There is also the issue about the price. Stoke paid over 2m only a year ago so I doubt theyd accept a 6 figure fee so presumably it would be a loan. Kipre had a really impressive season at Wigan and would come highly recommended. I remember last year when we were linked, the common consensus from the Barnsley fans was that it was Pinnock that would go on and excel in the Championship out of the 2 and so it has proven. Lindsay made quite a few errors and slipped down to 5th or 6th in the pecking order at Stoke and is slow so that may hinder any prospect of us pressing high in the same way that Mulgrew did. I cant say that I have seen enough of him to write him off and for under a million in England we are going to struggle to get someone of real quality so maybe Lindsay in a new environment at a more settled club would flourish. If we had a deal lined up for Kipre and now he has gone elsewhere or is going elsewhere, of course thats a blow. But we shouldnt just be working on that deal. We supposedly want 2 CBs and a left back, yet there is no sign that we are actively working on other deals unless the club has been pulling a blinder in terms of hiding it from the press! Its typical though. We signed Cunningham on the last day of the transfer window and of course the Adarabioyo deal took ages to conclude last season. We started the season with Mulgrew, Bell and Bennett in defence and already its about playing catch up.

Where is this from? Lindsay would be a far cry from Kipre and is not a player that I would be particularly excited about but at least I suppose that would involve not putting all of our eggs into one basket when we have numerous positions to sign.

If Kipre is holding on for a Premier League move, and of course the much higher wage that goes with it, I totally understand that and would do the same if I was Kipre and dont feel like there is any scope for resentment, I also think that there would be a good chance that Kipre could have got plentt of first team football there. Ultimately we will need to move on to other targets with the clock ticking. Mowbrays said that we are close to making a signing and I would be very dissapointed if it was just the Kipre deal and nothing else is close. We need more than one player and whilst it is a blow if the Kipre deal was lined up and has since broken down, we are also just as desperate for a left back and the plan was to sign 2 centre backs. Thats before we mention a sub keeper and an attacking player. If Mowbray and Waggott are putting in the late nights, we surely are down the road than more than just the Kipre deal.

We potentially (but now seemingly wont) would have spent less than a million on a very competent, domestic centre back. Plus less than half a million on a goalkeeper who granted is from Europe but whom we havent seen play, and surely only if he is a success and followed by further successes is this vaunted European scouting network considered a success?! And 1.4m would have been sensible and measured spending in the circumstances but hardly throwing the money around. Antagonistic posts aside. I did fear somewhat when I saw the side we put out for the first competitive game of the season on Saturday, you would not have wanted to take that squad down to a League game. Obviously, we can deduct Fisher (who couldnt look any further away) and throw in Kaminski, and also Nyambe has to be a shoe in at right back, as Rankin Costello is not a full back. Even then, we look so threadbare at the moment. First things first, if Bell never plays again, it'll be too soon. Why he was given a new deal, I have no idea, even as back up he isnt up to it, and I am amazed that many seem to think that he improved last year. He had that one decent game amidst a good (much changed) team performance at Bristol City, but otherwise, it is the same old things, he cannot defend one on one, he is technically lacking hence clearances as we saw on Saturday, and he may be fast but it is totally worthless, he usually dithers rather than running forward and even on the rare occasions that he does run forward, you tend to get crosses as per the one that ended high in the Blackburn end. We have to sign a competent left back. I would be happy to let Williams go, but if he doesnt, he should be back up over Bell. Then obviously at centre back, we badly and obviously need to sort that with a couple of new faces. Wharton was actually better than Lenihan on Saturday but we know that the latter is usually the best we have. Wharton might be ok as 4th choice but whilst he looks decent on the ball, we need someone a bit stronger. The bench really was indicative of how weak we are in attacking areas. Also factor in that Chapman, a player even in League 1 and prior to his injuries that Mowbray didnt trust, has suddenly gone from 'cant get a start in dead rubbers' to starting the first competitive game of the season and you really start to ask questions. Gallagher will be back fit but we know how he is out wide. The only attacking player on the bench was Dolan but the fact that a player with no senior League experience may be top of the pile in terms of taking that third attacking spot shows how we need more quality and options. And the fact that we are now so dependant on Brereton, now that is a worry. I would personally probably go for a front 3 of Rankin Costello, Armstrong and Brereton at the moment but that is not really going to inflict too much fear. We really need a centre back, a left back and a player across that front 3 in as soon as possible, this week really, because at the moment we would struggle to have any chance down at Bournemouth. I am unsure whether playing them early is a blessing or a curse, there is a good chance that they may have key players that they will eventually sell.

I dont think there are other players of Kipre's standard for a 6 figure fee that we could attract here. Kipre has been excellent for Wigan and was key in them keeping 10 clean sheets in 11 games during which time we kept 0. The only reason that he is available for such a low fee is because his club are in administration.

Darryl Horgan struggled to have an impact at Preston. Not sure he is good enough to do much at this level.

There is no reason why he wouldnt be in with a shout of playing in the first team at West Brom.

https://mol.im/a/8679291 Looks like Kipre has made his choice. Presume the deal Mowbray mentioned was not one for Kipre.

I get that to an extent but we could do with a senior option ahead of him to place less of a burden and reliance on him because we havent got a clue if hes ready to be productive for a Championship side with ambitions of being towards the top end of the league.

That points per game stat highlights his importance, such a stark difference. Cunningham had a similar record when he played albeit a shorter sample size. It shows how important it is to us to have 2 full backs who can actually defend. Ultimately, Nyambe isnt good going forward but its not his primary job.

