Haha - Nicko’s clueless. Prob been reading posts in here. Gallagher defo on the radar. I’d take him in a heartbeat ??

Pretty sure Chapman has been fit the last few weeks / months. Sounds like he’s been offered to us for Jan. I think we will take that option on a pragmatic deal to use him off the bench with a view to developing. Completely agree that we need more firepower.

Smallwood’s contract was a reward for last season and some parity on wages but it was only two years. I can’t see him playing much next season and Maybe we’ll get a nominal fee next Christmas. Evans is better than Smallwood and they prob want him to a new contract to be used as a squad player long term. Interesting that they haven’t agreed salary terms yet. You wouldn’t wanna pay big wages for a player you were going to replace... Graham got another year which is standard. Bennett, Arma, Bell, Lenihan, Nyambe and most of the others are under pressure to keep improving or risk being replaced. It’s good, healthy competition. Aside from a striker, which I think is essential, I would expect us to improve every area as and when the opportunities arise.

imo the games we’ve lost or drawn this season have generally been because of a lack of ruthlessness up front. Goals change games and there’s been plenty where we’ve been on top, missed chances and gone on to drop points. The constant whinging about a Brereton is boring. Speaking to a league manager last week who’s friends with Venus they fully expect BB to be the next superstar in terms of impact. But at 19 he simply can’t do what Graham does physically. Even IF BB was flying I’d expect us to sign more goal scorers because every successful team has them in abundance. That doesn’t mean we’re not short in other positions. I fully expect TM to replace the likes of Smallwood, Evans, Williams and Graham in the next couple of windows. All are unable to develop well enough to stay in the team long term. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of them left. I can also see the heat being applied on the likes of Bennett, Bell and Armstrong to improve in order to play more regularly. I still say that this Christmas they’ll be looking at BB completion, Reed on a perm, a mainline striker on loan and Chapman cheap with Palmer returning to Chelsea. But I wouldn’t rule out us strengthening any department in terms of quality if the right player at the right price was available.

Other than the 4 and 3 against Preston and Wigan I haven’t seen a “brittle” defence this season. We’ve had a lot of injuries and yet it’s been relatively solid. He sees Rodwell as a CB and Downing has done well the last two games. He doesn’t need a CB and won’t sign one unless something comes up that he can’t turn away. Which is unlikely in Jan. Always makes me laugh when people say “we can’t afford him” etc. How on earth do you know what we can and can’t afford? We never for one minute thought we had the money for BB. I feel that we are a mainline striker short regardless. I can see us loaning one and if we’re in with a shout of the playoffs by Jan then I can see us buying one. Che Adams? £5m? The Ings thing was more in relation to a new manager and people falling out of favour / being replaced. Austin? I mentioned Chapman because TM had in the recent meeting. Think he’s ours if we want him. I can see us letting Palmer go back and signing Chapman. Lets see how it plays out.

Let Palmer go back and allow Rothwell to start more regularly as one of the three attacking midfielders. I think Rothwell has been fantastic every single time I’ve seen him play. Pay whatever it takes to get Reed. Would be a huge loss if he went back. Go and get Chapman - cheap as chips for impact off the bench and development. Chill out with Brereton. Listening to a few he’s VERY highly rated. But he’s 19 and we’re not even half way through the season. Talk of ‘getting our money back’ etc is just madness. Trust the manager. Loan / buy a top striker possibly out of the Prem with a goal record in the championship. (Wickham, Gallagher, Ings, Madine or even a Maupay or Che Adams) to directly compete with Graham. GK - Raya, Leutwiler RB - Nyambe, Benno cB - Lenihan, Mulgrew, Rodwell, Downing, Williams LB - Bell, Williams DM - Smallwood, Evans, Reed, Davenport, Travis (Rodwell / Benno) AM - Dack, Arma, BB, Rothwell, Chapman. (Reed / Benno) CF - Graham, New striker, (BB / Arma)

We wanted Bauer but ended up with Rodwell who the manager had insisted time and time again he sees as a CB. I am completely happy with Rodwell so far. Williams plays for his country in that position...and I’ve never heard the manager say he wants a big, ugly CB. In fact, no one wants big ugly CB’s these days...We’ve had injuries in this position and covered them. I can’t see us looking at that position mate.

I’m not saying there has been a suggestion. I just look at the likes of Reed Davenport and the likes of Travis etc and think that if we strengthen further in that area then those players (Smallwood / Evans) will have to move down the pecking order or on... He’s already said that he sees Brereton as a wide forward and at 19 obv doesn’t see him as a CF yet. I don’t get the CB argument. We’ve got 5 of them and aren’t conceding lots of goals. So why do we need another?

It’s a striker to directly challenge DG that he’ll want. A target man on loan until the summer when I feel he will have a mini overhaul looking to increase quality in most positions meaning the Downings, Smallwoods, Williams, Evans, Samuels etc might see themselves being moved on. I do think they’ll want to do a deal for Reed in Jan. Isn’t he out of contract in the summer?

