v Millwall (h) - Saturday 19th February

[Bigdoggsteel]

Bournemouth signed Keiffer Moore for £5 million. He's a bog standard Championship striker with a below average goal record and zero sell on potential for that type of money.

You can do that when you have parachute money

If rovers signed him fans would be complaining, let alone we signed him and he didn't play or got injured. The line would be that Mowbray and Waggott are literally putting the clubs future in jeopardy! 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Bigdoggsteel

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

This is it. It's easy for us all to say we would like to sign a 10 million striker in January, but in reality we can't afford that and then you are taking gambles of loans or foreign players. 

It's a pity Markanday got injured 

No one has mentioned a 10m striker or anything of the like. I accept and agree with the idea that it was not a straightforward task, but no one mentioned anything extortionate.

[jim mk2]

8 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Well it's true. You would complain the club didn't sign a replacement if someone in any position got injured, from goalkeeper to Striker and every position in between. 

Then you would complain if we signed players who didn't play because the players who start didn't injured and were starting ahead of them "Why did we waste money on so and so" 

All this stuff is easy to moan about in hindsight 

Our lack of firepower and need for more and better players in the squad was well flagged up by many during the window. Injuries, suspensions and loss of form were always going to take their toll

This isn't "hindsight" or moaning. It was bleedin' obvious. You're trying to argue otherwise by making personal comments

[darrenrover]

7 hours ago, BigUts said:

 

Not sure if serious...

Absolutely deadly serious 'Bart'!

Ewood Park TODAY!

All fill yer boots for £12.50 in The Darwen End........absolutely no way will the game be postponed as a consequence of Storm Edith!

It's been cut today and well prepared as a consequence of 'Verti Drain'....GAME WILL BE ON, FACT!!!

Edited February 17, 2022 by darrenrover

[Butty]

22 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Not really a striker though is he?

31 career goals most at a lower level than this doesn't suggest he would have been the answer to our goalscoring problems.

 

24 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Is he a striker? Think he's more of a winger/midfielder. Anyway, for the figures quoted, it would have been a good permanent signing. It seems the Hedges transfer was brought forward from Summer when we missed out and/or Markanday got injured

We have 6 players for the 2 roles upfront. 

No he’s not a striker but with the way our team is this season Dembele would have been another option to play one of the forward roles. Khadra and Dolan have both played up there with Diaz. I said on deadline day an injury to Diaz and we’d be screwed, luckily it doesn’t look like it’s a serious one but the club should 100% have done everything to get another forward in.  

[Bigdoggsteel]

15 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

No one has mentioned a 10m striker or anything of the like. I accept and agree with the idea that it was not a straightforward task, but no one mentioned anything extortionate.

We signed 2 who can play there though , so while we are nervous about BB, it was never a given that he wouldn't be able to play. I gave the example of Moore and WBA signed Dikes for £7 million, so you're getting into big money for a player you can't even guarantee would start. 

 

[BigBar]

The goal really have dried up. Watched the highlights of the Coventry and Cardiff games to remind myself what it looks like. Maybe we shouldn't be as free scoring but lately it's just ridiculous.

Keep it tight at the back and take ONE chance in front of goal. Time to start getting the wins back up and running.

[Bigdoggsteel]

17 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Our lack of firepower and need for more and better players in the squad was well flagged up by many during the window. Injuries, suspensions and loss of form were always going to take their toll

This isn't "hindsight" or moaning. It was bleedin' obvious. You're trying to argue otherwise by making personal comments

Every single club in the country wanted better players in the window. It's hardly cutting insight to say that we did. The reality is that it's not easy to get them and richer clubs, higher up the food chain that us had worse windows than us. Then you have clubs like Bournemouth who have gambled. Personally I don't think we are in a position to have done that, if you disagree fair enough. Brereton is being valued at £20 million plus, yet you are implying we should have just signed a ready made replacement. Practically, it doesn't add up. 

