roversfan99

He keeps saying "mistakes of the past." He does realise that no players are still renewing their contracts?

Ismael has said that we are only signing one more player, barring departures. Can see the winter slide coming a mile off. Also, nowhere near enough goals in the team.

The club might think that. But I am giving my opinion on what I think we need. Obviously I will have no choice but to accept whatever happens. Leonard hasnt been in the first team pre season squad so if we dont sign a striker, I dont think its down to any faith in him. Nor do I think its Tyjon related as he has been used in a different position. I think if we dont sign a striker, its most likely a case of us having to work within a budget and not deeming another striker as important as other positions. I dont suspect that everything that happens this summer is exactly what Ismael has asked for, I imagine that most managers end a transfer window wishing that they had one or two more than they actually get. Obviously not suggesting him as we couldnt afford him. But someone of the style of Adam Armstrong would be ideal. Quick, naturally a central player but can also be used wide.

They might "love" Leonard, indeed they supposedly loved Buckley. But he has proven for a number of years now that he cant stay fit and hasnt been involved with the first team in pre season. If hes fit, he needs to go elsewhere either on loan or permanently to try and make a career because its massively stalled as a result. Tyjon has only ever come on in an attacking midfield role, not as the main striker so he wouldnt be in direct competition, not even factoring in his contract situation. I am not advocating signing someone to sit on the bench. I am suggesting to get someone (doesnt have to be a loan) to really push for a starting spot. There are plenty of minutes, attacking players are often taken off after an hour especially if we are going to play a high press. But if we use say Ohashi for an hour, its awkward to have no choice but to alter our tactics to bring on a big lump in his place. There are times when that approach might be needed, if we need a goal then Gueye and Ohashi/another striker can come on. We need flexibility, we need to be fully covered and we need different options. Its a position you dont want to be left light in, we found that during Ohashi's injury last season. We shouldnt not sign someone as to not upset current players threatened by current competition. We need more quality and more options. Ideally, someone with some pace and perhaps a central striker who could also play from a wide position if we wanted.

Leonard is a write off, even if he stays he cant stay fit. And Tyjon seems unlikely to play up front. With other positions, 2 for 1 can work especially as they can often be covered with veraatility. But at times we might want 2 up front at once in games, or if there is one injury, its always at least important to have someone on the bench. Also, Gueye cant just slot in for Ohashi so it requires a change of tactics.

No Cantwell is a massive blow. Just stick Henriksson in to start. He was mid season anyway so not like he should be unfit.

Again chaddy, quality. Its not about numbers, its about quality. We dont have enough goals, enough pace and enough creativity. The minimum should be a right winger and a striker. Which is exactly what you also want. The one you didnt want is an attacking midfielder which presumably you dont agree with the signing of as you didnt think it was needed. We arent close to registration limits.

As @roverandout said, I thought pre season didnt matter? Scoring a few past some crappy Qatari side doesnt prove much. Where are the goals coming from in the side, beside some from Ohashi?

Id rather not lose our best centre back.

I dont get how you read that and your immediate conclusion is to go back for Waggott.

Im not sure however we sign necessarily means that Ismael has specifically asked for that number. Even if he doesnt kick up a fuss, he isnt in control of finances. Even if the budget only stretches in terms of fees for another winger. And I get why we would prioritise permanent signings. We would be stupid not to then loan a couple on top. Extra pace and depth as you say and also extra quality.

Not enough goals or speed in that squad. You need more than that in the attacking areas quantity wise too especially if you plan to press high.

Suhail really comes across even worse than anyone could have possibly imagined. To think, he is the most senior person at our football club. Carries himself in a way which disgraces the club. Unprofessional, sarcastic and bitter. Numerous jibes at Glen (the one about asking Venkys himself was a real low) but also throwing other employees past and present under the bus. He clearly has no interest in the clubs success. Clearly not one to push for more funding or even reinvestment, will just blindly defend. The stuff about Lowe, about Waggott, about funding, about the womens team, about Jones, all totally bizarre. And so evasive about contracts. Making out like its the fault mainly of people that have left, no comment on what will be done to change things. For so long, Waggott took the brunt of the stick and I maintain that I am glad that he is gone. (Or whatever the situation is) But he at least carried himself in the main as a board member would be expected to act. Yasir also comes across terribly. Surely he doesnt genuinely believe the stuff about prices not being a major factor in poor sales.

