Amari’i Bell though ? JEEEEEEZ

Just now, RV Blue said:

I’d be happy with Nyambe as a second choice, but he’s so poor offensively that he’s not good enough to be in a side challenging for the playoffs.

I don’t think it’s helped him that by hook or by crook Bennett gets a game. There’s times particularly at the start of the season where I think his alround game had improved immeasurably. He looked confident going forwards and was using his pace on the overlap. A mixture of injuries and form have knocked his confidence a bit. I personally would sit him down in the summer, tell him he’s the man and give him a run (even if it means King Bennett missing a few). I also read in a recent article that he’s doing double sessions trying to improve his offensive work. Academy player ✅ Bought in ✅

18 hours ago, RV Blue said:

Team next season should look something like this if we want promotion;

          Raya/New

New Lenihan New New

          Travis New     

Arma       Dack     Rothwell

          Graham/New

Potentially 6 new starters, an almost impossible ask. 

I agree with most apart from RB where I’ve seen enough from Nyambe to stick with him. 

I’d also give Davenport the chance to play next to Travis though they’d benefit from an experienced CM.

Basically the spine of the team plus Bell who is very poor.

46 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Needs to put on some Muscle...looks physically meek to me.

He’s just turned 20 pal. ??

I’ve seen a player in BB tonight. Could come back to bite a few on the arse...

Couldn’t have worded it any better...

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17595532.simon-smith-reaction-to-ben-brereton-goal-was-heartening/

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

I was just responding to you saying we have a ‘similar budget’. I don’t think we do.

No problems. I do think our budgets are similar. Agree to disagree ?

7 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

I would say our wage bill, transfer budget and all round infrastructure overheads (academy etc.) are considerably higher than Preston North End.

Regardless of the money, as this wasn’t my point. Are you suggesting that you expected us to finish above / the same as Preston this year? I think most Rovers fans wouldn’t have expected us to. Which takes me back to my initial point around perception.

6 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

When the payment is made is irrelevant and a pedantic attempt at skewing the comparison. Preston havent committed the same amount of money to transfers that weve been able to, nowhere near. 

And your bleating about us spending £10m is equally pedantic as a good £7m of that committed spend hasn’t even affected our performances this season. The hope is that it will effect next seasons and beyond. 

The point I was making was that in spite of the squads being very similar in terms of ability and capability one has been lauded in the media and the other castigated purely because of when they had their good runs. The two managers have basically achieved the same result but the perceptions swayed.

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

You keep saying people are thinking Preston have had a "great season" but as @Exiled in Toronto pointed out to you they finished 7th last season. They havent had a great season this year.

Also, theres no way that we have similar resources. Preston broke their transfer record in January for Potts from Barnsley if im not mistaken for the first time since signing David Healy. Less than what we paid for Armstrong who they were priced out of signing. They havent had 10m to spend, plus Waggott has stated this season that our wage budget is very competitive whereas Preston are reknown for having a small budget.

I’m not going to argue over this. I’m not saying they’ve had a great season. I’m saying that many many media outlets have portrayed them as having a great season based purely on perception. 

And having been in the Championship for a few years now I’d hazard a guess that their budget is similar to ours. Furthermore we didn’t SPEND £10m. We may have committed to it but we didn’t spend it.

8 hours ago, Joar said:

 

I'm pretty sure I saw him play in a televised European Cup qualification  or pre season friendly match once back in the day. Him playing central midfield for a welsh team (Barry Town maybe?) against a big hitter (thought it was Real Madrid, but can't find any info about it, so guess that must be wrong). Don't recall much about it, other than he shot a mindboggling freekick from 35-40 yards that hit the root of the post (or just outside the post). Tremendous power on the shot. 

I knew his name because of earlier games of Football Manager (Championship Manager really). 

Maybe all this was a dream though, as it seems far fetched, and I can't find info that totally matches my recollection. Maybe it was the match they won against Porto in 2001/2002. At least a Luke Staton started that match (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/wales/1467218.stm).

Yes!! Sorry, he played for Barry Town! 

