the time of writing, seemed fair enough. Fast forward again and 4 clean sheets and a couple of good performances from Williams and it is less to Mowbray's credit and more "by default". Absolutely fucking nonsense and most of you know it but you are desperately keeping hold of the argument he has done no right over the past 12 months. Like it or not Mowbray picks the team and when he gets it wrong you are all the first ones to jump on him; gets it right and its a stroke of luck. Give over.

I don't feel like we are a mediocre team at all. We've been labelled a team to watch this season. I'm sorry you feel mediocre Sparks Rover but the same can't be said for every single fan. Luckily.

Na not buying it. You spend more or less every day either perpetuating a fault of Mowbray's or downplaying anything good he has brought the club. You can't have it both ways. He sold the goalkeeper + loaned out our captain and what he has replaced it with has, so far, shown to be far better. That is to his credit. "Addressing it by default" is addressing it. He made the changes, nobody else, unless you are trying to claim somebody else is behind the team and its selection?

Last season we drew and lost vs Boro. This season we won. I'd say that's going forward. One game is not evidence we are going backwards or forwards. The proof will be in the pudding and right now we are on track to deliver what's promised despite the pedantic nature of the above posts.

A "shocking" start ? 3 losses followed by 3 wins. 2 of them losses having come against Fulham and Baggies, teams you would expect to give us a game and both of them away ties. You really are the king of dramatising.

I think we've had a decent start to the season. Looked good defensively, so if we can get our forwards ticking we should be in for a good year. I'd say we are roundabout where I expected us to be at the end of the run of games we had. The next few games are ones I'd expect us to do well in.

I'd say 99.99% of us were fuming there wasn't a centre back signed. In fact, we barely had any link past Bauer and that was infuriating. Since then Mowbray has played Williams and Lenihan and got 4 clean sheets from them. If you criticise the man for not signing a centre half or addressing the defence you then have to credit him if what he has done has seemingly worked. You can't have it both ways.

Lewis Holtby was once hailed as the next European wonderkid if I remember correctly. What happened to him?

>Club comes in with interest for player >Manager runs the deal past the player, as is right >Player seemingly turns it down, looks set to stay, manager has praise for work ethic and hunger said player has shown >"This manager has lost the plot" ........"You couldn't make it up!"