Dull boring

Chesterfield had a defender sent off and Markanday was one of those subbed. Was doing less in the second half .

Markanday tap-in to put Chesterfield 2 up. Most quality player on the park but fleetingly involved in a game Grimsby have dominated for long spells despite the scoreline.

Looking forward to serious football a week today.

Pickering or Beck? Surprised this isn't also a raging argument. While we are about it, does Lewis Baker get in the side? And Cantwell, ACD, Hedges, Ohashi, Dolan, Sigurdsson, JRC, Weimann all to start with Tyjon off the bench when we have a cushion?

Clearly the combined wisdom of the powers that be concluded we needed a keeper. We got one. Hopefully not a nervous wreck this time. And something will be seriously amiss if Toth isn't a better keeper than Pears.

Championship at four games in is more interesting than most expected. Of course it helps having Rovers at the more interesting end of the table.

He is only managing a goal or an assist every 58 minutes. We will miss him against Bristol City.

I agree but a 26 year old Hungarian international is hardly unproven talent as these things go. But then again, Wahlstad had a full Swedish cap....

Saw the title and immediately assumed Rovers had been put up for sale. Good luck selling the ties!

If we haven't signed a better keeper than Pears, what has the Recruitment team been doing for the last 12 months? It is not difficult to name at least 50 keepers plying their trade in England one would select ahead of Pears.

Not for the first time I cannot believe what I am reading on here. We have signed 11 new players. 1 is a kid, 1 is suspended, 2 are capable OAP cover in central defence. The other 7 have cost diddly squat in transfer fees but would be £5m + buys today in the sort of normal transfer market most of us were brought up to understand. And Duru has come through from the Academy to be a real alternative at right back. We bemoaned a thin squad. Now we have a decent squad and don't seem to have the emotional cojones to handle it. In the Rovers of last season it would be unthinkable to drop a player who had scored a wonder goal at the Dingles, or that Pears, Pickering, Britain, JRC, Dolan and Hedges are all at risk of being dropped because we have (shock horror) not only set out to get better players in their places but quite possibly/probably have done. I wouldn't be surprised if Eustace pins a blank sheet of paper to the wall and tells the first training session this week that is the current first team and subs bench for the Bristol game. And I forgot Sigurdsson...

Shearer 112 goals in 138 Rovers appearances. Liverpool could give City a challenge this year.

Really important Waggott (if still involved) puts all 31,000 seats on sale for the return at Ewood on 4 January.

Yes

Weird extended highlights not showing the Dolan goal incident

Two weeks without meaningful football to cogitate about this one and plenty of player permutations to conjure with. With the exception of Scott (he hates Burnley) Wharton and assuming no training ground injuries, Eustace is going to have close to a full squad to select from- even Leonard and Gilsenan could be back. Although there are good enough replacements, Hyam and Carter in the middle of defence and Travis and Tronstedt in central midfield are pretty certain starters while it would be a surprise to see Duru preferred to Brittain. Gueye suspension probably assures Ohashi a start leading the line. The rest is going to be the subject of intense speculation... The chance to see new faces and the continuing buzz from getting a point from Tony Harrington at t'Turf should reward Rovers with an improving home crowd. Bristol City have quality up front with Twine supported by the speed of Armstrong and trickery of Sykes. Between them they are very good at creating and missing chances but Ewood could be where it comes good for them so be warned... The Robbins defending is generous to the opposition, particularly giving away half chances in and around the box which Coventry (Casey Palmer) and Derby three times have recently benefitted from. Down the years, Ewood has been a happy hunting ground for City with a certain Andy Weimann giving Rovers all kinds of problems. There is also a little matter of losing 5-0 at Ashton Gate in need of retribution. Let's hope we left having an Ewood horror show against teams beginning with B with the Carabao Cup exit and Eustace continues our Championship spirit, fight and all round performance to secure a further 3 points to set us up nicely for the trip to Deepdale that follows.

True but I don't know if they have the character to grind out the ugly wins a successful side needs and their defence organisation needs a lot of work. By all accounts, Sunderland were better than them in every aspect despite only the 1-0 scoreline.

Either Venky's have switched off funding voluntarily or There is a clear impediment to funding the club. One or the other- the club statement is total BS trying to pretend otherwise. Given the lack of Court progress and the apparently clear need for Venky's to get their NOC back, nothing visible has actually progressed in India since Venky's and Waggott were unambiguously telling us, JDT and GB that they couldn't transfer funds... Oh and we screwed up 4 deadline day deals in the ugliest and most embarrassing way possible as an added bonus of excruciating shame.

Extraordinary at Goodison. It was as though Everton thought the game was only 85 minutes long. Rubbish first half, Bournemouth looked relegation-haunted dross most of the second half when 6 wouldn't have flattered Everton. Then scored 3 in 10 minutes plus found time to force Pickford to pull off 2 worldies and missed a sitter. To say the blue scousers were looking bemused is an understatement.

Owen Beck, no pint even having a vote...

Wonderful point, sensational goal and Owen Beck, you star. Gueye you pratt. Really impressed by that Tony Harrington for the dingles. Credit where credit is due.

Don't forget the home grown and under 21 rules. By my reckoning we are ok

Gut feeling beginning of window was the squad would be transformed by the end of it. During the window I thought we'd lost the send button again. Window outcome Sold Szmodics, Gallagher and Wahlstad for fees, Raya sell on activated 11 incomings for peanuts including Gueye,Ohashi, Baker and Cantwell which on first look appear to be in the steal category 10 out on loan I can write down two completely different 11s of available players for the Bristol City game and both would be strong enough to win it. I didn't expect that. FFP as an issue for Rovers is now in the rear view window Factually regardless of press comments released, Venkys are no more and no less restricted by Indian official action in sending cash to Ewood today than they were whenever the last hearing which decided anything more than a date in the diary. So if I am not mistaken we are frozen as was at November 2023. Press releases don't change that fact so IF Rovers have to use player trading to keep the lights on, this window has achieved that objective. The litmus test of "no restrictions on owner funding" now 0asses to the January window. IF Eustace and the is squad are good enough to be top 6ish at the turn of the year, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR IANUARY NOT TO SEE PROMOTION WINNING SIGNINGS. NONE

Got no idea our line up for tomorrow. More to the point, neither does Scott Parker. Parker probably discovering who he has left to select from for that lot about midnight.