Excitement ahead of the coming season?

[Riverside under the drip]

Like most, I really can't get excited for this season. Unlike others, it has nothing whatever to do with restricted attendances though I will definitely miss attending away matches (especially new grounds like Wycombe). I never got that link between alcohol and football so the social aspect isn't there. For me, it's a family thing. I sit with the same person at home watching as I do in the Riverside.

Nor do I care that much about kits or season tickets. They will come soon enough and I won't miss out. I only buy a shirt once every now and then if they're particularly good so not a priority.

The dread in my heart comes from the lack of transfer activity despite us clearly needing a fairly substantial rebuild. To be back in training with games weeks away but no goalie and hardly any defenders or strikers worth the name is pathetic. It stinks of stagnation and sliding right down the league. Relegation? With our current squad maybe. I cannot reconcile soundbites about gradually improving year on year with half a squad.

[RoverInverness]

I seem to be on my own with this, but I’m hoping for a season where a lot of our young players break into the team. Buckley & JRC could become starters. Wharton could be getting games and maybe one of Fisher or Hilton will be given a chance to claim the number one spot. There maybe others breaking through by the end of the season too.

I know playing kids does not necessarily bode well for promotion. I know it could all go wrong and we could see ourselves looking like we are regressing  - but such is the way of things when clubs give their youngsters a chance. The truth is that playing kids is a gamble, but personally I would love to see OUR club play OUR kids and it be OUR team. I felt that way with Duff, Dunn, Jansen, Taylor. I also did with Wilcox, Atkins, May and Hendry the first time we went up (I know Atkins and Hendry were not our kids - but they sure felt like OUR players - like Dack does now). 
 

So I do have some optimism. I don’t think we’re going up, I think we have a manager who is fundamentally compromised by not being able to organise a defence, but I am hoping we can have a team that is truly a Blackburn Rovers team again - packed with our youth team players and the dark days of foul smelling mercenaries like Best, Orr, Murphy, etc, but a distant memory. 
 

Hell, I’ve even got a secret hope that Brereton might come good.

 

If we make all the signings of £1million & £500 grand journeymen that everyone on here seems to be clambering for - the kids are never going to break in to the team. 
 

I’m prepared for the criticism, tin hat is ready, but I’m looking forward to tuning in to ifollow and cheering on a Rovers team that is, at the very least, with a few less meaningless journeymen and with a few more ‘proper’ Rovers players. 
 

I’m not looking forward to reading the relentless and unforgiving criticism that our kids sometimes get on this board as they set about learning their trade though. We all hate it when Mowbray bad mouths a young player, so it irritates me when fans go OTT with criticism of youngsters too. If we do end up with Fisher or Hilton in goal, Wharton at CB and Buckley trying to pull the strings - lets not purposely set about destroying their confidence when they inevitably come on here to read what the fans thought of them. Please.

 

[tomphil]

Find a way to blame the fans even before any young player is selected or a ball has been kicked ?

[roversfan99]

6 minutes ago, RoverInverness said:

I seem to be on my own with this, but I’m hoping for a season where a lot of our young players break into the team. Buckley & JRC could become starters. Wharton could be getting games and maybe one of Fisher or Hilton will be given a chance to claim the number one spot. There maybe others breaking through by the end of the season too.

I know playing kids does not necessarily bode well for promotion. I know it could all go wrong and we could see ourselves looking like we are regressing  - but such is the way of things when clubs give their youngsters a chance. The truth is that playing kids is a gamble, but personally I would love to see OUR club play OUR kids and it be OUR team. I felt that way with Duff, Dunn, Jansen, Taylor. I also did with Wilcox, Atkins, May and Hendry the first time we went up (I know Atkins and Hendry were not our kids - but they sure felt like OUR players - like Dack does now). 
 

So I do have some optimism. I don’t think we’re going up, I think we have a manager who is fundamentally compromised by not being able to organise a defence, but I am hoping we can have a team that is truly a Blackburn Rovers team again - packed with our youth team players and the dark days of foul smelling mercenaries like Best, Orr, Murphy, etc, but a distant memory. 
 

Hell, I’ve even got a secret hope that Brereton might come good.

 

If we make all the signings of £1million & £500 grand journeymen that everyone on here seems to be clambering for - the kids are never going to break in to the team. 
 

