Ben Brereton Diaz

[Stuart]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

I think I’m these DoF days it’s not as black and white as it used to be. Plus it’s a matter of degree; I can see us having two parallel transfer policies and budgets, the main one with the manager fully in charge, supplemented by an occasional “investment” one. I have no doubt, for example, that Mowbray decided to sign Armstrong whereas I’d bet that Reed was more an agent finding his client a club with Tony saying yeah, I like him, while Brereton was most likely done between agent/Waggot accessing Balaji’s back of sofa play money.

That role  only works though if manager (Head Coach) and DoF are on the same page.

But in our case who is our DoF equivalent?

The Mowbray era relies on the idea that there is no more of the old tricks going on behind the scenes. If they are then it’s all an illusion, and “In Mowbray We Trust” is a fallacy.

[Stuart]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I get the feeling that Mowbray was told ' We're going to buy this lad because we've been told it's a good investment '. He probably thought ' What have I got to lose , If the kid comes good we're on a winner, if he doesn't I can marginalise him.'

Just my view. Going back to prior the signing I didn't see anything on that video that suggested he was the answer to our ' Graham replacement ' problem. They were like chalk and cheese in playing styles. I saw a tall gangling player who liked to run with the ball a lot from out to in  but didn't really produce enough end product or goals  . And that was his 'Highlights  'video ! If that's what we wanted Gallagher can do that and score a few goals in the bargain. Nothing would have induced me to shell out serious money on him. I find the whole deal inexpicable.

But in doing so he is opening himself up to the suggestions of wasting money or picking a bad player. The buck stops with Tony - otherwise we are all still being lied to.  

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

17 minutes ago, Stuart said:

You need to accept though that everyone applies their own experience and perspective to situations.

Without being drawn either way, mafia organisations do exist and do control certain things whether we like it or not. That’s not disputed.

Football clubs have been bought by all kinds of unscrupulous individuals in the past - just ask a Pompey fan - or a Rangers fan. That’s not disputed either.

Mafia links to football clubs is or was rife in Italy and South America for example.

It’s not that big a leap that it could happen in the UK at one club or another. And if it was going to happen you would need naive people with money and a number of shell companies and agents.

Again, I’m not saying it is true or false but to say it is far fetched is only your own perspective.

For me, it’s a stretch to think that a bloke who prides himself on a self-styled image of integrity and self-respect - enough to walk away from Coventry - would put up with players being bought that he didn’t want - even if the money was there. Because that would be disingenuous. If he wasn’t fully responsible for decisions on incoming and outgoing players then surely he wouldn’t just shrug and carry on. Would he? Yet a respectable/respected poster obviously believes this to be the case because TM is still here.

Did you not read the story Kevin Keegan told at his tribunal. How agents were pressurising the Newcastle board to pressurise Keegan take players for them. They didn't have to play them, even in the reserves, just ' park ' them there !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, Stuart said:

But in doing so he is opening himself up to the suggestions of wasting money or picking a bad player. The buck stops with Tony - otherwise we are all still being lied to.  

It doesn't sound to me like he was consulted much, it was Hobsons choice.

[Exiled in Toronto]

7 minutes ago, Stuart said:

That role  only works though if manager (Head Coach) and DoF are on the same page.

But in our case who is our DoF equivalent?

The Mowbray era relies on the idea that there is no more of the old tricks going on behind the scenes. If they are then it’s all an illusion, and “In Mowbray We Trust” is a fallacy.

There’s too much money in football for there to be no tricks going on, at any club in the top two divisions. Why do managers have agents when they are hardly ever “transferred”, get sacked every 18 months with half of them never  working in football again?

I do trust in Mowbray, versus Coyle or Kean, but I accept he has a boss.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Exiled in Toronto

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

14 hours ago, Biz said:

Glass half full says the setup hasn’t done bad since we are safe and mid table.

Subtle adjustments would be my suggestion personally on the system. An out and out winger would definitely be on my list to improve our attacking.

The like was a mistake on my part. I'll say we are safe when we get to 50 points and it can't come soon enough for me.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

13 hours ago, tomphil said:

But if he gets 15 million plus for Dack he's covered it so there's his trump card.

Yes Dack is an Ace, but the rest of his hand doesn't look too clever. There's a lot of Jack's in there.

[blueboy3333]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17318168.brereton-not-suffering-from-confidence-dip-says-mowbray/

It's worse than I thought. He's not suffering from a lack of confidence, he really is that bad?

Scoring lots in training though. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

20 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yes Dack is an Ace, but the rest of his hand doesn't look too clever. There's a lot of Jack's in there.

In fairness the majority of them were signed to get us out of league 1. 

Last summer wasn't great in terms of impact on the field, but I still think Rothwell, Rodwell and Davenport will turn out to be good signings. Hopefully Brereton too. I don't rate Armstrong. 

Edited December 24, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[tomphil]

If we had a side starting Rothwell, Rodwell and Davenport etc we'd need a new style of football and i'm note sure TM is either bold enough or comfortable enough trying to implement that.

