roversfan99

Are they in the Championship now?

Hes not a scapegoat as thankfully he doesnt play that many minutes anymore. And every time he comes on we are reminded why.

I think the point is that we have a bloke who knows he was lucky to get a Championship job and therefore will not dissent despite having the piss taken out of him.

Would Toth's ESC conversion be in jeopardy considering the games he will miss? McLaughlin was signed as an alternative to Kapuadi. Kapuadi was left footed, we need a right footer.

After a lot of talk about 2 games in about how this seasons promoted sides were all totally different from the last few years when they all were outside the drop zone. Leeds and Burnley (thankfully) are starting to look well off the standard. And Sunderland have had to spend a massive amount to be where they are. Its really not healthy and shows the impact of all the TV money and the gap its created.

Yes he should play on Wednesday (we have no alternative but to play him although he deserves to stay in the team anyway) and my opinion that I have shared a few times about how we did on Friday is summed up in those first 4 words, "Pratt did very well." He should certainly start the next game, and he will be given the opportunity to be considered a first teamer because regardless of how he does in the next month, he is one of 3 centre backs that we have so he will need to play every minute of every game this month. The opportunity is there for him. Best case scenario, we come through December and he proves that he can handle consistent Championship games. Certainly no suggestion here that he should be dumped or forgotten about. But we will need new centre backs either way.

Do we look far more solid away from home specifically without him? He played in 3 away games and we kept clean sheets in 2 of those.

Pratt did very well but it is premature to just consider him a first teamer going forward as a result. One new centre back and O'Riordan would be the minimum we need. We are so short there especially playing a 3.

They are, but thats causation rather than correlation. We changed system at that time.

Do you genuinely believe we are at the "start of an overhaul" which is very much parroting the guff that Gestede came out with, when he also said that the squad is now stronger which I am guessing even you disagree with. 18th probably isnt far off what I expected before the season started. At one point, it did look that such a finish would be beyond us. But 6 points is quite a lot so soon into the season. But I dont think its the platform for us to grow and become stronger season on season. We will probably lose more key players next summer. And we are due another "project" change.

He was literally here last season and was appalling. He showed a poor attitude and lack of work rate and offering nothing in terms of attacking ability. He had half a good season 3 or 4 seasons ago which escalated his reputation but since its been a mixture of not playing at all or being massively underwhelming when he has. I cant get my head around a Rovers fan suggesting his return. Id understand supporters of other clubs without having seen him at their club thinking hes worth the risk a bit, but we need to steer well clear. Albeit replacing Kargbo isnt hard.

I suggested that we will not get what we need in January as is proven by repeated failure You countered that point by highlighting 2 signings (a bang average left back and some cover at centre back) in a window that was the final straw in seeing a very talented manager leave, and also a young lad we had on loan who again barely played. As if that disproves my suggestion than January transfer windows at this football club are anything other than awful. On your first point, no it was not clear to me in the way that you put it as to whether you think we just need O'Riordan back or O'Riordan AND a Hyam replacement. Thats why I asked.

What do you think might have changed in the last 6 months of not being involved with a football club that will have turned Dennis into anything even slightly resembling a Championship footballer? Cantwell shouldnt be let go, hes still absolutely key and if hes fit he should be playing

He might be a starter here now but only because we let our best 2 centre backs go and didnt replace them. But either way, it doesnt refute my claim that we dont get what we need in January every year.

I dont think most clubs would go from 7th to 10th/12th and consider that a good season but it shows the direction of travel here. 10th-12th is good but being 18th isnt doing that bad.

But he definitely doesnt prove that we tend to get exactly what we need and/or upgrade our team in January. That was my initial point, there might be the odd serviceable squad player in that time admittedly.

So you agree that we need a Hyam replacement AND a second centre back that could potentially be O'Riordan. My comments about what we need arent necessarily aligned with whether its likely in January. But we are massively short at centre back, we were even before we changed formation. We are short at right wing back. And we are now massively short up front because we play 2 instead of 1. The last response shows that you are really reluctant to accept the reality of how the club operates nowadays. Trying to spin signing players like Sanderson as proof that we do sign quality that we need in January and being bored by the suggestion that we dont get what we need.

