Question

[Donny Exile in York]

As I say think back to McCullogh and Wakefield together at centre back... then decide..

[DonnyOsmond]

I think he needs to go have a quick tug to unwind some of this pent-up frustration.

[DonnyOsmond]

I love how he's wrote off Blaney and McLean despite probably never seeing either of them play.

[Donny Exile in York]

And I apologise I modified my post as it was said in frustration and I dont mean it as we are all Rovers fans.. but I dont get why people think we are fine to go till January with what we have got.. we haven't won in the final 3 friendlies against  league opposition or two league games, have resources available and the board and DM say we need to strengthen.. but ok let's not replace the 9 players in the game against Charlton adequately.. let's keep the money.. get a few injuries.. play Blaney and McClean for 15 games and dont sign a forward or two cos the windows shut and see where we get to...

[Donny Exile in York]

I love how he's wrote off Blaney and McLean despite probably never seeing either of them play.

Your obviously a master tactician.. as I say let's not sign anyone gthen.. wait till January and see where we are in the league by then

I love how he's wrote off Blaney and McLean despite probably never seeing either of them play.

And have you? Have you been down Cantley park then cos they certainly haven't played in league games

Your obviously a master tactician.. as I say let's not sign anyone then.. wait till January and see where we are in the league by then

[DonnyOsmond]

Only in the friendlies and I don't tend to write off players I've only seen very little of. I'm also hoping the 5 defenders I listed ahead of them don't get injured all at the same time too.

[Donny Exile in York]

Five defenders.. Wright is injury prone. Baptiste is injured and Sheaf is playing midfielder... wonder why DM didn't have McClean or Blaney on the bench yesterday to "blood" them then.. clearly some people on here know better than our manager..

[steve@dcfd]

As I understand it, GM had identified potential replacements for JM once it became apparent he wanted to leave ie after the Charlton game. However these plans, and work that had begun to recruit these players, was scrapped once GM left. Obviously the new manager would want his own replacement and not those who GM wanted. Consequently we about a month behind where we wanted to be. It’s unfortunate but simply down to circumstances resulting from GM leaving.

I believe and it’s my opinion that the replacement went to Hull with GM. Along with possibly two more players off that list. He couldn’t get them in until JM left but he left before JM and they went with him. I find it strange the only player we could get off the list was Gomes before GM left. The list relied on JM leaving and that didn’t happen before GM saw a bigger prize at Hull.

Have you actually seen this list Steve, bearing in mind your argument pretty much seems to hinge on this.

Also, if we were reliant on Marquis leaving, how did we manage to sign two full backs at the start of the summer?

No I said it was my opinion but GM said that he had two players when JM left. We signed fullbacks because we needed them after Andrew decided to leave. He wanted a goal keeper and Centre half but couldn’t get them. That’s when the decision was made to have Jones second in line and put the gk and CH on the back burner. He allowed Butler and Rowe to leave for what ever his reasoning, He wanted to sign Newell but he decided to go to Hibs. GMs parting gesture was to sign Gomes first / development never said.
Yes money was available we signed four loans under DM and a free agent. But his main priority was strikers when Jon left. So like GM said if Jon Goes he would get two in. Now the list Sheaf and Middleton definitely. I would suggest the GK, CH and forward that GM signed at Hull we’re on the list. So I think DM had little to choose from he’s is own man he will use the money that’s available to get the striker and other players he wants. I will say the squad will be more than 18 that GM said.

[vaya]

As I understand it, GM had identified potential replacements for JM once it became apparent he wanted to leave ie after the Charlton game. However these plans, and work that had begun to recruit these players, was scrapped once GM left. Obviously the new manager would want his own replacement and not those who GM wanted. Consequently we about a month behind where we wanted to be. It’s unfortunate but simply down to circumstances resulting from GM leaving.

I believe and it’s my opinion that the replacement went to Hull with GM. Along with possibly two more players off that list. He couldn’t get them in until JM left but he left before JM and they went with him. I find it strange the only player we could get off the list was Gomes before GM left. The list relied on JM leaving and that didn’t happen before GM saw a bigger prize at Hull.

Have you actually seen this list Steve, bearing in mind your argument pretty much seems to hinge on this.

Also, if we were reliant on Marquis leaving, how did we manage to sign two full backs at the start of the summer?

No I said it was my opinion but GM said that he had two players when JM left. We signed fullbacks because we needed them after Andrew decided to leave. He wanted a goal keeper and Centre half but couldn’t get them. That’s when the decision was made to have Jones second in line and put the gk and CH on the back burner. He allowed Butler and Rowe to leave for what ever his reasoning, He wanted to sign Newell but he decided to go to Hibs. GMs parting gesture was to sign Gomes first / development never said.
Yes money was available we signed four loans under DM and a free agent. But his main priority was strikers when Jon left. So like GM said if Jon Goes he would get two in. Now the list Sheaf and Middleton definitely. I would suggest the GK, CH and forward that GM signed at Hull we’re on the list. So I think DM had little to choose from he’s is own man he will use the money that’s available to get the striker and other players he wants. I will say the squad will be more than 18 that GM said.

Fair enough Steve, I just find it a bit of a stretch to say that the players GM had signed for Hull are precisely the ones he had in mind here, given that it's two different clubs, in different divisions, with different potential requirements in terms of each individual squad and a transfer policy at Hull that apparently isn't fully controlled by the manager.

[swintonrover]

I have no doubt in my mind that Tom Eaves was intended to be Marquis' replacement.

