Yeah, a shot on target.

Not really. Could have got closer maybe but I blame the lack of closing down. His decision making and kicking is poor.

We really haven’t improved our goalkeeping situation, have we?

@Ozz might be able to help. If he still posts?

Our failure in the transfer market coming home to roost with immediate effect. No surprise to see Bell starting thanks to Mowbray’s stubbornness but Cunningham not even being in the squad? Come on, Tony. Very coincidental timing of the two injuries. Is Tony’s time coming to an end? Or will he ride this mini storm?

Your argument could also be applied to Walton (and Raya before him). Leutwiler is NOT competition and our first team keeper is still an automatic pick. The centre back debacle has taken the spotlight off it to an extent but the failure to bring in a credible goalkeeper (Walton should have been number two) is another big miss by Mowbray.

In League One he was absolutely someone that had to be found a place in the team. His energy and passion was massive for us. At this level and in this squad, there are just better players in his position: centre midfield. Who could we drop? Travis? Johnson? He can be used on the right of midfield - although not his position - but that means Rothwell or Gallagher or Armstrong making way. Nyambe seems to have been scapegoated so as to put Bennett there. Would it have been better to have displaced Bell (at the time) and play Bennett there? Maybe. It’s hard to make a case for Bennett starting which means his influence as captain would be limited. Maybe he could be made club captain and Lenihan have the armband for match days.

Should be no problem with that. Ignore any disapproving (or curious) looks. They’re probably just not used to it. Singing seems to be almost completely gone but I think that has a lot to do with the language content of our songs. The player ones are better. We definitely need better songs though - without mentioning ‘that lot’.

If by vocal, you mean swearing then it’s the family stand. If you are just shouting then fill your boots. We need a bit more passion.

Good post. The problem is not necessarily Venkys but who they hand over the reigns to and what their motives are. They don’t have a great record with listening to the wrong people. Our next owner could ruin us which is exactly what has happened at Bolton. Owning a football club is not a way to make money but rather to lose it. I’m not even sure if Venkys have got any marketing points from owning Rovers.

Pretty much seals it for me.

That back four. FFS Tony. ??‍♂️

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/august/let-battle-commence/ This doesn’t sound like Cunningham will start. Looks like it’s Bell’s place to lose. Oh Tony...!

Not according to transfermarkt but it looks like they only use permanent signing dates. You are right though, Graham initially came on loan in January when Bennett joined.

With no announcement I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mowbray pass the armband around for a few games before making his mind up. Who has been here longest? Transfermarkt has it as Corry Evans who has been here since Summer 2013 - a year longer than the next longest, Lenihan. However, Lenihan was actually signed two years prior to Evans in 2011 but didn’t make his debut for the first team until April 2015. Then it’s Bennett (18 months later) and Graham (6 months later than him). Then Nyambe, Williams, Smallwood and Dack. Lenihan might not be a bad shout.

So how do you see this panning out, Darren? Are they going to pass the club on to their children and their children’s children like some kind of dysfunctional dynastic heirloom? Will they place it into the hands of a trust to protect it from falling into the wrong hands? Sell to some rich foreign benefactor? When? Who? Will there be a consortium that will offer them a deal to take on the non-Venkys debt? Why? When? Wipe out the debts and hand it over to a fan group? Why? They will not be here forever. When they do leave they will have to wipe out our debts or wipe out our club. (Or hoodwink some oligarch). Why would they wipe out the debt? What will it take for them to sell - having allegedly refused to do so when they had the opportunity? All of their money back? Half? A 49% stake? (No, they’ve refused that). Face-saving Premier League football? (Why do they put up with Mowbray telling them to put their money away if that is the aim?) We are in a completely untenable position right now. The cracks have been papered over but we all know that they are still there.

To be fair, 80% think it’s been an average or below window. It certainly isn’t a window that has generated any enthusiasm.

In three hours. I honestly thought there would have been a bigger boycott.

Could go either way with Bennett. Punished for an altercation with a fan on social media or stubbornly backing his man? He’s a senior player rather than a junior one though so I expect Mowbray will back him. That said, he shipped Mulgrew out (and “after only one game” ?) so you never know. Mowbray doesn’t like throwing young players straight in, he feels the need to protect them or something, but more experienced players tend to go straight in. Cunningham to start. Let’s see if he thinks ‘the next Vincent Kompany’ is ready - or if Fulham away is just too big a test. He’ll need to start soon or it could be another short-lived loan spell where I could see Guardiola recalling him to loan elsewhere. 36 competitive games for West Brom last season. Not good enough ready to start for us against Charlton.

I hope he isn’t saying stuff like this to the players. With the window closed Mowbray should be in bullish mood having got the right players in and let the right players go. Worrying about Fulham is just so Bowyer-esque! I really hope we win tomorrow, rather than just a ‘positive result’ - as much for Mowbray’s sake as ours. He needs to be able to say “I told you so” as soon as possible by getting points on the board and avoid us getting into a bad run early on. We had enough of a head start last season to maintain a relatively safe distance from trouble but if we are in the bottom three at the start of September then I fear for us. He needs to have courage of his conviction and play his new charges from the start. I worry that Mowbray will be Mowbray and play Bell and Williams at our left hand side of defence because he isn’t convinced that the new lads are ready. My choices - even though I’m playing Rothwell out of position due to the lack of natural right winger - I think there are fewer square pegs in round holes. I actually think we will regret not selling Dack for big money this Summer.

Fair play 7,000 sold in three hours. There’s still a pulse!

It’s evidently more popular that the horrible grey/green effort! About par that the off the shelf, badge-added shirt is more desirable (and less available) than the custom designed one.

Out of that list, it has to be Lenihan. If he is going to feature in matches we could do worse than Downing though.

Remind me?