TRANSFER THREAD - JANUARY 2021

[Ulrich]

Defender's are coming! 

That's great Tony, where from? 

Oh it's far away, that lad Peter came from the same place. 

So it's a country the fans will have heard of? He must have good pedigree, what was this Peter lads surname? 

Pan. 

[USABlue]

6 hours ago, RoverKyle said:

I swear Ben Whiteman is the new Marcus Maddison on here. Can we just move on from him. Blatantly obvious he isn't going to sign for us if we couldn't afford the deal in the summer and we're not even being linked with him now.

He has gotten infinately better now it looks like he is not coming here.  I don't think there was that much excitement st the thought of him comimg here.  I think the only one, that I recall anyway, singing his praises was chaddy.  Just cos I do not remember now does not.mean it did not happen.

[Sparks Rover]

16 minutes ago, JoeH said:

I’d rather players from Belgium and Poland come cheap and surprise us than take big financial risks like we have done in seasons past on English footballers.

Really? You'd prefer a team of Poles etc instead of quality local talent?  It's not your money 

[Guest]

40 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Really? You'd prefer a team of Poles etc instead of quality local talent?  It's not your money 

I’d prefer a team that can get promoted. I didn’t claim our entire side should be made up of non-British players, I said our next few moves should be from some of the EU leagues.

For somebody who moans about other people actively missing the point, you seem to have done so here quite purposefully.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

44 minutes ago, JoeH said:

I’d prefer a team that can get promoted. I didn’t claim our entire side should be made up of non-British players, I said our next few moves should be from some of the EU leagues.

For somebody who moans about other people actively missing the point, you seem to have done so here quite purposefully.

It's not that simple anymore. The new rules make it difficult to bring players in from abroad that aren't established players.

[arbitro]

3 hours ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

I'm not sure this is fair.  According to the LT/LL we have approached a number of clubs and are well-placed to take the lad from Everton on loan

Approaching clubs and actually signing players are sometimes worlds apart. Every transfer window things move alone at a snails pace when it's about incoming transfers. We are on the bones of our arse for centre halves and all we have is approaches. It's well over a month since Wharton and Williams got injured. We should have been talking to clubs from then with a view to signing in the early days of January. Instead we are walking a tightrope from an injury perspective and playing a midfielder there who hasn't played there before in a long career.

[Paul Mellelieu]

7 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Approaching clubs and actually signing players are sometimes worlds apart. Every transfer window things move alone at a snails pace when it's about incoming transfers. We are on the bones of our arse for centre halves and all we have is approaches. It's well over a month since Wharton and Williams got injured. We should have been talking to clubs from then with a view to signing in the early days of January. Instead we are walking a tightrope from an injury perspective and playing a midfielder there who hasn't played there before in a long career.

I understand your frustration, but I get the impression we have talking to other clubs for some time.

[islander200]

36 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Approaching clubs and actually signing players are sometimes worlds apart. Every transfer window things move alone at a snails pace when it's about incoming transfers. We are on the bones of our arse for centre halves and all we have is approaches. It's well over a month since Wharton and Williams got injured. We should have been talking to clubs from then with a view to signing in the early days of January. Instead we are walking a tightrope from an injury perspective and playing a midfielder there who hasn't played there before in a long career.

I'm sorry but again we have been talking to clubs about loaning a defender since early January?

We can't force clubs to give an answer.Premier league teams are reluctant to let players out early with covid going on.

Ancellotti said today that Brainwaith will most likely be available to loan.

Iv not seen any centre half brought in yet by a championship club this window.Preston are also looking for a centre half and are yet to bring one in.

I'm not saying things couldn't be better and there are reasons to criticize the club but we weren't planning on bringing anyone in this window until injuries changed that.Mowbray had to go with his begging bowl to the owners and ask permission don't really see how Mowbray or recruitment team can be critized for this.

We are waiting on answers back and id rather be a bit patient and get the best player possible than panic.If it gets toward the end of next week and nobody is brought in then fair enough but a lot of these young will probably be involved this weekend for their parent clubs in the fa cup 

[LDRover]

10 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Ben's stats are 170 appearances with 27 goals from midfield. Age 24. Club captain of promotion chasing Doncaster Rovers. 6ft 2 big strong lad. Can play as holding or box to box midfielder.

Time for him to move up on his journey.  I believe he can play in the premier league. 

Not sure on that step up Sparks but I will say confidently he'll have a better career in the game than Buckley.

I'll also add that I'm a tad disappointed we haven't signed him, we haven't got a dominant CM and I think he could've fit the bill from what I've seen.

