January transfer window 2020

[Bigdoggsteel]

Ya, a loan from Rangers wouldn't do it for me now. 

[chaddyrovers]

 

7 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Yet another ex boro flop. some scouting network he has.

He was there as under 21's player. Had a good spell at Kilmarnock before moving to Rangers

[tomphil]

Well he's a left winger so worth a go if it's a cheap loan i suppose we've nothing to lose.

Just have very little faith now in this manager and his avenues of recruitment.  Any coincidence that the best player he signed wasn't an old boy or one of the usual supply lines as far as i'm aware.

[PeteJD13]

3 hours ago, JoeH said:

Another dinosaur, past his expiry date, who's finishing at the end of the season. He's not somebody we should be happy to the follow suit of.

no all those promotions that would be awful wouldn't it, but he's yesterdays man no doubt.

Edited January 8, 2020 by PeteJD13

[Vilesinner]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

It's not like for like. I'm not saying get rid of Evans, in fact yesterday I said for the fee we would get it wouldn't be worth selling him. If we offloaded Smallwood I would take Whelan 

McNair is like Maddision, someone who was mentioned here before and now fans hold him up well above his ability. 

I certainly don't. He's Northern Ireland's best player imo. Would make a great partner for Travis, and he's also versatile.

 

[Vilesinner]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Dack was 22 or 23 when we signed him. Maddison is 26 now. Doesn't add up. Maybe he would be ok, but why hasn't anyone taken a chance 

And why did only lowly Hearts want Whelan.

[Bigdoggsteel]

14 minutes ago, Vilesinner said:

And why did only lowly Hearts want Whelan.

Because he's 35 and his legs are gone. 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Bigdoggsteel

[Bigdoggsteel]

17 minutes ago, Vilesinner said:

I certainly don't. He's Northern Ireland's best player imo. Would make a great partner for Travis, and he's also versatile.

 

The guy has NEVER played more than 20 games in a season. Do you want a replacement for Gladwin in the treatment room? 

[BlackburnEnd75]

6 hours ago, Mr. E said:

Um if MGP is looking for a club and is training with us why the hell are we not offering him a temporary contract? I have no idea what shape he is in but anyone at this point will be better than playing our target man as a winger. 

His legs had gone when he left at the end of 12/13 season and struggled to reinvent himself centrally. Hes 38 now and just got relegated from the Norwegian second division.

Pass

[DE.]

11 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

His legs had gone when he left at the end of 12/13 season and struggled to reinvent himself centrally. Hes 38 now and just got relegated from the Norwegian second division.

Pass

Agreed. It's like when people wanted Bentley back, then got their wish and he was rubbish. Nostalgia clouding rational judgement I'm afraid.

As far as Maddison goes, I wouldn't mind him on a free but also think it's valid to point out that he's 26 and still in League 1. He had a £2.5m release clause and if nobody felt that was worth activating then that says something. It's not like WBA or any of the other teams supposedly interested in him couldn't have afforded that. 

Edited January 8, 2020 by DE.

[Mr. E]

31 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

His legs had gone when he left at the end of 12/13 season and struggled to reinvent himself centrally. Hes 38 now and just got relegated from the Norwegian second division.

Pass

In hindsight yes this is true. Unlikely, I realize, that he can regain stamina at this age. But we desperately miss someone good at set pieces who can put a proper cross in. If there is anything there, I just wish for TM to keep an open mind in the week of training.  

[Amo]

Anyone who wants MGP needs their head tested.

[stinny1]

He scored some cracking goals then he missed that head against  Chelsea  in semi final at old Trafford . But he had gone by 12/13  season he could be brilliant  and crap in the same movement  he was a good player but not a great player

[bluebruce]

10 hours ago, JoeH said:

I don't like having a keeper too old as first choice, they start to not be able to get down to stuff. It becomes difficult. Both Raya and Walton may make awful mistakes, but shot stopping wise, they can't be too harshly judged. Bialkowski is good now, but it won't be long before he channels his inner Paul Robinson at the end of his Rovers career.

He's not too old. He's 32. Peak age for a goalie.

[Gone to seed]

8 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

He's not too old. He's 32. Peak age for a goalie.

Jones, Gennoe, Friedel, all well into their 30s and at the top of their game playing for us. Keepers don't (generally) get worse with age. Many keep getting better

[AJW]

6 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Linked with Glen Whelan again I read.Had a big fall out with Stendel at Hearts.  If we managed to offload Evans and Smallwood I would take him on a free, but he shouldn't be a starter, nor would he be. Great pro and good to have around with his experience. Would be relatively cheap at this stage and would allow us to focus cash money on other areas. Maybe with a view to coaching, we have a lot of young midfielders who could learn from him. He certainly has a pretty decent career behind him , in the last 15 years he has played 10 seasons at Premier league level and 5 at Championship level with almost 100 international appearances. 