It isnt a factor, I specifically said it doesnt matter. Points per game is the important one, obviously. Im guessing you think that 18th in the table is above or at least on par with where youd place this set of players in the table.

The change in formation has undoubtedly had a positive effect on performances and results. The last 5/6 games in isolation certainly make things seem more optimistic. But due to the make up of the squad and also a few injuries, the squad looks even thinner so looking forward ita a massive worry. Miller, McLoughlin, Alebiosu, Ohashi and Gudjohnsen will pretty much have to play every minute in each 2 game week due to a lack of credible alternatives, thats half a team. Add to that, is a defence of Miller, McLaughlin and Pratt protecting Pears strong enough even without injuries? We know what January will spit out. Excuses, disappointment and negligence.

Hes up with them, many of them didnt play anywhere near as much as Gueye has.

Yesterday was a really good win and the recent run of form has been impressive and much needed. The current team looks much more well balanced and some of the players we already had (Hedges, Ohashi) have stepped up following the change in system. I have also seen some merit in some of the signings. Alebiosu has always looked very good, but Morishita (who I always felt contrary to a number of the others looked like he had some ability and something about him) has also started to contribute. Gardner Hickman has been ok, Miller and McLoughlin are serviceable and useful Championship players, and Gudjohnsen still is often underwhelming in general play but has a knack of scoring poachers goals which is the most important thing in a striker. De Neve, Henriksson and Tavares still look nowhere near it and Baradji is obviously a bit of an enigma/parody. But I am wary of getting carried away. I still have big fears about how the squad is going to cope in particular over this next month. The subs bench looks so weak. Defensively, we are in a position where it is critical that Miller and McLoughlin play every minute, and its going to be an enormous ask to expect Pratt to maintain a good standard twice a week for a prolonged period of time. Alebiosu is also going to have to play every minute. Up front, again Gudjohnsen and Ohashi are pretty much going to have to play every minute. If we need a goal and need to change something, we dont have any serious options to change it up.

If you think that those named signings prove that we do add quality in January then again, I think we have different standards. Ayari was not the player he is now, Sanderson was just back up who barely played and Ribeiro is bang average. None of them improved us particularly. Kargbo as a striker? What a frightening thought. Those behind the goal should be prepared to duck for cover (if his hamstrings dont go again). We needed a centre back regardless, not a young lad back from loan, we didnt replace selling our best one. Playing 3, I think we need 2, if the second is O'Riordan then fine, but we need a first choice one to slot straight in. I am assuming that we are making the decision to build a squad around playing the formation we are at the moment. Therefore, we need a couple more strikers as you need 4 to compete for 2 places. Because of the change in formation, some of those players dont need directly replacing, but no one will want them anyway so they will be stuck here. The 2 left backs are no longer needed in our formation. A (really poor) winger in Kargbo is no longer needed in our formation. Henriksson is behind Cantwell and Morishita, and Tavares behind at least 5 midfielders. We wont get what we need, we never do, but I think that is what we need.

I think he deserves credit for sure for recent results, and the change in formation certainly has really helped. I dont think he is doing a good job overall though, no. His record in charge still is poor, but it was terrible before recent results. And this doesnt matter but I also find him incredibly difficult to warm to. Very much the type of manager that suits these owners and this board, willing to talk rubbish publically to protect them. Im guessing that you think hes doing a good job.

He is definitely not doing a "great" job.

We wont add 2 or 3 quality players in January. We never do. I think the change in formation being successful increases the number of players that we need. 2 centre backs, 2 forwards and right wing back cover. No idea where 7 or 8 came from. A number of Gestede's crap in Gueye, Henriksson, Kargbo and Tavares can all leave for me. Pickering and Ribeiro also become surplus to requirements, although I'd keep the former in case we ever want to go back to a back 4 occasionally, he can also provide extra centre back cover but it seems hes the next on the cull list for earning normal wages.