I only managed to get the game on in the 32nd minute so everything is going great as far as i can see....

The lad looks a good young player at a relatively low fee.

However cb is the one position we are well stocked in terms of depth and quality. So as it currently stands he'd be coming in as 5th cb. Makes me assume one of the others will be leaving, so either Hill is being recalled or Carter is being sold for say around £5million.

If he's replacing nobody then it looks a bad use of funds. If he is replacing hill then I believe the money would be better spent elsewhere and is a bad use of funds. If its to replace Carter in the squad then it makes some sense as it will only be a fraction of the fee we would likely receive for him. 

Maybe this will make a bit more sense in a weeks time.

2 hours ago, JHRover said:

They wanted Kaminski gone. It was the 'project' in action. Signed for a few hundred grand a few years ago, improved, offers come in for millions from a PL side.

They saw an opportunity to get another senior player on the wrong side of 25 out of the door, get their hands on a few million and spend a fraction of it on another 'project' replacement. The intention was clearly to roll with Pears for the time being, who came to their rescue last season by surprising everyone with his competency when Kaminski was out injured. 

The only aim and ambition at this football club. Unfortunately a large number of supporters are fully subscribed and signed up to it and think that is what being a non-PL club is these days. 

 

Kaminski wanted to go and made it clear he wanted to go. They dug their heels in for more money and got some of it. Selling kaminski to a prem team isn't the issue here for me.

I'd say of the 3 people who have to take blame for the current situation JDT is still at the bottom of the list. We are on a bad run and he's not done much to address it. But the hand venkys have given him is exceptionally poor and ultimately some of the players he's been given by broughton aren't up to the standard.

There's no quality in that front 3 at all, there's no quality on the bench to mix it up at that end of the pitch either. Too many kids and those finding their way who aren't there yet. A squad with holes and no depth. No striker with a nose for a goal. A keeper who makes regular mistakes. A severe lack of athleticism in the side, no pace, no power and no strength.

I'd say JDT deserves stick but I look at that today and you have to hold your hands up and say a different lineup would be just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, ultimately it wouldn't make too much difference.

Where we go from here I don't know. We need bodies in, and that'll have to be injuries returning because there doesn't appear to be a pot to piss in. Pears, Hedges, Dolan, JRC and Gally make us a marginally better side so I hope that's enough to arrest the worrying slide.

Anyone think it's possible that Hill might be recalled by Bournemouth in January?

2 hours ago, rigger said:

I slightly disagree about Markanday, his best position in my opinion is the same one Szmodic and Moran play, so when he is picked, he is out of position. I don't know if JDT will want the type of striker that we will attract, as they would not be able to cope with the type of game JDT prefers his strikers to play. 

Has markanday ever played for us as a no.10? I don't think you can say it's his best position if he never plays there.

What are we saying would be a good crowd tomorrow? 

17,500? Or is that over ambitious. Its hard to gauge

I think what has not been mentioned is how much the game has changed in the last 4 or 5 years. And I'm not talking about Pep.

I'm talking about the rule change which allows your own teams players into the penalty area on a goal kick. Its massively changed the game second only in my lifetime to the introduction of the pass back rule.

Teams are much more incentivised to pass out from the back because of this and the stats back it up. The trend is much more to do with this specific rule change and not as much to do with trendy following pep as people are making out. Clear advantage for the team that can do it properly hence why the best teams do it. Whether weaker teams should be passing out like they do I'm not sure and think may revert back over the next few years as the goals given away will outweigh the benefits. Tbf even now you see a lot of more direct sides sometimes take advantage by looking for the short pass in the area on goal kicks and then going long after one pass.

Essentially football and the evolution of the game and tactics is all about space... where is it and how can we exploit it. Goalkeepers becoming better on the ball is a natural evolution of the two rule changes mentioned. I'd be interested to see if the average size of a keeper comes down ever so slightly over the next few years.

A poster above wondered how Friedel would cope in the modern game and im unsure what level he would end up as even he said in an interview relatively recently he'd struggle with it. The higher starting point, being encouraged to come further off your line in general play and the ball/passing skills to play out. Friedel for example was never a very strong kicker like Paul Robinson was but he was very consistent and his bad kicks or his kicks off his left foot were always aimed towards the touchline to minimise damage. 

I'd agree keepers appear weaker on crosses. For me this is likely to be them facing more technical teams / less physical styles coming through academies, simply they are less exposed. Perhaps the modern balls which deviate so much more through the air are a contributing factor to more parrying on shots and this has rolled over to crosses also?

I'd also like to know also if the types of shots keepers are facing has changed much in the last 10-20 years because in my head I'm not sure it has.

On 17/12/2023 at 10:37, BankEnd Rover said:

Nixon now saying we are in for the Crewe Lad.

Who is that?

