Exiled_Rover

Hopefully this new contract results in a pay cut, he must be on a few bob under the circumstances he signed for us. I'm behind this move, assuming he's eventually going to be phased out as a squad player by an academy player/new signing.

Todd's 5'10" at best. Nelsen looks over 6', but it's hard to tell without physically standing next to him. Both are physically well build players, however, so that excuse by Mr Keeley doesn't wash with me. They're not going to be knocked off the ball by Campbell or Beattie, but what they failed to do was time their jumps and display basic communication skills between themselves and Friedel (the West Brom goal especially highlights this, though the entire Everton game is a pretty good example of how not to defend).

It's not tough to imagine really. He played wingback at Feyenoord and impressed in a highly technical league. You can understand why if you take a look at Burt - to sum it up he's an excellent athlete who has been well coached on the technical side of the game. His ball skills can be exemplerary, especially his close control, and his defending is effective and efficient (any time he has been around the right back spot he has more than done his job). In the role of a wing back, whereby he has the job of defending the opposition's left flank, and provide overlapping runs to whip in a cross, I'm positive he'd shine. If you remember he was an absolute machine before Deano and Souness' school of coaching got ahold of him, clearly that was a result of flying up and down Feyenoord's right flank all season. When you factor in his relative youth (23 at the time we signed him was he?) then you've got a highly rated player. Now the problem is when you place him on the right of midfield and ask him to do the job of a winger. Whilst being excellently coached in the technical side of the game, mentally he is lacking as a footballer. Often he seems confused as to what to do with the ball, resulting in his delay and the breakdown of the attack, or at least the disruption of its flow - those passes back inside must be spirit breaking for his team mates I'm sure. He is also a confidence player, who can be exceptional if he believes in himself. There are games during his time here when he has beaten the fullback early on in the contest and had a terrific game as a result. If he doesn't feel he has the pace or skill to get past said defender he tends to dissapear in games. What I fail to comprehend is his lack of confidence, especially as (I assume) the coaching staff builds this up prior to kick off. He has all the talent in the world, but lacks the confidence and the footballing nouse to adapt and be successful if plan A fails. Thus endeth the lesson

Been saying that for a while now, he's simply not that good anymore. I resign myself to conceding one if they get a free kick anywhere near our box. He was legitimately beaten four times against Everton, of which he'd have saved at least two a few years ago. Having said that there are few quality keepers floating around - we'd have to spend decent money to find an upgrade. Todd has been shakey of late and Gray was never a good defender to start with. Decent, yes, but barely passable for the Prem - it's his ability going forward that gets him in the team over Matteo. Another you might want to add to your list is Nelsen - he's been pretty woeful recently. I'd have put money on him being able to handle Beattie before the Everton game, especially as their only tactic was to hoof it up to the big lump. Clearly I was wrong Probably because he is a forward, contrary to popular belief. How he got benched for Pongolle tonight is beyond me. He offers a physical presence that the rest of our forwards lack, and a work ethic that is second to none. Talent wise, well he's not going to create any for himself or score any he shouldn't, but he's a decent option for a last ten minute burst. You'd obviously love to have somebody with his size and work ethic, but with the ability to finish and trap the ball - of course those cost several million pounds He's looked better than Pedersen of late, certainly in open play. Hopefully there's a forward, a leftback and a creative midfielder hidden away in the academy set up just waiting to break through

Sergio Peter is a bit quality ain't he. Finally an academy player breaking through.

What I said when we loaned him, everything I'd seen of him at Liverpool suggested he was little better than Jemal Johnson. So far that's proved the case.

Yet they're not worth it - Souness at his finest.

Well if Football Manager is anything to go by we're in serious financial trouble - Savage on £48k a week, Bellamy on £50k a week, Mokoena on £25k a week etc etc. Scary figures.

Good lad, he's much too good for that division. I still think he'll be a quality player for the Rovers in a year or so, but credit for him going on loan - helps out Wrexham (3 points already) and gives him some more experience.

Sounds like Souness.

I hope he does well there, he certainly has a bright future at Ewood if developed correctly - which I'm sure, under Hughes, is what will happen.

Ta

Moyes is too busy crying about the FA and it's leniency towards other clubs, apparently. His whine about whether they'd allow him a loophole to bring in another keeper made me want to slap him - "Well maybe the FA would for other clubs, but not for Everton", or words to that effect. Twit

I'm close to thinking we should revert to the 4-5-1 until our defensive frailties are sorted out on the training ground. Right now they'd give schoolboys a bad name with the errors they're making.

Ha, Fulham put six past West Brom, the same team that handed our asses to us. Brilliant

Well I was going to come home for the re-arranged Sunderland game, but quite frankly if the team can't be bothered turning up again I can't be fcuked driving 240 miles. Absolutely pathetic performance for the second game in a row - if Hughes still takes them to Dubai after that embarrassment he will lose a lot of credibility with me.

Getting frustrating?!!

The pros are getting shown up by a youth team player - says it all really.

Anyone know how to get the patch working, which file do I put it in?

Wow this Pongolle kid is special ain't he

Alright, seriously, where the ###### has the Rovers team been for the last two weeks? The defence hasn't bothered to turn up for about a month, but it seems the rest of the team has joined them on their vacation.

Like I said, provides a physical presence. It's pretty tough to use your pace when they're camped on the edge of their box.

Bring on Kuqi for Pongolle - they're both woeful in front of goal but at least Shefki provides a physical presence, which is what you need when they have nine men behind the ball.

Everton are disgusting, prancing faries when in possession and Chopper wannabes when defending.

So Mystic Meg, got any lottery numbers for me?