Hasta

I'd say we have been active in the European Transfer market. Whether the system works in identifying affordable talent, and as such has been a success, remains to be seen.

I'm not going to be down about a draw on the back of two great wins. I thought we played ok. I will just give 1 positive and 1 negative. On the positive side, I've thought clean sheets against Derby and Wycombe were due to their ineptitude going forward. However another clean sheet today against a side who are always going to be decent in this league gives hope we may have improved defensively somehow. Worryingly, Gallagher was only noticeable for missing a decent chance when he came on, and then two silly, petulant challenges which led to him getting booked. Our striking options after Arma are limited.

Completely agree regarding last night. Merson was awful as a pundit. Normally I just switch off regardless who is in the studio, but I actually stopped to take note last night as he was making very little sense. There's a big difference between what Merson is asked to do on Soccer Saturday (which I admit I don't mind him on), and being sat in a studio giving serious, professional punditry on games.

I'm not sure there are several thousand rovers fans out there who would have purchased a season ticket had the price remained unchanged at £350 and tickets been on sale since early August. Maybe a few hundred have been put off by being able to see the direction the situation with the virus is going and realised that most of the season would be behind closed doors and not bothered. But its wouldn't have been thousands. Therefore, is there anything Waggot could have done to persuade longstanding season ticket holders like myself to renew? I'm not sure there is to be honest and there must be many, many people like me who feel similar and haven't renewed. Admittedly there could have been some clever proposal put together than might have given me second thoughts, and certainly the guilt trip wasn't the right move. Ultimately, I can go around to my mates and three of us can pay £3.33 each to watch the ifollow coverage. That equates to £76 a year to watch all home games streamed. Then I just renew next season at £399. Ultimately I take the view that if you don't get into the ground this season then you are not actually getting £141 off your season ticket next season. You have still paid that £141, but have just paid it upfront. That said, fair play to those who have renewed and I hope you all get in the ground sooner than looks likely at the moment. The situation just wasn't for me, that's all. Of course, they could put the price up next season for those that didn't renew this season but that would be commercial suicide.

If anybody wants grounding, just remember the two sides we destroyed haven't got a point yet, and have lost to the championship titans of Luton, Reading, Swansea and Rotherham in their other games. But we didn't half destroy them ?

This. After a shaky first few minutes we suddenly closed everything down like madmen. Excellent from front to back.

Excellent today and heavily involved in the game having been pretty average so far this season. Not a goalscorer.

I take it they are not consoling themselves that he gave the ball,away against Bournemouth anymore?

Agree, but they ain't giving free gifts to the club either.

51 pages summed up in 2 lines.

They get coverage on TV anyway as part of the package they have signed up to, as well as visibility around Ewood on a match day and I presume some sort of corporate package. If the sponsorship deal was signed before everything went tits up I'd be asking for money back, not giving freebies out.

If I was a local sponsor I'd be asking the club what I was getting for my money now that no local public was going to be attending Ewood. I wouldn't be chucking free prizes at the club.

But you never had to pay for something you couldn't use. I admit its a valiant way to 'support the club', but from a personal point of view you might as well just wait and pay the money next July. Either way, the club is only receiving £399 from you over the next 2 years, and as Venkys are putting X amount of million a year in we won't be living hand-to-mouth for cash. I'm not sure the praise for Preston is for their forward thinking way of getting money into the business early. I think its because they are giving options to people who have paid their money up front.

I think it's Madon's comments at the top of the page I don't get. Why would "buy your season ticket for 21/22 now be "how you do it". The only incentive is that the price is held.

I've not read the fine print as I never really considered renewing for the reasons I outlined back in July. But as far as I understand it, the club made it clear that for any game you couldn't attend you got an ifollow code and the remaining value off your season ticket next year. So they are carrying the money they class as 'not used' over. Several people on here said that if season tickets went on sale people might not be in the grounds till next year if at all. Everyone knew that when they purchased, and also knew the above scenario was in place. Yet other said they knew the risks and would buy regardless. How anyone can turn around now and say "Well I didn't think it would actually happen" is beyond me.

