JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW

[HowieFive0]

2 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

We have had noise from Mowbray re the scouting/recruitment updating for over a year, confirmation it had been funded and then that it was all in place a couple of months ago, maybe longer.

Obviously not stretching to Europe! 

Looks like TM is constantly fighting a battle with the powers that be to implement what he wants.

Can really see our lot forever cutting costs (corners ) behind the scenes. 

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by HowieFive0

[G Somerset Rover]

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

This is going to be the best damn scouting department ever seen in football.

18 months it's been in the making. Let's hope we can land a man in Europe soon.

Probably bring in Grabbi mark II!

[JBiz]

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

This is going to be the best damn scouting department ever seen in football.

18 months it's been in the making. Let's hope we can land a man in Europe soon.

Out means out!

[JHRover]

It's a bit like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Club with a limited budget wants to be able to recruit but struggles to pay the going rate for UK based players, the obvious alternative is to look overseas and yet said club can't do that because in an attempt to save cash the club has no European scouting network nor any employees with any expertise in that area. Result? It's either going for those UK players the manager familiar with or nothing, the result being that we end up paying as we did for Brereton.

Hardly surprising that we're operating on such a limited and short sighted system when the club doesn't seem to look any further than Darwen when promoting itself.

[Neal]

Surely got to look at players like Marquis if we can't afford top dollar Champ forwards?

[Dreams of 1995]

2 minutes ago, Biz said:

Out means out!

Funny init. Whilst the country is embroiled in a bitter battle to get out of Europe, we are investing a transfer windows budget trying to get in!

[HowieFive0]

Just now, JHRover said:

It's a bit like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Club with a limited budget wants to be able to recruit but struggles to pay the going rate for UK based players, the obvious alternative is to look overseas and yet said club can't do that because in an attempt to save cash the club has no European scouting network nor any employees with any expertise in that area. Result? It's either going for those UK players the manager familiar with or nothing, the result being that we end up paying as we did for Brereton.

Hardly surprising that we're operating on such a limited and short sighted system when the club doesn't seem to look any further than Darwen when promoting itself.

And that's the problem TM seems to be up against. He knows and all about foreign buys ..quoting Brentfords foreign  players etc etc ..its not going to be TM not wanting to look at Europe its going to be those above not putting the money up to create a European scouting system.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Probably bring in Grabbi mark II!

Arguably we already have. (Brereton)

[Bigdoggsteel]

I can understand no permanents if we are being quoted 10 million for players like Austin ,but why not loans? 1 striker and 1 center half 

Edited January 31, 2019 by Bigdoggsteel

[Kamy100]

7 minutes ago, HowieFive0 said:

Sounds to me as if the whole Rovers structure behind the scenes was/is in total disaray and TM is literally having to go to each dept. and sort out himself. 

The whole lot seems to have gone to rack and ruin. 

What Mowbray walked into was a club that was in total disarray both on and off the field.

The scouting structure was completely dismantled by Kean and then Shebby.  We lost all of our good scouts.  This is not the kind of thing that can be put together overnight, what Mowbray has focussed on was to get the domestic scouting structure right, he now has largely done that and is ready to look at our European/International scouting network.  This is not an easy undertaking.

If the players TM wants to sign our too expensive then I agree with him that it is better to wait until Summer to see what can be done, there is no point wasting the limited resources that we on players that he isn't convinced about just because they are available and are cheaper.  At the moment is looks like the money spent on Brereton was not the right deal to do but we can't change that now, however it is still early in his career with us and we just have to hope that Mowbray can help him realise the potential that he obviously seen in him.

[K-Hod]

34 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

Right someone get me @Madon's seat number.

I can go one better, I know (roughly) where he lives.....

[pick32]

Bet Mowbray went to Gibraltar on his holidays 

Edited January 31, 2019 by pick32

[Madon]

Just now, K-Hod said:

I can go one better, I know (roughly) where he lives.....

Give over...

[HowieFive0]

Just now, K-Hod said:

I can go one better, I know (roughly) where he lives.....

Roughly ? ..he ll be living rough when he finds his house not standing ..

[roversfan99]

Poor window if we arent signing anyone and one that we will end weaker than we started, with Downing and Palmer no longer options, and Chapman seemingly not fit any time soon.

Have to worry about any injury to Graham potentially de-railing us.

[HowieFive0]

1 minute ago, Kamy100 said:

What Mowbray walked into was a club that was in total disarray both on and off the field.

The scouting structure was completely dismantled by Kean and then Shebby.  We lost all of our good scouts.  This is not the kind of thing that can be put together overnight, what Mowbray has focussed on was to get the domestic scouting structure right, he now has largely done that and is ready to look at our European/International scouting network.  This is not an easy undertaking.

If the players TM wants to sign our too expensive then I agree with him that it is better to wait until Summer to see what can be done, there is no point wasting the limited resources that we on players that he isn't convinced about just because they are available and are cheaper.  At the moment is looks like the money spent on Brereton was not the right deal to do but we can't change that now, however it is still early in his career with us and we just have to hope that Mowbray can help him realise the potential that he obviously seen in him.

