It’s amazing how cheap Samba and Nzonzi both were…a product of good European scouting and the confidence to sign such relative unknowns. We must have the shortest squad in the division…the subs all warm up directly in front of me and it was like watching a bunch of Olympic skateboarders

That’s right, very few teams coped with their flying wing backs approach. The thing that struck me today was West Brom’s combination of pace and physicality. It’s a potent weapon in this division.

Proud of the lads today. Against a clearly superior outfit in all departments we clung on in there and made it a game in the second half. Yes, the Baggies should have been out of sight at one point but I don’t think we’ll face much better than that at Ewood all season. Still pleased with 7 points from 4 games.

Early days for Carter but very encouraging…when Wharton returns we’re going to have some real depth in that position (for the first time in eons). Sometimes adversity brings a togetherness and team spirit that carries you forward…either that or Ayala really is the player we thought he could be.

Not a bad half but Forest haven’t enjoyed their usual slice of jam yet.

Hughton has our number. 1-0 Forest

And then there was Sandomierski…only got 8 matches but looked half decent.

Simon Eastwood!!! I’d forgotten him. Seemed to play like Gordon Banks in cup matches but never managed to usurp Steele as number 1.

In my time watching Rovers we haven’t had too many established goalkeepers. Mimms, Flowers, Friedel, Robinson, Steele, Raya are the only six who have managed more than one season as the undisputed first choice (Kaminski will obviously/hopefully qualify for this little club). Of that list, Steele is definitely the weakest. The back-ups down the years have been mixed…Filan (decent), Kelly (ok), Fettis (diabolical). Jason Brown never disgraced himself (unless it involved driving the team bus!!!). Maybe I need to do my research but only 6 established keepers in a near 30 year period doesn’t seem much?

In my opinion you pick a team to win regardless of the competition or the current strength of the squad. I would keep the spine of Saturday’s team in place (minus Ayala) and draft in Butterworth, Carter, Davenport and possibly McBride. We started last season well and part of that was down to beating Donny early doors in the league cup. Morecambe will no doubt rest a few as is the way in this competition nowadays but we should be able to field an eleven that can see them off.

Awful record with this ref. He did the 3-3 with Crewe sending off 2 and sent off Conway in a 2-1 defeat at Hillsborough. I’m not sure if we’ve ever managed to win with him in charge. Couple that with the fact we haven’t won on the opening day since a 1-0 win over Everton in 2010…I’d say our chances are akin to winning the National on a mule

I really can’t fathom why kit manufacturers insist on producing skin tight shirts. I’m 6ft 4 and have always needed at least an XL but with the skin tight editions I need 3XL now. Most fans do not resemble the players, if anything they need to produce shirts with extra material to circumnavigate beer bellies.

I stand corrected. I was at the Fowler game too.

Three days later we beat Liverpool 1-0 at Ewood with ‘that’ Tugay Gerrard moment. I was at both games and I can’t remember feeling such a gap between deflation and elation in consecutive matches.

For me, after the play off dream disappeared post Christmas, the only thing I cared about was finishing above Preston. When we beat them 3-0 at their place we demonstrated how superior we should be to them...we then forged a good number of points ahead of them by Christmas. The comparison with PNE is the most apt in terms of Mowbray’s inadequacies. We have superior players (I wouldn’t swap many of their first teamers for ours), we have spent significantly more money and we are still a bigger name when it comes to attracting players. Regardless of these things, they have had a series of managers who have (mostly) got more out of them than the sum of their parts. Mowbray has done the opposite with us, even in league one where most weeks we toiled in beating clearly inferior opposition. Yes we have had injuries this season but by and large we have been able to field a team full of experience, potential and expense (Gallagher, Brereton etc). Whenever we achieve the illusion of a team ethic (PNE away) it is quickly removed by needless tinkering, players being sidelined for little reason and of course, the inexcusable playing of players out of position. These things must affect morale and prevent fluency and consistency of performance. We have seen glimpses of what we are capable of, we have a 26 goal top scorer and a very good goal difference...we rarely if ever get thrashed...but the basics don’t add up. Summer might bring a few decent arrivals, another draft of exciting prospects loaned from above but sadly, with Mowbray at the helm, Groundhog Day will be all we are served. Look at Barnsley, Luton even!!! How can such a limited squad finish above us? The answer is simple. Good management. Tactical awareness. Instilling confidence in players consistently. Our players match our cyclical team form...a few great performances followed by nothing (see Rothwell, Brereton, Holtby and even Armstrong). There is so much more I could rant about but I’m losing the will to care. Get him out and get him out now.

Gutted if it’s Macron. Cheap and tacky

Loving the fact that Huddersfield have scored more goals than they’ve had shots on target.

I’m expecting another defeat today. We’ll more than likely finish in 21st place...that would have to be the final straw

He’s been a member of the Cambridge University Netball Team for some time already.

I made a pact with this football club, I do not intend to break it under any circumstances. When my son is old enough he will be coming to Ewood regardless of what division we are in or who is managing the team.

One thing that last night reiterated for me is that I’d rather be at Ewood watching that dross than sat at home. At Ewood I can vent my displeasure with management , urge on the team and in general see the pattern of things much better. I am one of the few who renewed my season ticket and have no doubt that I will renew again next season. I can’t not be there. If Mowbray is still in place come August I will be unhappy to put it mildly but I will still be there...probably watching us fail to win on the first day of the season for eleven years running...but I’ll still be there. Rovers have endured many peaks and troughs throughout our history, gates have fallen well below 5 figures, but in my lifetime we have won three promotions, the Premiership and league cup. Football is cyclical...I might have to wait a long time for the cycle to repeat but the hope remains. I will be there.

That was pathetic. Doesn’t feel like a win at all. The ref didn’t give a pen because he knew he’d gone over time already. We have no game management whatsoever. This changes nothing.

Just look at PNE, sack Neil, put McAvoy in charge and it’s 4 points from 2 games both against promotion chasing sides. It doesn’t take a genius to see that any change has the possibility to create a bounce. Put Johnson in charge for the remaining games and hopefully we can pick up the points needed to stay up. Keeping Mowbray in place is self-defeating

Game over.

We’ve had some belters who were winding down their careers and briefly passed through: Djorkaeff, Sukur, Baggio, Dahlin to name but four, however for lasting impact it’s got to be Tugay, Friedel and Berg in that order.