Mate, are you pissed?

A mainline CF is what we need. Someone to directly challenge DG in terms of that role. If they can get Brereton ticking then fair enough. They could then look at another wide attacker (TM doesn’t play with wingers). Otherwise go for a Gestede, Woods (It’ll never happen) type. Che Adams would be fantastic! At this current stage I can’t see us signing a CB. We have Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams and Rodwell (who TM sees as a CB) with Downing as cover. I think that upgrade would happen next season. If you’re talking about evolution then what you do is see what’s available. If it’s affordable and far better than what you already have then sign them. To me, Dack is probably the only player we are incapable of replacing purely because we’d have to spend a fortune to do so.

Rovers are missing some direct competition for Graham imo. An experienced, powerful striker. Brereton is REALLY highly rated by literally everyone I know in football. Most cannot believe that we’ve got him. But he’s not ready.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/09/28/do-walsalls-mitchel-candlin-threatens-to-steal-toni-martinezs-we/

But the player does have a say and I’d suggest as long as we’re interested, Chapman will be keen!

I think considering everything, we’ve had a fantastic window. You can never cover every single eventually and several injuries in one position will always expose us but the manager, directors and owners couldn’t have done much more. Zero player sales ✅ Exciting potential signed and £10m in fees commited ✅ Key players contracts extended ✅ Add to this a very solid start and I’d say it’s been near on perfect. The fans have just gotta get down there and back Tony and the lads.

LIKE ????

It’s true that most people ‘think’ they know how football works because they love the game. But in actual fact, if you do not have that deeper understanding or experience then you are unlikely to really understand. Just like any other industry. Just because something is difficult for you to hear, doesn’t make it wrong or arrogant. It’s no big deal if you don’t believe me re the Rhodes quotes mate. You believe what you like. For those who were posting back then on here they will remember that I actually said most of this before we even sold him. Most of which was corroborated afterwards. But Rhodes career has since confirmed those opinions. Direct quotes insinuating the same stuff from international managers as well as club managers etc. Pretty sure I didn’t call him a flag track bully either. He’d have to be quick, strong and tenacious for that...anyway, rumours anyone?

Maybe it’s in the sound bite...

They just sign who is available at the time mate. The valuation on Bauer was ridiculous. My feeling is that they won’t be ripped off. Which is why I’m so excited about Ben Brereton

Yeah he did score lots of goals. But defending isn’t just about defenders. It’s about forwards and midfielders doing their job to close space and press. It’s about forwards holding the ball up to let your defence get a breather. It’s about your CF retaining possession to get you up field...that type of play is essential.

Tbh I think it will Be Friday now. I’d prefer an attacking wide midfielder with some pace and creativity releasing Armstrong from his midfield duties leaving us with three strikers for one spot. Loan Nuttall out with an option to recall and then review again in January.

It’s a fair point you’re making and all comes back to a common rhetoric which should be followed from now on... #trustTony ???

Bowyer took over at one of the worst points in Venkys reign. He steadied the ship and had a fantastic eye for a player. Made some great signings on a lesser budget than Mowbray and was responsible for the development of several academy stars. His ability to do this has been further exemplified by his work at Blackpool who will almost certainly go down now he has left. He is level headed and a good, solid coach. Towards the end of his reign at Rovers Venkys we’re having a fire sale of his best players and I still would’ve put money on him keeping us up. However, people in football are often judged on moments in their career and his moment was that season when having put together a wonderful team, he should 100% have got us up. He failed in his moment. It’s layman thinking to judge like this but that is football fans for you. Rhodes in much the same, but oppositely is lauded and remembered fondly by the same fans for scoring goals. But those with a deeper football knowledge or who play the game ask...how many of his goals won games? How many were scored in vein as we lost? What else did he contribute? Could the sum of the parts been greater than the individuals? I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people in football haven’t rated Rhodes. A few have taken punts on his goals but then having seen him in training been mortified. I remember a member of one of his former clubs coaching staff referring to him as a “Sunday league footballer with Jermaine Defoe’s finishing” Based on this it’s also no wonder that fans are split on Brereton. Ultimately, he’ll get his moment and be judged widely on it. The others will be more pragmatic and understanding Personally, I liked Rhodes. By all accounts he was a nice guy who worked hard and ultimately he scored a lot of goals for Rovers. But I can see why he and Bowyer split opinion. I just hope most fans give Brereton some time to make his mark.

Rhodes split opinion in the fan base. But there was no split in opinion of the management team back then. They watched him everyday and were astounded by his lack of ANY ability other than to find the net. Couldn’t pass, poor control, no strength, wasn’t quick. He is a proper old fashioned 2nd striker. In the 90’s he’d have probably played in the PL. But teams and managers expect much more from strikers these days. He has been found wanting in pretty much every club since Rovers. His overall presence in the team was seen as a hinderence for that period of time. That you had to play with 10 men and hope that he scored to reward the team.

Yerrrrrrssss