KentExile

Chose to afford

Boxing day always turns up a few surprises, so I will stick my neck out and say he will bag a couple this afternoon I promise I have not put any funny mushrooms in my wellington 😉

Powell has been playing as a winger in the past few months, winning PL2 player of the month playing further forwards “I started the season as a left-back and I’ve been converted into a player playing further forward on the pitch. I’m probably not used to scoring as many goals or getting around those areas as much, but I think I’ve adapted really well and made it my new position. Hopefully I can keep thriving there and hopefully keep scoring. He would also be the best fit as Hedges deputy at wing back, and why are we picking 2 wingers (Doherty & Dlamini) on the bench when we don't play with any?

I find the continued omission of Powell and Joseph from the bench to be a strange choice, both have been more impressive than Dlamini & Doherty this season Edit - Doherty looks better than Dlamini & Mularkey-Matthews though

Starts today for Edmondson - score/update Wood - score/update On the bench Barrett - score/update Not involved in matchday squad O'Riordan - score/update - appears they cannot/will not select him now that the decision has been made to recall him Olson & O'Grady-Macken - score/update

I appreciate that it is a completely different level, but Edmondson does play as a lone deep lying midfielder for Macclesfield, flanked by 2 more attacking midfielders, so the setup at least is comparable to Tronstad being flanked by Cantwell & Morishita

both of those things can be true at the same time. Cantwell for example was training for weeks before actually getting back in the squad

yep, imagine he will be backup/competition to Tronstads replacement next season

I'd argue 2 strikers, one to cover each of their roles, as Rovers either cant or wont spend the money that kit would cost to buy an all rounder who can do both roles. Can see them going for a hard working experienced striker as a cheap buy (Harris from Oxford is out of contract at the end of the season), and a younger player to be a poacher. Don't think either will be a starter, but would hopefully mean that we do not run Ohashi & Gudjohnsen into the ground

Obviously As always, decisions made for financial rather than footballing reasons. He has shown he is a better option than either Ribeiro or De Neve. But his wage is the higher of those 3, so he is the one who is to be sold off. Still have no idea why Powell has not been tried at least off the bench, as he already looks at least the second best option for left wing back, and has potential to be our first choice there for years

Apparently he has never stated that

Purley financial, he is getting paid an average Championship wage, Rovers don't want to pay that much any more. Don't worry, a random from Belgium will be on his way in a cut price deal, 50/50 he will be the midfield equivalent of an Alebiosu or a De Neve

Chaddy beat me to it

Really? At the moment, we have Tronstad sitting with Cantwell & Morishita either side of him, Baradji looks like he will eventually be pushing for a start as one of those a bit further forwards too. Yet nobody capable of filling in for Tronstad, barring Forshaw, who has to have 2 months off if he plays 2 games in a week Central midfielder needed, but a back up (and eventual replacement due to penny pinching) for Tronstad is what is required

Alebiosu on the bench, Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham's right back) starts

I wasn't suggesting for one second he will be anything like as successful as Alebiosu, just a long list of similarities, most of which have next to no impact on his ability Maybe that's "the data" these days 😉

On the bench, as Millers deputy. Litherland has done more than enough to keep his place at wing back whilst Alebiosu is away

That's like "Alebiosu, he has been good" lets get someone of exactly the same profile" English ✅ right back/wing back ✅ of Nigerian dissent ✅ came through Arsenal academy ✅ had 6 months playing for Hearts in Scotland last season ✅ playing on the continent ✅ cheap (he has only played 8 times in his year at Verona, and only three times this season) ✅ Scarily uncanny

I still hold out a feint hope for Henriksson Think if we hold on to him, he will be an excellent goalscoring midfielder in League 1 in a year or 2, and will kick on from there 😉

Based on the comments from Boro fans on twitter, that sounds like it may have been a one off. I think that as Alebiosu has been much better than any of us could have hoped or expected, some of us have forgotten just how good Brittain is Edit - I am not knocking Alebiosu, and he probably fits our current system at least as well, and possibly better than Brittain

Piece on the BBC site ahead of Palaces cup game with Arsenal this eve https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyx6q9y8wpo

Even the much exaggerated figures are well below that amount Sidnei Tavares €2.00m Axel Henriksson €860k Dion De Neve €750k All of the above in Euros, not £s, and not a chance those amounts are anything other than hypothetical add ons for various "ifs" "buts" & "maybes" I would be genuinely amazed if the guaranteed payments on the 3 of those combined are any more than £1.5M

This made interesting listening, Tronstad apparently has denied stating he wants to move back to Scandinavia. It should start playing when he is the topic of conversation

I'd happily send TGH back, runs about a lot doing not much, cant fault his effort, but there isn't a lot of end product. As a box to box midfielder, he is behind Cantwell, Morishita & (judging by recent performances) Baradji in that role, and doesn't have the positional sense or discipline to play the Tronstad role. Personally feel he was brought in as cover because Baradji was injured, and has served his purpose