Ben Brereton Diaz

[Mattyblue]

A slightly increased one for a lad of 22 which he will have jumped at - just like SG (who hasn’t improved but it was still worth the punt by the club).

Edited April 17, 2023 by Mattyblue

[ElTwis]

Interesting to see Andy Cole posting a photo with BBD in training today, I wasn't aware he was working with Rovers

[Groundhog]

No way, wonder if this was JDT's idea? Or Gregg's got him on a 5 game loan 'til the end of the season? 

 

[roversfan99]

In those first 2 seasons, it wouldn't be sparing anyones blushes who said that he couldnt do the basics. He couldnt. But he didnt go from that player instantly to a Chilean international and regular goalscorer. He had a full season inbetween where he really improved, he scored 7 or 8 goals and was part of a very threatening front 3. He would have certainly justified a pay rise and I don't see why he wouldn't have accepted it, he wouldn't have generated too much interest at that stage but was settling into life as a competent Championship attacker.

But even then, assume the nonsensical argument that there would have been uproar had we signed him up. Or put it down to Covid. Or assume he wouldnt have accepted it. We had a chance this summer to make a profit on him despite that inability to tie him down to a new deal. We compounded our mistake (the owners did) by turning that down based on an unrealistic asking price. 

And yes, maybe he would have turned moves down to Nice, a top French side with plenty of well known, English speakers and playing in European competition. Or Everton and Fulham, both Premier League sides. If he rejected them all, then whilst you can criticise the inability to give him a new deal 2 years ago, they have some leeway at least on preventing this mess we have.

[K-Hod]

  On 17/04/2023 at 14:50, Mashed Potatoes said:

A million at best back then.

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Still more than zero.

[K-Hod]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:11, Mashed Potatoes said:

Yet the fans on this forum are demanding that at least one particular player should not be in the starting line up, and that another player should be, even though the experts who are employed to make these decisions seem to think otherwise.

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If you’re going down that route, it seems to imply that the experts can’t be questioned and are always right.

This just isn’t the case, Owen Coyle was in the hot seat once and he’s as far from an expert as it’s possible to be….

[Mashed Potatoes]

  On 17/04/2023 at 16:54, K-Hod said:

Still more than zero.

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You would have taken a million then ?

[K-Hod]

  On 17/04/2023 at 16:57, Mashed Potatoes said:

You would have taken a million then ?

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That’s not what I’m saying, but at least that wouldn’t have meant another asset leaving for nothing for the second consecutive season.

[Mashed Potatoes]

  On 17/04/2023 at 16:58, K-Hod said:

That’s not what I’m saying, but at least that wouldn’t have meant another asset leaving for nothing for the second consecutive season.

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Sure - but clearly it was very difficult for those at the club charged with the responsibility for taking those sorts of decisions to know whether or not to offer the player another contract. 

[Sparks Rover]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:30, ElTwis said:

Interesting to see Andy Cole posting a photo with BBD in training today, I wasn't aware he was working with Rovers

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Starting on Wednesday...👍 we going up

[philipl]

  On 17/04/2023 at 17:03, Sparks Rover said:

Starting on Wednesday...👍 we going up

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He gets the ball, scores a goal, Andy Andy Cole.

If he can impart that to Gally, the man is also a wizzard!

[rigger]

  On 17/04/2023 at 18:04, philipl said:

He gets the ball, scores a goal, Andy Andy Cole.

If he can impart that to Gally, the man is also a wizzard!

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He controls the ball, scores a goal, Gally Gally gher.

Gally has just got to learn how to do the first bit !

[SuperBrfc]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:38, Groundhog said:

No way, wonder if this was JDT's idea? Or Gregg's got him on a 5 game loan 'til the end of the season? 

 

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Go on Coley! I wasn't expecting to see that at all. Days after we were looking back on his Rovers career.

I've been saying it for ages. This forum isn't just a place where 'know nowts' talk crap, as some like to suggest. The club knows where to look for real fan opinion.

