roversfan99

We can have our own opinions but Whitty has said that restrictions could be re-imposed as early as in 5 weeks: https://www.lancs.live/news/uk-world-news/chris-whitty-warns-lockdown-could-21066503 So we may not be able to attend from a couple of weeks into the season. Regarding the players, even the ones that have been double vaccinated will have to isolate if they or a team mate deemed in close proximity to them gets a positive test, and positive tests are obviously so high at the moment.

Well he wouldnt leave Cardiff to come to Rovers so no but I was merely adding to the hypothetical debate to which McCarthy is the obviously better manager.

I saw a link and started watching from 75/80 minutes but turned off soon after, I only recognised Chapman. Unsure if it was predominantly a reserve team we put out or just if our very small pool of senior players had already come off.

The rules say that until August (I think) that everyone will need to isolate as they do at the moment regardless of any negative test, and that only will change if you have had both vaccines, I know that various players at the Euros had yet to be vaccinated due to the risk of side effects ahead of important games so I suspect that many Championship players wont have had both if any vaccine by then. One positive case within a squad will cause mass cases of isolation and cases per day are so high. That is before factoring in sadly inevitably lockdowns that I expect to be brought in even within 6 weeks according to Chris Whitty. I would love to agree and really do hope that I am wrong but the government have dealt with the pandemic with such negligence that I cannot see any other outcome.

10 wins, 9 draws and only 3 losses last season at Cardiff suggests that you are talking out of your arse.

You cant.

Where is this from? If so, unsure why it is behind closed doors to be honest.

Really?! But no one really has suggested that the individual is incompetent or a poor selection. The problem is that it further highlights the power of an incompetent manager whose immediate future is sadly at our football club. We are going to be surrounded by "negativity" at the moment because ultimately, the immediate future looks bleak.

It has not been a tactical move to wait for Armstrong to leave before making a move in the transfer market, our lack of proactivity in the transfer market is a given every single season, plus even then, we have spent most of the summer in a totally unavoidable transfer embargo. So we literally couldn't sign anyone. We cannot indefinitely hold on for an Armstrong windfall, the transfer saga will likely not conclude any time soon and we urgently need reinforcements. We should already have a budget, it may be miniscule as ever but we should be working with that and if indeed Armstrong does leave, we could then buy a replacement with that money (a replacement who we should already have in mind), perhaps another attacking player as adequately replacing Armstrong will be impossible, and then keep the rest of the money, partly to reinvest in the future. Holding off until Armstrong leaves is not a feasible strategy. The head of recruitment is certainly no excuse for our lack of business either. We was told when Stuart Harvey left that it would not impact us.

I totally get and share your enthusiasm as to going to Rovers games after such a lengthy spell out, I cannot wait either. I fear that is almost certainly not going to be close to a full season of attending games but that is another matter and I cannot wait to return. That said, those feelings are an irrelevance when constructively critiquing our chances for the upcoming season. I still planned much of my life around Rovers when Kean and Coyle were here, it doesn't mean that I was optimistic in those times either. Being happy to go back doesn't mean that a constructive person would totally remove the manager from their analysis. Being happy to go back doesn't mean that you need to pretend that you genuinely think that a top 6 finish is a possibility, yet don't give clear reasons why. Being happy doesn't mean that you can't criticise our inability to make signings or indeed avoid an unnecessary embargo, batting off the incompetence as it being a case of "we are where we are." And being happy to go back doesn't mean that we have to assume that it is good to have so many unproven kids all expected to come through together. Also, your team is built around a striker almost certain to go, and half of the other 10 have a year left, and there are no signings.

If I gave you a straight choice, Mowbray or McCarthy for the upcoming season. Who would you choose>

I never once said that I was jealous of other teams signings, you have for the second time misinterpreted what my point was. That again, partly down to a self inflicted embargo, we are working so slowly on signing new players, we are in a small minority of teams yet to anyone. And that wasn't/isn't a tactical ploy whilst waiting for players, it was due to the aforementioned unnecessary embargo preventing us. In regards to a supposed "agenda" about being negative, again, what is there to be optimistic about? Disinterested owners, incompetent manager, transfer embargo for some of the summer, no signings 3 weeks prior to the season, the loss of key players in potentially Armstrong as well as Elliott and Harwood-Bellis, is it really an agenda to be feeling a little less than positive? Patrick Roberts hasnt even been linked to us, so being unsure on him coming in (as a replacement for Elliott so a downgrade) is not even me being pessimistic about Rovers. He has had a few really ineffective loans, he is talented but not much at the end of it.

I would be very surprised if Johansen doesn't go back to QPR. Spent last season there, they are strongly linked again and are looking in much better shape than us. It is also hard to get excited about players fitted to the exact same flawed way of playing that Mowbray adopts, we need a re-think. Roberts is a weird one, he definitely has ability but he repeatedly wastes loan spells aside from some success at Celtic. Poor at Norwich, Boro and Derby.

