Bucko is a different class of person to Connor tbf. Those sniffing round are a different class of club to Bournmouth too. I’d love for us to keep him for 12 months but barring a minor miracle (like a torn ACL) I can’t see us keeping him past the summer now. So my guess is that we’ll play him a lot and try to get a kings ransom for him in the summer.

I wouldn’t. 12 games, 1 goal and 0 assists...

Well I suggest you get used to seeing this ‘little boy lost’ play most weeks in our first team. Assuming he’s not snapped up by a top Premier League club next month ??

Let’s see...?

100% sure that Rovers knew nothing of Dack’s agreement with WBA. If there was one at all... Also those who slaughtered Buckley a few weeks ago might feel a little silly in January. Big clubs circling. Expect him to be offered a bumper new deal.

Interesting circumstances around Dack. I didn’t take from the manager that we have no money full stop. But that we didn’t have the millions lying around to replace our star man. I do think it means we may have to sell someone else in the summer to balance the books. I also didn’t know we had a deal for Cunningham agreed...when did that happen?

Is Lansbury a 10? I always thought he was an up and down’er?

When were there any noises that we would lose ALL of our better players should we not get promotion? The closest I’ve seen is TM admitting that teams can sell their best player, reinvest and get stronger. Example James Maddison.

Awww you upset now? ?

I can completely see why Dack would want to join them in January. They’re a foot in the PL, more money and closer to home. BUT I cannot see how the injury is a bad thing for us in that respect. Regardless of whether or not his value would’ve depreciated 20% by waiting until the summer, we (the fans) would’ve demanded that he stay and give Us the best chance of promotion. January is the WORST time to sell your best player. Because no one else is selling theirs. Unless you’re paying double! Chances are he’ll sign a new contract because I can’t see WBA coming back in for him after that injury and promotion. As I said. Terrible news for Dack. Genuinely do feel for him. But if the rumours are true, this is the best possible outcome for Blackburn Rovers. Who are my only concern.

You do know there’s no benefit selling in an inflated market, when you have to replace that player in the same market though right? I would’ve been furious had we sold him in January. Absolutely livid. As far as I can see. If the deal was to go ahead then for sure the injury has crushed his dream, but it’s done us and Tony a BIG favour.

Gutted for us!!? Give your head a wobble pal...we’d have been mortified if A fully fit and firing Dack had been sold in January. IF this story is true, and I doubt it, then the injury has saved our outrage and potentially Tony’s job. There’s no simple replacing Dack in January. Even with £20m in your pocket

My point is that With Dack potentially out for the foreseeable, I Think it provides an opportunity for the likes of Holtby, Gallagher, Buckley and Brereton etc to step forward out of the shadows. None of them have had an extended period in those top two positions and the team has been historically set up for Dack. With respect, the people who signed them know a lot more about footballers than you or I. The only thing ridiculous here is you thinking otherwise. There’s lots of reasons why Brereton and Gally haven’t scored. Not being good enough, Time on the pitch, injury, settling in periods, formations, confidence, opportunities Etc etc. I don’t think it’s any one persons fault. I just feel like if I were one of them now I’d see This as a huge opportunity to make the position my own over an extended run. We’ll know whether the manager thinks they’re ready to step in if he trusts them to do so.

Great point! Add Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Benny McCarthy to that list... Holtby has all the tools to succeed Dack. Maybe the time has come for Gallagher and Brereton to live up to their price tags and deliver. A chance for Buckley and / or JRC to step up?

We’re not devoid of pace if Rothwell plays...

Haha - That’s weird, I originally typed your team out, agonised over it and switched Holtby and Rothwell round. I think I’d go with your version actually

Thanks Chris. ps - my kids wake up at the crack of dawn every day and yet my wife and I are currently lay awake waiting for them to get up this morning! Sod’s law!! ??

I wonder if we’ll move to a 433 with Dack out...its a formation the staff wanted to play but he never fit into... Walton Nyambe Lenihan Tosin Downing Holtby Travis Johnson Arma Graham Rothwell Im personally unsure that we can sustain any top 6 Chase without Dack. He’s our best and most effective player. Holtby is our only current hope and has the tools and goal threat to challenge. I don’t think Rothwells ability to assist or score goals is good enough to fill that position. My feeling is that should the injury be season ending they will bring in an attacking option on loan in Jan. So sad for Dacky. Will make for an interesting few weeks. Also believe Tosins late injury and realisation that Williams is nowhere near his quality may have been a glimpse of Christmas future for Mowbray. Might just trigger a bit of a spending spree you know guys. ... Merry Christmas everyone ????

Languid first half. Huffed and puffed second half without ever clicking into gear. Wigan came to do a job by breaking the play up with niggly fouls and were assisted by the referee who was as bad as I’ve ever seen. All in all. A frustrating day at the office. I didn’t think we bottled it. Dacks injury potential to derail our season.

Get out onto the front foot tonight. Keep it tight and the result will come. The best chance they have is to frustrate us and nick one... FYI - I’m certainly not ‘dreading’ the team selection tonight. Why would I? We’re on the back of a brilliant run and in our last game the manager rotated 6 players and the ones who came in produced arguably the performance of the season. Only circumstances can conspire against us tonight. Remove the emotion. Treat them as the very poor team they are and run them over.

I’d prefer not to name them mate. They’re my friends ultimately. I’d imagine you probably already have an idea of a couple of them Chaddy...

I agree mate. We need to get on the front foot. Walton Nyambe Lenihan Tosin Downing Travis Evans/Johnson Armstrong Dack Rothwell/Holtby Graham Evans vs Johnson - Evans is in the form of his life and it would be very harsh to drop him. Johnson was awesome against Bristol and at best gives us what Evans does plus attacking prowess - Id go with Evans to begin with. Rothwell vs Holtby - Rothwell deserves a run and has been class but I think he’s a little inconsistent. Holtby has great quality and is getting to the point where he deserves a run. I’d go with Rothwell who could blow Wigan away.

This. 100% ??

No mate, nothing to do with football. I played (quite badly) as a young lad. But a lot of the lads who I played with went on to have decent careers. Some excellent careers....all retired now but most still involved as league scouts, coaches and a couple as managers. A couple of them were blown away by the standard of our facilities. Wasn’t expected. I’m even more convinced than ever that video has been released to attract potential players you know...it’s very impressive that.

.Great post Vinjay ??