Player discussion

[Drog]

Lifted this from the LT.
"Of the last 10 goals Rovers have scored while he's been on the pitch, Bradley Dack has been involved in nine of them and his influence on this team is only growing by the week."

A remarkable stat. After Chapman's injury sickener Dack is the one player with real invention and creativity. It's imperative that we do our utmost to keep him fit and I'm surprised Mowbray left him on for the whole match after we had gone 3-0 up after 63 minutes. I don't want to criticise after a good result but with 30 mins left and another match coming up on Tuesday it was unecessary and unprofessional imo.

 

[Wilpshire Blue]

We could really do with more than one key man as it makes it too easy for the opposition, well the better ones, to stifle us by marking or fouling him out of the game.
Makes it even more of a shame that Chapman is out for so long.

 

[Drog]

Quite right WB. They don't grow on trees though in this Div do they?

 

[Barmitzvah Boy]

Exactly what we were saying at the Bury game. He could, and should, have made earlier substitutions (I think they were on 80 minutes) when the game was well and truly over rather than waiting. Bad decision making again from ToMo.

 

[Pinkrover]

Exactly what we were saying at the Bury game. He could, and should, have made earlier substitutions (I think they were on 80 minutes) when the game was well and truly over rather than waiting. Bad decision making again from ToMo.

He needs to go now...hes starting to bug me !!

 

[Pinkrover]

Who would you replace him with, Pinky?

Meeee obviously lol ..

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

Thought Dack was fantastic on Saturday. Doesn't seem to get enough credit in my opinion but 2 assists and 1 great goal is about as good an all round performance as we're likely to see this season.

 

[Drog]

He does from me b&w. We'd certainly be uninspiring without him.

 

[Vinjay]

He does from me b&w. We'd certainly be uninspiring without him.

Yeah he's almost as inspiring as Cap'n Lowe.

 

[Alan]

I was just wondering what we do with Lenihan when he is fit again after Christmas now that we have Paul Downing playing so steadily. Maybe we play him with Smallwood in centre midfield or alternatively play him with Downing at centre back and move Charlie Mulgrew into midfield. That is what I would try.
Knowing Mowbray he'll probably take the opportunity to play three at the back again and completely upset the rhythm of the team.

 

[dingles staying down]

It looks like Mowbray is a fan of one up front, so I'd move Mulgrew into midfield with two midfield runners to do his running, similar to when Tugay was here. It would be like a beggar's Tugay. I would have said a poor man's Tugay but it is more than one level below that.

 

[Alan]

After the win at Blackpool it appears that Mowbray is getting some idea of his preferred line up. The good thing is that only two of the starting line up yesterday were loan players, Antonsson and Downing and judging from the way they have been well out of the first teams at their home clubs it shouldn't be too hard to persuade them to sign permanently. It would be good to get Harry Chapman too but that is a long shot although he is out of contract at the end of the season and Boro don't seem to be rushing to offer him a new contract. However Mowbray has publicly stated that he is looking to sign a similar player in January. If he can do that and sign a couple of decent full backs at the same time and get Lenihan back the future is beginning to look a little brighter.

 

[steve w]

Agreed Alan but what we need now is hopefully not what we will need next season.
Who that we have now could cut the mustard in the championship?
Mulgrew
Lenihan
Dack - maybe
Raya - maybe
Williams - maybe
After that we could be lumbered with a lot of dead wood

 

[Drog]

I think I'd omit Williams from my list tbh steve and put Dack down as a definite.

 

[Alan]

Agreed Alan but what we need now is hopefully not what we will need next season.
Who that we have now could cut the mustard in the championship?
Mulgrew
Lenihan
Dack - maybe
Raya - maybe
Williams - maybe
After that we could be lumbered with a lot of dead wood

Let's get there first. Then hope we can have a summer like the last one. If you add Samuel and Bennett you have half a team there. Add Chapman/replacement you have a pretty good start for next season.

