The January 2026 Transfer Window

[Ricky]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He was one of our better players today, his cross for the first was excellent and he is hindered by a lack of technical ability around him.

I don't buy the idea that he is a "luxury player" either. He does work harder than his image might suggest.

I am not saying that he always is effective, he was really poor v Wrexham, and he is not a good striker of the ball in terms of scoring goals. But we shouldnt stop selecting him.

At 2-0 down he tried to run through 5 of their players, lost the ball, sulked, and didn’t track back as Charlton broke. 

He does it regularly unfortunately 

[Andy]

7 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He was one of our better players today, his cross for the first was excellent and he is hindered by a lack of technical ability around him.

I don't buy the idea that he is a "luxury player" either. He does work harder than his image might suggest.

I am not saying that he always is effective, he was really poor v Wrexham, and he is not a good striker of the ball in terms of scoring goals. But we shouldnt stop selecting him.

I feel that Cantwell is an easy target for some. Maybe it's unconscious bias or something.

But he has the quality that most of the squad doesn't have and works harder than most of them as well.

Yes, he's shit sometimes, but in terms of pointing fingers at players this season, he wouldn't be near to the front of the line for me.

Edited 15 hours ago by Andy

[roversfan99]

He does actually try things though. Such as the quality for the goal shortly after. 

He is a soft arse and he isnt a captain for me but I cant see anyone I would drop him for.

[DackDackGoose]

Cantwell was our main goal threat pre injury

[Ricky]

I think part of the frustration for me is I’ve seen how good he can be and he still seems a shadow of that player.

[Ghost7]

I said it in summer McLoughlin wasn't good enough as a regular starter when we signed him and he hasn't done anything to make me think differently. We downgraded recklessly on deadline day at centre back and it's predictably disrupted the entire season (along with a lack of investment years prior in attack and the pitch).

McLoughlin was brought in because we wouldn't spend the money needed in that position - however, originally alongside Hyam which softened the blow. 

The lack of quote "significant investment" is hindering everything, including formation and flexibility during games. I'm not a fan of playing 3 centre backs at home (not without good attacking wingbacks on each side)...  but I'm probably only comfortable with 3 centre backs if McLoughlin is 1 of them since he isn't commanding enough aerially in a back 2.

I expected Rovers to spend a good chunk of the Hyam fee on a longterm replacement as soon as this window opened, since that was the only way to justify their idiocy. It doesn't look like they'll be doing so and instead are spending some of the profit on a 6 month loan in his position!

"The board" and Gestede absolutely deserve relegation this season. They've worked hard on all the ingredients.

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, Andy said:

I feel that Cantwell is an easy target for some. Maybe it's unconscious bias or something.

But he has the quality that most of the squad doesn't have and works harder than most of them as well.

Yes, he's shit sometimes, but in terms of pointing fingers at players this season, he wouldn't be near to the front of the line for me.

The new Dolan. A flair player who works hard and puts up reasonable numbers, but cops a lot of flak from a certain portion of the fanbase when things aren't coming off for him.

[Fraserkirky]

Cantwell is the least of our problems

[AJW]

Like Cantwell , good player and as someone else as stated he can be an easy target 

but I don’t think he’s a Captain  

[RoversClitheroe]

Cantwell has 2 assists all season.

He's meant to be our talisman our creativity.

4 goals but I'm pretty sure all of them are penalties?

[roversfan99]

38 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Cantwell has 2 assists all season.

He's meant to be our talisman our creativity.

4 goals but I'm pretty sure all of them are penalties?

I think 1 was a penalty. 

Who would you be bringing in for him?

[Browjd]

One thing that is genuinely mental amongst the ongoing craziness and ceaseless Rovers ineptitude is that we have an ex footballer, uneducated, inexperienced and without any track record in the role running and leading our transfer negotiations. It is utterly baffling how he's done it....

[chaddyrovers]

Cantwell is the best player we got, yet he gets over criticise by people. 

His pin point cross straight onto Baradji's head for the 1st goal yesterday 

He has 4 goals only 1 was penalty 

Birmingham's goal was a right foot volley from edge of the box

Hull's goal was a left foot shot curled in the goal

Swansea's goal was a header.

The Oxford goal was a penalty. 

He is least of our problem. 15 games, 4 goals and 2 assists. His quality is there to see. He worked out, yes a moaned at times when he think he should have a free kick but he has step up this season

Edited 6 hours ago by chaddyrovers

[roversfan99]

Tronstad is the best player we have.

Cantwell though is far from our biggest problem, we certainly dont have players on the bench capable of improving. He isnt captain material but I am not sure we really have anyone that stands out.

[Ricky]

But I’ve seen him be so much better, at times unplayable, at stages in his career Chaddy. I think that’s why he gets criticised a bit. We all know he is technically our best player but I personally dont feel we’ve seen the best of him. 

