Transfer Window - COMPLETE. Where’s Gregg?

[chaddyrovers]

He won't get any reaction from me. His recent comments about telling Harvey to go to Sunderland were pathetic. 

[JacknOry]

Artists and soldiers again. 

[Oldgregg86]

I think he’s upgraded to boos

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Artists and soldiers again. 

Oh I remember that from phase one of The Journey.

[J*B]

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

It will be interesting to see what reaction he does get. Based on here it will be really venomous.

There will be a majority of positivity. A lot of people think he ‘saved’ us. The Facebook fans don’t know any better and have had some of their best experiences under Mowbray. 

[tomphil]

The facebook fans should be looking where we are now and realising the sky didn't fall in the min he left the building.

In fact in many ways there was a collective sigh of relief.

[CambridgeRover]

Just read Mowbrays comments regarding Harvey. What a vile man. Unbelievable

[DE.]

1 hour ago, J*B said:

There will be a majority of positivity. A lot of people think he ‘saved’ us. The Facebook fans don’t know any better and have had some of their best experiences under Mowbray. 

Exactly. This place is a very small section of the overall fanbase, it's not a barometer for how Ewood will react and never has been. 

[roverandout]

10 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I'm looking forward to booing this prick when he rocks up to Ewood later in the season. 

Prick is still referring to 20 year old adults as 'boy'

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, J*B said:

There will be a majority of positivity. A lot of people think he ‘saved’ us. The Facebook fans don’t know any better and have had some of their best experiences under Mowbray. 

There have been enough on here suggesting that they are looking forward to giving him stick though to surely at least lead to a mixed reception, if that does materialise. We will see.

[Torgeir]

4 hours ago, roverandout said:

Prick is still referring to 20 year old adults as 'boy'

Have you listened to JDT's interviews lately? 

[SuperBrfc]

Not sure where to put this, but this is what we're dealing with. The very same thing he was on about at Bodo Glimt. R numbers, pathways, making sure Academy lads get into the first team and increasing player value.

We've already seen it's effect in settling for Morton on loan as he didn't want to block pathways for A. Wharton and Garrett. Hirst on loan so as not to discourage Vale, IMO. Promotion in a couple of years time? Unlikely.

It would seem that experts within the game are impressed though, as seen below, so maybe I need to shut up and let him get on with it.

 

[islander200]

2 hours ago, SuperBrfc said:

Not sure where to put this, but this is what we're dealing with. The very same thing he was on about at Bodo Glimt. R numbers, pathways, making sure Academy lads get into the first team and increasing player value.

We've already seen it's effect in settling for Morton on loan as he didn't want to block pathways for A. Wharton and Garrett. Hirst on loan so as not to discourage Vale, IMO. Promotion in a couple of years time? Unlikely.

It would seem that experts within the game are impressed though, as seen below, so maybe I need to shut up and let him get on with it.

 

Bodo/Glint were very successful when Broughton was in situ .Should we give him credit for that?

As you part blame him for Luton's relegations when he was in a job with them.

We have a cat A academy.Us promoting players from it to the senior squad is nothing new.The current crop look the most exciting in years and personally I'd rather give the likes of Wharton game time  than topping up Connor Hourihane's retirement fund. 

The guy has barely been in the door 5 minutes.The signings of Hyam and Szmodic(,even though I think he was the wrong signing) players coming into their primes suggest the plan isn't to just solely look to the Academy.

I think what you are suggesting regarding Hirst and Vale is nonsense.Vale most likely won't even be making the bench when everyone is fit.Signing Hirst will impact Vale's involvement.

Edited September 21, 2022 by islander200

[SuperBrfc]

26 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Bodo/Glint were very successful when Broughton was in situ .Should we give him credit for that?

As you part blame him for Luton's relegations when he was in a job with them.

We have a cat A academy.Us promoting players from it to the senior squad is nothing new.The current crop look the most exciting in years and personally I'd rather give the likes of Wharton game time  than topping up Connor Hourihane's retirement fund. 

The guy has barely been in the door 5 minutes.The signings of Hyam and Szmodic(,even though I think he was the wrong signing) players coming into their primes suggest the plan isn't to just solely look to the Academy.

I think what you are suggesting regarding Hirst and Vale is nonsense.Vale most likely won't even be making the bench when everyone is fit.Signing Hirst will impact Vale's involvement.

There's a world of difference between Bodo Glimt, the league they play in, and Blackburn Rovers, with all due respect to Glimt. Trying to get this club back into the Premier League is a whole new ball game and he has never been a DoF before. He did do well there at Glimt, I admit, so credit to him for that.

