January shopping

[robinrover]

Boy oh boy do we need to improve our defence after yesterday's collapse
Champs was right all along about a centre back and a goalkeeper needed
Raya is lacking in focus and lenihan is never a centre back like rodwell isn't.
This is an essential area of improvement if we are to progress beyond this season.

[robinrover]

And amari bell is looking more and more like a league one defender,maybe a couple of full backs as well.

[champs95]

Personally I'd play Downing at CB. I think Mulgrew only looks solid with him next to him. I don't actually like the partnership of Lenhian and Charlie. It leaves too many holes. I'd actually play Lenhian in Smallwood position. I think Lenhian could do that holding CM role better. It's like having 3 central defenders playing in the middle. Lenihan would provide more defensive cover.
I moaned about a lack of back up keeper all summer. As if anything happened to Raya we'd be in trouble. As it affects our whole back 5. Something has happened to Raya. He isn't close to being the same keeper and was rushed back too quickly. As the other lad isn't good enough. And Raya has lost all of his confidence. And is costing us games.

We didn't need all these midfielders he's stocked up on but refuses to give game time to. TM's recruitment needs looking at. As most of them haven't kicked a ball. And other positions have been left woefully light. Keeper, CB, CF ....

[champs95]

And amari bell is looking more and more like a league one defender,maybe a couple of full backs as well.

Nyambe is a liability defensively. I think We need to play either Bennett at RB, or Lenihan. Personally I'd consider Lenihan. Nyambe is great going forward, he is costing us a goal in almost every game he plays. He isn't good enough week by week in this league, and has been found out badly. Lenihan can't go forward, but he is solid. I think Bennett offers more in Mid than him. He could only sit where Smallwood does. Unsure about Bell I thought he defended well vrs Mahoney. And he created one chance in 45 mins. Due to the fact we wasn't getting a much, thet hooked him at HT as he was completely ineffective.

As was Armstrong for us. Other than his fluke goal, he did nothing. He is reliant on a creative midfielder or Dack to play him into a game. We don't have any creativeness in our mid centrally. And Dack is too well marshalled. So Armstrong is just not able to get in any game. Completely ineffective

[AucklandRover]

Hang on! Only just seen this thread. I'd rename it "Babies and bathwater"!
I think we are in danger of overreacting.
Players do go in and out of form. It isn't so long since there were lots of calls for GRAHAM to be shipped out.
I really don't think all our defenders have suddenly become bad players.
People are blaming Nyambe for the second goal, but if WE had scored it, we wouldn't be talking about a full-back error; we'd be commenting on the slick move and pinpoint passing!
Lenihan had a bit of a shocker, I agree, but I thought he might just be trying too hard after being dropped.
No-one was saying a month ago that Downing (solid as he is) was a better first-choice.
As for the left-back position, it seems quite simple to me: Bell offers more going forward, but Williams is a more reliable defender. Even so, I think Bell has a future.
As for Smallwood, I actually thought he played quite well. We know he's limited, but he breaks up a lot of attacks.
Someone like Rothwell has far more skill on the ball, but was that what Saturday's conditions were calling for?
In reality, if Raya hadn't completely mistimed that charge, we'd probably have been looking at a two-nil victory.
I've been looking up some statistics, and if a game is divided up into blocks, most goals are scored from the 70th minute onwards. It isn't just us!
A final point: I really don't see how the manager gets blamed - as some posters are doing elsewhere - for a completely out-of-the-blue goalkeeping error. I still think our greatest priorities for January are for a winger and a target-man. Having said that, Saxo is right that Nuttall has to be pushing for a place. He is no longer a "kid", and as far as Rovers are concerned, it must be getting close to "now or never" in his case.

[robinrover]

I think the bigger picture is we have probably the correct squad for where we are.
In January we should still look to the loan market for a defender,winger and target man with maybe a buy clause if they impress.
This season was to consolidate,next season a play off push
So the need to improve the weak areas are greater.
We are doing fine this season but I am sure tony will know the places to improve and in the summer I am sure he will do just that.

[champs95]

Hang on! Only just seen this thread. I'd rename it "Babies and bathwater"!
I think we are in danger of overreacting.
Players do go in and out of form. It isn't so long since there were lots of calls for GRAHAM to be shipped out.
I really don't think all our defenders have suddenly become bad players.
People are blaming Nyambe for the second goal, but if WE had scored it, we wouldn't be talking about a full-back error; we'd be commenting on the slick move and pinpoint passing!
Lenihan had a bit of a shocker, I agree, but I thought he might just be trying too hard after being dropped.
No-one was saying a month ago that Downing (solid as he is) was a better first-choice.
As for the left-back position, it seems quite simple to me: Bell offers more going forward, but Williams is a more reliable defender. Even so, I think Bell has a future.
As for Smallwood, I actually thought he played quite well. We know he's limited, but he breaks up a lot of attacks.
Someone like Rothwell has far more skill on the ball, but was that what Saturday's conditions were calling for?
In reality, if Raya hadn't completely mistimed that charge, we'd probably have been looking at a two-nil victory.
I've been looking up some statistics, and if a game is divided up into blocks, most goals are scored from the 70th minute onwards. It isn't just us!
A final point: I really don't see how the manager gets blamed - as some posters are doing elsewhere - for a completely out-of-the-blue goalkeeping error. I still think our greatest priorities for January are for a winger and a target-man. Having said that, Saxo is right that Nuttall has to be pushing for a place. He is no longer a "kid", and as far as Rovers are concerned, it must be getting close to "now or never" in his case.

