roversfan99

You can only have 5 loans in a matchday squad. That being said, Stewart is never available anyway so wouldnt be an issue. JRC is the worst footballer since our League squad? No chance. Got plenty of worse footballers in the current squad alone.

This.

If he dramatically improves and has a really good couple of seasons then I will happily praise Gueye for being a good striker who scores goals. So far he hasnt been which is what I am basing my opinions on.

You keep saying that about Gallagher, when I keep saying that he is below average when fit and the fact that he is now turning into a walking injury makes him no use to anyone. And I was happy to see him go. You said your main issue about Gallagher was that he didnt score enough goals which was fair. But your dislike of him clearly grew so strong that you are doing mental gymnastics to avoid the question of why you dont seem to think Gueye is even worse when you consider that he has 1 solitary goal. He never looks like scoring, he has missed 2 chances from a combined total of less than 10 yards. Gallagher might be Gueye without the nuisance factor when Gueye starts scoring 8 or 9 a season which Gallagher did for us in MOST seasons he was here.

We had Gallagher for years and all agreed that he wasnt good enough to be the regular starter for a play off chasing side because he didnt score enough goals. But now have someone who is even worse. We are in January, Gueye has scored one solitary goal. He is a striker and our main one in terms of cost and he cannot kick a ball towards goal properly, his shooting is as bad as I can remember from any striker. Roll a ball 6 yards from goal to him and he misses the ball. Look at his shot against Hull as an example of his technique, its like hes never kicked a ball before. Yet he is being lauded as a massive improvement by some. We are a team clinging onto the coat tails of the top 6 purely through organisation and grit, im spite of our misfiring attack and he is the main signing we made to remedy that and doesnt offer a goal threat. Yes he seems a likeable character so I get that, and he can cause nuisance factor purely by chucking the ball in the air if we need a goal and hoping for scraps. Hardly something to praise. Goal contributions is clearly a symptom of a generation where people are so obsessed with data. Him winning a header 30 yards out or playing a 5 yard pass is not on par with him scoring goals.

I dont doubt the players try their best but all of the real stand out players this season are the ones behind whoever is selected in the front 4. As I said, we have scored more than once only 3 times in 17 games. That shows how little an attacking threat we have. It also adds context whereby if we cant keep a clean sheet, which Eustace is good at getting but as I said its impossible to get one every game and because he is having to make do with such a poor set of attackers, when we concede any goals its really hard to win as we have seen in the last 4. Thats why Eustace is doing such a good job to repeatedly need to try and grind out results without an attack. Yesterday in open play we just didnt offer a threat and the game was essentially played in one half so to keep them to such few chances was even more impressive.

He has scored 1 goal and we are in January. Gallagher when fit scored 8 or 9 a season. His problem is not just that he is "ungainly," he is absolutely terrible in front of goal. He may have a use if you need a goal and chuck him on and pick up the scraps around him like yesterday. He started v Hull and was terrible though.

We have heard this all before. The next one will be our tournament.

We do need cover but whoever comes in would have to wait. No way should Hyam be dropped. Hill isnt happening anyway but even if it did, he should start on the bench. We do need a CB, I think 4 is a normal amount so even allowing for Carter coming back. McFadzean is too old and cant play in a back 4 so doesnt count as genuine cover. With Pickering out long term, we need at least one defender that can play both positions.

It wouldnt be harsh to drop Hyam. It would be crazy, he has been outstanding.

As you touched on too, those loss figures dont include a breakdown of exempt expenses not publically available. So we will be even further away.

We are absolutely nowhere near FFP limits. The Wharton sale will count as pure profit and the Szmodics sale will be predominantly profit.

The tactics were essentially to get a nil nil draw. We had absolutely nothing in attack and that is because of a lack of resources. None of the attackers gave us a threat in attack, no goal threat, no out ball and no pace. Eustace is working with his hands tied behind his back. To go to Elland Road with no attacking threat for reasons beyond him makes it even more difficult to go there and keep them out for a whole game when you arent threatening at the other end. The organisation was so good that not only did we keep them out for 85 minutes but we barely had a shot on our goal, and it took a debatable penalty. We have scored more than 1 goal only 3 times in the last 17 games. That is ridiculously bad and it highlights the job Eustace is doing to have us anywhere near the top 6 purely on the basis of a solid defence. However it clearly means that it is very difficult to win games/get results unless you get a clean sheet. We have got plenty but its impossible to do it in every game, we havent in the last 4 games and because of that lack of ability to score goals we have only got 2 points. ACD would have at least offered us a threat on the counter attack but I suspected that he might be rotated because hes never really played senior football and has tired in his appearances so far, so all 3 games this week felt like a stretch. Eustace needs some money to actually sign some quality in attack. The job he is doing is so impressive but some quality, some pace and some goals would give our team an added dimension and less reliant on the organisation that is so impressive.

