Rovers V Birmingham- St Stephens , sorry Boxing day

[arbitro]

3 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

from listening to bbc radio Lanc interview sounds like Players have to leave first before players can come in. 

We do have a big squad 1st team squad wise

I wouldn't consider the likes of Gladwin, Smallwood and Hart as first team squad plays they should all be given early releases from their contracts. One big problem with the squad is that it's really unbalanced with it being top heavy in certain positions and light in others. Mowbray should really address this but as you say it doesn't look like it will happen next month.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, BlackburnEnd75 said:

He's too lightweight imo at the moment to play in his actual position at this level.

Needs to get used to being braver. He will get clattered. Was Duff much bigger?

[LDRover]

Just now, Bohinen 22 said:

Holtby: never a winger in a 442 at home. Wasted.

Blimey, I know it's Christmas but that's shocking behaviour from a so called professional.

[Parsonblue]

21 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Yet in his latest interview Mowbray appears unconvinced about the need for January reinforcements.

After what happened last season after the January window closed he needs firing if he can't see a need for more depth in defence.

I suspect everything depended on selling Dack to raise funds.  With us sailing close to the wind with regard to FFP I really don't expect much being spent in January unless we can shift a few out.

As for the game today I had no problem with the team selected - those players ought to have been good enough to beat a very poor Birmingham side.  The truth is many of our players flatter to deceive.  We are what we are at the moment - a mid-table team who on their day can give most a game but, on another day, are capable of losing to anyone.

Without Dack I'm not sure who is going to score the goals we need. 

Without reinforcements, which I'm not really expecting, I suspect we will finish in the top half but some way off the top six.

[Vinjay]

Duff played rugby in his teenage years so he was obviously used to being clattered.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Needs to get used to being braver. He will get clattered. Was Duff much bigger?

Duff was class.

[BlackburnEnd75]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Needs to get used to being braver. He will get clattered. Was Duff much bigger?

Bigger not really. Stronger yes very much so.

It's not about size it's about having the strength to not get knocked off the ball every touch in a tight area. He needs to strengthen up which takes time, I'm not saying he's not going to make it just saying he's not ready yet.

[Amo]

26 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

By the press you mean Rich Sharpe? 

Does it matter? I would prefer Tosin for one year rather than sign an inferior player long term. Ideally you want to sign good players on long terms deals, but using the loan market well is one of the best ways to get out of this division. Look at Villa. A good player,is a good player. 

I’d rather we’d spent some of that £12m on a few permanent defenders as well as loanees. Tosin on his own wasn’t enough.

[Stuart]

Just now, Parsonblue said:

I suspect everything depended on selling Dack to raise funds.  With us sailing close to the wind with regard to FFP I really don't expect much being spent in January unless we can shift a few out.

As for the game today I had no problem with the team selected - those players ought to have been good enough to beat a very poor Birmingham side.  The truth is many of our players flatter to deceive.  We are what we are at the moment - a mid-table team who on their day can give most a game but, on another day, are capable of losing to anyone.

Without Dack I'm not sure who is going to score the goals we need. 

Without reinforcements, which I'm not really expecting, I suspect we will finish in the top half but some way off the top six.

We’ve gone full circle. Again.

It’s always the players. To a man, the players showed endeavour Today. However, they lack quality and belief, and do not appear to be operating to any kind of system.

Once again FFP rears it’s head as an excuse but Mowbray spent £14m on a two very average players and one well-below-average player. If we fall foul of FFP or cannot recruit properly because of it then the buck for that problem stops with Mowbray.

For all of our plans to hinge on selling the only player scoring our goals, our team talisman, is either nonsense, or strongly suggests that Mowbray doesn’t know what he is doing. I’d go as far as to say that if he hadn’t lucked out with buying Dack, he’d be gone by now.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, BlackburnEnd75 said:

Bigger not really. Stronger yes very much so.

It's not about size it's about having the strength to not get knocked off the ball every touch in a tight area. He needs to strengthen up which takes time, I'm not saying he's not going to make it just saying he's not ready yet.

