ACL - more like I See Hell! Typical luck really to end the 2010-20 decade, there is more chance we will see promotion than him another game this season!

See the full quote - it’s a prediction on an assumption. We should’ve got more by now for his investment, however I’d be more concerned if he’d had a decent run in the side and contributed nothing.

I’d say Adam

Yea I’m also twitching a bit waiting for this.

I don’t think time aka months/years matter- it’s simply appearances. At this stage, it would take a major injury streak or drop in form from 2 or 3 others to guarantee him those starts and opportunities. Making a prediction based on an assumption is difficult. The circular argument point is the only nail you’ve hit on the head so far. It’s all been done, over and over, it’s tedious and it’s a classic line of criticism for a handful of posters on BRFCS. You're welcome to judge who you want. Similarly to how I’m happy to not make my mind up yet and not tell others to “get real” and join my view. Points we sacrifice? The whole argument you’ve started came from his last appearance, that we won 2-0. Too much Christmas “spirit”?

That’s pretty much what I meant - there’s loads of quotes from TM mentioning how we need promotion to keep the Dacks and Lenihans at this club. Im surprised we haven’t lost one (bar Raya) yet. Classic 47er- you don’t agree? Must be wrong aka get real. Id rather continue to sit on the fence personally - he hasn’t offered anywhere near what we’ve paid for him but that’s no reason suggest a 20 year old is finished. So from my perspective 47er- you’re well off the mark. Lowe had over 100 appearances in different positions, and even Big Sam continued to put Andrews in when he took over Ince. All you’ve achieved with those two examples is prove that Brereton has never even had a decent run in the team. You carry on making your mind up, I’m happy to chill on the fence since I win nothing by making a decision on a handful of appearances.

Brereton looked bereft of confidence in that game, which has a knock on with decision making, body language etc; which is understandable since I think he’s played up front a handful of times in 18 months. Once in a 2. Equally, you can’t win “despite” someone, he did his tracking / pressing and helped start a few moves off. Gallagher however was a class above, and despite others suggesting he was a waste, to me looks to be getting fitter, stronger, faster and more in tune with what the management want from him!

I’d do that but Armstrong for Brereton. I think we will see Holtby as a 10 today though. I think he might surprise us a little too - he’s generally played wide or deeper, and thus I reckon that might the position he kicks on in.

He negated the point where Dack has started over 100 games, and whilst I’m as concerned for him as anyone - if we’d started Holtby for 100 games in his position (including league 1) would he be that far off in stats? Equally - most surprising and well rounded performance this season; 442 away at Bristol with no Dack (SG and BB) upfront. Perhaps the silver lining is we already have potential /investment waiting in the wings to take their chance.

Rhodes left at a time our club had just left embargo, changed manager and he was being paid far more than anyone else in the club. The comparison ignores the context of the time. I cannot see how we’d be “forced” to lose Dack in the same way. In a brief conversation with a WBA fan this morning, he said any investment at their end in January is likely to be focussed on pacy centre forward attacking options to play off Austin, like the hull lad or Dwight Gayle. Equally the noises coming out of Ewood have suggested ALL of our better players are likely to move on if we aren’t promoted, notably our captain too. So Perhaps in such a worrying time for our talisman - maybe simply reporting updates on his injury and not making up transfer rumours is a better use of his thread? Would’ve saved me a few text messages to Brum this morning anyway.

Firstly merry Christmas - I was in festive pint mode yesterday so thought I’d leave reading till today! My summary of all that has transpired doesn’t include a final decision on what I feel is possible - hence why I’d disagree on the sweeping conclusion and comparison to Bowyer! That said - it’s fairly impossible to ignore that our consistency revolves around the best players being available. Lenihan for example, our poor results over the previous 12 months generally involve losing Lenihan - someone who invigorated our form upon returning this season and last. If I’m taking anything from Monday - it’s our reaction to losing Tosin and Wigan performing probably better than we (fans and players included) expected. Is that indicative of our managers inability to improve the culture to promotion levels? Not for me. Not in isolation or grouping with recent performances - equally the unbeaten / winning streak doesn’t prove we are going enough to reach that. In terms of Wigan being where they are - I’d say that team, Barnsley too - are capable of having good performances, and like probably 20 other teams between the top and bottom; also reliant on their best 11 being available. Consistency is what championship winning teams have. I would suggest we are getting nearer to that level when we have ALL our best lads available. When a spanner hits the works, like many other teams at many levels - we struggle. Is that a “cultural” aspect of our club? Perhaps, but the main issue I have with that summary; it takes years to improve not months or weeks.

