Not bothered about the cup this year, we need to be focused solely on the league. As others have said I'd: Pick every U23 who has a chance of breaking through this season. Then fill the gaps with players who are usually on the bench eg Dolan, Downing etc.. Then look at minutes for players recovering from injury. Should be a nailed on win whatever we do (famous last words).

Gallagher had a good game. Some great defensive tracking back. Worth his place IMO.

Happy, happy, happy. The boys are back.

What to say. I love Rovers, I hate Rovers. I'm desperate for a win, then I think what's the point it won't make any difference. I'll pay my 10 quids again, but I don't want to. I'll feel awful before, during and after the match. But maybe THAT is the point, there isn't one, the whole damned rigmarole is pointless! Rovers are a Labour of love, I'll always be a Rover no matter how hopeless it gets so once more into the breach dear friends. Expecting a defeat again but what the heck, I'm going with a 0:3 scoreline. Come on St. Jude.

Agree with a lot of your post. The bit quoted above though not so much. The full backs are the problem. Mowbray is so hell bent on attacking that he uses his full backs as surrogate wingers. That leaves big holes in defence that are easy to exploit with big heave-ho Hail Marys. We are NOT as good in attack as Mowbray thinks we are. We are weak in defence when the full backs go awol and there's no cover from defensive midfield despite there being three of them. If/when a new guy comes in he can either buy his way out of trouble (not likely to have the cash though) or acknowledge the defence is the problem and make the back four stay together. A back four. A shape. Stay tight. Move as one. I don't think this is rocket science, I genuinely don't understand how we can all see it but TM can't especially as he was a centre back by trade. wtf?

So, if we were all on the coaching staff what would we advise Mowbray to do (other than to leave)? My input. 1) have a plan B 2) Fix plan A by a) not playing 3 of your midfielders so deep b) move the ball MUCH quicker c) stop passing the ball across the back 4 d) stop running the ball into cul-de-sacs on the wing and recycling to the back four e) press more f) put round pegs in round holes 3) Plan B a) keep the back four as defenders, no full backs running out of position to play at being world beating attackers ... we need defenders to defend b) get round the back of tight defences by using wingers ... yes we have some Tony think Dolan, think Chapman or just plain think ... c) put the biggest men in the middle of the attack eg Gallagher or Brereton d) get midfielders into the oppositions box [or close by] instead of them relaxing in the centre circle as if they were watching the action on a film screen e) MOVEMENT!! please can we have some!? That's my input, anyone with any others? Come on guys, he needs all the help he can get.

Never saw that coming. 2:1 loss. Who knew?

We've no centre backs. Open house.

Good shout.

How to beat the Rovers : HIgh press Crowd the defence Practice set pieces Look to strike on the break Field as many bruisers as possible to run into as many Rovers players as possible Play as many Hail Mary passes into the heart of our defence as possible We see it every week. When will Mowbray learn. Less Arte more, Labore please Tony.

As a good friend of mine used to say ... there's only chaps and lady chaps! Happy New Year anyways.

Elliott had a bad game. We overhit everything. More players sitting behind the guy with the ball and no one in front (when we're attacking). No movement. Poor match poor result.

My two pennies worth is that I like Gallagher. Like all players theres improvement to be made but he has a real drive and energy i like. I think he is a confidence player. I bumped into him at Ewood after a match and said that I thought he'd played really well. He beamed like it meant so much to hear that and he thanked me. He looked really made up. He's going to get goals if we play him in the right positions and feed him. Reading negative stuff on social media does I suspect affect him badly. Maybe thats why the other players were so protective of him after the newspaper article.

This is what is going to happen this season. Player injuries will continue throughout the year. We'll never field a stable team. We'll come close to the playoffs but never actually get there. We'll moan about it on here constantly to no advantage except to get the frustration out. Management and staff will continue unchanged. What's the point of putting myself through the pain each week i ask myself, its like Groundhog Day. But then I remember I'm a Rovers supporter, always have been, always will be. Maybe we've all died and don't know it, maybe we're all in the 'Bad Place. Whatever! I'll be there when the ground opens again, I'll watch on iFollow, I'll stay bloody miserable throughout. That's the lot of being a Blue. I don't really suppose I'd have it any other way. COYB.

When it comes to Rovers these days I feel like a nervous wreck. In the '90s I turned up expecting a good exciting performance and a win. If we lost I shrugged, wondered how it happened, speculated on what needed to be fixed and moved on with even greater excitement looking forward to the next match. These days it's the opposite. I expect to lose. If we win I shrug and wonder how it happened. I go into every match expecting the worse, my weekend is ruined before its started. We have a good squad now and there should be plenty of cause for optimism yet somehow I still only expect the worse. I feel so passionate about the club but it just feels there's nothing to look forward to anymore. What's gone wrong? How did this happen? Stoke today. How do I feel about it? A nailed on loss and more misery over the weekend/week. Not sure this is what you are supposed to get as a supporter. Let's get it over with. 0-2 and a hard luck sob story. Come on Barnstoneworth.

I feel dirty.

You couldn't make it up.

Rotherham are hoof ball Hail Mary punting bruisers who press without rest. Inevitable that it would break for them and they have a chance. We cannot play against those types of teams (who can we play against?!).

Totally unexpected.

All teams now have us sussed, press us everywhere.

You read my mind, I was just about to post almost the exact same words. Shearer, our best player ever, came back half the player after his injury. Something smelly about Dack's recovery journey. Should be popping up in many more games by now ie behind closed door matches, under 23s etc.. Can't shake the feeling that he's struggling. Obviously hope not, he was our stand out player but I worry we've seen the best of him.

Too many injuries, too many weary players playing a very good team away from home and with home supporters acting as the 12th man. I'm not optimistic.

Abject.

Was really impressed with their #6 Mads Anderson, looked really good for a 22 year old. One to watch.

I was too big and a bit too slow for footy but turns out to have been perfect for 2nd row rugby. My kid brother played for Rovers. I tell him I taught him all he knew but he won't have it!