Summer Transfer Window

[Ewood Ace]

19 minutes ago, JoeH said:

The easier question to answer is what about our 2018/19 squad do we NOT have now to enable us to stay up? Harrison Reed? Kasey Palmer? David Raya? I think we'll be okay without those guys. We're definitely better off without Jayson Leutwiler, Ben Gladwin, Sam Hart, Dominic Samuel etc aren't we?

Reed is twice the player of any of our current central midfielders. Leutwiler was better cover than Fisher is. Samuel wasn't much of it but he was a better option than Brereton, last season he managed double the amount of goals that Brereton did despite being injured for at least half of it. We are yet to see if we will be better of without Raya but we all know that Raya is a decent Championship goalie.

Hart and Galdwin are irrelevant as they did not play in that season.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Ewood Ace said:

Reed is twice the player of any of our current central midfielders

I disagree, I don't think Reed is twice as good as our Lewis Travis is.

But I do admit he's a huge loss. He didn't play enough for me in 2018/19 to be considered the reason we stayed up however.

[JHRover]

24 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Our 2020/21 squad is no weaker than our 2018/19 squad

and this is something to be happy or positive about having spent £10 million+ and lost £30 million since 2018?

[unsall]

55 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Because we have a weaker squad than last year.

What happens when mid table sides get weaker?

 

You do need to wait until the window closes before keep harping on about a weaker side.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, JHRover said:

and this is something to be happy or positive about having spent £10 million+ and lost £30 million since 2018?

Nope. Not at all. Worrying about this lack of change is perfectly reasonable and something I share in common. I still don't think we're doomed for a relegation scrap from day one however.

[Ewood Ace]

Just now, JoeH said:

I disagree, I don't think Reed is twice as good as our Lewis Travis is.

Reed is a premier league standard midfielder as he will show this season. Travis is overrated by some Rovers fans most likely due to the fact that he came through from the under 18's. Don't get me wrong Travis is a good Championship midfielder but to hear the way some Rovers fans talk about him you'd think we had a modern day Roy Keane on our hands.

 

Just now, unsall said:

You do need to wait until the window closes before keep harping on about a weaker side.

The first 3 points are up for grabs on Saturday. They count for exactly the same after the window has shut.

[G Somerset Rover]

Just now, OnePhilT said:

No.

All indications point to us not having enough money to attract the players that we want. It sounds as though even players like Phillips and Whiteman are out of our league which, strangely, they actually are - a league below us! That says everything.

I'm not massively disheartened, mind. It's a strange time we're in at the moment, and Coronavirus seems to have brought financial cautiousness for past spending to the fore. I've been pleasantly surprised by our younger players. Not sure we'll be serious promotion contenders at this rate, but possibly another like-for-like season.

Not a chance unless we bring in a decent centre half - which it appears we are unable to do. It’ll be some PL kid on loan at last chance at the dance if we’re lucky, IMO. 

[JHRover]

4 minutes ago, unsall said:

You do need to wait until the window closes before keep harping on about a weaker side.

We are currently weaker and the season starts on Saturday.

Facts 

What we might or might not do at some stage between now and October doesn't matter. We don't get points for that.

[K-Hod]

33 minutes ago, JoeH said:

I said doomed for a relegation battle from day one. As this post says. So why don't you stop trying to be a smart-arse and take this little jibe back.

Fighting a relegation battle and doomed for relegation are not the same thing.

[Hi Mack]

34 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

what about the improvement of players like Lenihan, Travis and Armstrong? plus we achieved a higher league table finish without Dack for half of games?

The 3 you mention have improved, but they were still part of the team last season. We need to improve the squad or we won’t progress.

I hope we don’t need to rely on Wharton and Magloire as it is a recipe for disaster in the championship. They need to be used sparingly throughout the season!

i wouldn’t say I’m looking forward to the season as it stands currently! 
 