“Last night shows that we still haven't found a solution to the issue of beating teams when we are the favourites,and that is a mental and cultural change that I think isprobably beyond Mowbray unfortunately.” This was the summary - when it’s followed up with more context about the notion that we don’t win when favourites, IMO it is still far too simplistic. It ignores everything but the result and is simply being used to back up a pre-disposition, comparing with another manager, at a different time, in a different climate For example - isn’t it easy to say that last night was probably more impacted by Tosin missing out late, and not having that consistent formula of recent success? Rather than simply pointing blindly at the result and making a sweeping statement?

Strange how you fail to address the points but take offence! Like I said, to come to a conclusion like that and completely ignore the entire context of the job he has done - id call that suspect summary!

You’ve casually ignored a huge swathe of history between Bowyer having us there and Mowbray bringing us back in that position, ignored the context of the differing challenges both faced, ignored the turn around in culture and club since, and I have to say it makes me question the judgement of your summary (bold sentence). I guess when you’ve made your mind up about something, it’s easy to come to use individual results, instances, performances, signings etc to confirm previous belief. I prefer an open mind personally!

Fair enough - I think if he was a step above, we would’ve lost him to a premier league club already, but out of all (including the likes of Rhodes) the players we’ve had since leaving the top flight - he has been the most impressive and had most impact in my opinion. Big loss if it’s a long time.

Over 40 goals and 20 assists in just over 100 games? Remind me who else we’ve had with that level of impact since pre 2010? Will be a bitter loss but I genuinely feel Holtby is a perfect replacement.

To my knowledge he’s played 1 game in a front two in 18 months. I don’t think he’s improved, if anything I’d say he now looks bereft of confidence due to lack of game time, playing out wide and fierceness of competition in our attacking positions. That said - I agree I think he has the raw attributes to eventually come good, and there is no real need either way to make a solid judgement on him as of yet, especially with such lack of appearances. If I was in charge, I think I’d be keeping the 4th position for him, and sending the likes of Samuel on loan instead, as I think his development is best served under our staff.

Oh god what has this place become.

This isn’t true either. Quite sure Nyambe went to Wilfred’s after moving here and went to the academy shortly after.

No I remember that - I seem to recall them handing out free pies in certain games post HT.

Also seemingly forget (easily I might add) promotion looked a forlorn hope in October. I remember travelling back from the Oldham game thinking “this is it now..!”

Not sure how to change the font size I used something else to write, to copy n paste in; My first rovers experiences are difficult to fully decipher, present at games as a young child, though I specifically remember the Middlesbrough home game in the 90/91 season. Match Not because of the towering Tony Mowbray playing for Boro at the time, or the quick winger named Stuart Ripley playing on their right wing - but just the colours, sounds, smells and overall feeling of “home” at Ewood for the first time. One aspect I vividly remember from those days was the prospect of moving seats in the lower riverside at half time to sit and our attacking end. Something that I did that day to see Paul Shepstone’s (who?!) only goal for Rovers. I particularly remember Bobby Mimms (one of my favourites of that time) making some good saves, in a season I couldn’t tell you much about at the time. I started sharing a ST for the 1991/1992 season (year after) and it’s not difficult to see why the following few years got me hooked. First away game was early 1992 I think - Notts County away in the FA cup. A team above us a league (lost 2-1) at the time, and I still get the same buzz seeing new away grounds for the first time to this day. Strangely, still never played Notts Co since - somewhere I’ve vowed to re-visit at some point. Thankfully, that doesn’t look as likely at the current time, bar a cup tie!

No, it was when “the square peg in a square hole” Stuart Downing moved to left back...!

Do you not think that perhaps wages and fees have moved on from the late nineties and early 2000’s? Comparison with a transfer the same fee 20 years ago ignores an awful lot of changes in football since. Also it’s funny that people are now concerned about how this affects our FFP, I thought FFP was the perfect excuse owners not to invest? Time to log out anyway. I don’t half get frustrated by close minded “know it all” comments, which likely come from views that haven’t seen BB play more than a handful of games in his best position.

Let me put this into simple terms - 7m is not a huge sum in a climate where the top league average wage for one player is nearly 3m a season. This “so, by that token we aren’t paying him any wages” is just ignoring facts for your own dismissive agenda. You know what I meant I think anyone who uses agent examples from the post takeover and Kean years as standard practice must’ve forgotten what happened. Lowe, Henley and Jake Kean- all given ridiculous contracts, and the amount the club lost over that period paying off the Etuhu’s, Bests et al - absolutely dwarfs 7m Exactly. Knowing the club had recently come from league 1, I can’t see why it’s so hard to accept that we had limited choices in recruitment due to cutting our wage bill after relegation. TM even said he wanted Bamford, but the club couldn’t do the big wage AND the fee, hence all the “flex” talk from SW. He might never make any in roads to our first team - but the whole point of signing someone that age is to give them TIME...! At least this discussion is 12 months on, the same criticisms started last year less than a month after he signed!