Summer Transfer Window

[Guest]

53 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

I'd love it, love it if we signed him...

We know. There's approx. 15+ pages on here dedicated to him.

[Mercer]

6 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

At what age shouldn’t you be bothered about playing?

I called it a day at 53 as one of my knees got worse and worse - at that stage it was just friendly stuff once or twice a week.

However, it doesn't matter what level you play at or whether it's competitive or just friendly stuff, the feeling of putting your foot through the ball and seeing the net bulge is only matched by a glass of a fine red!

[Sparks Rover]

23 minutes ago, JoeH said:

We know. There's approx. 15+ pages on here dedicated to him.

I'm a rovers fan first, Joe.

[Sparks Rover]

1 hour ago, Yoogo said:

Ben Whiteman. The new Marcus Maddison. Four windows and counting?

Are you counting Yoogo?  We should be investing in this type of player.

[philipl]

I desperately hope we will be turning to making one or two signings capable of keeping us in the Premier League by the time January comes round.

The present squad really ought to be in the too good for the Championship category now but I wouldn't put any of our current players today automatically in a top half of the Premier League starting eleven whereas you might select one or two each from Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich.

But I think our squad overall is top end of the Championship quality if we get our enforced absences down to five or less per game.

Translating that to names, it would mean being without Travis, Dack, Bennett, Butterworth and Evans (apparently it is a bad hamstring injury) for Luton and welcoming back availability of Ayala, Bell, Douglas, Holtby, Vale, Downing - have I missed anybody? Having Travis and Dack back at their very best should put us in too good for the Championship level on the field if not in the dug out...

The huge advantage is our players are predominantly young- Saturday's starting eleven averaged 23 years of age and was the youngest in this round of the Championship. 

Thoughts?

Edited November 10, 2020 by philipl

[Mattyblue]

It’s a good squad, certainly competitive, but is it ‘too good for the Championship’?

2001? Without doubt, this bunch? Not sure about that.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

I'll be surprised if we're not invited into the European Super League with this squad. 

[tomphil]

If we'd strengthened the defense further, brought in a good back up keeper and a goalscoring central striker or able bodied target man i'd be expecting top 2.  Not taking into account covid and a glut of injuries but as it is i think it's good enough to be knocking on the top 6 door finally.

Still too many weak areas to be talking top 2 imo including the mentality at times.

[LeftWinger]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s a good squad, certainly competitive, but is it ‘too good for the Championship’?

2001? Without doubt, this bunch? Not sure.

Can you imagine that squad in the Championship this season? It was the perfect mix of youth and experience. It would walk this league (probably even now with them all being 20 years older).

Friedel (29), Berg (31), McAteer (29), Berkovic (28), Short (32), Flitcroft (28), Dunn (21), Hignett (30), Duff (21), Blake (28), Jansen (23), Bent (22).

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/championship/reading-v-stoke-city/game-centre/sp-id-80402000002129384??ocid=ocid=INSSPBD10

Stoke's team from the weekend. Mikel, Nick Powell, Tyreese Campbell and Fletcher. I'm not sure we are any better than that? Probably not any worse either.

Most top half Championship teams would have players who would get in our side and vice versa. Let's not forget we've beaten 4 very average teams and failed to beat everyone else. 

I just don't see how we can be claimed to be 'Top 6' when we're probably on a par with about 5 or 6 other teams and not as good as the 3 who came down last season. 

I guess that's why this league is so competitive. 

[Mercer]

@philipl it must be a lovely morning out in Malta given your player assessments!

A club will always have to run with injuries and sometimes to key players.

I look at Liverpool and although they are likely to miss VVD for the rest of the season, I think they have enough all round quality, and in depth, to most likely retain the title - I thought their mindset and performance in the first half at City were terrific (and therein lies the rub - the manager and coaching staff!!!).

IMO, Rovers do not have sufficient all round quality nor the depth and I think injuries to key players hits us very hard.

IF, and it's a bloody big IF, we can keep the bulk of our squad fit and Mowbray does not try to ram square pegs into round holes and also adopts Klopp's positive mindset, I think we've a good chance of getting up this season in what I think is a bang average Championship.

If we do get up then God help us because I think we only have three (Dack, Armstrong, Travis) or four (Holtby) who might make a fist of it if half a dozen quality players are brought in to help them.  We shall have to see how much Dack's injury has slowed him down (let's face it, he's never been quick) but notwithstanding that, I think Dack, Armstrong and Travis are bottom eight PL at very best.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Mercer

[Mattyblue]

Just now, LeftWinger said:

Can you imagine that squad in the Championship this season? It was the perfect mix of youth and experience. It would walk this league (probably even now with them all being 20 years older).

