[Archived] Transfer Talk

[chaddyrovers]

Duffy, kilgallon, Hanley CB

Spurr, Olsson LB

Henley, Lowe RB.

You also have spurr and lenihan who can do a decent job at CB. I think we've got plenty.

Plus we have Ryan Nyambe who can play Right Back. Plus I wouldnt be surprise if we sign Doneil Henry from West Ham on loan after the transfer window closes but loan window opens

[Rover_Shaun]

Sign people for the sake of it. Don't sign people when we need it.

Figures

[tomphil]

So add to the exciting battle for left back we are now going to see the right back lottery again this season. Not looking for an extra striker from somewhere to freshen things up from bench either. Infact no effort seems to be planned to try and strengthen the squad which could be done despite the FFP. Groundhog Gaz at his finest. I just pray Henley gets the first choice at rb and nails it again although I wonder how many times that position gets rotated and passed off as tactical ? If I had to take a bet right now I'd stick my money on lowe starting rb first game

If Marshall gets back to anywhere near his best you wouldn't want to be sticking him in defence if Henley is injured, he's about the most creative player we've got. I think we need a better contingency than moving people into positions which harm the team. Wem clearly need an experienced defender, probably on loan, who can improve the defensive unit and show some leadership.

Correct, he went off the boil as an attacking player a bit last season after he was shunted to right back.

Duffy, kilgallon, Hanley CB
Spurr, Olsson LB
Henley, Lowe RB.

You also have spurr and lenihan who can do a decent job at CB. I think we've got plenty.

There is no real evidence that either of them can do the job there on more than an odd desperate occasion. Both strugged imo when played there at the end of last season. Horses for courses unless absolutely no other option or you have a great utility man available.

[JBiz]

There is no real evidence that either of them can do the job there on more than an odd desperate occasion. Both strugged imo when played there at the end of last season. Horses for courses unless absolutely no other option or you have a great utility man available.

Whilst I agree that they've only shown few times what they can do- wouldn't spending what little cash we can on a 4th choice centre back be exactly what the club is criticised for already? When we signed Brown/Varney?

Many seem to want it both ways- don't waste money on cheap backups, but don't have a paper thin squad.

[JBiz]

Sign people for the sake of it. Don't sign people when we need it.

Figures

Which one applies to each signing? End of the day that comes across like an agenda post! I mean, we need backups, yet many call these "signings for sake of it". So if we say we don't need backups, surely that can't be the opposite?

Any excuse to have a pop comes to mind!

[thenodrog]

I Think Henley was one of our better players second half of the season he should be first choice right back

Henley and Olsson whilst enthusiastic and energetic both resemble frightened rabbits to me.

Baptiste was far better in the centre, the worry should be cover there not right back.

Very concerning that Bowyer doesn't even seem to recognise that fact.

Might he be hoping that Donniel Henry might come back?

[G Somerset Rover]

Lowe seems to be okay at RB until he faces anyone with pace. I recall Redmond giving him an absolute nightmare at Carrow Road last season (granted he was one of the best in the league, but Lowe just wouldn't do the basics).

Also agree with those saying about lack of depth. All good and well GB saying Lowe and Marshall can cover, but then who plays in CM and on the wing? Square pegs and all that.

[EgyptianPete]

With FFP it puts the youngsters in a funny position because after 5 appearances they are added to our list of established players. I can see why they would be jittery about signing a deal for a man who is unwilling or unable to give them game time.

And that is precisely where FFP falls down, it is basically saying we cant play the younger players, therefore they do not get the experience to move up in their skill levels. in other words you cant risk them, lets be honest some younger players would need more than 5 games to just get the feel and pace of a championship match, so as i say FFP is @#/?.

[mustard]

I think signing someone who can cover at RB would be sensible. A loan signing perhaps. It's all well and good saying we've got cover, but the quality of the cover in defence is really poor.

Any centre half pairing involving Hanley worries me. Playing Spurr worries me as he's awfully slow. Playing Lowe at right back, whilst he might have deputised well, worries me as it's not his natural position and thus he'll always have an error in him (lack of concentration, poor positioning etc). As for Marshall, well removing our best attacking threat (albeit sporadic during last season) will have us struggling going forward. Not signing a right back could seriously damage us during the season and I hope Bowyer has the brains to realise this (I'm not hopeful). Considering how unfit and injury prone our players are under the current regime, a couple of injuries in centre midfield and one to Henley would leave us terribly short of quality personnel. Essentially asking to throw points away.

Bowyer has a few places left in his squad allowance for FFP. I'd say right back is a priority along with centre midfield and he should know this. A couple of players leave and we have more spaces to sort out the issues up front and perhaps on the wing. Once the transfer window is closed and we've filled our playing slots, we can then utilise our youth players who are 21 and over (if they are good enough). Risky considering it could leave us hamstrung in January but hey we're already screwed anyways. I don't want to see Bowyer leaving out Lenihan and letting another good young talent leave just to accommodate the likes of Williamson (who he tied down to a new deal).