Fair play to Preston but people bought season tickets this season at Ewood knowing the circumstances, the risks and the deal. It was fairly obvious what has happened was a realistic possibility. At the start of this thread there are loads of people saying they'd pay their money upfront whatever the risks. Im all for slating Waggot on his many failings, and the price rise was stupidity, but there is little reason why the club should refund season tickets or carry the money over to next season.

Brereton has only had 2 chances because he doesn't get himself into goalscoring positions. It's an instinct. Hoddle famously said Andy Cole needed 5 chances to score a goal, but he scored lots of goals because he had the ability to know where to be stood to get those chances. It wasn't luck. Jordan Rhodes was the same. They might be top class goalscorer but if you look at DG's catalogue of goals there will be many in and around 12 yards where he picks up the pieces. The argument will come that BB is often being asked to perform a slightly deeper or wider role, but Dack is currently our best example of a player with a goalscorer instinct, and he never plays up front as a central striker. He did his job in the run for the 3rd goal against Wycombe, but lets be honest. He runs into open space with no challenge and then plays the easy ball well. Rochina may well have done a step-over at the end and tried to bend it in from 25 yards so all credit for doing the simple thing well. But I would expect any professional player with a bit of pace to have been able to do that, including the likes of Bell. For balance, he has made short runs outside the box several times where he has actually gone past a man several times this year which are a far better example that he has a bit of dribbling talent. I have seen him be a bit more effective this season, but he still looks like an offensive squad player and is never a goalscoring striker. I said weeks ago there was no chance of him getting 15 goals a season and a couple of people said it was possible. He will score goals but isn't going to get even 10. Armstrong may well be flying but over the course of the season we will need another source of goals.

Very early 90's but to the tune of Tom's Diner. Tyrhys Dolan, doo, doodoo, doo Tyrhys Dolan, doo, doodoo, doo

Which is all fine and good points. But you have admitted you don't think the rise from last season to this season is fair. And you are arguing something which nobody else is arguing against. When you say "Fans complaining that the price in the blackburn end has in real terms increased by less than £1 a year over the last 18 years." that's not really happening is it? Fans are complaining that the prices has gone up from last season despite the product offer and experience being worse. Despite the fact you agree with this, you state that these complaints prove "our Indian owners seem far more committed than most of our fans." Billionaire owners who were never seen at Ewood in god knows how many years, I'm committed to my wife. I'm also committed to my council tax bill. I know which kind of committed Venkys are to Rovers. I think obligated would be a better word for it.

Do you think it is right in the current circumstances that the club should increase riverside season ticket costs from last year by over 30% for being able to attend less games, and the games you do attend will be an inferior experience?

I'll not quote the entire post to keep the page tidy but your missing the point about timing completely. Would I pay £400, a £50 increase, for my season ticket if it was a normal season. Yes Will I pay £400 a £50 increase, for this years season ticket when you miss a number of games immediately, possible miss multiple other games and the matchday experience is seriously diluted? No. Now if it's back to normal next season and the price is £400, then I will return and won't grumble about the new price at all after what the club and everyone has been through. But to increase prices by up to 30% on last season, for a product that is inferior in both number of games you receive and in match day experience, is crazy.

@Herbie6590 which episode was the one with Bayes / Lenny / MND? I must have missed that one and wouldn't mind a listen.

Minutes are coming. [please delete]

"Ran with the ball a lot, dribbled and beat his man but in positions that weren't dangerous or nothing came of it, got a couple of shots away from outside the box, some of which were blocked." Am I describing a Rothwell bad game or a Brereton good game?

Armstrongs goal scoring record and general threat over the last 2 years probably give him some credit. I thought Brereton was anonymous first half but much better second half, especially for a 10 minute spell around the hour mark. However I do think for the last 20 minutes the defenders sussed out he was dropping deep and then trying to drive forward with his first touch and managed to stop him. He still has to pull the trigger at the end though. Good enough performance in the second half from him but we still need a striker as the goals just aren't going to come from the lad.