roversfan99

So many questions going into this. Will Hyam start and will any other new signings be involved? Will Brereton be still here? Will Brittain and Gallagher be fit? Is Szmodics out with concussion? Is Ayala ok having been seen with his calf strapped up? Then beyond that, there are obvious selection dilemmas. Will Dack be scapegoated by Tomasson and pulled straight out? Who will play beside Travis? Does Carter play at right back if Brittain is out? I do fear that our team again will be really patched up and will struggle.

A potential last minute move to Schalke for Van Den Berg would be a huge blow because he is a very good player and would have played games in 2 different positions. Always the risk with waiting for a loanee so late into the window. It is really important that we have an alternative in mind who can also play comfortably at right back. Tomasson said up to 3 in his press conference, that was taken as a minimum by many who have continued to suggest 4, 5 and 6 including the likes of Birmancevic, Bowler and Styles in big money signings, my fear was always that a deal could fall through and leave us with not enough time to do something else. The 4 we have plus a loanee attacker would leave us very, very short.

Tomasson was not for even suggesting there is a chance of above 3, unless he was fibbing. Coupled with the LT saying 2 x CBs and a loan attacker. Potentially a 4th centre back on loan, Brown loaned out and no more central midfielders. Lots of decisions made against your own personal preferences.

Something you have heard or just a guess? Liverpool play Wednesday night so maybe they will keep him for the bench assuming Matip/Konate are still out, nothing to do with PR. We need him on Wednesday though presuming that Brittain doesnt recover. So be it? We cant just throw away half a season like that. We need attacking reinforcement now, not in January. May aswell forget the loan for Van Den Berg if we are so flippant about this season.

I think it is Mercer (?) who asked the above question re Hirst has implied that he has been told that the deal will go through tomorrow. Rich Sharpe has heard mixed messages, and the previous tweet was that Brereton pulled out of playing last week due to an imminent move which obviously was not true. But thought id post after seeing it all the same.

Nixon apparently talking more shite about Van Hecke.

Not only is the core of what is left much better than what was inherited but we also have a 15m asset who can be sold, another one who was sold and a 4m asset that he wanted to sell that was blocked. The latter 2 deals could have led to further reinvestment on assets but the blame for why it hasnt belongs in India.

Since corrected it seems. Maybe he misread as it says 4th signing in the official article in a rush to publish his own story.

I very much doubt that the sticker book was done when the first signing was made knowing that exactly 6 signings would be made! Mere coincedence that we will sign 6. Nixon again talking shite saying that we needed Brereton to be sold to push this through.

Glad to see the signing of Hyam wrapped up well in advance hopefully for his first start on Wednesday night. A little surprised that its only a 3 year deal with no mention of an option. Where is this from?

I'd like to think even at our dysfunctional club that the idea that a player would get "instant support" based on family connections wouldn't play a part, not least because it implies that not everyone would.

I think any suggestion of more than 3 signings is beyond fanciful, Tomasson was very firm in dismissing the suggestion yesterday in his interview that we could get more than 3. If it isn't 3, I would suspect that less (breakdown of deals) is more likely. 2 centre backs including Hyam and a loanee and a loanee attacker seem to be the likely remaining business. Talk of Styles and the Malmo winger would take considerable fees and fall outside of what we are seemingly looking for. I suppose it could be seen as 3 and then a potential Brereton replacement at a push, but we said last year that we would get a replacement for Armstrong and we didn't.

I am guessing that this is a cryptic suggestion of Donis. Where is this from? Based on his goal record, he makes our current bunch of non scorers seem prolific.

Suspect we wont as it seems the attacker we want is on loan according to the LT.

There seems to be a lot of knowledge about this Birmancevic, I know he is a left winger but in the absence of ever having watched Malmo, what type of player is he? I suspect that its hypothetical anyway, it seems like if we can get it done, based especially on the LT that our remaining business will be Hyam, another centre back on loan and an attcking player on loan. That coupled with a Brereton sale would leave us desperately short.

Steven Gerrard might see his old manager Brendan Rodgers at the job centre tomorrow.

Definitely very early so they are not major worries but I think that it is justified to question whether we have seen any coherent attacking style or signs of one especially considering how little we have created in the 6 games. I couldn't possibly say with certainty that it will all come together, as much as it needs more time.

Was very impressed yesterday and I would most likely start him on Wednesday with Buckley struggling from a deeper role. I still think we need another central midfielder with more experience because we are one or two injuries away from needing to use Wharton game in game out, and if his form dipped and/or he struggled with the physical intensity especially with mid week games, it would be unfair. But looks very talented and much more at home in the first team picture than Vale or Phillips.

