January Transfer Window.

[roversfan99]

Just now, ItsRoverZ said:

Isn't cantwell a regular again for them?

No I don't think so, unused sub today, didn't come on v us and they seem to prefer an Idah, Pukki and Sargent front 3.

[ItsRoverZ]

13 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

No I don't think so, unused sub today, didn't come on v us and they seem to prefer an Idah, Pukki and Sargent front 3.

Ahhh gotcha, I thought I remembered him getting back into the side at one point 

[rover23]

17 hours ago, Mercer said:

Three overriding principles for me in this window.

We do not want any 'back up' players for the likes of Pickering etc - Pickering himself barely ticks the boxes.  We DO NOT need mere squad fillers.

We do not want loans like Morton, Hirst or Mola who have contributed little and blocked the progress of our own talents (as Morton has) or are utterly hopeless (Hirst and Mola).  Only loan players I would consider are those you can almost guarantee would be majorly beneficial to our team eg the likes of Harvey Elliott.  I would take Rothwell back in a heartbeat if we could (a class act at this level, makes things happen and  exciting to watch) - feck what Travis thinks, IMO,  he's useless and dispensable.

We only sign players who will command a place in the team and significantly improve it eg Hyam.  That is the only way we will move forward.

Agree with this apart from Morton. You simply cannot put him in the same bracket as Hirst and Mola. 
 

Morton is quality, he’s just young. If he was in our academy everyone would be raving about him. He’s twice the player Buckley is and people seem to rave about him! 

[Ossydave]

Cantwell seems a bit of a loose cannon, in and out of the team this season but not always for footballing reasons according to Smith when he was there. They may be open to a bit of cash for him though with his contract being up in 6 months.

Edited January 2, 2023 by Ossydave

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

Cantwell seems a bit of a loose cannon, in and out of the team this season but not always for footballing reasons according to Smith when he was there. They may be open to a bit of cash for him though with his contract being up in 6 months.

He sounds like hard work to me. Attitude problems ?

[simongarnerisgod]

4 minutes ago, rover23 said:

Agree with this apart from Morton. You simply cannot put him in the same bracket as Hirst and Mola. 
 

Morton is quality, he’s just young. If he was in our academy everyone would be raving about him. He’s twice the player Buckley is and people seem to rave about him! 

he really is`nt that much different to buckley,they both lose the ball to easily and neither of them can tackle,i object to taking liverpools never will be`s  on loan when the likes of adam wharton are relegated to bit part players,if your going to take someone on loan then try to get a premier league player in waiting and not a future league one player,really am not to impressed with morton,he`s blocking the way of our own players imo

[chaddyrovers]

55 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I can't see Norwich helping us out with Cantwell.

6 months left on his deal. Offer a couple of millions for him

45 minutes ago, ItsRoverZ said:

Isn't cantwell a regular again for them?

He has missed the last 4 games and he was on bench today but not played. 

15 minutes ago, rover23 said:

Agree with this apart from Morton. You simply cannot put him in the same bracket as Hirst and Mola. 
 

Morton is quality, he’s just young. If he was in our academy everyone would be raving about him. He’s twice the player Buckley is and people seem to rave about him! 

Agree on Morton and if you look at who played the ball to BBD to set up Dack it was Morton. Same with the cross for Gallagher header who should have left it BBD it was Morton with the cross

[davulsukur]

28 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He sounds like hard work to me. Attitude problems ?

According to Dean Smith, there is no problems with his attitude but his form seems to have tanked somewhat. He's still not in the Norwich squad and Bournemouth didn't what him. 

Feels like he's turning into another Rodwell type project, not sure we need that.

Edited January 2, 2023 by davulsukur

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

According to Dean Smith, there is no problems with his attitude but his form seems to have tanked somewhat. He's still not in the Norwich squad and Bournemouth didn't what him. 

Feels like he's turning into another Rodwell type project, not sure we need that.

If he was that good Norwich wouldn’t be letting him go.

[roversfan99]

31 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

he really is`nt that much different to buckley,they both lose the ball to easily and neither of them can tackle,i object to taking liverpools never will be`s  on loan when the likes of adam wharton are relegated to bit part players,if your going to take someone on loan then try to get a premier league player in waiting and not a future league one player,really am not to impressed with morton,he`s blocking the way of our own players imo

I am certainly not Mortons biggest fan but he isnt a League 1 player in waiting.

[chaddyrovers]

45 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

he really is`nt that much different to buckley,they both lose the ball to easily and neither of them can tackle,i object to taking liverpools never will be`s  on loan when the likes of adam wharton are relegated to bit part players,if your going to take someone on loan then try to get a premier league player in waiting and not a future league one player,really am not to impressed with morton,he`s blocking the way of our own players imo

Morton is key player for this team and when he plays well, Rovers play well. 

Morton will be in Liverpool first team squad next season

[Mattyblue]

Will he buggery! 😁

[simongarnerisgod]

7 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Morton is key player for this team and when he plays well, Rovers play well. 

