JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW

[JHRover]

There isn't anything 'official' anywhere until the club or manager announces it. The rest is gossip or third party information with varying degrees of reliability. 

[Glosrover]

33 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

At first, and this is disregarding @Madon's little nuggets (sorry!), the thought of Assombalonga coming here, even on loan, seems totally wild.

Then again, I think it's time to stop underestimating ourselves. When you consider our position in the league, where we've just come from, the momentum, and the camaraderie amongst the players, we must be starting to look like a top six outfit that ambitious players want to come and play for.

I'm nowhere near as worried about the financial situation in comparison to when the management was a shambles, so I think we've got our financial ducks in a row. If we can afford half of his wages for six months or whatever, bugger it - let's do it and make the most of this momentum we've currently got, because we shouldn't take it for granted, and we would be in with one hell of a shout of the play-offs if Assombalonga came into the fold.

Where in this feeding frenzy of transfers and wages will the financial referencing to FFP happen?  Are we now in the post sanction grace period where outlay versus expenditure is looked at over a number of seasons?? Or is it now commonly understood that FFP doesn’t apply ?

[SBlue]

1 hour ago, J*B said:

Agreed - I really would rather have Gallagher on 15k than Assombalonga on 40k. This club has been through hell and back due to spending too much. Imagine we sign him on 40k and he breaks both his legs!

Footballers are insured by clubs to pick up some or all of their wages in the event of a serious injury. The medicals aren’t just for us.

[Miller11]

There are a lot of posts here making a fundamental error.

Common sense and logic don’t often figure into our transfer activity. Admittedly Mowbray has been somewhat of a steadying influence, but the Brereton deal is as baffling as any transfer over the course of the past 8 years.

Our purchases have, and will continue to be dictated by Balaji’s whims, FFP restrictions, agent influence, the strength of the global battery chicken market, and probably dozens of other unfathomable reasons, as well as the manager of the days personal preferences to varying degrees at any one time.

If this means we make a signing of the calibre of Assombalonga, for me this is one of the very few moments of genuine excitement I’ll have had at a signing in years. Maybe foolhardy, but then what’s new? On the flip side it could prove to be the catalyst of a decent promotion push. Consider how much they have gambled with the future of the club... this could prove to be one of their better bets.

[4000Holes]

Just to throw something in completely different.  I thought we may look at the lower leagues again.  I see Sunderland are looking at Eaves from Gillingham.  When I have seen him, his movement has been exceptional and due to the success of Dack, I thought we may be tempted down that route again.  I believe he is out of contract in summer, so transfer fee probably around £500,000 and wages not an issue.

Yes I know he is not proved at this level but we do still have Graham.  I would love Asombalonga but?

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, 4000Holes said:

Just to throw something in completely different.  I thought we may look at the lower leagues again.  I see Sunderland are looking at Eaves from Gillingham.  When I have seen him, his movement has been exceptional and due to the success of Dack, I thought we may be tempted down that route again.  I believe he is out of contract in summer, so transfer fee probably around £500,000 and wages not an issue.

Yes I know he is not proved at this level but we do still have Graham.  I would love Asombalonga but?

Why is the Rovers fanzine called 4000 holes?

I was reading today that the Middlesborough fanzine "Fly me to the moon" is named after a quote a Boro manager made about our own Tony Mowbray

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Glosrover said:

Where in this feeding frenzy of transfers and wages will the financial referencing to FFP happen?  Are we now in the post sanction grace period where outlay versus expenditure is looked at over a number of seasons?? Or is it now commonly understood that FFP doesn’t apply ?

It's over 4 years now isn't it and the changes to how owners can invest changed as well if i remember rightly?

