PLease read again, I said "OR", not "and"

1) It remains to be seen IF we have been playing that way AND 2) IF that will be the preferred way of playing this season Which isn't too far from the point I was trying to make in a light hearted way. But I should be watching another sport or something. I haven't seen any of the pre season warm ups and couldn't care less whether we set up 2-2-2-2-2 or 4-4 fucking 2 in good old Mike Bassett fashion as long as it works. All that matters is that whatever formation we try it works, we score more goals than the opposition, and we win football matches.

I thought u said pre season games are meaningless

True, I'd omitted him on the basis I've not seen that much of him other than against our forwards which you don't have to be particularly quick to marshall

McLoughlin no faster than those mentioned either

I, like many loved periods of JDT ball, however a back 3 of Wharton, Hyam and one of Pickering/Carter/Ribeiro could be up there with the slowest defensive units we've put out, they'd make Nelsen and Ooijer look quick.

care to point out where?

Ooo bitchy. You just contradicted yourself twice in the space of 4 lines there though.

It remains to be seen if Rovers have only been playing that way due to who is (and is not) available or if that will be Ismael's preferred way of setting up the team this season, but if you cannot see that is what has been happening during pre season then you should maybe try watching another sport

It's very JDT, starting 4-2-3-1 and going 3-4-3. De Neve and/or Miller are going to have to be very, very fit with bulletproof hamstrings

Loving these new emoji reactions!! Great work forum team 👌

Lol. I'm impressed you managed to deduce all that from a few kick abouts pre season.

So like I said 3-4-3 is the base formation when in possession, what you've listed is basically Tuchels' version of 3-4-3

Jesus. Fucking. Wept. Amongst all the other alarming comments made by the club, we finally have it, in black and white (or red) that there is no desire for the club to do anything other than to alleviate the burden of Rovers from the owners. There is no where else to turn, we absolutely have to drive these owners out of the club.

Goals win games. But also to provide competition for places, cover in case of injuries and suspension, and to provide options off the bench. Using that argument we'd be Ok with 3 CB's or 3 Central midfielders.

You are fixated with having loads of players. We can only register 25 players 2 players per position with extra keeper, centre back, centre midfielder and striker should be more than enough for us. why do we need 11 players for 4 attacking positions? Bench wise you want 3/4 attacking players, back up right back/ left back/centre back and 1/2 centre midfielders. Right winger should be current main priority to sign. You posted like we don't already know all this RF99. Do you think we all know who has left?

Totally agree there Mark Why do we need 2 striker for? One should be enough given we only play 1 striker We play 4-2-3-1 formation when defending and when it possession it's goes 3-4-2-1 formation with the right back pushing on and becoming the right winger, Right winger moving inside into a 10 role and left back moving along the 2 centre backs. All pre season we played like this

Think he was likely to be behind Nat Phillips & Campbell for a starting position anyway. Possibly also Heggem (unless he plays as a full back again)

Carter never got going and had a poor season overall. Hyam had a very solid season but it's also because we were sat deeper than prior so him and Baatth weren't exposed. A repeat of finishing seventh seems like utopia to me at this stage, but we'll see.

I may be wrong but I get the sense that people feel the combination of Hyam/Carter is sound. I seem to remember several home games when a simple ball over the top wasn't dealt with and goals ensued. But then my memory is very likely faulty and perhaps there were other factors involved.

From the last accounts: Turnover (Doesn't include player sales.) Matchday inc season tickets/away fans/walk on 4.9 Media 9.4 Commercial 6.4 other 0.2 total 21.4 million Wages and salaries 25.4 "other " operating expenses 13.2 total 38.6 Loss before player trading 17.2 player trading 21.2 So we made a profit that season of 3.3 million which would have gone towards 24/25 operating expenses. We probably made a small loss last season which would be why i think 4 million or whatever was requested and sent over after the last court case in June 2025.

It's ok jim. Didnt take it the wrong way and enjoyed the Mandy Rice Davies reference for the teenagers! I genuinely think that out of all the players, with the possible exception of Scott Wharton, Travis is the only one who cares about the Club and has Blackburn Rovers running through him which is why he will be such a loss if sold. This lot don't care about that sort of thing, or success on the pitch though, all they're bothered about is the bottom line in the short term, so I expect him to be sold unfortunately.

The amount the owners send over depends on the revenue from sales, at least that's my understanding. Sell Travel for £4m and reduce next year's tranche payment from India by that amount.

Drop a link when you do fella thanks for all your work so far

Mowbray and Venus had too much power because Tony bypassed him in the summer of 2017 and went straight to the power in India. Not daft Tony - he knew where the power and money is in this hierarchy and the way to get what you need is to get to Pune and around a table with them. Venky Stooge Pasha doesn't want this - he got shut of Bowyer who had that personal connection to India, then the appointments he has overseen have all been kept at arms length from India and unable to repeat the trick of getting a direct link to the owners. I remember in JDT's first full summer after a positive first season there was a plan or desire for him and Broughton to get to India. That never happened, I wonder why. So yeah, Mowbray was in many ways the perfect man for these owners and by extension the Venky stooge. Oh how I bet he wishes Mowbray was still here to send to the Fans Forum meetings! Some jovial stuff about favourite biscuits and how he used to love watching Boro as a boy would go down a treat. But by getting rid of Mowbray and severing a link to India there the Venky stooge consolidated his own position as unrivalled dictator.