Welcome to Rovers ......

[robinrover]

I dont want to put a downer on things but I am just not getting excited about this team.
Defensively we are weak and until we learn to defend as a unit,we will be no better than last season.
New promotion bounce has gone and we are fully reliant on talent alone.
No first team keeper
No depth in defence
Really want us to learn from last seasons errors,but I am thinking within the first few games that the poor defensive frailties are still there.
Until that is solved,any dreams of top 6 will be just a very faint hope.

[robinrover]

Another note
Potentially 12 million on 2 forwards.
Just thinking that if we used that in our area that we struggled in,maybe that would be a massive leap towards the top 6.
Sorry for the negative comments,just feel 12 million on 2 largely unproven players when we have areas struggling is frivolous.

[champs95]

Derby spent £10m on Waghorn alone.
We spent £3.2m on Brereton. Who is only the same age as Buttetworh. But is absolutely miles and miles ahead in his progression.

How many times has anyone seen Butterworth? He came on as sub vrs Bolton and looked ok. That's it. He's not a superstar. Brereton is way ahead. And still only 20. From what I've seen of Butterworh, I think it's highly unlikely He will even get close to making it. Or Buckley. Brereton will make it. Who was signed for the future.

We paid £1.75m for Armstrong. And about £3.5m on Gallagher.

Derby spent more than all of that, on one player. Still didn't go up. So did most of the division. Derby have had to send back north of their side from last season, as most where loan players. Who have all gone back to their parent clubs. Ours haven't. We own them. Most of the league we play in, spent absolute fortunes. We don't.

In a tough market, where we have little money, we've opted to buy young players better than who we have already. Not ageing players with no sell on value.

We haven't finished yet. Still more signings to come in. We probsbly will bring in experience in defence. Personally I don't think we need to. I think that's a luxury. And we'll get a decent keeper in.

We won't be signing the finished article at £3.5m. It would be crazy to expect anything else. Can we develop young players here? Alongside experience. With an experienced manager? Yes, that's what we are doing. Time will tell if that's smart.

[champs95]

We aren't going for top 6? We've spent £3.5m. And brought in 3 players. And haven't finished yet.

Most of the club's spend treble that on one player? The 3 clubs coming down are expected to be in that top 6. Leeds are current favourites.
Stoke have spent more in this one window, than we have in 5. Brentford have spent more in one window than we have in 3. Bristol City have spent more than we have in years.
I'd say there are easily 12 club a way ahead of us in their relative spending. Nobody in the club is mentioning play offs. No fans should be.
And I don't get why anyone would mention the keeper? The season hasn't started. Still 3 weeks to go. And we'll sign a keeper.

[robinrover]

This was the season that we flirt with the play offs.
Is this team look like contenders for that placing?nowhere near in my opinion.
I might cheer up about it,but currently I am not feeling our chances.

[champs95]

I think we need one or the other. Either a very decent keeper. Or a very decent centre half. If we got either I think we have one of the strongest squads in the division. And if be surprised if we didn't get in and around the top 8. The squad now is easily top 10.

[champs95]

Leeds are favourites. Do you think they are any better than us?

[champs95]

I believe most of this division would desperately want a pool ofattacking/strikers like this to choose from.

Graham
Gallagher
Samuel
Armstrong
Nuttall
Rothwell
Dack
Chapman
Brereton


Ok. 2 of those will likely leave bow, one probs on loan. One will probably not make it. And one more, will fall down the pecking order, and end up not being good enough.

But we are still left with numerous players, who are very good Champ players. Better than most around. Dack is better than most in this league. Now Grealish is gone, id say he was the best in the league.

And we have upgraded our midfield meaning we are now much stronger. It wasn't our defence last season that was the problem. It was our midfield. Rodwell, Smallwood and Evans & Bennett weren't good enough. And we where badly exposed week after week.

Also, now it's believed Reed is going to return on loan for the season. Another big addition. We need Bennett and Evans out of the side. Neither are good enough anymore. Reed is young, and adds to us. If we got him, we will be very strong in midfield too.

What's clear, is these young lads meant to be all breaking through, actually won't. Because apart from the odd one, they aren't good enough.

[robinrover]

I really hope you are right and I would love to be proved wrong.
I see us struggling this season as defensively we were hopeless on quite a few occasions,we have not improved in that area and until we do I see trouble ahead.

[champs95]

I'm a big believer that in football, the problem isn't always where it appears. I have always believed that defending starts up the pitch.
Our problems weren't in defence last season. That where in midfield. Which is where we have addressed things crucially.

And we are still to bring in a replacement keeper and Centre half yet. Still 3 weeks to go. I think there are plenty who will leave yet, and a few more to arrive.