roversfan99

Just listened to the podcast. Came across well although he is a proper footballing weirdo. Also seems to be the kind of person who thinks everyone is nice. Said that he never demanded from any owners as its not in his make up and admitted that his "principles" probably are a reason why his limit was being a Championship manager. Wasnt one to stamp his feet. When he spoke to the owners about budgets he agreed that he wouldnt go back and pester them for more. Principled to his own disadvantage clearly at times. The way its escalated to this intentional prevention of getting promoted is still absolutely bonkers and unfair. Also just said that Wharton trained with them when they were light of bodies. Didnt take credit for him as has been suggested. Another thing that is often thrown at him is him mentioning being far away from home which is again unfairly made out to seem like he didnt want to be here. He seems to have guilt around not being at home more with his kids across his career. Yet he is so fixated with football that as soon as the season starts, including now, he becomes desperate to get back in. He doesnt say it like its a chore, he speaks like he cant stay away from football. He would blabber on about football all day if someone listened.

The Baradji situation is peculiar. Doesnt even seem to know whether surgery is required. Also, the Dutch striker already rubbished, and the Leonard sale being agreed also rubbished. And no contact for Browne. Hard to keep up amidst the wrong information.

Elliott Jackson has seemingly managed to shut down his own exclusive story. Ismael said nothing is agreed with Leonard.

I mean, you really have taken stuff out of context and twisted it to continue to be able to suggest that I am just being overly negative and miserable. The Swansea stuff was about the timing of their deals, making signings early and also that they had paid £7m for a player I didnt pass comment on. The one signing I did say was a good one was Burgess. Overall, I certainly havent said that our business has been rubbish either. Some of our signings I have been encouraged with. I like the look of Morishita and I not only liked the signing of McLoughlin but went out of my way to question 1 or 2 who did call him a bad signing. Of none of our signings did I instantly write off as not good enough. Most of the new players have shown signs of being useful additions to the squad. Regarding these 2 links, my first point was that I am skeptical about either coming, certainly not both. Neither does have an overly encouraging record on paper, one scored quite a lot in a very weak Dutch second division (including quite a few penalties) and hasnt really scored in the top league. The other is a player who wasnt prolific even before he went to Belgium where he has rarely scored. They both are young, might potentially push on, I dont know. I am not saying that they are shit if they sign. But I will say that all of our signings are really shit if it helps to conform to your narrative. You seem keen to create an environment whereby you cant question any of the new signings.

These striker links are a little strange. Either we are just bidding for random strikers or Nixon is just throwing darts at a dart board. I cant for one second see us getting 2 strikers. One seems more likely now we are getting an unexpected fee for Leonard. And even if we did plan for 2, I would prefer to put any money together and just get 1. Neither of the 2 mentioned seem like anything other than cheap youngish punts with underwhelming goal returns in inferior leagues.

I dont recall Ohashi playing a single minute on the right wing.

To be fair, just because the coaches at the academy thought he was going to go on and do well doesnt make it 100% likely. If they genuinely thought the same about Buckley then that proves it. His development has also been massively hampered to the point where even if it was felt that he would go on and do well, those expectations may need reigning in considering the amount of development missed. Peterborough have signed some good strikers who have gone on to do very well but they have also signed duds like anyone. Its a big fee for someone who isnt close to being first team ready and with many injury question marks.

Im happy to sell him. Good fee for a player whose development has been blown apart by serious injuries and that question mark will remain over him. When he did play which seems a long time ago. He clearly wasnt close to being Championship standard. Maybe he will be in time but a fresh start is best for all.

I think he was referring to the season when in January we were up in the top 2. We was never close to promotion at any other point so it wouldnt fit otherwise. And for your "insider information," seems a bit of a convenient mystery bit of gossip to me. When we got promoted, he did willingly spend a big chunk of money. But it all comes back to this ridiculous idea that he actively moved away from trying to get promoted, even though he would have got a big pay rise, bonuses, a huge raise to his reputation/CV and most likely a further increase through a new deal. Im not trying to defend him. He is a good but limited manager, limited by his own principles and lack of ruthlessness. If he didnt chase up more funds by his own admission then he made a mistake. But I am not so blinded by hate that I start escalating that to nonsense about him purposely not getting us promoted, pretending that he turned down massive war chests etc. None of it makes sense.

