Summer transfer window 2021.

[iSeeRed]

11 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Really disappointed we are letting Rothwell go. He's not been managed well by Mowbray at all imo. Mowbray seemed to take the approach to bully him a bit which seemed unfair. He had his faults but it wasn't his attitude. Needed more if an arm round him.

Feels a lot like Cairney. Genuinely talented but strangely not valued. Likely to go on to a higher level like Cairney. Seems totally self inflicted.

Other players far less promising treated better.

Rothwell's drawback is his end product so it was more than a little bit jarring to here Mowbray slating him interview after interview for his work effort and his tracking back which I think is superb.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

We're letting Rothwell go? Thought we'd triggered his contract extension?

[iSeeRed]

3 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

We're letting Rothwell go? Thought we'd triggered his contract extension?

Rumour has it, and it is just a rumour, that we've triggered the extension to get a transfer fee.

Edited May 18, 2021 by iSeeRed

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, iSeeRed said:

Rumour has it. and it is just a rumour. that we've triggered the extension to get a transfer fee.

Oh right, thought I'd missed something. It was stated as a fact. 

[tina]

Who needs a Rothwell bombing from midfield when you can have an Evans or Johnson pussyfooting in midfield playing the Mowbrayed way. Do one Tony, you arrogant twit (misspelt)

[tomphil]

Rothwell is a bit like King in that he can carry the ball from one end to the other almost easily at times. That's when he often comes unstuck but it's something to work on and he has valuable skills.

His manager though is just another limited ambition guy who's terrified of more than one flair player on the park at a time. Just another boss who doesn't know or doesn't want to harness a real talent. Rather have the ball going slowly and safely sideways and backwards so he doesn't have to stand up and bark orders.

I'm surprised they haven't installed a tea and biscuits bar at the back of the dugout for Mowbray !

Also i love the attempt at dressing it up as letting Rothwell go gives a chance to keep Armstrong. More spin and bull.

[tina]

22 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Rothwell is a bit like King in that he can carry the ball from one end to the other almost easily at times. That's when he often comes unstuck but it's something to work on and he has valuable skills.

His manager though is just another limited ambition guy who's terrified of more than one flair player on the park at a time. Just another boss who doesn't know or doesn't want to harness a real talent. Rather have the ball going slowly and safely sideways and backwards so he doesn't have to stand up and bark orders.

I'm surprised they haven't installed a tea and biscuits bar at the back of the dugout for Mowbray !

Also i love the attempt at dressing it up as letting Rothwell go gives a chance to keep Armstrong. More spin and bull.

King was also mistreated at Ewood. Just think what would have happened to Duff under these 10 years of ignorance?

[tina]

Or Bryan Douglas (before someone as old as me gets there first)

[yellowsubmarine]

Rothwell is a frustrating one. You know he has the ability yet our manager can't seem to bring the best out of him. He has the quality bringing the ball from midfield to the edge of the box, then thats where his brain switches off, its often a misplaced pass or he doesn't know what to do with the ball. Of course, he did a score from a few solo-runs. But he hasn't been consistent with his performance.

Definitely still want to keep him if we can. A few glimpses of quality is better than non at all.

[JohnGo]

1 hour ago, yellowsubmarine said:

Rothwell is a frustrating one. You know he has the ability yet our manager can't seem to bring the best out of him. He has the quality bringing the ball from midfield to the edge of the box, then thats where his brain switches off, its often a misplaced pass or he doesn't know what to do with the ball. Of course, he did a score from a few solo-runs. But he hasn't been consistent with his performance.

Definitely still want to keep him if we can. A few glimpses of quality is better than non at all.

Try playing him in his favourite position of central midfield. Another one of Mowbrays strange selections of wide midfield. Maybe he’ll get a chance at centre half with the injuries we have.

[Fraserkirky]

Whoever swoops in and gets Rothwell from us will be getting a steal. Will go on to be a top player wherever he goes. Tony Mowbray has no idea what to do with him. Top quality player, best dribbler I have see in years, and he is also a very good passer. Nowhere near appreciated enough at Rovers. Will be very upset.