I just hope they showed Coley the appreciation thread 😁.

[chaddyrovers]

  On 17/04/2023 at 14:51, roversfan99 said:

With the Brereton sale, there WOULD 100% have been scope to reinvest some. There had to be, because it was money we now dont have, so it would have been an additional sale to what has happened. So even if we sold for £8.4m and then reinvested £5-6m, we would be in a financially better position now.

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You make a fair point but we don't know if it would have been reinvested. No-one knows. If we reinvested 4 million plus 4 million towards running cost might be the right approach. We could a 2 players for that money. 

We will still find good players in the free transfers from European now. Down to the recruitment team to do their jobs now 

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:30, ElTwis said:

Interesting to see Andy Cole posting a photo with BBD in training today, I wasn't aware he was working with Rovers

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Teaching the players how to shooting instead of fearing over shooting

[roversfan99]

  On 17/04/2023 at 20:29, chaddyrovers said:

You make a fair point but we don't know if it would have been reinvested. No-one knows. If we reinvested 4 million plus 4 million towards running cost might be the right approach. We could a 2 players for that money. 

We will still find good players in the free transfers from European now. Down to the recruitment team to do their jobs now 

Teaching the players how to shooting instead of fearing over shooting

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There would be no reason for that money to at least be partially available. If it was essential for FFP or cash flow reasons, they would have taken whatever they could get.

With Venkys, it is genuinely an uncertainty which feeds into the knowledge that they don't run the club in a logical manner.

[Ulrich]

Not even Pele could bestow Gallagher with scoring feet haha.

[philipl]

Happy birthday Ben!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:38, Groundhog said:

No way, wonder if this was JDT's idea? Or Gregg's got him on a 5 game loan 'til the end of the season? 

 

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Could do with that man Cole circa 2002 vintage right now in our shirt!

[bluebruce]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:38, Groundhog said:

No way, wonder if this was JDT's idea? Or Gregg's got him on a 5 game loan 'til the end of the season? 

 

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You'd think he's there to teach them a thing or two about shooting. Something JDT also knows about, but clearly they need even more help! There's probably a caption competition in this.

[Groundhog]

Looks like it's just some Sky Bet feature on Rovers, not an emergency "we're fucking shit in front of goal Andy (Andrew) help us" session

[bluebruce]

  On 18/04/2023 at 16:34, Groundhog said:

Looks like it's just some Sky Bet feature on Rovers, not an emergency "we're fucking shit in front of goal Andy (Andrew) help us" session

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That's a shame, cos we are fucking shit in front of goal!

[Penwortham Blue]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:38, Groundhog said:

No way, wonder if this was JDT's idea? Or Gregg's got him on a 5 game loan 'til the end of the season? 

 

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Put him straight into the team. Despite his health problems, he would still know where the the onion bag is 😊

[riverholmes]

  On 17/04/2023 at 15:10, Mattyblue said:

He had a year of his deal left (notwithstanding the option) so it’s not exactly being wise after the event to say we should’ve been re-signing him up.

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I don't know what the balance is between retaining a team spirit and key players and occasionally accepting the Bosman risk and letting players with value leave on a free year after year. But, I do know that the club has got the wrong balance after departures of Rothwell, Nyambe, Lenihan and soon Brereton-Diaz. 

That's not to say we would necessarily be in any better position on the pitch but long-term, this is a sure way to decline.

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by riverholmes

[Ghost7]

Who is even offering him a contract right now? Villarreal must be reassessing... unless they're short on cash for proper signings. Would Rovers even offer him the same big wages? He's been crap for a long time.

[roversfan99]

He has been crap but I feel that the questions over how much he cares are unfair. Today, every time anything around him broke down, you could hear moans around me suggesting that he wasn't trying.

Tomasson's tactics don't get the best out of him, he is a player suited to being more central and further up the pitch than he plays. He is quite quick, quite powerful and offers a threat in behind. He can also finish. He has never been the best player technically or the most elegant.