And that is precisely where FFP falls down, it is basically saying we cant play the younger players, therefore they do not get the experience to move up in their skill levels. in other words you cant risk them, lets be honest some younger players would need more than 5 games to just get the feel and pace of a championship match, so as i say FFP is @#/?.

Only if the players are 21 or over. This applies to Lenihan and O'Sullivan but the rest are under 21 and so don't take up a squad place, even after 5 or more starting appearances.

[Rover_Shaun]

Jbizzle. I have an agenda. It's a consistent agenda I have had since he was given the full time job, and an agenda Bowyer has fulfilled 100% . My agenda is Bowyer is a poor manager and since becoming manager has shown he's an even poorer coach (going off the defence not improving one jot during his lacklustre tenure).

He may have scabbed it with a couple of signings but he consistently fails to have any idea whatsoever on how to build a cohesive 1st XI. What's the point in having a degree of luck in the transfer market if your woefully lacking the nous to use them?

[davulsukur]

Just so we are all aware, Bowyers quote is actually:

“Alex going back is a loss, as he was a very good signing for us, but we’ve got Jason Lowe and Ben Marshall short term”

With FFP only allowing us 24 players, i am assuming that he is looking at other positions first. Possibly a loan to come in later on for RB?

[Tom]

Good point theno and chaddy I forgot about Henry

He looked a good un and can't see West Ham using him yet so it's quite likely he will end up here I would think

[Rover_Shaun]

As we know from his past. Short term soon becomes long term and then all of a sudden it becomes magnificent without any evidence

[EgyptianPete]

I think signing someone who can cover at RB would be sensible. A loan signing perhaps. It's all well and good saying we've got cover, but the quality of the cover in defence is really poor.

Any centre half pairing involving Hanley worries me. Playing Spurr worries me as he's awfully slow. Playing Lowe at right back, whilst he might have deputised well, worries me as it's not his natural position and thus he'll always have an error in him (lack of concentration, poor positioning etc). As for Marshall, well removing our best attacking threat (albeit sporadic during last season) will have us struggling going forward. Not signing a right back could seriously damage us during the season and I hope Bowyer has the brains to realise this (I'm not hopeful). Considering how unfit and injury prone our players are under the current regime, a couple of injuries in centre midfield and one to Henley would leave us terribly short of quality personnel. Essentially asking to throw points away.

Bowyer has a few places left in his squad allowance for FFP. I'd say right back is a priority along with centre midfield and he should know this. A couple of players leave and we have more spaces to sort out the issues up front and perhaps on the wing. Once the transfer window is closed and we've filled our playing slots, we can then utilise our youth players who are 21 and over (if they are good enough). Risky considering it could leave us hamstrung in January but hey we're already screwed anyways. I don't want to see Bowyer leaving out Lenihan and letting another good young talent leave just to accommodate the likes of Williamson (who he tied down to a new deal).

Only if the players are 21 or over. This applies to Lenihan and O'Sullivan but the rest are under 21 and so don't take up a squad place, even after 5 or more starting appearances.

ta

[tomphil]

Just on the right back thing if we go to last season Baptiste did struggle there early on but manfully stuck to his task which says a lot about him and why we should bang the door down to try and get him back. In the Cardiff game Lowe was doing well in midfield I thought but then having no right back cover on the bench he gets moved there. Did it impact the team that night and upset our rythmn ? ...yes I thought so.

Then we go to Norwich / Wolves away before he went off, he got tore a new one at right back in both those, not helped by the overall tactics and coming up against very good players of course. Another example is Wigan away, Baps is on the bench, maybe even Henley I can't remember. Marshall is deployed at right back against a poor team in a winnable game, gets skinned twice in the first 5 mins and from the cutbacks Wigan squander 2 great chances, they should have been two nil up. No help from Cairney who stands tucked in on the right with his hands on his hips staring into space, all this right infront of Bowyer who stands with his hands in his pockets.

Just a few examples, I'm sure there's many more, of why things could/should have been a bit more comfortable with a recognised natural right back of some sort as cover. I don't want a repeat of this nonsense next season when the squad is fit Mr Bowyer !

[mustard]

Just on the right back thing if we go to last season Baptiste did struggle there early on but manfully stuck to his task which says a lot about him and why we should bang the door down to try and get him back. In the Cardiff game Lowe was doing well in midfield I thought but then having no right back cover on the bench he gets moved there. Did it impact the team that night and upset our rythmn ? ...yes I thought so.

