Summer Transfer Window

[JHRover]

I genuinely believe that the biggest issue here isn't that Venkys are suffering extreme hardship as a result of Covid or that they can't make some funds available for the team.

I think the biggest issue is that due to the travel restrictions and delay to last season it hasn't been physically possible for Mowbray and Waggott to get out there and meet with them face to face.

I think that the only way a manager here gets any proper backing is by flying out to India and putting his case forward to the top dogs in person and persuading them to do it.

Without being able to do that there simply isn't the direct line of communication in place to get the answers he needs to invest. 

It appears to me that Mrs Desai will only make decisions about Rovers at set times e.g. when her manager goes out to see her at her convenience.

Without this the club is left to drift with no clarity or alternative. For some reason or another they will not work remotely. If they were willing to then Mowbray, Bowyer and Kean wouldn't have been out there twice a year. Notice also how they were the only ones to get any serious backing from Venkys.

Of course it is mental and may well cost them millions if it ends up costing us promotion or relegating us but that's happened before and it didn't seem to bother them.

Nothing but an irrelevance that only becomes of interest when Mowbray turns up at the front door with all the platitudes asking for some cash for players.

[LeftWinger]

Just now, JHRover said:

I think the biggest issue is that due to the travel restrictions and delay to last season it hasn't been physically possible for Mowbray and Waggott to get out there and meet with them face to face.

We can only hope that one day someone invents some way of communicating with people half way across the world without having to get on a plane.

[BlackburnEnd75]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

“Mowbray feels Rovers are at a rebuilding phase”

No shit Sherlock!

Failure whitewashed and we start again. How many managers would love to be in Mowbray’s privileged position? Never gets the blame, losses covered, accountable only to himself.

The current favourite excuse in the LT comments section is now “you can’t blame Mowbray for Covid-19”. ??‍♂️ 

Its frustrating. We made some very short term signings last summer (tosin, walton, johnson, downing) which we were done purely with a push for the playoffs. 

We absolutely shouldnt be in a position where we are rebuilding.

[LDRover]

1 hour ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

And the wait goes on...

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18662656.mowbray-outlines-rovers-priority-positions-transfer-market/

Ah, so we've seamlessly gone from 'slow build' to 'rebuild'. 

[Blue blood]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

“Mowbray feels Rovers are at a rebuilding phase”

No shit Sherlock!

Failure whitewashed and we start again. How many managers would love to be in Mowbray’s privileged position? Never gets the blame, losses covered, accountable only to himself.

The current favourite excuse in the LT comments section is now “you can’t blame Mowbray for Covid-19”. ??‍♂️ 

It's a poor do, no it's absolutely criminal, that you can have a sneak preview couple of months of a season, six transfer windows, not have to sell any players, have a youth academy pumping out stars, spend £15 million on strikers, not have to worry about results, have the nucleus of a decent team and STILL need a rebuilding job after 3 years. 

I mean I really don't understand how you get to that position. I'm not sure it's that easy to do if you deliberately try to do. I mean this is beyond careless and incompetent, it's inexcusable. 

[Blue blood]

2 minutes ago, LDRover said:

Ah, so we've seamlessly gone from 'slow build' to 'rebuild'. 

I have to say we are the only build I know that goes backwards! 

[Miller11]

We have 5 players who would command any sort of transfer fee.

Lenihan - we have a tendency to think he is better than he actually is, but the prospect of a defence without him is frightening.

Nyambe - no talk of a new deal, and I imagine his agent telling him not to sign if one was forthcoming. Lose him and we all know who plays right back.

Travis - lose him and our midfield looks woefully short.

Dack - won’t be going anywhere til he’s fit. Would likely command the biggest fee. Up until his injury was far and away out most important player... although we coped better than expected without him.

Armstrong - really stepped up to the plate and proved to be our only regular source of goals. Stock will continue to rise.

While losing one or more of these looks inevitable, it’s not going to be pleasant. We lack quality replacements for any of them. In fact only Dack has anything approaching an adequate replacement within our current squad. Lose a couple and we are fucked.

We don’t need to break the bank, but we need to sign a goalkeeper. We could muddle through in other areas, providing we don’t lose any of the above, and we’d have to keep our fingers crossed for no injuries. Mowbray is going to have to put a lot of faith in the academy graduates with those who broke through last season becoming key members of the squad.

This last minute approach is standard. Look how long it took to get Adarabioyo over the line last year. He was “on the verge” for months and in the end we started with Mulgrew against Charlton because of how long we dithered. Walton, by Mowbray’s own admission, “fell into our lap” after we missed out on our real targets. When we wasted money on Brereton we did so after the window had shut. I remember in the Kean days N’Zonzi started at centre half against Wolves before we signed Scott Dann... there’s never a rush with Venky’s.

[Dreams of 1995]

Tony once again saying too much.

No need to say it is a rebuilding job. I get what he means, but it isn't a rebuilding job. It is adding permanent fittings to where you once had temporary works. That's not rebuilding, that's continuing the build.

