After Girona and WBA, will JDT keep his starting 11 unchanged for a third week and a distinctly different opposition? He has more serious alternatives available than previously but only Ennis offers the physicality that is likely to be needed but is he really ready yet?

Makes Gander Green Lane in Sutton look like the Camp Nou in comparison!

Their advisors clearly came to some sort of conclusion.

Having watched the whole thing on Rovers website, I have seen the bad moments which brought criticism onto all the players receiving criticism. The overall reality is everyone played a decent game of football without impressing or making an unarguable case to be selected on Saturday. Rovers were always in control and stepped it up when needed as shown by how quickly we equalised each time and took the lead after half time. Gilsenan and Garrett probably did most to advance their cause. As players with first team experience, none of the Wharton brothers, Brittain, Buckley, Hedges or Ennis did enough for me to force a change to last Saturdays starting eleven. All had decent games but nothing that special. Equally, I would have no problem starting last night's team at Harrogate but obviously Wahlstedt if not Pears would go in goal and it is not impossible there would be other new faces by then...

I will take 77% possession again on Saturday now if you are offering... We are using it much better now.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11747/12785672/rotherham-4-0-blackburn-hakeem-odoffin-oliver-rathbone-shane-ferguson-and-conor-washington-upset-high-flying-rovers#:~:text=Rotherham scored three goals from,the edge of the box. Rotherham. / Rovers Total Shots 8 89 9 Shots on target 4 43 3 Blocked shots 2 23 3 Shots outside the box 5 54 4 Shots inside the box 3 35 5 Shooting accuracy 50.0% 50.0%33.3% 33.3% Possession 22.8% 22.8%77.2% 77.2% Duels success rate 46.3% 46.3%53.8% 53.8% Aerial duels won 37.8% 37.8%62.2% 62.2%

And what is wrong with that? Making sure the players' careers who don't quite make it are taken care of costs Rovers little but is an excellent recruitment point when parents are considering which Cat A Academy little Johnny should go to. Earning a wage you can live on at Dundalk, Halifax and TNS is as important an insurance policy from investing so much blood sweat and tears in football when finishing from an Academy as Ash going to Spurs and getting at least half a million a year and possibly double that.

The PFA are in the hands of wet lettuces these days.

New Saints are out of the Conference League knocked out by a Luxembourg outfit so Harlock isn't going to benefit from European football. Hamrun and Gzira from Malta are playing in the third qualifying stage of the Conference this evening so keeping fingers crossed. I can only guess the arrangement is so Rovers keep an interest in case Jared dramatically blossoms during his year away.

Daft as It may seem, I would be reasonably OK with playing reasonably similarly to last season provided we convert our chances and cut out the brain dead defending which gifted them their chances and goals. Anyone looking at the overall match stats without knowing the score would never guess the home side had won 4-0. What I am hoping for is some real devilment in Rovers play to go with the improvement in moving the ball around at pace. Stoke showed how it needs to be done against Rotherham on Saturday but even they gifted the Millers a goal.

Watched it back on the Rovers website. A strangely uneventful 7 goal non-thriller! First Walsall goal was incredibly poor to let in but the other two involved exceptional play by Walsall- especially that cross field pinpoint accuracy 40 yard driven pass which set up their second. We should have made more of our 70%+ possession but all 4 goals were exquisitely worked. Glad we are safely through so the same or a similar group of players get a chance to show how they have improved from last night. I wouldn't be writing the prospects of anybody off based on that showing.

There is a distinct advantage of being in the Northern Section. Possible draws for Rovers against 5 rather mediocre Premier League clubs, 4 Championship Clubs, and 12 L1/L2 clubs with two Championship v L1 ties to be settled tonight. Southern Section on paper is tougher including Chelsea and Spuds being rewarded for last season's endeavours by entering the draw at Round 2!

Ward-Prowse also signed. Are Hammers the slowest PL club now?

Visa received so he can now train with the team.

Agreed re Dyche. For all Everton's woes, there are enough troubled clubs around for them to come 17th. I will add Forest to the list of problem children already mentioned. Bournemouth have one heck of a good manager. That said, their losses and goal difference last season were all relegation numbers. They survived by getting an abnormal number of wins- if they draw those this season, they are doomed. Don't be depressed but Burnley could make the top half.

Yes but that run comes after the window has shut and the international break.

Season stats to date 2 games played 2 games won 2 new signings not yet made a debut 22 players started of whom 7 made full senior debuts 12 are academy graduates 6 goals scored 6 different goalscorers of whom 5 scored their first senior goal for the club. Having said all that, my guess is the same eleven who started against West Brom will start at Rotherham although Garrett and Gilsenan will be included on the bench.

For all the failings elsewhere around the club, JDT is exceptional and gives me hope promotion is possible this season. I like the selection head aches he already has and here's hoping GB has made them much worse by 2 September.

Perfect evening. First eleven mostly rested except for battening down at the end. Five full debuts. Three players get their first senior goals for the club Nobody injured as far as we know Exciting game helped me forget there were no pictures, no audio and www.rovers.co.uk minute by minute failed in the 21st minute!

+ 8 minutes

4-3

4-2

We do like scoring within 2 minutes of a kick-off!

Rovers 72% possession first half. Hedges both assists.

Batty badly at fault for the Walsall second. Apparently fortunate not to let in a third.