Not good enough. I still think it is too simplistic to say that we bottle it necessarily, we couldnt have got into the play offs today anyway, I just dont think the manager is capable of getting the level of consistency required. Now we seem to have tightened up at the back, conceding 2 in 5 games, both from set pieces, which is good in regards to better organisation to stop opponents scoring from open play, but Mowbray's delegation of set pieces really rankles considering that we are so inept from them in attack. Branthwaite looks very capable but was dreadful for the goal and also nearly cost us a second, on the back of his assault of Dael Fry, I suppose that a kid making errors to the benefit of his parent club is par for the course when we try to solve our defensive woes with other teams kids. Going forward is where we are now struggling and our crippling reliance on Armstrong really shows. His goal output has slightly decreased and he quite a few times recently has been selfless, as seen with Elliott's chance but sadly the supporting cast lack the consistency and/or the quality to chip in, hence why no one has got past 4 goals. You have to look at the individuals, especially Rothwell, Gallagher, Brereton and indeed Elliott (although he at least sets them up for others) but also the horrendous inconsistency in regards to tactics, formations and positions that stem from Mowbray. Why was Elliott playing as a false 9? He keeps shifting between systems and with players in different roles as if he is playing a computer game and it does not create any sort of consistency. We need to get Dack back in and firing further up, and the pair in CM look like they can establish themselves as a shield, so play 4231 and stick to it. His use of subs has always been poor and we even saw prior to his appointment that his method tends to be to chuck as many attacking players on as possible at the expense of any structure or plan and it rarely if ever works. If you are going to play Dack and Elliott so deep at the end you may aswell not have bothered. The sub of Harwood Bellis screamed of as feared, Mowbray including the young lads at the detriment of the team to appease their parent clubs. A couple of times it was obvious that he is a centre back playing out of position. In terms of performance, Travis was the best player for us, Davenport and him look a good combination and Armstrong was our sole attacking threat. Bell, Nyambe, Rothwell and Elliott were poor, Gallagher fairly ineffective too, Lenihan solid, Branthwaite classy but has ultimately cost us the game. I am unconvinced that our issues regarding set pieces and attacking inconsistencies are likely to change judging by his ignorant post match comments: "Am I concerned? No. My coaches work on set-pieces and for the majority of the game we dealt with them. It’s football, it can happen. We just have to accept that and move on." and... "I think the forward areas are fine."

Strange half. Started dreadfully, Nyambe all over the show and they kept exposing him and Bell. Then after that we were the dominant team. Not a fan of this false 9 bollocks though with Elliott. Travis back to his old self, Davenport quietly effective, centre backs and keeper fine, Armstrong a constant threat, Rothwell anonymous again and Elliott always wanting the ball but lacking composure today.

Watford are the perfect example of a side that proves that having a bigger wage bill does not necessarily mean the manager is at an advantage! There is no reason for an inferiority complex v Watford, they are underwhelming for me. Essentially, a lot of their star quality in Doucoure, Pereyra, Deulefou etc who were key to their Premier League side have jumped ship, and they have been left with players like Deeney and Gray who are past it, they dont score goals any more or offer a threat. The one player they have as an asset now is Sarr but even then he hasnt perhaps hit the heights that people may have expected. They do have some obvious experienced heads with quality, Foster is injured, they also have Hughes, Chalobah and Cleverley but nothing to be feared.

Bell coming in obviously weakens us, with Douglas unavailable it seems like a necessary evil even though it rubs salt in the wound that our new left back considered a stand out talent will play in League 1. I really wish that Dack was starting too. Not convinced by the "box midfield" and "split strikers" nonsense particualrly. A very winnable game though and one I will be disappointed to come away with anything less than 3 points in the circsumtances.

"Brilliant" support this season? A few hundred grand on a keeper, a nominal fee for another, a few more hundred grand on a left back from Crewe and a lorry load of loans. In the circumstances the manager cant complain too much but "brilliant" supports seems a little dare I say provocatively hyperbolic.

A mistake? Singular?

https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-rovers-mowbray-tactics-shape-19772370.amp Seems not, nor should we to accommodate a loanee. We should play 4231 to accommodate our best player though.

I dont see why Armstrong cant be the striker in a 4231 with Dack in behind. Its not something that has ever been tried due to Dacks injury and having Graham prior but you would think that closer support to Armstrong and a player in Dack who is capable of playing through balls and exploiting the space left by a retreating defence could benefit both. Dack would also provide a secondary goal threat in the box whereas no one else gets into the box with any regularity to anticipate chances. I know that Dack and Graham was a totally different proposition but there is no reason why Dack could only combine with a more static target man. Of course we are restricted into next season by any willingness from Armstrong to sign a new deal.

No reason to fear QPR or go there willing to take a point. We need to break through the inferiority complex and go there against a team lower down expecting to win, obviously a draw may not be the end of the world and we wont win everytime but on the back of 10 points from 12, 3 points off the play offs, now is the time to really push on.

Chaddy has always championed having a system whereby the manager doesnt have sole decision making over recruitment so surely he should have done better despite having been "burdened" with top class talent?