[steve@dcfd]

Vaya  three league one players, all out of contract. One he’d worked at Peterborough. He had tried to sign a GK and CH early doors both wanted Championship football was never going to happen so he put it on the back burner to get them later. Wanted a striker to replace John, if he’d gone early then he’d signed all three for us plus Newell. Loaned Middleton and Sheaf. Then he’d wouldn’t have gone to Hull. My scenario could be wrong will never know.

[dickos1]

At the moment we don’t have enough strength in the cb area. Last season we had downing, butler, wright, Anderson.
Currently we have Anderson who’s fit, Baptiste who could be out a very long time and Wright returning from injury.
Then we have the youngster on loan and a few of our own youngsters who ideally need to be going on loan themselves.

A side hoping for promotion needs a squad with the quality we had last season

[esdailles left foot]

DM could be playing this very smart to get the one(s) he wants and is prepared to wait. He's got results from the first two games and perhaps could have been 4 points on the board. We're not that desparate that he needs to go for someone he doesn't really want.

Playing it smart, doubt it.

[NickDRFC]

At the moment we don’t have enough strength in the cb area. Last season we had downing, butler, wright, Anderson.
Currently we have Anderson who’s fit, Baptiste who could be out a very long time and Wright returning from injury.
Then we have the youngster on loan and a few of our own youngsters who ideally need to be going on loan themselves.

A side hoping for promotion needs a squad with the quality we had last season

That’s not a fair comparison - we didn’t have those 4 last season really as Downing only came in because of Wright’s long term injury. On the eve of the season we had 4 centre backs - Wright, Anderson, Baptiste and John, and it’s just because one of them has been struggling (Wright - anyone know what’s wrong with him?) and one was injured yesterday that this is now looking like a potential problem area.

[IDM]

DM could be playing this very smart to get the one(s) he wants and is prepared to wait. He's got results from the first two games and perhaps could have been 4 points on the board. We're not that desparate that he needs to go for someone he doesn't really want.

Playing it smart, doubt it.

Why, because it doesn’t suit your personal agenda.?

Thought you said you were done with the forum anyway.?

[RoversAlias]

We didn't sign Downing until January to cover Wright. We only had three centre backs and most said it wasn't enough. Wright wasn't fit until the Play Offs after Downing arrived so at no stage did we have four strong CBs available. Anderson was also injured for a chunk of that time.

Baptiste and John have replaced Butler and Downing, so numbers wise it is the same but the injuries are hampering us there. I wouldn't say it's a top priority to get another centre back in, if only both Wright and Anderson could stay fit we would have a very formidable pairing there.

[dickos1]

I disagree, we can’t go through to jan with two centre halves especially if Wright can’t seem to stay fit.

Also if the squad is going to be stronger this year you can’t really compare butler and downing with John and Baptiste

[RoversAlias]

I did say it was the same numbers-wise, not quality. Undoubtedly that is not at this time a like-for-like in terms of quality, although John may surprise us like Kane and Wilks did.

I think if Baptiste is out for a while, Moore will sign a new centre half. But I don't think it is a priority otherwise, not until we know what we are doing on the striker front.

[Chris Black come back]

First league game Downing played was 2 February. We had Wright, Anderson and Butler until that point.

Sheaf was clearly pitched as a centre midfielder and centre back when we signed him. We started this season with Wright, Anderson, Baptiste and Sheaf. That two of them got injured in matter of week is bad luck - it is not bad planning.

[dickos1]

It’s the same numbers wise but one has never played before and the other hasn’t played many games for almost 3 years now.

Butler played week in week out and downing was a a high quality player for this level

[dickos1]

First league game Downing played was 2 February. We had Wright, Anderson and Butler until that point.

Sheaf was clearly pitched as a centre midfielder and centre back when we signed him. We started this season with Wright, Anderson, Baptiste and Sheaf. That two of them got injured in matter of week is bad luck - it is not bad planning.

I don’t think for a minute sheaf was signed to ever play centre half which is why Moore was still saying we needed another centre half before Baptiste was injured.

[Chris Black come back]

We started last season with three first choice centre backs in Anderson, Wright and Butler. We started this season with three first choice centre backs in Anderson, Wright and Baptiste (leaving aside Sheaf). You can argue whether Butler or Baptiste is the better, but we started both seasons in the same place with the same quality there. It is bad luck that Wright and Baptiste got injured.

[dickos1]

Although wright was already injured

[BillyStubbsTears]

It’s the same numbers wise but one has never played before and the other hasn’t played many games for almost 3 years now.

Butler played week in week out and downing was a a high quality player for this level

Which one hasn't played many games for three years?

[dickos1]

Baptiste has played around 50 games over the last 3 seasons, butler has played almost 3 times that number

[IDM]

How many did he miss through injury, or by not being picked.?

[Retdon1]

Although wright was already injured

Did I read correctly that joe wright hasn’t started a league game since last October ?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Dickos.

Baptiste has played 61 matches in the past 3 years before signing for us.

Tom Anderson had played 94 matches in 4 years before signing full time for us. Was that an mistake?

[ravenrover]

No  but "an" was lol

[dickos1]

Dickos.

Baptiste has played 61 matches in the past 3 years before signing for us.

Tom Anderson had played 94 matches in 4 years before signing full time for us. Was that an mistake?

What’s Anderson got to do with it? He’s still here we’re comparing players that have come with those that have left.
Baptiste since August 2015 has played 61 games, so that’s over 4 seasons, not 3. That’s an average of 15 games a season.
Over the same 4 seasons butler has played 160 games, so 100 more and an average of 40 games a season.