[Kie_BRFC]

51 minutes ago, JohnGo said:

Try playing him in his favourite position of central midfield. Another one of Mowbrays strange selections of wide midfield. Maybe he’ll get a chance at centre half with the injuries we have.

He played most of his games in centre mid this season?

[islander200]

50 minutes ago, Fraserkirky said:

Whoever swoops in and gets Rothwell from us will be getting a steal. Will go on to be a top player wherever he goes. Tony Mowbray has no idea what to do with him. Top quality player, best dribbler I have see in years, and he is also a very good passer. Nowhere near appreciated enough at Rovers. Will be very upset.

Oxford must not have appreciated him enough either.He is a quality dribbler but he is in no way a top quality player and that isn't due to Tony Mowbray.

 

[roversfan99]

I do think that Rothwell more than anyone gets his own performances and reputation almost shielded by the bigger issue that is the overall failings of the manager.

He obviously could maybe argue that he may have been coached better (although its basically impossible to judge) and indeed he may move on and push on in his career, but he is not this unappreciated talent that is being prevented from expressing himself by Mowbray.

His CV prior to joining was underwhelming, so its not as if hes proven that he can perform regularly beforehand. His dribbling ability is very good but his football brain seems to be lacking unfortunately. He played this last season regularly from a favoured central run and continued to flatter to deceive.

Comparisons to Cairney are also unfair as Cairney was regularly performing here prior to leaving.

Ultimately, he is a Mowbray signing so either way, it doesnt reflect well on him and this isnt a defence of him. And I am not opposed to him staying by any means. I dont think he has any justification in thinking that he is above a mid table Championship midfielder though.

[JohnGo]

29 minutes ago, Kie_BRFC said:

He played most of his games in centre mid this season?

No, wide midfield 

[Sparks Rover]

23 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Comparisons to Cairney are also unfair as Cairney was regularly performing here prior to leaving.

Cairney had a much better team around him. He can't go past people like JR can so they both have their strengths. 

I'm a Rothwell fan 

[Admiral Nelsen]

1 hour ago, Fraserkirky said:

Whoever swoops in and gets Rothwell from us will be getting a steal. Will go on to be a top player wherever he goes. Tony Mowbray has no idea what to do with him. Top quality player, best dribbler I have see in years, and he is also a very good passer. Nowhere near appreciated enough at Rovers. Will be very upset.

I think that's right, but at the same time some of the responsibility for his inconsistency lies with the player too. He has the ability to be our best player, even including Armstrong and a fully fit Dack in my opinion, and so whilst the manager takes a fair amount of the responsibility for his inconsistency, it shouldn't entirely shield Rothwell from criticism either. 

 

Fully agree that he'll be a snip for the £1million (?) or whatever it is we'll be able to get for him. Worth a lot more than that even at his current levels if he had a couple of years more on his contract, and if he can get more consistent in his end product he could easily play in the top division. 

[Sparks Rover]

Looks like Matty Pearson to the nobbers

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

I do think that Rothwell more than anyone gets his own performances and reputation almost shielded by the bigger issue that is the overall failings of the manager.

He obviously could maybe argue that he may have been coached better (although its basically impossible to judge) and indeed he may move on and push on in his career, but he is not this unappreciated talent that is being prevented from expressing himself by Mowbray.

His CV prior to joining was underwhelming, so its not as if hes proven that he can perform regularly beforehand. His dribbling ability is very good but his football brain seems to be lacking unfortunately. He played this last season regularly from a favoured central run and continued to flatter to deceive.

Comparisons to Cairney are also unfair as Cairney was regularly performing here prior to leaving.

Ultimately, he is a Mowbray signing so either way, it doesnt reflect well on him and this isnt a defence of him. And I am not opposed to him staying by any means. I dont think he has any justification in thinking that he is above a mid table Championship midfielder though.

Exactly. It's funny how some think a new manager will have him doing what he does every 1 in 6 or 7 games currently on a weekly basis, when there is nothing to suggest that's the case, particularly as you allude to, his career to date has basically peaked here. 

