Neymar is so easy to dislike. Diving cheat who was really poor tonight. The best Brazil player by far this tournament has been Coutinho.

27 minutes ago, roverandout said:

South american teams resort to wrestling when facing european sides..they just cant cope with the higher quality of european teams

Brazil will disagree.

24 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Iv heard from someone else (not nixon) that we have enquired about Kent.He was poor at Bristol last season but maybe that was down to his first half season in Germany.He was good in his previous loan spells

Looking into his spells at Barnsley and Coventry and he didnt get many goals or assists at either club. That said, he was very young (as he still is) and he seems highly rated at Liverpool so I would be open minded. That said, if he was our only wide addition, we would be screwed, if he was one of 2 or 3 wide additions he might well improve us. All depends on the bigger picture.

Just now, JHRover said:

Gallagher isn't going to get a look in at Southampton I wouldn't have thought and I thought I'd heard he was approaching the final year of his contract. If so I'd expect he'd be available for purchase.

Young, a presence up front, knows the club, knows the Championship, scored a few in a poor struggling side last time round. Could do a lot worse.

Speculate to accumulate. At his age barring an injury disaster the likelihood is he will increase in value which should tick the Venky criteria.

One thing he certainly isnt is a presence up front. His height may fool people but hes one of the weakest forwards ive seen in a Rovers shirt and his hold up is non existent. Towards the end of his last spell he was played wide.

In the phrase "scored a few," few is the operative word, 17 in 89 in the Championship surely isnt the calibre we want at the club.

Yes, he played for us before so I can understand the familiarity and the popularity of the suggestion to the extent, but there has to be better out there. Im sure Mowbray wont be signing based on sentimentality.

38 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I dont see us in for Maddison at 2.5 million pounds if we are in for Armstrong. Plus the need for another winger either Kent or Chapman. 

We don't even know if Armstrong, Kent or Chapman will sign, so how is it not needed? 1 winger is not sufficient for our squad, considering we currently have none bar Conway (and players who can do a job there but arent naturals), there are 2 wings and we'd need at least 2, then cover.

Maddison is an excellent suggestion, Chapman is prone to injury and Mowbray doesnt see him as a potential starter and we need players that can improve our first team anyway. We need to be looking at players that improve us, not too much in the bargain bin, and making do with players who arent naturals in their position. Kent presumably would be a loan, maybe get a loan winger as well as a permanent signing like Maddison, but Kent struggled at Bristol City last season to the extent that he was dropped from the squad, even though that caused Bristol City to pay money to Liverpool for not picking him. Nothing concrete that we want him anyway so its probably not true.

30 minutes ago, neophox said:

Sam Gallagher is available... to compete with Graham! Would fit our system as lone striker!

No thanks. Certainly not capable as a loan striker, far too weak and not good enough at holding up the ball and bringing players into play. Im sure Mowbray will look at better.

3 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I reckon we will have at least 4 new signings starting against Ipswich.Davenport, 2 wingers and possibly even a striker. Keep the faith! 

We don't need a Dack or Mulgrew as we already have them  I think our big outlay will be on a striker 

Needs to be on an exciting winger who can give us a big threat, Maddison would be ideal. Someone who can give us pace and flair in a position where we are totally bereft of anyone.

Do need a striker too to be fair but if Graham was starting the season id be moderately happy.

2 minutes ago, roverandout said:

He said england think too much of themselves and that sweden should win..other ex players saying england are rubbish

"Congratulations to England and Southgate. It was great to see England win a penalty shootout. Mentally, they were very, very strong. I'm very happy for them.

"I think England can go very far in this tournament. They have good players and they seem to be very organised.

"They have young, hungry players. You saw yesterday, they were the better team and won it."

When asked if he would be supporting England if they beat Sweden on Saturday, Eriksson replied: "Yes, absolutely. I still feel a little bit English!"

"England have the players individually to do something special. Kane is one of them, Sterling is another."

All direct quotes from Sven. Hardly arrogance or dismissive. Compared that to England fans constantly saying its coming home (including players like Lingard, Stones and Walker who I think have all tweeted or said it I think) and planning a route to the final (its natural, people are excited, im not having a go at England for it, im doing the same) and I think this Swedish arrogance and this global hatred of England is partially a figment of your imagination. 

3 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Talking of arrogance..its not coming from england..its coming from those second rate ex sweden players plus mr quarter-final himself erricson.  Hope we hump the jumped up no-marks (and no thats not arrogance)

What Swedish arrogance? I saw Sven say dont underestimate Sweden but hardly arrogance. English fans have been singing its coming home all week planning our route to the final...