Not over the last 4 games which was my point. We went from conceding 0 and winning games narrowly despite a lack of goal threat, to conceding 1 or 2 as we have in the last 4 games and our form turning as a result because we dont have the attacking quality to score more than the odd goal. I think it tells you a lot when a striker has one goal in early January and people are scrambling around talking about "goal contributions" including knock downs for 30 yard half volleys to justify his improvement. As I said before, perhaps a useful sub in terms of if we are chasing a game and need a lump to win a header to pick up the pieces. Was terrible in his last start and offers no goal threat whatsoever. So I am not particularly appeased by this improvement. I definitely havent "defended Gallagher to the hilt." I think when fit he is a below average bottom half standard Championship striker. Hardly a glowing endorsement. I just think Gueye is worse even than Gallagher. You said you predominantly didnt rate Gallagher because of his lack of goals. In the 3 seasons prior to the last one when he spent much of it injured, he got 8 or 9 goals in each. Gueye has 1 so far in early January. I did question you on this the other day but you ignored it. I also am not "worried" that Gueye will be better. It would massively please me.

Ohashi doesnt look like he wil be fit but either way especially at home I would want more attacking quality. We didnt have any today as I expected with the line up but relied on organisation and a late set piece. ACD maybe was deemed not to be able to start so many in quick succession but he actually gives us a threat. Cantwell should come in to if fit enough. Eustace badly needs some money to spend on the attack. It isnt good enough and he is doing remarkably well to have us anywhere near purely on the defence. In the last 4 games as I said, we have been conceding 1 or 2 a game rather than 0 and that has been turning wins into draws and losses. You cant just expect to keep clean sheets every single game.

No, Brittain has developed into a solid defensive right back under Eustace. When he has played further forward in the past he has struggled.

Definitely wouldnt want Buckley to be put in any Championship, let alone this one. If Cantwell misses out I would probably go with JRC there and keep Baker next to Tronstad.

It doesnt, because they have clearly been keen to further slash the budget. But the profit will be in the June 2024 accounts relating to the Wharton sale and it wil be those accounts that likely show a small profit, not the 2025 ones. Even with the Szmodics sale (predominantly all profit considering his amortised value would have been comparatively small) in the 2025 accounts, we will almost certainly make a loss. Either way, if any reasonable % of that was to be made available, it would have been by now.

You do know that Hyam got player of the season in his first season? He has been even better than he was then this season, and the impressive Batth has definitely helped as have a lack of injuries and a more defensive tactical approach. But hes not a bad player looking "decent," he has been excellent. Today probably shows the limitations of judging a striker on "goal contributions" because the assist stat is meaningless on its own. He wont get today's assist despite it being an excellent header. He did get an assist for making slight contact when trying to tap in the ball from 6 yards, for a knockdown for a 30 yard half volley and also for a 5 yard pass when Sigurdsson really made the goal from an excellent turn. Today's contribution was miles more meaningful than all 3. Says a lot that its become such a big conversation topic when it wouldnt have been if he didnt have one solitary goal, less than Batth. But his main use does seem to be to chuck him on when we need a goal to see if he can knock something down as he did again today. He started v Hull and was dreadful.

Excellent point and brilliant to see us get a late equaliser after a debatable penalty. Funny old game, had we beat Hull and lost today which I would say would have been par, not many eye brows would be raised. Just the one point but today in the manner that we got it and the reaction is probably greater. Today showed again how brilliant a job Eustace is doing. The attack is so poor, Hedges works hard but offers nothing, Dolan offered nothing and also didnt work as hard/diligently as Hedges, Weimann was anonymous as were both Ohashi and Leonard. We offered nothing going forward. The organisation and structure of the team is absolutely incredible though. Batth has been an unreal signing, a goal topped off a colossal display. Hyam I still dont think gets the credit he deserves for how good he has been this season. Beck returned back to his best after 2 poor performances and Brittain has gone from a defensive liability to a totally different player. Tronstad is brilliant too even though Baker is a downgrade on Travis. Pears dealt with the little he had too once he got rid of his slippers. The results have turned from 6 wins in 6 to 2 points from 4, the issue is we are so reliant on clean sheets due to the lack of attacking quality. Its not sustainable to keep a clean sheet every time though so now those 0 againsts have become 1s and 2s those finely balanced games go against us. He badly needs and deserves backing but likely wont get it. Big challenge on Saturday after the massive workload today. We need to add some attacking quality but Cantwell seems unlikely to be back (and has struggled lately) but ACD should at least start.

If I was a Plymouth fan and my side was just appointing Everton mates/former players then I would be fuming. Phil Neville would be worse than Rooney.

Drab side, no pace, no flair, no goals. Hard to see past a comfortable home win but hopefully can be proven wrong. Need Cantwell and ACD back in the side at the weekend.

Presumably running around for 90 minutes knowing that any reduction in physical endurance will be taken advantage of by your opponent?

Those players wouldnt be in Ferguson sides, definitely not for very long. Dont doubt the other stuff but I also think their players just arent as good as people assume. De Ligt and Ugarte maybe are good examples, Im guessing youve seen little if nothing of them before but we just assume they are quality coming from big teams. There does seem to be something rotten although I dont think Sancho is particularly good full stop. Slow and predictable.

His turning point was the game before he kicked one into his own net?