RoverKyle

Cracking post mate. I'd imagine we might need to look deeper in to our squad and youth teams to find some more players for the first team squad. Would be surprised if we had any sort of meaningful budget to work with. Could see the following given plenty of time in pre season to stake a claim as part of the squad. Carter (Centre Back), Brown (Right Back), Garrett (Centre Midfield), Vale (Centre Forward). I'm sure I'll have missed some.

Couldn't disagree more. Thought he was our best player tonight. Crazy how people view the game that differently. Each to their own though. Can't be arsed arguing in this mood.

My bad. Long day. I'd have quoted your post as the latest one in the line of comments about Hedges. Wasn't picking yours out as being especially harsh. We need to get to the Premier League before we start using that benchmark to be fair.

It wasn't aimed directly at you, otherwise I'd have quoted your post. But after one game, yeah probably.

Feel like there's been some harsh criticism of Hedges after that game. Obviously early days, but in a game where we didn't get the ball down and play much, I thought his pressing out of possession was good and he made plenty of positive runs.

He was awful in that position last time we tried it. But I agree, that's probably where he'll have to slot in.

Pedigree/Potential

You do when there are options behind them that would bury those chances. However we don't have those options at our disposal unfortunately. If you don't deliver the numbers, why would you be expecting to start?

He'd certainly get regular game time, yes. Although the system is working well, we've had games where we've struggled to unlock teams and made a few changes to personnel and changed our shape. To do that effectively, you need options. We simply don't have the right depth or quality in reserve in forward areas to do that. As for Khadra, I've been impressed by him but by no means do I think he's undroppable. For example after his miss against Huddersfield I'd have been dropping him for the next game. A bit more composure in that brilliant position and he wins us the game. Small margins make all the difference.

That's the same with any signing. There are no guarantees that they'll work out. However not making a signing in that area of the pitch guarantees that we're more at risk of failure in that area.

After the Markanday injury we were crying out for another forward (in addition to Hedges). Without his injury the transfer activity would've been just about right. Instead we're left short. What pains me isn't the Bournemouth spending spree (I echo other comments that they might struggle to find a consistent side now) but that teams like Stoke & Hull have picked up Maja & Forss. I get the need to control our spending so I never expected us to splash millions on players but a decent loan signing like that could've really added to our options and eased concerns over where our goals will come from if Diaz reverts to type.

Likewise with Nyambe I'd suspect. Main surprise of the three is Lenihan, as he's routinely been backed by the manager. However he seems to harbour ambitions of the Premier League. Of the three I'd take a guess that he'd be the most likely to sign on, especially if we're promoted.

Can't wait to see the goal in the highlights package tonight...

He's truly awful and was resoundly slated when he was last mentioned. He's worse than Nyambe and presumably the incoming Dutch lad.

Amazing. What a time to play as well.

I've just noticed that Football Aid (the charity that organised games at Ewood Park) has just ceased trading. https://www.footballaid.com/ Always been a dream of mine to play at Ewood and I'd saved up the money to play when I turned 30, but I snapped my ACL returning to Saturday league (after 52 minutes) and couldn't sign up. Been hoping they'd get the postponed game rearranged at some point so I could get involved. Absolutely gutted. Did anyone have the chance to play in one of these games or were due to play in the covid-postponed game? Would be nice to hear of anyone's experiences of it.

😆

Anyone seen much of Josh Bowler? The goals and assists columns don't scream out "standout Championship star" for a winger.

bluebruce's point was where in the rumour does it mention £1m. I couldn't see any mention of that (or any) figure either. What he's worth, what we would want for him, what Bournemouth want him for or how much he's been touted in the press for is completely irrelevant to his point.

I don't see that there's necessarily a correlation. I'm not the biggest fan of Nyambe, yet I truly believed that Raya was going to make it to the Prem (I was hoping with us mind). There was bags of technical ability in Raya and you could see the scope he had to improve even during his poor spells. With Nyambe, physically he's brilliant and it's his physical attributes that lend to his best trait (his one to one defending). Technically speaking he's very average and given the amount of exposure he's had in the first team, he hasn't improved to the extent we might've expected early doors. Completely agree with the comments that he's better suited to being a defensive RB in a back 4, but he looks out of his depth as a RWB in a 5 because he just doesn't have a final ball in him and just looks devoid of ideas when he passes the half way line (which is a key element to his role in our current system). The weekend was a prime example of that. That's not to say I'd be happy to see him go. He's one of our academy boys and he's plenty good enough for the Championship and should be retained if demands are realistic. I do think he's the most easily replacable out of him, Lenihan and Rothwell though.

I thought exactly the same. He looks spot on though, albeit from a video of his best bits. What seems promising is the fact his brain doesn't seem to melt after he passes the halfway line. Certainly looks as pacy and combative as Nyambe defensively.

Nice. We were all thinking it.

Chris Wood would be a bit of a coup in my opinion. Probably a class above anyone we'll get this window. Can't imagine he'd be available or that we'd be able to offer him the wages he'd want (apparently on £50k a week at Burnley). Can only assume that's a very ambitious rumour as opposed to anything of substance.

Cracking post. Perfectly sums up the differences to last season. It really is a sum of those improvements that has got us to where we are. Hopefully we can keep it up and avoid the post January death spiral. If we do, I honestly think we go up in the automatic places.

Huge game and a proper test of where we are. We're in a great run of form but Fulham, Bournemouth & West Brom are the stand out sides in the league. Rudy was pretty special in the air.