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Thread: Is it just me being impatient?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    681

    Is it just me being impatient?

    Long before the season ended, in April, Ferguson was talking about looking at next year's team implying a lot of early activity for good players from top clubs.

    He has dropped Keegan, McCormick, Pugh, McSheffrey and Taylor-Sinclair. In addition he has saved on salaries for Evina and Lund, and now he might do a deal to clear Etheridge off his books. That's 8 players potentially gone, with additionally Middleton still to find another club. He is a good player and no reason why a league two club won't want him.

    So far we have Niall Mason, Danny Andrew, Alex Kiwomya and Ben Whiteman in. That's a shortfall of 4 or 5 players. I see a lot of activity in the transfer market but not much for Rovers.

    May, Mandeville and Beestin may be out of their depth in league one, Williams dried up last season and Marquis is playing hard ball over his contract and could yet go.

    Is it not time to see some constructive activity in the transfer market or has Ferguson's budget run out already? I know there is plenty of time to go until the window closes but aren't the best players being snapped up by our competitors already?

  2. #2
    I see it as the "Loan" players out will be being paid up to 50% of salary by DRFC, ( not including Lund, as i dont suppose he would be on more than 500 a week )so if earning 2K a week each DRFC are saving 2K. You dont get much of a player for 2K a week. To top that off Andy williams NOT going has cost DRFC more than that. There is also the chance that any of the "Loan" players COULD get injured and loan then cancelled, which means DRFC are footing the wages for rest of campaign.
    I believe the "Board" will sanction a player or two as permanent to DRFC, but its a case of right fee and right salary level.
    Seemingly DF has missed out on 3 players ( two i believe to be the Guys Barnsley aquired from Palace or Forest Green, Left back / centre back ), i guess all 3 were able to get higher salaries elsewhere.
    Last edited by madirishsupporter; 10-07-2017 at 03:18 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
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    774
    No SilverTop, I don't think you are being impatient. By promising to settle his new squad before the start of this year's friendlies, Ferguson raised expectations. Unfortunately the realisation has fallen short. He has released 3 experienced players (Keegan, McSheffrey and Taylor-Sinclair) and Middleton is on the transfer list. All 4 players have previous League One experience.

    By all accounts, he has missed out on 3 strikers, and has had to withdraw Williams from the transfer list. That makes Williams his fourth choice. He has also missed out on other targets. He has brought in 3 players permanently and 1 on loan. But none of them have previous League One experience.

    All of this sounds less like squad strengthening, and more like cost reduction. Indeed, he has stated that some of his targets have been lost for lack of funds. The boards 'generous budget' is looking less generous now.

    On paper we have a weaker squad than last season. It could be argued that we also have a weaker squad than the previous season when we were relegated. As always, we will have to wait and see.

  4. #4
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    Aug 2013
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    681
    It may be co-incidence, but the bookies on Oddschecker have dropped us from 11th to 14th in League One. Clearly the bookies are lowering their expectations of what Rovers will achieve. Personally, I think Marquis's procrastination at signing up doesn't help and is distracting DF. Lack of activity/failure to make more quality signings is cause for concern. Maybe we have lost out on some preferred signings, but still need a plan B executing. I didn't know both teams share the cost of loan players, and I have no idea what players get paid as it is not public information, but I can do the sums to know we need more players of a high quality to compete comfortably and we seem to be currently losing out.

  5. #5
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    Aug 2013
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    I said on the 9th that “That's a shortfall of 4 or 5 players. I see a lot of activity in the transfer market but not much for Rovers”. Now Kiwomya has an ankle injury and Steven Taylor has slipped away. It should be obvious that we need a stronger team for league one than we had in league two where we came in third after a pathetic end of season performance. I see little to fill me with confidence so far with a week to go to the start of the season.

    I don’t know if issues around Dick Watson has affected this year’s budget. It’s sad to lose such a great supporter and few will disagree that Dick did a massive amount for the stability of the club. My condolences to Dick’s family. But I am now convinced the budget is a major issue this year as Ferguson has done so little and left it all too late now.

  6. #6
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    Aug 2013
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    Of the last 10 games we have played, which includes friendlies, we have only won against Armthorpe, Tadcaster and Guiseley. No wonder we have now dropped to 15th on Oddschecker. I can't say I have seen anything yet to inspire me with optimism as we close on the first game of the season.

    The last time we faced Gillingham we lost one and drew one, and we are sure to lose to Bradford in the cup and Blackburn in the second league game. Happy days ahead but here's hoping I am wrong.

  7. #7
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    Aug 2013
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    Is Donny's 5 year plan to get into the championship via league two again? If it is then we are on target. Clearly we are in a relegation battle and Ferguson does not have the management skills or the authority over the players to get us out of this mess. He has too few options to dig us out of this hole.

    No doubt some fans will say things will still come good even though we are a quarter of the season gone and others will argue problems with players and formations, but the facts remain the same ... we are in trouble and I, for one, can't get excited following Rovers right now.

    We are no better off than when Dickov was here and he was sacked. Is this what the board really want for Rovers?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    1,202
    I don't know how you can say that SilverTop, after yet another clean sheet !!!!!!!!
    Oh, sorry, I was forgetting - it was a clean sheet at the wrong end

  9. #9
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    Aug 2013
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    I really don't know what Ferguson can do to get the forwards to score or our defenders to keep the ball out. Even sacking Ferguson will just give another manager the excuse that the players are Ferguson's and not his. We are in the same loop as two years ago.

    Oh by the way, congrats Scarjo on another great week for you. You really are uncatchable and I don't know how you do it. Well done.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    1,202
    Thanks for the compliments SilverTop, the secret is....

    ...LUCK

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