Wharton reminds me of Craig Short. Reads the game well, strong, and plays the safe ball whether that's to the full back, midfield or hoof out. None of these nonsense long balls to nobody in particular.

We want seven!

Agreed, I point the finger at the manager for misusing the players.

I'd take him now tbh

Very tidy preview!

It's been mentioned in jest, but Utd could do a lot worse than Allardyce. Plus he'd be a man with a point to prove re: winning trophies.

Maybe if it rains, but I get too hot wearing them.

Like @J*B, I completely forgot I was doing this Preview! Must be an Admin thing. FWIW, I did secure an interview for the Preview with a Robin/Garibalian of significance to us Rovers... My interview with Andy Cryer, formerly of the LET Rovers pages and lifelong Bristol City fan: 1. Let's start simple. When and how did you become a Bristol City fan? AC: My dad was born and bred a City fan - coming from a little village just outside Bristol - and has been a season ticket holder for as long as he can remember. Bristol City was always going to be my club. The first game I remember going to was beating Bolton in the 1986 Freight Rover Trophy Final at Wembley in front of about 60,000, but started going from the age of 5 I think. Been City ever since - although sometimes I wish it wasnt! 2. Hovering in lower midtable with a mixed bag of some great and some poor results, how do you feel about City's fortunes so far this year? AC: It would take the most optimistic City fan to be happy about our fortunes this season. We are not in a great state, with a very small squad, full of young, inexperienced players and no money to improve the squad. Survival has to be the aim and we will probably scrape our way to that with a 16th-placed finish. Offer it now and most of us would snap your arm for it. We have only won once at home since last January (a very lucky win against Barnsley last time out at Ashton Gate) so Rovers should look forward to playing us at our place. 3. Nigel Pearson has had his fair share of controversial moments over the years. How is he doing for the Robins? AC: It's a strange one. Look at the stats and you would think he would be under huge pressure to be sacked - he isn't, not yet anyway. Despite one having one home win to his name, the attendances have stayed around the 20,000 mark, and most City fans realise he isn't to blame for the mess the club appears to be in. Since the start of 2016, City have signed about 70 players (no exaggeration) and the majority of them have now left the club having proved to be pretty dismal signings. We have also sold the likes of Adam Webster, Josh Brownhill, Joe Bryan, Lloyd Kelly, Bobby Reid and Jonathan Kodjia to bigger and better things and replaced with much-lower quality players - or even relying on our youth team. Pearson has inherited a mess and - while he has shown little sign of improving things - most hope he gets time to turn things around, and it will take a lot of time. (Updated addition) Pearson is also unfortunately suffering from long covid - after a second bout of the illness - and has been off work recently. Football takes a back seat when talking about someone’s health and first and foremost my thoughts are with him and his family. But obviously not having a manager is taking its toll. We have also recently seen our two coaches Downing and Simpson leave the club, leaving us with assistant manager Curtis Fleming pretty much on his own. Far from ideal. 4. Would Pearson beat Tony Mowbray in a fist fight? AC: The old Pearson definitely would. But he seems to have mellowed in recent years, so I'd probably go for Mowbray now. 5. Who are City's stand-out players currently? AC: It's tough actually thinking of any.... Our goalkeeper Daniel Bentley is probably one of the best in the league and has often kept us in games this season. Tomas Kalas is also an exceptional no-nonsense centre back - as shown for the Czech Republic at the Euros - but he doesn't get a lot of protection around him. The only other player really worth a mention is our 20-year-old centre midfielder Han-Noah Massengo. We signed him from Monaco - who he had aleady played Champions League football for - and he really is an exceptional footballer. In a good team, he could be something special, and I fully expect him to be playing at the top one day and featuring for France. I doubt he will stay with us for very long. 6. Are there any Rovers players you'd want in your side? AC: Ben-Brereton Diaz of course..... our striking options are awful. Experienced pro Chris Martin, who holds the ball up ok but has no pace and won't score many goals, Andi Weimann, who runs a lot but again won't score many goals and Nakhi Wells, who has been an unmitigated disaster since signing. Dack would also be a massive player for us. To be honest though, I'd take Nyambe, Rothwell, Gallagher and Buckley as well... 7. Home or away, have you a favourite game or goal between Bristol City and Rovers? AC: I don't have many great memories of Rovers v City. I remember Rochina and Rhodes doing us over at Ashton Gate a few seasons back under Kean's guardianship in the Championship. My favourite one probably has to be our 1-0 win at Ewood Park when Pissano headed home to virtually score our safety. Sadly you guys went on to get relegated, which did make me sad. But it was a great atmosphere in the away end that afternoon. 8. You covered Blackburn Rovers for so many years in the LET. Do you still follow (dare I say support) the club at all? AC: I definitely still follow Rovers and - before the pandemic - still went to a few games when I couldn't get City and wasn't working. I still have some good friends at the club and some good friends who are fans of the club and I would love you guys to get back in the Premier League one day - seems a big ask though. One of the first things I do once I know how my lot have got on is check your result and whether Big Ben has got any closer to that 20-goal mark and breaking the bookies hearts. Im not a big fan of people saying they have a 'second team' in football, but Rovers is as close as it gets for me. 9. You moved from the LET to the BBC, what are you up to these days? AC: I am still at the BBC and working as senior producer for BBC Sport online for the football department. I spent a bit of time as social media editor for BBC Sport online as well - before taking the senior role for football. It's a geat job - but I do sometimes miss that feeling of being so involved in one club, although I dont miss being ignored by Steve Kean most press conferences after my latest criticism.... 10. You covered Rovers during one of the most volatile periods in club history. There were regular protests, dodgy goings-on with agents, players actively disrespecting the fanbase, and a blatant liar managed the team. This culminated in the controversial 'Time to go' headline, which many fans took to the game to brandish in protest at Steve K***. How was it from a relative outsider POV to report on the club? AC: I loved covering Rovers, I just wish I could have reported on happier times for the fans - who I grew very fond of (well most of them). I accepted the job when I was covering Swindon Town and when Mark Hughes was boss, by the time I started Ince was appointed and it was all downhill from there - bar a bit of stability under Allardyce and Bowyer. It was/ is a brilliant family club with a real community feel and some of the players I covered were great players and real gentleman as well. The likes of Ryan Nelsen, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Dunny, Warnock, Emerton, Chris Samba, Salgado, Paul Robinson (I could go on), were an absolute joy to cover both on and off the field. While John Williams and Tom Finn were absolute gents, sadly the club lost their way in that regard after the takeover and the enjoyment went a bit. But I never lost the respect for a brilliant fan base who simply loved their club. From what I have seen over the past few seasons, it seems as though that family feel has returned to the club and that is great to see. 11. What will the score be? AC: 2-0 Blackburn Rovers. I'd take a 0-0 draw now though!