[JHRover]

Not been on for a couple of days and deliberately avoided the 'news' outlets as to our transfer activities but not suprised at all to see that we are now a third through the window and haven't brought anyone in.

Lo and behold for all the bravado about the owners agreeing to back him in the window and him needing/wanting centre halves in asap we haven't got anyone and the only serious link appears to be attempts to borrow a teenager from Everton's academy until the end of the season.

Absolutely pointless IMO. 

In our position it needs to be one of two routes from this point. You either add a few players to give you that final push into the top six (a few high calibre loans) or you accept you aren't going up under this setup and get one eye ready for next season.

Quite what we hope to achieve by doing neither and borrowing development players for 5 months I don't know. 

More of Mowbray's baffling comments in the media where he accepts that our business will be short termism and seems to suggesting Preston have cash we don't have in their pursuit of Whiteman - quite why Mowbray is being asked questions about a player for Doncaster who Preston are supposedly signing and indeed why he is commenting on said player seems very strange, unprofessional and needless.

[47er]

1 minute ago, JHRover said:

you accept you aren't going up under this setup and get one eye ready for next season.

That's the one! Always next season. By which time we'll potentially lose players who gave us something to believe in in the first place.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

I understand your frustration, but I get the impression we have talking to other clubs for some time.

Exactly. We have approached a number of clubs about players coming on loan for a couple of weeks now. 

Hopefully we get one in by next league club but cant force answer from the club. 

Trying to sign players in early January unless the club looking to loan them out already has the cover like Leicester and Brighton had and those players werent in the clubs first team squad

Edited January 8, 2021 by chaddyrovers

[JHRover]

1 minute ago, 47er said:

That's the one! Always next season. By which time we'll potentially lose players who gave us something to believe in in the first place.

There's no potential about it. We've already got half the squad out of contract in the summer and adding more loans now will only add to that.

I'd rather the funds were diverted into renewals of contracts to reduce the massive rebuilding job they're going to have in the summer.

I thought there was meant to be some sort of medium term plan here under Mowbray's stewardship. I dont think this indicates any sort of plan just a make do and mend job and then another one next summer through failing to keep players tied down.

[47er]

1 minute ago, JHRover said:

There's no potential about it. We've already got half the squad out of contract in the summer and adding more loans now will only add to that.

I'd rather the funds were diverted into renewals of contracts to reduce the massive rebuilding job they're going to have in the summer.

I thought there was meant to be some sort of medium term plan here under Mowbray's stewardship. I dont think this indicates any sort of plan just a make do and mend job and then another one next summer through failing to keep players tied down.

Its potential till it happens!

[rigger]

26 minutes ago, Yoogo said:

I really like Buckley, and think he'll have a great future here at Rovers. There is clearly room for improvement, particularly being stronger on the ball, but I think he'll work that out in time.

Whilst we're comparing Buckley to Whiteman, let's just take a moment to realise that Whiteman was out on loan to Mansfield Town when he was Buckley's age, and he's also 3.5 years his senior. I like what I've seen from Buckley so far, and think we need to grow him here at the club with reasonable appearances than send him away or bring in somebody for a few million whereby Buckley could be worth that in the same amount of time.

I am more bothered what a player adds to the team, rather than monetary value. As the latter is something we as supporters will never gain from.

[Sparks Rover]

1 hour ago, Yoogo said:

Whilst we're comparing Buckley to Whiteman, let's just take a moment to realise that Whiteman was out on loan to Mansfield Town when he was Buckley's age, 

And he proper delivered at league 2 level if you look at age 22 with a full season and goals too from midfield.  He's scored wherever,  I only remember Bucky scoring a deflected pea roller in a dead rubber....🙄

nobody wants Bucko on loan or he would be there like the rest have been like Wharton, etc... My eyes tell me who is better. Argue all you want but I bet every championship manger would play him before Bucko....

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Sparks Rover

[bluebruce]

4 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Really? You'd prefer a team of Poles etc instead of quality local talent?  It's not your money 

Nope, it's some people in India's money.

Was the irony of your post lost on you?

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

I am more bothered what a player adds to the team, rather than monetary value. As the latter is something we as supporters will never gain from.

That's not entirely true, it either contributes to the financial security of the club or allows us to sign more players of a decent quality.

A player adding monetary value is also usually a sign they added value on the pitch.

[Paul Mani]

17 hours ago, arbitro said:

As Sparks said there is movement in the market but we, aside from letting players go out haven't done anything. These 'troubled times' clearly aren't affecting all clubs, some of whom aren't as desperate for players of a certain position as we are.

Those clubs didn’t spend what we did in the summer and now have 2/4 senior cbs out for the season and one out for a month. Let’s have some context!