Im not discounting that he may go. Again, our inability to offer proper contracts. But he would be a huge loss and we certainly couldnt get by without replacing him.

But they are doing so now. They are admittedly being more aggressive cutting the wage bill etc but they are still doing the same thing. You speak as if they were willingly putting in money for the betterment of the club. Thats not the case. All Championship clubs without parachute payments are propped up by owners. Clubs at this level cant be self sustainable. Their negligence hasnt helped those losses, but we would have incured losses either way and they would have had to offset them. It will be the case again in the June 2025 accounts and in this current newly started June 2026 year, they again will probably have to make up another £15-20m. The year we sold Wharton, that was a freak sale, a one off. The only reason we made a small profit. You look in the seasons before the court case. Tomasson's first, we spent £4m. The one before under Mowbray, we sold Armstrong and didnt spend anything. The one before, we didnt spend any real fees. The one before, we covered the majority of the Gallagher fee by selling Raya so maybe a £1.5m net fee. The one before we did spent £10m. The one before, in League 1, maybe just over a million spent. The one before, we made about £10m selling players under Coyle and spent £250k. The one before, very little spent. Last summer we spent only a small chunk of the Szmodics and this summer it seemingly will be pretty much a net spend of nil. Point being, in only 2 seasons out of the last maybe 10, we have spent anything of note. The season we came up and the season when Tomasson joined and even that was only £4m. Point being, we barring one off exceptional sales will ALWAYS make a loss as a Championship club. They will HAVE to make those losses up. All other Championship clubs are the same but no one describes that as their owners being "willing to pump money in." Because thats not what it is.

Bit of a strange link. Scored a good amount in the second dutch league but many were penalties and hasnt adapted to the top flight. As @MarkBRFC said would he even be able to sign or would he need an ESC place?

Where have you seen that? Or just a guess?

Its not like the players signed are specific to his system. In fact, theyd be probably better in a different system.

Surely even we wouldnt be stupid to allow Hyam, a crucial player to go. And then stick just with Miller who is a right back so will be also needed there, Carter who is made of glass, Wharton just back from very serious injury and then just McLoughlin.

I mean, I dont get why whether a young striker who has been continiously injured for years and who hasnt even been under first consideration is loaned out or not, affects whether we should sign someone to improve the first team. But there you go.

What utterly bizarre logic. Why not replace him if hes turned out to be a dud?

Doesnt fit the narrative as much though.

Reportedly bidding for a striker. Which is why you have reverted back to thinking that we need one. We need a striker, goalkeeper and midfielder.

Has he said several clubs? In which case, seems like a good story that never actually has to come true to provoke interest.

Would take Browne every day, but cant see it for a second. Shouldnt be the priority, a striker should. But would really improve the midfield if it was somehow aswell as.

I hope so. We definitely need a striker and a goalkeeper. We also need a midfielder IMO. Thats before factoring in any potential sale of Hyam, which cannot be allowed to happen. Ismael I presume will confirm if there is any hope of adding further in his press conference tomorrow.

Did he specifically claim credit for giving him his debut? I will listen tomorrow.

I am not asking for Elliott Jackson's opinion. He said 1 in 1 out beside a winger, before Baradji came in and before Travis and Buckley left. So surely that means 1 in based on that logic. As I said, I have always said that we need a striker, I dont base my opinion on parroting what is said by Ismael. We needed one regardless of whether our injury prone striker training with the under 21s on a tiny wage stays or goes. I fear that tomorrow may be a day where any hope of a new striker is dashed by Ismael. I hope to be wrong. It would be the second change of heart from a mixed up club on signing a striker, but its needed.

His win record is worse than Coyle and Gary Neville after the same number of games. He sticks to a formation that clearly doesnt suit the players he has. What sort of attitude is "weve made our bed now lie in it?" Self punishment? Would Mbuemo and Cunha not be useful to any semi competent manager. I hope they keep him. Hes doing a dreadful job.