I’m prepared for the criticism, tin hat is ready, but I’m looking forward to tuning in to ifollow and cheering on a Rovers team that is, at the very least, with a few less meaningless journeymen and with a few more ‘proper’ Rovers players. 
 

I’m not looking forward to reading the relentless and unforgiving criticism that our kids sometimes get on this board as they set about learning their trade though. We all hate it when Mowbray bad mouths a young player, so it irritates me when fans go OTT with criticism of youngsters too. If we do end up with Fisher or Hilton in goal, Wharton at CB and Buckley trying to pull the strings - lets not purposely set about destroying their confidence when they inevitably come on here to read what the fans thought of them. Please.

 

The days of Best and co are not a valid barometer. I dont think we should be willing to settle for no ambition, just a team trying their best and no odious and disinterested egos. We have had that for a few years and it is somewhat flattering really that we want and feel like we can have more.

The side is full of young players/academy graduates too. Lenihan, Nyambe and Travis are the first 3 names on the team sheet. The likes of Rankin Costello, Buckley, Wharton etc can be in and around it but we need some quality around that. But it is our Rovers. You mention teams gone by, they had sensibly added quality around them, to progress our young lads need and deserve the same.

Disagree with your comment about the players coming on here and witnessing abuse. If players dont perform very well then this is the perfect place to discuss this and air those opinions. Good and bad performances in fact. They shouldnt really come on here, especially after poor performances, nothing could be gained from it. It does not wquate to knocking their confidence down. It is using a messageboard as the perfect platform to discuss good and bad points equally, and not jumped on if they say something negative. Because sometimes it is warranted.

[tomphil]

As long as they don't get pelters in the ground then it doesn't matter what's on here they'll get worse on twitter by people following them. I think some have to accept it goes with the turf these days , so if you're daft enough to put yourself out there to take the praise and pandering you've got to learn to take stick.  Even when it's ott or unwarranted, half those doing it are anonymous WUMS or fans of other club playing at being dickheads.

Solution is simple, stay off or learn to use the mute/block button as like i said it's all part of modern football.

As mentioned Lenihen, Nyambe, Travis and several others seem to have done ok over the last couple of seasons despite the so called ogres on here waiting to bash them. 

As for the 500 to 1 million journeymen well sadly our team needs propping up with them.  We'd absolutely love a million pound goalkeeper and centre halves as that might be the difference between going down and staying up !

Edited August 18, 2020 by tomphil

[JPTSwindon]

29 minutes ago, RoverInverness said:

I seem to be on my own with this, but I’m hoping for a season where a lot of our young players break into the team. Buckley & JRC could become starters. Wharton could be getting games and maybe one of Fisher or Hilton will be given a chance to claim the number one spot. There maybe others breaking through by the end of the season too.

I know playing kids does not necessarily bode well for promotion. I know it could all go wrong and we could see ourselves looking like we are regressing  - but such is the way of things when clubs give their youngsters a chance. The truth is that playing kids is a gamble, but personally I would love to see OUR club play OUR kids and it be OUR team. I felt that way with Duff, Dunn, Jansen, Taylor. I also did with Wilcox, Atkins, May and Hendry the first time we went up (I know Atkins and Hendry were not our kids - but they sure felt like OUR players - like Dack does now). 
 

So I do have some optimism. I don’t think we’re going up, I think we have a manager who is fundamentally compromised by not being able to organise a defence, but I am hoping we can have a team that is truly a Blackburn Rovers team again - packed with our youth team players and the dark days of foul smelling mercenaries like Best, Orr, Murphy, etc, but a distant memory. 
 

Hell, I’ve even got a secret hope that Brereton might come good.

 

If we make all the signings of £1million & £500 grand journeymen that everyone on here seems to be clambering for - the kids are never going to break in to the team. 
 

I’m prepared for the criticism, tin hat is ready, but I’m looking forward to tuning in to ifollow and cheering on a Rovers team that is, at the very least, with a few less meaningless journeymen and with a few more ‘proper’ Rovers players. 
 

I’m not looking forward to reading the relentless and unforgiving criticism that our kids sometimes get on this board as they set about learning their trade though. We all hate it when Mowbray bad mouths a young player, so it irritates me when fans go OTT with criticism of youngsters too. If we do end up with Fisher or Hilton in goal, Wharton at CB and Buckley trying to pull the strings - lets not purposely set about destroying their confidence when they inevitably come on here to read what the fans thought of them. Please.

