Summer Transfer Window 2019

[JHRover]

Just now, philipl said:

Smallwood in current negotiations to move to Doncaster

Evidence of us hawking Dack to Championship clubs? I haven't seen any but I have posted about Man U and Everton interest.

As above I don't think anyone on here would deny or begrudge Dack a move to Man Utd or Everton, as unlikely as both seem. It would tick all the boxes for him and would be a step up and we would be powerless to resist. The trouble comes when we're selling players at reduced fees to rivals like we did with Cairney even when the player didn't want to go and manager didn't either because we fancied raising some quick cash. Just hope we're not going down that route again.

[tomphil]

There's a difference between selling an ambitious plan to fans of challenging the top 6, spending money that is 'already there' and signing first 11 capable players and then running off to the owners pitching something completely different so as to keep favour with them and keep a lid on their expectations and ambitions.

One model is genuinely trying to move forward although granted it's a big step and there are no guarantees but the other is treading water to pay the bills and creating a comfort zone where the only thing expected is a good return on players annually.

I don't think it's accusing him of telling lies to just simply ask which route he's really trying to go down.

Edited May 24, 2019 by tomphil

[Ewood Ace]

2 hours ago, philipl said:

I read the Lancashire Telegraph and watch Mowbray interviews and then I read the comments on here and think I'm living in a parallel universe.

For what is worth it is my take:

• Conway did not reach the levels which would have triggered an automatic renewal of his existing contract.  Rovers have clearly offered inferior terms for the one-year extension.

• ditto Rodwell has not been offered the type of contract he had been hoping for

As I have pointed out before, we have an unusually young squad and that is before some of the stars of the under 23s and I believe the even better development squad of under-17s  have broken through. So it is very sensible to have players of the experience of Conway and Rodwell as backup  but backups which are not costing a fortune.

 

It is clear from Mowbray's comments that he is beginning to lose patience with both Conway and Rodwell and needs them to make a decision which rather suggests that both of them are struggling to get much better terms elsewhere. Both Conway and Rodwell did a job for us last season and Rodwell might do an even better job if he were playing alongside better players who are able to make space for his Incisive passing.

My immediate reaction to the news of Leutweiler getting an extension was incredulity. Then I thought that they showed absolutely no confidence in any of the young keepers being able to step up next season and sure enough Albinson has been released so the Canadian is in effect cover as number 3. It is rare but not unusual that a team does have to call on its third choice keeper because of injuries. Again he has been offered a contract which is still thinking about so I doubt it is very lucrative.

Looking at Raya,  here is a player who must have taken a huge psychological blow as well as a physical blow when his face was rearranged at West Bromwich.  I have said often enough that there was far too little communication coming from the players in front of him and therefore I do not hold him uniquely responsible for all the 69 goals let in last season.

 

When watching a team it is obviously great to see a promotion chase but if that is not to be then pieces of individual brilliance are what live in the mind. From last season, about half of the highlights for me were breathtaking saves by Raya.

So yes, by all means, bring in much stronger competition for Raya but if Frank Fielding is that competition, it suggests that the field is wide open for Raya to claim the number one slot on merit.

Incidentally, I think there is too much emphasis on distribution by Raya which was an extreme problem but significantly improved last season.

 

We all know that the club was gutted of all meaningful management until the last 2 years and that included the Scouting system. I have just been reading about Liverpool having a data-based system with 100,000 professional players in it: all matched against Liverpool's current squad and how they might fit in. This is not something which was created overnight and therefore when I read Tony Mowbray's comments that it might take 3 years to develop a proper scouting system for Blackburn Rovers,  I am actually very encouraged.

It means that the short-term recruitment might be a little hit and miss and in those circumstances, you would expect both owners and management to be somewhat hesitant about betting the club.

 

Finally to comments about Dack.  Mowbray rightly points out that Norwich sold £37 million worth of players yet still went up.  It is inevitable that all 20 Premier League clubs will be looking at what's available in the Championship and therefore there are 20 clubs who will have Bradley Dack on their radar and most likely he is on at least 15 long shortlists of 10 to 15 players whom they are seriously considering making a bid for. The player will be aware of this, the player's agent most certainly will be aware of it and all Tony Mowbray is doing is saying he's aware of it too.