Ha ha, I sound like his agent. He has gotten a rough time off Ireland fans over the years, myself included, but from reading from ex-managers it's clear now what he brings. He's still starting for Big Mick and probably will again against Slovakia in March. 

Christoph Berra is another one the Hearts manager has fallen out with and he's been told to train with reserves , I've no idea what shape or form is in and he's 34 now so obviously not a long term player but may do a job for 6 months or so should Lenighan leave 

[Ossydave]

47 minutes ago, Amo said:

Anyone who wants MGP needs their head tested.

I can't believe it's been seriously suggested ?

[bluebruce]

8 hours ago, Mr. E said:

Um if MGP is looking for a club and is training with us why the hell are we not offering him a temporary contract? I have no idea what shape he is in but anyone at this point will be better than playing our target man as a winger. 

No, he won't.

[davulsukur]

52 minutes ago, Amo said:

Anyone who wants MGP needs their head tested.

Love guy from his time here but there is no way we should be signing him now.

[RevidgeBlue]

58 minutes ago, Amo said:

Anyone who wants MGP needs their head tested.

× 1000.

Like Evans, at some point either the fire in his belly went or he decided he wasn't going to put it in any more and was garbage for the final 5/6 years of his time here.

And that was years ago. Might as well see what Shearer's up to if we're playing silly buggers.

[roversfan99]

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

He was there as under 21's player. Had a good spell at Kilmarnock before moving to Rangers

Out of interest, what would you make if we did sign him? (Which I doubt, would be surprised to see us sign anyone)

I know you repeatedly dismiss the quality of the SPL and also dont think we need any attacking players.

For what its worth, a natural winger is needed IMO and I have seen Jones a few times, and he is a good player. I would much prefer him permanently though.

[bluebruce]

5 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Doesn't really add up. Peterborough are a selling club.

Returns? Less than 10 goals a season and a few assists. It's not bad, but it's hardly setting the world, or even League 1 alight.

You're doing him a serious disservice. Just the League stats:

2015/16 - 11 goals, 13 assists.

2016/17 - 9 goals, 17 assists.

2017/18 - 8 goals, 16 assists.

2018/19 - 8 goals, 15 assists.

2019/20 - 9 goals, 6 assists (so far).

I don't know if you think he's a striker or something, but he isn't. Those goals are at least primarily from midfield. Attacking mid (in what I assume is a broadly Dack-like role) and RW. I think he has been moved around in the past, CM, LW, occasionally striker I think. I think continuing those stats in numerous different positions over a season is even more impressive. The goals might not be Dack numbers, but he's an assists machine. 'A few assists' is like saying Dack scores 'a few goals'. That many goal contributions over the last four-and-a-half seasons is definitely lighting up League One.

As for why is he still down there, his contract has a 2.5 million release clause and Peterborough have been insisting on it being met. Fairly sure he has been transfer listed since last summer? But 2.5 million is still considered a lot to gamble on a League One player. Players do move out of there for that kind of money or more, but there aren't too many. Point of reference, we paid 750k for Dack. If I remember rightly he had been available for about 1.5 million the season before after winning League One POTY and nobody bit.

Since the summer, he has only had a year left on his deal. See Bauer for how clubs deal with League One players on the last year of their deal. If the fee is fairly big, they'd rather wait, as they know the player will step up in the summer for free now they know higher league clubs are looking.

Sure we can all agree that Dack and Bauer are good enough for the Championship, but neither we nor others were willing to pay in the millions for either.

Edited January 8, 2020 by bluebruce

[OssyLad]

Did I see a comment in summer linking us with Max Clark? Or am I dreaming?

[Leonard Venkhater]

47 minutes ago, WIR Second Coming said:

Jones, Gennoe, Friedel, all well into their 30s and at the top of their game playing for us. Keepers don't (generally) get worse with age. Many keep getting better

I was there. Freezing cold. Remember what happened a couple of minutes later. Plus ca change ...

[Vilesinner]

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Out of interest, what would you make if we did sign him? (Which I doubt, would be surprised to see us sign anyone)

I know you repeatedly dismiss the quality of the SPL and also dont think we need any attacking players.

For what its worth, a natural winger is needed IMO and I have seen Jones a few times, and he is a good player. I would much prefer him permanently though.

Having watched him in every N Ireland game he played, I think he would be an excellent signing indeed. Fast, direct and can cross; would free Armstrong to play up front in a 442.