16 October is our window closure. And free agents like the Norwegian left back can join at any time.

Bad news for our game in two weeks' time

Well I guess when Evans, Lenihan, Dack and Travis are fit and if nobody else gets long term injured, we will have no choice but having an impact sub because we will quite easily have 14 players who all belong in the starting XI And that's without thinking of Buckley becoming an automatic first teamer; or any or all of Davenport, Brennan and Chapman really coming through, a fit Butterworth or who knows what we find bin bagging around Europe or other incoming transfers from financially distressed clubs...

Saturday was one of those days. Crap weather. Opposition niggly, tough and extremely well organised and disciplined. If Joe Rothwell had hit and not missed the target three times. Arma had hit it less true and gone either side of the keeper on three occasions Gallagher had hit an empty net instead of a passing cumulo nimbus ... In short despite the frustrating 95 minutes, we were not without chances we could and should have taken. But Cardiff didn't really have much of a look in at the other end despite statistically having the same number of shots and on targets as us. There were very few moments of alarm about them scoring. Even so, I'd swap Gallagher for Keiffer Moore without a second thought.

It is 2018/19 and does not show anything in relation to crowd income. You are looking at the wrong chart for crowd impact.

If we look at clubs we could be competing with for a promotion slot, Norwich and Bristol City had 2.5 times the level of commercial and match day income of Rovers Most of our near rivals had at least 50% more match day and commercial revenue. Given football clubs are budgeting down to their last penny, those are significantly bigger hits from coronavirus than Rovers are taking.

Only Rotherham and Wigan had smaller matchday revenue than Rovers. Only Sheffield United, Millwall, Rotherham, Preston and Wigan had smaller commercial income- actually that is pretty good being ahead of Sheffield United and Preston.

The point of the thread is this. Rovers are almost certainly net beneficiaries in comparison to the other clubs in the Championship in what is otherwise a total shit show with this pandemic. Look at the numbers. We are less dependent on match day income than almost every other club in the Championship. That is why without being extravagant in the transfer market we are skating on FFP thin ice all the time. I also suspect when the bean counters up and down the land decide what is necessary, some interesting opportunities will open up for Rovers in the remaining two weeks of this window and the January window. Equally unlike other clubs, Rovers are not forced to sell.

Where have you been in the ground? There is a portion of the Rovers crowd that is not happy if it isnt worked up into a frothy rage about something- usually one of our own is the object of scorn.

Those are the places I had in mind. Also can recall full grounds at Sheffield United and Derby getting pretty raucous. For a small ground Prenton Park could get pretty feisty. Maine Road was never a nice place but the Etihad has thoroughly disinfected that atmosphere.

The 20/21 season is going to be dominated by the pandemic whether we like it or not. There are indications that the pandemic has wiped out home advantage. Results if anything are now favouring away teams and analysis of refereeing decisions are showing that the slight bias that did exist to the home side has evaporated. Would Martial have seen red in front of 75,000 at OT yesterday? It was a crazy sending off but those sorts of decisions simply don't go against the Mancs at home normally. I am going to stir things a bit but for all the horrors of coronavirus, I think Rovers could benefit disproportionately. Going back in time, the polio epidemic in Blackburn in 1965 undoubtedly resulted in a really good Rovers team dropping out of old Division 1 like a stone. Could a pandemic have a reverse effect now? - financially Rovers have the Venky's blanket. The danger of Rovers following Blackpool, Bolton, Wigan, Bury, Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester into football hell doesn't exist from what we can see or know. - that is very different from saying Venky's will (or even can- FFP isn't suspended) spend this season to drive promotion but which clubs in the Championship have spent big this summer to buy a ticket to the Premier League? - conversely, Rovers with their tiny matchday income are far less affected financially by having no crowds than almost any other club in the Championship. Only a few clubs have smaller crowds but their commercial income and matchday prices are typically as high or higher than Rovers. Blackburn is a seriously economically disadvantaged area. - Rovers are going to benefit more than most not having to play in front of hostile away crowds. With the best will in the world and I have been to Ewood in the Championship era and "hostile" is not an adjective you can apply to Ewood as an away day experience. - in fact not having the crowds in at Ewood may benefit Rovers. The Ewood home crowd is amongst the most aggressively critical of home players anywhere. The fog horn know nowts berating their pet hate are to be heard all round the pitch at Ewood- be honest. Players are professionals but they are also young lads who hear those choice invectives. Not having a home crowd will probably positively help a good proportion of the Rovers team and backroom staff.

