1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Who could succeed in this climate?

He's sold £22m+ of players this year and only been allowed to spend £1.5m, on top of having his wage budget cut by 30%.

Was it that much?

Wahlsted in the summer for £800-900K

Telalovic for what cant be more that £100K

O'Riorden in the winter for an undisclosed amount.  Which we can deduce is less than the £500K release clause he apparently had because of the amount of negotiating time Rovers had with Crewe (I heard that we ended up paying about £100K up front and threw in a sell on fee to get it done)

Everyone else was frees and loans (although there were probably loan fees) unless I am missing someone

12 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

No, he's sat at home whinging that Rovers haven't offered him a new contract / triggered his extension despite just 48 goals (and 25 assists) in 221 appearances for Rovers. 

Do the maths on that 😉

9 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Good team, from what we've got...

But if Millar is on their left against Brittain and Hyam it will be torrid.

Miller is playing on the right for them (Brady on the left)

Potts normally plays on the right and is injured, as they have no other RWBs, they had to move Miller over to the right last match. Apparently it nullified his threat somewhat according to PNE fans

33 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Greg is done. My guess is that he’s working an extended notice period to hand over / end the several aspects of his role.

The writing was on the wall as soon as the McGuire deal got pulled and then Waggot started signing players and a manager from his little black book

IF they keep the DOF role, it wouldnt surprise me to see Jonty get it. That’s what he’s aiming for.

Lets see…

Is he?

16 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The Academy is literally the only reason we still have a football club.

The graduates have plastered over 13+ years of horrendous recruitment & mismanagement of player contracts

Fixed it for you 😉 

4 minutes ago, Roverthechimp said:

Possibly….
In other words ”no” 🤣

I can imagine during Eustace's job interview him asking "can I bring in my own staff"

and us saying "we will see" just like a parent that is always going to say no to a child

58 minutes ago, NeilInBristol said:

If anyone hasn't yet seen this I would recommend. From before JDTs departure. 

GBs interview alongside the head of academy is fascinating. Undertones of "when JDT leaves" the new coach has to work under this framework of football we have set up.

 

Will be interesting to see if this happens.

Obviously, Rovers will always use the academy (at least until Venkys mess us about so much that we can no longer run it).  It is the one real strength that the club have compared to most at this level.

In the short term, I can definitely see Eustace going more direct, but I do feel that if/when safety is achieved, and in the medium long term, the old plans will come out of the locker.

I do not mean that Eustace will start playing kamikaze stuff, just that first and foremost Rovers will, try to play out from the back, possession,  and building attacks slowly (just hopefully they will now have a plan be of going more direct when it is called for)

1 hour ago, Tugayisgod said:

Surely Suhail would be keeping Venkys in touch with everything going on, including the atmosphere around the club at present. Isn't that his job ?  It should be

Unless its his job to make sure they don't hear anything about Rovers?

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Crikey... sounds like the rumors of JDT losing the dressing room were right. Brittain's quotes very dismissive of Tomasson's style and approach.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24112995.blackburns-change-approach-dressing-room-discussions/?fbclid=IwAR1GbSE7IDB1Kou34GQVjeTu0u5Bony-ivCCcdyFcsUUTC71wmWcGtE53do

Its probably a case of a footballer being asked a question about how well his new boss is doing, and replying in the positive, rather than a direct dig at JDT

Not to say that there is not some truth in what Brittain said, but it doesn't necessarily mean everyone hated JDT and wanted him gone

15 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

I've not been Dolans biggest fan but played in the right position he can be useful for us. 

Same situation with Gallagher though, we need to get rid of players like Markanday, Telalovic (probably) & Vale before we let these 2 go.

2 goals in 42 minutes of football.  Vale will be "like a new signing" next season 😉 

On a more serious note, Motherwell fans seem to like him, apparently he is "rapid", glad his loan is working out for him.

https://www.steelmenonline.co.uk/forums/search/?q=vale&quick=1

9 hours ago, 47er said:

How the hell can "set piece specialist" be a well-paid and full-time job? World's gone mad!

Hypothetically, what would it take for you to change your mind on that? 

