JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW

[frosty]

Going back a few years but Andy Cole 01/02, Stead 03/04, Nelsen 04/05, Samba 06/07 just off the top of my head were all signed in January, the first two transformed our season and the latter two were unbelievably astute signings.

[OldEwoodBlue]

26 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Nonsense. If he got us promoted to the premier league his wages and reputation would go up so much his earning power would increase well beyokg what it is plodding along in the championship. He is squeezing some money out of venkys, are you telling me if they offered him more to spend he wouldnt take it? 

Nonsense. TM is a cautious creature in a brutal industry.

IF vs job security ?

 

They did in the summer and he went on record as refusing it in favour of slowly slowly

Edited December 21, 2018 by Franky

[jim mk2]

There's something in the Mowbray job security line. At his age he's probably on his last "big" job with Rovers ( he was lucky to get it in the first place) so he will want to stay at Ewoiod as long as he can and won't be taking that many undue risks with team selection or tactics. On the other hand, if he wanted to keep his job and not place it in jeopardy you'd think he'd make sure he didn't have a defence that didn't let in quite so many goals.  

[JBiz]

3 hours ago, Stuart said:

No, you challenged my motives. Not really the same.

If you don’t understand that, no worries.

I feel your “veil slips” whenever you start trying to justify the overreactive criticism and irrational response to articles like the previous one. 

If you can’t take the opinion on your own views, don’t post them. 

 

[Stuart]

2 minutes ago, Biz said:

I feel your “veil slips” whenever you start trying to justify the overreactive criticism and irrational response to articles like the previous one. 

If you can’t take the opinion on your own views, don’t post them. 

 

What are you on about with ‘veils’? There’s no veil. I post my opinion. The end.

Stop trying to look clever, it doesn’t suit you.

[Exiled in Toronto]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Mike Hickman ?  1975

Worth every penny for the brace against Plymouth!

[Exiled in Toronto]

1 hour ago, frosty said:

Going back a few years but Andy Cole 01/02, Stead 03/04, Nelsen 04/05, Samba 06/07 just off the top of my head were all signed in January, the first two transformed our season and the latter two were unbelievably astute signings.

My memory is crap - Cole and Stead each kept us up!

[JBiz]

58 minutes ago, Stuart said:

What are you on about with ‘veils’? There’s no veil. I post my opinion. The end.

Stop trying to look clever, it doesn’t suit you.

Let’s not get into a tit for tat argument. You know as well as I do, the “veil” is to hide predetermined opinions, decisions, beliefs and bias.

You seemingly will go to any length to justify the long standing view that our manager ain’t good enough.

From my perspective, slating ambition when then manager is looking sensibly up, or slating transfers when the mainstay of decisions are common sense - just looks and sounds like hyperbolic criticism or overreaction.

If you cannot accept that without taking swipes at my intelligence, I’d suggest asking for “thicker skin” for Christmas,

[Bigdoggsteel]

3 hours ago, Franky said:

Nonsense. TM is a cautious creature in a brutal industry.

IF vs job security ?

 

They did in the summer and he went on record as refusing it in favour of slowly slowly

He didn't go on record as refusing it. Some conspiracy theorists on here posited it, without any evidence. 

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

He didn't go on record as refusing it. Some conspiracy theorists on here posited it, without any evidence. 

Did TM not go on record as saying he was having to calm the owners' expectations down?

[RevidgeBlue]

5 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

There's something in the Mowbray job security line. At his age he's probably on his last "big" job with Rovers ( he was lucky to get it in the first place) so he will want to stay at Ewoiod as long as he can and won't be taking that many undue risks with team selection or tactics. On the other hand, if he wanted to keep his job and not place it in jeopardy you'd think he'd make sure he didn't have a defence that didn't let in quite so many goals.  

That was my thought when I first heard the stuff about aiming for gradual improvement and being on a slow burn long term plan etc. 

Improving slowly sounds all right in theory but only works if hardly anyone else is improving at all. I'm not sure how you can plan to improve gradually, if everyone is improving faster than you are then the reality is you're moving backwards. You can't control what happens elsewhere but imo you have to try and improve as much as you possibly can at any given point and hope that that takes you forward overall. Nor can you overlook windows of opportunity just because you're doing a bit better than you thought and they don't fit in with your original strategy - they may never come round again , or at least not for a very long time.

On the other hand, if you're promoting the idea of a long term plan, you can get away with all manner of mediocre performance in the meantime if you can convince everyone it's all part of some grander long term design and everything's on track etc. Then 5 years on you realise you're no better off after all except in our case we'd have added another 100m to the overall debt.

