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Post by Topper Gas on Sept 17, 2021 20:23:17 GMT
Not sure we had much experience last season, Ehmer seemed useless as a leader at the back, we had no experience in midfield and none upfront.
This season we've gone to the other extreme, Jaakola, Rodman, Hughes, Anderson, Whelan, Clarke and Pitman are all the wrong side of 30.
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Post by LJG on Sept 17, 2021 20:46:46 GMT
Not sure we had much experience last season, Ehmer seemed useless as a leader at the back, we had no experience in midfield and none upfront. This season we've gone to the other extreme, Jaakola, Rodman, Hughes, Anderson, Whelan, Clarke and Pitman are all the wrong side of 30. Hanlan had 100 league appearances when he joined us. Nicholson something like 175 in MLS. Oztumer 170 odd in the league. Not exactly bereft of experience up front and in midfield. Also Baldwin and George Williams at the back.
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Post by richie on Sept 17, 2021 20:57:27 GMT
Not sure we will miss Hanlan goals this year and let’s not panic because Clarke is injured
This is a much better team than last year, we just need to give it a bit of time
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Post by Topper Gas on Sept 17, 2021 21:16:13 GMT
Not sure we had much experience last season, Ehmer seemed useless as a leader at the back, we had no experience in midfield and none upfront. This season we've gone to the other extreme, Jaakola, Rodman, Hughes, Anderson, Whelan, Clarke and Pitman are all the wrong side of 30. Hanlan had 100 league appearances when he joined us. Nicholson something like 175 in MLS. Oztumer 170 odd in the league. Not exactly bereft of experience up front and in midfield. Also Baldwin and George Williams at the back. !00 games is about 3 years worth of league experience, hardly the 300/400+ games/10+ years of experience the likes of Lines and Mansell had played, Nicholson also seems a youngster, Ozt went missing once he succumbed to COVID and Williams was a PT rather than a BG signing.
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Post by Topper Gas on Sept 17, 2021 21:18:29 GMT
Not sure we will miss Hanlan goals this year and let’s not panic because Clarke is injured This is a much better team than last year, we just need to give it a bit of time Goals win games not just looking good on paper, somebody, out of Pitman, Saunders, Collins and Thomas has got to start scoring regularly this month, or we will be looking for yet another new manager.
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Post by LJG on Sept 17, 2021 21:26:42 GMT
Hanlan had 100 league appearances when he joined us. Nicholson something like 175 in MLS. Oztumer 170 odd in the league. Not exactly bereft of experience up front and in midfield. Also Baldwin and George Williams at the back. !00 games is about 3 years worth of league experience, hardly the 300/400+ games/10+ years of experience the likes of Lines and Mansell had played, Nicholson also seems a youngster, Ozt went missing once he succumbed to COVID and Williams was a PT rather than a BG signing. So what? You said there was no experience. You're wrong and I've just proved it.
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pirate
Forum Legend
Posts: 18,765
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Post by pirate on Sept 17, 2021 21:33:21 GMT
Hanlan had 100 league appearances when he joined us. Nicholson something like 175 in MLS. Oztumer 170 odd in the league. Not exactly bereft of experience up front and in midfield. Also Baldwin and George Williams at the back. !00 games is about 3 years worth of league experience, hardly the 300/400+ games/10+ years of experience the likes of Lines and Mansell had played, Nicholson also seems a youngster, Ozt went missing once he succumbed to COVID and Williams was a PT rather than a BG signing. When we got thumped 6-1 at Accrington our side had 950 plus starts in League One and Accrington had 450. I'd suggest a lack of quality was the problem, not experience.
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Post by 84gas on Sept 17, 2021 21:34:41 GMT
Hate on promising youngsters (Hanlan,Ayunga,Kelly,Barret,Hare) and also hate on proven, senior players with promotions on their cv. Sums up our fanbase tbh, never happy!
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pirate
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Posts: 18,765
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Post by pirate on Sept 17, 2021 21:40:07 GMT
Hate on promising youngsters (Hanlan,Ayunga,Kelly,Barret,Hare) and also hate on proven, senior players with promotions on their cv. Sums up our fanbase tbh, never happy! Why would we be happy following a relegation where we finished bottom with club record home defeats and club record games without scoring and now sit 22nd in the basement division?
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Post by aghast on Sept 17, 2021 21:42:30 GMT
Hate on promising youngsters (Hanlan,Ayunga,Kelly,Barret,Hare) and also hate on proven, senior players with promotions on their cv. Sums up our fanbase tbh, never happy! It's not hate. It really isn't. It's gut-wrenching disappointment at being 22nd in League 2 after Joey told us he would keep us in L1 and then, after that went a bit wrong, would definitely promote us from L2. Which of course he might still do, but I don't think I'll bet my house on it.