Think our biggest threat tomorrow could be the fatigue/knocks from Tuesday night.

Would bring in Rose for Young and maybe Loftus-Cheek and Rashford for Alli and Sterling, although id be worried that the quality is dropping with them 2 changes.

Sweden are possibly as limited a team as you could get in the quarter final of a World Cup, so we are favourites, Berg and Toivonen have very little quality but they could be a threat from set pieces with the likes of Granqvist, and also Forsberg is a good player coming in from the left.

Think we need to be a lot braver and a lot more progressive in attack tomorrow, didnt feel we were that threatening v Colombia so we need to step it up.

2 hours ago, toogs said:

Jesus, he didn’t did he?

He did and id probably agree with him.

Id be a bit surprised if he starts the season in the team after Mowbray said Evans was our best player in the last month of the season.

I stand by that Chapman is far too big of a risk. I know hes a talent and hes popular but his injuries are seemingly going to be an ongoing concern. Hopefully Mowbray looks elsewhere.

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

"We want to secure some of our players from last season as well, and we’re working towards one or two of them."

Mowbray quote from this https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/july/healthy-competition-will-raise-the-bar/

After Chapman and Armstrong then it appears

I read that as maybe signing Dack, Smallwood etc on new contracts?

51 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

is Marriott going to Forest or Bristol City? have they made a bid for him yet?

 

We have no idea what a Gestede or King partnership would have bought more goals or a better all round team or whether we would have challenge better with that partnership. Fact is with Rhodes/Gestede partnership we never properly challenge for a top 6. 

On Rothwell's role, Mowbray comment was " 

oe was a thorn in our side. He was picking the ball up and travelling with it. He travels with the ball very well and is a good athlete. He’s the type I like to add to the team.

“He’s almost an inverted winger and if there are times where we are defending deep then we know Joe can carry the ball 50 or 60 yards and do it pretty quickly."

how do you how Edwards will do at Championship unless you give him a chance? His stats are good at league 1 level. Nobody knew how Rhodes would adapt to the step up a level but he did during his time here

No I like the open and honestly comments from the Peterborough owner and he communicated to his own fans and other fans

 

would be decent if his injury have gone. 

Because of the incompetence of the rest of the team. Strikers more than doing their job.

Regarding Mowbrays quotes, theres nowhere where he states that Rothwell will actually start on the wing, I dont create my opinions by trying to second guess what Mowbray is going to do. If he chooses the midfield that you suggested, which I think is unlikely, then id be almost certain that we would be blunted, slow and laborious in attack.

I love that you are basing your argument on me not giving him "a chance" even though the only thing weve heard is a meaningless and likely false transfer rumour. But that said, to be honest ive not seen enough of Edwards. I feel that so many people suggesting him is based solely on a decent performance when we beat them near the end of the season. In fact, a lot of players suggested are League 1 players, almost exclusively on the back of 1 performance against us. Edwards got 4 goals and 2 assists in 26 league games and apparently has had injury problems, looking into it. if we are signing League 1 players, which im not opposed to, we need to be signing the very best from there, the ones who have the best chance to make the significant step up. Marriott, Maddison, Jon Nolan (when we needed a centre midfielder, not now), Tariqe Fosu maybe.

Its unprofessional, especially answering questions from supporters of other clubs. 

22 minutes ago, TruRover said:

According to sky we're interested in james Morrison on a free. Can't really see it myself as we've already brought in 2 midfielders 

Already well stocked in central midfield. No thanks.

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

like who?

I see Marroitt a few times thanjks. He scores goals but his all round game isn't good enough for us. 

I fully understand the need for a striker to score goals but he needs to have more to his game than goals. Yes I would have played King and Gestede up front. One has pace and goals and one has hold up ability and score goals. King is having a PL career whilst Rhodes has never a proper go at it and I wonder why? No pace, strength or hold up ability. 

Mowbray has told you what role he see Rothwell playing and the type of player he is. 

I named my team would the current playing squad but given that we are likely to make some more signings my team would change has I did say. 

On Edwards, his stats for last season as 7 goals and 4 assist in 33 games. the season before 9 goals and 4 assists in 41 games played

depends on your thinking. 

IMO, his openness and honest approach with fans is great to see

yes we have 2 signings. I don't see his problem but hey ho

I never said that Rhodes is a better player now, or that King hasnt developed a lot since he left us. Our strikers guaranteed us over 40 goals so your idiotic plan to drop one wouldnt have got us any more goals, both as an individual or as a team.

