roversfan99

How I wish he hadnt been called up.

Define "enough." Again, comes down to you just listing players. Regardless of quality, or if its their natural position, or if theyve ever played before, or if they are needed elsewhere. Pickering isnt a natural wing back. Powell has never played senior football. So that just leaves Hedges who doesnt do enough going forward. Miller is poor on the ball and at crossing, more suited to playing where he is playing. Litherland isnt a natural wing back. Alebiosu is away. The fact that we are still waiting on Baradji going into the new year probably goes back to my original point about his signing.

"Rovers is a great club for young players as you will get a very good chance to play regularly with our lack of investment in established players and thin squad." Not ones who have any ambition, seemingly. Youll play, but the club wont do well.

I am not criticising him, hes not even a wing back. But he isnt a naturally attacking wing back like Alebiosu is. We are too reliant on him so when he isnt playing, we struggle even more in attack. We badly need 2 strikers, we should have 4 for 2 places. Thats non negotiable IMO. Suggesting only 1 is IMO lowering expectations to make them easier to meet. But we also need some more attacking impetus from other areas. I dont agree with your mentality of use what we have, what we have is not enough. We are terrible to watch, so boring. In our last 3 games, weve obviously been solid but our only 2 goals have been gifted to us by shocking goalkeeping, otherwise we have barely created anything or looked like scoring. The formation needs attacking wing backs and we only have 1 of them who really offers us a genuine threat. We need to sign one on either side. If you personally think or think the club will not bother with either side, thats fine. I dont think the squad will get the 5 players I think are needed as a minimum, certainly not of the required quality, but thats what I think I needed.

You tend to find with those types of players that they often drop deep to try and get on the ball when nothing else is happening, Dack used to do the same. But of our very few chances, he was at the heart of creating themm

Thats blatantly not true. He was a regular at Plymouth and has been at Stoke throughout, where he really impressed last year. He has played far more Championship football and subsequently boosted his reputation (and bank account) far more than he would have done here as 3rd/4th/5h choice, at least up until this season. I dont get why it is always put down to the agent either. A 17 or 18 year old lad offered a big club will often want to move.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/august/24/baradji-brings-the-x-factor--believes-the-boss/ I think it was this that I remembered. Suppose a lot of these words and phrases are interchangeable, mentions the defence enjoying him and calls him an enforcer but also that he is box to box. He obviously has not played as the deepest lying midfielder for us, but whether he can offer a goal threat, we will see. I dont think I would particularly like to see him playing deeper considering how he gave up at one point in the first half last night when running back.

He hasnt been playing in the same position so hasnt been tested defensively as much. Id understand more to keep him as an option at CB.

2 goals from that team?!

I am not having that there was such an immediate expectation that they would make the first team. Or that was it eighth tier football was where they should be playing. Especially Pratt.

This is nonsense. If anything, they are given more scope for error because of the understanding that they are new to first team football. Neither player has been criticised, and correctly too. Pratt would make no sense to loan out. Litherland isnt a wing back so IMO a more attacking signing (I am not advocating signing "dross) is needed in that position to compete with Alebiosu. That leaves either a decision for Litherland to fight at CB or to play regular football in League 1 or 2 and get toughened up like Scott Wharton did. No one has ever suggested to sign dross instead either.

Litherland isnt a right wing back though. Theres surely an argument to get a right wing back to compete with Alebiosu that can offer a more natural attacking threat, and then either consider Litherland at centre back or get hin regular game time in that position to allow him to develop similar to Scott Wharton.

I have been impressed by Pratt and probably would have him over McLoughlin if we got someone in the middle. I wouldnt loan him out. But how is it scapegoating to suggest that a player is loaned out to further their development?

Silly season where people come alive desperate for attention by claiming transfer stories and exclusives. Often people who dont show much interest or comment much outside a transfer window as if the games are immaterial. Nathan Jones will no doubt be excited.

When he was signed, he was bigged up as a player who could protect the defence if im not mistaken. Not sure hes scored many goals.

I think you are saying what you think will happen as much as anything. You are also arguing for the sake of it. I said 5, you said 3 or 4 so not much difference. A solitary striker and no added quality on either side (wing back) would not do much to improve our side which is really poor going forward. 3 strikers (Gudjohnsen out until Feb) would still leave us short. 3 players for 2 positions especially forward ones, I dont get how you think that is sufficient. Buckley could go a week of training without getting injured. He may have not been very good but they at least were signing someone who can play football matches. And Buckley was happy to move over there. Regarding Carter, there are plenty of poor players or ill fitting players that I would try and move on first. Doesnt prove it for sure. Even if he was seen there, doesnt mean he was scouting that particular player. But either way, when that account has posted its own "exclusives," they have in the main been fictional. So my skepticism can be understood. Rather than just believing everything.

I think with Pratt, I understand it much less. With Litherland, he has done very well but the question is, where does he play? He isn't a wing back and as respectable a job as he has done, especially in this formation, we need a more attacking and direct alternative to Alebiosu who we really miss. Scott Wharton came through and like Litherland, wasn't fully physically developed at that point. Regular game time in his natural position could really enhance his development in his natural position.

Regarding discussion around the goals our strikers will get. The problem is, we only have 2 strikers, so however many they get, its very much that is it. Gudjohnsen will get more than Ohashi, but either way, even 1 more isn't enough, we need 2 more. And then the other problem is the total lack of goals and dynamism elsewhere. None of our midfielders offer much goal threat, and beside Alebiosu our wing backs are limited. If you play this 3-5-2, you need goals elsewhere. We badly need a left wing back as a direct alternative to Hedges, but one who will actually offer an attacking threat. Alebiosu is a huge part of our attack when he plays, we need a direct alternative, as respectable as Litherland has been standing in, he isn't a wing back. We really need a midfielder who can slot in with Tronstad and Cantwell and give us a goal threat too, but it is 6th in the list of priorities in our imbalance squad.

Why would he agree to terminate his contract without a full pay out?

I did, not necessarily a veteran, but someone who has at least has a proven track record. Someone like that Dom Hyam at Wrexham perhaps... But it's not a case of merely being experienced. Gibson has struggled at Stoke since he joined, he is slow and he is left footed, I said from the start that I wanted a right footer. IMO, Gibson is not the answer. I would ignore that account, or at least don't blindly believe it 100%. Surely Gestede would have been at Hillsborough.

I definitely have never said that.

Pears is fine as back up.

I dont see why it has to be 2 clear goals and I think replace catastrophic with poor. Had we won 1 nil for example. That wouldnt have been a catastrophic result!

Cantwell was the only player last night that remotely looked like making something happen. Baradji once in particular just totally gave up trying to chase back which nearly had us in serious danger.

Phillips maybe be surplus at Spurs but he has had plenty of regular game time on loan spells and has played more than he would have here in the same time period. Are the 2 attackers that have been on the bench lately, the ones that stand out at under 21 level? Do you think they could have an impact?