 

[unsall]

1 minute ago, Ewood Ace said:

Reed is a premier league standard midfielder as he will show this season. Travis is overrated by some Rovers fans most likely due to the fact that he came through from the under 18's. Don't get me wrong Travis is a good Championship midfielder but to hear the way some Rovers fans talk about him you'd think we had a modern day Roy Keane on our hands.

 

The first 3 points are up for grabs on Saturday. They count for exactly the same after the window has shut.

If we have to wait to nearer the end of the window, so be it, nothing new happens every season, when we haven’t tons of dosh  to throw around you have to wait until clubs/ players drop their demands.Just like other clubs have to, Preston Boro etc.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

Reed is a premier league standard midfielder as he will show this season.

But he wasn't for us. He didn't play as a CM often enough to be considered that. I get that he's quality footballer, but in 2018/19 for us, he wasn't as huge a factor as you're implying.

[Ewood Ace]

2 hours ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

We don't have the money

How many other teams in the Championship could put out a front 3 that cost £15 Million? Not that many I'd guess.

[unsall]

1 minute ago, JHRover said:

We are currently weaker and the season starts on Saturday.

Facts 

What we might or might not do at some stage between now and October doesn't matter. We don't get points for that.

If we can’t sign players early for whatever reason we will have to wait, not Rovers fault the deadline day has moved, have you replied re why your top boss Warnock has only signed 1 so far, and they have lost a few more than Rovers, to save on wages. 

[Ewood Ace]

3 minutes ago, unsall said:

If we have to wait to nearer the end of the window, so be it, nothing new happens every season, when we haven’t tons of dosh  to throw around you have to wait until clubs/ players drop their demands.

The flip side to that coin is that if you leave it late in the window you end up panic buying and over paying. See Brereton as a case in point.

[RovingRover]

40 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Raya, Fisher, Leutwiler
Nyambe, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams, Grayson, P. Downing, Hart, Rodwell, Bell
Bennett, Chapman, Conway, Dack (up to his injury, was no question mark over fitness), Evans, Gladwin, Reed, Rothwell, Smallwood, Travis
Graham, Armstrong, Samuel, Brereton, Nuttall

vs

Kaminski, Fisher, Eastham
Bennett, Nyambe, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams, Bell, Magloire, Wharton, Carter
Johnson, Chapman, Dack, Evans, Travis, Rothwell, Dolan, Buckley, Davenport, JRC, Holtby
Armstrong, Gallagher, Brereton, Butterworth

Top squad finished 15th in the league. The bottom squad is supposedly doomed for relegation from day one? Give me a bleedin' break man!

Is worth noting the history of the above players be it injuries or relative progression from the academy with lack of experience.
Underlined denoted players who relatively recently progressed from the academy. Player who are red denotes a history (recent or historical) of injury plagued seasons.

There are a range of things to be concerned about this forthcoming season should nothing change in terms of incoming signings.

These are the issues I believe need addressing:
1- Lack of consistent forward goalscorer should one or both of Armstrong/Dack sustain lengthy injuries or hit a poor run of form. Gallagher, Brereton and Butterworth have no history of being consistent goalscorers to a degree that could keep them running for 6 months

2- Depth at the CB position. Should Williams and Mulgrew go as expected, it leaves us with Lenihan, Magloire and Carter from the above listed players with the likes of Travis/Nyambe capable of playing out of position, but not ideal

3- Right back. We have Nyambe who has fitness issues and Bennett when played out of position.

4- Left back. We have Bell and that is it really?

5- Wing options. Bennett, Chapman, Dolan, Buckley, Gallagher and Brereton. With our reduction in forward options, it should be expected that Gallagher and Brereton will be used out wide. That puts a high dependency on young heads to succeed on the wing.

6- To a lesser degree center-midfield. Our options are Johnson, Dack, Evans, Travis, Rothwell, Davenport, JRC, Holtby. Whilst many might argue this is a position we are most stocked in. I see a lot of players who have lengthy injury histories and again, young heads, topped off with a center midfielder who suffers from horrendous inconsistency.

