roversfan99

We could speculate as to what is said on the training ground but in the main amongst supporters, this sort of nonsense tends to be used to try and appear more knowledgeable. Agree with your last sentence for sure, jargon indeed.

"Ball recyclers" and "verticality" added to the phrasebook of unnecessary nonsense.

The travel is an irrelevance, indeed if it is an issue then obviously dont declare yourself for a country so far away. An international manager cant and shouldnt factor that into their thinking. The manager wont know if he isnt good enough, and indeed a qualifier is perhaps not the time for experimentation, but he will have at least seen him in training. The whole squad never features during an international qualifying break, but the players who dont appear cant and shouldnt feel like they needn't have bothered. Sorry Alexis, I know you have travelled from Italy, but Ben has travelled a long way too so I'd better not waste his time.

If he has an issue with "being dragged half way across the globe to not give him a minute" then maybe international football is not for him. Can't be expected to be given minutes purely because he travelled, all the players did, a number from Europe.

I think there is plenty of fawning over the attacking talent that we have, its competitive with all teams really in the competition and no one is doubting that. But there are obvious cracks beyond that and questions over the manager which are very valid. Its not about being positive/negative/ready and eager to slate them, although ultimately repeated past failures naturally do create a tinge of fear and wariness.

But then why would it ever be mentioned on this forum in the first place if you or anyone else felt that others lacked the full understanding/knowledge to be able to discuss it? Thats not me in any way discouraging talking about it but I dont think that the brick laying comparison is a like for like one.

Jorginho is a good player, and for me better than Rice. If we was to face Italy, I suspect that as in the past, we would struggle to get much of the ball and they look like a dark horse to me (if they arent too big to be called that!) with some very technical players. I don't think that we have a central midfield that can control games, our key players are all ahead of that.

I think technology less than data is divisive, and the ones that I have highlighted are not really data in the sense that people are talking about it. Watching training and matches back is something that clearly has happened for a while and of course has been aided with further technology, I can't see much scope for why anyone would doubt that as being useful. Analysing opposition and indeed yourself to improve and to do different tactical things, you cant argue with that really. The sports bras are a good point, and for me that is good use of data, essentially you can monitor players to try and keep them as fit as possible to try and avoid muscular injuries. Not an exact science but will be of massive help to physios and fitness staff. Recruitment is seemingly more of a complex issue, but as I mention below, the data is not the key IMO, I maintain that the main variable (the same data is available to everyone) is the people and always will be. You mention our club, we are clearly sorely lacking in competence in the recruitment team headed by our manager. My main issue with data is that it is constantly taken out of context to make what people believe are objective conclusions. Reading Andy's document, it was a lengthy piece of work but for example, it said that "purely based on his defensive output and ridiculous stats" before going onto recommend signing Trybull. Thats a personal opinion and a personal interpretation on data, as is the assumption that Rovers are performing (based on data) at a level far exceeding our league finish. With Trybull for example, he has played in a team that has a specific "style" to keep the ball so his passing stats will be above the norm, the data wont show how he slows everything down and kills any momentum. Similarly, on the Not The Top 20 podcast, it said about Swansea that they cant expect to "run away" from the underlying data for too long, on the back of a second successive play off push. Its this nonsencial idea that the data is factual when all collated together, thats not true. It also sometimes then leads to patronising/condescending comments, you clearly dont understand the data etc.

To be fair, this thread wouldnt be active for a long while yet if we stick rigidly on topic!

To be fair, the rumour seems to be a busy agent at work. And with the usual yearly dilly dallying seemingly making any proactive transfer business a pipe dream, and that a manager who has outstayed his welcome and with the recruitment team have a shoddy record at bringing players in for the last few years, you can appreciate any natural pessimism.

Clutching at straws. As if it needed confirming, at the fans forum the CEO confirmed that the owners had confirmed that he is remaining. Plus there is a piece from an interview today. No point getting your hopes up.

Every player? Do you think that Ayala, Gallagher and Johnson were signed based on data? Also, you are implying that we would be the exception if we didnt use data. Surely the fact that all teams at this level have access to similar data proves that the variable is the people that use it.

Data alone is pretty worthless. Its having savvy people to utilise it that is key, thats when it becomes useful.

Data is obviously used in football. That doesnt mean that people cant question it or doubt it, VAR is also used in football, the fact that it is used in football doesnt make it unquestionable. That doesnt mean that all data is useful or indeed relevant either. It also doesnt guarantee to be of benefit to anyone, it could be used (and often I am sure will be) used out of content, conclusions could be taken that are misleading, there are all sorts of variables. The key to Brentford's use for example is the people that use it, not the fact that they presumably are so data focused.