When you look around the championship for a player of 25 who has that little bit special who could make a difference in the Premier League, I think there's only one name and that is Bradley Dack. For all his occasionally indifferent performances last season which folk on here love dwelling on, I suspect if one bid comes in, there will be others and a transfer fee would be well into 8 figures. I hope we will see him at Rovers next season but I think we are hardly short of attacking midfield or in the hole forward players so I doubt we would even need to go into the transfer market to replace him and could use the proceeds more usefully sorting out that defense.

PS no idea why I cannot unbold this post.

Conway did a job last season really, does one half decent performance against Sheffield Wednesday class as doing a job?

You really think every premier league club is looking at Dack? I highly doubt it after 1 good but nothing more season in the Championship. Perhaps 6 or 7 clubs that's only aim is to survive might look at him but clubs looking for more will be looking for better than Dack. Also I would say that there are numerous players around Dack's age who could do it in the Premier League, some of who I would say are better than Dack. I would have major doubts about Dack being able to do it in the Premier League.

[K-Hod]

I've noticed a few posts that have been bordering on/involving trolling, can we not do this please? Or the usual action will follow!

If you are unsure of what trolling is, send me a PM and I'll tell you how to avoid the action, otherwise, can we not wind each other up deliberately, please?

Thanks!

[Mercer]

2 hours ago, philipl said:

I was a little obtuse before but from a contact at Man U, Dack is on their radar and I hear Everton (who are at risk of losing Richarlison to Atletico Madrid, Digne and Gomes to Spurs and Zouma going back to Chelsea) are seriously looking at Dack. 

Think someone is winding you up!

I will be very surprised if ANY PL club takes a chance on Dack.

IMO, overpriced, overweight and overrated.

[blueboy3333]

48 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

It was competitive for the aim of staying up when you look at those around us

Now getting into the top 6 "competitive" is a different kettle of fish altogether. 

We spent more than Sheff Utd. 

[Angry_Pirate]

Selling Smallwood as our first bit of business will have me happy for a start.

The TM of July 2018 to January 2019 had has team built around that pedestrian, and no matter what else, at least it shows that he has some concept of players who are below our current standing and hopeful trajectory.

Its not like we offered new contracts to Conway, Leuwiler and Galdwin, are seeming talking about selling Raya to a league rival for way under potential value and touting Lenihan and Dack for big money moves is it. ?

Remember that spring where we had already announced the bosman signings of Judge, Taylor and Eastwood. Plenty of soon to be free agents out there.

If the club want fans to buy season tickets - surely they should be trying to get some excitement going as early as possible. 

Saying that, maybe selling Smallwood is the best it'll get. ?

[roverstdt]

I think the key thing is make some smart moves you don't need to spend if you have good coaches and managers. Sheff United proved that by signing McGoldrick. I think there are some good signings to be made out there especially on the free market. 

I am hoping Sunderland win as i think Bauer would be a good edition with Archer. That would already strengthen the spine. Mulgrew i almost wouldn't mind seeing him sit in front of the defense as he can pick out a pass and his set pieces are still on point .

Striker wise is the difficulty with midfield and wingers. Personally i like Bidwell would love to see him sign with Derrick Williams leaving with Smallwood, Samuel, Rodwell and Conway (who i would love to stay as a coach). 

I think Armstrong and Brereton will continue to grow and learn from Graham. Would love to see a passer in our team but no idea where we could find that. 

 

 

[Stuart]

3 hours ago, OnePhilT said:

Hold your hands up.

Agents really aren’t helping their clients by asking for huge wages just because there is no transfer fee. It makes their future options very limited and gets them used to regular big money. Ask for a signing on fee but keep wages reasonable.

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

We spent more than Sheff Utd. 

Probably around the same when you factor in wages. Wilder is a quality manager, he has proven that. They were the best team we played this year. We spent more than some teams who finished ahead of us and less than some teams who finished below us. Throwing money at it doesn't guarantee anything for sure, but for the bit of extra Championship experience we need to be up there, I reckon we will have to spend a bit on either fees, wages or more than likely both. Contrary to some of the spin on here, we have a very young team. 

[Guest]

Not much on the grapevine about Rodwell. He’ll probably wait as long as he can hoping someone will offer more before the end of June.

is he worth another year though?