Of course it will be taken literally, and of course I will get pelters for trying to define what he is saying, but I certainly don't think Mowbray is looking at his squad thinking he is starting again on it.

He knew last summer that we'd need a keeper, centre half and left back again this year. It's not a surprise to him or anyone. The surprise might be that the taps have been turned off, although maybe he should have thought about that before the luxury signings that haven't quite worked out yet. 

[Dreams of 1995]

Just now, Miller11 said:

We have 5 players who would command any sort of transfer fee.

Lenihan - we have a tendency to think he is better than he actually is, but the prospect of a defence without him is frightening.

Nyambe - no talk of a new deal, and I imagine his agent telling him not to sign if one was forthcoming. Lose him and we all know who plays right back.

Travis - lose him and our midfield looks woefully short.

Dack - won’t be going anywhere til he’s fit. Would likely command the biggest fee. Up until his injury was far and away out most important player... although we coped better than expected without him.

Armstrong - really stepped up to the plate and proved to be our only regular source of goals. Stock will continue to rise.

While losing one or more of these looks inevitable, it’s not going to be pleasant. We lack quality replacements for any of them. In fact only Dack has anything approaching an adequate replacement within our current squad. Lose a couple and we are fucked.

We don’t need to break the bank, but we need to sign a goalkeeper. We could muddle through in other areas, providing we don’t lose any of the above, and we’d have to keep our fingers crossed for no injuries. Mowbray is going to have to put a lot of faith in the academy graduates with those who broke through last season becoming key members of the squad.

This last minute approach is standard. Look how long it took to get Adarabioyo over the line last year. He was “on the verge” for months and in the end we started with Mulgrew against Charlton because of how long we dithered. Walton, by Mowbray’s own admission, “fell into our lap” after we missed out on our real targets. When we wasted money on Brereton we did so after the window had shut. I remember in the Kean days N’Zonzi started at centre half against Wolves before we signed Scott Dann... there’s never a rush with Venky’s.

Yeah and to be truthful it is my biggest gripe with Mowbray about how he treats the younger players. He's an old grump that seems to think you don't know the game unless you are 35. Take a look at the game time Stewart Downing has got in comparison to other younger signings.

He has brought through a few youngsters but he has also publicly chastised them for little to no reason. If he is to rely on them he can't keep treating them the same way as he treats Nyambe for example

[LDRover]

5 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Tony once again saying too much.

No need to say it is a rebuilding job. I get what he means, but it isn't a rebuilding job. It is adding permanent fittings to where you once had temporary works. That's not rebuilding, that's continuing the build.

Of course it will be taken literally, and of course I will get pelters for trying to define what he is saying, but I certainly don't think Mowbray is looking at his squad thinking he is starting again on it.

He knew last summer that we'd need a keeper, centre half and left back again this year. It's not a surprise to him or anyone. The surprise might be that the taps have been turned off, although maybe he should have thought about that before the luxury signings that haven't quite worked out yet. 

Understand what you're saying even if I disagree with your interpretation in the term 'build'. However, what you haven't taken into account are the players we may well be forced to sell. That being the case, and I think it's inevitable at least one will go, it has to be classed as a rebuild.

[tomphil]

31 minutes ago, LDRover said:

Ah, so we've seamlessly gone from 'slow build' to 'rebuild'. 

Don't leave out the 'transition' stage in between.

The man is winging it he doesn't know which way to go from one week to the next.  

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

“Mowbray feels Rovers are at a rebuilding phase”

No shit Sherlock!

Failure whitewashed and we start again. How many managers would love to be in Mowbray’s privileged position? Never gets the blame, losses covered, accountable only to himself.

The current favourite excuse in the LT comments section is now “you can’t blame Mowbray for Covid-19”. ??‍♂️ 

I'm sick of hearing it all Stuart. How long would he have got under Jack Walker ? Not this long, that's for sure.

[Tugayisgod]

Nixon reporting Rovers "were up to something" yesterday. 

Vague as ever but you never know 

[davulsukur]

Just now, Tugayisgod said:

Nixon reporting Rovers "were up to something" yesterday. 

Vague as ever but you never know 

haha, the bloke is an absolute clown.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

16 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Yeah and to be truthful it is my biggest gripe with Mowbray about how he treats the younger players. He's an old grump that seems to think you don't know the game unless you are 35. Take a look at the game time Stewart Downing has got in comparison to other younger signings.

He has brought through a few youngsters but he has also publicly chastised them for little to no reason. If he is to rely on them he can't keep treating them the same way as he treats Nyambe for example

I was reading a quote in today's paper from Ronald Koeman - " We're Dutch, we don't fear putting kids in, we're used to doing that. I always say that when I have one player who is 30 and another who's 22 playing at the same level, I will play the 22-year-old because he's the future ".

Our guy seems to work the other way around.

[unleaded]

He could be right ...  Rumblings Deff ... 

