BlackburnEnd75

Tbh I was critical of TM for not bringing either Johnson or Evans on 10 mins sooner as I felt we were getting to stretched in midfield. I felt their goal was coming. Even if with Evans on we would’ve had enough attacking players on the pitch.

Weird one thought with our second half performance a defeat would’ve been harsh but in the end the win was very fortunous but I’ll take it even if I doubt it leads to a revival. I was highly critical of Mowbray after they took the lead as I felt he hadn’t really read the game right we tired and stretched in midfield especially down our right so I suppose I have to give credit for him bringing Buckley on. Tosin had a very good game and got the club man of the match but the stand out for me was Travis, thought his energy and drive was incredible. Can’t believe he was dropped for the PNE, it really baffles me

I thought the idea in the summer was to bring in Walton and an older experienced keeper to compete. we clearly made a mess of that so now we are in a situation where Walton (who isn’t as bad as some are making out) needs dropping and we have nobody to replace him with.

I think we have some good players here that shouldn’t be involved at the wrong end of the table but like you say we’ve got some areas where we are nowhere near the top 6. I think Lenihan is overrated by the management and most of the fanbase, I think Tosin looks very classy problem is he isn’t our player.

Can’t absolve him of the penalty yesterday, it was a brainless decision from him after he’d done well to track the run

I noticed this too. Travis was warming up for a bit after they decided not to bring him on but I didn’t see a single other rovers player warming up not even graham who came on as a sub

It’s double standards

Thought rothwell was quite until the 10mins before he went off. To be fair to Tosin it was clearly Williams that got bullied, he twigged after half time and moved onto Williams and it gave them a lot of joy. I still think that those two today are our best cb partnership on the books.

Funny thing is when Chapman scored 2 and got an assist in one game (I think it was Leicester away) he was in the under 23’s the next week. When Samuel scored 2 he was straight on the bench for the next first team game and I think came on. That in particular struck me as odd.

Personally think rothwell has looked good in some of cameo appearances and is worthy of a run of games. His problem is when he makes a good cameo off the bench it is rarely followed with a start so he can’t build any momentum and then his next cameo he may not touch the ball much and then the manager has a stick to beat him with. the last two games for example he got about 60 mins total, in both games his main contribution was a great run from deep in his own half in which the defender cynically fouled him when he’d got away from them. His form back end of last season and some of his cameos warrants a run of starts especially when we have a side that DOESN’T CREATE ANY CHANCES!!!

I just think we need to have a new man come in with a fresh pair of eyes and no fixed judgements or loyalties to particular players and work out what we need for January because in my opinion we can’t afford to let Tony spend any more money. The squad feels unbalanced again, but there is some players that a new man could work with. The other issue is Venkys and the whole structure of the club, but I’d rather have the cheap option of Johnson with a fresh pair of eyes than what we’re seeing atm.

I do. He limping around after the game on Saturday, and wasn’t moving well when he came off.

My guess for team will be: Walton Nyambe. Tosin. Williams. Bennett Downing. Travis. Evans. Armstrong Dack Gallagher I think Bell won’t be risked if he’s 50/50, he’ll be needed for the rest of the season. Holtby was limping around after the game on Saturday so I think he might save him for PNE. He’ll give Gallagher another go uptop because he desperately needs him to come good.

I wouldn’t trust him to spend any more money

Fatigue my arse, they’ve all just been on their holidays!

Don’t think Chris Hughton would suit the players we’ve already got

If we even think about playing 3 at the back then Joe Rankin-Costello should be the right wing back.

It’s muddled thinking in my opinion. He wants to have options to play different styles and formations according to who we are playing or what mood he is in. problem is that some players suit a certain brand of football and others don’t. So they often get put in places that aren’t going to get the best out of them. You can achieve a lot if you have a team of players that know they’re roles in the side and are comfortable playing in it. You can have one player playing a role that’s not there best of you’ve got 10 other players that do. But we have no consistency week to week, it’s very frustrating (eg watching Armstrong drift into the centre in between the lines) I think Mowbray over values certain attributes like Versatility for example - he likes these players because they are flexible for him to crowbar in many positions and because he can’t decide what we are and what they are. The problem we’ve got now is whatever team and whatever shape he wants us to be/have we are lacking in a certain area. you want to play 3 at the back? Well we don’t have wing backs only have 3 centre backs In the squad and how do you fit Dack into that. Want to play 2 up front instead of forcing one striker to play out wide, how do you fit in all those players who seem to be no. 10’s like Dack, Downing, Holtby. Wants to bring young players through, who is next of the conveyor belt? Buckley, Butterworth, JRC, Davenport and he’s stacked the squad with players that play in those positions. Want to play a pressing game? Well then you can play then it doesn’t suit some of them want to play a possession game passing out from the back?Then why have spent money on forwards when we’ve got defenders and midfielders who can’t play that style eg Lenihan and Johnson. why spend all your money on a striker who can win headers when you have nobody in the squad who can put a damn cross into the box let alone have a proper winger. If we are meant to be believing we are building towards a playoff push then I don’t see it with Tony anymore. Not this season or next, he has had money in transfers and importantly wages and I can’t see what he’s trying to achieve, can we afford to let him have another transfer window? I’m not sure we can.

Genuinely think that team is mental. I’ve seen pep try some formation like that before but there’s nobody on the left hand side!

Williams and Lenihan are both in their best positions. If they are good enough there is an entirely different question. I’d rather see Williams at centre back than at left back and I’d much rather see Lenihan at centre back than centre mid. I’d also rather see Tosin given a chance because these two weren’t good enough today simple as.

Downing was our best player on Tuesday

Gallagher on the wing is pathetic, shame on Mowbray for trying to shoehorn him in there Thought Downing was good in cm Rothwell should play on the left Holtby I’d like to see starting I just don’t know where as he plays in dacks role. Lenihan is poor on the ball, we’ve gotta move the ball better out from the back now we’ve got good technical attackers. Graham’s lack of mobility is an issue, wish we hadn’t wasted so much much money on strikers who don’t score or play in their correct position

I mean it just wasn’t at all. Unless he stopped watching after 15 mins

Not particularly excited about a return to a back 3. I don’t think we’ve got the wing backs tbh. Cunningham looks more comfortable as a left back and Bennett isn’t a good enough outlet down that side. The other worry is that it’ll just encourage more of what we saw Saturday, lots of ball and no incision. To open teams up you’ve gotta have players who can run in behind and between players or commit a man with a dribble.

I think it’s time for Tosin over Lenihan. Who else agrees ?