roversfan99

But the initial conversation was about the players and what has triggered this conversation is the addition of the added games I mentioned. They are the ones that shouldnt be added to the calendar. Obviously Pep is totally wrong to want the League Cup scrapped, although it hasnt stopped him from winning it numerous times. Im not saying that if you put it to the players, that they can either lose part of/reduce the domestic or continental calendar, and it would hurt them financially if they chose the latter, they may well choose the former. But this whole conversation seems to be based on the addition of needless games into the international calendar, the world club calendar and additional Champions League games. And it is a fair point shown by additional injuries.

Ive not seen anyone call for a shrunken PL or removing domestic cup competitions. Here it seems that Rodri is answering questions directly as a result of discussions about the expanded Champions League and Club World Cup. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2024/sep/17/rodri-players-close-to-striking-volume-games-manchester-city De Bruyne has also come out before criticising the nations league.

The idea that Eustace became a scapegoat last season is rubbish. He split opinion and received criticism because we didnt win many games under him, he didnt get any stick in the ground despite not winning a single home game under him. This season, obviously only 5 games in but hes already won all 3 at home and is unbeaten, so the narrative has changed because hes being judged on results.

The thing is, the additional games that tend to cause complaints are ones that genuinely do not have to happen, so they have a point. The Nations League, these new plans for an expanded Club World Cup and expanding the size of the Champions League. They have a point. The usual lines tend to be trotted out, ungrateful overpaid mercenaries, I work x hours a week, get a real job, pull out of competitions etc. But it is statistically proven that an ever increasing number of games leads to far more injuries. Its not a case of that they cant be arsed, their bodies are breaking down because of it. I dont get why we would want more games featuring rotated teams or competitions with numerous absentees, there is no need aside from money to keep adding these extra fixtures to the calendar. The cost of TV subscriptions is far too high, that should come down, it shouldnt be lets add more games to give more value with rotated teams what we will likely see.

But the alternative scored 2 in his last game.

That was a different game I think. That was the 4-3 and Sukur got 2 in a 4 nil.

Is that Elrio Van Heerden?

Both Brittain and Beck played together v Burnley.

Very thoughtful of Sky to have such a stupid kick off time.

They played 90 minutes, not 120. There are 4 and a half days between games. And it was a massively changed Preston line up, the 2 players who went off wouldnt have started anyway.

They almost certainly wouldnt have played anyway as they arent regular starters by any means.

With Hedges, he has a year plus a further option. He is at best a handy squad player but has recently suffered the same serious injury twice and doesnt score or assist enough. He doesnt offer pace either, I dont see why we would rush to give him a new deal at this stage. With Weimann being as old as he is, he certainly wont have loads of teams fighting for his signature 6 months in advance. I would wait until probably next summer and re-assess. Hyam would be the most sensible out of the 3, but even then its not desperate.

Yeah, quite slow I would say. Certainly speed is not one of his strong points, Gueye does have a turn of pace and is certainly quicker although not rapid himself.

Shame about the stupid kick off time.

He signed a week before the season having been on trial but my point is that going into his mid 30s, you never know when the real signs of physical decline start to show. I dont get why we would rush to extend now.

The thing with Weimann though at his age is hes already on the decline and that can suddenly accelerate. There wasnt much demand for him this summer so I think the risk of him being nabbed outweighs that of being stuck with him if hes too old to really contribute. Hedges can be a solid squad player but he has suffered back to back hamstring tears and he doesnt contribute many goals or assists. I think he might have an option so we should hold off for now. Sigurdsson I suspect will be a high earner having done little to prove it.

Certainly agree with your first and most important sentence, you cant after Saturday. I think Gueye is quicker though, Ohashi is quite slow although clearly very good in front of goal.

The transfer window exceeded the expectations of most but admist talk from the manager of building a team, considering the fact that we have brought in so much money it wasnt good enough long term to only bring in 4 players on deals for longer than a year. You look down that list and discard the 3 loans, and Dolan is obviously the stand out one where it shouldnt be that difficult to tie down long term, and even then we all know his limitations are ones that havent really improved that much. Hyam has an option in his deal and would probably be next in line for an extension. Hedges and especially Sigurdsson IMO need to do more to warrant a longer deal, and 3 of those players are aging, maybe Batth and Weimann can earn another deal but thats a decision for next summer.