My point on the Luton situation was that they suffered three relegations whilst he was there, of course that's not all on him.

However, he was talking up how he helped to develop x amount of Academy players, how x amount of Academy players became part of the first team during his time there and how he increased player value. What good is all of that when the club suffered three successive relegations? That is focusing on development over results, IMO. That was my point.

It's early days for him at Rovers, but it's the early signs that are worrying me. We haven't bought in experience in the centre of the park because of him not wanting to block pathways.

We have been battered in games against Sheff Utd, Reading, Bristol City and Luton because the midfield can't put up a fight and can't get a hold of the ball. Is it wrong to suggest this policy to keep pathways open and only bringing in Morton in that area, a lightweight midfielder, is contributing to this?

Adam Wharton had a stunning game at Blackpool, I liked what I saw. He then struggled in the next 45 minutes and hasn't featured since. We haven't seen Garrett feature in the league, leaving Morton as the mainstay for now. What happens when he struggles, which he will being a youngster. We only have Bucko, who himself is having to adjust to a deeper role.

I'd have Hourihane in there every day of the week, a proper midfielder, with a touch of class about his game. People were saying "we don't need x, y, z, we've got Wharton and Garrett". We're getting overrun in midfield right now, today, getting embarrassed in the last few games (Watford apart) but those two players aren't able to help us. That's not a criticism of them, by the way, just that we needed hardened players in there who can help us now, in the immediate term.

Broughton's focus seems to be helping Academy players to get into the first team. Which club in the Championship has ever had success using this strategy and got into the Premier League off the back of it? I'm not against giving youngsters a chance if they are good enough, but as a huge part of our strategy? Not for me.

We'll have to agree to disagree on Hirst. The way I see it, an established, top striker coming in would have dented Vale's hopes of getting into the team. He would have little hope of displacing such a forward.

Hirst is a youngster himself, unproven at this level and from what I've seen, hasn't impressed so far and doesn't seem to have much about him. Vale still has a chance of being involved and being rotated with Hirst and that's why, in my view, signing Hirst helps to keep the pathway open for Vale.

[rigger]

26 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

There's a world of difference between Bodo Glimt, the league they play in, and Blackburn Rovers, with all due respect to Glimt. Trying to get this club back into the Premier League is a whole new ball game and he has never been a DoF before. He did do well there at Glimt, I admit, so credit to him for that.

My point on the Luton situation was that they suffered three relegations whilst he was there, of course that's not all on him.

However, he was talking up how he helped to develop x amount of Academy players, how x amount of Academy players became part of the first team during his time there and how he increased player value. What good is all of that when the club suffered three successive relegations? That is focusing on development over results, IMO. That was my point.

It's early days for him at Rovers, but it's the early signs that are worrying me. We haven't bought in experience in the centre of the park because of him not wanting to block pathways.

We have been battered in games against Sheff Utd, Reading, Bristol City and Luton because the midfield can't put up a fight and can't get a hold of the ball. Is it wrong to suggest this policy to keep pathways open and only bringing in Morton in that area, a lightweight midfielder, is contributing to this?

Adam Wharton had a stunning game at Blackpool, I liked what I saw. He then struggled in the next 45 minutes and hasn't featured since. We haven't seen Garrett feature in the league, leaving Morton as the mainstay for now. What happens when he struggles, which he will being a youngster. We only have Bucko, who himself is having to adjust to a deeper role.

I'd have Hourihane in there every day of the week, a proper midfielder, with a touch of class about his game. People were saying "we don't need x, y, z, we've got Wharton and Garrett". We're getting overrun in midfield right now, today, getting embarrassed in the last few games (Watford apart) but those two players aren't able to help us. That's not a criticism of them, by the way, just that we needed hardened players in there who can help us now, in the immediate term.

Broughton's focus seems to be helping Academy players to get into the first team. Which club in the Championship has ever had success using this strategy and got into the Premier League off the back of it? I'm not against giving youngsters a chance if they are good enough, but as a huge part of our strategy? Not for me.

We'll have to agree to disagree on Hirst. The way I see it, an established, top striker coming in would have dented Vale's hopes of getting into the team. He would have little hope of displacing such a forward.

Hirst is a youngster himself, unproven at this level and from what I've seen, hasn't impressed so far and doesn't seem to have much about him. Vale still has a chance of being involved and being rotated with Hirst and that's why, in my view, signing Hirst helps to keep the pathway open for Vale.

Blackburn Rovers.

[roversfan99]

I dont feel comfortable with us using specific tangible targets in regards to % of gametime by academy graduates. That sort of thing naturally can conflict with a desire to pick the best team each week, and can lead to non graduates to be discriminated against.

