My understanding of his role is that he's currently undertaking a sort of market research, before really getting into the role proper next year. I'd imagine a lot of it currently is meeting with various parties and working out how he can tally any targets he's being given by the board with the reality of commercial at Rovers. I don't think he has any interest at all in ticket offers, for example, but more how the club can generate income from things like graphics on kids' mobile games, or 'Influencers', and stuff like that. It sounds laughable at first but then, having asked my cousin's and mates, their kids would sooner spend £20 of their pocket money on a blue and white 'skin' for their online racing cars and characters than buy a matchday ticket. If they spend that AND Dad buys them a ticket, that one child has generated 2x income than from pure ticket pricing. It's an interesting area tbh, but not one I can fully relate to. Perhaps my equivalent is making my FB profile picture a Rovers one or something.

Having just spoken to 2 individuals intimately involved at Rovers (both in the youth coaching set-up), and our former fitness coach, I took the opportunity to ask what a 'Low Block' is. All 3 agreed it was 'a bullshit term' for the line of defence; a low block sits back and parks the bus, a high block presses higher up the pitch, and a standard block is a balance between the two. Asked a bit more and 'if you've seen the 'line of engagement' in Football Manager games, it's that. I get the impression that it's more like shorthand rather than new terminology. Is that your understanding of it Joe?

From today we need to avoid Covid unless you you want to spend Christmas not putting our nearest and dearest at risk. 10 days to Christmas. I hope everyone on this board gets to be with their loves ones on the day.

So why is it that 2 coaches and a referee on this forum don't understand them? More to the point, you (defending the terms and claiming to understand them) haven't been able to explain them either.

On the training ground sale and 'land in the Ribble Valley being bought': Might this 'land in the Ribble Valley' be adjacent to the lower site at Brockhall? I was sure I'd seen that land for sale at some point last year, maybe it still was until recently?

Just get another pass on the 8th January 🙂

Argue with me all you like, you'll still need the correct app or a negative LF to get on the ground. I'm just helping you.

Not quite, we appointed a Head of Commercial but he isn't a director to my knowledge.

Vaccination status isn't proof you don't have Covid-19. Fyi (for everyone), to save the NHS app crashing for your pass, take a screenshot of it 👍

One of my favourite football films has made it onto Netflix: I Believe In Miracles - The story of Brian Clough's European Cup Winning Team. It's a documentary, told really well through the eyes of the players who (as with every player from the 70s/80s) are all fantastic raconteurs. Very funny and very poignant at times, and a real reminder of just what Clough managed to achieve with a midtable, second division side after ruining his reputation with his Derby exit, Brighton and Leeds.

Tell you what. I'll never be Mowbray In. But I can't be Mowbray Out on this run of superb results.

Re: Ads, it's not a huge issue, but I'm finding that the X to close them is now separate from the advert, kind of making the cross get in the way.

Under Gary Bowyer, probably. Before that, I'd have to say the season Hughesy kept us up.

Yep, my dad always used to go to Burnley if they were at home and Rovers weren't, even still in a Rovers jersey. Couldn't do that now, couldn't even go to the town centre!

Bet he literally simulates FM with the various players and tactics and decides what works after 100 trials.

I think the answer to the Nyambe question in an ideal world would be: Get him to sign a contract. Then bring in an upgrade in the position. This secures him as an asset, and we know he's an adequate right back even on form. Competition (ideally a better player) in his position will force him to sink or swim, and at 24 he can't afford to merely tread water. I don't think he's had ANY proper competition for his spot, I wouldn't even count Bennett in that either as I saw him more as a more general versatile utility player.

Buckley has a talent you can't coach and he's got better through being tougher, not through any coached skill. Dack, Rothwell, Travis, Lenihan are all very good examples of stagnation at 1st team level coaching too.

I once remarked to Roy Keane that I thought he'd be taller. From his icy glare, I've never known such genuine fear in my life.

None whatsoever, never heard of the bloke. Tony Parkes, however...

Legend, my arse! That word is for Crompton, Dalglish, Clayton, Douglas, Shearer, Hendry, Tugay. Mowbray isn't even a David Dunn.

As anyone would and should tbf.

Buckley has always been a talented 'baller', just needed to gain the strength and grit (which he has, seemingly) to become a footballer. Now he's one of the first names on my team sheets!

Of course it is. It always is. Failure to secure your assets is BAD management. Better to sign him up on a deal that breaks the wage structure by, say, another £20k/week (£1m/year) if it puts his value up by another £5m or more.

I'm going to really split hair's here, but I argue that they are better football players, but Buckley is the better footballer.

Bloody softy!