[Archived] Squad still rubbish?

[philipl]

Totally agreed a mid-table Championship team safe from relegation (we are not yet) would have nothing to lose.

I suggest you need to square your ideas with the posters who are talking about being 5 points of the play-offs with a game in hand and get them to accept your ideas.

[chaddyrovers]

Givet about to be sold. What happens if Dann gets injured? We play a teenage cb. Ok we have a history of gems coming through young but that is one almighty risk considering the ages of Hanley Henley Kean and Lowe all round him.

the same Givet who refuse to play the second half of the match at Charlton.

sell him and bring in replacement like Dunk or give Edwards a go.

[Gav]

the same Givet who refuse to play the second half of the match at Charlton.

sell him and bring in replacement like Dunk or give Edwards a go.

Best defender at the club, we should be pulling out all the stops to keep him, not putting the kids in.

[chaddyrovers]

Best defender at the club, we should be pulling out all the stops to keep him, not putting the kids in.

Best defender ???????????

the same defender is storms off at half time and refuse to play at Charlton???????????????

sell the moody Frenchman and bring in a good experience championship centre back

[den]

Best defender at the club, we should be pulling out all the stops to keep him, not putting the kids in.

Some people never learn, do they Gav. They must really be wondering how all this has come about - either that, or convincing themselves that we have the best squad in this league.

[JAL]

Best defender at the club, we should be pulling out all the stops to keep him, not putting the kids in.

Move on Gav.... if he has possible heart problems then surely its only right to offload now.

[Gav]

Move on Gav.... if he has possible heart problems then surely its only right to offload now.

You don't get rid of your best players JAL, especially if you want to progress, look at the last 2yrs!

[JAL]

You don't get rid of your best players JAL, especially if you want to progress, look at the last 2yrs!

I'm just going off the last three games Gav and hes certainly not been the best player in those games.

[47er]

In fairness these are imo signs that the owners have at last grasped the fact that we aren't good enough to get back in the Prem and that our financial situation is beyond dire. I hope it's causing them significant worry and much reflection on how plain @#/? stupid they have been in thinking they know best about running a football club in England.

If so they'll simply make the wrong cuts.

[imy9]

I disagree with the squad debate, personally it is about the manager, his team and their ability to maximise the potential of each player.

Big Sam got us to a top 10 position and Kean with virtually the same squad of players had us in a relegation fight season 1 and got us relegated season 2.

I don't think we will truly know the potential of this squad until a good manager takes over. We have players who would walk into most first 11 teams in this league IMO.

[Gav]

I'm just going off the last three games Gav and hes certainly not been the best player in those games.

His heads probably in another place sadly, should never have got to this stage in my book, they keep making the same mistakes time after time and I doubt they'll ever learn pal.....

[JAL]

His heads probably in another place sadly, should never have got to this stage in my book, they keep making the same mistakes time after time and I doubt they'll ever learn pal.....

Think their mistakes are designed to look like mistakes whilst they bring the money home to India

[patrickvalery]

You don't get rid of your best players JAL, especially if you want to progress, look at the last 2yrs!

I wouldn't say Givet is one of our best players anymore Gav. He was fantastic alongside Samba because he is a 'second ball' center half. He is brave and has got heart, but he cannot play alongside Dann because Dann is also a 'second ball' center half. When they both play we simply don't win enough headers and first balls. The real travesty is the only ball winning center half we have at the club is Hanley who is reckless and niaive. We have never bought a replacement for Samba and have paid the price.

If Givet wanted to be here and hadn't had his little outbursts in recent seasons, i'd be happier to keep him and flog the useless Dann. But with his contract ending, his petulant spats and the fact he plays the same way as Dann, i suppose it makes sense to move him on. As i say, i'd sooner keep Givet than Dann as i think if you handle him the right way, he can show leadership to a young and inexperienced side. But i wouldn't say given our current squad and the likelihood of adding to it, Givet isn't a huge loss. Certainly not as big as Nelsen for instance.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

"Good managers make good sides. There's no such thing as a side making a manager."

Brian Clough. Who would we be to argue with that?

Different era though......the game has changed in the last 10 years, let alone from Clough's time.

[den]

Different era though......the game has changed in the last 10 years, let alone from Clough's time.

Interesting. The game has been changing since rovers won the cup three times on the run in the 1880's.

From the WM formation, the Hungarians brand of football, through the Alf Ramsey wingless wonders 4-4-2 period, through the Dutch total football era, 4-5-1 and onto Barcelona playing with no striker on the pitch. It's always changed. Managers have always looked for something new, but the bottom line with all these formations is that the teams with the best players won all the prizes.

[jim mk2]

Clough's truism holds good today - a good manager can make a good side even better and a good manager can improve a poor side.

This is not a "rubbish" Rovers squad and although not as strong as 2 years ago should still be in challenging for a top 6 place with a decent manager in charge.

[Tyke87]

I wouldn't call the squad rubbish but I wouldn't say it was great either. For me we're very weak through the middle. If Dann or Hanley go down who have we got to bring in other than this Henrique guy who's not kicked a ball as far as I'm aware. For me we don't need a massive overhaul just one or two additions whether on loan or permanent deals.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Interesting. The game has been changing since rovers won the cup three times on the run in the 1880's.

From the WM formation, the Hungarians brand of football, through the Alf Ramsey wingless wonders 4-4-2 period, through the Dutch total football era, 4-5-1 and onto Barcelona playing with no striker on the pitch. It's always changed. Managers have always looked for something new, but the bottom line with all these formations is that the teams with the best players won all the prizes.

Yes, but these great teams all had very good managers accompanying them....otherwise what would it matter, spend money on a really good squad and just hire a cheap manager.......my point about the game changing was it had become more about tactics over these last few years.

I remember a few times when Man United's squad looked weaker than one of their rivals yet they either pushed them all the way or won it themselves.....I remember Greece getting their game-plan spot on and winning the Euro's.....I remember teams getting back-to-back promotions all the way from League 1 with much of the same squad......Ipswich finishing 5th after they were promoted to the Prem with much of the same squad.

You mentioned once that it was Shearer et al who won us the league, more than Kenny......well we wouldn't have won it if someone like Kidd, Ince or Kean was manager.

You and probably a few others believe that the reason we went down was because we sold all our best players and replaced them with inferior ones.

So if Kean wasn't involved with any of this and had no say whatsoever, then he isn't really at blame at all yea? Any manager wouldn't have been able to keep us up after Samba, Jones etc left.....and if we did keep that team intact, Kean would have made us finish mid-table?

For me, that's the logic of the argument that it's down to the players and not the manager.......but like I've said a few times, how could someone explain the 2nd half of the season when Kean nearly relegated us the 1st time, with a stronger squad than the one Allardyce had us in mid-table with.

Well they can't is the answer, because I've yet to see an explanation and I'm not going to hold my breath.