Downing back last season when there was no need, 400k and a long contract to Pears, the Chapman saga.

There's a million quid down the tubes there for no good reasons at all. Then some wonder how money gets wasted here and why a lot of us think Mowbray is taking the piss.

If there'd been a player released by Boro,  with the right connections wanting 20k pwk short term deal and Mowbray fancied him, he'd be here now.

That's how self serving this lot are it's a rancid set up.

Why is anyone surprised at all ?

We have form for this frequent low balling for players whose clubs have set a rough price. When and if they ever get past that they then low ball them with wage offers so it falls through.

We get told they wanted 30k pwk, then they sign for clubs paying less than half that.

Con jobs, the mass signings of the types we've got tells you all you needed to know about the real plan.

4 minutes ago, J*B said:

Am I being OTT by suggesting how this situation has played out requires a statement by the owners and recruitment team?

'Johns come in and done a great job he's sold a player in the last 12 months of his contract for big money. Hes brought in a host of highly thought of young players who'll only get better. Hes been sleeping at the training ground and hasn't seen his family, he works all hours this is why i, er sorry the club brought him here. The owners understand, they are happy with our business'

1 minute ago, blue_n_white99 said:

 

We are also only a couple of injuries away from a disaster, Ayala, Lenihan, Nyambe etc. are all physio gold pass members.

The back end is going to get rotated as much as the front line.   It's ok though because he's only bothered about players personal development not league positions. Even if they aren't actually ours and offer no long term benefit to the club whatsoever.

9 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

we`ve looked a well drilled  team so far this season,i hope all these loans does`nt **** it all up

True, probably for the first time ever on a consistent basis under Mowbray but now with all these kids to shoehorn in.....

10 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

This loaning players in so we can loan our own players out is absolutely ludicrous.

The only people benefitting are agents taking their cut out of the deal.

Bingo.

It's going back to how it used to be with all the ins and outs. Next thing they'll be flogging young players to lower div clubs for a few hundred grand again.

4 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Does this Khadra play in the same position as the lad we've just got from Leeds?

Yeah but Tony has promised to develop him in another position probably.

3 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I hear that they won the premier league some time ago 😆 

What has Tony been saying 

I'd be surprised if he's even involved in some of these to be honest.

Healy same agent as the left back just signing plus the Greek keeper, Travis and another or two.

Probably someone trying hard to get him in here.

5 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

That is exceptionally uninspiring. Never scored more than 11 in England and at 26 not likely to be getting any better.

What's the standard in French Ligue 2 like?

Cheap.

1 minute ago, JoeH said:

I feel like this one relates to us. Rumours Obafemi began travelling up and was turned around.

Good.

32 minutes ago, blue_n_white99 said:

If for the sake of argument we had a scouting system in South America and said scouts found a few kids that looked decent and would be U18s etc. What criteria would be needed for them to be registered?

 

A Venky friendly agent or Balaji wanting to promote their brand over there.

22 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He doesn’t know what he’s looking for because he still doesn’t know what system he wants to play. So he doesn’t know wether he wants a conventional full back or a wing back. 

I think he does he's just never had the right personnel to play it or nous to get them. Certainly not at Championship level. Imo it's obvious he's always wanted a core style of 3 at the back with attacking wing backs.

Tried it wherever hes been and tried it here after relegation. I think if he could get away with it that's how he'd always go it's another never ending experiment of his. Now if he'd recruited for it from the very beginning we might have a system that works well by now.

Instead it's just the same old swap/change/shoehorn stuff and grab what you can who can play in several positions. One thing he isn't nor never has been here is a specialist recruiter. 

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Well after signing Bell, Hart, Cunningham, Douglas, Pickering, the new lad ?  - I’m starting to wonder just what he’s looking for in a left back.

If he'd looked for one who could defend first and foremost we'd probably have had one in years ago.

Not the Mowbray way though that.

Sounds to me like theres been a few token offers of half valuation flying around.

'We tried but...'      How serious are they actually ?

2 more loans in who can play wing/false 9/mid probably.

Surprise signing ..... Downing back on a 5 year deal !!!!!

A decade out would be a concern for any possible recruit but the other bit ?

That's the pond we fish in.

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

No.

Why do people think if someone plays off centre that they're being played as a winger? Unless we start playing 442 we won't be playing anyone as a winger.

A front 3 of Lowe Brereton Gallagher is capable of a decent return IMO and I'm up for it.

It's hard to tell at times though, yes they get deployed as wide strikers but it depends on what the other side is doing. Often they end up like defensive wingers stopping the other teams full backs coming forwards. Other times they are indeed peeling wide looking to put a ball in. They both tend to spend a lot of time chasing around in circles in wide mid positions though after terrible first touches of just getting pushed to the deck!

It's a real mish mash at times which is why we lack so much balance and offer nothing going forwards. However we are getting away with it so far this season so it can be argued it's working. Just not in the way wide 'strikers' should do.

2 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

What kind of scouting network do you need to be aware of Deeney? A Sky subscription?

He'd be exactly the kind of signing that ballses up wage bills and FFP. 

Doesn't matter if he slips into the right team and helps fire them up mind but for the likes of us it's Leon Best territory.  He must have agreed peanuts at Brum.

3 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Maybe they don’t say exactly what they’re doing in interviews? Or give off “skint” vibes for agents / other clubs?

I don't know there's been a few things to contradict that as well down the years. I think ToMo just waffles the first thing that comes to mind.

Obviously you don't want to reveal your hand and i doubt it's very much anyway. Allegedly though it's not unusual for Rovers to offer some rather odd staged payment deals. Every now and then one might drop if they tip up a good enough deposit.

I think he was saying similar stuff before they tipped up 5 million for Gallagher.

You just never know at this club, it seems that if someone pops up he or someone involved really wants they suddenly find money.

2 minutes ago, Gav said:

That goal at Doncaster to gain promotion, the look on his face, the jubilation in the stands, club legend for me.

That's not the debate though is it he was fercking useless the season we went down. Good in league 1 as you'd probably expect then bang average at best back in the Championship.

Why did he lose his place then get bombed out ?

Decent guy who played a massive part in bouncing back no doubt but club legend ?  Aye to the under 20's maybe.

The young cheap punts out of the Scottish leagues tend to have done alright at Rovers.

The ones with bigger reps having more paid for them and/or big contracts chucked in front of them have tended to flop.

Ferguson, Amoruso, Goodwille, Stokes and the like. Even Mulgrew whilst being great in lge 1 wasn't up to much in the Championship. His wand of a left foot was quality but defensively he wasn't all that. Must've cost a fortune in wages as well.

This is all stacking up again to 'we tried but...'

Meanwhile a raft of options to rotate about up front already on the books.

I'd have had Keane in a season or two ago when there was a bit of a budget and some experience to work with. It all needed a kick up the arse, a genuine target and less old pals acts bothering more about the players feelings.

He was the man.

Now though going with this youth policy and grow to sell they seem to have given up on everything else. Doubt he'd be the right man for that caper Mr Midtable and co are tailoring it just to suit themselves. They might have found something they are actually good at, time will tell.

As for actual ambition, it left town a long while ago i'm afraid.