On 08/03/2023 at 11:28, chaddyrovers said:

I agree there. They are awful. 

It's been predicting snow all day where I live yet to get anything of significant. A couple of drops at best. 

No snow over here in Texas!! I’ll tell ya that!! 🤠

There’s lots of reasons why a job doesn’t work out. Could be that he hasn’t settled? Has a family member he needs to look after? Etc

Professionally it might not be working out. Personality clash? Culture change? Imagine there’s a big change of pace from Welsh FA to promotion chasing Rovers?

My thoughts circled around the timing after the window. One which was overshadowed by the LOB saga but was pretty much an unmitigated failure. Because we didn’t find / sign the players in the positions that JDT and GB wanted. Maybe the post mortem in Feb pointed to Williams and they’ve all decided that in order to prevent it from happening again (and the manager from leaving), he be moved on…🤷🏽‍♂️

Same again, in terms of match day squad, starting XI and performance and we’ll win. Simple as that. 🙏🏽

He ain’t off!! He’s been pushed because we didn’t find the players the manager wanted - best for all parties if he goes back job!! 

Based on the managers update around injuries, I would play:

                 Pears

JRC. Carter. Hyam. Brittain 

         Buckley. Travis

Sorba. Szmodics.  Dolan

               Gally

Subs - Hilton, Phillips, Pickering, Morton, Hedges, BBD

Reasons - Side picks itself but imo Brittain is top class and was the difference in the last home game as him and JRC kept springing the press with great forward passing. Sorba and Buckley have earned the right to have their places back and neither Hedges or Morton did enough.

The big choices surround Dolan, Gally and BBD. For me, Dolan has been our most influential player in the last month along with JRC. I think his best position is off the left, he’s on form with assists and goals flowing. He stays in. I’ve gone for Gallagher off the back of his two goals and an assist in the last couple of games. He’s been a real handful and deserves to keep his shirt. BBD has it all to do in my opinion and a couple of games out of the starting XI may help to light that fire again….wouldn’t mind him going on a Bezza style 10 goal bonanza in the last 10 games!

Nothing to fear after beating Leicester in midweek - JUST BE BRAVE, LADS

Rovers 2-1 Sheff United

Side note - I’m absolutely sure that somethings gone on with Adam Wharton. Watching the presser yesterday JDT (in his usual, jovial, animated manner) mentioned every player including Batty and Barnes in his update, omitting A.Wharton. When Bayes asked specifically about his possible return to the first team, JDT’s face changed, as did the tone of his voice. His lips seemed to purse and he said sternly, words to the effect of “he has a lot to do” then immediately flipped himself out into a joke about Brereton commentating for Rovers vs Leicester. Anyone else get that vibe? Hope I’m wrong.

6 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Missed this as at a work thing abroad. I really hope BBC have this available ti watch back on iplayer. Phenomenal result!!!!!

Even better performance!! You have to watch it mate.

A wonderfully brave performance. We went toe to toe with Leicester and were better in every department. The manager and players deserve huge credit.

Every player played their part. Defensively sound again. Szmodics and Travis the standouts for me.

9 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

For the record, both Hyam and Carter are better than Lenihan. 

Rothwell got on against City today during Bournemouth's spanking, so he'll be happy...

I agree 100% that Hyam is. He’s the best we’ve had for a long long time. I think Carter and Wharton have the potential to be better still, but Hyam and Lenihan would’ve been the top CB pairing in the league. I’m not complaining though…we’re well stocked with great quality cb’s 👍🏼

7 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I'll answer you by paraphrasing things you yourself have said. They offered Rothwell and Lenihan better deals and withdrew their offer to Nyambe. Seems pretty clear to me they wanted to keep them more.

You're defeating your own arguments quite effectively.

Argh, you’re really struggling with this…they offered ALL THREE new deals. But DL and JR are good players so were offered better deals elsewhere (Middlesbrough and Bournemouth) meanwhile RN had zero offers and shit out when the new regime came in. Because Tony had left and he’s the only one (apart from you and 47, who rated him)

In any case, my opinion on RN was made up 18 months before he left the club. Ergo, my opinion was not linked to the clubs stance…and JDT saw what most of the world see, that he’s crap! No conspiracy. Easy to spot. 👍🏼

Anyway, I’m off to bed happy! Let’s hope this is the start of a run for Gally and that we can get through Tuesday night injury free and ready to smash Sheff United on Sat! 👊🏽

9 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

The club clearly wanted to keep Lenihan and Rothwell more than they wanted to keep Nyambe. Even those with only 'outside' info can tell that. You yourself though said the club even withdrew their offer to Nyambe. So that only confirms a pattern of you going along with what the club want to do and their verdict on players.

Fairly sure you can be found in other places repeatedly defending the failure to get Lenihan and Rothwell onto new deals, despite you really liking them. Pattern confirmed, again.

How did they “clearly” want to keep DL and JR more than RN!? All three were offered new deals well ahead of time….the only difference was that Rothwell and Lenihan were good players and got better deals.