I will say he was superb for me in my Chorley save on FM19, all the way up to L1...

The unwashed masses are waking up to his talent. 'Ben Brereton, WHO ARE YOU?!'

Perfectly logical. Which is good news based on Venkys' track record.

There are plenty of posters with alternative opinions that are still here. The ICBINF section is particularly good evidence of that, it can get REALLY tetchy. The only people 'hounded out' are trolls. Notable (again) that you don't often post other than to decry that you can't post an alternative opinion. Have you actually TRIED an alternative opinion?

Redefining the word 'abuse' isn't a different opinion, it's just a shitty thing to do. The poster didn't even offer any 'alternative opinion'. Rather like you, they just slagged off everyone else for daring to have their opinions. If someone actually came out and said 'Whatever you think of Mowbray, he has us over-performing and it might just be worth seeing if he can finally get us a playoff spot', they'd be debated but certainly not 'chased away'. Do you know how I know that? Because several posters (I count 3 minimum) have said similar and they still post. Go figure. But then it's better to not let the truth get in the way of a good slagging off of this site, eh? It's notable that the poster joined on the day John Park joined Rovers, and wished him well, but has since then made only 3 other posts, none of any substance, telling us what a shit site this is.

Yeah, let's pick the guy who's lost 5 in a row with a better squad 😅

I'll name nobody but there are members on here who have suffered actual abuse in the true meaning of the word, and we would thank you for not misusing it to refer to the proposed sacking of a millionaire, knowing he'll live comfortably for the rest of his life, and will likely walk into another £million job in a few weeks. He has steadied the ship and gone stale. When you stick with stale in football you go backwards. We need to twist at latest by the Summer, but ideally earlier imo.

Been reading up on FM20. I had been planning to try my first ever Pentagon Challenge, but have discovered something that really piqued my interest and wondered if anyone else has done it: Limerick FC. First job offer in the game. No players and no staff and about 25k as a budget??? Sounds like a fantastic challenge! Also anyone ever had success with a Pentagon on here?

If it's good enough for Soccer Saturday, it's good enough for me.

What about those of us who get behind the lads at every game? Are we allowed to moan on here? Or are we not allowed opinions? We've been in 7th before. Last January. Then came the 3rd worst run of results this club has ever seen. And in the last two weeks we've seen the worst result ever seen at Ewood. Sorry if we expect better than one win in 4 games for the calendar year.

Thought Full Gear DELIVERED! Terrific PPV all the way through imo, and the sheer elation after the Main Event. Don't think I've been that absorbed in a wrestling victory since Punk at MITB in Chicago. Possibly even Benoit at WM20.

Leicester won the league after Administration and League One too.

As far as the 'excuses' part, I make no apologies for being a volunteer trying to do what I can with the Trust. In 2019 I was newly married and moved house, through 2020 supported my pregnant (and practically housebound, lonely) wife while working full time through the ongoing global pandemic', and in 2021 am getting to grips with being a dad. Sorry about the delays (genuinely), but life happens ffs. Oh, and I've been moderating this place 🤣

What about 'taking one for the team' cards? Positives, surely?

Must've been age group because it'd be a bloody weird price range.

I suppose but that would apply even more so in the 16-21 bracket where the drop off is less. Possibly more to do with needing to save up for house/marriage/children too?

The Mulgrew loans annoy me. £2m spent by ROVERS for him to play at Wigan and Fleetwood. Ridiculous. Several faults: Too long a contract in the first place Too high a wage Too egotistical a manager to release him