Friedel (29), Berg (31), McAteer (29), Berkovic (28), Short (32), Flitcroft (28), Dunn (21), Hignett (30), Duff (21), Blake (28), Jansen (23), Bent (22).

Plus Bjorjnebye,  John Curtis, Mark Hughes, Keith Gillespie, Alan Mahon, Tiny Taylor, Damien Johnson. 

 

[rigger]

2 hours ago, Mercer said:

@philipl it must be a lovely morning out in Malta given your player assessments!

A club will always have to run with injuries and sometimes to key players.

I look at Liverpool and although they are likely to miss VVD for the rest of the season, I think they have enough all round quality, and in depth, to most likely retain the title - I thought their mindset and performance in the first half at City was terrific (and therein lies the rub - the manager and coaching staff!!!).

IMO, Rovers do not have sufficient all round quality nor the depth and I think injuries to key players hits us very hard.

IF, and it's a bloody big IF, we can keep the bulk of our squad fit and Mowbray does not try to ram square pegs into round holes and also adopts Klopp's positive mindset, I think we've a good chance of getting up this season in what I think is a bang average Championship.

If we do get up then God help us because I think we only have three (Dack, Armstrong, Travis) or four (Holtby) who might make a fist of it if half a dozen quality players are brought in to help them.  We shall have to see how much Dack's injury has slowed him down (let's face it, he's never been quick) but notwithstanding that, I think Dack, Armstrong and Travis are bottom eight PL at very best.

Kaminski, 5. Nyambe, 6.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

16 hours ago, islander200 said:

Agreed, Downing is an ex international and played the majority of his career in the top division whilst Whiteman has spent the majority of his career in league 1.

Whiteman looks handy in the few games iv seen him but Doncaster want silly money for someone who has done nothing above league one.

One will be joining the walking stick brigade any day now and the other has another ten years in front of him. One is on the way down and the other is on the way up. If we were going to sign another central midfield player, I'm not sure we need to by the way, Whiteman was the obvious choice. Downing will have absolutely no sell on value, Whiteman just might. Dack had never done anything at a higher level than Whiteman and until his injury he was by far our most valuable player.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

12 hours ago, Mercer said:

I called it a day at 53 as one of my knees got worse and worse - at that stage it was just friendly stuff once or twice a week.

However, it doesn't matter what level you play at or whether it's competitive or just friendly stuff, the feeling of putting your foot through the ball and seeing the net bulge is only matched by a glass of a fine red!

When I started reading your first sentence I thought you were still talking about sex !

[philipl]

I am not looking at 2001.

I am looking at today.

Our season starts at Luton as fingers crossed we will only have 5 absentees as opposed to being without double figures of players in all our most recent games.

We don't know whether this squad is good enough when at anything like full strength.

All we do know is that with a rotating half a first eleven out we have generated W4 D2 L5 F21 A15 and kept in touch with the leading pack.

Based on performances to date, if we play Luton, PNE and Barnsley in the remainder of this month with essentially our first eleven minus only Dack and Travis, we should be looking to collect a minimum of seven points and when those two are back we SHOULD be looking at promotion.

Reading Mercer's post above we are pretty well saying the same things. The only difference is I am sitting in my shorts, teeshirt and flipflops.

[Mattyblue]

I’m looking at today and to say we have a squad ‘too good for the Championship’ seems massively over optimistic from what I’ve seen (but then you seem to be that way inclined these days Phil, so good luck to you)

Edited November 10, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I’m looking at today and to say we have a squad ‘too good for the Championship’ seems massively over optimistic from what I’ve seen (but then you are that way inclined these days Phil, so good luck to you)

The problem for me is we have a lot of players but no really outstanding first 11. Nyambe might have an indifferent game in the next match and it'll be let's play JRC there. JRC gets a chasing and it's let's get Nyambe back. Douglas has a bad game or two and we'll be hankering for Bell. Ditto with the centre halves. Williams might get back in, have a bad game, and it'll be let's give Wharton another go. Central midfield is the same now Travis is injured. We have Evans, Johnson, Buckley, Trybull , none of those is really established. Rothwell is thought to be integral to our way of playing but give him two poor games and it'll be lets try Elliot out there and give Dolan a go on the right.