[islander200]

10 minutes ago, Butty said:

 

No he’s not a striker but with the way our team is this season Dembele would have been another option to play one of the forward roles. Khadra and Dolan have both played up there with Diaz. I said on deadline day an injury to Diaz and we’d be screwed, luckily it doesn’t look like it’s a serious one but the club should 100% have done everything to get another forward in.  

I agree that Dembele would have been a good signing but he wouldn't have been a Brererton replacement and without many millions then his goals would have been impossible to replace 

It was a hard window for the club to navigate as even loans we couldn't give a guarantee over minutes.

We enquired about Connolly before he went to Boro and apparently we had an offer in for Forrs but both Brentford and the player weren't happy with no guarantee of playing time.

It was extremely difficult without ££££ to convince a player to come here to be Breretons understudy 

[tomphil]

I think they could have found a striker from somewhere in the loan market if they really really wanted to. Just don't think they did they've put all their eggs into the BBD plus help from others basket.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, AllRoverAsia said:

0-0 it is then, if played.

Hopefully it will piss down tomorrow and Saturday and Ewood Lake is unplayable.

Get the hosepipes out.

[AllRoverAsia]

38 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Bournemouth signed Keiffer Moore for £5 million. He's a bog standard Championship striker with a below average goal record and zero sell on potential for that type of money.

You can do that when you have parachute money

If rovers signed him fans would be complaining, let alone we signed him and he didn't play or got injured. The line would be that Mowbray and Waggott are literally putting the clubs future in jeopardy! 

That's 5 million down the pan. He's out injured for at least 2 months! Broken foot.

[jim mk2]

34 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Brereton is being valued at £20 million plus, yet you are implying we should have just signed a ready made replacement. 

There is no "implication" to that effect at all. You made it up

[darrenrover]

I think we all need to chill out tbh and take stock of where we still are.

Despite the fact that we haven't scored for 4 games, we're still 3rd. I'd argue with anyone, with an opinion in August 2021, that we'd be third in the league in mid February, that they would have said I was deluded...but that's where we're at!

As a club, no things still aren't right but IMO they are heading in the right direction.

We've 7 home games to go before the end of the season (plus 1 more if we finish in the top 6), rather than moan from an armchair, get on Ewood. If the statement doesn't apply, then hopefully you'll fully endorse my sentiments.

As BRFC, we were always traditionally as one, my hopes and aspirations are that we'll get there again!

I'd much rather be sat where 'we' are than be a dingle........food for thought!

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by darrenrover

[K-Hod]

Can we just settle down a bit please?

People are getting more aggy than we’d like and also putting words in each other’s mouths to benefit their argument. You might think you’re being clever, but I’ve got 20/20 vision for this kind of behaviour because I’m sad AF and spend far too much time on here. 
TLDR- calm down or enjoy the sin bin.

[roversfan99]

36 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

We signed 2 who can play there though , so while we are nervous about BB, it was never a given that he wouldn't be able to play. I gave the example of Moore and WBA signed Dikes for £7 million, so you're getting into big money for a player you can't even guarantee would start. 

 

Those examples are not relevant though because they are blatantly well out of our price range hence why nobody had mentioned them, Moore wouldn't even fit into our style of play. Dike is a big signing for West Brom and his unfortunate injury caused them to get Carroll as a bit of a desperate alternative.

I mentioned that it would be practically impossible to get anyone close to the goalscoring level of Brereton and indeed not an easy task to get someone who fit the criteria, ie a striker with pace who could play as a wide striker if required, who can score goals even if it is not 25/30 a season just more than Khadra/Dolan etc on a tight budget. Loans would be most likely, and there would be an element of risk and reward, and we can only really discuss the names we know. Maja has hit the ground running at Stoke with a couple of goals, although there was understandable doubt over his injury plus I am not sure if he could play as a wide striker, not sure I have seen enough of him. Connolly was one name Mowbray mentioned, went to Boro, not convinced he is particularly good anyway. I liked the look of Forss who certainly knows where the goal is, perhaps went to Hull for more regular gametime if we were in for him. So it isn't easy, but it was possible and it was a disappointment that it didn't happen.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

This is it. It's easy for us all to say we would like to sign a 10 million striker in January, but in reality we can't afford that and then you are taking gambles of loans or foreign players. 