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Post by axegas on Sept 17, 2021 21:43:21 GMT
Hate on promising youngsters (Hanlan,Ayunga,Kelly,Barret,Hare) and also hate on proven, senior players with promotions on their cv. Sums up our fanbase tbh, never happy! There wasn’t actually that much hate for those guys you mentioned, a few negative comments of course but if you look behind them you’ll find we had a fanbase willing them to succeed. I don’t even think there’s that much hate on the older players now either. Just exasperation that we took a risk on a 36 year old Striker in the summer and he’s already in the physio room.
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Post by 84gas on Sept 17, 2021 21:47:24 GMT
I’m not happy about our fortunes but what do people expect when it comes to recruitment? Our record fee was spent over 25 years ago which is embarrassing but sums up where we are as a club. I think we have the right mix of youth and experience this season but time will tell if it gels and are good enough. Unfortunately for rovers, we have only ever been successful in recent history when we have been lucky by signing unknown attacking gems (Lambert,Walker,Taylor,Bodin,JCH) and we certainly don’t have one of those this season from what I have seen
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Post by richie on Sept 17, 2021 22:06:09 GMT
Those players should have had a bit more hate, can’t believe people pine after them
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Sept 18, 2021 1:14:46 GMT
....and (to add a suffix), when you can't find a goal in the cupboard for love nor money and you're near desperation, in amongst the growing injury forward/striker list, you send two kids that can score out on loan......!?
What could possibly go wrong? 🤔
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Post by Wembley_Gas on Sept 18, 2021 1:46:28 GMT
The issue with Ayunga and Daly was that neither had scored a goal in the EFL at the beginning of last season so we were relying on a converted winger to get the bulk of our goals and whilst he’d found the net on occasion at Gillingham he was hardly prolific so it was a gamble depending on him to remain injury free and develop a cool head in front of goal. As we know our back up options were the inexperienced JML and the classy but again unproven Nicholson, who again had never scored a League goal in English football. Several times over the course of the season we saw snatched opportunities go begging from whoever was tasked with playing up front.
With Leon Clarke out our forward options may again be limited but you don’t expect him, Pitman, Collins and Saunders to freeze in front of goal or spurn as many gilt edged chances as their predecessors. I suppose the main recent development I disagree with is that whilst we are short of numbers in the forward areas we choose to send our junior strikers out on loan, yes they will get more minutes at Dorchester and Hereford but if we’re expecting Collins and Saunders to play a high energy game then we’re likely to want to give young fresh legs the last ten minutes in those same positions or even bring one of them on earlier if we’ve started Pitman as we know he is carrying an injury. Seems to me an ideal time to blood them gradually and then send them out on loan when Clarke has proved he’s back to full fitness with no imminent chance of breaking down again.
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Post by RD on Sept 18, 2021 5:25:41 GMT
This is a much better team than last year, we just need to give it a bit of time What a bizarre statement to make - based on what? Given half of last years team now play for clubs in an entire division higher, or at least clubs in a higher position, couple with our horrendous points return thus far, what makes you say that?
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Post by Topper Gas on Sept 18, 2021 6:54:26 GMT
This is a much better team than last year, we just need to give it a bit of time What a bizarre statement to make - based on what? Given half of last years team now play for clubs in an entire division higher, or at least clubs in a higher position, couple with our horrendous points return thus far, what makes you say that? We look better on paper at least, with plenty of experience and at least strikers who have regularly scored in the EFL, it's irrelevant where last season's players are now playing as we need to be competitive in L2 not L1. Why the likes of Hughes and Coutts are playing so poorly is hard to work out. Plus we have the usual issue when we have a bad season of a number of our best players out injured, Jaakola, Clarke and Nicholson, with Pitman only semi fit. Today looks like a massive game for Barton, put in a decent performance and at least score a goal or two and we seem to be turning the corner, at least at homeN. Play poorly, lose and you do wonder if it's worthwhile Wael sticking with Barton as we can't afford to then lose to Walsall and Swindon.
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Post by LJG on Sept 18, 2021 7:33:17 GMT
What a bizarre statement to make - based on what? Given half of last years team now play for clubs in an entire division higher, or at least clubs in a higher position, couple with our horrendous points return thus far, what makes you say that? We look better on paper at least, with plenty of experience and at least strikers who have regularly scored in the EFL, it's irrelevant where last season's players are now playing as we need to be competitive in L2 not L1. Why the likes of Hughes and Coutts are playing so poorly is hard to work out. Plus we have the usual issue when we have a bad season of a number of our best players out injured, Jaakola, Clarke and Nicholson, with Pitman only semi fit. Today looks like a massive game for Barton, put in a decent performance and at least score a goal or two and we seem to be turning the corner, at least at homeN. Play poorly, lose and you do wonder if it's worthwhile Wael sticking with Barton as we can't afford to then lose to Walsall and Swindon. How can players being at higher ranked clubs be irrelevant to the question of whether or not this team is better than last season's? It's not only relevant it is literally the point being debated. Also - "We look better on paper". What? How's that? Have you looked at the league table? If not guess where you can look it up ... in the PAPER!
