If Arma does get snapped up, not the end of the world because it dramatically eases the FFP noose we are operating with. Having said that, I'd far prefer having Arma and the FFP headache. Will be interesting to see if any players can go out on loan given the wages caps in Leagues 1 and 2.

Didn't see the second half. Was amazed when I saw the score based on the first half so all credit for the HT talk from Southgate.

If Williams is Covid positive. Did he get it at Rovers??? Will be very nervous about Rovers (and Cardiff and officials) players and staff testing positive before the Forest game. Fortunately, he has been with the RoI squad just long enough to have caught it on the journey to Ireland.

This is the David Conn article which has made me look at the proposal with fresh eyes: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/oct/11/plan-to-mend-the-great-crack-in-football-pyramid-should-not-be-swept-off-the-table?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other The good- reunification of PL and EFL financial support for the lower levels The bad- voting powers proposal scrapping the League Cup with nothing to replace it. Neutral- Reducing the top level to 18 clubs In short I think there is a basis here to work from. if the bad is addressed. How about a League Cup without clubs which are Europe qualified? One way they are proposing to get the other PL clubs on board is by extending enhanced votes to the longest serving PL members so including Everton, West Ham and Southampton. How would we feel if they extended that further to include all Premier League winners in the merged PL/EFL set-up?

Ready to go

Aleesami not in the squad for Norway's 4-0 thrashing of Romania

Five players including Williams out of the RoI squad today but only one is Covid positive. Looks like Del is quarantined through contact at least which I guess rules him out next Saturday and solves Mowbray's back line conundrum.

Dire living down to his name.

I have to say it is very generous of Man U to be volunteering to participate in a relegation play-off.

England being predictably ripped apart by Belgium.

With Man U involvement, it should be called The Big 16th or The Big 6-1

The dead give away for why this is launched now. The Big 6 are currently 4th 5th 6th 7th 14th 16th

Pinched this from Bavarian Rover.. Don't exactly know how they create this category of Big Chance 35%+ but it rather suggests we should stuff Forest.

He played cricket at Morecambe. Had many a long conversation with him.

Beg to differ. Bowen is much better.

West Brom still interested in King. Benrahma is not Prem class- would be a big mistake by West Ham.

I would see him at LB if all our other options don't happen.

They have drawn a couple of games which the footballing Gods conspired to give them a brilliant chance of winning. They are fortunate clubs like Southend and Grimsby are disintegrating giving them a fighting chance of staying up. Quite probably, remaining solvent will all they need to do to stay in the Football League..

https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/transfer-news/blackburn-rovers-stewart-downing-contract-19078138 A Downing return possible There are worse options to have at left back...

I had been wondering if I had been hallucinating after all the cheering for getting Williams. Not been impressed either when I have seen him. Let's face it, the hurdle for getting into the current Manc defence is hardly very high.

Played again for Gib today in their away win in Leichenstein. He is just 20 and I certainly wouldn't rule him out. When partnering Ayala, you wouldn't have known which was which at the back from their interceptions tackles and passing. For a "big lanky awkward lad" he is pretty cultured playing the ball on the ground.

Morecambe top of League 2 by 2 points with a -1 goal difference. Cannot remember a team topping a league with a negative goal difference before.

He has looked very decent playing for the under-23s v City, Leicester and United. Looks cultured but also looks like he has errors in him without actually getting caught out.

I broke my duck of starting match threads which produce a win with our 3-2 victory at Cardiff in the twilight zone in May so I hope I am not resurrecting previous perennial bad luck by starting this thread... Being a contrarian.. Forest changing Managers at least means TM won't have spent two weeks obsessing about what Forest are going to do and disappearing up his own tailpipe producing a team and tactics that totally bemuse the out of position Rovers players. Unless he is Mystic Mog, he won't know what Hughton is going to conjure up from that huge Forest squad which will most likely include at least two new signings making debuts. His only option is to concentrate on what Rovers are going to do and hopefully formation and tactics are a given. We will have 4-3-3 with players in their natural positions again please Tony. However, choice of Personnel could be a bit more tricky. Hopefully we will only have Travis, Dack and Butterworth unavailable which means Stergiakis, Rankin-Costello, Lenihan, Ayala, Evans and Gallagher should all be available and that is without reckoning on one or more AN Others signed before the transfer window cut-off to be available for selection. Established players are not going to be in the matchday 18, quite apart from getting a starting slot. It would be really cruel to see Buckley and Chapman not making the bench but that would seem likely for at least one of them. Big decisions will need to be made selecting between Nyambe and JRC, Ayala, Williams and Lenihan, whether to bring Evans in especially if he has two more good games for Northern Ireland, and one from Gallagher and Dolan. I suspect if an AN Other signing is a left back with a sweet cross in him, Gallagher will get that nod in the expectation he will nod in a cross or two coming in late at the far post... Equally I expect Gallagher will be ineffectual and replaced by Dolan before the 70th minute. I just hope Mowbray doesn't overthink permutations and starts saving players for the journeys to Watford and Coventry which happen within seven days of the Forest game. We know Forest will come to Ewood all fired up wanting to start their season five games late under their new boss. We know they have some very good players. We know Kaminski is going to have to be outstanding to keep his run of clean sheets going. We know Rovers are going to have to be at their best in taking their chances to win this one. Deep down we also know if 20/21 is going to be a very special season for Rovers, this is the sort of game we have got to be winning.

I should have taken more note of Malta's 2-0 win against Gibraltar two days ago. Malta rotated their squad so it was in effect a second XI and I hear we should have won more convincingly.