We try and play it but give it away too often in midfield and further up so end up inviting pressure and naturally start to retreat and be more defensive and trying to keep it at the back. Away from home often teams just don't allow us to do it and they cut us off in midfield that's why we see the non events we often do. Seems there's no other real plan when that happens as the idea is to get an early goal then defend deep.

You get to the Prem however you can you never pass up an opportunity if it's there. Worry about staying there if and when you get there, it's been ten years and pre Jack it was 25 out of top flight. Sorry but talk of not going for it until we think we might have enough to stay up there is utter bollocks. We aren't building a side with money so if we went up we'd unlikely be staying there anyway first time but either way we'd need big investment.

When half our own fans don't understand our own fanbase it's no wonder those in suits at Ewood don't.

Oh aye there'll be plenty bleating going on when it isn't approaching 20k

Well it's almost a tenner cheaper in the JW upper outer so not to be sniffed at i expect a few more in there. 12/13k home fans is still low but an improvement on the last couple of home games. Might draw a few more away fans as well.

Nope they are now getting 8/900 where they were getting a 1000 + before and there is plenty angst at the price rises.

When we are second in the league experimental line ups and project tactics should take a back seat. Cannot for the life of me understand managers and coaches who seem to prioritise squad development before the pursuit of points. Treat every game like it's your last, not like a training match.

Can't see it being much different budget wise to last season so hopefully GB and JDT find a few who can fit in.

It isn't working away from home that is 100% certain the evidence is overwhelming. So we have another who will just keep doing it until it does then hail it as part of the project but it's only justified if it starts working with a bit of consistency like it does at home. Otherwise it's rather pointless - literally - and will be our undoing.

They are handy to come on and and replace BBD or Gallagher and run around a lot when we are sitting on the edge of our box hanging on. I think that's all he actually wants from them and he tends to rely on like for like subs as his go to whatever is happening before eventually he throws more bodies on. So yes we are a bit hamstrung with no quality but there are a few other options and he bangs on about flexibility yet there is never anything shown when we are losing.

JDT and his staff are very good at drilling in tactics to hold out in winning positions and making like for like subs with fresh legs to help that. By god though they haven't got one clue what to do when the team is on the back foot or losing, there's a clear pattern developed now.

Brereton had quite a few championship games with Forest and shown decent form which had alerted clubs. There is a reason we ended up paying 6 million for an 18 year old, if he'd been cheaper any number of bigger clubs would have snapped him up. Forest only wanted to let him go if the offer was too good to turn down. Not really much comparisons with Hirst at all other than them both struggling with the demands of the Championship and style of play at Rovers on first glance.

No this is maybe the extra they'll have had to find during covid to keep the club alive so they probably wanted something back for it. All just an accounting exercise probably, i suspect there'll be no lump sum of 16 million dropping anytime soon. Might be wrong though.

Iv'e plenty faith in the team but i also know how the Championship can kick you right in the nuts, anybody can beat anybody. Also a few lessons need learning from last season with Ben he needs his workload managing like anybody else in order to keep him fresh and more importantly fit.

Dripping it in or just a paper exercise to give them some security for extra money already pumped in during lockdown ?

I'd bench Brereton and try something a bit different whilst giving him a rest, i'm fearing a niggling injury is not too far away. With our rearguard actions recently we should at least come away with a draw in this. Coventry 0 Rovers 0

I;m thinking more about the actual freedom to arrive, leave when you want etc which is what was always moaned about rather than potential aggro.

'Thank god this isn't that ridiculous bubble game anymore i couldn't stand being bussed in by the police like a criminal' Are you going ? 'Yeah' How you getting there ? 'On the coach from Ewood' 🤣 got to love our lot 🤣

I know your game 🤣

No i don't by my point is we don't know if there was anymore available if he presented something to them. We also do know that he didn't the bit he had as well as it could have been used. His signings, his use of them in the team and as much as we maligned the owners that bit is down to the manager at the time nobody else. I'll pull you up on it every time you mention it so you might as well get used to it because you are spouting half truths to try and steer it all away from Mowbray. I believe if Broughton & JDT get similar leeway in Jan from this seasons budget they'll use it better. That remains to be seen but promotion as always remains a long shot for whoever is running the team. I don't hold missing out on it last season against TM as we were batting above our station anyway as we are now but i won't have it he wasn't part responsible for the poor window and part responsible for the car crash few months in the new year.

Yep he is 100% equally as much to blame as the ownership because hi DID get a degree of backing and didn't put it to any notable use. Classic Mowbray policy - sign a good player who fits our system then play him in other positions instead. Then a few squaddies as back up players and spend a transfer fee on a youth team player. There was a time and a place for all that during his time here but last January wasn't it it needed a big push from all concerned including him. All he seemed concerned about was selling Rothwell, presumably thinking that would cement himself a new contract.

Giles - Good pedigree and from a Prem club so a fair cost associated no doubt. Started well then got jerked about, lost confidence then ended up in the wrong position altogether, then dropped. Hedges - A transfer fee paid in advance instead of following up on the agreement to get him for free in summer. Good player as we now know but benched and hardly used by the guy who'd bought him. Markandy - Quite why money was used for another project player when we were so well placed trying for promotion and desperately needed forwards only the guy who brought him in knows. Still cost at least 500k ! Jury firmly still out almost a year later. Zefook - Utility man, neither bad nor good, injured. So the owners probably sanctioned a few million in Jan which Mowbray spunked as usual on squaddies then tried to shoehorn them in to various degrees. Not ONE proved any use to where we were then or what we needed. Also well documented and mentioned by himself and his CEO that he didn't use all his funds AND turned down a few loan options of strikers. Lets have the full story when you keep referring back to last January please not just your edited Mowbray protecting version pal ! Hopefully JDT gets similar backing (at least) and proves less of a dud than Tony in that window.

Walsall hopefully, the smaller pitch will suit our defensive game although the traffic outside would be horrific.

Did ok today there's still a bit of life in those legs.

Must say i'm a bit disappointed in their new breed of fans, much prefer the 'we'll have to terrace Pendle Hill' and 'We ran Wellsy and his boys all over Blackburn' variety of fantasists. What happened to them are they all locked up now ?