[BankEnd Rover]

More than happy for Smallwood to leave. The lad is not championship level.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, JoeHarvey said:

Not much on the grapevine about Rodwell. He’ll probably wait as long as he can hoping someone will offer more before the end of June.

is he worth another year though?

Ah, I think so. If he gets a better deal elsewhere, good luck to him, but from a football point of view and his career I think this is the place for him. Yes, he probably didn't feature enough last season he will feel, or in his favoured position, but I think that's on him too. He needs to keep working on his game to get back to where he was. A second season here in a settled environment is where he should be if he is serious about rehabilitating his reputation to anywhere near where it was.  A bigger pay day elsewhere will mean less long-term security I would imagine. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, BankEnd Rover said:

More than happy for Smallwood to leave. The lad is not championship level.

No, but best of luck to him and thanks for the memories 

[G Somerset Rover]

I’m pleased that any false optimism that I may have had later in the window has been quashed already to be honest. If TM had been banging on about us having a Bowyer esque ‘right good go’ only for us to follow it up with a few freebies and league one signings then I’d be thoroughly disappointed. I think it’s obvious that they’ve not backed him as he’d hoped during this trip to Pune. What he’s saying now doesn’t mirror to what it was a couple of months ago.

[Stuart]

Just now, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

I’m pleased that any false optimism that I may have had later in the window has been quashed already to be honest. If TM had been banging on about us having a Bowyer esque ‘right good go’ only for us to follow it up with a few freebies and league one signings then I’d be thoroughly disappointed. I think it’s obvious that they’ve not backed him as he’d hoped during this trip to Pune. What he’s saying now doesn’t mirror to what it was a couple of months ago.

“Well boys, obviously, when I said you weren’t good enough, of course, what I meant was...”

[MarkBRFC]

7 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Whiteman probably off to Hull. Narrowed down to rovers or Hull now .....

He isn't coming here.

[blue_n_white99]

17 minutes ago, Stuart said:

“Well boys, obviously, when I said you weren’t good enough, of course, what I meant was...”  I can't find anybody better in Poundland

 

 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

8 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Let's be fair, if Mowbray says he has £x million to spend then prices will go up, I don't think they have ever set a fixed budget, but they have usually backed the manager if he has wanted a certain player and makes a good case for signing him.

I don’t see that budget stretching to ready made championship players now though...the model is buy young, develop and if necessary, sell on to offset the expense.

That model won't get us promoted though.  We'll be like Peterborough.  

[Bigdoggsteel]

All he says in the interview is we can't be the biggest spenders in the league. I don't get why people are over reacting about the comment. Did ye not know this already? 

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, Stuart said:

Agents really aren’t helping their clients by asking for huge wages just because there is no transfer fee. It makes their future options very limited and gets them used to regular big money. Ask for a signing on fee but keep wages reasonable.

Exactly

He'll be on about 7/8 grand per week at Charlton so asking for double is fair enough then settling somewhere in between and asking for it to be reviewed annually or something.

Over three years or more that's still a big extra wedge in the pocket.

Greedy greedy b#st#ar5ds !

Unless TM is fibbing of course to steer fans away from expecting that player when in reality he might come for a more modest wedge but they just don't want to pay it because we can't.  Apparently it's ok to lie in those circumstances......

[USABlue]

17 hours ago, JoeHarvey said:

God forbid I post anything on here.

As mentioned before, I don’t post my own content on this forum in any way, just my opinion.

You can say “don’t read anything into that one” all you like but don’t be disrespectful for no reason. This is an open forum, one which I’ve respected and I don’t think it’s necessary, AT ALL, for you to come at me like that.

(and as a final note, the Fielding thing is true, that’s very close and I have that from a reliable source)

Sometimes you need thick skin to be coming here. Being a little bit mentally unstable also helps.

[USABlue]

16 hours ago, JoeHarvey said:

Quite the introduction. I look forward to be lambasted left right and centre.

From what I have read you have had it quite easy.  Don't take it personal, there is quite a mix of personalities here.

[bluebruce]

48 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

That model won't get us promoted though.  We'll be like Peterborough.  

They've progressed exactly 2 places every season despite that model (I think it was them anyway). So we just need to do it for a mere 5 seasons and we can have a go at playoffs, by that logic. Woop woop!

[bigbrandjohn]

110 pages and counting. We are like puppies around the bowl hoping our master drops something juicy into it rather than left overs.