 

[steve w]

Let's get there first. Then hope we can have a summer like the last one. If you add Samuel and Bennett you have half a team there. Add Chapman/replacement you have a pretty good start for next season.

Last season I would have agreed about Bennett (who I like) but I think he is playing at his level now and the championship would eat him up and spit him out

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

Its interesting you say that Steve as my major criticism on here over our transfer activity was the replacement of mediocre Championship players with good League 1 players. That seems to be working out so far but, as you say, if promoted we'll mainly have a squad of League 1 pedigree.

Its all about the manager in that situation for me. How did the likes of Lambert promote Norwich twice in a row, by keeping the underrated gems and buying smart.

Keith Andrews went from League 2 to two consecutive seasons of holding down a first team slot in the PL, at the age of 28! Surely inspiration for some of our lads (like Dack) who think they're better than League 1.

 

[khmerblue]

Antonson the guy from leeds impresses me every time I see the highlights.His goal at blackpool was more to do with his chasing a lost cause,9 times out of 10 the guy would have not under hit the pass,but the swede was alert and deserved his goal.dack has a touch of the Rodney marsh about him,his goal at b pool was a classic not giving up and a sniffers goal.Mulgrew is a class apart a premier player,plying his trade in division 3,it's a good job for us he was so injury prone at Celtic that big clubs are afraid to take a punt on him.I said last year that nyambe would become the next whipping boy after lowe,shame really because the one game I've seen on TV Brentford away he played well.Raya is a great keeper needs to toughen up in the air,do we have a goalkeeper coach?Smallwood seems a great player not seem him play mind you,what shirt no is he?Nuttall I like seems to have a point to prove.better him than Sulking thomas,s all in all one or two additions in Jan we will look the team to beat.

 

[Drog]

Antonson the guy from leeds impresses me every time I see the highlights.His goal at blackpool was more to do with his chasing a lost cause,9 times out of 10 the guy would have not under hit the pass,but the swede was alert and deserved his goal.dack has a touch of the Rodney marsh about him,his goal at b pool was a classic not giving up and a sniffers goal.Mulgrew is a class apart a premier player,plying his trade in division 3,it's a good job for us he was so injury prone at Celtic that big clubs are afraid to take a punt on him.I said last year that nyambe would become the next whipping boy after lowe,shame really because the one game I've seen on TV Brentford away he played well.Raya is a great keeper needs to toughen up in the air,do we have a goalkeeper coach?Smallwood seems a great player not seem him play mind you,what shirt no is he?Nuttall I like seems to have a point to prove.better him than Sulking thomas,s all in all one or two additions in Jan we will look the team to beat.

Antonnson isn't all that convincing although he is getting the goals. Seems a bit lightweight and is certainly no target man.
Dack I'd say has more devil in him than Marsh. There is imo more a touch of Speedie about him. Surprisingly good in the air for a small chap with good control and the one player that we have who has the rare ability to turn and beat an opponent in attacking midfield positions. He'll become a crowd favourite or I'm a dutchman.
Mulgrew is weird. Seemed to be made of glass and always limping off UNTIL Mowbray made him Captain. Healing powers? How does that work I wonder? Not sure he's best captain material but as you say he is a class above the rest of the squad.
Nyambe is poor in anyone's language. Strong and willing would be the best that I can say about him.
Raya is a really good shot stopper but quite simply wouldn't be here if he could could catch crosses and was commanding in the air.
Smallwood ... every team needs one of these. A getter and giver with a bite in the tackle. 100% effort sees him cover lots of ground in most matches. Far removed from being another David Silva unfortunately.
Nuttall.. Jury is out on this lad. Resembles Rashford but the resemblance finishes there. There is something to be worked on though. I believe from his positioning that his instinct is to play off a target man not become one. No idea if he's any good in the air cos I've never seen him head a ball. Strange deficiency for a big lad. As it stands at the moment if we are to play 4-4-2 I'd have Graham at CF with Samuel playing off him with Nuttall coming off the bench when needed.