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I just cant see the sense in dropping real performers like Hedges or Ohashi and keeping Tavares on the pitch. Sends completely the wrong message.... You've got to reward the best performers with starts.

It has been noticed..incredible what a few wins can do.

But we have lost a hell of a lot in defence. And that defence did really well last season and earnt lots of clean sheets. Hyam, Batth and Brittain were all excellent last season. Of course there is something to the injury concerns between Carter and Wharton. Carter has repeatedly picked up muscular injuries over the last 2 seasons and picked up another 30 minutes into pre season. Wharton missed 16 months with a terrible knee injury. But the issue is compounded with only having one other senior centre back. If theres any area of the team that is most likely to be downgraded, its the back 4.

Honestly, we just won't know until the season builds up-Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday etc... I am absolutely positive that a risk assessment carried out on this season's squad would show a likelihood of key injuries ( e.g. to centre halves) as pretty high and the the severity of the consequences of such injuries, as very high..... Meanwhile, I was delighted for Scott and Hayden.... And I have just listened to the LT podcast and talk of supporters needing blind faith. The problem is that Blackburn Rovers is an earthly business -not "the panting heart of Rome"!

I’m mildly optimistic, not least because by far the biggest upgrade in my eyes is the defence. Credit to VI who didn’t fanny about on dumping Pears, there’s 10 soft goals not conceded straight away. But equally important is how much Pears’s indecision with the ball stunted our play. Add in, hopefully, a season of Carter and Wharton (I don’t buy the “made of glass” mantra, they have 300+ appearances between them) a beast of a RB and an extra half season of Ribeiro vs Pickering and I think we are miles better at the back. As to all these thousands of championship appearances we sold, not one of them achieved anything. Cantwell’s experience at this level is far more valuable imo. Not all 10 signings will succeed, they never do, but finding out will at least be more interesting than another season of highly predictable nothingness.

I have a slim chance of being in the England squad too. You'd need an electron microscope to see how thin that chance is but it's there.

Hollywood icon Robert Redford has died aged 89. He seemed a really nice chap, put a lot back into the industry too with his Sundance Festival. He starred in some great films, my favourite ‘The Sting’ with Paul Newman. RIP

I agree, I would start with Gudjonssen, give him more time to get off the mark, then bring on Yuki.

I'm sick of going home with my head down at Ewood this season. I'm thinking positive.

4-0😀

Good win at the weekend. I think we should start Gudjonsson as hes obviously match fit and scored against France. Theres no need for us to keep him on the bench. Harsh but either Hedges or Yuki to drop out for me. Similar to others sadly I think it will be a tight game but their extra quality will show in the end 1-2. Toth Albeiousi Carter Wharton Ribiero Tavares Tronstadt Morashita Cantwell Yuki Gudjonssen

The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow

In my experience moving an attacking midfielder deeper doesnt really change how much they get injured, but open to being convinced. On the numbers of players we have a lot of forwards but only really Tronstad as a proven midfielder, while Tavares has struggled, Baraji is injured and Montgomery and TGH yet to really show what they can do. If Cantwell can perform there it gives us an extra mid which we really need imo, if not now then certainly when we start getting into 3 games a week. Ive seen enough from Todd to suggest he can do it.

I need to stop reading this thread. Madness.

I’ll know better after Saturdays game, it’ll be the first time I’ve been able to see them in the flesh in a competitive game. Ipswich will provide a proper test.

Be realistic.

Especially as he was hanging around with no contract from anywhere and just waiting for a call to join Wigan......

Were improving, and the newcomers are beginning to play as a team. I'm more confident than the start of the season.

Some kid was given the prize in Derby

To be honest I think Gardner-Hickman is a lot more forward thinking than Taveres looking at his clips for Bristol and Brum. Sid offers absolutely nothing going forward based on the first few games.

It has been forwarded on to Yasir, I wait with baited breath

Well, given that the "negative drag from some of the established players," the "cozy environment on and off the field" and the "snake" of a manager have been jettisoned, I fully expect us to go well beyond 7th, what with all these exciting new influx of lads.

I think then we’d be back to having two defensive midfield players who rarely contribute anything in the last third of the pitch. I thought the idea of signing Tavares and the lad who’s got a foot problem at the moment was to get one of the central midfield players to get forward more and join in with attacking play. Granted we haven’t seen a lot of that from Tavares so far.

Has anyone pre-ordered this? I'd really like to get the book but I don't want to of it paints Venky's in any kind of glowing light.

4-2-3-1. either Gudjohnsen or Ohashi as the "1", with the other one coming off the bench to replace them for the last 20-30 mins, and Gueye on the bench in case they need something different (as well as Ohashi/Gudjohnsen, not instead of) late on. I imagine (and it probably should be) it will be the same 11 as against Watford