Meanwhile, 18 months after I’d made my mind up on RN (an 18 month period where ‘the club’ made at least two attempts to extend his contract - in opposition to my opinion) the guy signed a 1yr contract to play for Wigans U23’s on less money. But yeah… 👍🏼

For the record, just to put this shite about me siding with the club to bed. I really liked Lenihan and Rothwell and I didn’t want to lose them…Hyam and Lenihan would’ve been class and we haven’t replaced Rothwell. They were both good players, unlike Nyambe. 👍🏼

I just say what I see. I thought Nyambe was crap long before any contract issue and I thought JRC was a better fullback than him, the first time I saw him play there. I posted as much.

The funniest thing about your assertions about Nyambe and ‘the clubs’ view on him is that, believe it or not Nyambe and Mowbray got on wonderfully….in fact there’s only Tony at the club who rated him. The rest, in particular Venus thought he was crap and were on him all the time.

The problem with Nyambe and Mowbrays love in, was that it gave RN the idea that he was much better than he was and he decided to hold out for a better deal. Once Tony was gone and he realised no one wanted him, it was too late. JDT and GB withdrew the contract and RN got a year in Wigans reserves on LESS than he was on at Rovers.

Awkward.

2 minutes ago, DE. said:

I can remember on FM18 Nyambe having very good physical stats, but quite poor technical stats, and I'd say that's about right. Lad is a great athlete when fit and didn't often lose physical battles, but he also contributed zilch in terms of goals, assists or anything useful from a creative standpoint. He has a skillset which would work in the right system, but I don't think it would suit what JDT is trying to do. 

I agree. I think he was a great athlete and had he been two inches taller, might be a decent cb, but he’s a rank bad fullback and the likes of Brittain, who hasn’t even been able to establish himself, due to injuries are head and shoulders above him.

Brittain has historically been consistent in terms of games played, so fingers crossed he’s passed his injury issues.

11 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Other people can rate a player that you don't, without it being some sort of fucking syndrome you know.

Always rated Nyambe from day one, so hardly Stockholm syndrome. Mismanagement and injuries stopped him becoming the player he could have been. But doesn't mean I can't acknowledge the current JRC (the old one was dogshit at RB) and Brittain offer more in an attacking sense and probably more overall.

Ahhh, have Wigan ‘mismanaged’ Ryan too? He’s crap mate, always was. Surely watching Brittain, a cheap-ish signing from Barnsley is all the proof you need.

Fwiw - I thought JRC was better than Nyambe at RB during the Mowbray era. Though that was more to do with how bad Ryan was rather than how well Joe was playing.

13 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Got to hold my hand up on this one i was a big supporter of Nyambe but Brittain really is twice the player.  Just hope he doesn't share Ryans glass like issues.

He cost a lot more than a few hundred grand from the lower leagues though 😀

I agree mate, not even comparable. I honestly think some of us had been watching Nyambe so long that they had a ‘Stockholm syndrome’ type love for him. He was VERY average. Brittain miles better.

Anyone remember when Ryan Nyambe was a ‘thing’ ? Thank GOD we’ve moved on 🙏🏽

7 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Who knows? He’s been absolutely shite, but we don’t have anyone else available and Vale is even less effective that Gally. Which is why, honestly I’d just keep playing him in the hope that one crashes in off his backside, he regains some confidence and scores another 5-10 goals between now and May. He is a handful when he’s on it 🤞🏽

Aged well….😉

2 hours ago, 47er said:

So what will Gallagher bring to proceedings? Even Chaddy thinks he won't score. Its dire up-front.

Who knows? He’s been absolutely shite, but we don’t have anyone else available and Vale is even less effective that Gally. Which is why, honestly I’d just keep playing him in the hope that one crashes in off his backside, he regains some confidence and scores another 5-10 goals between now and May. He is a handful when he’s on it 🤞🏽

8 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

my team is

             Pears

JRC Carter Hyam Brittain

       Buckley Travis

Thomas Szmodics Dolan

             Gallagher

Subs:- Hilton Phillips Edun Morton Garrett Hedges Vale

I will go for Rovers away win 2-1. Dolan and Travis to score

Same 👍🏼

               Pears

JRC  Carter   Hyam Pickering

        Travis.   Buckley

Sorba.  Szmodics    Dolan

               Gally 

Subs - Hilton Ayala Brittain Morton Hedges Leonard 

I think Dolan’s best games for us come off the left, he just rarely gets a chance because of Ben. Gally needs a goal 

Rovers 2 - 0 Blackpool

Gally and Szmodics

46 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I suppose it's possible, hard to think that he won't get £30k from somewhere in Prem. That's nothing these days.

I think, what’s clear is that no one in the Prem fancies him. If they did, with the money floating about, someone would’ve taken him by now!

Ben is probably hoping for Spain, but looking down the barrel of France at the moment. If he can’t get a good enough offer from there then it absolutely makes sense for him to sign a £30k per week contract with us.

He hasn’t done much since November to tempt anyone to part with some cash. So maybe this contract offer has some legs?

Either way, if I was in charge at Rovers I’d encourage him to sign, provide the platform for him to have a grandstand finish to the season and take the highest bid, anyone was willing to pay in the summer. Knowing us, we’ll sign him up for another year, he’ll have a shit hot end to the season, Venkys will turn down every bud in the summer and then we’ll let him go for nowt, next summer!! 🙈

6 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

...but a totally implausible one.

Unlikely, I agree.