I am pretty sure that when Harvey left, the message coming from the club was that it wouldn't affect things this summer. The following quote suggests that maybe it did cause a road block: "it’s now full steam ahead to find the players to ensure we have a competitive squad going forward."

Why advertise in the first place? I agree that a manager shouldn't interview 87 candidates but it seemed pointless to even advertise if they already had someone in mind, and the fact that it strengthens the position of a rubbish manager is infuriating. Not sure the preparation is particularly going very well to be honest anyway. Mowbray in charge, no signings, and in the only game so far it was essentially a Rovers under 23 side, only Nyambe, Pickering, Travis, Rothwell, Johnson (who got injured) and at a push as fringe players Buckley and Davenport you would think would be in the squad on the opening day.

It seems that people are split in their attitude on Mowbray at this moment in time. Half want to bury their head in the sands, call a fresh start from the start of the season and put people down for "not getting behind the team, COYB!" I sort of get it and maybe wish that I had such willingness to do the same, but it makes no logical and rational sense. Talking about signings being made, none of which have and with no urgency to do so may I add, we are reliant on the recruitment of a manager who has a poor record in the market. Tactics and formations, again we rely on Mowbray-ball and his wide striker and false 9 rubbish. So it is impossible to rationally look ahead to the season without considering the manager. I am not one to go into calling him corrupt etc, I just think that he is incompetent and well out of his depth. I have no evidence that he was being cunning behind the scenes and indeed even surrounding himself with people he knows is very common, the worry is that it only strengthens his position and shows how trusted he is, not that he is doing it deceitfully. But I cannot fathom how people can just start afresh because a manager is critical to the success or failure of a football club. And to clarify, I am definitely aware that the problems are and have always been the cunts over in India, but Mowbray is a huge, horrid symptom of that as a failing manager taking us backwards. Seems like a re-hash of the Daily Mail article, which in itself seemed to be based on the Sun at the weekend. Either way, we need to get our arse in gear at getting players in.

Cant argue with any of that. But on Joe Bennett, he is a left back of real proven quality, not over the hill at 31, would give us real experience that we sorely lack and would I expect be first choice over Pickering who is obviously yet to prove himself at this level. Well all that would be true if it wasnt for the fact that he injured his knee ligaments in March and wont be fit for at least a couple of months into the new season which is why Cardiff released him. Signing him would be totally senseless so expect a 3 year deal any day now.

The difference is that Souness surrounding himself with familiarity and strengthening his own position was not a problem in that he was a successful manager. Mowbray shouldnt be in the job so surrounding himself and helping to vet a further familiar face isnt a good sign.

If you would like to be unnecessarily patronising, at least count correctly.

That is grotesque!

Both sides seem to be run proactively but I am not convinced by Luton, any side that signs Amarii Bell is always going to raise question marks and in general their recruitment is a little peculiar, Cameron Jerome and even Henri Lansbury seem to have long since had their day, Burke in defence, Campbell in midfield and the trio of Gomes, Muskwe and Onyedimna are a little more interesting but not sure that they have enough to really overachieve. QPR on the other hand seemed to be really strong in the second half of last season once they made signings that bar Johansen they have made permanent. Never been totally convinced by Warburton but they do seem to be putting something together there. You would expect the relegated 3 and Bournemouth having retained much of their crown jewels and added Marcondes to all be up there, less convinced by Barnsley having had their manager and captain nabbed and Swansea without Ayew, Woodman, Guehi etc so maybe there are 2 spaces left. The front runners aside from maybe QPR for the top 6 would have to be Cardiff, Boro and Stoke for me, all managed by good managers and ssemingly improving on the pitch. Warnock always leans on experience but seems to be set to spice it up with a South American binge, McCarthy at Cardiff improved them so much last season and has added some more options so I think they will be up there and Stoke will miss Collins but Wilmot, Vrancic and Doughty look like decent additions and with the likes of Fletcher, Campbell and Fox to return to fitness they might be up there too.

Is this true that we have 19? The rules are that you can have 25, these 25 include loanees but exclude those who are permanent and are under 21, presumably that this season will be those born after the 1st January 2000: https://www.efl.com/clubs-and-competitions/sky-bet-championship/championship-squad-list/ From our 25 man squad last season, we have lost Bell, Bennett, Branthwaite, Douglas, Downing, Elliott, Evans, Harwood-Bellis, Holtby, Lyons, Trybull, Williams, plus there is no need to register Magloire and Armstrong is obviously set to depart. So that is 14 more spaces available. Pickering will take one of those, Chapman will take one of those, Carter will (by 2 weeks) as will Butterworth, lets for now assume that we keep those 2 around the squad. As will Buckley and Brereton who didnt last season. So that is 6, leaving 8 spaces for my calculations. 9 if you assume that Pears is loaned out and we bring in alternative back up in goal.

It surely only further strengthens Mowbray's position, that is I suspect peoples issue with it.

And why 5? 5 is not enough.

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