roversfan99

Phillips has probably accelerated his development by playing more since leaving than he probably would had he stayed. Wharton is a special case, not the norm.

Why would I have info on transfers? Ismael might be prepared and have agreed to sign x, y and z. So were previous managers. He isnt the reason many fear a slow and/or poor window.

We also could do with more natural cover for Alebiosu for when he comes back, just because he is so important. I would rather see Litherland play at centre back. You can tell he isnt a wing back. I appreciate on the cheap that its hard especially as its essentially back up but I think we need to take a look.

Alan Nixon's ego would grow even bigger if he heard anyone say that this thread would be dead without his rumours. Its a thread of opinions. What do people think we need, where we are short, which players we would sell etc. And as and when players are signed and let go, what people think. Its hardly reliant on Nixon gossip. The Cleary rumour didnt even start with him.

I am not contesting that we have bid for Cleary. I will assume that we did. But we havent signed him, the bid was not at an acceptable amount so it doesnt mean anything. Until if and when we sign him or indeed anyone, I am not convinced that we are all ready and well prepared. Similar guff comes out of the club before every window, we want to get players in early, players get linked etc. It doesnt mean anything. I cant say that I have ever seen Cleary play so I dont know. Seems to have impressed at Barnsley for half a season which is all there is to go on. Young and fairly untested, but seemingly quick and likes to do something alien to the rest of our squad and run with the ball. But big question marks around his position as I have touched on. I couldnt possibly say if he would be good or bad, and until he actually signs its an irrelevance. Neither Bowyer or Mowbray received continious backing by any means. We are also clearly desperate to cut the wage bill as much as we can.

Was the Millwall clean sheet our first at home?

You said the following: "Of course we are ready. We are putting bids in for players. The research has been done Its the first 5 words which almost make everyone else seem ridiculous for doubting that everything is ready and set to go to plan. Ismael said he wants the deals done by the Hull game. He said maybe 1 will drag but most should be done early. Whether that happens and the quality of those deals if they do, we shall see. Maybe this phone call to the cretins is going to make a revolutionary difference and we will buy loads of quality. I doubt it though.

Sick of hearing that and the window hasnt opened yet.

Is O'Riordan back available for tomorrow? Not seen anything mentioned by Rovers at all. You would think he would be recalled immediately to help bulk the squad out slightly.

"Of course we are ready." Have I been following a different club for 15 years? We will see come next week how ready we were.

Dont talk rubbish. We have our "top spy" on the job.

That is true.

Again, would make more sense to sign 2 more natural strikers in my opinion. 3 Rather than someone who maybe can do a job there but has been playing as a winger. Can you see us signing 2? You dont even think we should sign 2 if i recall correctly. Its all hypothetical. Not convinced that Cleary ends up here.

To an extent, but in reality you just end up with players who are at least somewhat uncomfortable or unnatural in at least one of those formations. The current formation tends to need more specialist players. Because we have signed 2 duds in De Neve and Kargbo, and because Morishita is probably better central, we would have to do a much deeper revamp of the squad to start playing wingers. If 352 is the way forward, I would rather that we recruit in a way where all recruits slot naturally into that formation. I think a traffic cone would be more effective than Henriksson, that is a very dangerously low benchmark! He seems well thought of and talented, but signing players in this way (based on attributes, supposedly flexible) hasnt really worked. It would make more sense to me to sign an actual striker. Sense long left the building at Rovers though. Against Sheffield Wednesday, Ohashi as he tends to do was often seen wide and we had no presence in the box.

It would make more sense to me to actually sign a natural striker. Our team/squad seems to be a growing collection of square pegs in round holes.

Isnt it logical to question the idea of signing a winger when we play a formation that doesnt include wingers?

Great counter argument.

We tried for a big chunk of the season. Ismael has mentioned for example signing a wing back as if we will be playing 352 going forward. Hence why I am asking, why would we sign a winger when our current formation doesnt include wingers? As I suspect you know and are just being obtrusive.

Exactly. It should either be loan him out to play regularly, or keep here with a view to competing for a more natural role. If we did loan him out, it shouldnt be interpreted as a lack of faith in him or victimising an academy graduate. Either step is with a view of at some stage having him playing in his natural position for this football club. He has done himself proud as emergency cover. But in the last 3 games, Alebiosu has been missed, as you would expect. Lets not try and re train Litherland purely to avoid just signing an actual right wing back and allowing us to build up Litherland in his actual position.

Doesnt mean that he will be signing here. He also described Rudy Gestede as a "top spy." As opposed to doing the normal thing and signing an actual player for the position we need. Logic rarely applies at this football club. And people like you seem to try and justify having loads of players in positions they are not natural in. Apparently me contesting this is "making excuses."

Nothing about this makes sense. Why are we even trying to sign a winger when we dont play with wingers? It wont happen anyway, I think thats pretty clear.

"Top spy" Deary me.

Theres a lot of shoehorning going on. Pickering at wing back? Henriksson up front? Kargbo up front? Miller as a wing back? Litherland as wing back? Even McLaughlin in the middle of a back 3? Yeah, all of that is fine, no need to try and improve. To be fair this Cleary rumour screams of a typical transfer window one that grows legs but comes to nothing.

I have not suggested that Pratt should be loaned out, youve made that up. I have been pretty clear that I wouldn't and that I would probably play him over McLaughlin as it stands on the left if we were to sign a centre back for the middle. On Litherland, I have praised him too but just dont think its good either for him or us to consider him the direct alternative to the far more attacking and dangerous Alebiosu for the rest of the season away from his natural position. It should be either a case of keeping hin as a centre back or failing that, a short term loan to allow him to develop like Wharton did physically in preperation to push him on ahead of next season. But if it is easier and needs you to make stuff up to justify, yes I am totally against developing young players. It seems to be a narrative you want to push to justify the inevitable inadequate recruitment about to come. For yourself, you seem to have a policy of lets make do that suits these owners down to the ground. I dont want he can do a job there, I actually want he can thrive there, I want to improve. Pickering is not a wing back, I am unsure what has changed from you repeatedly suggesting his sale up until a few days ago. Miller is really poor on the ball. Its all well and good him playing there for Australia against really weak countries, we have no idea if he actually does that job well for Australia. Playing at centre back is much more suitable for him.

How I wish he hadnt been called up.