I also think it goes hand in hand with dismissing any player touching 30 as being unwanted and well past it, as it seems is now fashionable to do. Our midfield is lacking in experience and looks as lightweight as many of us thought amidst the praise showered on the club for the summer window.

[rigger]

7 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont feel comfortable with us using specific tangible targets in regards to % of gametime by academy graduates. That sort of thing naturally can conflict with a desire to pick the best team each week, and can lead to non graduates to be discriminated against.

I also think it goes hand in hand with dismissing any player touching 30 as being unwanted and well past it, as it seems is now fashionable to do. Our midfield is lacking in experience and looks as lightweight as many of us thought amidst the praise showered on the club for the summer window.

We seem to be losing midfield battles because of the numbers played in midfield (2), rather than who the players are. I still think we need the extra player in midfield rather than in attack (or false 9).

Edited September 21, 2022 by rigger

[roversfan99]

14 minutes ago, rigger said:

We seem to be losing midfield battles because of the numbers played in midfield (2), rather than who the players are. I still think we need the extra player in midfield rather than in attack (or false 9).

A third midfield player would potentially help but I also think the players in there have not been great. Morton has been pretty poor and Buckley likewise in a new deeper role, and even Travis has his limitations.

[chaddyrovers]

Rovers footballing strategy is right that we keep bringing through our talented young players and we are producing this season after season, and I can't think of another championship club who is producing the amount of good talent players we are. The Rovers academy deserved huge credit for this. Mike Sheron and Stuart Jones are at the front of the academy and the quality of coaching they are getting is a major part of the reasons why we are. Gregg Broughton and Jon Dahl Tomasson have been quite clear this is project and developing our own players is major part of this aswell has signing players who will be add quality to the squad. 

On Hirst, he isn't a youngster but he is 23 years old and there is reason why Rovers made him our number 1 target and why Rovers chased him all summer. I don't see blocking Vale pathway at all as his chance will still be there.  Plus, Hirst has played only 96 mins so far and people yet again are being over judgemental on these performances instead of looking that he isn't match fit before he joined and still learning how we want him to play under JDT

How Gregg Broughton can be blame at all for Luton's relegations when he was only in charge of the academy there during that time is mind boggling at least. 

I would say Norwich did bring through a number of young players like Aarons, Lewis, Cantwell, Godfrey into their squad during the promotion season 2018/19. So yes, it has been done before. 

 

[K-Hod]

Our academy strategy is only right if it yields players that help us achieve our objectives (which presumably include promotion).

If it doesn’t, then we are just plodding along for the sake of it and just existing as a club really for me.

Don’t get me wrong, it does give me a sense of pride that we have just fielded an academy player in the match day squad for the 600th consecutive game though…
 

[Upside Down]

No point bringing through the academy players if they don't have the experienced pros to learn from and help them along. 

We need someone senior with experience in midfield. Whether that means signing someone or Dack dropping back a bit. We've addressed this in defence and so hopefully midfield will be next.

I love that we have so many academy graduates in the team but just throwing them out there without any real help is not going help them reach their potential and will stifle the progression of the club. 

If we aren't trying for promotion then we may as well shut the doors. 

[tomphil]

They have to get the balance right with blending those good enough and letting those who aren't stay in their lane or go on loan. It's done great recently but lets not start rushing them because we just need to fill the squad for the sake of it.

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

[roversfan99]

Fair play for showing his face but I can tell from listening for a minute or two that its just the usual platitudes, Waggott is great, Tomasson is great, the owners are great, everything is great. Always going to be the case, especially on official channels which to an extent is fair enough.

He won't be asked tough questions despite mentioning FFP early, ie how can Brereton's stay possibly be justified in line with that? How can teams like Brentford be mentioned yet we don't sell our assets AND reinvest.

On the transfer front, was Hirst really Tomasson's first choice? Why was Morton the only addition to an area in which we are so light and lacking in physicality and experience? What made us spend so much of our budget on an attacking midfielder with a questionable track record, and how can he not make the bench now others are fit? What is the expectation of Mola? How much money was left in the pot on the last day? How much of the Brereton funds would have been available had we sold him? And crucially, what exactly is the process in picking and signing players?

Off the field, mention Preston etc in the North West, our prices are much higher and our figures are lower, why is nothing done?

[chaddyrovers]

Here is the first part of the interview(got to log in to watch).

https://www.rovers.co.uk/videos/

written verison

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2022/september/23/gregg--everyone-s-been-so-supportive/