Im sure it wont be over but now it feels like he is making the numbers up here and yesterdays late appearance felt like a token gesture. He had a good run of form under Mowbray in a very advanced role and has never got close to those levels since he left. He was able to nick the ball back and he is good at playing passes high up where he could slip in Brereton and Khadra on the counter attack but he offered next to no goal threat himself. It was assumed that playing deeper would suit him but when he moved back, it required an ability to have good awareness in a more hectic area of the pitch and the ability to try and control games and it turned out that he couldnt really do either.

Mercer is the biggest wind up merchant ever and this is a good example but the idea that Rovers doing well would "kill" him deep down is a load of rubbish.

I felt like a lot of the times Tomasson mentioned a project, he was doing so almost sarcastically especially when he was not backed. I certainly never got the impression that he was happy just existing to be a development club. Regarding Eustace, I know the arguments about coming in to do a job and not having his own squad/a squad deep enough to trust etc, but that didnt excuse repeatedly failing to win even one of a group of very winnable home games. Until that was rectified, you are never going to achieve anything, and it was a fundamental reason why we ended up closer to the relegation zone at the end of the season in a last day scrap compared to when Eustace came in. This seasons fixture list presented him with 3 very winnable home games. They have to be your bread and butter, and 2 promoted sides and a (to be generous) very average Bristol City gave him the perfect opportunity to change that narrative. To win all 3 very much does that and fair play to him for doing so.

Even if Brittain and Pickering are back, we should stick with the defensive set up who played yesterday. That includes Pears as much as I dont rate him. The attack is the area that needs tinkering to find a balance. Made my opinion on the Baker experiment clear, not one to be repeated. I think starting Cozier Duberry is a no brainer, we are dying for some pace especially away on the counter attack, and Cantwell doesnt look fit enough yet. Dolan justifies another start, and although Ohashi's all round game has weaknesses, you cant drop him after 2 brilliant goals so its just who starts in that 4th place. Pears Carter Batth Hyam Beck Travis Tronstad Cozier Duberry Dolan Weimann Ohashi Subs: Toth, JRC, McFadzean, Pickering, Baker, Buckley, Cantwell, Hedges, Gueye The bench is an area where people will have to miss out. Ive chosen Brittain as I would prefer JRC as RB cover and Sigurdsson with others better placed. So 2 changes but I dont think he will make any.

I know you like to parrot the cliches about the team being first, obviously that is the case. I dont see how it beneficial to the team to have a player in a role where he is ill suited and struggled to have an impact in, you will have to enlighten me on that. I know regarding all of those players and why they werent considered to start. My point is going forward, hopefully their availability to start games will mean that we wont repeat the Baker on the left idea. Its not just 3 poor performances in that position. I just dont think it suits JRC as a player to do that role, nor the team. My hope is that Cozier Duberry ends up being a regular there, a player who naturally plays from the right and who is the only player in our squad with any pace.

Sometimes ideas in practice dont work as well as they do in theory. Many thought £10m man Buckley would thrive playing deeper in midfield and thats where we would get the best out of him. Many also assumed that playing Trent Alexander Arnold in midfield would suit him more than right back. Again, not so. Even allowing for the fact that neither Baker nor JRC were expected to play as actual wingers. Both players struggle taking the ball in higher areas, neither are in any way dynamic and both are used and more suited to having more space in front of them.

Well yes, it is incredibly patronising to repeatedly (again here) tell someone that they simply dont understand. Especially when they have told you that they do understand and have acknowledged what the idea of the role is. To understand, it doesnt mean that you have to agree with it. My point is that I dont feel like either of these specific roles, especially the Baker one, suits the players in question. I know that Baker wasn't expected to play like Ryan Giggs in his pomp, beating his full back one on one on the outside. Me saying he didnt play well isnt based on a warped view that he wasnt doing things that perhaps a more traditional wide man would. I dont think specifically within the remit that he would have been given, that he had any real effect on the game. I dont think he is suited to playing initially (again, I know he wont be getting chalk on his boots) from the left, I dont think it suits him or the team. And I hope that it was a decision made purely because of availability issues, with Cozier Duberry deemed not ready to start, Weimann deemed not ready to start, Cantwell not ready to start (Dolan could play left) and Sigurdsson ill. I think we still need another left winger but even then, I would even prefer to see any of Dolan, Hedges, Weimann or even Sigurdsson start from that role, and most of them would come inside so that isnt my issue. I also know that Rankin Costello playing wide right isnt a choice made with an expectation of seeing a flying winger, I fully understand the plan to ask him to move inside and have say Brittain keeping the width. I understand, I have repeatedly outlined that plan and yet still apparently dont understand. But I dont AGREE with that plan even though I UNDERSTAND.