That *was* the January Window

[G Somerset Rover]

23 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

Tell you what, there hasn't been many 'ITK' posters this window - I remember there were loads in the Summer.

Most of the time it was pure BS... but I kinda miss it, which is a bit weird 😄

Yeah, I miss the links to the likes of Warren Zaire-Emery 😂.

[joey_big_nose]

43 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Morton was awful end of.

He wasn't great, but I'd have him over a lot of centre mids (Akpom, Guthrie etc) who have turned out for us since 2012.

Incidentally Tronstad and Wharton CM might be the best pair we've had since relegation from the Prem... hope we get the players up front to make the most of them. 

For a bit of a fun... what's the best Rovers since 2012 team? I would say

                           Kaminski

Marshall       Dann         Hyam      Olsson

                           Tronstad   

           Cairney                   Wharton

                          Szmodics

         Armstrong                 Gestede

 

Just off the top of my head.... Probably forgotten loads of players. Left Rhodes out as I think Armstrong and Gestede offered more all round as well as goals. Would have had Dack in behind the strikers till Szmodics recent exploits - again he offers the goals, but also a lot more all round.

Full backs have been a real problem position for us... can't really think of any standout ones, hence sticking Marshall in at right back. JDT would love a bit of Marshall inverting himself into the midfield.

[Browjd]

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, Ghost7 said:

Hull in 7th place are doing exactly what our despicable owners wouldn't do when we were in 2nd (and will never do for that matter)... going for it.

Unfit for English football.. No interest! Venky's out!!

Do you remember the myth that was trotted out with some regularity about Venkys from 2012 to 2021 each transfer window that if we were in the promotion shake up they would undoubtedly 'go for it' and bankroll what we needed to 'get over the line' and the only reason they hadn't up to that point was because we had never been in a really good position in the table to strike?

Their antics (or lack of) in the last two January windows have proven that to be false, another Venky myth that is free and easy to spread with vague future promises of doing things but with absolutely no intention of it actually coming to pass. I'm glad that particular one has been torpedoed. They were never going to bankroll it and they never will. 

Of course their stooges on the ground, desperate as they are to shield the owners from blame, responsibility or criticism for the organisation they own, control, finance, continue to do their best to concoct various reasons and excuses in a desperate bid to lay the blame for this elsewhere, but I think even the most patient and trusting of people have seen through it by now.

If you aren't going to back your manager with the team in the position it was in 2022 and 2023 then you never will. And that inertia has cost us at very least a play-off position in the last two seasons. The managers did their bit, the players did theirs, they were let down by owners who take no interest and have no intention of providing the additional backing needed at the right time to haul us over the line.

We've had FFP rules, we've had 'not the right time to do business', we've had 'players moving goalposts on demands', we've had 'club secretary forgetting how to do his job', we've had 'Football League asking unnecessary and unexpected questions', we've had 'Indian government bullying poor Venkys', we've had 'CEO and owners rep decide to travel to Birmingham for a cup replay rather than ensuring more important business got done at Brockhall' and I'm sure there are other examples of the nonsense they come up with to try to explain why money doesn't go out and good signings don't come in.

It just doesn't wash anymore. I'd have a lot more respect for the people working there if they just admitted the truth which is the owners don't care and the budget is set in the summer and spent with no chance of an increase.

Edited January 11 by JHRover

[Ghost7]

Yep being backed is equally as important for the players as it is the manager in those positions.

You see Carvalho walk into training or the goalkeeper they are about to sign for £1.3m and you all get boost. You start to believe that the people above believe and we have a chance. Rovers are essentially an ownerless club, as supporters we'll rue those two seasons for a very long time.

We'll also probably regret not trying to force the owners and the CEO (who is taking the club nowhere) out more aggressively too on a matchday. They are getting away with it that's for sure.

[ABBEY]

2 hours ago, TheRevAshton said:

Tell you what, there hasn't been many 'ITK' posters this window - I remember there were loads in the Summer.

Most of the time it was pure BS... but I kinda miss it, which is a bit weird 😄

just seen de gea at the chippy in clitheroe

[Blow-in]

4 minutes ago, ABBEY said:

just seen de gea at the chippy in clitheroe

Can't play with the ball at his feet he is shit.

[Hasta]

15 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

What I witness in the game was if we took our chances we would have been out of sight. 

You've said this a couple of times lately but that certainly wasn't my recollection of the game. We had a lot of posession but the only other real chance I recall (and shown on the highlights) is the Sigurdsson chance. We probed and had posession and territory a lot in the first half but, as we do, created little. The second half they looked far more dangerous and eventually their pressure led to 2 Wahlstedt mistakes.

All the key stats seem to back up my view.

When we tired we had no nouse to try and see the game out.

 

Edited January 11 by Hasta

[desrover]

10 minutes ago, ABBEY said:

just seen de gea at the chippy in clitheroe

Yes but did he order a John Bull though?

[rigger]

23 minutes ago, ABBEY said:

just seen de gea at the chippy in clitheroe

Was he buying a John-Bull ?

