Im not having personally that we are still right on the brink of FFP regulations.

Does Balaji's son support/attend Rovers games? Which reminds me, Venkys promised to attend a game this season. I wonder if they will follow through on that promise.

It won't work unless its a continuous process, and Venkys have never shown signs that they have the willingness or competence to make it a continuous process.

Doesn't sound good at all. Acceptance that we may not strengthen, implications of very little money being available and that we are struggling to get deals done, and a reluctant mention of the loan market. I can't say that I expected Venkys to give it a go in such as strong opportunity, and if we bring in nobody there is a big danger of us getting into a rut as and when injuries really tighten their grip.

The squad as it will do at times without reinforcement is starting to creak, and we already have seen the dependence on the first 11. We need Venkys to get their cheque book out because we don't have enough quality. With Brereton also out of Luton, we could do with at least one attacker before then. No excuses now. It is not that straightforward, as it isn't a 2 horse race for second spot, it is far too simplistic to talk about chalking off our losses. QPR won who are really in form and could leap frog us if they win their game in hand, a big if I know. West Brom also won who will also fancy their chances for 2nd, and Huddersfield further established themselves as a top 6 contender. Forest and Sheffield United are also threats for the play offs and both won. Plus obviously Fulham have pushed further away even in the absence of Mitrovic. Conversely, Stoke and Coventry lost too. Ultimately there are probably 4 or 5 teams with a genuine chance of 2nd, and quite a few with a chance of the top 6. Until as and when a genuine 2 horse race materialises, it is just about us, every time we win, we will almost certainly gain on at least a couple of teams, every time we drop points, teams will make ground/push ahead of us. Win tomorrow and we have pushed ahead of Bournemouth, and added to the distance between Boro, Stoke and Coventry. Don't win and the likes of QPR, West Brom, Huddersfield and further back Forest and Sheffield United again will have made ground on us, plus potentially Boro if they beat us.

This talk about playing the EFL "at their own game" seems misguided. There are now specific rules in place, perhaps people can take issue with those rules, 14 available including 1 keeper. We presumably have more than that so we can't do anything, end of. The EFL isn't against Rovers either, you can question its competence and whether its rules etc are fit for purpose but they aren't against us.

Close to Brockhall as in someone that works for Rovers or just nearby?

Agreed, lets hope as it sounds that it is nonsense. It seems that much of the information that spills out is false; there was one day in the summer when it was announced on here that Rothwell was leaving that very day and Adam Reach was joining. Neither happened.

Surely in the absence of attackers, Chapman will be on the bench on Monday.

Why would the issue with Rothwell be getting his wages off the books? If there was financial motivation it would be surely to get value before his contract expires, his contract is the one he signed after signing from Oxford so I doubt it is hefty and Stephens will be on more in the Premier League.

Where did you hear it from? Makes no sense at all, seems a little far fetched.

Whilst the current rules are questionable to say the least, it isnt a case of just asking to call it off. I am unsure if it is the same rule across the EFL but isnt it that you need 14 players (including one keeper) to be fit and available, including anyone who has played a senior game? Obviously we do so we cant call it off, end of.

True. But I suppose neither does Markanday yet its assumed across the board that not having him available for selection weakens our options overall.

Of course but if you take a main goalscorer out of any team, you weaken them as a result. We would rather he was available and I don't think we have much goal threat.

I meant as in available. I acknowledged that we will be more solid again which is key but it is equally valid to question our attacking side which is massively depleted with our main goalscorer out (as well as a couple of other attacking players) and we are weaker as a result.

It is definitely a big worry going into Monday wondering where we will score goals without Brereton, especially with Markanday and Dolan out, not that either of them are proven goalscorers but it further reduces the options available. Gallagher is a donkey as we all know and Khadra is never a prolific scorer. You contrast that to Boro who have 2 new additions in forward areas ready to go. Nyambe and Travis should come straight back in which should make us more solid however. Boro have an excellent manager at this level who will make them more than the sum of their parts, that being said, it is probably partly indicative of a league of poor quality; I don't think that Boro's squad is anything remarkable. Crooks will be a huge physical danger from deep and they will play a lot through Jones down the right hand side. But it would be hasty to right off our chances at home even without our primary goal threat.

Huge blow, we now need 2 new attackers rather than just the one. Maybe one loan and one permanent.

I don't get why it is a "joke." From Leeds perspective, to cancel the loan would merely be stopping an agreement that will see them continue to receive contribution towards his wage; that may be a small contribution, but even if its 5 grand a week for 20 weeks, it is 100 grand they otherwise wouldn't have. From the players perspective, he can still do his rehabilitation at Leeds so they certainly aren't neglecting him, and from their perspective, the alternatives are take him back and keep him when he clearly isn't close to a Premier League squad, try and loan him elsewhere which will be impossible due to his injury or keep him here whereby even if it is an outside chance, he may well have his only chance of first team football this season.

Away fans across the board tend to be more boisterous but as Mattyblue said, the fans have been great at Ewood and a big help in recent weeks. Time to bring that home? It is already home.

You say that a season is 46 games, not 20 and obviously I agree but you chose to constantly focus on 17 games last season rather than the final league position, which to me was damning enough. And also why are you also setting specific buffers for brief runs of form if you truly believe in that 46 game motto? It seems like that only applies when we are doing well. If Mowbray got us promoted which is less than 50% likely, then how would he be deemed to be "not good enough for the Championship?" If we went up, big if, then the job overall that he would have done here would go from ok to brilliant so it would be so so hard to justify his dismissal. That being said, I get the scope for a potentially brilliant opportunity regarding a new manager but it would take someone remarkable.

Out of interest, as I was certainly like you and most others in wanting him gone last season and did not forsee what has happened since so im gauging how things change. Im guessing that if you would agree to give him the job until the end of the season, ie if you became CEO today you wouldnt sack him considering our season so far? And could he possibly earn a new deal in your eyes? With automatic promotion? With promotion through any means? Through a top 6 finish? All of which would be impressive.

I see that Elliott will be introduced to the crowd before the game. Undoubtedly a talented player who contributed a lot in his loan spell but ultimately it was a forgettable season finishing in 15th and behind closed doors. Is getting him out a bit much? Not sure, he never created a bond with the fans as we wasnt there so seems a bit of an empty gesture.

I was the one that mentioned Solanke but not in that he is obtainable, more as an example of the type of striker that I think would suit us next to Brereton.

Gallagher is not a winger but im not too sure hes any more effective centrally, if anything many of his weaknesses including inability to hold the ball up and poor touch are exposed further. I might be wrong statistically but it feels like his goals return doesnt really change/worsen out wide either.

The Chile coaching staff didnt suddenly unlock the potential of Brereton suddenly in the space of a few weeks, they wont even be able to directly communicate with him. The main boost he will have got was confidence.