roversfan99

I think the European Group Stages are often entertaining so I dont think that I would want them to be removed, the Champions League in general works well as it is. The Nations League was created as an alternative to friendlies so I do think it has been successful considering its objectives. I do think that the footballing schedule is too busy but I am unsure exactly what could be amended, although England playing teams like San Marino every year and battering them 10 nil does nothing for noone. But my point was calling out your ridiculous notion that foreign managers dont have the right to give their opinions and question the structure and logisitics of their teams schedule simply based on their nationality, and that they should simply go back to their own country if they choose to do so. Rangnick, Tuchel, Guardiola and Klopp have has much right to give their opinion as say Howe, Dyche, Gerrard and Potter ie nationality is totally irrelevant. And if they have no right to question it, surely it is hypocritical to then go on and start suggesting your own amended calendar!

I agree that the Cup games shouldn't be removed and I also do like a Boxing Day fixture, although I would suggest that the general festive schedule is illogial. My point was specific to the idea that they should go back to their country if they don't like it, as if their nationality gives them less of a right to an opinion. It shouldn't/doesn't and as you said in your quoted post, you'd think the same about an English manager.

So you can only comment on logistics around football in the country in which you were born? Got ya.

If you got a job as a manager in the Bundesliga, you would be entitled to an opinion just as much as a German manager in a similar role, bizarre to suggest otherwise.

Are they less entitled to an opinion because they are from a different country? I totally disagree with it but I am not sure that it warrants the "get back to your own country" style comments.

Is the team not as good as last season? Massive upgrade at left back/left wing back based on signings. Better quality at centre back due to one loanee and mainly availability of Ayala and Wharton. Better quality in midfield with Travis back fully fit, Rothwell used differently and Buckley really establishing himself. Also much less reliance on the depth of the squad compared to an unprecedented fixture schedule off the back of a 3 week pre season due to Covid last year. I wouldn't really say that the team was set up to benefit Armstrong, possession based football doesn't suit an explosive, pacy player. Nor was he disproportionately lazy to the point that it "destroyed us." He was the main man but we are equally reliant on one forwards goals this season, just a different player. Mowbray got his tactics all wrong last season, but takes pragmatism, intelligence and ultimately proves a lack of stubbornness to bin his "principles" to great success this year, so loads of praise deserved.

The 15th place was down to a multitude of reasons, a few factors that have changed this season seen below: - Misguided desire to play possession football that didn't suit us. - 2 horrendous left backs v one very reliable one this season and a decent back up. - Ayala being fit much more often. Wharton back, Van Hecke added. - Brereton being much more clinical, complex in itself. May well thrive as main man, but also increased confidence from Chile exploits, also much more clinical, last season his goal conversion was poorer than all other attackers. - Khadra a shrewd signing. Dolan much improved, Buckley improved. - Travis fit and sharp. Rothwell re-modelled next to him. - Numerous sub par players let go. - Schedule (so far) less congested. If we had Armstrong now we would be even better. He would also suit playing on the counter rather than the possession football.

That assumes that creating chances and then the conversion of chances are mutually exclusive. Better strikers have more chances as they get into better positions, therefore essentially create chances for themselves via good movement, as Armstrong did.

By all means test earlier which would have reduced the inconvenience to supporters, can't argue with that. But the main issue is that it is the 8th of 10 games to be cancelled from the fixture list today, and that would have happened whether the tests were done first thing or not. This shows no sign of ending and I have no idea what the answer is to stop it. How though, what if a team has say 16 players without covid and 9 with covid, but 6 of those are injured. You are just playing games to fulfil a fixture list. It isn't called off due to injuries, it is called off essentially as 9 from 25 players have covid, the Boro example is incomparable as it wasn't at a time of peak infection within a pandemic. We speak today knowing that if Hull could field a team of kids, we'd win so we are biased. I mentioned above though, I do think it could have been called off earlier, but they don't care about fans hence why last weekend, Bournemouth away at Boro was selected by Sky at 12.30.

His pace and anticipation often created his own chances too. His goal tally is an argument of itself anyway, if it was as simple as taking loads of shots and scoring goals, every team would have a striker on 28 goals.

What would your suggestion as to an alternative to the current rules? Because of injuries being a grey area, it seems impossible to come up with rules that cannot be manipulated or questioned. Also, it could be deemed to be negligent not to do another round of testing on matchday if testing is daily in general and if players need to follow the same rules as supporters to get into the ground. Seems impossible to manage at the moment.

Behind closed doors would not solve the problem in that it is players getting covid so much that is causing the cancellations.

There is no way that transfermarkt or indeed any website can justify accurate transfer values for players. Khadra is not worth only 250k.

If it was that simple, every team would have a striker on 28 goals.

I have no idea where football can go from here. I suppose they will have to do daily tests therefore ones on the day cannot really be avoided. From 10 Championship games today, 8 are off. I don't think a circuit break works because that relies on Covid not being prevalent once the season restarts. The current system of playing as much as possible seems pointless when so many games are being called off, when can they be replayed? Unfair on fans potentially calling games off so late too. You can't do points per game as it is far too early to justify that. And to null and void the season would seem crazy too, unless the alternative is behind closed doors rubbish. There is no answer that I can see.

Probably Khadra. Brereton and Armstrong on the counter attack playing the way we do at the moment would be lethal.