[JHRover]

Like him or not he'll be gone by the summer at the latest. He doesn't have the right background or profile for this regime, plus is on too much money.

[chaddyrovers]

8 minutes ago, Ricky said:

But I’ve seen him be so much better, at times unplayable, at stages in his career Chaddy. I think that’s why he gets criticised a bit. We all know he is technically our best player but I personally dont feel we’ve seen the best of him. 

I take it his best spell was Norwich under Farke?

Yes, I think at the start of the season he was playing better but he is least of our problems. His cross yesterday for Baradji's goal was perfect for him. The last few games he has played with an injury in my opinion 

15 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He isnt captain material

He is our best player. Plus what we dont see publicly is what he is like in dressing room or with younger players. 

So who should be captain?.

[roversfan99]

23 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I take it his best spell was Norwich under Farke?

Yes, I think at the start of the season he was playing better but he is least of our problems. His cross yesterday for Baradji's goal was perfect for him. The last few games he has played with an injury in my opinion 

He is our best player. Plus what we dont see publicly is what he is like in dressing room or with younger players. 

So who should be captain?.

I touched on in my post that we dont really have any captains. We shoved senior players out the door, and currently there are 2 captains at Championship clubs who are superior to us that were here last season.

Tronstad probably would be but I suspect wasnt considered as he will be off in the summer.

The fact that McLaughlin wears the armband sometimes tells you a lot. He is certainly not captain material either.

Can see a semblance of logic in giving him the armband, to try and get him to step up similar to what Warnock did to Taarabt. But I dont think he is a natural captain. But as a player, definitely a number of much bigger concerns in our team.

[davulsukur]

Cantwell is clearly a good player and when on it, he is a cut above the rest of the squad. I suspect the frustration comes from knowing what he's capable of but doesn't produce it on a consistent enough basis. If he did, he wouldn't be at Rovers in our current sorry state of affairs.

I do wonder if he's still carrying an injury and the manager has borderline begged him to play through it. He's still got the strapping on his knee and has done since his return. I think he's further hampered by the players we currently have available in attack. Only Ohashi upfront and up until yesterday, Baradji wasn't getting into the right areas enough, no Alebiosu on the right or Hedges on the left in a system where the wingbacks are key.

As frustrating as he can be (running into 3 players and losing the ball), he's one of the few players we have in the whole squad capable of producing a moment of magic. I'd rather keep Cantwell and get another striker upfront with Ohashi and some actual wingbacks on both flanks, as opposed to dropping him.

[KentExile]

3 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I touched on in my post that we dont really have any captains. We shoved senior players out the door, and currently there are 2 captains at Championship clubs who are superior to us that were here last season.

Tronstad probably would be but I suspect wasnt considered as he will be off in the summer.

The fact that McLaughlin wears the armband sometimes tells you a lot. He is certainly not captain material either.

Can see a semblance of logic in giving him the armband, to try and get him to step up similar to what Warnock did to Taarabt. But I dont think he is a natural captain. But as a player, definitely a number of much bigger concerns in our team.

Wharton looked to be 2nd choice as captain when Cantwell was out (and before Whartons own injury)

[Mercer]

44 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

He is our best player. Plus what we dont see publicly is what he is like in dressing room or with younger players. 

He might be crap both in the dressing room and with our younger players!!!

Best players do not always make best captains nor good managers as history has shown 

Always preferred a Souness or Roy Kean type player as captain.  Sherwood was a very good Rovers' captain with his all round qualities as a player and a leader.  Travis was a decent captain.  Sadly, where we are now shows, IMO, just how far our club has fallen.

[TheRevAshton]

Not much happening then?

I've honestly no idea where we're looking to strengthen, targets, budget etc. Can't recall ever feeling as disconnected with the Club as I have this season, just doesn't feel like the Blackburn Rovers i've always known and loved.

Expect they'll sell anyone worth a few quid this window... Alebiosu, Tronstad and Tyjon seem likely to go. If they choose to even replace them, it'll no doubt be cheap foreign dross or loan players other Clubs don't want.

The current state of the Club saddens me, relegation seems pretty much nailed on.

[wilsdenrover]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2026/january/05/injury-update--ryan-hedges/
 

Ismael seems to be suggesting we’ll only look for a Hedges replacement if he’s out for more than 8 weeks.

 

 

 

[TheRevAshton]

5 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2026/january/05/injury-update--ryan-hedges/
 

Ismael seems to be suggesting we’ll only look for a Hedges replacement if he’s out for more than 8 weeks.

 

 

 

Any other Club in this league would be looking to replace Ryan Hedges if he was fit and available for selection.

Embarrassing. Absolutely tinpot as usual.

Edited 3 hours ago by TheRevAshton

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2026/january/05/injury-update--ryan-hedges/
 

Ismael seems to be suggesting we’ll only look for a Hedges replacement if he’s out for more than 8 weeks.

 

 

 

madness