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Post by daniel300380 on Sept 18, 2021 7:52:11 GMT
I have re-joined after a long absence to put on record how disappointed I am at the recruitment this summer. Despite it being obvious to anyone with half a brain giving injury prone 35 year old Rodman a new contract was simply an awful financial/business decision. Was obvious after last few years he would hardly play and shock horror he is on the treatment table again wasting a wage that could be spent better elsewhere! The signings of fellow 30 somethings such as Hughes, Coutts and Pitman so far appear to be an utter failure and waste of money. Again too old and completely past it! That brings us to deadline day with the utterly disgraceful signings of Clarke(36) Whelan(37/38) and Brown (32). Already Clarke has done his hamstring and no doubt Whelan won't be too far behind him and I just find it incredible that Wael sanctioned Joey to sign such a load of old and past it players when the wages could of been much better spent on younger players who will actually stay fit and be able to play with the energy that you need to be successful in modern day football. With Coutts, Grant, Finlay and others Whelan remains the most pointless and baffling signing of all time for me. Would rather give Hargreaves/Mehew a game than sticking someone who is nearly 38 in the heart of the midfield. I really wanted Joey to succeed but just don't understand what is going through his head at the moment or in recent months. Seems to have signed a load of his mates with no thought of a long term plan which is frustrating as he seems an intelligent guy. Need a YOUNGER consistent formation and team and play on the front foot. Plus potentially the best player Thomas is not even being named in the squad at the moment. Very worrying times at the moment and I just don't see where we go from here unless Joey loses his stubbornness and admits he has made some huge errors in the transfer market and goes with more legs and energy in the team. For what its worth I would go for something like this tomorrow. (Shame Nicholson is injured) Belshaw Hoole Taylor Harries/Kilgour Anderton Finlay(c) Grant Anderson Evans Thomas Collins Subs - Saunders, Hughes, Pitman, Brown, Hargreaves, (Ward) If not going our way 2nd half get Pitman or Saunders on for Grant and go two up with just one holding midfielder! UTG!!!! We needed a bit of experience in certain areas. No mention of us putting our a young team, for a few games in a row though I see??? In one league match, we had two outfield player’s over 24! One was 26 and the other just turned 29. In the trophy match, of the 14 player’s that took part, it was the same two that were over 24! It’s inaccurate that we have an old squad now. The majority of our new signings and squad are of a decent age. The problem is, we have not been good enough so far. Signings look worse, as we had such a shortage before.
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Post by LJG on Sept 18, 2021 7:57:17 GMT
I have re-joined after a long absence to put on record how disappointed I am at the recruitment this summer. Despite it being obvious to anyone with half a brain giving injury prone 35 year old Rodman a new contract was simply an awful financial/business decision. Was obvious after last few years he would hardly play and shock horror he is on the treatment table again wasting a wage that could be spent better elsewhere! The signings of fellow 30 somethings such as Hughes, Coutts and Pitman so far appear to be an utter failure and waste of money. Again too old and completely past it! That brings us to deadline day with the utterly disgraceful signings of Clarke(36) Whelan(37/38) and Brown (32). Already Clarke has done his hamstring and no doubt Whelan won't be too far behind him and I just find it incredible that Wael sanctioned Joey to sign such a load of old and past it players when the wages could of been much better spent on younger players who will actually stay fit and be able to play with the energy that you need to be successful in modern day football. With Coutts, Grant, Finlay and others Whelan remains the most pointless and baffling signing of all time for me. Would rather give Hargreaves/Mehew a game than sticking someone who is nearly 38 in the heart of the midfield. I really wanted Joey to succeed but just don't understand what is going through his head at the moment or in recent months. Seems to have signed a load of his mates with no thought of a long term plan which is frustrating as he seems an intelligent guy. Need a YOUNGER consistent formation and team and play on the front foot. Plus potentially the best player Thomas is not even being named in the squad at the moment. Very worrying times at the moment and I just don't see where we go from here unless Joey loses his stubbornness and admits he has made some huge errors in the transfer market and goes with more legs and energy in the team. For what its worth I would go for something like this tomorrow. (Shame Nicholson is injured) Belshaw Hoole Taylor Harries/Kilgour Anderton Finlay(c) Grant Anderson Evans Thomas Collins Subs - Saunders, Hughes, Pitman, Brown, Hargreaves, (Ward) If not going our way 2nd half get Pitman or Saunders on for Grant and go two up with just one holding midfielder! UTG!!!! We needed a bit of experience in certain areas. No mention of us putting our a young team, for a few games in a row though I see??? In one league match, we had two outfield player’s over 24! One was 26 and the other just turned 29. In the trophy match, of the 14 player’s that took part, it was the same two that were over 24! It’s inaccurate that we have an old squad now. The majority of our new signings and squad are of a decent age. The problem is, we have not been good enough so far. Signings look worse, as we had such a shortage before. The average age of the squad isn't really the issue. The advanced age of the players brought in to fill key positions is.
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