Exactly ...European bargains aint a new overnight fad that's just happened and Mowbray aint some novice manager that's suddenly just heard of Europe. The problems are higher than that and boil down to a complete lack of structure and maybe funding in departments other clubs don't think twice of funding.

[Ewood Ace]

At least Mowbray has confirmed what a number of us on here had suspected that we don't scout overseas. Good to hear that the penny has finally dropped with him that we should be although worrying that it has taken so long. This season in transfer market we have effectively had one hand tied behind our back being limited to the UK whereas many of our competitors have been able to scout further afield. 

[Dreams of 1995]

All joking aside you have to assume our scouting was a complete shambles pre-Mowbray. Under Bowyer we only ever seemed to sign available players - in such they were often cast offs, clearly offered to us by an agent/agency. It's been a long time since we pursued a player and landed them a la Harry Chapman (although you could argue Boro didn't really want him).

I'd love to have had Assombalonga here (don't rate Gallagher or Austin much in truth) but if the finances aren't right then sod him. Let him sit on the Boro bench and let them pay his wages. We have our valuation of a player and that's the bottom line.

Besides we spent £7m on Brereton and I can feel it in my waters he's about to start banging them in. He's currently Rovers' top scorer in training.

[DE.]

Just now, Kamy100 said:

What Mowbray walked into was a club that was in total disarray both on and off the field.

The scouting structure was completely dismantled by Kean and then Shebby.  We lost all of our good scouts.  This is not the kind of thing that can be put together overnight, what Mowbray has focussed on was to get the domestic scouting structure right, he now has largely done that and is ready to look at our European/International scouting network.  This is not an easy undertaking.

We signed a fair few decent players under Bowyer's tenure, so there must have been some competent scouting in place during that period? Now granted we also ended up with the likes of Koita, Browny, Varny and Delfouneso, but that was towards the end when the tap was turned off. During the time we did have a bit of cash we made some very astute signings - Conway, Duffy, Evans, Cairney, etc.... there must have been something in place? 

I'd also put into question whether we've 'got it right' regarding our domestic scouting, considering our best players (Dack excluded) were generally signed by other managers. Our most expensive signing since Rhodes meanwhile has been a total flop thus far.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, HowieFive0 said:

Exactly ...European bargains aint a new overnight fad that's just happened and Mowbray aint some novice manager that's suddenly just heard of Europe. The problems are higher than that and boil down to a complete lack of structure and maybe funding in departments other clubs don't think twice of funding.

Precisely. When some fans here talk about signing players from Europe, you would swear it was simple and we are the only ones not doing it. They only name the successes, for every Mupay at Brentford there are at least 20 duds. We experienced this with the dross we signed from Portugal. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

All joking aside you have to assume our scouting was a complete shambles pre-Mowbray. Under Bowyer we only ever seemed to sign available players - in such they were often cast offs, clearly offered to us by an agent/agency. It's been a long time since we pursued a player and landed them a la Harry Chapman (although you could argue Boro didn't really want him).

I'd love to have had Assombalonga here (don't rate Gallagher or Austin much in truth) but if the finances aren't right then sod him. Let him sit on the Boro bench and let them pay his wages. We have our valuation of a player and that's the bottom line.

Besides we spent £7m on Brereton and I can feel it in my waters he's about to start banging them in. He's currently Rovers' top scorer in training.

Our secret weapon! 

[roversfan99]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Precisely. When some fans here talk about signing players from Europe, you would swear it was simple and we are the only ones not doing it. They only name the successes, for every Mupay at Brentford there are at least 20 duds. We experienced this with the dross we signed from Portugal. 

There are duds and gems in equal measure wherever you look, my point was that its better to choose from a bigger pool and that English playees can be overpriced (Brereton a prime example) and was shot down for it as if it was a character assassination on Mowbray. Even he has admitted it today. Obviously it is still difficult and risky to find the right players wherever you look but at least you arent seemingly focusing on predominantly ex loanees.

People seem to think that those championing widening our recruitment scope as basing it only on successful signings from abroad but that is nonsense.

The Portugal example you give is flawed in that it was obviously not all above board.

[had.e.nuff]

Perhaps we should go the wolves way and get involved with an agent and sign all his foreign player .Oh wait we tried that and it did not go well

[ChrisPriceBaldSpot]

3 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

All joking aside you have to assume our scouting was a complete shambles pre-Mowbray. Under Bowyer we only ever seemed to sign available players - in such they were often cast offs, clearly offered to us by an agent/agency. It's been a long time since we pursued a player and landed them a la Harry Chapman (although you could argue Boro didn't really want him).

I'd love to have had Assombalonga here (don't rate Gallagher or Austin much in truth) but if the finances aren't right then sod him. Let him sit on the Boro bench and let them pay his wages. We have our valuation of a player and that's the bottom line.

Besides we spent £7m on Brereton and I can feel it in my waters he's about to start banging them in. He's currently Rovers' top scorer in training.

Only top scorer because Downing has left. 

[DeeCee]

Can someone please start a summer transfer window thread?