Looks like we will have a few more options for the weekend. Would go like this: Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan Branthwaite Douglas Travis Davenport Elliott Dack Dolan Armstrong Subs: Pears, Harwood-Bellis, Trybull, Rothwell, Holtby, Gallagher, Brereton, Downing, Bennett Back 4 and keeper pick themselves. Dack must play in his best position, Armstrong is obvious as is Elliott, and Travis again despite his rustiness picks himself. As ever, the main dilemmas come in CM and on the left. 50/50 between Holtby who looked decent last week and the less gifted but more industrious Davenport next to Travis. And wide left its between 3, Dolan is more suited to being an impact sub perhaps with his pace against tiring defenders, with his end product and decision making questionable, but id be tempted to go with him for the start with Brereton poor in recent weeks and Rothwell never consistently impressing, although I'd be happy to see the latter start too.

The loans arent the main issue, they should be used to sign players that increase our quality that we couldnt otherwise afford, or to plug gaps due to unavailability, and that is the case with 3 of them, whilst a 4th could be signed up when out of contract. The contractual situation is the main issue, both in regards to immediate expiry and players with a year left. You look in goal, we have Kaminski who has a year plus a second year extension, and who is very capable. Ideally we would get a senior back up and loan about Pears but its not the priority position. In defence, will Pickering be able to come straight into the side? No one is sure but lets assume so, even then, he is the only one who provides any certainty. Douglas can play for a deal in the next few months, if he earns one, thats left back sorted. Assuming we activate Nyambe's extension, a player who is really important to us, its either sign him long term or we would have to sell. Rankin Costello, who is not a right back naturally anyway, also needs signing up. Bell and Bennett can be released. Central defence looks concerning too. If Lenihan has a year left, he will need a new deal or will need selling. Ayala is grossly unreliable and Wharton likely to be injured into next season. Williams again is unreliable, let him go. Once the loanees go back, unless we can get one back for another year, we need plenty of work in this position again. Obviously Mulgrew can be released. Midfield, we have loads but again plenty of question marks. Travis is here to stay, Davenport is still proving himself. Trybull will go back, and then we have Holtby, Johnson and Evans all out of contract. We cant cut all of that experience, but equally none of the three have put down an overwhelming case to stay, that will be down to the rest of the season although Evans has had plenty of chances. Buckley needs loaning out and Downing shouldnt be retained. In more attacking positions, Dack is signed for a couple more years which is great news. Rothwell will have a year once his clause is activated, may be decision time on him, and Brereton only has a year too, as does Dolan. Elliott will take some replacing. Armstrong will need a new contract if possible or a sale is inevitable.

Id be pleasantly surprised if Armstrong commits his long term future. In his position, you would think his best bet is to just hold off because he is in a position of strength. Both Holtby and Johnson are playing for contracts, we might not be best served cutting away all of our experience.

Suspect it will be a summer full of business required unless some contracts can get sorted. You look at Preston, they got into a right mess with key players all having a year left, and theyve had to sell Pearson, Davies and Fisher for probably half a million combined, having to patch up their team with loanees. Unless we can get Armstrong, Lenihan and with their year extensions in our favour, Nyambe and maybe Rothwell signed up, we will need to try and get fees for them. The first 3 especially will take some replacing. There is also Rankin Costello who it makes sense to sign up, and then there are players like Holtby and Johnson who the jury is out as to whether they will warrant another deal. Throw in 5 returning loanees and then Bell, Williams and Bennett who can be allowed to go, and Wharton who could be injured into next season, and plenty to do.

Shocking for many clubs? Sunderland in 2 spells, once when often using him as a wide player and in the Premier League, and once when his body has clearly packed in. Not the best loan spell at Hull who barely used him. Well remembered here, at Swansea, at Watford where he was the top scorer in the League and at Carlisle.

Are we back to judging Venkys by the standard of not allowing us to almost go out of business?

Disappointing to see Bournemouth sack Tindall in that I would prefer to see them to continue to underperform. I dont see why Lampard would be able to feel entitled in regards to deserving a better job than Bournemouth, in fact he would be lucky to get the job. He did ok on Derby to get them 6th which is where Bournemouth are now, and he wasnt particularly great at Chelsea, a job which he got based on his playing credentials.

100%. Ive never seen him play so I look forward to seeing him next season.

All of the excitement about data etc is purely how good he is going forward, nothing about his defensive capabilities which as you say is the priority.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/siteassets/fans/fans-forum/ff-zoom-minutes-11.1.21.pdf I noticed that the latest minutes are up, they dont tend to be posted as an article from what I can see so people can know that they have been uploaded.

What about Rankin Costello and Bennett?

I think it was the third under 23 game this season that I have watched yesterday. I thought Pike impressed again, but for more regular under 23 watchers, wouldnt it be better for everyone if they relaxed the rules on senior players? I appreciate that football with predominantly younger players will be sanitised, but there is absolutely no physicality and I am not convinced at times that it prepares players for senior football, as we have seen with a few recent graduates. You look at how well we are doing yet none of the team that is top of the league is seemingly anywhere near a Championship side, even the impressive Pike and also Thompson who also gets praise (didnt play last night) couldnt get close when we had no senior options in their positions. I thought that Dack wasnt at his best but he provides that star quality especially with goals and assists and he always gets into the box which only Armstrong does aside from him, he seemed frustrated at times with the lack of quality from those around him. He also kept coming deep especially first half to try and get involved but he has to play as a 10 for the first team because he is off the cuff and not effective from deep.

Hes a centre back.

It doesnt seem that he is in serious contention within the first team picture. When Nyambe, Bennett and Rankin Costello were all injured, he still didnt feature.

Even with fixture congestion, defence is not an area that you rotate. He should be 3rd choice until injury of or loss of form of one of the 2 who have started keeping clean sheets.