[arbitro]

4 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Those clubs didn’t spend what we did in the summer and now have 2/4 senior cbs out for the season and one out for a month. Let’s have some context!

Wasn't it you who said the owners were happy to sign cheques?

If we are serious about promotion then for me it's simple. We have to bring in players who can hit the ground running and if that involves spending money so be it. There will be lots of players out of contract in the summer who can go on a free. We should scour that list and make some offers.

[Paul Mani]

10 hours ago, Yoogo said:

I really like Buckley, and think he'll have a great future here at Rovers. There is clearly room for improvement, particularly being stronger on the ball, but I think he'll work that out in time.

Whilst we're comparing Buckley to Whiteman, let's just take a moment to realise that Whiteman was out on loan to Mansfield Town when he was Buckley's age, and he's also 3.5 years his senior. I like what I've seen from Buckley so far, and think we need to grow him here at the club with reasonable appearances than send him away or bring in somebody for a few million whereby Buckley could be worth that in the same amount of time.

I haven’t seen enough of Buckley to know if he’ll be a world beater but I do trust the opinions enough of those work with the players everyday.

it’s a little over 12 months ago that I was at the match and spoke to two PL scouts who were there to watch him. I asked around at the time and the general opinion was that Buckley is “the one” they believe will be a superstar. As I’ve said many times, I haven’t seen what they see. There are lots of Rovers fans who watch the youth / 23’s and say that Buckley is every bit the one.

But for those who doubt the above, look at how much Buckley has been involved. Since that time he’s made 40ish appearances and been included in nearly every match day squad. He has looked every bit a footballer at times and like a lost puppy at others.

I know there were some lower Championship and League 1 clubs wanting him on loan in the Summer. They’ve turned down loans because they see him as a first teamer. I personally would let him go out now and get 15-20 games. He needs that imo. Can’t see it with the injuries and COVID.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Paul Mani

[Paul Mani]

14 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Wasn't it you who said the owners were happy to sign cheques?

If we are serious about promotion then for me it's simple. We have to bring in players who can hit the ground running and if that involves spending money so be it. There will be lots of players out of contract in the summer who can go on a free. We should scour that list and make some offers.

Well, yes but that was direct from guys who have worked for Rovers under Venkys. We spent our budget (a very healthy one considering the climate) in the summer.
 

Now the manager has gone back for a couple of loans and guess what? The money’s there...maybe they’ve only asked for money for loans? 🤷🏽‍♂️

[Ulrich]

We barely spent enough to buy a packet of pork scratchings in the summer and we let players go. A healthy budget my backside, its all corner cutting and plastering over the cracks. 

[Mercer]

45 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Those clubs didn’t spend what we did in the summer and now have 2/4 senior cbs out for the season and one out for a month. Let’s have some context!

Indeed, let's have some context.

The 2/4 senior cbs out for the season - Mowbray was thought to be looking to offload Williams and we apparently couldn't agree a fee with Swansea whilst Mowbray's hand was forced with Wharton (just as it was with Travis - no other options) and he suddenly becomes the best thing since sliced bread.

As for Ayala who is out for a month, Mowray signed a centre back who I think you will find missed 20+ league games with M'boro last season (seem to recall him being the butt of jokes on M'boro forum) and over a dozen more in each of the the two seasons prior to that.  Ayala has made just 7 or 8 starts for Rovers and we are now half way through the season!  If we sign players who seem to have some history of missing a substantial number of games then what do you expect and whose fault is that!? 

So we seem to bemoaning the loss of two players who Mowbray seemed quite indifferent to before the season started and the loss of a centre back who some would think was an accident waiting to happen when we signed him.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Mercer

[Paul Mani]

33 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Indeed, let's have some context.

The 2/4 senior cbs out for the season - Mowbray was thought to be looking to offload Williams and we apparently couldn't agree a fee with Swansea whilst Mowbray's hand was forced with Wharton (just as it was with Travis - no other options) and he suddenly becomes the best thing since sliced bread.

As for Ayala who is out for a month, Mowray signed a centre back who I think you will find missed 20+ league games with M'boro last season (seem to recall him being the butt of jokes on M'boro forum) and over a dozen more in each of the the two seasons prior to that.  Ayala has made just 7 or 8 starts for Rovers and we are now half way through the season!  If we sign players who seem to have some history of missing a substantial number of games then what do you expect and whose fault is that!? 

So we seem to bemoaning the loss of two players who Mowbray seemed quite indifferent to before the season started and the loss of a centre back who some would think was an accident waiting to happen when we signed him.

Mate, you have got a clue what Mowbrays opinion was. The FACT is that 2/4 of our senior CB’s are out for the season and the other out for a month. The end.