Also worth saying whilst 9 point from 3 games is great, a likely 10 from 6 is less so. A win Vs Norwich and it looks a very good run from 6 games (including 2 difficult ones). but a 3 game run without a win and you can be certain that we aren't going to be getting into the playoffs anytime soon. Imo 4 points from this 3 game run is what's necessary to keep pace, maybe 3 at a push. Sure the season won't be totally over if we don't but it's yet more evidence we can't do it when it matters.

Good post. I would agree with you that there was some dross in the team that held us back but I would question how big a handicap it was. I mean obviously it didn't help and the Lowe love in in particular caused us no end of trouble. That said I think you perhaps overestimate the problem. Spurr and Baptists were adequate full backs for this league (although appreciate the latter was better at CB) and definitely not liabilities. Likewise we had Evans when fit in cm, and for all I don't rate him he was better than Lowe and Williams. Plus of he played Cairney there more than out wide that means we were "only" a goal keeper and defensive midfielder who were liabilities. Put that way it sounds a problem, and undoubtedly it was. I guess my point is that a lot of the other average players, especially the squad ones I don't think were liabilities. Not great sure, but a Warnock type manager would have used them to slot in and do a decent job. I think the issue was poor management of players good and mediocre rather than having a terrible squad. So we are maybe disagreeing on why Bowyer wasn't that great! This is what it has come to under Venkys.

One consistent thing is we get near top 6 and we fluff it. We can't fall back on the performance was good - by that logic alone people wouldn't be happy with Millwall and Barnsley. Whatever else our failings the clearest one is we have no bottle when it matters. A hearty, nay heroic, performance v Brentford when most would have written us off (and thus the pressure was off). But when it comes to doing the business when the playoffs are in sight we cannot do it. Tough opponents, bottle it. Weaker ones, fluff it. We really can't handle pressure. Gutting

Strongest team available. Good to see. For me this is the most winnable of the games in our tough run so well worth our strongest line up.

Some interesting discussion, which I feel is somewhat tainted by the fact that Venkys are to managerial recruitment what Nero was to good taste! FWIW my thoughts are - no way is TM a great manager. Good is stretching it. His plusses are a promotion with us, some exceptional signings - Dack, Armstrong, Kaminski - and having us looking up the table rather than downwards. Gradual improvement in terms of finishes is also is a plus, ad if the pace is frustrating (which I find it is) the consolation is at least we are heading in the right direction. Also not being an incompetent turd is a big plus from the chap too. Although the fact this qualifies as a positive quality shows how low Venkys has set the bar. His negatives have included several horrific runs, and some good but not great attempts, for example getting relegated - it was a bold effort but not quite enought, getting promoted second when he could have been champions. Add in that he is slow to learn from mistakes, some horrible winless runs, and he hasn't spent big money well on occasions and you see a picture of a far from great manager. Too many mistakes and negatives to be a great manager. Factor in his time outside of Ewood and it paints a similar picture - decent job at Boro, did well at West Brom but that was 10 years ago, and horrific stints at Celtic and Coventry. Again, not the record of a great manager. Where's the tropheys? Where's the teams punching above their weight? It's a decent track record no doubt about it but it's hardly great. I think when constrasted with other managers internally and externally it highlights it all the more. If there's arguments TM has underperformed with Rovers at times, then what Bowyer did was nothing short of treasonous with his squad. Rhodes, Gestede, Duffy, Hanley, Baptiste, Olsson, Marshall, Cairney, Robinson, King is the backbone of a championship winning squad and we scarcely touched playoffs. Comparatively TM is getting much more Rovers than any other manager under Venkys has. The flip side is when you compare him to the likes of Warnock. More promotions, more recent promotions, teams doing better in a quicker amount of time, and more teams punching above their weight. Imo one of Warnock's greatest achievements was getting Rotherham to comfortable safety. When you compare the two, it cannot be said objectively that TM is better on any assessment criteria of success - in fact clearly the opposite. So whilst I'm grateful we don't have a clown in charge, to me TM is just a decent manager. Unfortunately under the loons that's as good as it gets.

Sums it up for me. Compared with any other manager Venkys have appointed he is is streets ahead. On the scale of all managers though he's pretty bang average. In our Venkys world however, that is gold dust.

Maybe it's just me but I prefer us with blue shorts. Ideally blue shorts, white socks, but that could just be me.

