14 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

Tried and tested managers not the order of the day, it seems. Sure some of these left field choices will pay off, but it makes for a very unpredictable season. 

12 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Anybody mentioned Mike van der Hoorn or Chey Dunkley as possible incomings? 

Both on frees and coming off back of great seasons in the championship. 

Just throwing names out there but 2 good options imo

 

Not a cat in hells chance Rovers could sign him even if we had the money. 

He'll have his choice of any number of top flight teams. Let's get realistic 

Spoke about Van der Hoorn a few pages back - would be quality but I'm not convinced that he fancies the championship. Dunkley's a decent shout on a free, albeit a downgrade on Tosin.

21 minutes ago, Mike E said:

There's one from Shearer that irritates me:

'Not just a great goalscorer, but a scorer of great goals'.

...and? Some of the dreariest, off-the-keeper's-backside goals have given me as much joy as a Tugay special.

Probably worth it's own thread, this. Horrible goals that were wildly celebrated. 

Di Santo an early front-runner.

21 minutes ago, scotchrover said:

Amoruso- I don’t think I’ve seen a slower defender.

My all time top crap player though is Etuhu. The bloke was an absolute waste of space. Those mentioned above might have been crap, but at least they tried! 

The thing that I always find funny about the Rangers-Rovers connections from those years is that there never seemed to be anyone who did it for both clubs. Inexplicable how Lorenzo and Ferguson are both modern day greats for Rangers, but couldn't cut the mustard down here, and yet Tugay could barely get a game in Glasgow! Sure fitness and age played a part, but even so.

The worst thing about the Murphy-Etuhu axis to begin with is that you couldn't tell for a while whether one of them was letting the other down it terms of their legs having gone/not putting the effort in. It was only after a couple of months it became obvious that they were both as bad as each other!

Just now, Tugayisgod said:

Couldn't have been more wrong about Jon Mclaughlin

Hope he's wrong about the loan keepers too! Wouldn't be the first time. As far as I can tell though this other bloke has just started his twitter account a couple of weeks ago and starting spitting out rumours like there's no tomorrow. As much as I would like Phillips, I don't think this guy has a clue either way.

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Have a look online and research the player. 

But here a very simple question, is he wasn't any good why would he at Man City and his country number at such a young age? 

 

To be fair Chaddy he might have all the ability in the world, but there's no getting away from it being a massive unknown and therefore a risk when he has played so little football. 

If he was a striker raw ability and letting the player make a few mistakes along the way is fine. For a keeper, it would be a risk even if we were taking the next Peter Schmeichel. 

Just now, Jlee1984 said:

Got a few right this week, Let's see if he's worth following or blocking

 

I'm afraid that he has all the hallmarks of a total chancer. For all the stick he (justifiably) gets on here, information from Nixon is like Reuters compared to most transfer rumour accounts on twitter.

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Doesnt make any sense if it is true.

I am not rubbishing the idea of loans full stop, a couple can help you on your way. Goalkeeping ones are a massive risk though.

It is impossible to feel anything but deflated at what has happened, selling Raya I could live with. Putting the money towards Gallagher and entering a risky chain of loaning kids in goal, I can not understand at all.

I've defended most of Mowbray's decisions over the last few years, but can't argue with this. I was broadly fine with selling Raya (couple of million quid too cheaply, but fine) and loaning a player with Walton's CV for 12 months wasn't ridiculous either. Surely now we must be looking at getting a player settled in that position, especially when there are good options from 2 of the teams relegated to L1.

If Iversen comes in & is brilliant then I'll eat my words, but even if it comes off it's a high risk call for such an important decision. 

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

I've never ever heard of a player running his contract down and then there being a sell on fee at his next club.  Sorry, doesn't stack up. I'm willing to bet there isn't a clause.

You might well be right, it did seem to come out of nowhere but equally I was under the impression that it was basically established that it was there. Suppose we'll find out in the coming weeks, can't see him staying there come the start of the new season.

10 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Yes, but his contract ran down here....I'd be very surprised if we had any leverage for this, seeing as it went to a tribunal. 

In fact, I'm certain there will be no clause....why would Bournemouth agree to that for an out of contract player....?

I thought this was already confirmed, no? Could be wrong, but didn't Sharpe or someone say that it was a thing back in January?

Can't say I'm overly impressed by the idea that we're looking at a loan for our number 1 again, although I'll see what they're capable of before throwing my toys out of the pram. Iversen at least has the advantage of a successful season of first team football under his belt. Don't really know what is meant by expensive loan, but surely if it's classed as expensive there can't be much of a difference between what it would cost to get Marshall on board?

