That *was* the January Window

[TheRevAshton]

Speaking of Dolan, what's the crack with his contract?

[tomphil]

Just now, TheRevAshton said:

Speaking of Dolan, what's the crack with his contract?

Sorted by Dec didn't the Egg say ?

Probably be done in the next 48hrs......

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

Speaking of Dolan, what's the crack with his contract?

It expires at the end of this season but Rovers have an year option in their favour to extend until the end of next season (presumably this would only be taken up if he rejects any and all contracts offered - as we have seen in the past with Rothwell, Nyambe, Lenihan, Diaz ect)

Negotiations apparently ongoing, but because of his age, even if he doesn't agree a new one, he won't leave on a free (edit - as long as he stays in England), and because of the number of games he has played, you would have to envisage it would be a decent fee.

Edited January 9 by KentExile

[roverblue]

Im not really sure what a good striker would look like in a JDT team. The role seems to be more about pressing and creating opportunities for the wide players/Szmodic than getting in the box. Something Dolan did well in his stint there.

The cross and headed finish from Leonard on Saturday was the first time I had seen us with some traditional forward play in ages.

[booth]

2 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Im not really sure what a good striker would look like in a JDT team. The role seems to be more about pressing and creating opportunities for the wide players/Szmodic than getting in the box. Something Dolan did well in his stint there.

The cross and headed finish from Leonard on Saturday was the first time I had seen us with some traditional forward play in ages.

The bit in bold, if we could have that every week that would be perfect 👍

[tomphil]

Watch Ipswich that style has got a league 1 team into second place and it's good to watch.

It would also be hard to argue against that it hasn't increased the value of a few of their players.

[Danny O.Brien]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

Agree o the first bit but second bit is tripe if we are talking about Mowbrays time it was about standard there was zero over achieving.

He was allowed to spend 15 million on forwards over about 12 moths before they shut the vault again but he had enough in his budget annually to bring in guys like Holtby, Downing, Trybull, Tosin, Elliot, etc etc.

We have steadily been getting worse and replacing quality with kids or short term loans. Look at that squad that came up and maybe I'm looking through rose tinted glasses because of the promotion season. You had goals all over the pitch. Dack and Graham were excellent. Mulgrew chipping in with something like ten goals that first season back. We had a genuinely good squad and had goals all over the pitch.

Since then we've been too dependent on first Armstrong, then brererton and now szmodics. We can't keep going like this and not expect it to catch up with us. 

If anybody else in this squad gets more than 7 goals this season I'll be seriously impressed. 

[islander200]

4 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

We have steadily been getting worse and replacing quality with kids or short term loans. Look at that squad that came up and maybe I'm looking through rose tinted glasses because of the promotion season. You had goals all over the pitch. Dack and Graham were excellent. Mulgrew chipping in with something like ten goals that first season back. We had a genuinely good squad and had goals all over the pitch.

Since then we've been too dependent on first Armstrong, then brererton and now szmodics. We can't keep going like this and not expect it to catch up with us. 

If anybody else in this squad gets more than 7 goals this season I'll be seriously impressed. 

Sigurrdson already has 7 in all competitions 

[yellowsubmarine]

13 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

Since then we've been too dependent on first Armstrong, then brererton and now szmodics. We can't keep going like this and not expect it to catch up with us. 

Dont worry, once we sell Szmodics next season, Ennis will finally be fit to step up and start scoring.

[rob_of_the_rovers]

We have been pretty lucky that we always seem to end up with a goalscorer. Benni, Roque, Yakubi, Rhodes, Gestede, Armstrong, Brereton, and now Sammie. Even when we had Danny Graham up top we had Dack banging them in.

[gazza1981]

29 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

We have steadily been getting worse and replacing quality with kids or short term loans. Look at that squad that came up and maybe I'm looking through rose tinted glasses because of the promotion season. You had goals all over the pitch. Dack and Graham were excellent. Mulgrew chipping in with something like ten goals that first season back. We had a genuinely good squad and had goals all over the pitch.

Since then we've been too dependent on first Armstrong, then brererton and now szmodics. We can't keep going like this and not expect it to catch up with us. 

If anybody else in this squad gets more than 7 goals this season I'll be seriously impressed. 

I think Moran could score goals for us if was played a no 10 behind smodics. His best games for us by far have been when he was played centrally . He scored 2 goals and 2 assists against Cardiff and when we go thrashed by Leicester he was by far our best player .

But for some reason JDT has put him on the right wing which hasn't worked .

[roversfan99]

5 minutes ago, gazza1981 said:

I think Moran could score goals for us if was played a no 10 behind smodics. His best games for us by far have been when he was played centrally . He scored 2 goals and 2 assists against Cardiff and when we go thrashed by Leicester he was by far our best player .

But for some reason JDT has put him on the right wing which hasn't worked .

