roversfan99

Theres a game tomorrow. He could easily say who is available, preview the game etc or even get Remy to do it. Todays press conference was not intended as a transfer one.

Didnt Broughton say that we couldnt spend any fees? I am not 100% sure if he specifically said he needed to slash the wage budget in that interview but equally I would be personally skeptical ( @islander200 again just my opinion) that we offered such a deal in the summer. And then renewed it after the "project changed."

There had been cutbacks and then further cutbacks hence why fees were off the table and Ayala, Dack etc were let go.

How do you know he was on 18k a week at CSKA? No way did he offer him 15k amidst the cut backs.

Low expectations dont justify people not being annoyed that weve pocketed a club record fee and not spent any. The window will have absolutely nobody looking on enviously. Lost our main talent and our captain, lost a key CB and our full backs to injury, lost a good loanee. In come a soon to be 37 year old, a 32 year old who has had 2 serious injuries, a young lad from Crewe, a young striker from the MLS only on loan and 3 loanees that have had underwhelming and limited loans spells and are miles away from their parent clubs squads, that scream making up the numbers. Its not as if the new players are the target of the venting, they are a by product of the situation. But if people arent happy with the quality of players, they should be able to say that they dont think they are good enough, as long as they are open minded to change that opinion if they exceed expectations. Take Szmodics, criticism upon signing, now incredibly popular and always praised. And its not just a "negativity" thing as weve had plenty of new signings praised upon signing that have turned out shit. We dont always get it right but equally we should be able to pass comment. And how again is venting on here "kicking the club down further."

Out of interest, if I said that I am really underwhelmed by some of the new signings, is that unwarranted bashing or fair?

Do we need this "negativity" bashing in the absence of a more constructive argument? Its an internet forum. If people are not happy with selling our main asset for a record fee and seeing none of it reinvested, they will understandably vent on here. We shouldnt censor ourselves in case any player (stupidly) comes looking.

The issue is obviously caused in India, people can't even blame the lack of any investment on not having targets lined up considering we couldn't go through with buying McGuire and instead have a young MLS striker lacking match fitness on loan whereby it will be very difficult to get up to speed quick enough to justify a fee. But it will be interesting to see if Broughton has the bollocks to tell the truth about not spending on fees.

Im not sure you can pin this on the recruitment department, as much as (with Broughton as the figurehead) I dont think that our recruitment has improved pound for pound since their arrival. The short termism of our January window is squarely on the owners. When youve got no money to reinvest, mid season with no players out of contract, the only real option is the loan market, and even then we seem to have been going for the cheapest loans. The project is the right idea but will never happen under these owners. Broughton, Tomasson, Mowbray, they all said the same and correct things but we never get any sales proceeds to reinvest. "Disproportionate negative outlook." Behave. Weve just received a club record fee and none of it has been reinvested. It cant even be put down to not having targets lined up because we had McGuire all agreed permanently, the owners have seemingly not allowrd it and we had to grovel for a loan so if we do sign him we are worse off. Being frustrated and angry is surely logical when you see no money made available and weve taken such a short term approach to a season which is practically dead already.

Weve had to go on a spree of signing players on short term contracts in a season that is practically dead already because the owners have just stopped any funding at all despite receiving a club record fee. This myth keeps being repeated that they never shirk putting money in. Theyve not spent more than 2m on a player in 5 years. They are the only owners in the league that get praised by some people that in a league where costs tend to be higher than income, they offset that by raising shares, the only alternative to this funding would be to not pay creditors and go into administation. All after 13 years of hell. Not one top 6 Championship finish. Weird how people are so run down by it all.

I think we have done a really poor job in this window at loaning out our own young players. I get that our own late flurry of signings may have caused issues but still. Leonard will/should be nowhere near the team now with Gallagher, McGuire and Dolan. Telalovic is crap so id have Leonard ahead of him but he still is quite a bit away from this standard, a League 1 spell would have done him the world of good. Surely it could have been set up on the assumption that McGuire was coming and completed in the last few hours as confidence grew. Batty and Gilsenan were nowhere near the first team even before these signings, theyll gain little playing for the under 23s. Markanday could have done with a loan too.