We need defenders. Minimum of 1 probably 2. The issue is imo threefold: 10 Quality - get beyond the back 4 and the quality isn't as strong. Certainly at full back the reserves look very thin. Also I think the defence quality wise isn't quite as strong as midfield and attack where we have a couple of very good players. At best are defenders are good. 2) Numbers - we have a ton of options in midfield, and a decent number of forward options, whereas defence seems always a tad reliant on converted midfielders. 3) Fitness - the biggest problem is many of our defenders are injury prone. Ultimately the problems arise because we rarely have more than 2 centre backs fit and both Douglas and Ayala whilst good additions also have injury problems. To an extent quantity and quality debates become academic when the said players aren't available. We are often very short because most of our defence is susceptible to injury - and that's before the cramming in of all the games. One thing that illustrates this is look at how we have managed without Dack and Travis. Two of our better players, and yet in some respects we've carried on fairly well without them. Of course they would improve the team but without them we still have plenty of options. Take any one of our first choice defenders away, and it would be a very different story. So the Transfer Window has to bring Rovers one or two new defenders imo if we are to sustain a promotion push.

This would be the game in our run I'd be disappointed not to get three points with. let's be honest, Bristol aren't that good. Like us previously they seem to bottle it a lot when near playoffs, and there squad isn't that great, so a win should be on the cards. Certainly if we want to get promoted it's the type of game we should be winning. Of course our paper thin defence is the big issue. I do wonder is there any out of contract centre backs who may be worth a punt? We look desperately short across the back line. For all those championing Williams - and I admit he has had some good games of late - he's an inconsistent chap, even at centre back, and has had some poor games as well as some excellent ones. I'm also worried about how long it will take to get up to speed after another injury. Just look at the difference between Ayala at the weekend and on Wednesday. As for full backs, Bell isn't that great at all, so if Douglas not fit would be tempted to slot Downing there, and if there's no Nayambe I've no idea who best for right back. A tallest dwarf situation if ever there was one. The hope is our attacking prowess is enough to see off Bristol. They have problems too, and confidence must be sky high at Rovers after the last few weeks. So it won't be easy, given the situation, but we should get the win.

Brilliant result in the circumstances. Dare I say it a promotion-esque performance. Down to 10 men for.a significant amount of the game it was always going to be hard - even more so with the regularity of games - so to got a point despite a man disadvantage for so long is huge. Negatives: Lenihen sending off. Buckley right back. Poor tactically by TM imo. And most significantly (why both of the others matter even more) once again we are hugely thin in defence. Positives Rothwell is beginning to show consistency along with promise. A very good player. A point we in theory shouldn't have got. Hopefully the goal helps Davenport finally kick start his Rovers career. Strong defending when down to 10 men. Loads to be pleased about and if we were fortuitous in the last couple of games for wins, endeavour won us a point today and was highly deserved.

Going to be a long afternoon. We are very short I defence. Don't get Buckley at right back - crazy decision. Going to be a very long afternoon.

I was having a few thoughts about the Bournemouth team along these lines. Lots of 6 and 7 out of 10 players. Not amazing but consistently decent. Also depth of decent players makes a difference too. Evans, Bell, Bennett to name a few are poor, whereas the newly relegated clubs don't seem to have that many weak links. Even if the players aren't amazing they are all decent. We as a team however are very much boom or bust. That said if they were boom all the time they wouldn't be with us!

Yes. I think that's the problem for us in the past. When we fell off the horse, so to speak, we sat in the dirt, went off and had a cup of tea and read the paper before getting back on. Just thinking of last Christmas when we had 3 winnable games and only got 2 points. A loss or draw in one of them wasn't the end of the world, but the malaise stayed on for all three games. We can afford the odd bum result (look at Bourmouth v Preston) it's the response after that matters. Issue is we have 3 tough games and so we need to pick up points in some of them. Worth noting as well a win and two losses though not ideal is better than two draws and a loss.

No because they won't spend money on defenders for starters. Outside of the resources issue the owners also hugely hinder by their daft set up.

Just for perspective I think it's worth noting that is Bournemouth's first clean sheet for nearly a year (I think). Good team and perhaps show us the standard but infallible, no. Their defence isn't a all that. Add in the Preston loss and what we are right to be wary and think these teams may be better they are far from unbeatable. Also Barnsley looked very poor compared with against us - although that could be the opposition too I suppose causing that.

When you put it like that I am much more optimistic. When I think of our performances the last few games I'm less so!