Teams that get promotion pick themselves every week apart from a couple of positions. If you have an injury you bring in a player to do exactly the same role as the player that is missing.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[islander200]

58 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

One will be joining the walking stick brigade any day now and the other has another ten years in front of him. One is on the way down and the other is on the way up. If we were going to sign another central midfield player, I'm not sure we need to by the way, Whiteman was the obvious choice. Downing will have absolutely no sell on value, Whiteman just might. Dack had never done anything at a higher level than Whiteman and until his injury he was by far our most valuable player.

Dack cost 750k , Doncaster value Whiteman much higher than that.

Like I said if he is as good as people are saying why has no other championship club paid the fee to sign him?

Whiteman may have what it takes and maybe should be playing at a higher level but a decent game against FC United is enough evidence he would be a good signing?

Downing has a short term deal, it is for this season and this season alone where he will play a bit part, it didn't cost us a fortune and his experience could prove invaluable.

Signing Whiteman would have cost a couple of million at least in transfer fees and the player would expect a 2 or 3 year deal on top of that, money was clearly tight and whatever anyone says Whiteman would be a gamble as he has not played at this level and we aren't the only championship club to look at him but decide against paying Doncaster's valuation there has to be a reason for that 

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, islander200 said:

Whiteman may have what it takes and maybe should be playing at a higher level but a decent game against FC United is enough evidence he would be a good signing?

Yeah, just one game v non league. ? Give your head a wobble.  He is the best midfielder in L1 

Tony must think he's decent but cant afford him at the moment.   Donny want good money because it will take good money to replace their captain and playmaker....

Stop being so childish and dismissive. I imagine you have seen him play never so you have no room to talk.

[islander200]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

Yeah, just one game v non league. ? Give your head a wobble.  He is the best midfielder in L1 

Tony must think he's decent but cant afford him at the moment.   Donny want good money because it will take good money to replace their captain and playmaker....

Stop being so childish and dismissive. I imagine you have seen him play never so you have no room to talk.

I have seen him play.

Childish and dismissive?What are you even on about .

I will ask again if he is as good as you make out why has no other championship club paid the fee that Doncaster want?

No championship club can afford the fee?I don't believe that.

And sparks it's ok for you to be dismissive of nearly every player we are linked with coming out with "rubbish player" etc.

Bit like you with Bradley Dack calling him rubbish when we signed him.

Edited November 10, 2020 by islander200

[Sparks Rover]

5 minutes ago, islander200 said:

I have seen him play.

Childish and dismissive?What are you even on about .

I will ask again if he is as good as you make out why has no other championship club paid the fee that Doncaster want?

No championship club can afford the fee?I don't believe that.

How silly.   You could say the same about Dack...why had nobody paid more than 750k for him before we came along.....?  where you not wanting Brad to sign then?

Not to mention Joe Rothwell...brought up at Utd with Ben.  Ask him if he's any good? we bought him from League 1 didnt we...is he shit too?

They will.  We should be first.   He's only young mate, calm down.  He wants to play higher, turned down Barnsley as he wants a bigger club...

Edited November 10, 2020 by Sparks Rover

[RoversClitheroe]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

How silly.   You could say the same about Dack...why had nobody paid more than 750k for him before we came along.....?  where you not wanting Brad to sign then?

They will.  We should be first.   He's only young mate, calm down.  He wants to play higher, turned down Barnsley as he wants a bigger club...

People just hate that you know him and he's good. They'll get over it eventually.

[islander200]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

How silly.   You could say the same about Dack...why had nobody paid more than 750k for him before we came along.....?  where you not wanting Brad to sign then?

They will.  We should be first.   He's only young mate, calm down.  He wants to play higher, turned down Barnsley as he wants a bigger club...

He didn't turn down Barnsley, that's not true.

Barnsley didn't agree a fee with Doncaster.

I'm calm, and I'm not saying Whiteman doesn't have what it take to play in the championship either.

I'm responding to posts where it's being said we should have signed Whiteman instead of downing.

The money wasn't there to buy Whiteman, and even if it was I wouldn't blame the club for not paying 2million+ on a player that hasn't played at this level.

Downing is a short term deal, I'd presume on much less wages than last year and has a lot of experience that will aid our young squad.

[islander200]

Just now, RoversClitheroe said:

People just hate that you know him and he's good. They'll get over it eventually.

What?That has absolutely nothing to do with my posts.

Downing is an ex international with tons of experience which he has been brought in for...on a short term deal.

The club where never going to pay the fee to bring Whiteman here and like I said if he is as good as being made out then someone would have paid the fee.