4 hours ago, philipl said:

Watford scored two 30 yarders into the far corners and PNE turned Father Christmas for at least one of the others. One goal was slick passing and movement but PNE played statues.

So yes a fantastic result for Watford and there is a risk we will lose as badly if we turn in our worst performance of the season.

Hopefully the Fans Takeover motivates the players to turn it on. I really hope the Blackburn public are responding appropriately to this initiative. If they don't, any hope of the club risking lower prices to boost attendance goes out of the window.

Interesting talking to North end fans who were very confused with the result. They said they should've been a 3 or 4 nil up at half time and let they back into the game which they then ran away with.

Good job we're very clinical then isn't it

9I can't really think of many positives from that, a day where nothing went right for us.

Truth be told we never laid a glove on southampton with 11 men. We allowed them good possession and field position without an effective out ball and countering threat. We were never going to out play them at their place but I still felt the game plan didn't really help. I suppose that is on JDT who I remain a big fan of.

Some really tired performances, mentally and physically. All that exacerbated by a moment of pure petulance from Brittain who has let himself and his team down with that stupidity. He got booked on Tuesday for doing pretty much the same thing so I do wonder if there's something going on with him personally or if he's just bloody thick. If I was JDT I'd ask him to find his own way home. 

We've got some winnable games coming up and hopefully a few players to come back so I'm clinging to that right now.

14 minutes ago, booth said:

Blatant foul on Szmodics breaking forward and no card.

I don't understand how that isn't a yellow card and say the brittain one in the 1st half is. Makes no sense.

Zero consistency

Pleased for Leo tonight. Had possibly his best game in a rovers shirt. He got a bit of love from the blackburn end at the end which should help build his confidence. His timing is good as Pears is getting close to a return, I'd stick with Leo.

Thought Tronstad was brilliant for 70 mins. But like others he tired. Adam Wharton is pure class and we missed when he came off as we struggled to keeper hold of the ball.

Other notes:

Brittain better at right back

Siggurdsons ability to find the net means a longer run in the side is probably due.

Ennis showed some promising sides but needed to show for the ball more.

Moran was dreadful and did well to stay on the pitch as long as he did.

20 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Only part of your post I disagree with. Wharton can much more reliably take the ball on the half-turn in our third, and could last year too. Morton getting picked ahead of him was nothing but a mistake. I don't know why it was done, but if that was a significant part of the rationale, it was wrong.

Your half right in my view. Wharton is better taking the ball on the halfnturn than morton can. Difference is morton could do it better than the other midfielders and was better defensively than Wharton. He was also physically more developed than Wharton was last season.

It was still a mistake to play Wharton more at the start of 2023 when he came back from his injury. 

I must say I'm not convinced by the Wharton higher up the pitch argument (presumably as a 10?). I think the balance of him and tronstad works well atm for us as its not as open as early in the season and tronstads defensive ability compliments whartons passing range.

Ultimately the best role for Adam Wharton is the one where he touches the ball as much as possible. And that's cm. 

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

We have a pretty good first XI imo, except for striker and - to a lesser extent - keeper. I haven't seen a single game all season where any of our CFs (Leonard, Ennis, Telalovic and Gallagher) and really looked like a threat.

I think we may be at the point where we just let Ennis start and see what happens as he is the one we know the least about. We can always swap him for Leonard later in the game if we need the legs. Watching Ennis recent cameos I am not that encouraged though as - like Telalovic - he doesn't seem to be finding much space with his movement and as a result barely gets the ball. While Leonard has got good movement but lacks physicality.  I guess the hope is Ennis has more to him we have not seen yet. 

I'm not sure about the ennis bit. We do probably need to play him to get him to the right level but he's not shown anything recently to suggest he's ready to start or even has the fitness. He looked good off the bench vs Rotherham but that's it really.

Leonard was poor on Saturday and looked a little out of his depth but I think he offers the side more as a whole and is worth starting in the absense of a better striker. I also would try to leave szmodics in the 10 slot for as long as possible as that's where I think he is most dangerous. 

               Wahlsted 

Brittain.   Carter.   Hill.   Pickering

          Tronstad    Wharton

Moran.       Szmodics.       Siggy

                Leonard

26 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Lost 6 of 10 at home this season. Hoping for a result against Bristol on Tuesday night and a change of fortunes.

Give Ennis a start please I’m sick of seeing a team of midfielders pissing about with it near the box.

I didn't see anything from ennis to suggest he deserves a start on Tuesday.

17 minutes ago, M_B said:

Said at half time, it's like an FA cup game and we've been drawn at home against a Premier league team. 

Good effort today, some good football but if you don't shoot you don't score. It's time for Markanday to get a run in place of Brittain in my opinion,he offers little if anything going forward. 

As someone said earlier, 2 points off the play offs at this stage, considering the circumstances is a cracking effort. 

I think your probably right in dropping brittain (probably pushing him back to full back). He's a good player but he's not a left winger and does a job at best wide right.