It definitely feels like we have got loans that have been decided purely on the cheapest contributions rather than to improve the team. Ayari is possibly the highest calibre in that he moved to Brighton for 4m and I think Coventry made a decent contribution to get him, but he bombed there so his stock has fallen and he was sent back. And Chrisene was nowhere near the Villa side and had a brief injury hit spell at the same level that Jack Vale has gone to. But Koumetino looks at the worst level on face value. He wasnt close to the Liverpool squad unlike the 3 previous ones (even Clarkson was quite close, Morton definitely) and his loan spells say a lot, unsuccessful despite being at really poor levels.

Sheffield United fans are pretty consistent in saying that they feel that Fleck (especially after injuries) is well past his best. But at 32, its a big difference to 37 and if hes anything like the player he was, he is a much better example of getting in experience without it being just a token gesture, and he can take the ball off the defence and dictate. If he is in reasonable condition, then he is night and day from the lack of quality we have in midfield beside Tronstad. Surprised there is no option for a further year.

They wouldnt allow any of the 22m to be reinvested. Why would they allow a further 2m to be reinvested?

Considering he doesnt take the brunt of the blame, you have made out as such based on your focus on him today. We probably will have signed 6 players this window. For a combined 500k in installments on one, a 500k loan fee, and then the rest are frees and loans. Its not even the off season where players are out of contract. And there is strict limitations on wages. Im not sure what anyone can do with such a budget.

Is he who gets the brunt of the blame for you? Not the owners that have allowed 500k in installments to be spent on a CB, 500k on a loan fee and nothing else. 22m in.

A nearly 37 year old centre back that is really slow suits the supposed total football very nicely.

6 loans, you can only name 5 in a squad. Waste of time. Where has the money gone? Oh yeah.

The phrase "can fill in there" seems to be the requirement regardless of the quality going out.

We dont need a body, we need a quality player. Weve lost a brilliant talent and also our captain who was a seasoned performer in teams near the top of the league and has since moved to 2nd in the league. Garrett is quite far away from being ready for regular football at this level. Energetic and aggressive but so limited, poor on the ball. Ayari is a number 10 who got sent back from Coventry, he doesnt play that position. JRC is our only fit RB. Sick of this mentality of oh well x y and z can "do a job" there.

Going to Bristol City.

We also know we wont bring in a midfielder. Elliott Jackson hedging his bets but we will have maxed out on loans so we wont pay a fee for anyone. Especially this late. Our strongest position is now our weakest.

Im obviously gutted to see a massive talent leave but that isnt where my anger lies. Its such a big fee yet none of it will be reinvested bar maybe a loan fee. This window is the worst I can ever remember, one loanee sent back from Coventry along with their 37 year old CB, a young LB loanee from Villa, a young loanee CB from Liverpool who couldnt get a game at terrible levels and a young CB from Crewe. Then maybe after an embarassing 24 hours, a loan of a young MLS striker who is still in pre season. The massive hole Wharton leaves is compounded by a good Championship midfielder and our captain also leaving. We have one player in that position now who is good enough. Weve lost Hill aswell, Carter for the season, Pickering and Brittain for a while, we end this window so much weaker. And the frustration seems to have simmered because we are now getting a striker who is very much a long term project on a short term deal. And a token random young CB who Liverpool fans think is rubbish. And many of those angry arent angry at the source of this mess.

Im not sure how you can apply for a work permit when you could only afford the loan fee after selling a player for 22m on the last day of the window. The bonus entitlement is just more ITK nonsense as far as I can see.

I feel like amidst the hysteria of deadline day and of course what happened overnight, how bad this window is shaping up has been somewhat lost. I get the angle with people saying we can try before we buy with McGuire. Hes a 22 year old whose season hasnt started so hes hardly likely to hit the ground running to justify a huge fee inflated due to the fact we cant afford a buy anymore. Koumetio has had 2 loan spells at really poor levels and has barely played in either. It seems like we will be going permanently to a back 3 which considering we have 2 fit full/wing backs is a huge concern, before considering the gaping hole in midfield. Its obviously an issue of financing deals so it lands square at the feet of the owners. I dont think Broughton is a good DOF to be honest but its not down to him.