Agreed. My worry is an over reliance and as a result dependence on kids stepping up for whom we have no proof that they are ready. Some of the younger players, obviously Nyambe, Travis etc, they are key players. Then we have a few, Rankin Costello, Davenport, maybe Buckley and Wharton who have senior experience and can justifiably be considered as first team players. But we dont have enough senior players across the team. Lenihan at a push defensively. Evans, Johnson and Holtby in midfield. Theres not much though. You look across the front 3 positions, we have Dack (currently injured and perhaps not best suited to playing there anyway) we have Armstrong and then Brereton and Gallagher for whom we can count but the jury is out. Beyond that, we have no real senior options. It was the correct decision to let Graham and Samuel go but, especially now we play 3 across the front line, we need at least one more "ready made" option as a minimum, natural out wide right ideally, who can come in and feature immediately. With the first league game 2 weeks away, we have Armstrong, Brereton and Gallagher as senior players for 3 positions and then just kids. Dolan is exciting but the fact that a player who has never kicked a ball in senior football is possibly right up there in terms of the first team picture says as much about our threadbare squad. The likes of Dolan, Vale, Butterworth etc might well be very well thought on and (assuming some dont go out on loan which may be beneficial) then of course they should be given chances as and when possible. But we have no idea if they are ready yet.

Exciting and very direct, but he is very much a raw kid who hasnt played a minute of League football. Would like to seen him in and around the first team but am not expecting anything too much yet and am wary that we lack senior options across that front line.

I agree with @Ewood Ace regarding what has been a patient fan base within the ground, I remember how happy Ewood was when he scored v Bolton for example. Ultimately, a messageboard is a perfect platform for people to judge players. If he is coming on here, a player with 2 goals in 2 years, and is upset by the criticism. Firstly I dont know why a player would come on such a platform, and secondly, surely he would expect fans to not be overly pleased that as a forward he has contributed so little and often looked so out of place. One thing I certainly do not approve of is people, well a minority of idiots, directly messaging players on social media to call them. That being said, I dont know if Brereton has received that. As a seperate argument, players do need to be able to have a thick enough skin to deal with pressure.

Yeah I certainly dont feel any obligation to buy a shirt. Ive never bought a Rovers shirt as an adult, I wouldnt wear it and im not going to pay 50 quid just to feel like I am helping. I have the money waiting for a season ticket, which is far more expensive and for which there is no reason that like many other clubs they couldnt have put them on sale by now, and simply no excuse not to even communicate with the fans.

It was "fans are hostile" and "abusive rhetoric directed at him" that I was referring to.

Do we often hear that he is excellent at going forward? I thought the common consensus is that he is a defensive full back who can defend one on one and has pace and power but struggles in the attacking third. Rankin Costello on the other hand is clearly not a full back at all. Nyambe isnt repeatedly caught out of position like he was yesterday. Obviously he scored but I dont think Rankin Costello did much in terms of creating chances.

I think that he definitely looks improved but there is definitely also a thing whereby the standards he set were previously so low that the benchmark is practically non existent. His big 3 moments in terms of having sights of goal in competitive games, one he scored v Reading, one v Bristol City when he slipped on his arse and yesterday when he missed an open net. There are promising signs but he needs to start scoring goals.

Thats unfair although to be honest, if Bennett starts at full back, theres a 50% chance that he will concede a penalty and ive never seen a full back who dives in so much. I would agree that Nyambe isnt a brilliant defender but he is our only competent full back and one who really progressed last season. Rankin Costello doesnt have Bennetts rashness but shares his positional misjudgements when playing that role.

Ah yes, blaming Breretons failings on "abusive" fans. He has never got abuse hurled at him from the stands. Lets not make out that hes constantly abused. You dont need to be an expert to conclude that so far he has shown very, very little bar 2 goals in 2 dead rubbers. And posting criticism on an internet messageboard is the place to do it.

Good to see him score but you can tell that he is not a full back because he was caught out of position and beaten numerous times. I was amazed that he was given the man of the match award because I felt that he was, albeit certainly not half as much as the clown on the other side, somewhat of a liability defensively against a poor side. I dont think he was great going forward either really. Put him at left back and he is even less at home as he is on his wrong foot. Nyambe got an assist v Swansea but I would agree that he is very limited going forward but the most important thing is that he can defend. I think Rankin Costello should play where Chapman played.

Good to get through but thats about the only positive that can be taken. A poor performance made even worse by a horrendous pitch, so bobbly. Think we might need a new groundsman before a defender! Bell was stand out in terms of being dreadful. The amount of sliced clearances, the times he was caught of position and his end product going forward all embarassing We know that Lenihan is a good defender but not today, he was shocking. Wharton a bit better beside him but we need defensive reinforcements as we all know. Fisher had a nightmare for the second, needs loaning out. And Rankin Costello is never a full back, defensively poor and needs to play further forward. In midfield, the downgrade between Holtby and Rothwell was obvious. A long lay off for the former is all we need and probably reason to give Downing a call. Johnson I though was possibly the best of the midfielders. Travis bar one tackle was not his usual self. Definitely need more options in attack IMO too. Armstrong wss not his usual self but livened up towards the end. Brereton, total enigma. Brilliant for the second and did a few nice things but missed an open net. Needs to start scoring in competitive matches. Chapman is unrecognisable, Dolan raw but very bright.

Surprised to see such criticism about the decision. Was appalling defending (not aided by the pitch) and he pulled him back. We dont have enough quality in attack.

The pitch is in awful condition considering and could hinder any hopes of playing the ball on the deck. Has been key to a really scrappy first half. Not the best spectacle. One bit of class from Holtby has lit up a poor game and now hes seemingly got a bad injury.

Managed to get in now. More fool me for paying a tenner for 75 minutes worth of football! Thanks for all of your help though ?

How did you manage to find it? Still struggling.