22 hours ago, goozburger said:

Here it is.

For what it's worth, a professional sportsperson can get their visa processed within five working days. That's the fastest you can do it. That's what Tomasson will have been through when he first joined and why we didn't see him for several days if people recall.

I'm not saying Rovers aren't prone to cocking things up, but on this occasion, I really do think it's a total nonsense article because it's likely McGuire's visa simply hasn't been fully processed given that it's only been one working day since he signed. I repeat, it was also reported yesterday that he wouldn't be able to play today which I think is for the aforementioned reason, and why all our other signings were fine to go ahead and play.

If you take a close read of the Rovers official article of his signature, they say in black and white that it is pending international clearance and visa approval. Those are the things that take time. The article by Talbot, however, is claiming that we didn't submit paperwork in time.

I would be amazed if the club would publish that article in full knowledge that the paperwork hadn't been submitted properly and on time. I'm sure they will have had confirmation by the EFL before announcing the signing and the formality of the work visa clearance.

I'm a big bloody fool and should have known better than to give this lot the benefit of the doubt. What a joke.

9 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

What article?

Here it is.

For what it's worth, a professional sportsperson can get their visa processed within five working days. That's the fastest you can do it. That's what Tomasson will have been through when he first joined and why we didn't see him for several days if people recall.

I'm not saying Rovers aren't prone to cocking things up, but on this occasion, I really do think it's a total nonsense article because it's likely McGuire's visa simply hasn't been fully processed given that it's only been one working day since he signed. I repeat, it was also reported yesterday that he wouldn't be able to play today which I think is for the aforementioned reason, and why all our other signings were fine to go ahead and play.

If you take a close read of the Rovers official article of his signature, they say in black and white that it is pending international clearance and visa approval. Those are the things that take time. The article by Talbot, however, is claiming that we didn't submit paperwork in time.

I would be amazed if the club would publish that article in full knowledge that the paperwork hadn't been submitted properly and on time. I'm sure they will have had confirmation by the EFL before announcing the signing and the formality of the work visa clearance.

12 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Some sort of international clearance issue maybe?

I'm sure that's all it is.

It was quickly reported after McGuire signed that he wouldn't be registered in time for today's game because he needed his work permit to be processed. If you recall, Tomasson also had to wait a good few days before his clearance came through before he started to work for the club.

Personally, I think it's just lazy reporting because match day has arrived and it's something to wind us up because McGuire isn't (and never was going to be) in today's match squad. The timing of the article stinks.

11 minutes ago, Mike E said:

How is it that an Orlando fan club, and our incumbent manager who has no link to BRFC aside from his employment contract, can see through our AWFUL owners, but our own fans cannot?

Why do they think it is that Burnley fans chant ‘long live the Venkys’? It’s because they are incompetent owners who are destroying everything Jack built; whether by accident or design is irrelevant.

Some of our fans didn’t deserve Jack, but they deserve Venkys.

What's interesting is that you like a post saying that we need a united fan base, and then you post this. Fair enough if that's what you genuinely think, but it seems contradictory.

I think it's sad that there is an air of blame between fans. Fans are entitled twonks, or fans deserve bad owners because they don't protest, or fans on Twitter are cretins so let's screenshot their opinions and point and laugh at them. Everyone just needs to take a breather and stop getting personal with each other. Tolerating and accepting that Rovers fans have varying opinions is a good place to start. Owners, managers and players come and go, but we don't. Let's just respect each other a bit more is all I'd like to see.

7 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

But considering we binned off Travis for not technically being capable in the deeper midfield role I wonder if Fleck can hack it?

I think Tomasson made it fairly clear that Travis binned us off rather than the other way around.

Just hearing that the McGuire talks have broken down mid-taxi ride. Tara McGuire now following Halifax Town on Twitter.

Just now, Lancaster Rover said:

To be fair the vast majority of meltdown and drama was on here, we have no idea what it actually looked like or what the problems were/weren't within the inner machinations of the club! History would point to it being incompetence/V's interference or a combination of both but we just don't know

Since last night, it seems that the delay in the Wharton deal was an attempt by Rovers to get Wharton back on loan for the remainder of the season. Nothing wrong with trying that and, in fact, it probably what everyone at the club hoped for.

The other report is that McGuire was advised to not fly over due to the ongoing negotiation over the Wharton deal, but that he wanted to anyway. Worst thing for McGuire is he'd speak to one or two other Championship clubs and potentially get a deal, or just go back to Orlando. But it sounds like we were (and maybe still are) McGuire's first choice, hence why talks have resumed now that the Wharton deal is finalised.