Goalkeepers that can pick a pass are no good if they dont make saves. Defenders who bring it out from the back are no good if they cant defend. Wingers who can beat a man but then do nothing after are no good. A strikers primary job is to score goals. Yes he needs other qualities ideally but if hes scoring 20 goals he is undroppable.

He hasnt said "ive signed him to play him out of position on the wing leaving us with no pace out wide" and besides I stand by my assertion that Bennett and central midfielder Rothwell both playing wide will give us little attacking threat and leave us unable to counter on teams. I think Mowbray is wiser than that anyway so its a moot point.

Yeah, im unconvinced when you account for the step up in quality that he woule be good enough.

Only because youre a martyr to transfer gossip. Its unprofessional and I wouldnt like to be a manager for him.

5 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Wouldn't have thought he starts as part of a two up front for City though does he?

As for the rest of it, if he is feeling pressure for any reason, unlucky, he's a professional sportsman so he has to find a a way of dealing with it. People can't make excuses for him forever, is it nearly 40 games now?

I would also have to differ when you say he does nothing wrong off the pitch. No - one  forced him to do laughing gas or tattoo an AK 47 on his leg. He brings the media attention on himself imo.

No but by that same token many of the team dont play in the same formation as they do for their clubs.

The tattoo is to do with his dad I believe being shot when he was little. It has a meaning to him and to be quite frank has nothing to do with anyone else and is no reason to give him any stick. The laughing gas wasnt a recent thing was it?

Did he play any worse than Alli and Lingard? I dont believe so but theres no strong continued argument about their inclusion.

Hes an incredibly talented player whose posted some really impressive numbers in terms of goals and assists for City this year. I dont understand the constant hounding he gets. Take your point about him being a professional but to be fair I do think he needs a goal badly to boost his confidence.

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Thanks for the reply. I'm not a fan of Sterling but it seems obvious to me if you must play him you need to play him as an out and out winger aswide as possible on one of the flanks.

I think sometimes managers on millions of pounds a year think they can be so much cleverer than everyone else and shoehorn players into unnatural positions to accomodate fancy formations and ignore the blindingly obvious which the man in the street can see as plain as day. And that's not specific to Southgate by any means.

Sterling often spends games at City inside drifting in, hes hardly the type to constantly run outside and whip crosses in. Hes a very technical and intelligent player.

He was no worse than the likes of Alli and Lingard last night yet he attracts lots of attention. He isnt quite the same player for England and it might seem a lazy thing to imply but id suggest most of that is mental. Hes never been the most popular England player, he was a bit of a scapegoat in the team at Euro 2016 that was all poor, he gets loads of attention in the papers even though he hasnt done anything wrong so maybe its weighing him down. Id love him to score more than anyone else just to hopefully give him that relief to hopefully relax more.

5 minutes ago, Ladyboys of Bank Top said:

Posh chairman on twitter saying release clause for Maddison has been met but that the buying club want to pay in installments and not up front so no deal. It must be us!

He also laughed off the 250k Edwards  link to us. Seems they want a million. 

 

He has to be the most unprofessioanl chairman in the football league.

16 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

No. It was a completly generic post about a player joining a club in our division for big money 

Haha apologies it read like it was a sarcastic jibe.

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Stoke bid 15 million for Ritchie at Newcastle and are offering him 4 million a year. 

Would be a good signing for us ?

Was that aimed at me for suggesting that Edwards' track record makes me unsure that he could improve us?

2 hours ago, J*B said:

A genuine journalist - not a FLW writer!

Which journalist?

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Armstrong would be lot better than Rhodes and Marriott. He would bring pacey and finishing ability. and ability to play 3 different positions. 

That's your opinion not the Mowbray view who has played strikers wide calling them wide forwards and then calling Rothwell a invert winger

A striker has to bring more than just goals to the team whether its the ability to hold the ball up or pace in behind. For me, either Rhodes or Marriott bring this to the party. I would look at why Rhodes didn't played much the second half of last season and they use Joao and Nuhiu above him. 

On Edwards, he has pace and that's what you said you wanted. 

thanks for info JB. 

Can anyone tell me what type of striker he is? has he played under Mowbray before at Coventry?

He would cost 5 million pounds and is on a huge wage. Mowbray has already said he doesn't want to bring players in on huge wages and upset squad harmony. 

