ruggles1995

I've read some mixed stuff online that people think we are going down, and some say they've seen enough to think we will be ok. I think our squads one of those where it might look like it can compete on a matchday but it lacks football brains (experience), and lacks goals, Saturday against brum was the perfect example of it. If you added 3 players of championship quality then yes it potentially might be able to sniff around playoffs. But leave it as is, then this team that looks like it can compete will lose a lot more than it will win. Saturday already feels like a massive game already, and I just don't think we will pick up 3 points (just my opinion). What worry's me is the stats under VI, we don't keep many clean sheets compared to JE, and we aren't looking like much in front of goal. We can huff and puff all we want on match days and look ok competing wise, but if you cant keep clean sheets and score goals, ultimately it only ends one way. In my opinion I think our current group of squad players looks worse than what went down to league 1 before. The fact we are only missing carter and forshaw is a worry, its not like we have loads of players missing. Also if tyjon is not going to sign I dont think he should be in the squad, it feels like its too early for him and he needs a loan out maybe, but we are only involving him because arsenal are sniffing, and we are going to give him minutes just to try and persuade him to stay knowing full well hes prob not ready, and worse yet he will probably still sign for arsenal anyway. In my opinion Leonards probably better off over him. Squad wise on paper it just looks pretty horrible, but if you can 3 players of quality at this level the group could swing the other way, i do think its fine margins. But with this current squad add some injuries and its prob not even a strong league 1 team. its a long old season with this current group. Like many im fearing the worst this season, its the same old circus behind the scenes. This is not me having a pop at anyone, but I swear I read somewhere that someone has a direct line to venkys in some way, surely they must be aware then that they need to spend something if they want to have any hope of sniffing around promotion let alone staying in the current division we are in. Even the contract situations, surely they should know about those to? Otherwise just try and flog the club for sale, cut your losses and go. Monday rant over. We go again.

My guestimate 11 He wont start anybody new in this week, apart from putting them on the bench. So the realistic teamsheet I think he will pick imo will be: toth alebiosu hyam Wharton ribeiro tron trav hedges cantwell de neve Yuki gueye AK mccloughin pickering tavares igor montgormery / new swedish signing.

I dont know anything about this miller, but I dont think hes played recently. According to what i can see online, he last played on the 9th july, for 32 minutes... Cant see him being a starter anytime soon. Unless thats wrong. A month without any minutes. Has he even done a preseason or has he been injured? players missing pre season tend to have poor seasons.

State of the squad as it stands then: Toth Pears Brittain Hyam Carter Ribeiro Alebiousu Wharton McLoughlin Pickering Trav Tron tavares buckley Forshaw Hedges Cantwell Kargbo Tyjon De Neve Yuki Gueye Not sure Ive missed anyone off? Do we need anymore cms (unless we sell one)? seems a winger and cb and a 10 are most needed, especially with carters injury woes and wharton being out for ages. 2 signings of actual quality weve heard of would be nice, but not a chance in hell that will happen. I imagine we will be using the kids when needed as they want those extra minutes being ticked off... I also expect 1 or 2 on loan. Id be amazed if 3 more aren't signed by end of September. With our injury records it needs at least 3 at least. Scary looking at it on paper, where are those goals coming from...

have we really only got 4 friendlies? seems rather short, I know the squads not huge, but you would of thought 6 friendlies?

trying to make the point of position on the pitch. And I completely agree with the Baath one, hes a massive loss, we are short at CB and he was a leader. Its also a key position which is not always easy to fill. I dont look at Brittain and think leader....

yeh i get what you mean. Cost cut every corner i know.

