v Millwall (a) - Monday 8th May

[OldEwoodBlue]

Diaz finally said on camera that is his last game.

[ben_the_beast]

20 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Well, this is incredibly non committal 

Reading between the lines I think we knew this anyway. Jdt has talked openly about the mess in January. 

Personally I do not think he'll walk, but would absolutely be keen to listen to any offers. 

It does put us in a precarious position. I think the chances are that a big club coming in for him are less than 50%, however what would be even worse is we start next season well and he's in the shop window for the early season merry-go-round. My betting is we'd be totally unprepared for that eventuality. 

[Exiled_Rover]

2 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Off where, though ? As I wrote above, any new club is probably going to have to compensate us, probably for a couple of million or so.

Peanuts for a club with any ambition. 

[had.e.nuff]

40 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

 

it was good to see Diaz back from his Christmas  break

[Gav]

Just now, OldEwoodBlue said:

Diaz finally said on camera that is his last game.

Pathetic by the owners, money down the drain, they really don’t want to go up do they? 

[Mashed Potatoes]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

Peanuts for a club with any ambition. 

We've finished seventh in the league. Do clubs with ambition go for that manager over , say, Mark Robins who has finished higher ? (if Coventry don't win the play offs)

[booth]

1 minute ago, Spankus Munky said:

Really? With the 3 coming down from the Prem and the 2 (Watford & Norwich) from this season that underperformed that are still here is 5 that should be gunning for the top 6 straight away, then we have the 3 that will miss out this time in the play-offs. You think we are 4 signings away from making the Play-offs when we are losing 2 almost ever presents from the team this season? minimum 6 needed and one of them needs to be a top, repeat *TOP* striker. Our transfer record tells me not a chance and another season of mid-table mediocrity is beckoning in what will be a much tougher division next season.

We keep saying it'll be a tougher division but it's pretty much the same old. You get two or three very good teams (for this league), a few decent teams, the bulk of them can give you a game, and then there's the ones right at the bottom trying to claw themselves away from League 1.

If recruitment steps up we'll do alright, if they don't we'll really struggle without BBD's goals. We can't do an entire season with Sam Gallagher and his 8 or 9 goals.

[Exiled_Rover]

5 minutes ago, Spankus Munky said:

Really? With the 3 coming down from the Prem and the 2 (Watford & Norwich) from this season that underperformed that are still here is 5 that should be gunning for the top 6 straight away, then we have the 3 that will miss out this time in the play-offs. You think we are 4 signings away from making the Play-offs when we are losing 2 almost ever presents from the team this season? minimum 6 needed and one of them needs to be a top, repeat *TOP* striker. Our transfer record tells me not a chance and another season of mid-table mediocrity is beckoning in what will be a much tougher division next season.

Let's see who comes down - e.g. I could see Everton and Leicester going into absolute freefall.

Watford are a basket case club.

We need 3 new attacking players at a minimum, all of whom can score goals. 

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

We've finished seventh in the league. Do clubs with ambition go for that manager over , say, Mark Robins who has finished higher ? (if Coventry don't win the play offs)

If you're interviewing JDT then you've looked at our squad and though "bloody hell he's done a good job with Hedges / Dolan / Gallagher leading the line". 

[B16Rover]

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

We've finished seventh in the league. Do clubs with ambition go for that manager over , say, Mark Robins who has finished higher ? (if Coventry don't win the play offs)

Do clubs with ambition spend presumably <£3m on a manager who has previous success in Europe winning titles and has taken a poor rovers team (on paper, on day one of the season) to just about playoffs despite his own issues with the club not backing him signing key areas?

 

Probably

[Crimpshrine]

21 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Have you seen the goals that Sunderland team are scoring? That's nothing to do with the manager feeling pressure, they're just wonder strikes from outside the box from quality players. 

I was not really commenting on the Sunderland team or players or even Mowbray's role in getting them into the playoffs. I'm not even debating if he is a good or bad manager.

What I was pointing out was that Mowbray seems to have thrived at Sunderland while his last 4 years at Rovers were a non-event and he seemed to have very little enthusiasm for the job. In my opinion it is down to the environment he is working in. Sunderland have belief and ambition and momentum. We have Venky's

[Butty]

1 minute ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

We've finished seventh in the league. Do clubs with ambition go for that manager over , say, Mark Robins who has finished higher ? (if Coventry don't win the play offs)

Think there will be attractive jobs in Europe out there for JDT, depends which ones come up. Be such a shame if he was to go because we are literally 3/4 players away from finishing in the top six, wouldn’t blame him if he left though. He’s got more ambition than any of the stooges involved with running our club. 

[davulsukur]

1 minute ago, Neilbristol said:

211 days in top 6 !! So close.

Am I the only one that thinks this season has been horrible?

In the top 6 all season but lose out on goal difference, despite having many chances to secure at least 1 more fucking point. 

20mins from Wembley and lose out, despite being 2-1 up.

Dingles get promoted and then run salt in by winning the league at Ewood Park, when they really didn't deserve it.

Getting royally tubbed at their place.

Our former manager overtaking us to secure a top 6th place for Sunderland.

Sure, there are green shoots that can be seen with the likes of Wharton & JRC but we've been kicked in the nuts alot this season.

