Great shame his last game for us included an awful defensive header, all his corners were poor, his free kick failed to take flight and he was part of a total shambles at the back. Far better memories of his games in previous seasons. Thanks for all the great memories and for turning corners into shooting practise!

Charantes-Maritime so north north west of traditional Bordeaux. Beautifully well balanced. More interesting than today's transfer activity.

How's this for self-discipline? Not looked at any transfer threads since this morning. Enjoyed a salad nicoise accompanied by a beautiful buttery 2014 Bordeaux Sancerre (picking up on a Mercer theme albeit different grape). So appropriately mild feelings for this afternoon's warm bodies or empty coffin Brig-style closure of the window. Seems we are currently in the realms of exhumations...

John McGinn whom Man U were rumoured to be pondering a £50m bid for has signed a five year contract at Villa. Wonder if Solksjaer is down to his D list yet?

Play the youngsters... Heard from Madrid through friend of a friend that some of our's impressed people who matter in the Real set-up.... We would never have got that game if we weren't a Category A Academy.

Saw the Magloire loan flash up on the BBC and for a moment seeing Rovers, I thought we had signed someone. Fingers, toes all crossed. The logistics of getting anyone from outside the UK must now mean they will be domestic signings unless they have arrived by submarine...

I would take a traffic cone if it could play in defence.

Really sad news. Full hearted player who had a shot on him and served us well.

Well I can see it listed but no way to play it!

Downing should have up ended Purrington and taken the booking when he realised he wasn't going to get a proper tackle in.

Let's see an England team bat to save the draw. Will make a pleasant change but not that hopeful.

Good stuff. Any forecast revisions after yesterday?

Problem when Charlton pressed for their winner, our entire backline didn't believe in either themselves or in each other. Their communication and body language was all headless chickens. This is not just the fans having a problem, the players do too.

When you make your support feel utter fools on game one... Not a good look... In my defence, knowing we had a serious problem in one of the central defensive slots, I would have played a real right back at right back, pulled Downing Mr reliable to left back and played Rothwell to give them more to think about on the right. In Tony's defence he has five window days to sort it.

This is the shopping list One of not two hard tackling full backs One beast central defender A commanding goal keeper Go fetch.

Charlton seriously threatened 5 minutes all game? Scored 2 from utterly half hearted defending. Remember their main goal threat was out injured today too... Had Gallagher and Downing connected with ball rather than fresh air in the first 30 minutes when they had just the keeper to beat, we might have been talking of a win but that would have masked the real problems we have.

We have money and players to trade. Five days to get two full backs and a central defender.

Camera work and replays good. Hilarious nobody noticed that there was no audio all the way through pre-match and to 9 minutes into the game.

Plenty of unexpected half time scores.

Bell, Bennett and Mulgrew making mistakes. Johnson outstanding, Downing tidy but not creating threats. Gallagher a presence but not a threat. We hit fresh air twice when we should have scored. Needs Rothwell to really disrupt Charlton at the back.

Wouldn't have been my pick but let's see.

Charlton's clips of pre-season action show a defence which can be rattled by pace and a bit of physical in the box. Should play to Rovers' strengths.

Mowbray on his new approach this season https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17813545.mowbrays-rovers-aims-ahead-third-season-charge/

You need to switch to Safari from Chrome to view it. Thanks for reminding me to do this myself this afternoon.

Hopefully our midfield and forwards are so dominant that Mogga could pick the Rylstone Women's Institute at the back and it wouldn't matter. Might sell a few more season tickets.