Morton will be in Liverpool first team squad next season

have you been on the sauce 🤣

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

have you been on the sauce 🤣

I don't drink alcohol anymore thanks. More important things in life than alcohol and I don't miss it one bit

Look at the last game and Morton had a decent game and was key part in our attacking play. 

 

[RoversClitheroe]

I don't rate Morton, an okay footballer, but not champ standard yet. 

Think Adam Wharton has looked better than him in the games he's played personally.

[BankEnd Rover]

9 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

I don't rate Morton, an okay footballer, but not champ standard yet. 

Think Adam Wharton has looked better than him in the games he's played personally.

Our best midfield duo after watching all options has to be Buckley & A Wharton….Morton on his day is a good championship player & thats on his day. He’s had a lot of poor games so that needs sorting… Not a chance he will make it in the prem, not in the next 3-4 years anyway…
If we can get an experienced CDM, we have a solid midfield….Travis is not the answer. 

[Sparks Rover]

4 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Our best midfield duo after watching all options has to be Buckley & A Wharton…

Depends...from a technical point of view perhaps.   You'd like a scrap with those 2 wouldn't you though, so from an aggression/running the game point of view you are right we need a new CDM

[Exiled_Rover]

19 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

I don't rate Morton, an okay footballer, but not champ standard yet. 

Think Adam Wharton has looked better than him in the games he's played personally.

I think there must be a clause in Morton's loan contract that he has to play when available.

Buckley, A. Wharton and Garrett have all put in more impressive performances than him during the first half of the season - they've not been able to capitalise on it because Morton's name seems to be inked into the teamsheet and obviously the club captain has only recently been dropped.

[RoversClitheroe]

6 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Our best midfield duo after watching all options has to be Buckley & A Wharton….Morton on his day is a good championship player & thats on his day. He’s had a lot of poor games so that needs sorting… Not a chance he will make it in the prem, not in the next 3-4 years anyway…
If we can get an experienced CDM, we have a solid midfield….Travis is not the answer. 

Travis needs selling imo, ability has completely regressed.

But yes agree, Morton isn't A Wharton who looks absolutely class.

[RoversClitheroe]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

I think there must be a clause in Morton's loan contract that he has to play when available.

Buckley, A. Wharton and Garrett have all put in more impressive performances than him during the first half of the season - they've not been able to capitalise on it because Morton's name seems to be inked into the teamsheet and obviously the club captain has only recently been dropped.

I think you're right.

I reckon we get financial penalities if we don't play him.

[Exiled_Rover]

1 minute ago, Sparks Rover said:

Depends...from a technical point of view perhaps.   You'd like a scrap with those 2 wouldn't you though, so from an aggression/running the game point of view you are right we need a new CDM

The 4-2-3-1 system JDT wants to run doesn't demand that his CMs get into a scrap. They're meant to dictate play and intercept passes.

Part of the problem we have with playing out from the back, with cries that "the CBs aren't good enough to do it" - well the CMs aren't acting as pivot points enough at the moment. Travis can't do it and Morton goes hiding far too often (or he sits inbetween the two CBs which isn't helpful). Wharton and Buckley look for the ball - and so does Garrett it seems. 

[Exiled_Rover]

3 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Travis needs selling imo, ability has completely regressed.

But yes agree, Morton isn't A Wharton who looks absolutely class.

It's slightly unfair to judge Travis right now as, like S. Wharton and Brereton-Diaz, he's completely out of form - but he doesn't have the skillset to play in this system, so I do think he'll be moved on in the summer if JDT is as ruthless as I hope he is.

[RoversClitheroe]

7 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

It's slightly unfair to judge Travis right now

Maybe, but he's cost us a few times this season, and in a HPT (high performing team) there's only so many mistakes you can accept. And if you don't add much to the team you need to be shipped out

[tomphil]

Morton is a good player he's still a kid learning the ropes  but my issue is the automatic starting berth whether he is good bad or indifferent.

Alongside the fact he doesn't fit what we really need in there half the time but he'd look great in a team like Fulhams championship outfit last season. I agree with those saying we'd be all over him if he was ours and if he was free i think we'd snap him up.

Thing is though if he was ours he'd be being rotated like the others so it's a bit unfair he isn't and the sole purpose is for us to develop him for Liverpool.

[Sparks Rover]

50 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The 4-2-3-1 system JDT wants to run doesn't demand that his CMs get into a scrap. They're meant to dictate play and intercept passes.

Part of the problem we have with playing out from the back, with cries that "the CBs aren't good enough to do it" - well the CMs aren't acting as pivot points enough at the moment. Travis can't do it and Morton goes hiding far too often (or he sits inbetween the two CBs which isn't helpful). Wharton and Buckley look for the ball - and so does Garrett it seems. 

I agree, however central midfield is always a scrap to gain control of the game.  I find our lads are a bit young to do it in there week in week out.  I agree on the pivot, need a quality CDM