There were issues with the floodlights then. I think the decision to build the new stadium had been taken so repairs at Ewood were being minimised.

I guess Raya will be back after the international break. The guy between the sticks for Brentford has just let in 4 in 20 minutes at home to PNE.

If I am reading this correctly, this Norwegian has been relegated three times in the last four seasons including one if not two naughty club expulsions. Palermo (and Catania) are local to Malta so I tended to watch them if they are on. The best I can say is I have absolutely no recollection of this player whatsoever which given he was full back in a poorish team means he didn't drop any spectacular clangers at the back to make me notice him. Defenders in Serie A in recent years tend to be pretty rough house characters so he will be able to look after himself. Bell has made a more than decent start to this season so if there is genuine competition for left back, it should keep both on their toes. Anyway, let's see what the next days bring.

Williams did the same twice as well in the first half also. Noticed both of them cut it out from about midway in the first half. I put it down to weather/pitch conditions.

Bell has just had arguably his two best games for us. Everybody had tipped Hoilett to destroy him yesterday but Hoilett scarcely got a peak of the ball. Perhaps the trick is to have a permanently open window for high quality left backs...

Mowbray has got his 4-3-3 and most of the personnel in depth to play it. I really hope he gets the quality of left back needed. As previously posted, I am suspending my hostility and am waiting and seeing this season. Four games in and nobody can attribute lost points to cock-ups by the Manager. Long may it continue.

So often, after having a scoring blitz teams start getting blanks. Let's hope it is just one... Combination of the weather and managerial instructions did for that game. Cardiff had been told not to concede and to disrupt us. They did. Mowbray told Rovers not to over commit bodies forward and avoid losing possession. Recycle rather than gamble. We did. Combine that approach with wayward and ineffectual shooting and Rovers scoring nil was always going to happen. However, Cardiff scoring nil and in the second half not even getting chances was far from inevitable and was a tribute to Ayala and Kaminski in particular, but also to Rovers rarely giving the ball away cheaply. Frustrating we didn't up the tempo when they were down to ten. Revidge completely correct about Gallagher reacting and rarely anticipating. The inevitable golden chance that was always going to come in the last 20 was just as inevitably skied. Armstrong had his second poor game on the trot. Difference today was nobody played a brilliant pass for him. Buckley again sparkled when he came on but was played too deep. I hope today's starting line up gets another chance which is my plea not to drop Dolan and Brereton. Lenihan has a big challenge to get back in. In the final analysis we lacked a bit of magic. Thankfully we have a reliably magic player on the books in Dack and his return could make a huge difference in games where the opposition have done their homework on us as thoroughly as Cardiff had yesterday. Seven points and a +8 gd from three really tough fixtures and a banana skin is a dramatically better return than I had expected or even dreamed of before the season start. Extrapolate it and that's 80 points and a positive goal difference of 100. The fact fans are bitterly disappointed tonight means automatic promotion is very much on the cards.

16 shots, only 6 on target. 61% possession to Rovers. Didn't have our shooting boots on. Just no penetration or pace when we needed to turn it on. That said the miss by Gallagher- oh dear. Cardiff big difficult to play against, very well organised. But you can see Bournemouth destroying them.

Bell had an excellent half. Dolan was kept under control by Cardiff for 30 minutes then broke free. Several sliced balls from the back out of play to the left by Kaminsky and Williams. Brereton quiet but struck that shot saved by Smithies with real intent at the end. Keep it tight at the back and something will break for us eventually up front.

ok for me

Wouldn't go that far but it at least it delays his next suspension by a week.

If Norwich win, they go above us before kick off. They lost so scrub that!

Lenihan is a doubt for ROI. Evans not in today's squad. The Lenihan knock explains why Wharton was pulled out of yesterday's under 23 match v Man U.