Always good to read a balanced post Auks. Some very good points.

I question our defensive stability. I do not believe that Raya is as confident as he was before the WBA game. That injury was a bad one, and his decision making since has caused problems.
I've seen Nyambe give 4 goals away this season, all very similar, all preventable. He is good going forward, but simply a liability defending. Is he improving? As in, we are now a Champ side, is he actually good enough to be in our side and command a place? Its mistake after mistake, so I am wary of this lad. He is costing us points.
Downing came in and barley put a foot wrong, then was taken out of the side unfairly.
What had he done wrong? We have onlty won once recently, and he played a big part in that. I'm unsure he deserved to lose his place? Smallwood and Evans retain their places no matter how they perform? I don't mind it, as he is sticking by people. So why take Downing out of the side? That made no sense.
Sat was a bit of a freak. We strolled through the game at ease as they didn't fancy it. They where very poor.
Like you say Auks, you cant blame the manager for what Raya did, which invited them into the game. But I must say, it was poor defending that lead to the equaliser.

I'm afraid Nuttall will not make it at this level. He's nowhere near good enough. He not even close to breaking in. I'd forget him now, as he wont have any kind of an impact at this level. And wont suddenly become a great footballer overnight at 23. This is as good as he will get. Not to say he cant go and forge a good career lower down. But that's it.

All this said, pre-season I'd have taken where we are right now. I am more than happy with our points total. We are in a very good position. TM is doing well overall. His signings apart from Reed haven't worked though. Palmer needs to go back. Rothwell just is too slight for central midfield so can only be considered out wide. Davenport is a crock/ Vince Grella/ Gladwin type who will just be injured non stop. So we wont ever get to see what he can do.

It was always a poisoned chalice getting high up in the league early on. As fans start to actually expect us to be in and around the play-offs. Which we simply aren't good enough for, at this point. And that's fine, but we don't want the season to drift away into nothing.

The next few tough matches will be a good sign as to what we will do second half. Will we get something positive vrs Norwich and Leeds (I think we will) or will we start to drift away quite badly.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the way we are progressing. On our day, we can give anyone a really good game. And can stand toe to toe with the big sides. We have proved we have nothing to fear. If we aren't quite on it sometimes, which is to be expected after returning from Div1, we will drop points.

The average Rovers fan who posts on social media, doesn't seem to be able to accept that. Which is crazy.

[AucklandRover]

I agree about the unrealistic expectations.
Also, some of the moaners make it sound as if we are the only club to have dropped points because of individual errors. That's nonsense, of course. It's a high-paced game, played under pressure, and, obviously, defenders' errors tend to get more attention than those by people further forward.
Managers and a lot of fans often react as if every goal conceded is the result of a mistake, while talking up each goal scored as the product of good football!
Incidentally, I also doubt that Nuttall can make it. What I meant was that if he is ever to get a half, it should be now - when he is in form, and Brereton ISN'T!
As I said a week ago, we ARE coming up to crunch-time where some of the "promising" Development Squad players are concerned. Travis, Tomlinson, Nuttall, Hardcastle, Mansell, Rankin-Costello, Wharton, Platt, Hart, Jack Doyle and others have all been touted as having first-team potential at one time or another. However, we have signed more senior players in the relevant positions, and it is beginning to look less likely that any of those mentioned (except Travis) are going to make it with us.
A lot of the others in that squad are younger, and still have a chance to progress, but I can't see much scope for those who are already 21 or over.
On the broader issue of the first team, I said I would be happy with 14th at the start, and I still would be. This Division is really interesting because every game is unpredictable, and teams are finding it difficult to sustain runs. Leeds and Norwich are obviously at the top of their games at the moment, but I still like what I've seen of Derby.
We might well lose our next two matches, but I won't be reacting with horror. As far as I'm concerned, mid-table is fine. Win-one, draw-one, lose-one from now on gives us 63 points. That would put us in 12th place, based on last year's table. Using that same table as a guideline, we only need 11 more points to stay clear of relegation!
I am quite happy with being in the Championship, and I can put up with the odd disappointment, as long as we get some games where we play well. As you say, being on the fringe of the play-offs set off a spate of unrealistic excitement, but we are definitely not good enough to be even considering possible promotion.
Saxo will think I'm being too negative here, but let's build in this Division first!