Utter nonsense, Armstrong scored 28 goals for us last season. It isnt his absence that has led to us doing better, if we had Armstrong now we would be even more dangerous, there are so many factors that have led to our improvement. Stopping trying to have excessive possession and being more pragmatic. Pickering coming in and massively improving on the woeful left backs we had. Ayala staying fit more often. Buckleys development. Brereton coming to the fore boosted further by confidence from his Chile exploits. Travis returning to full fitness and sharpness. Rothwell being somewhat re-modelled. Khadra and Van Hecke being here. Wharton being back fit. Many sub par players being released rather than being relied upon due to an unusally compact fixture list last season. The list goes on. I think all of our players would struggle in the Prem.

Does cheating only exist in the Premier League? And VAR has now overcome its teething problems and just makes for more correct decisions.

I dont get how football can be enjoyed when progression ie promotion to the top league is seen as counter productive. Bizarre to me. I love the idea of Rovers hosting the very best teams in the country and some of the worlds best players and hopefully competing with them, rather than games in front of less than 10k against teams like Peterborough, Barnsley, Oldham and Shrewsbury.

Absolutely not. Leicester were the favourites for relegation in a league with big teams like United, City, Liverpool, Chelsea etc. I have always maintained that for us to get even into the top 6, it would take overachievement, but not an unfathomable or unrealistic one. Barnsley made the play offs last season, it is a poor league with usually 2 or 3 teams likely to make the top 6 and then its a bit of an open floor.

Would be an excellent season and achievement if we went up, but on par with Leicester winning the Premier League? Behave!

I suspect sales have spiked with people anticipating a sadly inevitable lockdown likely to start to start from Barnsley at home onwards.

A "different approach" was earmarked last summer when Mowbray mentioned Rankin Costello and how we would be very careful bringing him back to fitness, and he has broken down twice since and played about half an hour of senior football. There are big question marks over his robustness and sustainability to play regularly, and even if fingers crossed those issues do get resolved long term, we need someone else to rely upon for a crucial half season. I am not totally convinced that he is anywhere close to being a regular for a side in the position in the league that we are even if he was fit, he defensively is poor and his attacking side has never blown me away either, he very much would be categorised as a steady deputy/squad filler at the moment if he was fit. But ultimately, he isn't and has proven repeatedly that we can't expect him to stay fit for the rest of the season, and our plan B when Nyambe who does a very physically demanding job gets a muscle strain himself is to move Buckley there it seems, who is not particularly good there himself, understandably so, plus it moves him from midfield. We need someone much more reliable and of better quality to compete with Nyambe such is the void of competition there and considering where we are in the table. It has nothing to do with Mowbray's future as to why I have questioned a potential pre-contract agreement with Hedges either, again you seem to be creating your own counter arguments. I do agree that recruitment should be a continuous process, it is the specific deal that I questioned. I merely enquired as to whether pre agreeing to sign a winger in the summer when we don't currently play with wingers and don't know what division we will be in is a prudent and wise idea, I think thats a fair question.

I don't see why you can't appreciate that my interpretation on the situation is just different to yours, chaddy also uses the "how many times does it need explaining to you" patronising line, but that is just your interpretation against mine. I do find your thought process baffling though in that Venkys permit a budget and Mowbray/Waggott spend that, whether they could use that budget better (especially the manager) is a different debate but there is no way that the budget given no matter how it is spent should impede on FFP regulations. To be honest, I don't really want to get into another FFP debate, as far as I know we haven't recently breached FFP, indeed a temporary embargo was placed due to late submission of accounts IIRC, and I certainly don't share this assumption which for me is baseless that Venkys would spend every penny up until the FFP limit and it is only regulations that is holding them back from doing so. But anyway, back to the point in hand. I agree with you, I would hold off on a new deal for Gallagher, at least for now. Yes there is a risk that he suddenly starts banging them in, and he certainly isn't useless, but considering that he is a higher earner and I don't see many teams being interested in him personally, I would just let it run for now. But comparison to deals regarding Nyambe, Rothwell and Lenihan are impossible, the idea that we let him go for free and use the wages to put towards the aforementioned trio is a non starter for numerous reasons, notably that it assumes that someone would take his full wage, and it assumes that he provides no use to us and wouldn't require replacement, which he obviously would. Hoping JRC stays fit is quite clearly a pointless exercise, never gonna happen. He has been back training numerous times and will invariably break down again within the next month. No clue on suggestions for a new player, leave that to people paid good money and who can spend good time identifying someone. Adding a player who doesn't fit into the current way of playing 6 months in advance when we are unsure of what league we will be in seems illogical to me. Signing him on a cut price deal now to help us achieve our ambitions for the rest of the season at the level we are now would make more sense, but would still raise the question over his position.

Would anyone take his full wage for free? We would still need to replace Gallagher if he left, he is not totally useless and he would leave a gap, so take that off any saving. You think Venkys are interested enough to "bollock" the manager and CEO over specific contractual issues? Nothing stopping them slightly increasing that budget now and protecting the assets, as I mentioned I suspect those 3 based on the difference in circumstances between now and when they signed their last deal makes the gap between current wage and demand to be significant, and that would be similar for the last year or 2. The reason the other deals have been done is not because that they were prioritised, they were clearly easier and/or cheaper.