In 2024 we won 9 and lost 8. Our fourth heaviest loss in history in the last test in New Zealand. This shit or bust strategy is a tad one dimensional for me. Re Crawley. Against New Zealand, Crawley has played 11 matches, 21 innings, high score of 43, runs 219 with an average of 10.42. How is that going under the radar from selectors? In my opinion he is being badly handled. This is a talented shotmaker, but a bit brain dead with little cricketing intelligence, who obviously should be batting at 5 or 6. If he's going to open he should seek advice from Gooch. Play a lot straighter, especially when driving, miss nothing on the leg side and only hook, pull and cut when well set. All this caught at cover, mid off and mid wicket crap needs to stop immediately. If he fails at 5 or 6 ditch him. But having given him 53 tests we are almost forced into trying to rescue him. Ironically, he may get a game against Australia averaging 43.06. But that's because he made 189 in one innings. In the other 14 he's at 32, similar to.his 53 match test record. The openers set the scene and its depressing seeing Root walking out at 4 in the first ten overs. Might as well make him open. At least he'll be able to prepare mentally and avoid rushing to pad up.

Its not a fluke we are in the play offs. It's hard to process, but maybe we are better than we think. At some stage we need to start believing in those that have got us this far. Our keeper especially as he stands alone. To cover for injuries, loss of form and suspensions we actually need another centre half, another central midfielder, another winger, another no 10 and another striker, Which isn't going to happen. Many fans therefore will be flapping. Which illustrates my point. In reality, we dont need just another striker. We need a striker scoring 10 to 12 goals between now and the end of May. But that costs about 10 million and 50k a week.

I wish fans would stop flapping about the January window. We've not needed a star striker to win six on the bounce. Everyone panicked when Travis was suspended. Fans were worried last week when Cantwell was out. JRC was apparently a major worry with Brittain missing. Pickering coming in was supposedly disastrous. We will never get in the play-offs with Hedges and Dolan. As to butterfingers in goal, has anyone noticed he's hasn't conceded for seven and a half hours? I'd take Sammie on loan or similar. Or another Beck on loan. Failing that if it aint broke don't fix it. Im not saying we cant improve. But January is a notorously difficult window to recruit well. I'd rather struggle a tad than upset harmony and team spirit which is priceless when compared to an average back up center half.

It's a massive step up and I dont think he's ready for that. But he's a very tidy player with a brilliant attitude and a massive fan favourite already.

So many positives from today. Almost too many to mention. The win. Keeping another clean sheet. Scoring more than one. Cantwell getting a rest. The two strikers starting together. ACD getting a start and a goal. Becks first goal. Gueye improving. JRCs involvement. Selection bravery. Competition for places. Enhanced squad confidence and unity. Our brilliant defending, centre halves and central midfielders yet again. Growing fluidity. Amazing team spirt and work ethic. Game management. Protecting our goal. Today feels really significant to me. There was nothing flukey about this victory. Hats off to the players and credit to the management instilling such belief.

6 wins on the bounce. 5 clean sheets on the trot. Clucking dynamite.

I was a bit worried when I saw the team changes but every credit to them all so far. Looks like we will have some competition for places.

Yes very pleasing. I'm much happier when PNE struggle. Very interesting line up. Let's hope it all gels. Come on Rovers.

Eustace has repeatedly said he wants Ewood to become a fortress. I imagine the players are listening. He's now hoping for increased attendances as well. After four brilliant away results I'm sincerely hoping we can win our next couple of home games and keep the momentum going. I'm going for another exhilarating 1-0 win. We've had a penalty, offside goal, genuine own goal and dubious own goal in the last four games. I'm predicting a last minute winner, Ohashi with a tap in.

Chuffed for the big fella. Chuffed for our keeper. Chuffed for our defence. Chuffed for our captain. Chuffed for vice captain. Chuffed for our manager. Chuffed for everyone on here. Incredibly proud of the team again tonight. It's so difficult winning away in pro-football. Bravo.

Shame to see such a big club struggling so badly for so long. Pathetic mis-management that we can easiily relate to. Tricky looking midweek fixture. History suggests we will struggle, but that history doesn't belong to this manager. Rovers with another convincing 1-0 victory. We are better than we think and our team spirit is on another level.

Keeping his opponents guessing Silas. It's tactically brilliant.

