roversfan99

Last season, Mowbray publically questioned Johnsons fitness at one point coupled with his daily commute from Derby. He seems to be in better shape this season.

Yep, i think that merely signing a couple of players from Europe, whilst exciting to an extent, shouldnt automatically render the network a success. Ultimately it depends on how these players do.

Yet with Armstrong, you seem naive to the fact that he equally might be unwilling, or that it could be in his best interests to sit on it. Its all get him signed long term with no release clause, he will sign because he loves Mowbray.

28 minutes ago, Vilesinner said:

A bit of both. Bit of a tight hamstring I believe. 

Hopefully we (Norn Iron) rest him now for the next game. 

It would be typical if he has picked up an injury for Northern Ireland and misses further games for us upon his return. 

Hes definitely a useful player but I suspect we have to cut ties in the summer. As a senior player with no doubt a wage befitting he cant be relied upon.

With 3 centre backs and 2 holding midfielders, it certainly doesnt lend itself to dynamism, it doesnt suit the current set of players.

Seems that Southgate has had an eye on Rovers games. Danny Ings on the right wing!

I think Southgate is going to be playing 3 at the back going forward. Not a fan of it personally.

Not sure which if any centre backs walk into the team at the moment.

Trippier is living off that free kick.

35 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Same, he seems destined to be a utility man for me. What is his actual position anyway? Solid everywhere but doesn't stand out anywhere (although still early days and he can prove me wrong). Admittedly, he has shown he can pick a pass. But I have not seen much else so far. 

I agree, I have never been overly impressed/excited by him, he usually slots in fine but little more.

That isnt a big issue necessarily. The academy creating key players for the team like Lenihan, Travis and Nyambe, but there is also a requirement for it to produce players to prevent us from having to sign squad fillers, maybe Rankin Costello will become one of them.

@RoversClitheroe you are definitely right on Dack. 

I am not saying that Dack is or isnt Premier League quality but its a load of bollocks to suggest that not having pace means you have no chance in the top flight. Not that Dack is slow. Im not comparing them as players but Kane isnt fast, yet he is prolific. James Rodriguez has come in and taken to the league like a duck to water, he isnt fast. Aguero has lost his pace, he is still a big player for city. There are plenty of attacking players who arent blisteringly quick who make up for it

The thought of having Dack (when fit obviously, maybe initially he will need to be a sub) on the bench and the likes of Rothwell, Dolan and Brereton starting is crazy. Dack starts along with Armstrong as the 2 we build around, if it takes a bit of compromise elsewhere then to suit our best players then so be it. Rothwell has flattered to deceive for 2 years, Brereton has upgraded from looking totally out of place on a football pitch to non threatening in front of goal but sometimes offering useful aspects and promise, and Dolan has 3 league starts under his belt, ever. None of them are anything close to having the credit in terms of earning a first team place that Dack has.

High press, technical and at times counter attacking football will suit Dack anyway.

9 minutes ago, Vilesinner said:

Played plenty of decent games at Forest with fans.

Of course it would be great if fans here would give him a chance especially when he is busting a gut. 

Fans here would give him a chance? Fans at Ewood have been very patient with him.

Didnt King go on a free?

4 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

It’s not that simple mate...

Dack is looking at his pals like Reed and Tosin earning £60k a week thinking he would treble his wages. At what 27 he’s not signing another contract with us unless we’re in the PL and can offer him that type of money. The BEST chance of him re-signing is either if we go up or if he comes back to poor form and decides that move isn’t going to materialise. I personally think he’ll go next summer.

Nyambe just hasn’t been consistent enough. He’s never nailed his place in the team down and that’s why it’s drifted. I don’t think anyone’s blown away with him and I reckon there’s a really good chance both he and JRC will sign.

Theres currently the more players out of contract than any other time since the Bosman ruling. A lot of players shitting themselves. Nyambe and JRC can’t afford to run their contracts down.

I think it is crazy to suggest that Nyambe and Rankin Costello, especially the former, would be "shitting" themselves at becoming a free agent, as if they would struggle to find a club. Older free agents further down the leagues, thats a different story. 

With Nyambe, there was a spell when he didnt play not on merit but because at that time Bennett was wrongly considered the better option.

