Blimey have we actually signed an experienced defender?!

14 hours ago, Tomphil2 said:

Yep the fishing in the relegated Belgium teams is another step down from recruiting the likes of Quashi and Tronstad so the chances of them hitting the ground running are less.

It's not always about what abilities they posses as most players have some sort of qualities it's more about how quickly they can adapt. The right attitude, desire and mindset and that takes a bit more scouting time and research than pouring over stats in less demanding leagues.

Fingers crossed.

Yeh it's happened before and it will happen again. Let's be hopeful. There has to be some reason why we signed them both. 

5 hours ago, JBiz said:

It’s a write off statement to say “wait till you’ve seen them in action”, and there are lists of obscure European (and further afield) players we, and others have signed over the years that have been great.

That doesn’t mean it’s not a risk btw, I’d agree with that but I still think there’s potential in the approach. Tronstad and Ohashi - both very good recent examples of signings for peanuts.
 

Whilst I’m sure people can say they have different pedigrees, some players just work with managers, systems etc. That Dack (thought it was relevant because he’d mainly played 3rd/4th tier when we signed him) article I read earlier summed up his form for rovers, his love for Mowbray and the way he was paired with Danny Graham played a big part in his (and our) success.

Understand, however unearthing one gem from an unknown league and supporting them to adapt and fit in to our squad is one thing, we are buying a few players with no championship experience and likely they will be our starter's going forward, high risk and I think we may be doomed 

Why are we buying players from a Belgium league 2 side. What kind of joke is this. We have signed 2 players from the same club?!

On 14/07/2025 at 16:49, jim mk2 said:

That team would get relegated

100% that looks like half the subs and the other half... I'm not sure 

Where is our first team?!

5 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Give me the nod and I'll open the new season's relegation thread

We are doomed.

Losing Batth and now probably our CM partnership and RB...

We are doomed 

1 hour ago, Forever Blue said:

Username checks out

underrated comment👏

On 07/07/2025 at 21:05, J*B said:

Selling good players for profit and reinvesting in replacement good players. Interesting approach from Norwich. 

meanwhile we are selling good players for... peanuts.. and reinvesting in replacement .....(insert alternate comment) unknown players.... what a club

1 hour ago, simongarnerisgod said:

it`s a tad scary that we could possibly go into the new season ,with 2 injury prone centre backs(carter and wharton),a mard arse (hyam) and left back who can occasionally play centre back (pickering)

I want to agree and my head is saying it's very likely.... but it's still only early July.

I am seriously surprised we have even signed anyone let alone paid money for players so I think someone at the club is trying to get us something.

It may be a PL loan and be useless but we may end up with another Harvey. 

Let's wait til window closes before we get depressed about the current CB situation 

21 minutes ago, den said:

I think it’s about time the LT started serious questions of Venky’s ownership and the last 15 years.

Spot on..they are a local newspaper. They should be pressing this topic..what have they got to loss? 

Some proper investigative journalism is required 

1 hour ago, Moptop1 said:

And yet some think we wouldn’t be better off with our (amazing) owners.

Says it all really, doesn’t it?🙄

Some people think the earth is flat too. A lot of strange people out there

6 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

3 managers who have worked with him have all loaned him out,that tells you the story

6 hours ago, rigger said:

Because nobody has offered to buy him.

He's that bad? Thought we had unearthed gold by the posts on here when he was being rumoured

On 27/06/2025 at 22:17, BankEnd Rover said:

O’Riordan To Donny - Good loan for him that.

Why we loaning him out again?

He's gone out yet again, lower league yet again..why did we sign him in a Jan transfer window? What was the thought process behind this deal if he doesn't seem to be good enough for us let alone another championship team 

2 hours ago, J*B said:

I'm not one to argue the clubs point of view, but if he's only on 2K a week then its entirely of his own doing. He could have demanded a contract on much more money 18 months ago, but clearly thinks leaving on a free is going to be better for him in the long run - and is probably right. 

I love rovers as have done since I can remember but the way these lot treat our club, the ladies, the youth, coaches, I don't blame him or anyone else in his shoes. He's not the best player in the league but he's not the worst so fair play if he isn't accepting their low ball he should do what wants. He's given his best effort in the years and even tho we've not seen a complete player we can't argue with his efforts 

Any news on Batth or weimann?

Batth off to derby??

1 hour ago, Tomphil2 said:

As always the truth will be somewhere in the middle but the cast iron evidence shows this keeps on happening here these days.

It goes totally against the model they keep saying they are running, it is counterproductive in the long run and costs more in replacements and lost transfer income than it would in a decent first offer to get a better chance of a good outcome.

Agreed. They could have sold him last year or the year before if so wished. They kept him on and hoped he would sign another deal for cheap/low wage

From the article today sounds like he has gone... despite rovers putting him in the retained list.

Either they love to lie or one side of the club doesn't talk to the other side.

Such a farce. 

He'll be missed...but he probably won't miss the shambles 

Fascinating turn of events. Possibly Steve wanted to support the women's and owners didn't? No coincidence the timing of it all

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Elliott Jackson has done a bit of a spin aarticle saying how ruthless we have been with that retained list.

Have we? We have given Hedges a new deal as its easy and cheap. We have given Weimann who is old and injured a contract offer, obviously Batth is a no brainer so that only leaves Forshaw who even then, and as he admits, we may revisit that one.

Mate his article is frustrating 

Makes no sense. It's not even readable.

So we have not extended forshaw ? 

The article suggests we will make a decision later but then says we aren't retaining him

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

Thanks for that 🙂 

In which case, he may not move on to Chelsea until next summer, probably on loan with an undisclosed option to buy, or similar

I think we are speculating quite a lot here

Yes he is a good player but Chelsea spend so much money whenever they want-I don't think they are linked to this deal.

He will go to France for free and they will probably keep him, talent develop him (similar to how Chelsea operate) and sell him on eventually for a larger fee, maybe back to man city after a couple of years.

I don't think Chelsea will take him on loan or after a season to avoid paying a small compensation that is quite unlikely based on Chelsea's track record 

Why would he stay? He's probably on peanuts and has been a regular. Good injury record. Good championship squad player. He'll probably go to derby where JE will get better out of him like he did this season 

I'm always sad to see our players who put maximum effort, leave.

Yes he doesn't score or assist as many as we expect but we finished 7th which was way above our expectations after last season so I think he's done alright this season 

Was he looking like he was waving good bye? Different than the other players after the match?

Did he wave goodbye?