[gazza1981]

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

Just like Moran now he was lacking the physicality and strength that he should no doubt grow into and he maybe wasn't up to the high intensity style JDT wanted.

Clearly a good player in there but was still a way off it but is now well thought of at Hull and no doubt his time here helped that.

That's why these lads are sent here and there are clearly verbal promises if not contractual ones made in regards to mins on the pitch. Perhaps from our point of view we should try and source the types that actually fit what we need not just any decent quality player we can grab then try and fit them in.

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

[martonrover]

26 minutes ago, Hasta said:

You've said this a couple of times lately but that certainly wasn't my recollection of the game. We had a lot of posession but the only other real chance I recall (and shown on the highlights) is the Sigurdsson chance. We probed and had posession and territory a lot in the first half but, as we do, created little. The second half they looked far more dangerous and eventually their pressure led to 2 Wahlstedt mistakes.

All the key stats seem to back up my view.

When we tired we had no nouse to try and see the game out.

 

Thanks for posting this.

The stats as compiled by someone watching without red rose tinted glasses on.

Of course, even if they had been more favourable to Rovers, the only stat that really counts is the score line.

[jim mk2]

17 minutes ago, gazza1981 said:

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

I don't think he'll go far. Brighton to Lewes is only about 10 miles. They play in the Isthmian League. That's about his level at present

[wilsdenrover]

I’ve been away for a couple of days - have I missed anything??

[windymiller7]

30 minutes ago, gazza1981 said:

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

Jesus! Give it a rest!

[bluebruce]

34 minutes ago, gazza1981 said:

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

Christ, are you still banging on about Moran?

[riverholmes]

2 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

He wasn't great, but I'd have him over a lot of centre mids (Akpom, Guthrie etc) who have turned out for us since 2012.

Incidentally Tronstad and Wharton CM might be the best pair we've had since relegation from the Prem... hope we get the players up front to make the most of them. 

For a bit of a fun... what's the best Rovers since 2012 team? I would say

                           Kaminski

Marshall       Dann         Hyam      Olsson

                           Tronstad   

           Cairney                   Wharton

                          Szmodics

         Armstrong                 Gestede

 

Just off the top of my head.... Probably forgotten loads of players. Left Rhodes out as I think Armstrong and Gestede offered more all round as well as goals. Would have had Dack in behind the strikers till Szmodics recent exploits - again he offers the goals, but also a lot more all round.

Full backs have been a real problem position for us... can't really think of any standout ones, hence sticking Marshall in at right back. JDT would love a bit of Marshall inverting himself into the midfield.

I think, maybe, Rothwell over Wharton, at the moment. We desperately miss someone like him in our current team with some pace and skill. Reda Khadra, and Poveda, eventually, made a good impact because they could outrun defenders. I find it surprising we don't place more emphasis on pace in forward players when it comes to signings - whilst acknowledging that you need skill to go with it.

 

Edited January 11 by riverholmes

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, Ghost7 said:

Hull in 7th place are doing exactly what our despicable owners wouldn't do when we were in 2nd (and will never do for that matter)... going for it.

Unfit for English football.. No interest! Venky's out!!

Are you sure it wasn't just that our managers kept declining transfer funds that the owners had put forward each winter?

3 hours ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Morton was awful end of.

Awful is over the top. He was a bit underwhelming, was not the type of player we needed (we now under Venkys get who we can not what we need) and he was neat and tidy without being stand out.

We did amazing to finish considering 3 regular starters that I can think of (Pickering, Gallagher, there may be more) were quite so awful!

Edited January 11 by roversfan99

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, gazza1981 said:

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

No

[Ghost7]

21 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Are you sure it wasn't just that our managers kept declining transfer funds that the owners had put forward each winter?

 

Read this plenty on here and it's one of the most ridiculous ideas around.

[pick32]

1 hour ago, gazza1981 said:

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

About as good as the Scottish Rooney or the Brazilian Denis Irwin

[RoversClitheroe]

Almost half way through Jan and still waiting for some first team quality.

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, gazza1981 said:

When Moran gets his physical strength up . How far do you think he can go in the game?. His coach reckons he can be a superstar that he can go all the way to the top. Calls him the Irish Phil Foden . Is that a justifiable comparison?.

It's early days so who knows but if he grows into it there's no reason he can't have a good career but there is a long way to go.

He needs to finish the season strongly here first.

[RoverDom]

3 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

For a bit of a fun... what's the best Rovers since 2012 team? I would say

Was watching liverpool fulham last night where Cairney, Reed and Tosin were on display for Fulham and Elliot involved for liverpool and thought about doing a slightly different 11 of players we've had since 2012 now playing in the premiership. Got depressed when deciding between Raya and Kaminski and gave up. 

Edited January 11 by RoverDom

[Bohinen1983]

My favourite Rovers 11 since 2012

Raya

Tosin
Hyam
Carter

Trondstadt

Cairney
Rothwell
Reed

 

Rochina

Graham
Dack