Thanks for the contributions, gents. I think my main aim in starting the thread was to explore whether the art of crossing the ball has become irrelevant in the modern game - as I noted in my initial post, Arsenal lumped 40 plus crosses into the box against Spurs, all to no avail. I think the reference to United and Fulham (81 crosses) was a similar story (I stand to be corrected of course..). There is something very exciting about a well delivered cross being met either with a boot or header (for the time being at least until the H&S brigade get their way), and it is something of a mystery to me why we don't see more wing play and crosses these days. It certainly wrong-foots defenders and gets a crowd going (yeah, I know, crowd - what's one of them then?)

Saw this article in the Grauniad this morning https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/dec/08/crossing-in-football-like-swearing-and-mixtapes-just-isnt-like-it-used-to-be Was reminded in the Nostalgia Thread about the once devastating impact of crosses (e.g Speedie's second goal against the Barcodes, an unstoppable flying header from a Hendry cross). Just wondered whether anyone else has an opinion about the fine art of getting down the flanks and delivering the ball into the goal area? The 'Great' Rovers sides from my memory always had wingers capable of storming down the flanks and delivering deadly ammunition for our (generally prolific) strikers (think Noel the King of Ewood Park, Windy Miller, Handbag, Graeme Le Sausage meets Garner, Speedie, Shearer, Kuqi, Rhodes etc).. My view, for the little it is worth, is that a good cross will always unsettle the defenders and goalkeeper, putting them on the back foot or creating hesitancy and doubt about whether to come for the cross. The Guardian take appears to be that crosses are no longer a viable weapon in the armoury, with Arsenal delivering over 40 against Spurs at the weekend to no avail (they also mention a United game under Moyes (yes, that really did happen!) where they had 81 crosses against Fulham). You do need a strike force that has enough guile and guts to get on the end though, so if your overpaid heroes are doing anxiety about head trauma, you can likely forget it (they have the right to enjoy their lovely full-sleeve tats later in life, just the same as ordinary folk, ya know).. What are your thoughts?

Completely agree with this - how unsettling / de-stabilising would it be to have an exodus of players who have had a big influence on our season so far? Lets keep the home fires burning first, then worry about bringing in some new knees to warm.

I never felt more like singing the Blues, The Rovers draw, the Bumley draw Oh Rovers, you got me singing the Blues. Feck it. I called this one wrong. Someone has put some cojone-growth hormone in our half time cuppa, and I love it!

Well, despite what the Millwall hordes had to say on Weds Rovers are not actually a bunch of Can'ts - we are actually a bunch of CANs!!

Oi! I thought you'd been abolished by the Millwall crew... ;) I agree it feels somewhat better with square pegs in square holes etc. Much as I'd love a good result here, I am more resigned to a subdued Saturday evening, reflecting on Mowbray's off-the wall comments and might have beens.. Happy to be proven wrong. not us, but wtf

You'll be coming on all misty-eyed thinking about El Greco then, not to mention that lovely coffee shop nearly opposite Seed and Gabbutts where many an after school afternoon was spent nursing a frothy coffee and toasted teacake whilst chatting up (well, leering at actually) various Westholme and Convent girls (usually friends of my sisters) who didn't seem to notice I was even there... 'The Warren' I think it was called...?

Anything can happen in this league - Luton demolishing Norwich, Preston winning consistently away, Barnsley and Millwall playing football... One of life's great certainties, however, is that teams under TM flatter to deceive. We all know we have been here before, on the verge of great things, only for the oxygen to be sucked remorselessly from our lungs by a run of poor form... followed by rinse and repeat. Going to stick my neck out and say 2-0 to Brentford. Will be more than happy to have my prediction rammed firmly back down my doubting throat at 5pm tomorrow. COYB - prove me wrong!

Misty eyed memories to be sure, but wasn't it a different thing when we could stand on terracing and go mental when we scored? The joke seats that are crammed into stadia these days don't half take some of the pleasure of watching a game of football away..

Too busy going into the newsagents half way down Shear Brow for an illicit 'single', I expect

Bob the sock seems to have hit a nerve on their fan site...https://millwall-forum.vitalfootball.co.uk/threads/match-thread-blackburn-rovers-v-millwall.45444/page-11#post-716148 I had to laugh at the rant about Blackburn being a 'filth ridden shit-hole' - pot, kettle, black and all that

I'm going back on that Millwall forum, cantbwait to see their measured assessment of their fortunes this evening Fackin Norvern cants

Wing and a prayer eh? Er I thought this thread was about Brereton, not Gallager

Yes, quite measured in their analysis. Tactically there may be a few flaws in their plan, such as snapping opposition legs (tends to lead to those sendings off they draw attention to) although I did like the idea of them knocking 4000 holes in our defence A damp cold evening on Ewood Park. Got to be up for this, as a game that has 'barometer for season's intent' written all over it. COYB. JFDI

Speedie always celebrated his goals like every single one really meant something to him. There is something powerful and deeply endearing about that kind of passion, which seems somehow to have drained away somewhat from the modern game. Maybe the players do read these message boards and maybe that colours their reaction on the pitch when things go right for them (e.g. SG muted celebrations for his recent goals - almost as if he's saying, "there, that will shut the feckers up.." or something). Well, players, if you are reading this... Take a leaf out of the David Speedie handbook on how to celebrate your success, and just let go sometimes, because scoring for the Mighty Rovers IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT!! (PS you could also have a peak at the Alan Shearer files, Craig Bellamy insights, Simon Garner style guide, Gamst Pedersen practical pics etc etc).

I thought Barnsley were a good side today. Well drilled, confident on the ball, hungry and forward driving the whole game. Rovers struggled to adapt throughout, although we looked a bit more relaxed when The Revenant Johnson came on. I half expected him to wrestle a bear. Kaminski is a god-send. Wharton looked assured and comfortable, Lenihan was dependable, Nyambe initially looked like Bambi but grew into the game. Bell looked good going forward but isn't really cut out to be a defender. Toogs Holtby worked ever so hard. Brereton was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. Trybull did some neat passing but didn't shine, Arna showed great quality - what a finish! Douglas was knobbled and was doing fine up to that point. Yeah. Win ugly - not really - we won, fair and square, against a team that pressed high up the field, worked hard as a unit, huffed and puffed but apart from the quality strike for their goal didn't really show much. Fair and square. Three points to the Blue and White Army, thank ye very much.

boloooxxx

Kaminski is a BEAST!

Credit to Johnson for driving us forward there

GAAALLLLYY!!

AAAAAARRRRRNNNNNAAA!!

Not at the races at the moment..

Barnsley seem up for this so far. More pressure on our goal than theirs at the moment. Douglas was knobbled early doors.

Nah, it takes the pressure off him, if anything. If he gets a chance to come on with 20 mins left, he will have fresh legs, and hopefully something to prove.

To be fair, some of the teams turning out on Sunday mornings at Pleasington featured some very decent footballers - the types who could manage two hard games in a weekend, having hammered through a Combination game on the Saturday afternoon... There were some awful cloggers too though, and the pitches at Pleasington didn't always help - I remember a horrible incident on the pitch nearest the cemetery gates a few years back, where a plodding centre half planted his leg in a deep divot / mole hole and practically tore it off (really bad compound fracture). Had to abandon that game, as no-one had the stomach to carry on. The only worse games for injuries were the Orphanage Cup, in the middle of the year when pitches could be bone dry and you got all the old stagers turning out for the first time in 20 years for their firm's teams.. pulled hamstrings, knee ligaments gone, dislocated shoulders, ankle sprains and some very very ugly beer guts (not injuries technically, but still awful to comprehend).