1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

Any 2XL sized BRFCS users out there ? 🤔

I’ll take one! Please & thanks 

Absolutely shit.

Venkys Out.

4 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Totally anecdotal, of course, but I’ve lost count in recent weeks from the amount of ST holders I’ve spoken to that are 50/50 about renewing.

Not because of the team, the club, the manager, the price, you know standard stuff for a potential non renewer. But purely due to the amount of moved games. It will be very frustrating if a club that finally seems to be on the up still can’t move it’s gates on due to the absolutely ridiculous amount of non 3pm Saturday matches.

Anyone else picking up anything similar?

Yes - my brother is undecided.

He now lives a 2hr+ drive from Ewood so midweek games are difficult, and kick off changes with little notice e.g Saturday 3 to a Friday/Sunday don't help when you've generally got life going on. This season has been difficult in that regard.

It's also maybe now counter productive cost wise for him to buy a season ticket vs. games he can attend as a walk on.

Cheaper season tickets, whilst keeping the cost of walk ons the same would obviously make the decision easier. It's only mid April and Bolton have sold almost 15,000 season tickets on early bird with adults from 219 to 309 might I add...

I'm not the first in saying this, but a further option that many might find attractive is a flexi ticket - e.g commit to 10/15/X amount of games. You could still keep the value of full season tickets by making the flexi ticket more expensive pro-rata. I'm sure there are pros and cons that I haven't thought about. But I know people who gave their season ticket up in the last decade, saying they'd probably attend most weekend games/go to half of the games. In reality, they end up going to a handful at best, many don't go to home games at all. This sort of option could keep the undecided lot paying, and might even bring some of the lapsed lot back, so financially it's in the clubs best interest to explore.

Decent window for all of the reasons already listed. Not brilliant, but certainly not bad.

Was good to see us spend a bit of money without having to sell Diaz. 

Important to remember this is Tomasson & Broughton’s first window. Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that. I also wanted us to bring in a better left back and winger, but other spots were arguably more pressing so let’s see what they do in January.

As a side - any word on the Phillips contract? Wasn’t it all but done last Friday? Hoping it’s a delayed announcement or a wait for formalities to be sorted rather than another Hoilett saga.

Absolutely. If the money is there, pay him well. Has shown his talent at Rovers and England youth levels. More importantly today he proved he is a big lad who wins his duels at a proper level. Signs so far says he’ll do well.

We’ve paid loan centre backs well in recent years (Tosin, Harwood Bellis, Van Hecke) and I’m sure we’ll be paying Van Den Berg well. No reason for us not to give Phillips at least that level of money.

At the very least it’s a sound investment for a player who will almost definitely be worth a moderate amount soon, and will possibly be worth a large amount.

Proud of the hard work we put in to that. Battled through some adversity and came out with the 3 points. Great win.

Not quite as simple as saying Nyambe is a better right back in a back 4 than Brittain is.

Years ago, or in your average back 4, maybe so.

But in a Tomasson back 4 where so much is asked of the full backs, including one sticking wide whilst the other comes in almost as a midfielder, having big parts to play in the passing game and needing generally good footballing ability… give me Brittain all day.

Proper away performance, JDT got it spot on, players did their jobs very well.  Good 3 points.

1 minute ago, rigger said:

Or you could look at it as, we still have our first choice center-half pairing, available. With cover of the bench, in the form of a youngster who many believe will play at a level, well above the level we are at now. Carter may not be out for long. 

I’m a fan of what I’ve seen from Phillips and Carter. But more a case of I would rather insure ourselves against hitting big problems at the back if we can do so.

13 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Gonna need more than one centre half - Barnes has done his ACL

Did think it was bonkers seeing people say CB isn’t a priority.

Leaves us:

Ayala - Very injury prone

Wharton - One big injury not too long ago 

Carter - Injured 

Phillips - Never played a professional game

2 minimum.

3 minutes ago, phili said:

That's the benefit of being proactive and getting rid of the manager early, giving half a season to review the squad and decide what is required.

Our issue is down to how long it took to put the new system in place.

Yep. I did almost tag on to my post - it’ll be interesting to see how January & next summers windows go.

Will our new system make for slicker output, or will we continue to be hamstrung by a multi layered international communication process.

12 minutes ago, HedgesAdmirer said:

We can get through the first 15% of games with what we’ve got, nobody is suggesting we make all our signings on deadline day either 

I agree in the sense that our starting 11 is okay & we are unlikely to get loads of injuries in the first month or so.

But whilst a budget is in place, people expect a more proactive approach, and to only sign one player (permanent or loan) a few days before the season starts, after losing the number we have, doesn’t sit too well.

It’s undoubtedly of massive benefit to get key business done early. Got to consider players getting used to the club, the players and staff, tactics, playing their role etc.

People will point out its tough to get business done. But other clubs have been much smarter than us. Boro have added at least 3 or 4 starting players early on and have given them good pre season minutes. They will probably improve their squad further later on as Prem loans become available, whilst other clubs are scrambling for key starters.

There isn’t any real excuse for us to be less on the ball than them.

25 minutes ago, J*B said:

Yes but during those five weeks we do still have to play professional football and compete for points. This mindset of ignoring the first 5 weeks of the season bewilders me. 

15% of league games take place before the window closes on 1st September. Two rounds of the league cup in that time, too.

29 minutes ago, The Gull said:

Liverpool friends telling me Tyler Morton will sign for us on loan shortly. 

They tell me he’s a tidy player, probably needs to beef up a little but high hopes for him, plays in midfield, holding midfielder rather than attacking. 

Paul Joyce (The Times) reporting this is done

3 minutes ago, J*B said:

Horrendous, but not surprising.

A result of the lack of imagination, the lack of grasp on current day reality, and also the lack of understanding of Blackburn Rovers and its supporters/demographic by those overseeing the day to day ‘running’ of the club.

Steve Waggott and co - well done.

11 minutes ago, glen9mullan said:

The one on the right was the one who aint managed before, starts the week after Carvalhal decides no

Bolton fan, hope not!

Farke’s at the wheel……….

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The system is fine (albeit I don't think we'll set up this way next year). Asking JRC / Pickering to play as Wing Backs, Buckley to play as a False 9 and Giles to play as a Right Inside Forward is moronic though. It hasn't worked for 6 months. 

The system includes everything that gives us the end product so formation, players, all aspects of approach etc… so miles from fine in my book!

Either way. This is a joke.

Is there another manager on the planet who would set us up this way?

Genuinely thinking the best chance of 3 points = the system we play?

And would continue to play it despite failing to score week in week out? Buckley at false 9, Gallagher wide, Giles out right etc?

A single other manager?

Sheer incompetence. 

He’s sent out the same back 5/false 9 system that has been utterly shite for months. And looks surprised at the fact we’re 1 down after 10 minutes. 
 

Unacceptable, avoidable collapse season after season.

Lenihan likely out for the season with a torn groin.

Maybe the back 4 will be forced upon us after all.

I don't doubt they could afford us one way or another. But I'd be surprised if buying Rovers was seen as an attractive option for the Issa brothers. The Asda buy does signal a different sort of punt for them, but even with that, taking on Rovers doesn't really make sense against their business to date.

But at the minute they are the only semi-realistic option of a future Rovers takeover I can think of. I can't see anybody without ties to the club/area getting involved, particularly with our status in the current financial climate. Without meaning to do Rovers an injustice, there are probably more attractive clubs in more attractive areas within the pond we swim in. So I guess it would take a brave hand from somebody with said ties to (presumably) give Venkys back their investment, take on some form of debt and hope to make a fist of things with the modern Rovers.