Looks like we will have 12 unavailable for this one including the Covid quarantiners. Would just be grateful for us not making this 6 defeats out of 6 against probable top half teams. Best we can hope for is a draw. If Arma is out, replace him like for like with Gallagher and give the big lad a chance in his natural position. Otherwise, unless we are drafting in more under 23s it has to be same again as at Swansea.

In the games I have seen Lewis Thompson has looked the real deal BUT There is a world of difference between playing under 23s and the Championship even if what was substantially Liverpool under 18s embarrassed Everton's first team in their FA Cup run last season...

Forgot about Bell. That's eleven out. Kaminski Bennett Ayala Johnson Bell Vale Travis Douglas Dack Butterworth Rothwell OK some Mowbray-esque out of position options you may disagree with but the Rovers "crocks when they get fit" XI would give the Rovers "team that played at Swansea" XI one heck of a good game.

Four key takeaways from the Reading and Swansea games. 1) At the sharp ends of the pitch, we haven't defended or taken chances clinically enough. Our opponents have. Ergo two defeats. 2) We have competed and been a threat in both matches which has shown the effectiveness of having such a deep squad. However it is a conceit to think we can push for promotion with ten players unavailable. We have now averaged eight unavailabilities in every game so far this season. 3) At full strength. everyone of Kaminski Douglas Ayala Johnson Travis Rothwell Dack would get game time in the 14 players used by Rovers. The players we did put out competed and on another day might win. With those seven players listed above playing, we win BUT 4) Mowbray- would he use the players to their full ability? Would he select an 18 and exclude Evans and Gallagher as he should if we were at full strength? Of the 14 used yesterday, would he select the correct four to start with the seven above and the right three to be used as subs? I will just add one more caveat, I am all for giving players a chance but psychologically it is not working. We have recently seen Nyambe (yesterday), Buckley, Brennan, Davenport, even Dolan, getting game time but I don't know what others think- they have all looked to me to be nervous as hell and low on confidence. None of them have given us what they are capable of in their cameo appearances. Add in Lenihan not being right this season and something is not clicking mind-wise with too many players.

Connery saying it was ok to hit women and he did it was totally unacceptable. But he was THE James Bond. Phrases have passed into the English language in his voice.

It could be worse. Mowbray could try to be organising a press conference at No.10

Very even first half but the mistakes are in our defence not Swansea's

The Man U v Chelsea semi is playing today and the Final is on Monday. The Under 23s game v Spurs wasn't played yesterday because of the under 18s game being played under last season's age limit rules. Our next game is relegation Arsenal at home on Friday 6th. The under 18s are third from bottom with the next two fixtures being against Sunderland and Newcastle- the two clubs below them.

Stuart. Let's forget Rovers are a football club for a moment and look at it as a company. It is a multimillion business perpetually in the public eye with 250 staff negotiating a pandemic with very little in the way of senior management. Just day-to-day operations in these circumstances make being CEO a 7 day a week, 10 hours a day job. Then add the footie on top.

Oh crikey, that's 9 out today. I was just thinking we are sure to get a free kick in a dangerous position today and was looking forward to Douglas taking it. I have posted on theReading thread that they had 4 shots on target, 4 goals and all 4 were at least in part made by glaring defensive mistakes. If the coaching staff have really worked on cutting defensive mistakes out, we have a chance this afternoon. At least Douglas won't be able to repeat his accidental back heel...

Finally steeled myself to look at the stats. Possession 66-34 Attempts 13-5 Shots on 6-4 Corners 3-3 All 4 of their shots resulted in goals and 3.5 of them were defensive mistake gifts (counting the second as half a mistake leaving the guy in time and space on the edge of our area- the other half was a sensationally accurate and powerful strike). Yes Reading were the better side on the night but we still gifted them their win.

One heck of a good run by the under-18s last season although the 20/21 crop are struggling a bit. The Under 23s should be strong for at least a couple of seasons now and despite congestion in the first team squad, no reason why some shouldn't join Brennan in knocking on the door.

So we demolish Coventry. Reading thrash us. Coventry handily beat Reading. Going to be one of those seasons.

Damn. When we drew 2-2 with Man U at under-23 level, both United goals were sadly down to Eastham. He looks a real talent but a little short for a keeper and his lack of inches occasionally cost. Going to be difficult to come back from this.

Shhh!

I hear Waggott is working every waking hour for Rovers.

Will be nice to go into a match without 8 players unavailable but doesn't look like it will happen this side of the international break. Very nervous about this one.

It is the bit where the keeper plays sweeper on the half way line.

At least with Ben, I think there is increasing basis for hope that after a quiescent two seasons he is blossoming into something we hoped for. The deadweight write-off is Sam Gallagher's £5m transfer fee. Wrong position or not, he just doesn't have the basics of reading the game or controlling a football. Hope I am wrong on Sam but he is mid-20s now and at this rate destined to slip out on a free when his contract expires.

Clinging to straws but-

I'd promote Damian Johnson to boss.

Swansea away not a happy hunting ground. Remember them terminally destroying our back to back promotion hopes in 1981in a sardine packed Vetch. Boy we gave Leighton James some stick and he replied with a fine goal- he was a really classy player. To Saturday and I have hope but realistically we are going to get beaten and perhaps badly. By all accounts Swansea have really clicked in their most recent games. We will also find out how bad our covid crisis so am expecting a very odd line-up and to be forced to discover if Aynsley Pears is actually any good. At least there are the under 18s and under 23s tomorrow against the toughest opposition in their respective age groups to distract us from getting totally paranoid before Saturday. Or maybe make it even worse...

Two rounds of the league format already completed. I had expected the English contingent to struggle but the quartet top their groups and would have had a 100% record but for Chelsea's draw with Sevilla. Mancs' win in Paris and demolition of RB Leipzig the most unexpected- I had them as sure to be knocked out. They are 16th currently in the EPL. Real Madrid rock bottom of their group currently will surely stir themselves while troubled Barca are going very well with that win away at Juve.

People objected at Half Time to my describing four Reading players as Premier League class. My four are Cabral the keeper. Esteves (aged 18) Richards (aged 22) Olise (aged 18) We have talented youngsters but Esteves in particular is Elliott level something else and comfortably outshone Elliott last night.

Showing symptoms = tested positive or have been in very close contact with someone who has. It means Co0vid is at best, very close to the Rovers camp and given how extremely contagious it is, we are going to be very lucky not to have an Accrington Stanley style affliction. After last night, I wouldn't have a problem postponing Swansea and Boro to later in the season when hopefully Travis and Dack are back. As for Pears, a great reaction save from Del's og attempt but otherwise, the best that can be said is he occupied the goal keeping space and looked more convincing than Walton. Really shouldn't have been where he was after 9 seconds even if Douglas had collected the ball with his instep rather than the back of his heel. Not that he would have stood too much chance one on one with Meite clear with the ball half way inside our area.