We looked better under Eustace collectively because we were solid as a unit. He might of been better than the previous season, but id say its a bit far fetched to say he was brilliant. Hes not a massive loss imo. Its a fullback, most younger players can usually slip in pretty well at full back with a bit of experience around them. Look at owen beck, even montgomery looked 'ok' there, and even Duru away against burnley when we were down to 10 looked 'ok there', even costello did ok there at times. Its not the hardest position out the 11 to fill imo. Id say its one of the 'easier' positions to fill out of an 11. Im not underplaying his ability because hes leaving, its my honest opinion. Its good money for a fullback thats replaceable. Brittains an ok footballer, he wont define how our season will shape whether he stays or goes. Just my opinion.

I don't know about anyone else but I don't see losing Brittain as a big deal. Id say hes average at best. Apart from crossing a football hes not exactly been outstanding. Anything between 3-5 mill would be good business I think. Hes not blessed with pace and hes not exactly the best defender. I've watched many occasions him get his pants pulled down. Id love to see duru stay fit and get a go, loads of pace, and whenever he did play he did ok, I know it wasn't many mins for us but theres a player there. Id also say there are other positions that are worse to lose.

Thanks for the above. is Leo duru involved does anyone know ?

from looking at photos and watching the vids, i havent seem igor tyjon. Has anyone else? or has he already been sold?

never really understood the part of season ticket sales where they increase after a set time. Surely it makes more financial appeal to the fan base to keep it the same throughout the on-sale. Has it ever been raised with the board in interviews or fans forums about why they put certain price phases out ? Or do they just copy other clubs? They must have a reason for it with backed up facts as to how it works vs not having price phases?

you need a good spine in a team. To lose Baath, tronstad\trav would be criminal imo. I get we need to deal in the cheap foreign unknown market, but you have to keep a core of experience of the level. Lets hope these rumours are just that, rumours. I find it hard to trust anything I read about this club, when someone says someone's close to leaving, signing or anything contract related in any way, I would ignore all of it until released by the club, and even then that might not even be true!

Just listened to the pod. I don't know the situation with Yasir other than listening to his interview. And what I will say is that at least hes come out and spoken about ticket prices and backed it up with why and reasons behind it. Whether we agree with it or not, it was good to hear his reasoning about it, with stats over recent years in terms of previous plans and as to why they've done what they've done with prices this year. Again whether we like it or not, its at least good to hear something. Again, I know nothing about the bloke, so don't really have an idea about the tweets or whatever has happened. But just from the interview side, was good to hear some form of insight on it, well their perspective as to why they have made certain decisions.

BRING. IT ON. tickets, hotel booked. BEERS BEERS BEERS. ITS HAPPENING

i renewed over the weekend......... 🤦‍♂️

i do enjoy some optimism of can we still get playoffs? Not a chance in hell IMO. Even if a miracle happened and we won all 4, think you need 70 points for a slight chance. . I don't know what's worse, not winning another game, or winning all 4 and still no getting playoffs because we couldn't beat anyone in those run of teams at the bottom...

I did see the rooney links yesterday which to me screams agent work getting his name in the media and theres not an ounce of truth in it, especially as we wont sack someone on a 3 year deal - money. But rooneys record was 5 wins in 25 at plymouth? I think thats slightly better average than 1 win 8 for ismael?🤪

very much a eustace performance that. We road our luck and stuck at it and got a win with a clean sheet. If this was under eustace id say good win. But under ismael im not sure this was a game plan or just a stroke of luck smash and grab. Luckily Luton lacked any real quality at every area of the pitch. I guess the millwall game will tell us more. The one thing I am baffled about, is Rudy and Ismael are talking about high press football for next season, when this current crop dont have the quality to produce it which is why were leaking goals since he came in and losing games. Saturday was the type of performances grinding out results this team has produced because thats probably what this group of players is capable of. Its mad how we've decided to rip up the one style thats got us so close and solid this season to decide to try and play kick and run football with players not capable of it. There going to have to sign a complete different style of player in the summer to pull off the way they are talking of football. Financially it would make more sense to keep a similar style of Eustace and add players to the current crop rather than need to sign a whole new 11 in the summer with a manager not proving hes capable thus far. I do fear the worst in the summer. There wanting to change style and whole new type of player and from the market of unknown as its more "affordable". I can see an 11 players of yuki gueye and kargbo without the mix of experience and championship experience which was probably similar type of team JDT had in his last period, team of inexperienced kids running around leaking goals. Its blatantly obvious now its spend zero, pick up cheap foreigners, pray they do something, try and pocket 5-10 mill on potential sell on value, and maybe try and fluke a playoff promotion or just stay in the championship with no ambition but don't relegated remit.