At a top team as an impact sub would be the ideal move for him, but would be be happy playing that much? 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Bigdoggsteel

[roversfan99]

32 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

I think that's right, but at the same time some of the responsibility for his inconsistency lies with the player too. He has the ability to be our best player, even including Armstrong and a fully fit Dack in my opinion, and so whilst the manager takes a fair amount of the responsibility for his inconsistency, it shouldn't entirely shield Rothwell from criticism either. 

 

Fully agree that he'll be a snip for the £1million (?) or whatever it is we'll be able to get for him. Worth a lot more than that even at his current levels if he had a couple of years more on his contract, and if he can get more consistent in his end product he could easily play in the top division. 

He has a very specifically strong attribute of being able to beat people with the ball at his feet, more so than most. But you say that "he has the ability to be our best player," again, does he? The most important thing I would suggest that defines ability is intelligence and 95% of the time that he runs at players, he loses it or makes the wrong decision. That what if seems to surround so many players, what if they started providing an end product, regular goals, regular assists, that what if is the key difference that seperates the very valuable players from the rest. 

I don't necessarily even think it is necessarily something that anyone needs to be blamed for, including himself. Most footballers are capable of occasional brilliance otherwise they wouldnt be playing as high as they are.

You also mention that he is "worth a lot more" than £1m but again, I suppose the proof will be in the pudding but thats a hell of a statement. Is there a market (especially amidst covid) for any Championship club to spend such a sum on a player with a very impressive attribute and obvious talent but one who at 26 hasnt really achieved much in his career? Why could he play in the top division? 

Like I've said, I would be more than happy to keep him in that if we name our side (with Dack injured) as it stands for the start of next season, he is in it. I am just wary of making out as many (not yourself) have that he is some sort of representation on Mowbray's mismanagement, because not everything is. He is a player who perhaps warrants the level that he is at, mid table Championship level coming into the peak years of his career. He can excite, he may feel like he could have been coached better and he may well move on and take his career up a notch, but its all could have would have should have.

33 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Cairney had a much better team around him. He can't go past people like JR can so they both have their strengths. 

I'm a Rothwell fan 

Was the team we had with Cairney in it "much better?" Cairney played wide right in a midfield with Lowe and Williamson in the centre.

[Sparks Rover]

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

 

Was the team we had with Cairney in it "much better?" Cairney played wide right in a midfield with Lowe and Williamson in the centre.

Fair point.  We did have a better team though with Rhodes and Marshall Conway, etc.

Or we seemed to.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Sparks Rover said:

Looks like Matty Pearson to the nobbers

Wouldn't expect much activity from our end.

Our "recruitment department" will be dusting off the usual excuses as we speak and adding a couple of new ones: 

"We did our best and have had offers in for players all summer but":

- Agents demands excessive

- Players demands not realistic in the post pandemic era

- We thought we had a deal with a certain player but were beaten to it at the last minute by Club X coming in and offering him what he wanted"

- "After we sold Adam, Clubs knew we had money and put a zero on the end of their price tag / Adam was sold too late in the window to bring anyone else in"

- "Too difficult to sign players from abroad  now we're not in the EU"

- "The new head of recruitment didn't come in until close to the start of the season which made things difficult.

- "We can see if there's anyone being made available on loan from PL Clubs at the last minute"

Edited May 18, 2021 by RevidgeBlue

[davulsukur]

Rothwell managed 3 goals and 4 assists this season, not setting the world alight kinda stats but I think with the skills he has he's worth keeping hold of and trying to get more out of him (probably would take another manager do so).

 

[joey_big_nose]

Time will tell with Rothwell but in a good footballing side well managed like Brentford he will be a top player imo.

He's bound to get a good move. Probably the only player apart from Armstrong, Travis and Kaminski who would get a move to a side above us in the table.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Was the team we had with Cairney in it "much better?" Cairney played wide right in a midfield with Lowe and Williamson in the centre.

It was better. 'Much' better is maybe a stretch. It was decent apart from the core weaknesses. The terrible two in central midfield, and for much of the time, like today, a flimsy defence. It was briefly solid in the centre of defence at least, but then we promptly lost Hanley and Duffy. I can't recall if that was before or after Cairney left.

Cairney wide was a criminal misuse of a player by shunting them wide. TM would have been proud of it. He was actually more effective even there than the current incumbents though. Was fuming when we sold him on the cheap.