There's a note at the end of that link, saying Marcus Bent (now 41) has joined a non-league outfit somewhere. Good old Benty - oh for some of his sharpness and steel in front of goal these days..!

Nob End are on something of a downward spiral, not dissimilar to our own recent run of 'form', so it is anyone's guess what the outcome from this fixture will be. Suffice it to say there will be complete meltdown if Rovers bottle it against our near neighbours, given the recent history of the fixture. I'm going for a weirdly entertaining score draw, 1-1, with Rovers scoring first through Johnson. COYB!

It would probably go better for Ben if he stopped trying to look like Danny Graham, and if he just got a dose of the feckits and did his own thing on the pitch (assuming he ever gets another chance). One thing is for sure, doing what he is told by TM is NOT working for the lad. So anything else has got to be better. I definitely think he should be despatched on loan to Accy, or Fleetwood, or somewhere he would be used as a striker, where the boss would tolerate (or require) no bollocks tactics, and where he could regain the confidence that playing under a £7 million tag for Rovers has completely drained from his game. Next time I want to see Ben Brereton in a Rovers shirt will be on his return from scoring for fun in the lower leagues - plus with a better haircut!

It's not like it is feast and famine ffs - we are getting plenty of famine from TM and the crew, but someone forgot to order the feast, so we are being asked to suck lemons instead (or make do with others' leftovers and mutton dressed as lamb). Sick of it.

Gallagher a striker? Feck me, it's like me claiming that because I'm a catholic, I'm Pope.

We look like a (poor) Sunday league outfit, full of blokes who cant control a ball, who are still pissed from the night out before and who are playing because they don't want to lose face with their mate who organises the sandwiches and tea after the game in the pub.

Jason Wilcox a d Graeme Le Saux were pretty good at feeding the SAS with crosses.

It is obvious from the run of games we won in December that, on their day, the players are as good as any of the opposition they encounter. What is lacking is a manager who has the desire / ability / inclination / insight / commitment to winning (delete or add to as appropriate) to get the best from a settled squad. It is also clear that for whatever reason, tombola and random selection is the preferred modus operandum of Tony Mowbray. Without wishing to belittle his capabilities, it doesn't look like he actually gives a fook at any point in a game, winning or losing. At least if we had someone on the sidelines who looked engaged with the game rather than away with the damned fairies in his own mind games, we as fans would be under no illusion that the manager was actually trying to win. As it is all we can infer is that his goal appears to be something other than the long term success of Blackburn Rovers, evidenced by consistent and coherent planning and effective (or at least clear) tactics during each game of the current campaign. Give Johnson the chance. Get someone with a plan in. But for fecks sake, wake up and smell the coffee - Rovers are in a self-induced coma with Tony Mowbray at the helm.

We have the players to make an impact in this league. We don't have management capable of getting the best from the players we have. My prescription - no need to bring in anyone else, other than a hungry, ambitious and focused manager.

Dumbo and his fecking feather.

BBC has us at 67% possession. I presume much of that is whilst picking the ball out of the net? Beggars belief, the ineptitude of our current set up.

Half mast parallels - trousers that are clearly too short for the spindly legs projecting from the bottom, and which feature baggy yet strangely angular droppage from the waist area. Design tomfoolery only recently outdone by the fashion for expensive holes in jeans (which are possibly the most cringeworthy joke of the ragtrade in the past 50 years). Was at the Turd, in 1977 for the Keith Fear show - got ejected by a cretinous teabag of a plod for singing 'Kindon's wife is on the game again' in my soprano squeek of the time. Vowed never to go to that sheethole ever again, and have been good to my word ever since. Winning the Full Members Cup at Wemberlee was a good day out!

Fooking Dumbo and his lucky feather. Mind you, if it was the difference that made the difference then definitely get it back round his neck. Make him fooking sleep in it, if it helps us to win again. Win ugly, or with style, we only ever remember the result! COY scarvey Blues!

That would get my vote in a poll. Good strategy where we capitalise on any of our current strengths and solve a thorny problem without too much upheaval.