I just think he needs to toughen up. Hes not going to get much bigger or stronger now. Players are really protected now. 

[unsall]

Disappointing game, but at least we got a point, hopefully get 4 points next two games, the most disturbing news is what a Rovers official told me, is that Tosin is not injured and his agent is refusing to let him play, can only assume he’s either going back to City or going out on loan to a bigger club and they don’t want him injured, was also told that Dack was being lined up for a big transfer to West Brom in January, which obviously will now not happen. 

[yoda's brother]

3 hours ago, yellowsubmarine said:

Mowbray will say "hey look, we are still unbeaten in 8".

you can go unbeaten all season and still go down

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Just now, unsall said:

Disappointing game, but at least we got a point, hopefully get 4 points next two games, the most disturbing news is what a Rovers official told me, is that Tosin is not injured and his agent is refusing to let him play, can only assume he’s either going back to City or going out on loan to a bigger club and they don’t want him injured, was also told that Dack was being lined up for a big transfer to West Brom in January, which obviously will now not happen. 

If true, and I am not bringing into question your source, the club is still a fuck up.

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, unsall said:

Disappointing game, but at least we got a point, hopefully get 4 points next two games, the most disturbing news is what a Rovers official told me, is that Tosin is not injured and his agent is refusing to let him play, can only assume he’s either going back to City or going out on loan to a bigger club and they don’t want him injured, was also told that Dack was being lined up for a big transfer to West Brom in January, which obviously will now not happen. 

No Toisin, no Dack....jesus....Tony's shit transfer policy coming home to roost

[JHRover]

Just now, Parsonblue said:

I suspect everything depended on selling Dack to raise funds.  With us sailing close to the wind with regard to FFP I really don't expect much being spent in January unless we can shift a few out.

As for the game today I had no problem with the team selected - those players ought to have been good enough to beat a very poor Birmingham side.  The truth is many of our players flatter to deceive.  We are what we are at the moment - a mid-table team who on their day can give most a game but, on another day, are capable of losing to anyone.

Without Dack I'm not sure who is going to score the goals we need. 

Without reinforcements, which I'm not really expecting, I suspect we will finish in the top half but some way off the top six.

If our transfer policy is built upon selling our best player in January (and primary goal threat) presumably to a divisional rival (not good enough to attract serious Premier League interest) then we are in trouble.

To begin with very few clubs at this level have the means or freedom under FFP rules to pay what we should demand for a player of Dack's importance. 

Secondly if we were to sell him to bring in reinforcements the damage done to the team through selling him would create more problems than it solved.

I'm afraid I don't buy the FFP excuse. Last January we were in good form and on the cusp of the play-offs. We refused to add any depth to a weak defence and paid the penalty, going on an atrocious run of form that almost saw us dragged into a relegation battle. If there was one lesson to take from last season it was that we needed more depth in defence to weather injuries and suspensions. Mowbray appeared to have accepted that in March/April when he spoke to the fans meeting. Then he went and spent £5 million on Gallagher whilst not investing in defensive signings.

He failed in the summer by signing Cunningham and Tosin on loan whilst allowing several defenders to go out. We've just about managed through to now despite losing Cunningham for the season although Lenihan, Tosin and Williams have all spent several weeks out with numerous injuries already. With Tosin mysteriously injured again and Williams not great an injury now could derail the entire season.

Despite the disappointment of the last couple of games we are still in a good position and perhaps a couple of good additions away from kicking on in the 2nd half of the season, whilst adding nobody and ending up with injuries to defenders could completely derail us again. 

If January isn't a time to invest and add depth with us on a decent unbeaten run and within a few points of 3rd and 4th then there will never be a good time.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, unsall said:

Disappointing game, but at least we got a point, hopefully get 4 points next two games, the most disturbing news is what a Rovers official told me, is that Tosin is not injured and his agent is refusing to let him play, can only assume he’s either going back to City or going out on loan to a bigger club and they don’t want him injured, was also told that Dack was being lined up for a big transfer to West Brom in January, which obviously will now not happen. 

Juicy gossip, but time will tell. 

