Cardiff-home

[Exiled in Toronto]

11 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Has any player every played absolutely every position professionally? I think he was shoved up front for us once wasn't he, so he'd just be centre half and goalie away from the full set!

Paul Madeley started games in all outfield positions for Leeds, and that was when they were one of the best teams in the country!

[Vilesinner]

12 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I thought this thread had been started, but I can't find it. Apologies if I missed it

Nice game to have to test where we are at. A win here and things will be looking bright. I still have concerns about our strength in depth in some areas, but I think we have a better 11-14 than last season. Huge pity Cunningham can't play, I was getting used to us having a 75% Irish backline  

A few dilemmas for Mowbray now, the left back position one, but the the main one being does he start Graham. Any word on what Breretons injury is? 

I would go with the following. I just think Bell is so shot in confidence and ultimately ineffective , that I would chance Hart. If the Cunningham signing has in any way kicked Bell up the arse, then maybe him, but I would have big doubts. The issue I am beginning to find most perplexing, even in light of improved performances is Armstrong over Rothwell. I don't know if we can hope Johnson and Downing will play every game, but it's pretty clear that the two of them are quality that we have lacked for a good few years, arguably since we went down. 

                  Walton

Bennett  Lenihan Williams Hart

             Travis Johnson

    Rothwell  Dack Downing

                 Gallagher

As for Cardiff. Neil Warnock manages them, they signed Flint. I think we all know what we can expect from them. Will be a scrap. 

That's the team I would pick. Thought Hart did pretty well for the Under 23s the other night; strange he was taken off at half time. I wonder was it to rest him for Saturday, or struggling with fitness. Really don't want Williams at Left back, and he doesn't want or deserve to play there.

[Vilesinner]

10 hours ago, Mercer said:

Two clean sheets and wins on the bounce should have provided an enormous shot of confidence.

A stuttering start for Cardiff,  Has age finally doused Warnock's drive, hunger and passion.  Maybe, it only works for so long with the players and it gets too familar and boring.

It's a home banker for me and I'm going to bang last night's win winnings on Rovers at 11/8.

I'd go: Walton, Nyambe, Lenihan, Williams, Hart, Travis, Johnson, Downing, Dack, Rothwell, Graham:

• Nyambe for Bennett - IMO, Bennett will never be an effective right back.  For my liking, time and time again, he is beaten too easily and if Mowbray perseveres with him then I think there will be more roastings to come for our hapless skipper
• It would be folly to break up Lenihan and Williams as the two centre backs and surely Hart is better defensively than Bell
• Rothwell for Armstrong - IMO, Armstrong offers virtually nothing other than his pace (don't think the lad has it and certainly hasn't a football brain)
• Graham for Gallagher - not impressed with Gallagher when he was here before and, IMO, will never be the player Graham has been and still is.  An incredible Sky statistic that our £5million man hadn't netted in his previous 20 league games (now 21 games after Hull).

I think Mowbray has wasted the best part of £14million on Armstrong, Brereton and Gallagher and for that reason alone, should no longer be our manager.  Is Brereton injured or is Mowbray's £7million+ man so ineffective that he can't even make the bench now!? 

 

Absolutely loving Gallagher in our team. The £12.5 million he spent of the 3 is peanuts; especially when he got over £3 million for Raya. Every signing in the window is looking the business! Happy days! :-)

[Vilesinner]

6 hours ago, JHRover said:

Hart is nowhere near good enough to be starting in the Championship and even if he were he's never done before and has played one u23 game since his significant injury in pre season. Not a chance he will be starting.

He was excellent preseason and on loan last year. Definitely much better than Bell imo. 45 minutes the other night might not be enough though. I thought he and JRC played very well in that game.

[Vilesinner]

Tosin and Williams have spoken in great lengths about not wishing to play at fullback, where they are both unsuited to. If Tosin did play it would be at the expense of Lenihan, as Tony likes balance with a left footer and right footer at CB. Probably why he persisted with Charlie for so long; that and his goals.

If Hart is fit enough I'd play him. Better in the air than Bell, and much better going forward. 

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

1-1 for me and I'd probably take that. Going to be balls coming into the box from all angles and whilst I am much more confident that Williams and Lenihan can cope with this style of football I'm worried about the full backs, especially without Cunningham. 

[frosty]

6 hours ago, Vilesinner said:

The £12.5 million he spent of the 3 is peanuts; 

Whatever your opinion on the players themselves is, nobody can say that £12.5m (I think it’s slightly higher) on three players for Rovers is ‘peanuts’.

And while it looks like Gallagher will be a regular, Brereton looks further away from a starting spot than ever. 

[MarkBRFC]

13 hours ago, Stuart said:

No way should he be touching the Lenihan and Williams partnership unless one of them is injured.

Agreed, but Mowbray.