2 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

As I recall, the PNE comparisons began on here during our bad run, it being pointed out their in-demand manager had done some stellar January recruitment to push on to the playoffs. 3 points from the last 18....

And they did finish 7th last year.

All about perception. They had a dodgy start but came on strong = a great season.

We started well and faded away = fail

In actual fact we’ve done well. As have Preston on a very similar budget.

5 minutes ago, Tom said:

Annoying seeing tweets saying things like ‘where are the Brereton haters now?’ Seems these days you can’t be critical of anything without being labelled 

The reverse goes for positivity as well 

Brereton has been treated well by Rovers fans in spite of his poor form. Most have understood that at 19 (now 20 years old) he was bought for the future.

9 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Sunderland have been unfortunate in that Luton have been unstoppable. Shrewsbury last season started out in the same manner but ultimately fell away, Luton haven't.

Mate, Sunderland are 4th!! That’s nothing to do with Luton! ?

It’s just proof that it’s not bloody easy! 

7 hours ago, OJRovers said:

Smallwood dropped for 4 games. 4 wins in a row. No coincidence. It's just a shame the penny only dropped for Tony after we'd missed out on the playoffs.

 

Yup, nothing at all to do with the return of Lenihan to full fitness ?

7 hours ago, Stuart said:

I disagree with your “data”.

Mowbray up until yesterday gave young players time following injuries to his trusted players.

It’s almost like this hasn’t been an ongoing debate all season!

Credibility indeed.

The guy has now given 13 youth players their debuts in two years. We regularly have 4 homegrown players in the first 11 and 5/6 in the squad. 

Magloire did ok. Just ok and now we have Lenihan and Williams playing out of their skin. 

Travis was given his debut BY MOWBRAY. How this came about is irrelevant. In any case, most young players get their chance because of injuries to first teamers anyway! 

Imagine if he’d piled them all in and carried on losing the last four.

You blame the manager for every action he takes which results in a negative outcome but distance him from every positive outcome. The screenshots of your posts on social media are poor from whoever is doing it but you don’t half provide some ammo at times pal.

10 hours ago, Parsonblue said:

That brought back memories Paul.  I remember Luke Staton playing for our youth and reserves - must be nearly twenty years ago, frightening how quickly times passes.  If I remember rightly he had a brief spell with Bolton after we released him and then ended up playing in Wales.

Fantastic lad and very very talented. Does lots for my company now from a motivational stand point. I wasn’t sure if he went to Ireland?

Just now, philipl said:

Successful teams are based on a solid defence.

Yes there are better keepers than Raya but they cost the GDP of a small country and still make mistakes. Yes get someone to challenge Raya but remember Raya was looking increasingly solid before WBA and he has been behind a very iffy defense all season. So get a gk to challenge Raya but don't blow the budget as this is not priority.

Beast of a centre half is priority.

Much as I like Bell and Nyambe we need two full backs who know their business and are reliable if only to give those two real pressure to make them perform.

I wouldn't faddle around in midfield unless someone is leaving. Looking like we have real talent coming through here.

Yes we need a real forward to cover/challenge DG.

Agree with everything other than Nyambe. I think there’s a real player in there. Additionally he has all of the physical characteristics.

Bell is a League 1 defender imo. I’m not even sure I’d keep him as back up. Try and move him, Smallwood and Samuel on. Maybe Mulgrew too who is on good money and looks like he’s run his race?  Let Leutwiler, Gladwin and Downing run their contracts out.

Maybe give Conway a year to support Rothwell, Dack, Arma, Butterworth and Chapman? 

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

We could feasibly be four points behind where the Blades were at a similar stage in their development come the end of the season.

They had a bad run last year too, and a lot of their fans also had some myopism regarding the manager...

Look how that turned out.

We are not going sideways.

I don’t get the point about our negativity either tbh. Every game I’ve watched we’ve created chances and been ‘in’ the game. I can’t think of a single one where we’ve parked the bus? In fact, one of my biggest criticisms of Mowbray is that at times we’ve capitulated away from home because we’ve been chasing teams instead of keeping it tight and waiting for that one chance.

