[Archived] Forest Away

[davulsukur]

Definitely need a new keeper as well. Unless Raya manages to make the step up but Steele isn't a reliable enough No.1 for a club trying to get in the play-offs

[Mattyblue]

Definitely need a new keeper as well. Unless Raya manages to make the step up but Steele isn't a reliable enough No.1 for a club trying to get in the play-offs

Raya could be a very good keeper.

Shame he's spent a vital year of his development sitting on our bench instead of being out on loan.

[tomphil]

Also a shame we've been wasting wages on 3 keepers capable of the first team all season as well as those in the development ranks. What's the use in playing Eastwood in the U21's apart from just keeping him fit. One of them should have been loaned out.

There isn't a brain cell in place at Rovers in terms of running the show.

[Al]

Just watched the highlights and was a little disappointed with Grahams reaction to a well taken goal. There didn't seem to be much of a celebration to me.

[Parsonblue]

Just watched the highlights and was a little disappointed with Grahams reaction to a well taken goal. There didn't seem to be much of a celebration to me.

He was injured in the process and immediately left the pitch for treatment.

[jim mk2]

Do you think it is a huge rebuilding ?

Major possibly - but not huge.

What's the difference between a "huge" rebuilding and a "major" rebuilding?

[MCMC1875]

What's the difference between a "huge" rebuilding and a "major" rebuilding?

That would be a "minor" difference jim!

[47er]

One or two alluded to it but we really should be rejoicing that we are staying up, at least for another year!

I said immediately he was appointed that Lambert's primary task was to save us from relegation and he has.

I also said his second task was to prepare us for an assault on the Championship next season. Looks like he's not going to get the chance.

[RoverCanada]

Also a shame we've been wasting wages on 3 keepers capable of the first team all season as well as those in the development ranks. What's the use in playing Eastwood in the U21's apart from just keeping him fit. One of them should have been loaned out.

There isn't a brain cell in place at Rovers in terms of running the show.

While I agree with the sentiment, I vaguely recall Eastwood has been battling injuries for much of the year? Happy to be corrected.

I suspect I'm a lonely voice here... but while he's made some mistakes this year, I'm actually quite happy with Steele. Sure, it'd be nice to have a truly "mistake-free" keeper, but that'll cost some money and we'll likely need to be frugal where we can budget-wise.

IMO Steele-Duffy-Hanley is an excellent defensive base (and yes, Duffy's had his share of mistakes as well). I'm sure we can all lament things like Duffy's idiotic header to nowhere against Huddersfield, but the fact of the matter is we have the 8th lowest goals against in the league, and we're comfortably within the "2nd-tier" of Championship defences after Middlesbrough, Hull, and the dingles...

Again, you can obviously argue we could improve on Steele and Duffy (Ward's not a bad backup anyhow...), but the real focus of any transfer budget we may or may not have next year should be on how to create more goals, where we're 20th in the league.

[had.e.nuff]

Also a shame we've been wasting wages on 3 keepers capable of the first team all season as well as those in the development ranks. What's the use in playing Eastwood in the U21's apart from just keeping him fit. One of them should have been loaned out.

There isn't a brain cell in place at Rovers in terms of running the show.

From the U21 games i have seen this season Eastwood talks alot to the defence infront of him and that may be the reasoning behind playing an experienced keeper in the U21s

[RevidgeBlue]

A serious rethink is needed regarding the squad in summer regardless of who is in charge in the dug out if we are not to end up as next year's Blackpool or Bolton. Bowyer recruited badly in summer and Lambert recruited badly in January and with all the players out of contract we'd be struggling to put a first eleven out if the season started the day after everyone's contracts expire on July 1st.

Starting from the front the most serious problem is the striker situation. Some people seem to be celebrating the fact that Rhodes has left the Club but if nothing changes we won't have a single senior striker left at the Club come July the 1st, a particular problem as goals are always the hardest thing and the most costly to replace. Of those currently still here the only one you'd consider keeping is Graham but he is 30 and looks like he is relatively injury prone so I'd only take him on as a hard working foil to a main striker if he was available on a free and reasonable wages. A substantial outlay on a quality main striker, Graham and probably one other is a must if we're to contend at the right end of the table next season.

In midfield Gomez hasn't really shown he has the stomach for the Championship and isn't likely to be returning so we're still going to be left with the problem we've had for years, a complete lack of creativity in midfield. Another key area. We still haven't found the defensive midfield enforcer we've been lacking for years either and I think we also lack any real threat from wide positions with Bennett extremely disappointing for me, Marshall moved back to defence and Conway completely out of form and favour.