From JoeH's list above. We have David Raya who played 46 games, Derrick Williams who played 29 games, Jack Rodwell who played 22 games, Charlie Mulgrew who played 31 games, Harrison Reed who played 36 games, Richie Smallwood who played 33 games, Craig Conway who played 26 games, Danny Graham who played 46 games, Joe Nuttall who played 18 games and Kasey Palmer (not on the list) who was on loan from Chelsea and played 17 games. That is 304 games played of players that are now not available to us.

Excluding the solitary new signing in our keeper, we have 214 appearances of players from last seasons players expected to depart. That is 214 appearances where Mowbray decided to play players we have either had end loan or Mowbray has deemed nolonger good enough or unable to sign a new contract to this season with no additions except for the keeper.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Ewood Ace said:

How many other teams in the Championship could put out a front 3 that cost £15 Million? Not that many I'd guess.

Us (Rovers), Bournemouth, Forest, Watford the only ones I can think of.

Brentford too most likely when they replace Benrahma. With Mbuemo costing £5.5m and Toney £7m and whoever else.

Scary stuff

[Vilesinner]

2 hours ago, JoeH said:

How many people actually think we'd finish in the Top 6 even if we did sign back Tosin and Cunningham for CB and LB? I don't think we would. If we can finish 14th without spending a ton, or finish 8th whilst spending a ton, I know what I'd prefer...

I will bet on us this year for promotion.

Our young guns are ever improving. 

JRC will be world class imo. 

[unsall]

2 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

How many other teams in the Championship could put out a front 3 that cost £15 Million? Not that many I'd guess.

Have we signed them this season, no, not sure if you’re aware that this season we are in a world wide pandemic, money is tight....

[Guest]

Just now, Vilesinner said:

JRC will be world class imo. 

Agreed, many are hesitant to him and I don't know why, if you're good enough you're old enough for me.

Been watching him for years and he's a TOP talent, can't wait to see him thrive this year.

[Hi Mack]

Just now, Vilesinner said:

I will bet on us this year for promotion.

Our young guns are ever improving. 

JRC will be world class imo. 

World Class?? Steady on! ?

[Ewood Ace]

5 minutes ago, unsall said:

Have we signed them this season, no, not sure if you’re aware that this season we are in a world wide pandemic, money is tight....

When we signed them is irrelevant they still cost a combined £15 Million and there aren't many teams in the league that could put out an attacking 3 that cost that much. In fact sides like Preston and Millwall who finished above us last season probably couldn't even put out an 11 that cost that much never mind a front 3.

Edited September 8, 2020 by Ewood Ace

[Blue blood]

42 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Absolutely. It's worrying that we're having to compare our 2020/21 squad to the 2018/19 squad, and that two years later the line-ups aren't too dissimilar. But again, the "doomed for a relegation battle from day one" is a very silly comment.

Yeah think doomed is perhaps over exaggeration but I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's a distinct possibility. There's a lot of.bang average teams in this division so it's not a forgone conclusion, not to mention a number of basket case clubs. But it's also well within the realms of possibility. I wouldn't like to bet against it either. 

Perhaps it doesn't help that we are much weaker than last season. Had we gone from one squad you showed to the next in a year I think people would be more relaxed. But it does seem compares with last season we have regressed and that will be adding to people's alarm. 

For the record I think we will struggle as we are very reliant on a small number of players. Dack, Lenihen, Travis, Armstrong - an injury to any one of them huge amount of damage and makes the team look a lot weaker. I guess that may be the same for a number of other championship clubs but it doesn't make it any more comfortable or less dangerous for Rovers.  

[alex l]

Perhaps some have a different definition of world class. Mbappe is  a world class young player, ansu fati and greenwood show signs they could be world class. JRC has played perhaps a dozen first team games in the second tier. If we get a solid or better first team player out of him I'm sure all will be delighted, but if he had any indication of being world class, he wouldn't be playing for us. 

[Guest]

Just now, Blue blood said:

I guess that may be the same for a number of other championship clubs but it doesn't make it any more comfortable or less dangerous for Rovers.  

I think there's enough relegation fodder, League One standard teams in the division this year to not have to worry too much.