[philipl]

54 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17318168.brereton-not-suffering-from-confidence-dip-says-mowbray/

It's worse than I thought. He's not suffering from a lack of confidence, he really is that bad?

Scoring lots in training though. 

Of course Mowbray is going to say that.

If his confidence is through the floor (anybody any good at body language?) the boss is going to either big him up or send him to The Priory . 

[G Somerset Rover]

TM talking about Conway like he’s been peak Arjen Roben when called upon, or justifying playing Reed out of position. Yeah they’ve all been so good in our 1 win in 7 run that a young ‘wonderkid’ couldn’t break into our all-conquering side.

That interview adds further fuel to him not being a TM signing, IMO. 

Edited December 24, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[blueboy3333]

1 minute ago, philipl said:

Of course Mowbray is going to say that.

If his confidence is through the floor (anybody any good at body language?) the boss is going to either big him up or send him to The Priory . 

"He’s a young lad who’s had very little opportunities because I don’t think he’s ready to impact our team at the moment" - Mogga

What do you think that will do to his confidence? 

[OJRovers]

Just now, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Talking about Conway like he’s been Wilfried Zaha when called upon, or justifying playing Reed playing out of position. Yeah they’ve all been so good  that a young ‘wonderkid’ couldn’t break into our all-conquering side.

That interview adds further fuel to him not being a TM signing, IMO. 

Exactly, Conway has had maybe 2 good games this year.

It would have been very interesting if Samual had been fit this year to see who would be playing between him and BB.

[blueboy3333]

1 minute ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

TM talking about Conway like he’s been peak Arjen Roben when called upon, or justifying playing Reed out of position. Yeah they’ve all been so good  that a young ‘wonderkid’ couldn’t break into our all-conquering side.

That interview adds further fuel to him not being a TM signing, IMO. 

I think he's covering his own arse. 

"The question is probably because he cost a few quid, I understand that, but personally I don’t put numbers on players, I just judge them as players"

This is my favourite quote. Someone put a number on him. It was £7m. The judgement is that's not enough to find a 1st team player at Rovers because as Mogga says BB is not good enough. It's insane.  

[G Somerset Rover]

Just now, OJRovers said:

Exactly, Conway has had maybe 2 good games this year.

It would have been very interesting if Samual had been fit this year to see who would be playing between him and BB.

Bet your bottom dollar Samuel will be ahead of him for the ‘wing’ berth when fit - in the meantime Gallagher will play there when he’s brought in.

[tomphil]

Samuel would've been starting wide most games I think that was nailed on, only plus side he could have gone centre when DG went off and perhaps we'd have been a bit better than the silly insistence of sticking Dack there.

BB would likely still have been coming on for ten mins per game on the wing though so similar questions would be being asked.

[AllRoverAsia]

"The frustration watching the goal back is 10 seconds before we are breaking two-on-two on the halfway line but we made a bad decision and then 10 seconds later it’s in the back of our net."

Have another look TM. A Rovers defender, looked like Lenihan or Smallwood, had a chance to clear, played a short pass, intercepted, and 2 fecking seconds later the ball was in the net.

Brereton's earlier effort was pathetic but not main cause.

That article is quite a decent buck passing effort by Mowbray.

Edited December 24, 2018 by AllRoverAsia

[blueboy3333]

I don't think Samuel would have started simply because Bennett (or now Reed) is a certain started from wide right when fit. Unless Samuel was going to play wide left.

[G Somerset Rover]

He would have come in instead of Conway, for example, or Armstrong on numerous occasions. I don’t doubt it. Oh well, soon to be Gallagher so fear not!..

Edited December 24, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[blueboy3333]

We need more strikers who we can destroy by playing them out of position. Then the manager can say they're not ready. And we can pay loads of money for the privilege and have no effective wide players. Mogga is a genius!

[AllRoverAsia]

I have just read from a most credible source that Mowbray and Brereton use the same Agency. I did not know that before or if it is relevant these days.

[Stuart]

3 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17318168.brereton-not-suffering-from-confidence-dip-says-mowbray/

It's worse than I thought. He's not suffering from a lack of confidence, he really is that bad?

Scoring lots in training though. 

If he’s not currently having a dip in confidence then I’d question - his ability; his honesty; Mowbray’s man-management; or Mowbray’s approach putting a brave face on things.

[blueboy3333]

On ‎23‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 07:57, Biz said:

7m is (apology for pun) Chicken feed. I can think of a few players we’ve signed on established wages and lesser fee, who’ve ended up costing us way more than 7m

£7m is chicken feed. Embarrassing 'lad'. 

Edited December 24, 2018 by blueboy3333

[JBiz]

2 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

£7m is chicken feed. Embarrassing 'lad'. 

Still, have we ended up forking out more than that on wages of players we’ve hardly even used? You drag it up to try and make a point. The only point you’re making is you’re quite pathetic really.