Yes, he is more of a winger. I think I was more thinking along the running at people lines and him being more mobile than Gally.

Maybe it's Dolan's chance to shine? He seems a more like for like replacement, although think Gally would be more likely to start.

As well as Bereton playing well, which has been key he also prevents the Gally out wide experiment, which often doesn't work. Bereton will be a big loss both for his cotribution to the team, and who he keeps out of the team. Perhaps when Dack is back, he will be one of the three with Elliott and Armstrong. Gally I feel is much better suited as an impact sub and in the central role when he plays. .

Think this sums up my view too with the following caveats: 1) it is good to have a player like Armstrong who can dig us out of a hole when we are struggling and not playing well. I think all good teams need this, and it is sometimes what seperates teams in a very tight league. 2) I think we do have a good plan A, and the majority of the team picks itself. Where Dack fits in is anyone's guess but outside of that, I think about 7 or 8 of the players are likely to play. The problem for me, was the lack of an effective plan B, as the chuck on a ton of midfielders really didn't seem to work or help the team. We don't seem to have the formation changes to positively affect games if the 4-3-3 is struggling. Bereton being out is a big blow, which I never thought I would say. For me he more naturally fits the plan and style than Gally, albeit the latter does give a different dimension. I appreciate injuries are part and parcel of the game but it's a kicker when the lad finally finds some good form, that its interrupted like this. Hopefully he can resume where he left off when he gets back. Bit worried about Ayala being rusty, although understandable I suppose. And the game of volleyball at the end didn't reflect well on our defence at all. I'm in the I like Buckley camp. Sure, he really needs to bulk up, but if he does that he will be a hell of a player. I hope he's one whose size/stature doesn't limit his career, because he is very good on the ball.. I'm a bit stumped how an away kit can cause the very problem it is meant to solve. Another sign of money ruining the game. Not easy for anyone to follow and I shudder to think how my colour blind mate found it. Poor do that. .Finally it's always nice to beat that lot given their fans for the most part give Neanderthals a bad name.

Does make you worry for the European scouting network. Never mind there's still Middlesbrough. Also what does it mean for internationals from smaller countries - am I right in thinking they would qualify?

Agree with both of these posts. Our defence does look significantly weaker. Even if you debate the quality of our midfield and srrikers there are options and alternatives. Johnson's physicality or Trybull's mobility. Bereton's running at them or Gally a bit more physical, or could have a more winger like option in Dolan or Elliott. We have options and possibilities, whereas defence seems one set of injury prone choices. If we can get the first goal this is a nailed on win as they are draw specialists. The challenge will be getting it, as feel a physical resolute display like Cardiff is on the cards.

I could be reading it wrong but I think they've got some injuries and he's not happy about the negativity. Con man - who in fairness conned me. He's not that great at his job, and doesn't seem to like any criticism. It's also worth pointing out their neighbors down the road have a shed load of injuries and are doing alright. Plus, I'm not convinced injuries are an excuse this season since all teams seem to be struggling with them. On a separate note, for a guy who allegedly can cope with pressure he doesn't half seem rattled.

As others have said 1) the Barnsley result shows how good it was to get 3 points Vs them. 2) Preston winning shows how crazy this league is. Kicker for Preston to lose Bauer. It really is a squad game this season. Wonder if that's why the 3 relegated teams are doing fairly well - not perhaps amazing teams (although I do think Watford have a very good first 11) but stronger squads. Having some quality beyond the first 11 seems much more important this season then ever before. Cardiff have also got into gear the last couple of games, which may also be worth keeping an eye on. Derby continue to not be very good.

Some good thoughts simongarner... and joey. My worry is with both is the players don't quite fit the system. Who plays wide (well!) in the midfield bank of 4? And Bereton has struggled as part of the 3 behind the main striker. Plus I'm not sure Rothwell excels in the hole. I'm not trying to nit pick as I don't have any answers to this. I can see why trying 4-3-3, a system with some success and suits our players, is worth the gamble. But where it hasn't worked is against the stronger teams. It's a dilemma. The point is made that the formation struggles when key men are out of the side but with Covid and injuries can we really rely on our best players to stay fit in order for it to work against the better teams? That said the chances of working will only increase with our better players fit. Personally suspect a different system may be the answer but am not sure as yet what it is. Edit - thinking about Gally and Armstrong up front that could be the new King Gestede type combo. Still a few midfield issues but it would allow us to defend from the front and give us a few outlets. Maybe worth a shot?