Woah there we've often gone 4-2-3-1. It's the 2 you have in there that are important. play a 2 and 1 needs to be physical and the physical and play a bit! We generally play with 2 who can't tackle and think they are Pirlo.

Does it matter? You won't trust the source if he tells you🤷🏻‍♂️

Granted he looked a useful player that season. I'd say there's a case that back then he was playing a proper cf role and had been at Southampton/u21. He's not developed in any way, shape or form since that season. It's been coached out of him with this wide forward rubbish that started during his loan at Brum and under every manager since. Given his size, at 27 he should be an absolute nightmare to play against but he's often bullied out of it by the opposition centre back. Maybe an additional 3 years playing up against 2 cb would have made him more competitive - who knows.

On paper he looks a good addition. We've needed an out and out quick winger for a while. The issue is with our system. He won't be able to get to the byline and whip one in as there is at best only ever 1 rovers player in the box. He's going to end up playing as wingback I reckon. On the down side, he doesn't sound like he's one for a battle and we really need some grit and fire out there when we go behind.

In all honesty our centre backs are far more likely to score at set pieces than Gally/Breo. For 2 big lads they are weak in the air.

Good post. Exactly how I see it. I really hope it signals a shift in tactics but I highly doubt it will.

Lets hope he's actually played as a pacy winger and not wingback or false 9.

Isn't he another small un? we need some presence up there.

The precontract thing is the worst possible outcome for Rovers. No money and a disinterested player for 6 months. You can say he's professional all you want but there's no way he'll be putting his body on the line. No slight on him, just a natural thing to do in his position.

but our 'wingers' don't score and don't cross. Playing on the 'wrong' wing works well if you have quick overlapping full backs though - but we don't have those either 🤷🏻‍♂️

Amen

Strikers are coming. is the new 'Defenders are coming' Then in rocks a loan signing.

We are still waiting to sign a striker to replace our last goalscorer Armstrong...

£1.8 million plus add ons. Source posh chairman- reported in LET - Unless you know otherwise? Edit: To be fair though, on what he's shown to date, the add ons won't be much.

I'm guessing....cheap.

Agreed. With our budget these days -at £2million he should be regarded as a first team top player, not a decent back up to see out games. If he was £500k fair enough but for what we paid he's a poor signing.

All our targets disappearing? Who'd have thought it. Time to dust off the Z list.

TBF, I don't think you can judge players fairly, a week or 2 before a potential move. Hedges being a decent example.

This. And it seems to be any competition at all. The wage structure is the issue.

Also the likely destination of O'Brien at Forest. Old manager now at WBA.

Give over. If you are arguing he's only had 2 chances and scored them both then that clearly highlights 1) His positional awareness must be non-existent. 2) A complete lack of ability to create a shooting opportunity for himself.

So, as far as I can tell, we *may* have completed the signing of an out of contract keeper from Broughton's old club. Every other signing mooted would appear to have several options, no doubt all of which will be more financially beneficial to either the selling/loaning club or player. No real links to any realistic player in Europe. Yet other teams around us have already strengthened. As you were.

Nothing in football is straightforward 80% of it is the aligning if the stars. Certain managers are shocking at one club and can do no wrong at another. Similar with a lot of players. Developing kids instead of washed up old pros -not a problem with that at all. There needs to be an element of short termism though. Signing loan players in summer is frustrating and we've done it way too much over the last 5 years. Mid table at this stage of the season, carry on as you were. However, We have 3 loan slots. We have more really -as you could argue Mola not being in the squad is no loss. We are -by luck or good judgement- in the playoffs. This is where paying hefty loan fees (like we did for Tosin, Elliott etc) should be utilised. 3-4 quality prem fringe players on loan till summer could keep us in the playoffs and give us the best chance of going up. Nobody we can afford to 'buy' now, will have much impact. They will be more Eduns or Pickerings. Undav sounds like one who may make a difference - 2 or 3 more like that. They wouldn't be cheap but surely a risk worth taking? You'd think this would have been a lesson learnt from last year.

Is the 'project' is to constantly give game time to young players, who clearly aren't at the level required - purely to add value? If it is (and this has been the mantra trotted out so far), then I don't see how the squad will ever get to the required level you seek. Now throw in our supposed low wage structure, where we constantly 'miss out' on targets and can't retain established players. Then we have the inability to cash in on any of said established players. I know the core of this problem comes from above but Broughton /JDT are selling it. Our squad is weak. It relies on the academy to pad out half the squad. To top it off, the brand of football is turgid. Any slight possibility of going up due to league position and they should break the bank for 3-4 high quality loans and go for it. Even if the following season is immediate relegation, the money received would make a long term project more realistic.

Vale needs a loan in league 2. If he doesn't perform there, he needs shipping out and the next academy prospect moved up. Seen nothing from vale that suggests he should be competing for a place at this level.