[tugayislegend]

2 hours ago, JHRover said:

And yet most other owners of Championship clubs have made money available. Maybe not millions for transfer fees but enough to enable competitive signings to be made and wages committed to.

What's the use in Venkys if we can't even sign a goalkeeper?

Venkys have backed mowbray for the last 3 years! 12 million on Gallagher and Brereton last year plus paying wages for a bloated squad! 

That money could and should have been spent wisely in purchasing a GK and CB these two positions were just as much a priority last summer as they are today!

Now with the impact of coronavirus I wouldn't blame venkys for tightening the belt.

If fans are looking to vent or point a finger of blame it should be in tony mowbray direction!

Edited August 20, 2020 by tugayislegend

[roversfan99]

8 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Yeah and to be truthful it is my biggest gripe with Mowbray about how he treats the younger players. He's an old grump that seems to think you don't know the game unless you are 35. Take a look at the game time Stewart Downing has got in comparison to other younger signings.

He has brought through a few youngsters but he has also publicly chastised them for little to no reason. If he is to rely on them he can't keep treating them the same way as he treats Nyambe for example

To be fair, Downing was getting regular game time because he was putting in regular performances of a very good standard. Johnson has been very in and out despite his experience, Graham was almost exclusively a sub, so I think he isnt overly reliant on experience, Evans deserves his place and Bennett is very much an exception being plugged into any vacant spot in the team, although even that became slightly less frequent.

I also look at our most regular central midfielder in Travis and I think that Mowbray has done well by him. He gave him a chance and he has never been anything but one of the first names on the team sheet since and has come on well.

I dont have a problem with the minutes he gives to young players, the only issue I would say is that he plays them in the wrong position. Rankin Costello has played once out wide, where he was very quiet, once as a 10 and the rest at left back. He doesnt get in the team there on merit but he should play in his natural position. That being said, with Mowbrays freakish obsession about wide forwards, is there room for Rankin Costello to play his natural position? If we could have Armstrong and Dack central and Rankin Costello could become an internally sourced goal threat from a wider position, we could chalk up some goals. Buckley again is quite clearly only a central player, no point playing him wide. Does he get in or that close to the team central? Not at the moment.

There is also Nyambe but I think barring the Milwall game in which he "wasnt confident" that Nyambe is usually the chosen RB. That being said, you have a point with some of his media comments. The Raya ones being a perfect example often ignorant to his own personal failings.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

2 hours ago, JHRover said:

Stalling tactics to calm the masses.

I'm staggered that you think they give a fuck

[RoversClitheroe]

7 minutes ago, unleaded said:

He could be right ...  Rumblings Deff ... 

Have you heard rumblings then? 

[Exiled_Rover]

57 minutes ago, Blue blood said:

It's a poor do, no it's absolutely criminal, that you can have a sneak preview couple of months of a season, six transfer windows, not have to sell any players, have a youth academy pumping out stars, spend £15 million on strikers, not have to worry about results, have the nucleus of a decent team and STILL need a rebuilding job after 3 years. 

I mean I really don't understand how you get to that position. I'm not sure it's that easy to do if you deliberately try to do. I mean this is beyond careless and incompetent, it's inexcusable. 

You wouldn't even accept those results / comments as an owner if it was Guardiola - even with his track record of success.

The Venkys clearly just don't give a fuck - Mowbray and his mate are on to a great thing here.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Exiled_Rover

[Waggy76]

3 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

You wouldn't even accept those results / comments as an owner if it was Guardiola - even with his track record of success.

The Venkys clearly just don't give a fuck - Mowbray and his mate are on to a great thing here.

BCD football is making life easier for Mowbray , there is literally no one there who can vent their feelings and make life uncomfortable ..

 

[MarkBRFC]

1 minute ago, Waggy76 said:

BCD football is making life easier for Mowbray , there is literally no one there who can vent their feelings and make life uncomfortable ..

 

I'm not really sure anyone does at Ewood anyway.

Most of the match going folk I come across will shout you down if you ever dare criticise Mowbray.

The only slight murmurs of discontent i can recall were during the Barnsley game in November.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

BCD football is making life easier for Mowbray

Yup, easier for Mowbray and even easier for the clubs higher ups in general.

Rovers don't have to put on the usual match-day rigmarole, there's no pressure to clean the place up or fix the toilets or make the signage look a bit better. Paint can rust, the Roverstore products can remain out of date, the computers don't need fixing, the scorescreen can stay glitched.

Everything about it is easier on the Waggott's and The Venky's and The Mowbray's of the world, except the financial loss of no ticket revenue. 

And at the end of the day that's all we are, not just at Rovers but everywhere, we're a figure. A figure on a balance sheet, filling a seat but mainly plugging a financial hole. Sure we have a few fans forums and meetings, where tame questions are given equally as tame and evasive answers, but football isn't about us anymore. Learning to accept that has been sped up big time by COVID-19, but worldwide pandemic or not, this has been coming worldwide for some time. Football isn't a sport anymore, it's a business.

[Guest]

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Edited August 20, 2020 by JoeH