Then we go to Norwich / Wolves away before he went off, he got tore a new one at right back in both those, not helped by the overall tactics and coming up against very good players of course. Another example is Wigan away, Baps is on the bench, maybe even Henley I can't remember. Marshall is deployed at right back against a poor team in a winnable game, gets skinned twice in the first 5 mins and from the cutbacks Wigan squander 2 great chances, they should have been two nil up. No help from Cairney who stands tucked in on the right with his hands on his hips staring into space, all this right infront of Bowyer who stands with his hands in his pockets.

Just a few examples, I'm sure there's many more, of why things could/should have been a bit more comfortable with a recognised natural right back of some sort as cover. I don't want a repeat of this nonsense next season when the squad is fit Mr Bowyer !

Norwich at home. Baps RB, Cairney wide right. Baps had a great game but because he wasn't used to the position and because Cairney was out of position on the wing, we still got tore a new one down their left side with Martin Olsson getting free reign to overlap. We lost.

[OJRovers]

Fact is that Baptiste was our best centre back last season, and only played in that position due to injuries, tells you all you need to know about Bowyer's team selection.

If Bowyer isn't going to play him at centre back, then he might as well go back to Bolron.

[rog of the rovers]

In some respects its a clear message to Henley that its his position to lose and if we are forced to look elsewhere then his Rovers career is effectively over. Its time he started delivering. 21 years old now, four years in and around the squad.

To be fair to him he played well towards the end of the season and had two very good games against Liverpool, so I'm happy for Bowyer to put his faith in him for the time being.

[tomphil]

Whilst I agree that they've only shown few times what they can do- wouldn't spending what little cash we can on a 4th choice centre back be exactly what the club is criticised for already? When we signed Brown/Varney?

Many seem to want it both ways- don't waste money on cheap backups, but don't have a paper thin squad.

This is where some smart player trading should come into effect. It needn't involve the best ones and FFP doesn't stop it. Not likely to happen so we'll have to rely on some good loan signings, one of the rare things I do have faith in Gaz for, so far....

[Rover_Shaun]

Faith? Spearing, Dabo, Taylor, Varney....erm

[AllRoverAsia]

I seem to recall GB saying that he wanted to do any deals early in the Transfer Window but to be fair to him I think he's playing it safe waiting to see what happens with Gestede and Rhodes in particular. If either or both go then GB in his heart of hearts knows that there is a serious issue as to WTF will score enough to keep us in the League, nevermind us becoming a promotion hopeful. He cannot be mad enough to believe that Brown is the answer. Can he?

It is imo a probabilty that at least one good striker coming in is our priority (OH and a creative midfielder to replace Dunn, a hard tacking defensive midfielder who can also pass a ball and ..... but that's all just pipe-dreams).

Let's do a QPR and import and ingore the work permit rules like QPR do in addition to giving the finger to FFP:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33147809

[J*B]

Good to see we're not interested in signing Baptiste. I mean, we can keep arguing about who's going to play right back for a while, but realistically we all know Baptiste was an average right back but a good centre half.

Still, we have one big reason why Bowyer isn't interested in bringing Baptiste, the good centre half, back next year.

[tomphil]

Faith? Spearing, Dabo, Taylor, Varney....erm

Ok, substitute faith for hope !!

[LewisF]

Don't really see everyone's problem with Taylor, is it his history? I'm sure he's over that now, and he impressed me when he was playing, so in my opinion I think he'd be a decent signing

[Blue blood]

Lowe seems to be okay at RB until he faces anyone with pace. I recall Redmond giving him an absolute nightmare at Carrow Road last season (granted he was one of the best in the league, but Lowe just wouldn't do the basics).

Also agree with those saying about lack of depth. All good and well GB saying Lowe and Marshall can cover, but then who plays in CM and on the wing? Square pegs and all that.

Well I'm at a loss to see how even the incredible Lowe can cover 2 positions at once! Equally Marshall is needed on the wing. With the loss of King, that only gives us Cairney and Conway as the other options, and the jury is very much out as to whether Cairney can play on the wing.

In fact assuming no additions, IF Marshall plays right back, that means Cairney on the right. So we'd have a weaker right with absolutely no protection from Cairney, who probably will have drifted inside, much less prevented doubling up on our right back.

Also Marshall's been our best attacking midfielder. Having him cover right back is madness - the midfield loses too much imo. Fine with Lowe there but Marshall really, really shouldn't happen. Granted there's a gulf in quality but no one would be advocating Ronaldo there just because he could do. Oh well, guess it helps keep everyone happy...

Bowyer no plans to replace Baptiste in the squad. Will use Lowe and Marshall at right back if needs most

http://m.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/13333645.Blackburn_Rovers_boss_Gary_Bowyer_has_no_plans_to_replace_Alex_Baptiste/

What about Baptiste being our best centre back? Given that leaves us with the liability that is Hanley and there are worries over the injury record of Kilgallon we could be a little short at centre back, let alone the problems of right back.