If that's markanday or siggurdson I'm not sure. Siggurdson looked exactly what we needed in his first 3 or 4 games and seems to have got worse. Markanday I'm not sure is up to the level but is a pure attacking threat.

1 minute ago, Miller11 said:

I’d be tempted to bring in Sigurdsson for Brittain here, and Ennis for Leonard before long.

On the hour I'd say. Don't think ennis has more than 30 mins in him.

Let him run his contract down so him and his agent can sniff out any interest. If there is it could be worth triggered the extension to get a few hundred grand for him.

If they dont think anyone will pay money for him then don't bother with the renewal as he can't justify the wage he's getting.

Only issue is we likely won't have the money to replace him. In theory we have 3 strikers at the club next season and some would argue thats enough: Leonard (who I think will become a good striker), Ennis (injury prone seems an understatement), Telalovic (unproven at this level also an understatement). I think he needs to be replaced.

Either way he shouldn't be here next season.

No Dolan I think will be a blow. I would've started him wide left here ahead of siggy. I felt Leonard in the 2nd half showed we needed a more conventional striker. 

I'd go with the team that finished the game last night:

                Wahlsted 

Brittain.   Hill  Carter  Pickering

                Tronstad. Wharton

Moran.          Szmodics.         Siggy

                 Leonard 

Alternatively if Wharton is fit I'd be tempted to put brittain right wing, moran left wing and move Hill to right back. 

3 hours ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Dolan's been good recently, and HL has obvious potential, but Gally should be back in as the No9. He might not be prolific but he's a genuine outlet because of his pace. I think he was starting to hit form as a No9 when he got injured, he's jut unfortunately made of glass. 

Think JDT appreciates his work rate so he trusts him. He could easily play the RW position too. 

I really don't rate Gallagher especially in the system JDT wants to play.

He's go no anticipation in the box and his movement off the ball is rubbish, he's not a clinical finisher, he can't hold the ball up and he can't pass it. If we played two upfront and played more direct he'd be useful as a battering ram. At the moment he's best used as a sub late on to use his pace in behind. 

I think Leonards got a real chance here. He's only 20 (a young 20, if you think about the year lost in his development) and He's improved a lot from the end of last season when he made his debut. He's got a decent touch, can hold the ball up, bring others in to play and He's starting to adapt physically the level. You can see him becoming more and more comfortable with the pace of the game.

He works hard and can press well. But it's his movement that stands out to me, he finds space well and makes clever runs in and out the box. His problem in his last few appearances has been taking chances but you'd like to think that'll improve given his age that'll come. Ultimately he's got it between the ears, and that can be a very hard thing to teach (Gallagher the perfect example of how both JDt and Mowbray failed to mould him into a proper no.9).

I really think that if he continues his progression then he will become the ideal striker for this system.

28 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Whilst he had a good game Mike, compared to his recent performances it was below par. Gave the ball away a couple of times. The standard he has set is high though. I gave him a 7/10 

Football is a funny old game. At 3-0 I put a video of me and the mrs opening up a bottle of Prosecco in our football chat. Full of “bluenoses”. I had to try and make a joke of it at 3-2 with my head in my hands…

We started both halves superbly. Unfortunately, in the 1st half we couldn’t make it count but well and truly made up for it. I think Blues are a poor side. They take far too many shots outside of the box for me. Part of me was wondering today if that comes from Rooney or if he just has a squad who thinks they can pull off the miracle every time 

Szmodics has been a revelation this season. What a player. The runs he makes frighten defenders. Let me tell you, when you have a player running like that for 90 mins, it’s your worst nightmare. You want to defend against a Jutkiewic (however it’s spelt). It’s easier. Sammie gives everybody a hard time and with the quality of Whartons passing it is really starting to show 

Moran and Leonard were good today too. Moran occasionally sloppy, but given we win you can forget 

I must be part of the few not overly enthused about Sigurdson. Again I look back at who I’d rather defend against. Give me a choice of him or Dolan and I’d take Sigurdson any day of the week. Dolan isn’t the best I have seen at this level but feel he offers more. I think Anor has a lot to prove in this team imo 

Carter and Hill superb again. Love them two. Especially Carter as he’s “one of our own”. Hill is every bit the premiership defender imo, and will have a successful career in the top divisions. Pickering solid again. Brittain is definitely a winger over a defender - once again he was sold through his legs. You notice these things when you’re playing to someone like that. A player who gets megged regularly is “diving in”. He’s a liability defensively, but his energy and his work rate as a winger shines through 

We move to within 2 pts of the play offs. Not bad with a “dud DOF”, “kids” on loan and freebies eh 

Maybe the footballing team down Ewood know a bit more than some are willing to let on 

Agree with a lot of this but I think your assessment of brittain is very harsh. He's obviously more of an attacking full back in general I don't think he's a a bad 1v1 defender.