We’ve lacked quality in the final third and Mowbray went on record to say he was looking to integrate more technical players so that we no longer had to rely on direct balls into Graham.

I think Rothwell, Dack, Armstrong, Chapman and Butterworth will cause any teams problems. I also think that B.B. will benefit from a more fluid style of play. Travis, Rodwell, Davenport (supposed to be class) and Evans can cover off CM with Buckley pushing them.

Still a GK, CB, LB and Striker for me.

I believe the manager will sort this.

I think the fans have been fantastic with Brereton. 

Anyone else see a marked difference with our patterns of play yesterday? Very few direct balls. But the most interesting one was when in possession, Bell and Nyambe pushing on and staying wide allowing Rothwell and Armstrong the chance to drift inside into the pockets and in behind. Bolton were poor but worked hard tbf.

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

That's not bravery, anyone can say that. Bravery is dropping your favourites, being ruthless and getting better players.

Bravery is also not playing with two holding DM's and not attacking teams at home. As Chris Wilder said, you don't win anything going sideways and back. 

I look forward to Mowbray's brave new world nest season. 

It’s brave to put yourself up as a target when you know there will be at least 10 teams with better budgets than you next season.

But for injuries to key players we prob would’ve finished just outside of the playoffs this season. So regardless of you, me or anyone else saying he should’ve played this person or that person, we’ve done well. Either way, we are always going to be shopping for the Dacks and Rothwells of this world. If we wanted to buy a Dack this summer we wouldn’t be able to afford him.

So, on the back foot, Mowbray is being brave. Because in spite all of this if he doesn’t get us into that position then you, me and everyone else will be unhappy! 

3 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

What, the biggest budget in L1 and being allowed to keep all the players he wanted from the Championship team? Some problems. 

His skill was in creating an environment where those players could thrive (eventually) and get the club promoted. 

Sunderland and Barnsley have the biggest budget in League 1 too...they’re not top of the league. Sunderland are not even top 2. I’m not saying we weren’t expecting to get out but promotions involve a lot more than cash.

He was fortunate that the club backed him with the wages of some key Championship players. But that’s only half the job. You’ve then got to persuade those players to stay in League 1 when they have other options..

You’re right about creating the right environment though. The same environment which helps them to dig in and finish strongly.

16 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Well, decent is the word,but we need someone to do a great or even very good job. Happily plodding along in midtable and pretending everything is fine only enables the owners and their disfunctional method of running a club. To do a good or great job would require someone telling them in no uncertain terms that they need to make decisions quicker. 

This is why we end up signing random players on deadline day. I don't blame Mowbray really, I mean the season we went down he was on the ball. The thing was we had money due to players leaving  so wheeling and dealing was straightforward. Plus we were Blackburn rovers in league 1. This is why we struggle in the championship all things being equal with other clubs. There is a reason why we have never really even been in the play off places since being relegated. (I'm ignoring under Kean cos it outrageous he was still in the job)

Mowbray has done a great job (so far). It’s not easy to come into a crack pot club, revitalise it, steer it away from certain doom and towards success.

Those who insist that going up last season was a nothing achievement are wrong. Especially for a club with our problems. Look at Sunderland? Money is not the only factor.

I don’t call 59 points with two games to go in our first season back in the Championship ‘plodding’. Preston are a seasoned Championship team now and are perceived to have had an amazing season. They’re currently 1pt above us on 60.

The key here is that we must continue to progress on this upwards curve. It is true that things will get harder now because we don’t have the funds to compete with the top teams in this league. Add the three who will drop down from the Prem and this gets even harder. Add to that the points you made about Venkys speed of work which are further barriers. 

BUT the manager has been brave enough to stick his neck out and say he wants to challenge at the top of the Championship next season. In truth, regardless of the circus around him and funding restrictions he will carry the can of we’re not in and around the playoffs.

5 hours ago, Stuart said:

Souey was a winner. Finishing with 60 points this season would have been as bad as finishing with 50.

When Souness was approached by Newcastle, Rovers couldn’t believe their luck. He’d completely run out of ideas and had been flirting with the likes of Spurs for 6 months before he went. They practically drove him up there...