[Amo]

I thought Tosin's contract was for the season?

[Waggy76]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Juicy gossip, but time will tell. 

City own the player , they will decide ...

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, JHRover said:

If our transfer policy is built upon selling our best player in January (and primary goal threat) presumably to a divisional rival (not good enough to attract serious Premier League interest) then we are in trouble.

To begin with very few clubs at this level have the means or freedom under FFP rules to pay what we should demand for a player of Dack's importance. 

Secondly if we were to sell him to bring in reinforcements the damage done to the team through selling him would create more problems than it solved.

I'm afraid I don't buy the FFP excuse. Last January we were in good form and on the cusp of the play-offs. We refused to add any depth to a weak defence and paid the penalty, going on an atrocious run of form that almost saw us dragged into a relegation battle. If there was one lesson to take from last season it was that we needed more depth in defence to weather injuries and suspensions. Mowbray appeared to have accepted that in March/April when he spoke to the fans meeting. Then he went and spent £5 million on Gallagher whilst not investing in defensive signings.

He failed in the summer by signing Cunningham and Tosin on loan whilst allowing several defenders to go out. We've just about managed through to now despite losing Cunningham for the season although Lenihan, Tosin and Williams have all spent several weeks out with numerous injuries already. With Tosin mysteriously injured again and Williams not great an injury now could derail the entire season.

Despite the disappointment of the last couple of games we are still in a good position and perhaps a couple of good additions away from kicking on in the 2nd half of the season, whilst adding nobody and ending up with injuries to defenders could completely derail us again. 

If January isn't a time to invest and add depth with us on a decent unbeaten run and within a few points of 3rd and 4th then there will never be a good time.

are you summising tosin is`nt injured and there is some other reason behind his abscence??

[tomphil]

TM must be the luckiest manager in this league by some stretch. Not only is he well in with the ownership he has a set of excuses lined up by some fans to prepare for the next bad run before it happens. 

Also every time his head nears the block he somehow quite remarkably has a blinding moment of clarity in his selections and formation. The team responds and saves him with a little purple patch before he inevitably gives in to his inner 'keep em all happy' demons again.

Any club in this division that has 3 forwards costing a combined 15 million before wages should be able to score goals really.

Edited December 26, 2019 by tomphil

[47er]

Same old story. We get a sniff of the play-offs and it all goes pear-shaped.

We face the rest of the season without the only player who scores regularly, we clearly have an inadequate and unbalanced squad and it looks like there is no money going into the January sales to either bolster the defence or grab a striker who can score. Manager seems to be in denial.

£14M on strikers who can't score comes into stark focus now.

No calculated, gradual build-up to promotion at Ewood, just a random collection of assorted players, several playing out of position, and looking nothing like a team.

Manager to blame, plenty warned on here about lack of depth in defence and lack of width, and lack of scorers. Cracks papered over for half the season, now open for all to see.

Going to have to look to the U-23's, what else is there?

 

 

 

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, tomphil said:

TM must be the luckiest manager in this league by some stretch. Not only is he well in with the ownership he has a set of excuses lined up to prepare for the next bad run before it happens. 

Also every time his head nears the block he somehow quite remarkably has a blinding moment of clarity in his selections and formation. The team responds and saves him with a little purple patch before he inevitably gives in to his inner 'keep em all happy' demons again.

Any club in this division that has 3 forwards costing a combined 15 million before wages should be able to score goals really.

bang on,unfortunately tony is terrified of playing football that will give them opportunities to score

[JHRover]

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

are you summising tosin is`nt injured and there is some other reason behind his abscence??

I don't know. Perhaps. Maybe he is genuinely injured but i do find the frequency of our injuries to be bizarre.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Waggy76 said:

City own the player , they will decide ...

His gossip suggested they already had 

[Husky]

Just now, JHRover said:

I don't know. Perhaps. Maybe he is genuinely injured but i do find the frequency of our injuries to be bizarre.

I guess we should go full circle.

Back to the fitness and conditioning issues, as it's either that or the conspiracies are true.

Groundhog Day.