On a sliding scale defence is arguably the least of our concerns as Duffy and Hanley aren't too bad at the back, but Duffy is prone to too many game changing gaffes so in an ideal world if money were no object you'd be looking for a new partner for Hanley imo. Full back could also be increasingly a problem area as I expect Marshall to press for and obtain a move in summer and we've haven't really found the answer at left back either. oh to unearth an Alan Wright from the lower divisions.

In goal once again Steele maybe isn't the most pressing of our concerns but if you want that outstanding keeper who's going to save you 10-15 points a season, he isn't your man.

None of this will be the concern of the current manager or owners if they're contemplating walking out over the summer but as always it will be the few remaining hardcore fans who will be left to pick up the pieces of what could be an absolute train wreck of a season next time round. I always said that under the current owners we'd never be like Blackpool struggling to find and field eleven players on the opening day of the season but it appears that that's the direction we're heading in and for me Lambert as manager must take part of the responsibility for that as well. If he were to sell Rhodes, do a poor job, leave us with no-one going forward and then walk out I'd think that was a bit rich frankly. I'd respect him a lot more if he stayed to try and see the job through , regardless of whether he succeeds or fails.

[K-Hod]

The Rhodes sale will only have been a good decision IF replaced with actual cash purchases, (that was poor planning from management/board with the rushed sale of Rhodes, but there's nothing can be done about that now), loans only ever plug the gaps as you allude to Revidge. I'd definitely agree re Steele, if there was a better 'keeper available within our budget, that's something we should be all over, no exceptions. Duffy needs to shape up and stop the daft mistakes, you're right. I'd be tempted to throw Ward in for the rest of the season (following on from last night), to give him a run of games and get his hand back in/give Duffy a kick up the backside. I can't agree, re Bennett though, I think he's been a steady enough player and has always worked hard. (I can see him being a squad player rather than a regular starter from next season in all honesty). I can't help but think the diamond was a 'needs must' experiment and worked well enough initially, though we went for some width last night with Marshall further up the pitch and he's done well by the sounds of things (though I felt he still looked our best player, even at full back). Let's be honest, we all know we need a lot of signings just to field a squad, never mind be competitive!

[tomphil]

From the U21 games i have seen this season Eastwood talks alot to the defence infront of him and that may be the reasoning behind playing an experienced keeper in the U21s

Fair point although in the present climate if he was loaned out his money could/should have been put to better effect invested in a first team loan or something. Plus it doesn't help the development of the U21 keepers.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

A serious rethink is needed regarding the squad in summer regardless of who is in charge in the dug out if we are not to end up as next year's Blackpool or Bolton. Bowyer recruited badly in summer and Lambert recruited badly in January and with all the players out of contract we'd be struggling to put a first eleven out if the season started the day after everyone's contracts expire on July 1st.

Starting from the front the most serious problem is the striker situation. Some people seem to be celebrating the fact that Rhodes has left the Club but if nothing changes we won't have a single senior striker left at the Club come July the 1st, a particular problem as goals are always the hardest thing and the most costly to replace. Of those currently still here the only one you'd consider keeping is Graham but he is 30 and looks like he is relatively injury prone so I'd only take him on as a hard working foil to a main striker if he was available on a free and reasonable wages. A substantial outlay on a quality main striker, Graham and probably one other is a must if we're to contend at the right end of the table next season.

In midfield Gomez hasn't really shown he has the stomach for the Championship and isn't likely to be returning so we're still going to be left with the problem we've had for years, a complete lack of creativity in midfield. Another key area. We still haven't found the defensive midfield enforcer we've been lacking for years either and I think we also lack any real threat from wide positions with Bennett extremely disappointing for me, Marshall moved back to defence and Conway completely out of form and favour.

On a sliding scale defence is arguably the least of our concerns as Duffy and Hanley aren't too bad at the back, but Duffy is prone to too many game changing gaffes so in an ideal world if money were no object you'd be looking for a new partner for Hanley imo. Full back could also be increasingly a problem area as I expect Marshall to press for and obtain a move in summer and we've haven't really found the answer at left back either. oh to unearth an Alan Wright from the lower divisions.

In goal once again Steele maybe isn't the most pressing of our concerns but if you want that outstanding keeper who's going to save you 10-15 points a season, he isn't your man.

