Corry Evans has got better without Jason Lowe in the team. Coincidence?

10 hours ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

Give him a trial before signing him, so we have more of an idea whether he is past it.

You mean like the one we gave Wes Brown. He got injured during it and we still signed him.

On 30/11/2018 at 11:09, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I was reading an article at the weekend about the wages the top clubs are paying their players. The wages the Yanks are paying are right up there with the best so he'll have been on big bucks.

Listening to Talksport it reported that Cole was 8 grand a week and Slatan was on 15 grand. Cole has an option for another year at 8 grand but LA Galaxy are not taking it but are willing to pay 5. If that is what they are talking then maybe not as daft until the end of the season.

1 hour ago, 47er said:

So true. The problem is that Conway could start next game and be completely anonymous.

What this game should show Mowbray is how we had an extra dimension to our attacking play because we had a genuine winger rather than a "wide forward" and that he should sign one in January.

but with recent performances of Dack, it proves that any player can anonymous in a game.

Conway put in a great performance yesterday and has given Mowbray a plan B to the long ball now the ball is in mowbray's court to judge when to go long or go wide.

The worry for me is that in one game we look energetic but in the Wigan game to look so laboured. 

On 30/11/2018 at 20:12, Mike E said:

I view it more as he’d be driving the team forward from midfield, BUT it would require the other midfielder to be prepared to show for him or mop up.

Mowbray would want two to mop up so he would have to sacrifice a wide player or Dack. Hence my original comment

On 01/12/2018 at 00:26, BankEnd Rover said:

You me friend are talking rubbish 

Nicely counter argued. 

Please explain why I'm talking rubbish. Bet you can't.

12 hours ago, Ossydave said:

If we want more energy in midfield look no further than Rothwell, yet time and time again he just gets overlooked 

I'm being picky but to me he can't play in a midfield pair, the only way he will play centrally is in Dack's position. He likes to run with the ball which is dangerous if he is playing deep.

We need energy in midfield so I'm surprised nobody has suggested Bennett in central midfield yet. 

Left back is a serious concern where both Bell and Williams have obvious failings but its not just those two. Armstrong never offers any protection and I'm sorry to say Mulgrew is getting caught in bad positions. Is that because he is trying to do cover for the let back. I know Conwy is finished as a left winger but he would offer protection.

Goals are a problem as well. If it wasn't an issue I would drop Dack but as he is the only scoring you can't drop him at the moment. Saturday represents a defining moment in this season and I suspect our manager who likes to attack may go ultra catious so I suspect

Raya

Nyambe    Lenihan  Mulgrew  Williams

Reed     Bennett    Evans    Conwy

Dack

Graham

7 hours ago, adz4d2 said:

Mowbray likes to play 4 2 3 1, in his mind thats his ideal formation, with the 4 up top acting as 4 strikers in effect, so goals never drout and the opposition doest know were the next goal is coming from, with that in mind we would ideally like 2 in every position.

GK: Raya, Leutwiler

LB: Nyambe, ?

CM: Reed, Smallwood, Evans, Bennett

RM Rothwell, Brereton

AM: Dack Palmer

LM: Armstrong, ?

ST: Graham, ?

Were a bit light at lb, lm and st, i dont think well manage to get all three in Jan but if we can atleast get a left back to act as competition for Nyambe so bennett can be used further upfield id be happy, if we get chapman as well thatd be a great window

Have you been watching Rovers in a mirror? Nyambe is a right back not a LB. Rothwell has tended to play LM when he has played with Armstrong switching to the right. You've no mention of RB so I presuming Bell and Williams will feature there. Personally I can't see full backs playing on the wrong side catching on.?

Also Palmer when he has played has tended to feature RM although grant you his prefered position is AM. Bennett I agree CM is his best postion but mainly played RM.

I suspect we've already got Dack's replacement. Look at the summer signings....we know that Bereton can't play the Graham role so looks better suited in the No.10 role. It is also clear that Rothwell is not been bought to fill a centre midfield spot so that leaves wide or Dack's position. Similarly we've brought Palmer in who prefers to play centrally. 

I suspect Mowbray was suspecting more interest in Dack during the summer or is getting ready for Jan or next summer. 

Odd. I thought this thread was about Souness not Dunn or legendary players. 

Personally I thought Dunn has said one of his biggest regrets was not listening to Souness at the time. Or have I imagined that. Souness may have survived losing any one of Dunn, Jensen or Duff but to lose all three around the same time would have destroyed most teams. We would have lost them all anyway but to lose all three within a season the heart beat had gone and the replacements.

IMO, Dunn potentially was a more complete midfielder than Lampard and Joe Cole. If he played for a London club he would have been in the England team sooner. Like so many younger players before and after he stopped listening and thought he knew it all. Yes he made a comeback after his injury as a steady attacking midfielder but Pedro and Batman I think are both right. He did have a career threatening injury whilst at Brum but I seem to recall reading an article about how if he had looked after his body better it would not have been as bad.

Now all people, other than Rovers fans, remember about him is him showboating in Brum derby and tripping himself up. It is a sad reflection on his entire career. 

Souness may have gone about it better but in the end he was right about Dunn.

He was the manager of Rovers for my first game at Ewood. RIP

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I really hope that isnt the midfield against Preston, thats incredibly negative. Armstrong surely has to play, and I like to see Palmer on the other side. Not sure Bennett can justify a starting place based on recent form, and Reed should play in his best position, driving the team from there alongside Evans.

He may give Armstrong the nod but no way will Palmer start as well. Reed was poor in the centre even before he got injured the last game so I think Smallwood will play as he is trusted by Mowbray. 