Forest and Birmingham are looking to buy him permanently

Not seen enough of Marriott to know what his overall game is like (how much have you seen of him?) but you seem to be discounting the importance of goals. Its not the only thing but the most important thing for a striker and anyone saying otherwise has forgotten the point of the game! Both are unobtainable financially so its irrelevant but youve gone on record saying that we should have dropped Rhodes (for King) when he was here scoring 20 goals a season which suggests that you dont fully understand the main objective of a striker and are obsessed by specific characteristics (pace and strength) even if it is not as effective statistically in terms of goals. If hes scoring 20 a season then hes more than doing his job and just bringing pace would be unlikely to match that sort of output.

Im on an internet messageboard, to give my opinion, just like you should be, rather than to give the opinion that you think Mowbray has. Understand the point of the odd wide forward but central midfielders wide? No thanks, the midfield you named was really slow, had no natural wingers who would stretch teams, if we named it (im sure we wont) then wed be boring to watch and have no threat on the break or real attacking threat. We need wingers, not to sign players that are naturals in other positions that can play wide at a push. Players in the man in their natural positions. Rothwell should compete for a central role.

Yes, I do want pacy wingers but not just pace, they have to be good enough to improve us. Again ive not seen that much of him, bar against us when he was ok, dont remember him even being lightning fast, but im not sure his record in League 1 of assists and goals suggests that he would massively improve us? Feeney has pace, wouldnt want him back.

1 hour ago, J*B said:

I was told this morning by a strong source we're rivalling Reading for Marc McNulty. Fee expected around 1m. We shall see. 

Whats the source?

16 hours ago, AdamRochina said:

Alli is abysmal..he seriously needs to come off!

17 hours ago, roverandout said:

Sterling been pathetic as usual

17 hours ago, roverandout said:

Its a red effin card..more decisions go against us

15 hours ago, AdamRochina said:

Lingard Alli and sterling should never ever put on an England shirt again .. some players just can't handle international stage and those three can't.. awful tonight ..we've looked awful up top and created nothing   scored from a penalty and sat back and tbh did well to contain them as they were awful.

 

Cant believe we might go out to these cheating dirty buggers 

15 hours ago, roverandout said:

We had them on the f/%^n ropes..they lost their heads and instead of going for the kill we let them back into it we defended..we cant defend well enough for 90 mins..southgates tactics has cost us. We have lost this now

15 hours ago, AdamRochina said:

Think we should just go home tbh been pathetic most of this game now . Attacking sense that it as defensively we were actually decent until there goal 

15 hours ago, AdamRochina said:

In 120 minutes we created nothing ..

Japan battered a better Belgium side and scored twice 

We just haven't got a clue up top

15 hours ago, AdamRochina said:

Robbed .. that's all I can say 

Some of my favourite retrospective overractions.

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Look at Mowbray comments about Rothwell and use the word invert winger. Plus he started at Man Utd as a winger. He played there 11 times last season. 

Odunajo can play either of the 3 roles down the right side. Full back, wing back and winger. Started as winger at Brentford. 

Marriott reminds me of Rhodes. No pace or strength. But scores goals. 

Daily Mirror. See my link please. 

Would be very happy with Edwards signing if it happens

Dont want can play there, I want pacy wingers out wide, not central midfielders under silly umbrella terms like inverted winger.

I know but I really dont want 3 at the back.

You massively underestimate the importance of a striker being able to score goals which is strange.

Not convinced on Edwards. Played ok for us but statistics are underwhelming in a lower league, would like us to aim a bit higher.

17 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Bennett plays his heart out for this club. can play a number of different positions which you need at times in football. 

Disagree on Conway

Rothwell played wide 11 times last season including at Ewood Park against us. Plus Mowbray mention him as inverted winger. 

Armstrong played wide during his time here mostly

The Kent rumour came from Nixon and he was right about us signed Davenport permanent. 

my team would be for the 1st game. I haven't including any potential signings but Depending who we sign my line up could very well change

                        Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

           Smallwood Davenport

Bennett         Dack              Rothwell

                      Graham

great shout. would be good wing back option for us. I would be deffo looking at him

 

Chris Martin's wages would be too much for us

Marriott would cost over 4 million and far too much for us. Remind me of a Jordan Rhodes type of player 

Never said otherwise.

Such a slow, laborious team with no counter attacking threat. Rothwell is a central midfielder so we shouldnt sign him and play him out of position. If that was intention we should have signed a proper winger instead.

Nixon talks crap even Rovers twitter was making a mockery out of him.

Odubajo for full back. No wing backs.

Marriott reminds you of Rhodes because he scored loads of goals. Sadly hed be too dear.

4 minutes ago, J*B said:

Sounds like we're after Gwion Edwards - in the papers today.

Which paper?