The idea of Mings playing for England at CB at a major tournament is a frightening one.

Rothwell has played all season centrally to be fair, and still is a 1 in 10 player. Not sure if he can hide behind being "shunted around" at all last season. Cairney not only never got a full season centrally, but was also performing at a much higher level than Rothwell ever has despite that.

This "expectation was instant" theory is a myth. The issue was not that we had spent 7m on a player that we expected to instantly bag loads of goals, its that he looked totally alien to what to do on a football pitch. Struggling with basics is almost an understatement. Why is advocating a loan spell part of a witch hunt, its a very constructive way of getting a player game time without impeding on our own results, which for 2 years, he was a liability when he played. Armstrong got plenty of criticism for 18 months when he was playing wide but lets not pretend that his performances were comparable and thats not even factoring in price tag. One was a threat but not contributing as much as he perhaps could, the other for 2 years looked like a bumbling clown. He was ok last season, perhaps exaggerated by how low his standards were from the first 2 years, but he contributed much more. Lets hope he continues to improve, I dont see him ever being a competent central striker to be fair though at this level.

The 2 main "defences" of our season ticket policy/lack of policy are that why would anyone buy a season ticket before when they HAD to (on what planet are season tickets released only in the first month of the season?) and indeed that no one would be happy to buy without knowing for sure if they could attend. I did last year with 2500 more knowing that there was a large chance that I would have to settle for ifollow/pro rata refunds and still gave my money anyway. I didnt complain having done so, I saw no one else in my position complain and it shouldnt be about why people would be willing to, it should be why arent the club taking up that demand as soon as bloody possible?! We all know that if it was the case that the club wanted to wait to see more clarity on the pandemic, then they would at least communicate that. Preston have been one of the latest teams to release season ticket details, doing so last week, but released a number of statements prior to keep fans in the loop. Lets not even pretend that it is anything but negligence and incompetence that has prevented season tickets from being released yet.

Mowbray suggested the bad ones and the recruitment team suggested the good ones? Easy assumption to make and even if it was true, Mowbray is still the manager so no reason to believe that suddenly our fantastic recruitment team will suddenly grasp the power and have the final say.

Do you have any remaining faith in the combination of our recruitment team and Mowbray leading to get us what we need?

Did anyone slag the club off last year for putting season tickets on sale?

Why is now the time to make him a regular in the first team? Has he shown enough on the pitch to warrant such a privilege, merely his age doesnt warrant it. I am comfortable with his current position, squad player, will get chances, to get a more regular spot, he needs to earn it which as of yet he has struggled to do. You are keen to dismiss the managerial conundrum, I get it to an extent but minor tactical suggestions and signing recommendations seem immaterial under the cloud that is an incompetent manager, under the biggest cloud that is negligent owners. He will continue to persist with his flawed "philosophy" with ill suited tactics. Why do I assume that Armstrong will go? Because he has a year left on his deal, we are going backwards, he is clearly above a team 15th in the Championship and it would make no sense for him to renew, plus our manager tries to invite bids every time a microphone is placed within his vicinity? Why do I not think that he will be replaced? Well to equally replace a 29 goal striker as a 15th placed Championship club full stop, especially with a small budget, is nigh on impossible. Throw in aforementioned manager and recruitment team who have barring exceptions ballsed up recruitment for a while now, why would I have faith in them? Why do you have faith in our recruitment? Blind hope? Why do I fear a dog fight? I just dont think that an underperforming manager suffocating in his own stagnation managing a squad of players who I predict will be poorer than the squad that achieved a 15th placed finish last season is a recipe for success. Assuming that Armstrong goes, its a given that his replacement wont be a 29 goal striker. We have also lost Elliott who whilst he obviously isnt as important as Armstrong, he was still our only other reliable attacking outlet. Do I think that Brereton, Gallagher and co can fill that goal void? No, certainly not. I then look further back, the idea of Buckley becoming a first team regular, nice idea to bring through the kids, do I think at the moment he is good enough to start as a regular? No. Further back, Harwood Bellis will be a miss too. Beyond Armstrong, Dack and Elliott, leaving, injured and leaving, I dont see much to really get excited about, all of course further hindered by Mowbray. To be honest, it might surprise you to read that I am actually excited about the idea of attending games again after so long away. Even then, it seems like the governments incompetence might jeopardise that!

Content with Rankin Costello being signed up. Should have been an easy one, has done well enough without excelling and seems to be made of glass but definitely a player that is wise to get tied down for a few years. I hope he is played further forward, not convinced on him defensively.

Where is this from? A lot of links may suggest an active agent I suppose.

Armstrong to be fair had previously had a prolific season albeit at League 1 level.