5 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

We dont need to be make signings just for the need of.

 

Eh?

Surely when we need to make signings surely thats when we should make signings.

If what you are saying is that we shouldn't make signings for the skae of making signings then I'd agree with you but if players are available that would improve your first eleven then we should try and make them. The key aim is to improve the team on the pitch and a perfect example is the one that Gumboots gave.

I agree that signing journeymen who will clog spaces on the bench or reserves is not the correct way to go.

Still maintain Souness' beginning of the end at Ewood was when he lost his trusted right hand man, Phil Boersma. I seem to remember this was down to ill health. 

11 hours ago, J*B said:

Just so I can keep track here...

Dacks got a 15m release clause

Rovers rejected WBAs 15m bid

Leeds are going to offer 20m despite Dack having a 15m release clause and Rovers rejecting a 15m bid.

Right?

Ahhh.. chances are the bid has to exceed 15 million to activate the release cause and thats why WBA were rejected and why now Leeds are offering 20 million. if thats the case they'd offer 15 million and a penny.

 Its the usual rumour mill about Rovers best players. If we have one doing well its so they can get away from Ewood quickly. Rovers fans need something to moan about and now when the club is doing well, compared to recent seasons, it will be we can't keep our players.

With Rovers pushing for promotion at the moment, it does not make sense for Dack to jump to relegation threatened side in Janurary as he maybe swapping places with Rovers in May. Bournemouth or Watford maybe a worry should they start looking though.

Actually him supproting Man Utd may not be a bad thing as well. At least he won't jump to the club he suppprted all his life, unless there is a club that plays in his dad's favourite kit!

1 hour ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Need a natural, pacey wideman, an Andy Todd type horrible big bugger at the back and a Graham back-up. Good luck, Tony!

In today an Andy Todd type player would never play, he'd be suspended all the bloody time. We need someone who can dish the pain a bit cleverer like a Kevin Moran type.

Everyone agrees that we need a backup to Graham and I would like to see a natural wideman or two but thats not Mowbray's style unless he could find players like Wilcox and Ripley who could defend as well as they attacked.

Still would like to see a player who had vision to pick a killer ball in the midfield area rather than play a safe percentage ball or run into blind alleys.

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

 

We also need a right back as Bennett is a weakness when he covers there, and we havent seen Reed there (apparently very good at Norwich at right back) but hes first choice in the middle.

 

Smallwood and Evans have appeared to be first choice in the middle up until now. Probably this Saturday with Nyambe now having game time we will see who Mowbray will select for central midfield. Would not be surprise to see Reed right midfield and Bennett left midfield with Evans and Smallwood central.

As cover Bennett is fine at right back but would not like to see him there first choice but we do need someone to push Nymabe for that automatic right back slot.

2 hours ago, perthblue02 said:

Home to Ipswich, 87/88 maybe ? and kept a clean sheet . 

Might be wrong but at the back of my mind seem to remember listening to a midweek away game on the radio where it happened as well don't think it was Garner , late eighties? 

I think it was 88, Vince O'Keefe broke his leg and Garner went into the nets. It was a mid-week game. I remember being in the Enclosure so the Riverside was shut for rebuild 

4 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11537436/west-brom-1-1-blackburn

Highlights. Wonderful strike by Reed. For the joker saying Dack isn't a 'clever' player have a look at the way he sets up Rothwell for his sitter. 

Notice Rodrigues running the opposite way from their goal scorer just so he can run in front of the Rovers fans. Prick. 

I take it back.....he's better than Messi........no wait a minute one play does not kame him a football genius......if he was he'd be playing above us......he still has a LOT to learn as have you my friend!!!

Apparently rushed to hospital from BT studios. Sounds serious.

Hope he is Ok

Just now, JacknOry said:

Is anyone playing in their optimum position today? Defensive winger playing as attacking midfielder when we have an attacking midfielder playing on the wing. Another attacking midfielder is up front, a left back is playing CB, a CM is our other CB while we have a RM/CM at RB.

 

Brereton.......sub

Thats two

Just now, JacknOry said:

Is anyone playing in their optimum position today? Defensive winger playing as attacking midfielder when we have an attacking midfielder playing on the wing. Another attacking midfielder is up front, a left back is playing CB, a CM is our other CB while we have a RM/CM at RB.

 

Raya

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Mowbrays comments today about us lacking a striker are very concerning. He signed 4 attacking players and yet he seemingly onlly trusts Dack, and beyond that one striker in Graham. The other 4, he needs to learn how to get the best from. He has no right to suggest that hes short up front after spending over 8m on 2 strikers and its worrying that in his recent interviews, unless hes bluffing, that he doesnt seem to be acknowledging that Brereton is the obvious alternative to Graham centrally.

If he is going to continue to see Brereton as a wide man, then the general consensus will be that he should have signed a winger instead. Breretons a player who when he did impress at Forest, it was as a striker. He is not a winger and if Mowbray continues to play him there, barring a totally unexpected change in affairs, both he and Brereton (mainly Mowbray) will continue to draw criticism and that signing will really become the elephant in the room.

Yes we signed 4 attacking players and all 4 are vying for the same role which is occupied with an existing player. Whose fault is that? It certainly not Brereton's.

The problem is that should Graham gets injured we have noone who can play that role. Mowbray suggests Dack or Armstrong but neither has shown capable so for. We can stay lucky then this has to be addressed in Janurary urgently. From the evidence so far we have no plan B style of play.

Again this the managements fault not Breretons

31 minutes ago, 47er said:

No he aint!  

Pantomine season has come early...

Oh yes he is......see later chats with Stuart and Chaddy.