How else can Derby, Forest etc spend the amount they are every single season without penalty? As long as you don't go crazy like Birmingham and occasionally offload an asset you'll be okay. Signing youngsters will only get us so far and we're within touching distance of a playoff place with favourable fixtures left. We need that last little bit to get us over the line of the playoffs we may not get an opportunity as good as this for another few years and there's not one team currently in that top 6 i wouldn't back us to beat over 2 legs. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, 4000Holes said:

Just to throw something in completely different.  I thought we may look at the lower leagues again.  I see Sunderland are looking at Eaves from Gillingham.  When I have seen him, his movement has been exceptional and due to the success of Dack, I thought we may be tempted down that route again.  I believe he is out of contract in summer, so transfer fee probably around £500,000 and wages not an issue.

Yes I know he is not proved at this level but we do still have Graham.  I would love Asombalonga but?

Would be extremely disappointed. League one striker if ever i've seen one. Same with Moore at Barnsley.

[4000Holes]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Why is the Rovers fanzine called 4000 holes?

I was reading today that the Middlesborough fanzine "Fly me to the moon" is named after a quote a Boro manager made about our own Tony Mowbray

I assume it comes from the song a day in the life from the sergeant Pepper album by the Beatles.

[RevidgeBlue]

21 minutes ago, Butty said:

Say we did sign Assombalonga for 10 million and were paying him big wages. If we weren’t too go up this season or next we’d be f***ed wouldn’t we? Especially after already spending 7 on BB? We are still operating at a relatively big loss every season aren’t we? Someone please explain too me how we could fork out for Assombalonga and not put the club at risk of FFP?

Isn't it far more risky NOT to try anything? Clubs are allowed to lose £39m over a 3 year period under FFP and we currently lose about £15m p.a. anyway so if we just tick over and do nothing we'll fall foul of the rules in 2 years anyway!

I don't see a stellar signing of BA or someone similar as a particular risk as long as we could sell them again for no less than what we paid for them if required. What we can't afford to do is lash out big money on another Brereton who doesn't even feature.

As far as wages are concerned I'd say there's no way our top earners are only on 15k p.w., I'd say £25k at least so if BA came in on say £40 k p.w and we lost a couple of fringe players off the wage bill it would be like another "normal" signing with someone else needing to make way if the wage budget won't stand it and it's a case of one in one out.

The problems are: potentially upsetting the wage structure and the fact that people I think should have been offloaded to make way for better players have all been handed new contracts. Nevertheless if we are creative enough and make the right choice of player then potentially it's the difference between sleepwalking into FFP or giving  ourself a genuine shot at promotion.

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Indeed and we are in the best position we have ever been for promotion since going down. If ever there was a time to take a gamble, it's now. The rewards are incredible. 

[RevidgeBlue]

28 minutes ago, JHRover said:

There isn't anything 'official' anywhere until the club or manager announces it. The rest is gossip or third party information with varying degrees of reliability. 

No. It's not happening is it? Still was nice to dream what our team might have looked like for 24 hrs!

[Gone to seed]

Much as the thought of playing at the top level once again is an attractive one, I don't really think the recent mini-revival should cloud judgment to the extent that many begin to see promotion to the Prem as a realistic proposition this season. Just cast your minds back to the dour run we were on in December, when many were looking over their shoulders at the prospect of a further relegation. I know the team is playing well, and that we appear to have established a settled backbone to the side, but isn't it the reality that we are still in the very early stages of consolidation and seeing if Big Tony's experimental concoction actually works on a sustained basis?

Loving the prospect of decent incoming players, but not in danger of smoking our own exhaust just yet.. ;)

[JacknOry]

You have to factor in an increase in our saleable assets as well. Our last season in the Championship, who in our side would really have brought in much money from a sale? We had already sold of most our biggest assets in the seasons before.

We now have youngsters like Lenihan and Nyambe that have another couple of years experience and will be worth a bit between them in the current market, Travis now making his mark certainly has the potential to be of great value to the club, signings such as Dack (especially) and even Bell from League 1 would be bringing in more than what we bought for them. Armstrong too, he would fetch more than we paid for him. Rodwell and Rothwell too.