Completely baffling his team selections and tactics for the last 2 games, particularly given the cohesion, spirit and form shown in the 4 games prior to that. Also, what a missed opportunity to regain some kudos with the extra thousands who ventured to Ewood over the festive period. It has the feel of another headlong dive into a sequence of poor results, each of which reinforces our lack of credentials as serious contenders for a playoff berth. Don't get me wrong, I'd love it if we started to pick up again, and played with some confidence and swagger. However my strong feeling of deja vu that is a result of other purple patches after which we've flattered to deceive, suggests we will come back down the M62 with our tail between our legs. COYB!

Boring would get my vote. But wait...Ferkin Hell!

Let's hope this isn't a case of 'Famous Last Words'!

It will be interesting to see how this turns out - not sure why Mowbray thinks chopping and changing is likely to lead to anything but confusion and lack of cohesion on the pitch. If Birmingham turn up today, we might be in for a galling time.

I noticed Nyambe seems to have difficulty trapping the ball dead, as it invariably bobbles up every time it is passed to him. Cobblers of a performance from the Rovers this evening. But as they say, in football you have to beat the team that's in front of you on the park. We didn't beat, hurt, unsettle, worry or upset Wigan's game plan one iota this evening and if anything, they might feel more aggrieved not to have won than us. Onwards and upwards chaps and chappesses.

I remember the first time Wigan came to Ewood, when we were Premier League giants and they were 4th tier minnows (I think) in the FA Cup or some other cup competition. I thought at the time that it was strange to be nervous of a club with such a short history / lack of pedigree. I think we won on the day.. Roll forward 15 years or so (ish) and here we are, quaking in our boots at the prospect of a silly banana skin dressed as a meat pie. Shocking how things can change eh? Let's just pummel them instead of worrying about it.

Well, it's not like we are Anthony Joshua, so stepping in the ring with the Pie Eaters shouldn't be a worry, as long as we do a full professional job on the game. As with all games in this division, complacency and arrogance will bite you in the arse, so none of that please, Rovers! My prediction has to be that we will conspire to choke, once again, demonstrating that recent form is no guarantee of success for any club in this shithole of a division. On the positive side, at least we seem to have moved 180 degrees away from where we were towards the middle of November, when Mowbray was one game from getting the boot, and the boo-boys (including me) were clamouring for his removal. For the time being at least, Ewood Park seems to be a happier and more optimistic place - and long may that continue! C'mon you Blues! (the away kit is still shit on toast) Remember the Alamo!

. Hello Tony Mowbray and players - Merry Christmas! Please could we avoid the above scenario vs the pie-eaters? Thanking you! COYB!

Time for me to eat my words Twas Bristol who turned up as turds The Mighty Rovers from the first Stepped up and let them Brizzlers do their worst They huffed and puffed and passed and ran But all to no avail, cos to a man The Rovers stood there firm and fine And scored two goals, both quite sublime Whatever Tinker Tony's done It seems to work quite well, then some So, fair play Mowbray, enjoy the calls Of Rovers finallly grow some balls! Top game. Never looked in doubt (although there were a couple of chances that, had they been converted) might have changed the complexion of the game. City looked like the hapless chumps we've become used to watching. so it was great to see the boot on the other foot for a change! Blackburn Rovers - FORM TEAM OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP GOING INTO CHRISTMAS! Now, there's a turn up for the books! COY Christmas B!

There once was a bloke called Tony Whose teams were consistently phoney Without Bradley Dack, to lead the attack This team plays like a one trick pony A saturday night in December Gave the Rovers fans much to remember But sadly for some, it was more hit and run As the Bristol passed by each defender The changes were rung and quite rightly The fans were in uproar unsightly They'll knock us for six with that goon in the sticks and the Bell end and Bennet playing shitely If anything else, now our Tinker Has got an excuse for a stinker Where Rovers get tubbed, and our noses are rubbed In the brown stuff served up by this winker. (Can you tell I'm not a great fan of change for change' sake?)

A point away from home on the back of four consecutive wins is a decent return. Need to keep the nerve for Saturday.