16 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I always felt that, on the back of Raya especially, his fairly conservative nature was to his benefit in terms of how people viewed him. When Raya made a mistake, it tended to be an obvious one. So many times, im thinking Huddersfield at home, Fulham at home, Readings second goal, he let shots in that werent blatant errors but should really have been saved but for a mixture of poor positioning and weak handling. Whilst not being as blatant as the ones at home to Bristol City or Leeds. His distribution wasnt as eye catchingly bad as weve seen in the past in terms of clearing things into touch, but he never set up counter attacks and often dallied, and his long kicks rarely went off the pitch but they often went towards the smallest man on the pitch with little accuracy or power.

You mention his ability to come for crosses but I saw things that backed up Wigan fans saying when we signed him that he has difficulty commanding his box. Off the top of my head, there was the Preston one obviously. There was a corner at Stoke that ended up as a goal due to his flimsy goalkeeping. There was the one at Wigan when he dropped it. There was one at home to Sheffield Wednesday when he misjudged a low cross, he also spilt a low cross/shot away at Boro that led to a goal.

Whilst it is immaterial to us which goes back to the folly of selling a keeper and loaning one the same age. It might also be impacted by questionable coaching which always warrants discussion. But I dont think that Brighton are getting back a better player.

I suspect that his career is at a cross roads. Certainly nowhere near a Premier League team as he thinks. Due to his loan spells he may get another Championship loan further down and do that until his contract expires as I cant see anyone paying a fee for him.

I think that's a good point, and his performance against Hull early doors (not just his penalty save) would've created a good first impression post-Raya too. Equally, the less obvious mistakes can start working the other way where after a few mistakes, fans start second guessing goals which other keepers would get a free pass for. I remember watching the replay of Vaulks' goal at Cardiff 4 or 5 times thinking the only way he could've scored was Walton making a mistake with his positioning. 

Anyway, I completely agree that he wasn't of the right standard overall & miles away from a number 1 shirt in the Prem. All I'd say is that there were certain aspects of his play which helped us get a more solid defence, at least for a while before his poor form after the restart. If say, Barnsley, signed on him a 3 year contract for a small fee, I'd see that as about his level and would be a decent signing for both parties.

Just now, Mercer said:

A surreal match.

If my memory recalls correctly, it could have been curtains for City at half time.

Think City 'destined' to win the game and probably a good job with all the many thousands of lunatic Mancs in the ground that day.

Remember after one City goal, the goal scorer dancing down the touchline from the Darwen End into Joe Royle's outstretched arms - a cringeworthy and sickening sight for Rovers' fans

Was only a youngster at the time, but even I remember Nicola Kalinic levels of misfortune in front of goal. Christian Dailly's own goal would look highly suspicious these days if it was scored in such a big game!

4 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Off topic I know but Rovers v Man City from 2000 on Sky Sports at 12 today

Classic match apparently, anybody remember the score? 

Will be City's promotion game. I wonder if they'll show all four times that we hit the post!

Just now, renrag said:

Marshall at Wigan is looking for a championship club according to the BBC

If the alternative is loaning youngsters from Prem teams, we should be all over this.

49 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Dalglish carved himself out a lower league career i think.

Miles kickaball isn't even non league standard.

Peaked too soon with that tackle in training

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

Very interesting to see some of the posts on here from just before lockdown. Noticed the thread so had a quick look and it was a mixture of answers, but plenty of praise for him:

 

Was he overrated at this point? Or harshly judged for his string of blunders post lockdown? Seems to have gone from a mix of views, genuine debate as to whether he was an improvement on Raya, some wanting to see him as number 1, quite a few as number 2, and some not at all. To universal criticism.

Bit of both. The number of clean sheets we had as a team prior to lockdown was better than decent, for which he has to take some credit. To be fair to him, he has made some good saves this season and his willingness to come for crosses (bar Preston away) has helped.

He just makes too many errors and tends to go in spells of either decent or below par form. Doesn't make him a dreadful keeper but it means that we have to look for better if we want to get in the top 6 next year. I might get shouted down for this, but I actually think he could be a great long-term signing for a Championship team a bit lower down. Trouble for teams with more ambition is that you need loans to be of the right standard straight away.

Just now, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

That was the pre-tax loss not the wage bill

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11676/11671654/blackburn-report-16-8m-loss-for-league-one-promotion-season

Rovers wage bill was £8m

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18636225.salary-caps-introduced-championship-discussions-ongoing/

8 million is still massive when compared to next seasons limit. Hard to see how Wigan can keep almost any of their senior players even if their takeover goes well. If your whole wage bill stretches to about 50 grand a week, you can't be having a player on 8-10 unless they're so good that they almost get you promotion by themselves.