[Mike E]

12 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

“I don’t think it’s the time to go and bring seven or eight new players in.

“I think it’s a time to add players bit by bit and if you do need to drastically change things then the summer is the best time to do that so you can bed your players in as best you can through pre-season.”

Sounds to me the manager is just reflecting what is common knowledge about the January window: there isn’t the quality available to make major changes a sensible proposition.

Thinking back, I’m struggling to remember transformative mid-season signings beyond John MacNamee. Bentley? Did we sign him in Jan? Berkovic? Even signing Steve Archibald from Barcelona didn’t make much difference, other than to our excitement levels - that Villa game!!

Hughesy’s first Jan window (Savage, Mokoena, Nelsen) is the only one I can think of.

[Bigdoggsteel]

7 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Did TM not go on record as saying he was having to calm the owners' expectations down?

Not sure, but even if he did its not the same as him turning down a transfer budget, which is what we were discussing. 

[47er]

KALANIC TO VILLA!

[G Somerset Rover]

1 minute ago, 47er said:

KALANIC TO VILLA!

The GK not our former man who is banging them in for Athletico Madrid(!).

[JacknOry]

17 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

The GK not our former man who is banging them in for Athletico Madrid(!).

Having watched highlights of the 5-5 draw with Forest a while back - I can confirm they certainly need a new keeper. 

[G Somerset Rover]

The Gallagher chat seems to be getting stronger. I wouldn’t have a problem with him coming in as competition for Graham but you can bet your bottom dollar he’ll be starting out wide. I recall TM doing it with him in our relegation season. Another square peg.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Waggy76]

17 hours ago, Mike E said:

Hughesy’s first Jan window (Savage, Mokoena, Nelsen) is the only one I can think of.

That trio would be marvelous !!!

[alcd]

On 21/12/2018 at 15:11, Exiled in Toronto said:

 

Thinking back, I’m struggling to remember transformative mid-season signings beyond John MacNamee. Bentley? Did we sign him in Jan? Berkovic? Even signing Steve Archibald from Barcelona didn’t make much difference, other than to our excitement levels - that Villa game!!

Dave Wagstaffe Jan 1976 transformed a struggling team and excelled during 1977/78 season before Jim Iley binned him during the summer.

[47er]

10 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

The GK not our former man who is banging them in for Athletico Madrid(!).

Just saw the moving news ribbon on Sky! It didn't specify! 

[Mr. E]

I think TM has asked Venkys for new players but they've told him to sod off, and thats why he has to pretend now that everything is great with our defenders and theres no need for big changes. No other choice but to try to give them some confidence, as we will have no other options.

But the hard reality is that our defenders are not good enough and we are up a certain creek without a paddle.

 

[Mercer]

14 hours ago, alcd said:

Dave Wagstaffe Jan 1976 transformed a struggling team and excelled during 1977/78 season before Jim Iley binned him during the summer.

Replacing him with the washed-up John Aston.

Waggy was a joy to watch, a craftsman of the highest order.  I know it's different eras but no one in the Rovers' side can hold a candle to him.  If Brereton is worth £7million, Waggy would be priceless.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Mercer

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Didn't Big Sam bring in some handy players - Givet who stiffened up the leaky defence and ' Spit ' who gave us an outlet ball.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Guest]

On 21/12/2018 at 15:11, Exiled in Toronto said:

“I don’t think it’s the time to go and bring seven or eight new players in.

“I think it’s a time to add players bit by bit and if you do need to drastically change things then the summer is the best time to do that so you can bed your players in as best you can through pre-season.”

Sounds to me the manager is just reflecting what is common knowledge about the January window: there isn’t the quality available to make major changes a sensible proposition.

Thinking back, I’m struggling to remember transformative mid-season signings beyond John MacNamee. Bentley? Did we sign him in Jan? Berkovic? Even signing Steve Archibald from Barcelona didn’t make much difference, other than to our excitement levels - that Villa game!!

Even with his track record, and albeit at a lower level than current, Armstrong was a season defining signing in January by Mowbray.

Fired us to promotion.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Guest

[philipl]

I always believe in getting your best eleven players on the field.

On that basis, you would transform the side by simply starting with Rodwell, Rothwell and Davenport (when fit).

Imagining a side including those players then you would need a giant beast of a centre half and a winger who can terrify and Rovers would be serious promotion contenders.

Bauer and Chapman have massive ??? over fitness and ability at this level. 

I know Ipswich are total rubbish but I would be looking at Edwards again come the summer.