4 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

He's absolutely top class. If we did somehow scrape up via the play offs he's the only player in the current squad who's Premier League quality imo.

Shame he isn't our player.

You forgot about Tronstad 😉 

15 minutes ago, Browjd said:

How much would Morgan Whitaker cost? Asking for a friend….

https://thelaziali.com/2024/01/30/lazio-plymouth-argyle-morgan-whittaker/#:~:text=The Biancocelesti proposed a deal,fee of €18 million.

Over €10 million, seeing as they turned down that amount

28 minutes ago, MB Rover said:

Is that not the coaches job? Sunderland seem fine without an ‘experienced’ head during warm ups. 

Coaches cant leave the coaching area, players who are warming up can

I am not saying its a great use of funds, but replacing that role that Fadz has had this season does make some sense

Sunderland can also spend £20M quid on a new player, we have Venkys and Waggott to contend with

The Stoke City Andy Moran appreciation thread

https://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/315602/sunderland-stoke-city-cup-3rd?page=7

16 hours ago, Tugayisgod said:

JE on Mcfadzean .

Good luck to him, been a better signing than anyone could have imagined. Owe him a lot for last season performances at the death

 

This makes the Forshaw signing make a lot more sense, another experienced head to "warm up" during the match and coach the younger heads

2 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Whatever happened to the Centre Half, we were signing from Reading? 

Take it thats off, now! 

That would have cost a fee, was never on the cards

Through to the next round

Toth looked useful, barring one dodgy pass which I will give the benefit of the doubt and blame the sun in his eyes

Nobody injured

Dolan & especially Gueye did really good jobs holding up the ball and taking off the pressure  when they came on

Another youth team graduate made his first team debut

Can we play Boro every week?

3 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

Agreed. He’d have missed it completely. 

Gueye would have somehow managed an assist by kicking it off his own arse

1 minute ago, Forever Blue said:

Thanks. Is he quick?

he is comfortably one of our 2 fastest centre backs, and seeing as the other one is injured (Carter), I am not complaining

Just now, Old Codger said:

I have a VPN but can't see where it might be useful for this game.. any ideas?

apparently ESPN but its not working for me

6 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Is Forshaw a loan or a free transfer?

Surely we've not paid a fee for him?

free - after terminating his contract at Plymouth Argyle.

Plymouth allowed him to cancel his contract to move on, he is that good 😉 

If you have a VPN and a Disney+ account, then it looks like you can use your Disney+ details to watch it on ESPN "in the USA"

https://www.espn.com/watch/collections/26033/soccer-live-upcoming

3 minutes ago, neophox said:

Hopefully he can contribute more than Fleck did....

that sad thing is, he will if he manages 20 mins of football without giving away a penalty or getting sent off

Its not a high bar

3 minutes ago, BigHoz said:

Why’s is it hard to find better than baker?

Because the owners wont spend more than the cost of a bag of chips to do so

9 minutes ago, BigHoz said:

Can people stop saying forshaw is ‘back up’ for travis. He’s injured. 

Forshaw will be back up for Tronstad rather than Travis.  

Rovers may think that JRC can cover for Travis for the next couple of weeks.  He did play there alongside Tronstad in the 2nd half of last season

Edit - I am still not a fan of signing Forshaw

2 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Sanderson played all last season in a team that went down.

Nothing we can do about it now, if he gets time on the pitch he'll have the full support of those in attendance as always.

We bought Szmodics after he played for a team that got relegated the previous season too,

and Brittain

The fact that they were relegated is not always the full story.  Birmingham sacked Eustace and employed Rooney which probably had much more to do with their relegation

7 hours ago, davulsukur said:

Honestly, I didn't know either. Felt like I'd heard the name but had to Google it.

He's only made 2 appearances for Brum in the league, so can only ly assume he's been replaced by better.

JE knows him from his time at Brum though, so can only assume JE has had a say in this.

Was signed by Eustace at Birmingham (first on loan and then permanently) who apparently also made him captain there.  Apparently does not suit how he new manager sets up at Birmingham, but is a good fit for a team that play a low block counter attacking game (especially as cover).  Also has more pace than any of our current centre back options barring Carter.  Forshaw is really uninspiring for me (although if it happens, I hope to be proved wrong), but Sanderson seems a clever pick up.

Still really need forwards quickly, to ensure that the great start to the season is not derailed by the usual January shenanigans

3 hours ago, bluebruce said:

What seems like sarcasm in the early posts aside, they seem very very happy with him.

If we can get him a League One team who will play him regularly and aren't struggling every week, I'd certainly try to move him up there. His contract situation means we will probably look to sell him this summer and we won't get much of our investment back if he has only shone in League Two.

I don't think he is anywhere near as bad as some do. Personally don't mind him as a squad player, but we have enough of those in his area at the mo, better quality is what's needed. Unless someone gets injured he probably won't be brought back for the first team squad, now or in the summer (well, maybe in the summer if Dolan leaves).

We can safely deduce it was sarcasm

2 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

Forshaw was a good player. Not seen him play for ages but might be a shrewd acquisition, in the same way Batth has been. 

 

I would assume Forshaw (if it happens) would be cover for Tronstad in the sitting midfield role rather than the Travis box to box role, which may work as a sticking plaster.  Not something that excites me in the slightest though.

Numerous games called off this weekend

Duru

Olson

Gamble

Powell

Bell

Eastham

Honor

Markanday & Saadi do not play until next week

Starts on Saturday for 

Vale - lost 3-1 Vale sent of 93rd minute (credit EwoodGlory)

On the bench

Batty - lost 4-0  - Elliott & Morton start for Liverpool

Goddard - drew 2-2

Finally got approved on the Chesterfield forum - I registered before xmas, lol

Anyway, I have asked their thoughts on Markanday's loan

28 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Not sure that's an option, if the club says you're coming back, then you're coming back!

Ok, let me rephrase,

If Baker had been less than enthusiastic about returning to Stoke, so they decided not to recall him, then there is every possibility that in a few weeks, he would be back to sitting on Rovers bench for the rest of the season once Travis returns and then is looking for a new employer once out of contract in the summer, and with a much slimmer chance of someone picking up his alleged £15K - £20K/week salary

2 minutes ago, London blue said:

I wouldn't touch shelvey either but not because of his clothes.

He's a prick and past it.

and he lost to Harry Potter

1 hour ago, Polky said:

1) Gallagher injured again…shock!

2) Baker wanted to go back to Stoke.

1 hour ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

Hard to know really with baker robins isn’t going to say ‘he didn’t want to come back but I needed him’ prob to get the fans back on side with him as a lot didn’t like him 

If Baker is on £15K - £20K per week, he is much more likely to get a new contract on that sort of money at Stoke than he is at Rovers.

If he had turned Stokes request to recall him down, If Baker had been less than enthusiastic about returning to Stoke, so they decided not to recall him, then there is every possibility that in a few weeks, he would be back to sitting on Rovers bench for the rest of the season once Travis returns and then is looking for a new employer once out of contract in the summer

Marine have confirmed that Atcheson & Montgomery's loans have ended and they have returned to Rovers