 

Some very good merit in that! If a few come good (and our Academy has in the past delivered) that could get us more hope in the coming seasons.

[K-Hod]

I love it when people go OTT in their perception of what constitutes OTT criticism.

Examples or it never happened.....

[RoverInverness]

5 hours ago, K-Hod said:

I love it when people go OTT in their perception of what constitutes OTT criticism.

Examples or it never happened.....

Fair enough and I never meant to blame fans for the team failing. Similarly, with regards to tomphill’s comments - I certainly don’t mean to detract from the poor management if the team fails. The buck stops with Mowbray and his team NOT the fans - ever! Maybe I came across more critical than I meant to of supporters. Mowbray’s criticism of younger players bothers me far more than paying fans venting their frustrations. His management of the best crop we’ve had in years has not always been good. His fault - not the fans.

However, I have in the past felt Wilcox, Pederson (not our youth I know - but a loyal servant to the club all the same) Nyambe, Raya have had abuse that wasn’t helpful to them or the team and I get a bit angry when I feel Buckley might be getting the same. I don’t have specific examples to hand, so feel free to dismiss my opinion if you wish - but if, for example, you don’t think Raya was treated in a rather unforgiving manner for a young keeper, then I disagree. I think he sometimes was.
 

If we play lots of our kids next year - personally I’m looking forward to it. Apologies if my expectations have gradually fallen to such a low level that this should seem exciting to me, but promotion under Mowbray seems a pipe dream tbh, a team of our own is at least something refreshing and positive for the club.
 

I just can’t help feeling optimistic about building a side around our own academy players. I hope there’s going to be some real positive breakthroughs this year. I’m not on happy pills, I just think there are some reasons to look forward to the season. 
 

Not too positive mind - anyone with eyes can see the manager’s weaknesses, but academy players throughout our first team - we’ve been waiting long enough - I am looking forward to seeing it and I hope it happens.

 

Of course, it would have been better had we never sold our maturing and promising Spanish academy keeper, but poor management again. 
 

In many ways we are where we have been for years. Poor decision making, poor leadership: The manager is a dope (IMO) but an honest and well meaning dope all the same. At least I don’t loath him like some of our previous managers under Venkys. Our signing and ability to scout seems very poor and instead of having a competent DofF to oversee signings we have the aforementioned dope making sometimes dumb decisions. 
 

However, as luck would have it, this year does seem different to me. We seem to have a really promising bunch of kids, and despite the negatives at the club I still am hoping for good things from them. We won’t go up (the manager can’t drill the team to defend properly), but it may be a season with excitement, break throughs and a team that is developing and is our own. 

[joey_big_nose]

Ive started feeling a creeping dread we are about to go the way of Wigan and Bolton very quickly.

So not enthused at all.

[Amo]

I can barely contain myself

[roversfan99]

@Amo quite interesting to see that as a long distance supporter, you are not looking forward to it. 

bigdoggsteel mentioned that he is looking forward to the fact that he can at least probably watch the games in a way that he couldnt before. Im guessing that its the on field situation, with the current manager and the lack of transfers etc mainly rather than the pandemic?

How did you find watching behind closed doors football at the end of last season? How much did it effect you in terms of their being no crowds, lack of importance, lack of atmosphere etc...

[A Northern Horde...]

56 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Ive started feeling a creeping dread we are about to go the way of Wigan and Bolton very quickly.

 

Sends a shiver down the Spine don't it.

I think we are looking at selling our best players just to keep the Wolves from the door(for this coming season at best).

God I hope I'm wrong.

Edited August 20, 2020 by A Northern Horde...

[AllRoverAsia]

2 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

Ive started feeling a creeping dread we are about to go the way of Wigan and Bolton very quickly.

So not enthused at all.

That's about where I'm at.

Mercers doomsday scenario is getting closer by the day,

I have given up on ever seeing Rovers again in the PL. Too much needs to improve and I'm too old and the lot running us are simply not up to it, nor ever will be.

The only fun I expect is the search for a free stream that works well, which actually became easier last season.

Its a shame that I then have to watch tippy tappy played poorly.

 

 

[philipl]

Mowbray still in charge.

Zero

[rigger]

As Burnley where due to be at home the first game, we must be away.