A 7th placed finish is respectable but it's the manner of how we ended up there that punches you right in the gut.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

3 minutes ago, Gav said:

Pathetic by the owners, money down the drain, they really don’t want to go up do they? 

What were you expecting Gav?

[NeilInBristol]

1 minute ago, booth said:

We keep saying it'll be a tougher division but it's pretty much the same old. You get two or three very good teams (for this league), a few decent teams, the bulk of them can give you a game, and then there's the ones right at the bottom trying to claw themselves away from League 1.

If recruitment steps up we'll do alright, if they don't we'll really struggle without BBD's goals. We can't do an entire season with Sam Gallagher and his 8 or 9 goals.

You think Gally will get 8 goals next season?! Dreaming aren't you. He has  been shocking this year

[Exiled_Rover]

1 minute ago, Butty said:

Think there will be attractive jobs in Europe out there for JDT, depends which ones come up. Be such a shame if he was to go because we are literally 3/4 players away from finishing in the top six, wouldn’t blame him if he left though. He’s got more ambition than any of the stooges involved with running our club. 

We're 1 player from finishing in the top 6. We're 3/4 players from automatic promotion. 

[Exiled_Rover]

1 minute ago, Neilbristol said:

You think Gally will get 8 goals next season?! Dreaming aren't you. He has  been shocking this year

He has to be moved on in the summer - on a load of money and he doesn't produce. His contract extension was Mowbray's parting gift to us. 

[Mashed Potatoes]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

If you're interviewing JDT then you've looked at our squad and though "bloody hell he's done a good job with Hedges / Dolan / Gallagher leading the line". 

Alternatively you could say we fell away when it mattered whereas Mark Robins' team did not. I like JDT and want him to stay - I don't think the clubs who can afford millions in hiring the manager are necessarily looking at 7th in the table compared with 8th last season as a convincing reason to hire him.

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Am I the only one that thinks this season has been horrible?

In the top 6 all season but lose out on goal difference, despite having many chances to secure at least 1 more fucking point. 

20mins from Wembley and lose out, despite being 2-1 up.

Dingles get promoted and then run salt in by winning the league at Ewood Park, when they really didn't deserve it.

Getting royally tubbed at their place.

Our former manager overtaking us to secure a top 6th place for Sunderland.

Sure, there are green shoots that can be seen with the likes of Wharton & JRC but we've been kicked in the nuts alot this season.

A 7th placed finish is respectable but it's the manner of how we ended up there that punches you right in the gut.

It's all about perspective - I was expecting relegation when we'd spent five weeks without a manager in the summer.

[NeilInBristol]

10 minutes ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

Diaz finally said on camera that is his last game.

No indication of where he is going though. Sky made a bad joke that he could go to Burnley 

[Hasta]

5 minutes ago, booth said:

We keep saying it'll be a tougher division but it's pretty much the same old. You get two or three very good teams (for this league), a few decent teams, the bulk of them can give you a game, and then there's the ones right at the bottom trying to claw themselves away from League 1.

If recruitment steps up we'll do alright, if they don't we'll really struggle without BBD's goals. We can't do an entire season with Sam Gallagher and his 8 or 9 goals.

It’s taken less than 70 points to get in the play offs this year. That’s rare. This has been one of the most even championships we’ve seen for a while.

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, Neilbristol said:

No indication of where he is going though. Sky made a bad joke that he could go to Burnley 

I'd be happy if he did. 

[imy9]

59 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Gutted - I feel horrible.

One man is to blame and that is our manager who over the last 10 games has got his team selections and tactics so, so wrong.

Some of our first half performances have been woeful due to JDT screwing up his selections and tactics. 

IMO, the brutal truth is JDT hasn't got what it takes when it comes down to the real business.

Seems like Dack is off and we need many more to follow him - too many with no bottle and simply not good enough.

 

Yet he finishes the season the highest we have been in the championship, that’s an interesting contradiction considering the team he has put out.

Wharton, JRC, Carter, Hyam, Sammie, plus the introduction of so many more youngsters. Two brilliant cup runs and a style of play that has been enjoyable to watch many times this season. We are here BECAUSE of the manager and next season is a season to look forward to. 
 

whoever we sign next season, PACE has to be a key attribute, we simply have no one who can outpace opponents.

 

[booth]

3 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Am I the only one that thinks this season has been horrible?

In the top 6 all season but lose out on goal difference, despite having many chances to secure at least 1 more fucking point. 

20mins from Wembley and lose out, despite being 2-1 up.

Dingles get promoted and then run salt in by winning the league at Ewood Park, when they really didn't deserve it.

Getting royally tubbed at their place.

Our former manager overtaking us to secure a top 6th place for Sunderland.

Sure, there are green shoots that can be seen with the likes of Wharton & JRC but we've been kicked in the nuts alot this season.

A 7th placed finish is respectable but it's the manner of how we ended up there that punches you right in the gut.

Yes, and bizarrely an improvement on last season position wise, but with the same points tally.

I'd say that's a lesson for the people running the club that if you stand still you don't improve. But it's clear the people running the club are interested in stretching themselves and are happy to cost the club £££s year after year.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I don't think that we will get such a chance to get promoted for some time.