Tim Southampton Rover

This is normal across the country with all sport athletes. They are all experts in their bodies and how to train and many do it to have a change of scenery, the social side and to not be at work 24/7. At a gym near me, lots of Southampton footballers, Hampshire cricketers were always there. I once trained next to Iwan Thomas and then he won an Olympic medal. People talk about gaining that 1% to be the best. I like to think I was that 1% to Iwan Thomas. I inspired and contributed by reminding him not to eat crap and train daily - or he'll become like me.

I've said in a previous post that Val's time is probably up - it isn't working for him and the team. However, I do like him as a person and I'm sure that he knows things should be better around the club on and off the pitch. To me, Val seems honest in post-match interviews. Some coaches you think "what game have you watched?" but I don't really get that with him. I at least understand his way of thinking even if I don't agree with him. I didn't go last night but I can imagine it being interesting, especially due to the situation we're in, and I bet people saw a man who wants to win. I guess the biggest question I want answered is whether the entire club has an actual realistic and good plan to help him win games? I'm sure what he thinks and says internally vs what he can say publicly is different - after all - it's his name on the job and he'll be the one on the chopping board. Even though I'm in favour of change (throughout!), I hope he turns it around and everything clicks into place. If we are to keep him, he needs support from those above at the club. I want him to be more selfish and put his foot down on incomings and outgoings if they aren't right for his team. I want him to raise standards not only in the team but off the field too. If that happens, will it end the same way as JDT and Eustace? Probably! But at least we can view him as someone in a senior position who tried to do what's right for the club rather than suck the life out of it.

I'd sell those 3 straight away. Fair play to Cantwell. At least someone gives a s***!

At the moment you have about 40+ teams playing a rotated team whereas a post season tournament could mean more teams would be willing to give it a go. Doesn't really matter though because it doesn't exist 🙂

Just thinking out loud... To revive the FA Cup I've always felt that from the 3rd round onwards it should turn into a post-season knockout tournament rather than run throughout the second half of the season. This would involve the football league season to shift slightly to ensure it ends mid April. For example - if it was held in mid-April to mid-May April 15–20: 3rd Round (64 → 32) April 22–27: 4th Round (32 → 16) May 1–4: 5th Round (16 → 8 ) May 8–11: Quarterfinals May 15: Semi-finals May 22: Final This would allow most clubs to play their full strength teams without worry of fixture congestion. The whole focus in English football would be on the tournament itself (like a domestic world cup) and you could even have a different host city for the final itself (or semis if the FA want to be difficult). Obviously some clubs will be impacted by European football, if they make it to the latter stages, but they have to go through that currently anyway. Just an idea that I'm sure has plenty of holes in it but I'm sure much smarter people than me could make it work really well.

The new signings: Pickerinho from Brazil Gueye Dia - George Weah's cousin T G-Hickmansson - from Scandinavia Sydney from Australia - A recommendation from Emerton and Neill's agent

I'd rest Ohashi whether we have a striker available or not. Playing him vs Hull in the cup is just not worth it when we are so reliant on him in the league. I'd even play Pears up front ahead of Ohashi if it meant giving him a break.

Personally, I think Mark on the Blackburn End Podcast was spot on with his view on the manager. Everything Ismael is currently doing, most managers can probably do too. The key part is that he isn't winning games and perhaps another manager may have got something extra out of them that he clearly can't find. Yes he's not had it straight forward. The injuries, the players leaving and the quality of those being signed means that it is a difficult job. Not to mention the owners, who makes running any football club 10 times harder. However, he wasn't particularly brilliant last season and even with the issues mentioned above, there are obvious signs where you can't help but say "what are you doing?; why are you doing that?; when are you going to change it up?". I think once he brought out the infamous 'list', that was the time to start looking for a new manager. Once you start pointing fingers externally at others and not internally at the club, the time starts ticking on your job. If we had a CEO or a more experienced owner, he'd have gone by now. I think he's fortunate Rudy is stubborn and lacks experience. Who do I think we should bring in? Quite easy really. Anyone who can bring the players together and give them an extra 5%. This doesn't require a long term appointment now. It needs someone to come in urgently and provide that motivation and belief that they can perform better.

Right now, the kind of sports owners or investment groups who could afford to buy Blackburn Rovers probably don’t even know we exist. And while I don’t expect Venkys to bring this disastrous ownership to an end on their own, I do think they would sell if the right buyer appeared. That’s why our approach as fans needs to be smarter. We should be actively trying to "sell" the club to potential buyers. I don't mean by storming boardrooms with flip charts and demanding to "show me the money!!", but by using modern, creative methods to get noticed by major sports organisations and ownership groups. They need to see that: - we exist and we’re a passionate, historic club - we’re a genuine investment opportunity - the Championship offers a clear route to Premier League money and most importantly - the fans want this to happen We might need to think differently to find ways to make the club go viral. We need to be creative, have attention‑grabbing campaigns that make us fans seen and heard. If they won't come to us, perhaps the aim is for us to go to them. Maybe the message is as simple as: “We are Blackburn Rovers fans. We want YOU to buy this club. Here’s why.”

Tyjon could become another player we add to the list of those who might have achieved far more had they stayed at Blackburn, continued their development, earned regular first‑team minutes, and been given a fair shot at meeting the expectations set by the club and its coaches. Instead, there’s now a real possibility he gets swallowed up in the depth of a bigger club, overshadowed by other talented players, and ultimately ends up on the loan carousel before fading from view. Money = success in the eyes of many youngsters nowadays. If he doesn't want to be at Blackburn, time to go.

After yesterday's game, I'm guessing we'll see him on the bench next game.

Do we actually have any young strikers who are better than Axel Henriksson up top? And by ‘better,’ I literally just mean someone who can get into decent positions and at least take a shot at goal. I’m not even asking for someone who can score, which tells you how low the bar currently is 🤣

I originally joked that Toth might be sold in January when Pears came in and performed well but now I’m actually starting to think it could happen. I wouldn’t be shocked if the club decided to cash in, with the usual spin about needing funds, the January market being inflated, Pears earning his place, and Toth needing regular minutes ahead of the World Cup (the last bit I added for a joke but could easily see it happening haha). Edit: Or the alternative is they sell Nick Michalski - another up and coming talent for next to nothing.

I’ve rewritten this message several times because I’m genuinely stunned by how disastrously the club has handled the 150th anniversary. Those responsible, whether it’s the owners, senior leadership, marketing or anyone else, should be embarrassed. This should have been the year we proudly showcased the club’s remarkable history to the world. Instead, they’ve turned what should have been a landmark celebration into a complete farce. The club’s story, the anniversary match, the commemorative shirt - every part of it has been mishandled. The only people who came out of it with any credit were the former players, who at least gave the fans something to enjoy on a miserable day, and you can bet the likes of Bentley, Hendry etc did it purely for the supporters, who deserve far better. As for the shirt? I won’t be buying it, and even if I wanted to, the club has decided I’m not eligible anyway - despite being a fan for 33 years. It’s unbelievable. Any other club would have released it at the start of the season, worn it for the anniversary match, and made the most of the 150th year with merchandise throughout the season, especially at Christmas. Our club? They just don’t get it and they never will no matter how hard they try and convince us.

@B16Rover If you close your eyes slightly completely then it looks exactly like The Ritz.