If we scored from 5 set pieces in a season... probably not, but 10?  30?

2 hours ago, rigger said:

I totally agree, the problem comes when the choice is between Dolan and Szmodic for their best positions.

or we play both just behind Gally, like yesterday

1 hour ago, Displaced Rover said:

Spot on. Can’t abide the modern attempt to change 4/6!

Not modern as such, just the continental numbering system, which is mainly down to English teams (especially those in the Prem) importing so many foreign managers.  If one day in the future a load of Brazilian managers were brought into English clubs, we would all end up talking about number 5s when we are on about central midfielders!

https://museumofjerseys.com/2022/04/07/negotiating-the-brazilian-numbering-maze/

27 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Yeah….because we only EVER speak to people we directly work with during a specific time. We don’t form our network from long-standing relationships in the places we work and talk to people afterwards about how this guy is doing or how that person is to work with. Oh wait….

It’s fine if you don’t agree with me, or believe it. I’m ok with watching how it unfolds going forwards. As I said, it’s just a hunch, fingers crossed, GB will come out very soon (as he does after every window) and tell us all about how he instigated those signings and the targeting of Eustace. 🤞🏽

Q - Is there no part of you that thinks GB is inconspicuously quiet?

Oh, and as far as I can see, Gregg, who never misses a chance to do the PR ‘standard’ welcoming handshake piccy with new signings, was last seen doing this with McGuire, (the one that “fell through”) and maybe it’s me, so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I haven’t seen a single picture of him welcoming McFadz? Fleck? Eustace? Probably just a coincidence 👀

Me too 🙂 

5 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Like o say, just a hunch…I for one have never been against GB and JDT. I just felt a wind of change in the couple of weeks before this came to a head and Gregg has been nowhere to be seen.

IF those late signings and Eustace were the work of GB then great..hopefully we’ll hear from him very soon, right? I just don’t think they are…

Either way, the two older lads do seem to trace back to Eustace which shows an element of forward planning. But, then was it Eustace who pulled the plug on McGuire preferring to spend any cash they do have, himself in the summer? 

There isn't any link there either

Yes all three were at Coventry at one point or another, but none of them were there at the same time as any of the others.

Eustace was at Coventry 1996 - 2003 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Eustace

Fleck was there from 2012 - 2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fleck_(footballer)

McFadzean was there from 2019 until we signed him the other week https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_McFadzean

* Waggott was there from 2013 - 2015, which means he never signed or sold any of these people, and his only overlap was with Fleck, who was already there when Waggott rocked up, and was still there when he resigned 2 years later https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/FKc4o-maeIjThZF3QPcISHHYkS4/appointments

I really do not see it as any kind of stretch to think that all three of those were the work of Broughton (seeing as that is his job),  Based on the comments of both JDT, & Broughton himself about how the squad would benefit from more experience

GB - https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/23857362.gregg-broughton-lack-experience-blackburn-rovers/

JDT - https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24023305.tomasson-discusses-happiness-blackburn-rovers/

I am not suggesting you are against JDT, GB, or anyone else, I just think that on the basis of all evidence, that your hunch (which you seem to have formed on the basis that 2 new players, our new head coach, and Waggott were all at Coventry at one time over the past 30 years) is wrong.

2 hours ago, had.e.nuff said:

just been watching some of it and the appointment of the  new manager seems to contradict what Greg Broughton was saying in it "we have a style we want to play and we picked a coach to play that way" I think we may be having a re think of that

I'm not too sure about that.  

Whilst Eustace was very pragmatic last season with Birmingham, he did become somewhat more expansive this season, and there is the "non league Barcelona" story when he was with Kidderminster.  So I do wonder if maybe he is a little more pragmatic and sorts out the defensive side of things before developing a more expansive style of play.

If so (and only if... I am not nailing my colours to the mast with this one quite yet), then it still follows the original plan, just taking the foot off the accelerator a little

2 minutes ago, Mike E said:

I think it’s half-right. I believe the club (via Broughton) have known a while that Eustace would be their man to replace JDT.

Having made the decision to sell Adam Wharton (this could’ve been the night of the Wrexham game, judging by Adam’s comments), JDT may have decided to leave and the club therefore consulted Eustace.