It's a pity Markanday got injured 

Well, we could afford it. The owners have the money. It just wasn't in the club's own budget. We could have done it, as a calculated gamble to win the mega pot of money in the Prem. Not that you need to spend 10 mill to get a good striker, but you tend to need that, or something like it, to get someone who is more or less guaranteed a decent goal return at this level. That said, Keiffer Moore went for 5 mill didn't he? He scored plenty last year and is painful to play against. Although at 29 and the wages Bournemouth are probably giving him, beating those would still be a large value short term gamble.

If it pays off you're laughing of course, with nearly 200 million in pocket. But it would be a bit ridiculous to refuse to pay the contract rebels what they want because of our wage structure, then annihilate our wage structure bringing someone in on more than 20k a week. Might create disharmony. All a balancing act, and about calculated gambles.

I think when it comes to strikers, we will always struggle at this level to recruit someone who has shown they can notch 20+ in the Championship even if we meet the fee, because of the wage demands. That's why we need to sign diamonds and polish them up. I'm more or less fine with that approach most seasons, but the golden opportunity this season changed the dynamic. We could perhaps have taken a punt on another attacker though...although, we have a few players already who are attackers in the 'developing' bracket, so it may have acheived nothing. Funnily enough, Maja might have been our best bet, a loan with no obligation to buy, potentially able to hit the ground running (but also with injury worries).

I'm still disappointed we didn't strengthen other positions though.

Edited February 17, 2022 by bluebruce

[RoversTilliDie]

On 11/02/2022 at 22:32, rigger said:

The only thing I can think of, why the offer is for the Darwen end only. Is because there are no season ticket holders to upset in the Darwen end. I've got 

 I will be there saturday, but I think our premiership hopes are slim at the moment. BBDs goals have dried up and there's no backup goal scorers finding the net at the moment. I know what the reply will be to this comment, we have played some difficult games. There a lot more difficult in the premier as we see most seasons, championship teams promoted and straight back down the following season. It's easier for your bottomless pit of money big clubs, a lot of their supporters come from other towns.

 

[booth]

Some amazing apologism on this thread. No one was asking for a £10m striker, just someone to lift the burden off a player that has exceeded all expectations as it is. And saying we could have signed someone crap is no excuse for signing someone. If the worry is signing disappointing players you'd never sign anyone. We are obviously light on goalscorers and have been since the season began. It's not like anyone was expecting any marquee signings, just a normal squad.

[Exiled_Rover]

2 hours ago, BigBar said:

The goal really have dried up. Watched the highlights of the Coventry and Cardiff games to remind myself what it looks like. Maybe we shouldn't be as free scoring but lately it's just ridiculous.

Keep it tight at the back and take ONE chance in front of goal. Time to start getting the wins back up and running.

We need one of our towering CBs to chip in from a set piece - they've had enough chances. 

[Exiled_Rover]

17 hours ago, darrenrover said:

JHC, the pitch is pristine!

The chances of the game being called off because of the pitch are ZERO!

The pitch hasn't been pristine for years unfortunately. 

It can't handle any serious amount of rain.

[darrenrover]

5 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The pitch hasn't been pristine for years unfortunately. 

It can't handle any serious amount of rain.

I don't entirely disagree....it's in need of an upgrade after 30 years.

However, point in question is the game will be on and the pitch is in pristine condition and that is from 2 individuals who look after it!

[Mattyblue]

I think the groundsmen do a good job considering the hand they’ve been dealt, and it is certainly looking better than last season, but it isn’t a ‘pristine pitch’.

You don’t half swallow whatever line you’re fed from the club…

[rigger]

27 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I think the groundsmen do a good job considering the hand they’ve been dealt, and it is certainly looking better than last season, but it isn’t a ‘pristine pitch’.

You don’t half swallow whatever line you’re fed from the club…

It all depends on what standard of pitch you are used to. To me Ewood looks like playing on a bowling green.

[Mattyblue]

Does it hell! 

Take it you can’t remember just a decade ago when we were winning PL pitch of the year awards?