Not claiming to be an expert on L1 & L2 finance, but the 2.5 million salary cap seems pretty restrictive on some of the bigger clubs like Sunderland, Ipswich and Pompey.

No doubt most of their players won't be worth looking at, but would Portsmouth be able to demand 2.5 million for Ronan Curtis like they were trying to do in January? Some shrewd moves to be made over the coming weeks, I think. 

4 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Controversial question. Did Kean make any good signings? 

Rhodes is one that comes to mind. Anyone else? Dann I suppose. 

You could argue a few fall in the half-decent category. Olsson, Formica and Rochina weren't top-flight quality players, but not awful. Was he in charge when we signed Jermaine Jones?

14 minutes ago, LeftWinger said:

I think you've pretty much nailed it there. I'd chuck in Maceo Rigters in with Goulon. He'd just won the golden boot at the Euro U21 championship I think, but a deeper delve into his goal scoring history suggested it was a one off.

Rigters is a great shout. Remember him being playing in the 4-1 loss to Coventry in the FA cup. Poor team performance, and Keith Treacy wasn't much better than Rigters, but even putting this aside it's up there with one of the most inept performances I've ever seen in a Rovers shirt. It's how I imagine Ali Dia was in his single appearance for Southampton. Like watching 10 footballers and a bloke from the crowd.

I think Sparky's talent for picking up bargains hurt him too. We'd gotten used to buying top strikers for a couple of million quid & I remember a lot of us having really high hopes not based on much more than Hughes' midas touch. 

Kevin Davies for me. Taking player inflation into account, that would be like paying at least 20-30 million, maybe even more for him at least in today's money. Throw in that we gave them a young James Beattie, Rovers fan and future England international as a sweetener. Awful deal. 

As well as that, whilst we got him on a free transfer, the lack of impact from Javi De Pedro was the biggest under-performance vs expectations for me, even more than Murphy and that's saying something. Was only about 12/13 at the time, genuinely thought he was going to tear up the league. My first insight into the dangers of judging a player from Championship Manager!

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Do they? In the Bowyer era I would say that was the case.

Away from this forum I don’t see much ambition in the fanbase anymore, plodding along in mid table and staying out of the third division suffices with many these days, ‘we are a small club’ etc. 

The expectations we had even as relatively recently as, say, 2015 seem to have long gone...

I'm not sure that's quite true. I see a fair amount of disagreement about how close we are to being a playoff team, some thinking we're close and progressing, others that we're some way away/stagnating. But I don't think the idea that we're at our level and we should be satisfied with being where we are is a common view at all. 

Seeming nailed on that the Bristol C. assistant manager is getting a promotion. He won't necessarily be a bad appointment, but I'd be disappointed if I were in their shoes.

Remains to be seen what sort of shape Rovers will be in next year, but as things stand the league looks wide open for next year, especially if at least one of the promoted sides drops like a stone as has tended to be the case recently. 

13 minutes ago, Atko's Engine said:

Maybe he's looking to return home; I doubt he's likely to get a Prem move having looked at his stats on wiki. He does seem to tick many of our boxes and appears the sort we should be looking at, being a free agent.

If the rumours of us having a semi-decent budget are true, then perhaps it could be a possibility. Reading between the lines it seems as though Swansea are going through some belt-tightening this summer, and given they have to replace their outgoing loan stars maybe he's going because they can't afford him.

That would beg the question if we are in any better a situation, but if we are his lack of transfer fee would make him an interesting option. 

9 minutes ago, Mike E said:

As a thought experiment, I swapped the amounts paid for these players in accordance with their Rovers performances/goal returns:

Dack £7m

Armstrong £5m

Gallagher £1.75m

Brereton £250k

Frankly, Gally still looks like a waste out of those 4 imo.

This is a really interesting way of approaching it. My guess is that had we spent that amount on him, most fans would either be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for next year, or more likely criticise TM for not using him properly (which may or may not be valid anyway, irrespective of his price tag). You're definitely right that the other three would represent better value for money though.

As a general point, I do think that some critics of the manager can be a little blase about the Dack and Armstrong captures, who I think are Hughes-level bargains, whilst not holding back when pointing out how profligate we've been when it comes to Brereton and Gallagher. Seems to me that if we were evaluating the transfer dealings of the Souness era, you'd have to offset the brilliant signings with the Grabbis, Fergusons and Unsals. Only fair that we do the same with Mowbray too.