I really wish you'd stop shoving the "time and patience" cliche down my throat and indeed the throats of others every time a point is raised. If I had said that Tomasson needs to go, that he will never be able to sort out the attack or anything like that, it would be a valid comeback. But I have not. I am fully aware that it won't be an instant transformation, I am looking for signs of the transformation rather than the full game plan/ I don't think that the second half yesterday necessarily fitted the style mentioned anyway, there was a natural move to a more attacking team with Stoke sat in, but it was very much Hedges right, Brereton left, not THAT much interchange, and more a case of attack v defence rather than a game plan being carried out from the start. I also don't think that the attacking players have been used correctly either. Gallagher wide right has continued, the make up of Dack up front and Szmodics wide right was bizarre yesterday, these are worries. You also mention blocked shots but we didn't create many good chances which is the key, half chances maybe but the keeper had very little to do all afternoon. Regarding Swansea, against a very predictable team, a clever gameplan was used by Tomasson but yes it was a smash and grab in that we scored basically every chance we got. We sat in and 3 clinical counter attacks were the key, nothing in line with the fluid front4/high pressing/interchange etc that we have heard that he apparently is going to play. I am guessing that you have absolutely zero doubts, concerns or worries but I have not seen the supposed attacking plan in place that was earmarked in the summer, or even many glimpses of what we are trying to do. You say "no doubt he'll adjust" which for me is more of a case of I hope that he will be able to, no way can I have absolute certainty at this stage in that being the case.

My problem was more that I don't get why we chucked in crosses at all rather than trying to get down the sides and in behind the big lumps that licked their lips any time we aimlessly lofted in a cross. Even with set pieces, we never looked like scoring, surely with a smaller team the order of the day was invention and creativity off the training ground?

Does a striker that is good in the air suit us? We don't really have good crossers and play wide men on the opposite side.

I would equally agree that making sweeping statements the other way is not helpful either so no arguments there. Yesterday's game to me had huge parallels to the Derby game last season. The first half saw a side that not only individually had basically everyone off their game, but the whole set up was bizarre, the Bradley Johnson false 9 choice will forever be in folklore and whilst there was nothing that eye catching yesterday, the Dack up front/Szmodics wide right idea made no sense and was coupled with predictable tactics that suited a defender in Aden Flint who is generally poor and very slow but aerially very good. In the second half, logical drastic changes in personnel and shape were made against teams sitting on a one nil lead with the onus on us to attack, but without that many clear cut chances created. So often during the off season we heard about how Tomasson likes to play as if it was clear as day. A fluid front 4, interchange, passing, pressing, none of which I have seen much of so far. I actually have seen more signs that Tomasson's strengths lie in organisation rather than developing a side whose strengths lie going forward. Against QPR, we saw the game out comfortable and the Swansea game was a very good plan for a smash and grab against a predictable team.

If they were of the calibre of Neves, 30 cap international wanted by huge teams, Guedes, 32 caps and a big money move after a few good seasons at Valencia, Moutinho, 146 caps and glittering CV, Nunes, big money talent wanted by big teams before signing, Nelson Semedo, big money signing from Barcelona, Pedro Neto, brilliant talent wanted by Arsenal and also Sa and Podence, as well as previously having the likes of Jota to help them to become a top half Premier League side, I reckon I could stomach it.

A bit confused with the rumours today, seems like a case (both from the clubs and journalists) of throwing enough shit at the wall and hoping some sticks. In defence, hopefully we can Hyam unveiled ASAP because we need him for Wednesday night, and that Nixon's comments about it being reliant on a Brereton sale first are of his usual inaccuracy. Making a big play for another loanee of the Van Hecke/Van Den Berg calibre (assuming Hyam signs) would seem illogical considering how weak we are elsewhere and that we have limited resources and these loanees will expect game time, especially as both are proven to be good players at this level. If it is Hyam and one of those 2 then Van Den Berg would make more sense as he is able to also play at right back, and Carter would presumably go out on loan. With Brereton, he will be such a big loss as he is our only prolific goalscorer AND also our only competent player from the left side so that would need 2 replacements. Very disappointing to read that it will likely be a loanee, and if that means Brereton out and a loanee in, off the back of the lack of Armstrong reinvestment, it would be piss poor. If Hirst is that man, very underwhelming. If it was a permanent signing, maybe slightly more enticing. Also, with all of these potential loans, so 2 of our 3 last additions added to Morton, it doesn't fit with the constant "journey" narrative whereby people seem almost willing to write off a whole season...