Again, you are fixated with numbers as if each of those "11" is equal. Are there enough goals? No. Is there enough creativity? No. Is there enough pace? No. Our attack is nowhere near good enough. It shouldnt be a case of have we enough warm bodies, it should be do we have the necessary quality. For the positions up to the attacking ones, roughly 2 for 1 position is sufficient. In attack, especially if we want to play a high press. Especially now you can name 5 subs from 9, so you are likely going through 7 or 8 a game, and more often than not at least 1 or 2 will be missing through injury. We never want to get to the stage where you dont have enough options on the bench to bring on fresh legs. If we get a right winger and a striker that are good enough, fine. I fear that we wont even get 2, just 1. That wouldnt be enough, either bodies or crucially quality. For what its worth, we have lost Dolan, Weimann, ACD, Dennis and Woodrow from last season. Obviously 3 of those 5 were crap, 2 are big losses. But even if we did sign 3 more attackers, we would only be back to where we were numerically, and even then at times with injuries we were light on the bench.

I never said that, although we currently have 0 competent ones. Hendriksson I dont think played as a number 10 at his old club. But seems the most likely position here. Right winger, striker, then maybe one more thats versatile. I know you gave my post saying we have very little goal threat a "thumbs down" but its true.

Baradji shouldnt be a priority. If we keep Travis, then we already have 2 new midfielders. If we lose him, we dont want a player out injured for months. If we just sign one right winger, say Miyoshi. We are still well short of goal threat and pace across the front. Need at least a striker on top of that, minimum. Id still prefer another attacking player on top of that. Even if the latter two have to be loans, or one of them is a loan.

There is such a lack of goals in our likely attack. Hedges scored 1 last season, Cantwell 1 from open play and De Neve has never scored more than 2 in a season. And neither of our central midfielders score anything other than occasionally. Even Ohashi isnt prolific.

A Montgomery and Hedges right side makes me feel a bit sick.

No, it is a pattern. We cant get players to sign contracts. If you want to put them down to a series of unfortunate individual circumstances and dismiss the pattern, if that helps you to deflect potential blame, then fine. But it is a pattern. Players dont sign new deals here. But the fact is that the only player we have got to a sign a new deal in a long long time is Ribeiro, who signed a weird short term contract which was then brought in line.

When it is such a continuous pattern, and it stretches beyond the odd player running it down. When we have extended one players contract in is it nearly 2 years, and that was a new signing that signed on a peculiar 6 month deal. When we have key players coming out and saying they hadnt been even talked to at easter, with 1 year to go. Then yes, it is Rovers' fault.

Toth Miller/Alebiosu Hyam McLoughlin Pickering Travis Tronstad Henriksson Cantwell Kargbo Ohashi Not ideal playing Henriksson out of position but what is even less ideal is starting Hedges. He has been playing in Sweden so should be fit enough. Guessing Miller will not be fit enough, we cant play Montgomery there so Alebiosu it is. Pickering and Kargbo would be my choices but suspect Ribeiro and De Neve will start.

Because they go hand in hand in terms of building a squad. Why cant we agree any new deals?

At the moment though it is just one sale. But even if we sold them all, until we can start agreeing new contracts with at least some players then it undermines everything. Its a massive worry. Why do they all want to stay? I suggest we arent offering competitive wages and we also arent being proactive in actually offering them. You should, but why can we not agree new deals with any of our important players?

Armstrong? For 5x that amount. Our inability to extend contracts still continues to undermine us and will do so until something changes.

As mentioned, it wasnt the full Japan team and was against Hong Kong. Based on his goal record at his new team, it was very much a brief half season good spell and at 30 years old, he probably wouldnt have made it at this level. Not that we should specifically be targetting Japanese players using some sort of logic that they carry a specific premium in terms of value. Your posts seem very pro Gestede and you always seem very keen to criticise the methods of Eustace where possible. His methods seem to work very well in terms of getting results. Hopefully Gestede signing all these exotic names does lead to better results but he still hasnt managed to figure out contract extensions.