None of this will be the concern of the current manager or owners if they're contemplating walking out over the summer but as always it will be the few remaining hardcore fans who will be left to pick up the pieces of what could be an absolute train wreck of a season next time round. I always said that under the current owners we'd never be like Blackpool struggling to find and field eleven players on the opening day of the season but it appears that that's the direction we're heading in and for me Lambert as manager must take part of the responsibility for that as well. If he were to sell Rhodes, do a poor job, leave us with no-one going forward and then walk out I'd think that was a bit rich frankly. I'd respect him a lot more if he stayed to try and see the job through , regardless of whether he succeeds or fails.

I agree with a lot of that regarding the situation we find ourselves in. In the case of Rhodes even if we hadn't have sold him in January do you think he'd have been kicking off with us next August ? Because I don't.

[gumboots]

I agree with a lot of that regarding the situation we find ourselves in. In the case of Rhodes even if we hadn't have sold him in January do you think he'd have been kicking off with us next August ? Because I don't.

no we wouldn't and, with the end of his contract nearer we'd probably have got less for him and would have paid his wages for longer. We'd still have needed to bring in other players in Jan on loan and so would have been even further in debt after paying their wages

[thegrumpyman]

Boro go up we get another milly and if they stay up we get a further milly...

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Boro go up we get another milly and if they stay up we get a further milly...

I'd be surprised if they didn't go up automatically now. It's definitely in their own hands.

[47er]

A bit rich Rev! You've never had a good word for Lambert and now you want him to stay out of loyalty! Who to? Venkys? Fans like you?

He's been made a fool of big time and no-one with any sense could blame him for leaving this basket case of a club.

[jim mk2]

A serious rethink is needed regarding the squad in summer regardless of who is in charge in the dug out if we are not to end up as next year's Blackpool or Bolton. ils.

Good analysis Simon but I think 2 more problems might crop up in the summer. Marshall and Hanley are now by some distance our best players who have been played well all season and I wouldn't be surprised to see other Championship or possibly PL clubs come in for them. With those 2 gone in addition to our other weaknesses the squad will need restructuring from top to bottom if we are going to stay up next season.

[blue kiwi]

God we cant be that bad.If Lambert leaves what about Martinez.Thing big the vultures of Pune always do.We have to get a break sooner or later Venkys are dog meat.How about Asian supporting rovers fans heading to Pune.I for one would be up for that.

[Veevs]

Agree with most of the comments on the rebuild.. needs to be done especially with the sheer numbers of players leaving. For me Steele is not a good enough all rounder or commanding enough to be our #1.. he has come up with some tremendous saves but even more blunders. Gomez has had a few flashes of brilliance but really inconsistent.. so I guess its back to creative mid, striker (2 if Graham goes), LB, keeper and a left sided mid/winger with pace.. oh and some cover for a few spots as well It is all down to Venkys.. and I am sure they will disappoint as per usual.

[JHRover]

The coming rebuild will be make or break for this club. Get it right and it could be a blessing in disguise, allowing Lambert or whoever else is manager to completely rebuild from top to bottom in his own image without having to worry about offloading people first. A clean slate to build from.

The flip side is that if we see more Venky inertia and a lack of communication and funding then we are likely to miss out on all the decent and affordable players this summer, meaning we will be in a similar situation to last summer where we let time go by without doing any business before scrambling around once the season was upon us and bringing in garbage like Delfouneso and Koita.

Go down the second route in the summer and we are likely to face a Blackpool scenario.

Go down the first route, reinvest some of the millions from Rhodes/Gestede/Cairney and prepare well for the summer and there is no reason why we can't be going into next season with a radically different squad assembled under a manager who knows what is needed to challenge in this league over a season.

I anticipate that the futures of Hanley and Marshall will depend on our summer plans. Hanley could attract Premier League interest. We could fend off Championship rivals if we demonstrated some ambition, professionalism and started to recruit a good calibre of player as that would show our few remaining good players we meant business going forward. As it stands I can imagine Marshall is slightly fed up that we've sold off Gestede, Rhodes and Cairney whilst recruiting dross and haven't got him signed up to a better contract either.

[JAL]

Delighted for Conor but can he match the fans expectations?

Just hope 'they' are not using Conor as a deflection for all the troubles they have created at the club.

[K-Hod]

Delighted for Conor but can he match the fans expectations?

Just hope 'they' are not using Conor as a deflection for all the troubles they have created at the club.

They?

[JAL]

They?

Who ever they are K-Hod