Seems straightforward to me.

15 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

How can you agree a deal if you have no money all of a sudden?

The football world is the wild west. They'll have assumed the Wharton deal would have been wrapped up by tonight. "You should be OK to get on the plane...". Lo and behold...

Urgh, I'm getting sick to death of this, now. The game isn't broadcast where I live, and my video season pass says "Unauthorized country". This is becoming a common occurrence.

2 minutes ago, BigBar said:

Brings me some hope that they will at least replace Pickering next season and have identified it as a problem area.

Pickering has been good this season in my view. His pace is a problem but I think his positional sense has improved massively to compensate. Solid player for us.

16 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

I don’t think he should be but I do think he should have been brought on more often recently.

I agree. He's got that determination and shit-housery that nobody else in our squad seems to have.

Although if we consider that Travis asked to leave in summer after having played 45 of 46 games in the league the season prior, it suggests to me there is something a bit more to it than playing time. To have wanted to leave over six months ago tells me it's more to do with his role at the club or simply that he isn't Tomasson's type of player.

I think Tomasson holds no prisoners, and it has ruffled a few feathers in what may have been a very comfortable nest.

11 hours ago, Miller11 said:

Update from meeting with Waggott tonight regarding the pictures and Liverpool Legends night…

Regarding the pictures dumped at the back of the Riverside:

It’s not acceptable, nothing should be getting dumped there and especially not pictures of Jack Walker. Thanks for bringing it to his attention and he will get it sorted right away. Things that are being thrown away should be in skips, but these could be put up around the concourses or used elsewhere. Asked me to forward him the pictures.

They are definitely from blues bar and were taken down several years ago (pre Covid) when the blues bar had a refurb as it was in need of one, it had got tired and a bit of a mess. It had a full refurb with new floor, seating booths, and obviously walls were decorated.

 

He found out about the Liverpool legends night via the Rovers media team (who had picked up on it yesterday or today). 

The booking of Rooms is done by Sodexo and a third party company has hired the space as many do every month. There is supposed to be a process where any sensitive/commercially conflicting bookings are flagged to the club. This hadn’t happened. He didn’t seem very happy that it was taking place and agreed with all the reasoning we gave that fans were angered by it. The use of Rovers name or IP in any of these externally booked events would be a breach. The entire matter is being looked at.

Why does the CEO need you to bring this sort of stuff to his attention to prompt him to do something about it? What is he doing all day?

The whole "attractive football" ethos of the club doesn't belong to Tomasson. He just has a different way of implementing the club party line than his predecessors.

Whoever is advising Venkys, or even Venkys themselves, want this idealistic way of football that doesn't bring anything to the table in the practical world. They've been trying this since we sacked Allardyce. Nothing much has changed, perhaps other than getting some absolute rotters out of the club that they employed in the first place.

The same ethos exists. Replace Tomasson, and we'll get another Head Coach who tows the "attractive football" line. Some days it'll work. Some days it'll make you feel that we're onto something. But, overall, it won't make any difference because you can't sustainably pull that type of football off with whatever little resources we seem to have.

Anybody here hoping for a "Colin" appointment must be aware that it will never, in a million years, happen.

Tomasson made it clear last month that it could still take a few months, but that he knows he's capable.

Nobody knows why Ennis is unprepared or out of shape. It doesn't really matter now because I'd wager we knew it at the start and the free transfer meant it was going to be worth it in the long-run. Had he not picked up his last injury, I think he'd have been close to fully ready, now, but it's obviously going to be another month or so if everything goes to plan.

On 01/10/2023 at 17:47, Wheelton Blue said:

I genuinely think we're heading straight on into a relegation scrap.

We're so easy to play against and so easy to scrore against.

Tomasson needs to swallow his pride and look to grind out a few draws.

Three months later and nothing has changed. In fact, this post could have been dated a year ago.

I don't think we're going into a relegation scrap. We have enough good days when we click and it works. They'll come again.

But there is a characteristic of this Tomasson side that has been in place for over a year; how easily we collapse when going a goal behind. Heads drop and we just give up. Nothing is changing. In fact, is say it's worsened.

During Tomasson's time here, after trailing by a goal during any game at any time, we've won 2, drawn 4, and lost 30 times. That's a mental trait that hasn't been dealt with.

Plymouth. Sheffield Wednesday. Huddersfield. Off the top of my head, and in-line with many away performances last season, we just collapse and barely bother to turn up or put up a fight, even if we're playing poorly. I'm sorry, but these sorts of collapses are on Tomasson and his decision-making.

