The video was working fine on chrome but has now gone back to the revolving quarter circle. So watching it on my Safari browser. Crazy!

Over doing the beating up on Evans. He was absolute pants in the Forest game but he is usually solid and has been known to have really good games. Ayala is a puzzle but I guess if he is not 100%, Reading are too physical to risk him. Wharton provided he doesn't start misplacing passes is more than OK. Williams and Lenihan statistically are a very good partnership. That said the bench has a hint of keeping happy in rotation about it. Pears will be tested- that's certain.

Watched three Reading highlights and they re-enforce my view that Reading are not that tight at the back and will give us chances. The keeper is good. They are pretty deadly when they get chances but have been fortunate at times. Barnsley were severely testing them before being reduced to 9 men. Watford looked the better side but Reading emphatically took their chance.

Good job they made a decent start so they shouldn't be bottom 4 when they eventually get their season going again. Hopefully out lot are taking notice are don't get us lumbered with a two week four match break

You are getting into Jack Walker/Kenny Dalglish territory when we signed Duncan Shearer from Swindon just to nobble their promotion push. I think that Shearer ended up playing all of five games for Rovers...

Amazed there is no thread for Joe. He is developing into one hell of a player. The long diagonal to Ben Brereton which lead to the penalty was unreal in its pinpoint accuracy against Coventry. He doesn't have the Nyambe ability to burn past opponents but whenever I see him on the ball in advanced positions I am on the edge of my seat expecting something to happen rather than on my knees praying something will happen when Ryan ventures forward. I don't know if right back us the real position for Joe. At present I think he would be skinned by most Premier League teams attacking down their left flank but that said, Joe has the look of growing into a real Premier League quality talent.

Congratulations to Ben for getting player of the weekend for the Championship.

Much more confident about Brereton than I have ever been about Gallagher. I rewatched highlights of the Watford game and must admit I thought Foster had dropped a clanger letting that one in on Wednesday night's viewing. But in fact it is an amazing strike by Ben with bend bouncing just in front of the keeper and going through a ball's width gap between diving keeper and post. I urge everyone to look at the camera angle behind the goal and not go wow!

I am just grateful we are now in a position where 1) we don't need to rush the best player we have had for the last three seasons back from serious injury and 2) the team we now have is so good we have no idea how to fit him in when he is back. Sadly, the inevitable injuries and suspensions will probably solve the dilemma and not much of a decision will have to be made. A more immediate question in the mould of where do you play Dack is where does Rothwell fit in when he is back from isolation on Saturday?

Really looking forwards to this test. I know it is very early in the season but even if dreams come true and we smash them tonight, Reading will still have a league position we can only fantasise about. Don't know what to expect. Surely the league leaders are not going to come to Ewood and try to shut up shop like a team in 24th would?

Not an assumption, It happened for 30 minutes against Coventry.

Just in time for Downing to sign...

Great podcast!

I was coming at it from a different angle which is Elliott probably has the ability to play central and giving him a go there might be part of the deal with Liverpool. If he can it means we have goal scoring cover for Arma. After all, that is exactly what happened when Armstrong was subbed off after 64 minutes on Saturday.

The one player Mowbray has gone public about is Ryan Nyambe and he expects a new contract won't be a problem.

One of the squad changes is apparently a fit again Ayala coming in. I have already said I would play him because of Lucas Joao's height. That doesn't look like an impervious Reading defence to me but we'd better watch ourselves for that guy who can hit it like a train from near the half way line! On Saturday Holtby and Johnson had eight attempts between them and zero on target. If those two can up their accuracy to just 50% on target we should be ok tomorrow night.

Beyond frightening to realise we won the Premier League 8 years before Harvey was born. @rovers_chat Harvey Elliott: “The main goal for me this season is to get the team to promotion. Blackburn deserve to be in the Premier League.” [Lancashire Telegraph] #Rovers 9:00 AM · Oct 26, 2020·Buffer

He has the ability to disguise a pass so well. Even having watched the game live, I was taken by surprise during that clip of the direction the ball was taking to a Rovers player. I suspect he will prove to be a supreme goal poacher too. The only thing he lacks is height but then Messi and Maradona are sub 6 footers.

But Coventry didn't have a 6' 5" forward. Ayala has to come in.

Known as whispering death- he was so light on his feet in his run up.

For a moment I thought you were saying that about Bradley Dack. If Trybull stays, I suspect Evans will go in the January window.

Having lost 3 games to teams which will surely be top half by season end, here come another 3 all within 7 days for us to try to beat. A casual look at the table and Reading are already out of sight at the top 5 points clear. P7 W6 D1 L0 F10 A1 Pts 19 A careful look at their opponents to date though- well you can only beat the team you are playing, but... I know I have stuck my neck out and said Reading are going to stay in contention all season. If they keep this up beating bottom half teams every time they play them, there's 78 points available... so I am sticking with that prediction. However, regardless of opponents, that is still a mighty fine record Reading have so will Rovers prove even mightier? I would have been much more nervous about this one had we not returned to Genghis Khan form against Coventry and slaughtered another bunch of footballing innocents. Against Reading, I would start with Ayala in place of Lenihan as the height of Joaoa needs defending against and Williams had the more assured performance against Coventry. We might see Pears make his debut if Kaminski really did himself some damage with that late late save against Coventry. Otherwise same team and same result please... Not being greedy but we should be a different level of forward threat for the Reading back line to try to cope with.

I'd rather have Ben playing at Rovers than have sold Watkins to Villa. Of the BMW at Brentford, Watkins was clearly the Premier League quality player with the other two fantastic at Championship level but a big? over whether they can make it in a higher league.

Might be if we go up and they come down....?