Mmmm i didn't miss anything. If you need validating you are of course correct. Your words typed on here affect nobody. Should however you try and understand the nuance and subtlety of the comment made it was to highlight its a bit churlish to heavily criticise an individual after a brilliant team performance. Pretty straight forward really. Today was about crediting all involved. We all know Gueye is a tad limited, but the fact is in his own small way he is contributing to recent results. Whether you like it or not.

I'm not arguing. Gueye is completely out of his depth using normal footballing paramaters. But as a fluffer he's doing a great job. Meanwhile Sherwood, Atkins and Wicox weren't good enough. Or Newell. Neither was Branagan or Miller or Mail or big Chris Thompson. Its always been that way.

Should you read back a few months you will see that Eustace also isn't good enough. Then more recrently Pears isn't good enough. Brittain, Carter, Hyam and Pickering aren't good enough. Travis, Buckley, JRC, Hedges and Dolan arent good enough. Gueye, Ohashi and Leonard aren't good enough. Good job we've got Beck on loan! We've no choice but to give Gueye time to develope and some credit for now for his part in our recent results. Let's hope we can a goalscorer on loan in January.

We didn't play shit. We kept another clean sheet and won away from home against a team desperate to impress, fighting for their lives. That is far from shit at this level of pro-sport. Every fucking credit to every single person involved, including our fans.

Crawley becomes the 2nd batsmen in history to hit a six in the opening over of a test. Then gets bowled through the gate making 17. He was averaging just over 9 against New Zealand pre-match. You seemingly can't fix stupid.

We played well against Stoke, Cardiff, Boro and Leeds. The team look full of confidence and team spirit is sky high. I saw an interview with Travis in which he said if we had been a tad more clinical in a couple of matches we'd be in the top four. Suggested the group is looking up, not down. I was quietly confident against Leeds and am feeling the same for this fixture. We are better than we think. Rovers to win 1-0.

Some good memories in this thread. Slightly before my time but my parents spoke with fondness of Mcnamee. RIP.

I'm not sure we can state that with any certainty. Last year we were plummeting towards relegation conceeding three most weeks. We simply had to solidify defensively, there was no time to waste and no other option. This season our best player and top scorer has scarpered and been replaced with the worst centre forward most of us have ever seen. Again leaving Eustace with no choice, but to focus on being hard to beat. Since and including Stoke, we are seeing far more fluency going forward and creating some really good chances. We now need our strikers to contribute and take some of the responsibility off our defence.

It will have been discussed. And there will have been two or three options depending on who is on the pitch at the time of the award. I think Eustace simply downplayed the slight confusion. Meanwhile I think it was the perfect choice for a number of reasons and utimately credit to all for the way it was handled.

Ok two points. Firstly we lose millions each year. Therefore maximising turnover at all times, in all ways is not only basic common sense, but absolutely essential. 7000 away fans will be worth a quarter of a million pounds to the club. Plus another 50k to the wider community. Its not all profit, policing, stewards, ground safety, concourse staff, cleaning etc will erode a large chunk but when you are waxing 400k a week every little helps. We are not in a position to ignore this income stream. Secondly, what is false is the belief that equates decent away results, to large away followings. Wrexham brought thousands last year and got turned over. Leeds yesterday. Most PL teams take up their allocations, but still get peppered 4-0 away regularly. United, Everton, Newcastle, massive clubs regularly beaten away irrespective of how many travel. You might argue that Sheffield Wednesday beat us 3-1 at Ewood last year with a huge away following. Or PNE and Burnley with large followings. But they have also enjoyed decent home results against us. Truth is, mental strength, belief, comraderie, professionalism, skill, ability and workmate are much more important in obtaining decent away results than how many pies the away fans eat. Our players will have respected the 600 at Boro and the 800 at Cardiff and all enjoyed their day out.

It's the modern way. Goalkeepers never even attempted that pass for most of our lifetimes. You see goals every weekend from crazily playing it out from the back. Not sure what the answer is as constantly humping it long seems a tad pre-historic. If we are to criticise players for a misplaced pass however then few would survive the first half of most matches. Maybe credit the decent reaction and recovery save?

Pears is a major part of our seven man defence and deserves far more than the begrudging credit afforded him on here. Time to stop harping on about previous errors. Most keepers would struggle playing under a suicidal JDT and a defence lacking structure and confidence.

Lazy? If it was your money you wouldn't say that. Regardless, if we keep winning and solidify in the top six we might have a chance of selling half the bottom tier. I had a season ticket for years in the Darwen End and it would be great to have Rovers fans at both ends.