On 07/02/2021 at 17:12, Mattyblue said:

Yes Dack isn’t fit and he hasn’t had the impact we hoped.

But TM isn’t helping with his approach of chucking on four subs at once like an international friendly and ending up with about 5 forwards on the pitch, but no discernible shape.

Does he have a clue of what to do with him in the post Danny Graham team?

That's because we have four of the forwards playing in midfield.  If he had stuck Gallagher(or Brerton)in the middle, Armstrong playing off him, and had Elliot and Dolan playing as offensive wingers for the last 15 it might have had more of an effect.  Also, why did we buy a full back from league 1 then loan him back, rather than loan the player in the same position that is out of contract in the summer!  

Pretty sure the owners cant blame FFP for not investing in the pitch. The cost of pitch upgrades doesn't count towards it!

1 hour ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Personally, I think he takes too many shots that have next to no chance of going in - and none of his long-rangers have gone in this season. Shearer, Newell, Speedie etc all knew when to shoot and when to pass.

He has been the consistently good player for Rovers this season so far IMHO. TBH would love to see him play CF for a bit, especially as all players we have up front have played in a variety of roles across a front 3.

On 02/11/2020 at 23:22, LDRover said:

Good post. You articulated my thoughts far better than I could. Think it'll be possession for possession's sake. No doubt he'll knock a few cracking 50 yard floating diagonals that show his quality but don't threaten the opposition.can get

The 50 yard floating diagonals might be threatening with Elliot or Dolan on the right, both seem to be able to quickly get the ball under control and do something with it.

11 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

That quote is very Alan Partridge .

It would sound even more so if he had mentioned Cones!

Playing Evans, Holtby and Johnson (in the pivot position) doesn't work for me, especially when Evans is seemingly doing a modern fay impression of Batty.  I will pass it, but only sideways or back.  Might be a bit different with Trybull as the pivot, Dack/Rothwell/Holtby as the mids playing off the pivot, Williams at left C/B and Douglas at left back. Let the quick forward line we have use their pace, rather than battling for punts forward in the air!

Trybull has the same agent as Lewis Travis, Elliot Bennett, Amari Bell and Danny Graham btw. 

They have played against one another though.

Wonder if Lewis Holtby knows Tom Trybull and put in a word?

Think thats how Rooney is at Derby, not a great example btw!

Pretty sure under the current FFP rules we could sign whoever we want, pay them a shitload as a youth development coach (as long as they do some coaching), pay as play deal for actually playing.  If the owners wanted to fund it..

Pretty sure Brentford are using the Moneyball model, Mark Warbuton didnt agree with it and then left.  Seems like a traditionally lower league club are doing really well with it.  They have a small capacity stadium, still nowhere near FFP limits and have done well in league position for the past few years. 

7 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

The Mulgrew one gets me. Absolutely no way he was seeing that length of contract. Smallwood and Bennett I can live with. I don’t think they believed for one minute that Trav was gonna kick on so quickly. Prob thought they’d have got to the following Christmas before Smallwood was surplus. Bennett has been worth it, I’ve no axe to grind there.

The Sam Hart and Smallwood mini extensions were absolutely scandalous, 

With regards to Mulgrew I really hope we don't pay him off fully and allow him to sign up somewhere else and earn even more money in the next year.  TBH even if he has had a fall out with the manager as a pro footballer surely he should try his best and play his way back into the team whilst he is under contract.  Either that or compromise, take a lower payout and go and play!

Just now, Paul Mani said:

Well bearing in mind the last time we lost someone meaningful via the running down of their contract was Hoilett 12 years ago....I’d say THE CLUB have been pretty good at it tbf?

Not quite as good at having players they want rid of on large contracts though!

1 hour ago, philipl said:

I think his crossing ability will seal Gallagher starting in place of Dolan v Forest

Why? Dolan doesn't seem shy of heading, either the ball or someone else's head (Cunningham), even though hes at a bit of a height disadvantage..

We have a centre back at the club, under contract and on very good money but not training with the 1st team.  If we cant transfer him, at least give him the chance to get into contention.  Don't know what went on but the current situation makes both Mowbray look like he doesn't know how to manage someone who argues with him and Mulgrew like a petulant kid.  The club cant afford either.

If Kaminski spends the season passing  the ball, rather than having a record number of shots stopped, I would be really happy!

4 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I don't think we paid £5million for his abilities as a centre back to be honest.

No, but he did play there for us as well as up front, and was really good.

M1st - Disagree rather disgrace I think.

I think if we had signed the 2018 Davenport now after Travis's injury the board would be buzzing.  Its not his fault about injuries. I really hope he gets a run of games tbh.

1 minute ago, tomphil said:

Squaddies, bodies, numbers.

Ex city player with injuries since he joined and a buy back clause, maybe he will come good yet.

2 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Squaddies, bodies, numbers.

If Williams is staying and playing CB then I really think we need a first team left back as a priority.  Travis is a big loss but think the squad can cover it until he's back with the amount of midfielders we have.  Backup goalie maybe, but is it worth spending our limited budget on a backup goalie who may well end playing as many games as Leutwieler, when he played very few 1st team games?  Bell might be OK as a back up, but its obviously the area we are weakest.  I actually really like Bennet as a squad player, but he isnt a left back!

35 minutes ago, Wegerleswiggle said:

Hardcastle????

Sorry, wrong surname.  Lewis Thompson

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

source Lancs Live website. From Mowbray during his post match interview

Is there anything you can tell us on Ryan Manning?

"No. That's a name you've just thrown at me. It's not true. I think Ryan Manning is a very good footballer, I imagine QPR are not going to let him walk away.

"We haven't got any money to buy anybody. How much is Ryan Manning going to cross? If you're going to buy a player, you have to buy the player and then you have to give him a salary.

"So I would say there is enough money to buy one player who can help us to get to where we want to be or we could loan two or three players and use that money as salary, which just becomes dead money at your club at the end of the year.

"Our decision is ultimately whether to loan some players who are going to help us in a one-off season or are we going to buy one player who can be ours?

"But then we've got more than one position that we feel we need to strengthen or cover, it's a difficult conundrum for us, somewhere along the line we'll see what falls in place.

"If not, you saw the team today, there is a lot of young players who are doing the job. How young is that team today? It's a pretty young group of footballers who are trying their best and yet I know, and maybe you know as well, that it's very difficult to maintain consistency with seven or eight U23 players in your team all season.

"We would like to strengthen in certain areas or cover in certain areas because we know the games are going to come thick and fast.

"I know exactly to the penny how much we've got but it's probably a couple of loans or a signing, I would suggest, and I'm not sure I'd want to spend it all on Ryan Manning when we've got Amari'i Bell doing ok, so there's other areas I feel we need to strengthen first."

I would like to know which positions he needs to strengthen 1st before left back, unless Lewis Hardcastle is the plan/  EBenno is a decent  filler in at various positions but please not left back.  We appear to have cover everywhere apart from in goal and left back!

8 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Trav May require surgery. I’d get James Garner in on a six month loan now so we have cover, or fuck it and spend the £2m for Whiteman.

What does he need surgery for??