Forgot Raya of course too, and also Chapman should he stay injury free.

Edited January 29, 2019 by JacknOry

[Butty]

A lot of clubs trying for Tyrone Mings on loan according too Prixon. He would massively improve our side at left back.. If we are serious about pushing on we should be paying that chunky loan fee and bringing him in  Doubtful he’d choose us over other clubs at the top end of the division but you never know.. 

[RevidgeBlue]

47 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I would still be happy with Gallagher to be honest. I reckon he would have goals in him in this team. 

On a permanent it would be a petty exciting transfer 

 

Really? I'd see it as the opposite of a statement of intent and a sign we weren't going anywhere for the forseeable future. Unless he was coming in as the long term Graham replacement alongside a number one star striker.

18 career goals in 109 appearances. Meh.

[JeffRover]

Is there any movement on Sam Gallagher? Madon posted I think it was on Saturday that he was likely to come back, but there doesn't seem to be any movement at all yet.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Really? I'd see it as the opposite of a statement of intent and a sign we weren't going anywhere for the forseeable future. Unless he was coming in as the long term Graham replacement alongside a number one star striker.

18 career goals in 109 appearances. Meh.

109 appearances for a 23 year old is pretty good. I liked what I saw of him here and he played his best stuff in a Rovers shirt as well. 

[blueboy3333]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17392688.where-things-stand-on-rovers-search-for-a-new-striker/

 

Personally I think the bit about Britt sounds mostly speculative rather than highly informed, just from how he has written it.

 

Just now, JeffRover said:

Is there any movement on Sam Gallagher? Madon posted I think it was on Saturday that he was likely to come back, but there doesn't seem to be any movement at all yet.

In the link 

Edited January 29, 2019 by blueboy3333

[JacknOry]

12 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Really? I'd see it as the opposite of a statement of intent and a sign we weren't going anywhere for the forseeable future. Unless he was coming in as the long term Graham replacement alongside a number one star striker.

18 career goals in 109 appearances. Meh.

How many of those appearances are off the bench or out of position? Thinks his stats are a little misleading really. 

[Madon]

Just now, JeffRover said:

Is there any movement on Sam Gallagher? Madon posted I think it was on Saturday that he was likely to come back, but there doesn't seem to be any movement at all yet.

I think it is looking like one or the other now to be honest, Assombalonga being the number 1 target.

[arbitro]

Given Mowbrays often public show of fairness I honestly can't see us paying wages which are not on parity with the current highest earners. One sure fire way of upsetting the spirit and morale of the current squad is by bringing somebody in and paying them way above senior players.

[RevidgeBlue]

3 minutes ago, Butty said:

A lot of clubs trying for Tyrone Mings on loan according too Prixon. He would massively improve our side at left back.. If we are serious about pushing on we should be paying that chunky loan fee and bringing him in  Doubtful he’d choose us over other clubs at the top end of the division but you never know.. 

Bell's been doing really well recently. That'd be spending money that doesn't really need to be spent and diverting money away from  far more pressing needs ie a top striker and centre back (or tying down Rodwell) for me.

[Guest]

Just now, arbitro said:

Given Mowbrays often public show of fairness I honestly can't see us paying wages which are not on parity with the current highest earners. One sure fire way of upsetting the spirit and morale of the current squad is by bringing somebody in and paying them way above senior players.

We wouldn't be paying him 40k a week if it happened. Loan or otherwise.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, arbitro said:

Given Mowbrays often public show of fairness I honestly can't see us paying wages which are not on parity with the current highest earners. One sure fire way of upsetting the spirit and morale of the current squad is by bringing somebody in and paying them way above senior players.

It is a bit of a risk alright, but a lot depends on 2 factors

• The joining players attitude, application and personality
• How he plays

If those pieces are good, the wages will move down the list. The other players want success at the end of the day 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Bigdoggsteel