I believe (as GB has harped on about contingency planning) GB may have consulted and obtained approval from both men for the signings of Fadz, Fleck, and McGuire. The failure to sign McGuire will have annoyed both men, but without employment, Eustace was still keen on the job.

Not the truth, just how I believe it has happened.

All seem to be a reasonable and sensible set of assessments/guesses

13 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Just a hunch..but put it this way, they weren’t Gregg’s or JDT’s signings and I’d put my mortgage on them never being on our shiny new scouting teams list either.

I will go one further and say, knowing JDT was going a couple of weeks ago, Swag spoke to Eustace about taking the job and HE chose McFadz and Fleck. Conspiracy theory or not, this happens in businesses everyday. 

JDT had asked for more experience, which Fleck and McFadzean do provide

Eustace left Coventry 10 years before Swag arrived there, so not sure where you think the link between those 2 may may be?

Broughton is still in place (as shown from Rovers social media videos today), so why wouldn't he have brought these people in?  Since this is the job he is (still) paid to do?

So if there is any theory, then surely it is that Broughton brought all three of these?  Even if he was well aware that JDT was off

13 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

He’s defo a Swag purchase…but that doesn’t mean he isn’t EXACTLY what that team needed. 🤷🏽‍♂️

I am still am not sure why you think that? 

Swag left Coventry 4 years before McFadzean arrived there, and it is very evident from Rovers social media videos that Broughton is still very much in place.

Genuinely interested if they are fishing buddies, or that they were once in the scouts together, or that there is something to link them, in even the slightest way?

10 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Johnson said there was an element of letting Stoke come at us. Today saw us play simply, directly, and without nonsense. It paid dividends.

Its what other clubs have been doing to us for the past 2 months.

The annoying thing is JDT has shown in the past (first half of last season and notably against Watford at the start of this season) that he is able to be pragmatic.  I just think he was unwilling to do so for the past few months as he was disillusioned with the job

8 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Absolutely - Waggott & Suhail vs GB and JDT.

When you look at the course of the last few weeks. Everything has gone Waggott way.

McFadz, Fleck and Eustace are Swags guys. Ergo the writing is on the wall for Gregg and Swag has fortified his position!

The one shred of hope I have is that everything I’ve read about the recent Coventry jolly boys reunion is that their character is not in doubt. 

15 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

From reading comments from the Cov fans, McFadz stopped being picked when they switched from 3cbs to a flat 4.

Hes exactly what we need as far as I can see!

I thought he was one of Swags boys?

😉

14 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Anybody spot the Egg ?

Yep, he was shown on at least one or two Rovers twitter videos with Eustace

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

We really do need to get him on a long term deal even though he isnt always on it. For a player at his age, he is an important member of the squad, otherwise he will need selling in the summer.

I also would prefer Gallagher to stay, them 2 and Szmodics are the 3 attacking players we have that we know are up to the level. Telalovic is woeful, Leonard needs a loan, Markanday is crap, Moran is poor and will go back and Sigurdsson is unconvincing.

The positive we have here is that even if Dolan wont sign and we end up taking up the option and extending his contract for a year, at the end of next season, due to his age, he does not walk for free* (as he would still be under 24), it will go to a tribunal, and due to how many appearances he has etc, it will not be an insignificant fee and it would include a sell on (very rare that tribunal decisions do not include these)

Personally, I would be using the money "saved" (if any of it still exists) from the McGuire deal & his wage to tie Dolan and Gallagher down for the next 3-4 years

* As long as he stays in England

5 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Did we have a right footer on the right wing and a left footer on the left wing ? Maybe this radical tactic will catch on !

Left footer at left wing back, and right footer at right wing back if we are being precise about it 😉 

3 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

A minor point maybe but should GB be revealing how much transfer income we’ve received?

Its well documented what Wharton, Kaminski and Phillips went for over £25M,

2 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Especially since we have spent diddly squat of it. Course, everyone basically knows the figures anyway.

Or maybe he is trying to force the Venkys hand in the summer? (albeit probably a futile effort)