He obviously wouldnt displace Szmodics and because under these restrictions the transfer policy is to get what we can and not what we need, we dont have any competent wingers bar Sigurdsson with Hedges out injured.

[gazza1981]

25 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He obviously wouldnt displace Szmodics and because under these restrictions the transfer policy is to get what we can and not what we need, we dont have any competent wingers bar Sigurdsson with Hedges out injured.

Maybe JDT should change the formation to 4-3-3.

[bluebruce]

18 minutes ago, gazza1981 said:

Maybe JDT should change the formation to 4-3-3.

Personally I think that's overdue. Even if it's just as a Plan B, since we currently don't have one at all.

[roversfan99]

51 minutes ago, gazza1981 said:

Maybe JDT should change the formation to 4-3-3.

That would mean Szmodics and Moran in front of either Tronstad or Wharton, leaving one with even more defensive work to do and the other not playing.

I think the Tronstad, Wharton and Szmodics combination is the one area of the team that isnt causing a headache. Moran should be adding competition but remains in the team week in week out from a wide role because the owners wouldnt allow the loan signing of a wide man that we had lined up on deadline day.

[rigger]

18 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

That would mean Szmodics and Moran in front of either Tronstad or Wharton, leaving one with even more defensive work to do and the other not playing.

I think the Tronstad, Wharton and Szmodics combination is the one area of the team that isnt causing a headache. Moran should be adding competition but remains in the team week in week out from a wide role because the owners wouldnt allow the loan signing of a wide man that we had lined up on deadline day.

I would go with a midfield three of Tronstad, Wharton, and Garret. A front three of Sigurdsson, Leonard, and Szmodic.  

[Armchair supporter supremo]

4 hours ago, Danny O.Brien said:

He's shite same as telalovic unfortunately. People talk like they're 18/19 and learning. They're both mid 20s and should be further on by now. Dress it up however you want, take away szmodics goals this season and I dread to think where we would be in the league. We have been overachieving pretty much since we came up from league one. The owners refuse to back the manager. Despite a promising start last season and early this.

Smzodics was probably 26/27 when he joined us and nobody would have believed he'd become the top goal scorer that he has at 28

 

[martonrover]

22 minutes ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Smzodics was probably 26/27 when he joined us and nobody would have believed he'd become the top goal scorer that he has at 28

 

I agree that his current scoring record has surpassed expectations, and there were times at the beginning of last season that he looked a little lost.

However, even then he still chipped in with a few goals.

[neophox]

Brereton was poor his first two seasons....dont write Telalovic off yet..

Anyone seen Junio Nsangou? Scored two and set up one against Burnley u18... Seems to be a Polish international striker.

[bluebruce]

Just now, neophox said:

Brereton was poor his first two seasons....dont write Telalovic off yet..

Anyone seen Junio Nsangou? Scored two and set up one against Burnley u18... Seems to be a Polish international striker.

Comments I've seen in the academy thread about him from regular watchers don't seem sold on him making it here. Still has time though I suppose and seemingly has impressed on occasion. Definitely not a solution for now though.

[rigger]

6 minutes ago, neophox said:

Brereton was poor his first two seasons....dont write Telalovic off yet..

Anyone seen Junio Nsangou? Scored two and set up one against Burnley u18... Seems to be a Polish international striker.

Nowhere near our U21s. Not entirely true as he has made their bench.

Edited January 9 by rigger

[tomphil]

54 minutes ago, neophox said:

Brereton was poor his first two seasons....dont write Telalovic off yet..

Anyone seen Junio Nsangou? Scored two and set up one against Burnley u18... Seems to be a Polish international striker.

He's 24 already, Brererton was about 19 when we signed with 50 odd appearances for Forest most at champ level so he'll have to get a shift on.

Edited January 9 by tomphil

[Armchair supporter supremo]

1 hour ago, martonrover said:

I agree that his current scoring record has surpassed expectations, and there were times at the beginning of last season that he looked a little lost.

However, even then he still chipped in with a few goals.

Tbf! "a few" is different to near 20 with still half a season to go though

[davulsukur]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

He's 24 already, Brererton was about 19 when we signed with 50 odd appearances for Forest most at champ level so he'll have to get a shift on.

Yeah, I was surprised to see he was 24 when it was his birthday the other month.

Feels like he should have made a bit more of an impact by now given his age. I guess it's not that surprising given the level he was playing at before us.

[chaddyrovers]

3 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Personally I think that's overdue. Even if it's just as a Plan B, since we currently don't have one at all.

We witness plan B against Watford when Szmodics was unavailable 

2 hours ago, rigger said:

I would go with a midfield three of Tronstad, Wharton, and Garret. A front three of Sigurdsson, Leonard, and Szmodic.  

Why would you move Szmodics from his number 10 role where he is the Championship top scorer? 🤔