[Mattyblue]

Just now, frosty said:

Whatever your opinion on the players themselves is, nobody can say that £12.5m (I think it’s slightly higher) on three players for Rovers is ‘peanuts’.

And while it looks like Gallagher will be a regular, Brereton looks further away from a starting spot than ever. 

It will be £15 million for all 3.

Armstrong will be worth it at £1.75m rising to 3. A steady Championship player.

£5 million for Gallagher is fairly risky free as he will make an impact in games and I believe will improve.

The millstone around the club’s neck is the £7 million for BB, doesn’t look remotely close to making an impression, and unfortunately I foresee it going down as a disastrous signing for the club.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Mattyblue

[AJW]

Play Bell or Hart at left back or upset Williams and his developing partnership with Lenihan .... Tough choice if it was a straight choice between those 2 options I would be playing Williams at left back .

there is of course another option of playing Tosin in a back 3 and using Bennett and Downing as wing backs ?????

[JHRover]

6 hours ago, Vilesinner said:

He was excellent preseason and on loan last year. Definitely much better than Bell imo. 45 minutes the other night might not be enough though. I thought he and JRC played very well in that game.

Bell was excellent for Fleetwood in League One who were a better outfit than Rochdale or Southend. I'm also not sure what impressing against Barrow, Mansfield or Bury has to do with starting on Saturday v Cardiff

[47er]

Special welcome for Hoilett?

[philipl]

Going to be all about the respective teams taking their chances.

One of the stats crawling past on Tuesday night was Cardiff have created the most chances in the Championship so far this season- don't know if they kept that up v Huddersfield.

This is going to be one with quite a few goals. A clean sheet for Rovers on Saturday will mean we really can start believing a corner has been turned by our defence- I cannot see that happening which means we will need at least two to win.

[rigger]

Just now, JHRover said:

Bell was excellent for Fleetwood in League One who were a better outfit than Rochdale or Southend. I'm also not sure what impressing against Barrow, Mansfield or Bury has to do with starting on Saturday v Cardiff

Same as being excellent for Fleetwood in league one, and getting anywhere near our first team.

[rigger]

People seem to be worried about Cardiff throwing long balls into our box. The simple answer is don't let them have the ball. Attack them and let them worry about our attacking abilities.

[JHRover]

16 minutes ago, rigger said:

Same as being excellent for Fleetwood in league one, and getting anywhere near our first team.

Exactly, so people saying Bell is League One standard and not good enough for us need to compare his CV with that of Sam Hart. Can't say Bell isnt good enough and then suggest replacing him with someone who has done less than Bell in League One.

[rigger]

Just now, JHRover said:

Exactly, so people saying Bell is League One standard and not good enough for us need to compare his CV with that of Sam Hart. Can't say Bell isnt good enough and then suggest replacing him with someone who has done less than Bell in League One.

No, I would say the best way of judging a footballer is to see how they are playing/training at the moment, not consulting a document about someones past. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

44 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Exactly, so people saying Bell is League One standard and not good enough for us need to compare his CV with that of Sam Hart. Can't say Bell isnt good enough and then suggest replacing him with someone who has done less than Bell in League One.

Different ages, different opportunities to play. I would go off training. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just had a realisation this morning 

Lenihan Williams Johnson Travis > Lenihan Mulgrew Smallwood Evans 

Those 4 positions are crucial and we are so much better there this season 

[Ewood Ace]

Surely Graham has to start this game up against two big strong centre backs in Morrison and Flint.

[Leonard Venkhater]

2 hours ago, 47er said:

Special welcome for Hoilett?

My "middle class and tame" in-laws were horrified at his treatment by the Rovers away contingent when he played at Loftus Road....As I told my kids, a goat's cheese salad doesn't prepare anyone for Hoilett abuse...

Edited August 22, 2019 by Leonard Venkhater

[Admiral Nelsen]

Just now, Ewood Ace said:

Surely Graham has to start this game up against two big strong centre backs in Morrison and Flint.

I suspect that we might try and play on the floor a bit more and leave DG on the bench. Obviously Graham's easily our best option for a target man, but given that we're playing a Warnock side I think playing direct balls for their centre backs to gobble up might be playing into their hands. 

[1864roverite]

2 hours ago, 47er said:

Special welcome for Hoilett?

This for me is a problem on Saturday. Hoilett is and will always be seen as a greedy footballer who let Rovers down badly after the way the club looked after him. On the pitch his pace might be a problem for a left back and for me I think the bigger the player the worse he plays - I mean stature wise.

 

[Admiral Nelsen]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49429764

Cardiff missing Marlon Pack, big loss for them. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, Admiral Nelsen said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49429764

Cardiff missing Marlon Pack, big loss for them. 

No Mulgrew at the back or Pack in attack?