And before anybody gets in a tiz that I'm not bashing Venkys or Broughton, Watford highlighted exactly those problems - that a bit more quality and squad depth would have seen us get something.

Today, however, was a complete collapse of either tactics or man management - or both. Today, like many other days that some won't like to admit, is on Tomasson.

29 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

You seem very keen to berate the fans today. Wahlstedt made 2 errors that cost us 3 points. Thus on an internet messageboard that he wont see, he is getting criticised for that. No one has said that he did it on purpose. It has no effect on him. But he did fuck up twice and it cost us the points.

Sometimes Leonard is totally anonymous, hes a young lad who has played more than he should this season at this level due to a lack of money. 

If saying that on here is beating the players down and it questions the status of their support, then I suspect you have the thinnest of skin and/or zero counter argument in regards to their performance.

Why are you getting personal? No need to say I have thin skin and zero counter argument. What are you adding to the debate, there?

Wahlstedt made two mistakes today that cost us. I agree with that, and that's before I read the OTT stuff on here.

However, like Pears, Wahlstedt is a young keeper that is going to make mistakes but has potential, of which he actually showed for the most part of the game today when called upon. Coming to England will be a huge move for him, but he has shown signs that he's starting to settle and show what he can do, as evidenced in recent games. As with Pears, I'm prepared to cut him some slack. Instead, I've seen "rubbish keepers" and so on. Fantastic assessments.

I'm much older than these lads but I'm fairly sure there is more focus on them now than there would have been ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. If somebody was criticising you for your work on a public forum, I'm sure you'd acknowledge that this sort of thing has to be managed and dealt with in a way that doesn't beat you down, but that you have to accept that it exists. I don't think many of us can begin to imagine what that is like, even if we were paid well. There is nothing wrong with criticising - for example, saying that he could have pushed those shots to the side or whatever, but some on here dismiss him out of hand, which I think is wrong. He's 24 or 25. Criticising is one thing, but what I see is a down-beating that he's "no good" and so on. It's here in black and white.

Furthermore, a poster highlighted the polarity of a one-off turn-up saying "we're fucking A!" followed by "same old Rovers, always a let-down". Most of us who watch every Rovers game know that today was actually a good performance against a superior side, and we tried our best. I just do not care for supporters who turn up and expect things that we could produce 25 years ago. If they head off into the sunset, that's sad, but fine, you can't price them down to spend their Saturdays watching something they're clearly unimpressed with.

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

What a terrible attitude. You would get along with Waggott and the owners.

It's not an attitude. It's an opinion. And I stand by it. That performance was blood and guts, particularly when we're running on empty, but it seems many supporters can't be arsed and leave when we're a goal behind still with eight minutes to play. I'd say that's a terrible attitude, and the noble efforts of the Trust and the takeover is just shat on by those who simply can't be bothered giving back because they've paid their tenner and, frankly, just aren't that bothered unless we're winning. Twas ever thus, I suppose.

Wahlstedt was at fault for the two goals, I felt, but I don't think there's a need to beat him down excessively like this. Why do Rovers "supporters" feel hell-bent on doing this to our younger players? My heart sinks when people, particularly one or two of the more seasoned posters, one of which has dismissed Leonard as "like playing with 10 men", as heart-sinking stuff. I don't think there is anybody in the coaching or playing staff who isn't trying their best to shift us up the league.

Just now, J*B said:

Can’t afford to fuck ‘em Gooz. Need to keep them onside and convert them in STs if there’s any chance of progression. 

Good luck with that.

7 minutes ago, J*B said:

Can’t see many of the 8K walk ons coming back this Christmas.

Ah, fuck 'em. If they leave on 87 minutes when there's still a chance, they don't deserve the effort. A ticket for a tenner. And they want... what? Shearer and Sutton banging in the goals?

Last count... 16,890. Looking at between 18k-19k gate, including 1,000 away supporters.

1 minute ago, Mike Graham said:

I hope so but goodness knows what they will find under the segregation banner.

It says "Venkys" on it, doesn't it?

I might do another count before kick-off if it's possible, but I've got 16,183. Estimate might be a tiny bit over, but looks like 100 tickets or so sold in the last hour.

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Do you think the difference between yours and Mike’s figure over the past few days is that unlike normally it looks as is if quite a few front row seats have been sold that are normally greyed out as standard?

Yes. My numbers are usually on the reserved side because I exclude the seats that are greyed out and never truly visible in terms of how many have actually bought tickets (front rows at ground level, and the corporate blocks). I've amended my post with numbers that are more in line if I include those in full.