Agree that Dack goes next summer if we dont go up. Exactly the same thought process with Armstrong and maybe even Lenihan. Feels like the end of a cycle with this team considering the contractual situation.

Players like Dolan might have promise but it will take more than that to compete at the top end again. There will be growing pains unless we can get promoted. Plenty of pressure on this season. 

I am not convinced that you have to state in advance something contrary to the manager in order to be able to criticise him anyway.

If Mowbray does something wrong, we criticise him as a manager, not as a direct comparison to ourselves.

33 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

We have a good relationship with them. Nearly signed their young keeper On loan early in the summer. 

We might have a good relationship with them but that isnt proof. Within hours of the rumour coming out, he had gone to Belgium. Surely they would have preferred him to come here with our strong relationship if the interest was so strong?

I think the fact that Kaminski seems such a considered deal that had been extensively scouted and that it has been repeatedly reported that our number 1 was always going to be coming from abroad perhaps suggests that the rumour that a deal for Iversen was close was not factual. It didnt make sense at the time and even less so now.

37 minutes ago, Ben Frost said:

I don't remember anyone complaining about those contracts at the time... in fact quite the opposite 

Absolute rubbish. I remember there being plenty of alarm bells raised about the length of Mulgrew's contract. Smallwood already had a further year, there was no rush to renew. With Bennett, I think I was one of the exceptions in not being convinced. There was also Evans which received criticism because it was coupled with the first of Waggotts passive aggressive marketing campaign, a season ticket advert with the punchline "Corry has committed, have you?" Possibly the funniest, I will give him that.

Regarding the ones last year, universal criticism.

What about dishing out contracts to Mulgrew for 3 years, Bennett, Smallwood etc as "rewards" for getting us promoted without the foresight to see that we would be lumbered with them?

Or giving Smallwood, Hart etc extensions when the club has no income and they didnt even get onto a 9 man bench?

Not good financially for a club on a budget.

We tend to sell players just before their contracts end to be fair, I remember that happening with Marshall but you often dont get the fee you could have received otherwise.

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

If Dack wants to move this summer even, and there is interest he probably will do. I'm not convinced he can be compelled to sign a 12 month contract extension against his will but even if he can the only benefit from our point of view would be we'd get a better fee for him if he was set on leaving.

A 12 month option in the clubs favour if fairly commonplace now.

Yeah, unless we go up we might only have another few months of enjoying him and Armstrong play in blue and white.

I know it isnt the same manager but surely you can understand why people are sceptical when players are "about to sign new deals" considering how we have dealt with contracts, notably Hoilett "within 24 hours."

I wouldnt stretch to the lengths that it is all a ploy although if the player had said he was leaving, Mowbray wouldnt publically declare it anyway.

I am not confident regarding the contractual issues. I would be pleasantly surprised if Nyambe doesnt run down his contract, and if Lenihan and especially Dack and Armstrong extend their contracts to prevent an inevitable sale next summer.

Good that both new goalkeepers signed from other European shores can both speak good English. 

He did also say earlier than Ben Whiteman's brother who "works at BAE" told him that he is about to sign for us 

2 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

Just shows how lucky Mowbray has been every summer he is given funds to strengthen and hasn't had to sell any key players. The owners have placed a lot of faith in him and he really does need to deliver this season or I fear that next season we may see a lot of key players sold as we did in 2016. I can't help but feel that this is a huge season in regards to the future of the club and which direction it is going in.

There definitely is a feel that this season will be the last in the current cycle before we might see a bit of change. The contracts are the big red flag.

Nyambe's contract is up at the end of this season, and then we will only get a training fee should he stay in England. Armstrong, Dack and Lenihan will all have a year left I think. I dont think any of those players will be rushing to sign new deals, nor is it in their best interest to do anything other than sit and wait for now and keep the power in their hands. I would love to be wrong.

Rankin Costello, Holtby, Johnson, Evans, Rothwell, Williams, Chapman, Mulgrew, Bell and Bennett all have only this year left on their contracts too, of course many of them either will definitely not warrant a new deal (the last 3 for example) and a few others are very much ones that could go either way. I suspect that next summer is going to be one of upheaval should we not go up, and that potentially would be the point when Mowbray's job would naturally come into question at the start of a new cycle.

Yeah, im just not sure when it became one or the other!

Seems that Whiteman can sit in midfield next to Gorrin.