What away pubs are people heading to ?

Don’t know about anyone else but I’m getting fed up of reporters fans and tv reporters saying we’ve been over achieving with John eustace. No… it’s called a manager that’s competent and can do his job. It’s not pot luck to be 5th 3/4 into the season. It’s called good management. Something this clown in charge isn’t capable of. Some people just suit clubs, it’s clear this guy doesn’t

its all doom and gloom and no hope. But at least this is a sensible thing done. I like him, hes solid. first thing theyve got right all season.

If we dont win a game for the rest of the season (which easily can happen) I dont think he gets sacked. I know its only 4 games but the signs arent great. Its not like we've looked good. We actually look lost at times, almost like kids football, massive gaps between defence, midfield and attack, desperation football, brain dead football. Even under our bad spell under Eustace we at least had a plan and looked like we had some shape. Also its probably the most easiest things to implement as a coach, sit in be tight and be organised. Under Frenchy we half heartedly press, some players go, some players dont know if they should, then its all just all over the place like kids football. I think we might win 1 game between now and end of season. I dont reckon he will get sacked even if we dont win any. I reckon he will get the first 10 games of next season if it still carrys on bad. Its going to be a host of foreigners and cheapy unknowns in the summer, which is why they have bought in a manger who can speak other languages and is cheap.

Even if they just showed a slight bit of ambition, by hiring a manager with some pedigree, or even got some contracts of the better players done, you might be more easily persuaded to pay an extra £50 in season ticket prices. But for me its the fact there F ing zero ambition. Venkys have got us into this mess and its sucking the fun out of everything. The matchday experience is even cheap. I go to the blues bar before games and the beers usually rubbish, the Guinness seems to be out most games cos they have problems with the pipes half the time or the beers are flat. There's no atmosphere in their, they could have some background music or even some live game commentary in the blues bar. They have had a live band in there this season and it was quite good. The match day half-time stuff is just kids shooting a ball in a 7 aside goal by the corner flag.. why not get some fans on the pitch at half time (home and away) doing something to win £50 or something entertaining that people get engaged by. I had a time in the club shop this season where the club didn't even have Blackburn bags or ANY bags when purchasing, thats embarrassing! couldn't even give me a bag to carry a jumper. They could go to local shop and get some bags of anything to give to customers to carry items. It was so tinpot to tell me a customer they couldn't give me any type of bag, couldn't believe it. If I renew my ticket in the Blackburn end it works out to be £17.40 per game which is not too bad. I don't have kids so cant speak about family pricing but for me personally £17.40 a game is not the worst but its the fact that the prices have gone up, what are we getting for that price increase?! we cant even operate like a club with any professionalism or try and make the match day experience just a little better. Its like a 15 year old has been put in charge of match day experiences. Its not hard to improve it and make some sort of atmosphere. Its just being left to rot, and being run by people that don't look like they have an idea. I am yet to make a decision on renewing. Im from down south so financially I need to work out if Its worth it, but even if it wasnt, if the club showed something, it might just persuade me to go sod it im doing it again.

bring back mark hughes. He must be cheap these days. All hope sucked out last night. I travel up 4.5 hours to watch the home games for my season ticket. I will not be attending another one now until the last home game of the season just to close the season out, waste of my money. I had a ticket last night for stoke away, luckily I was too ill to travel last night, done me a favour that. I will stick to the more local away games for rest of this season. Clubs scored one too many own goals for my liking right now. Waggot, Pasha, Venkys, Gaffer - ALL PACK YOUR BAGS