Tim Southampton Rover

I'm not sure how others feel but being a Rovers fan not from Blackburn is actually pretty strange. I live in Southampton and been a Rovers fan for more than 30+ years and have this affinity to the people and area of the country that is completely different from my life down here. I don't know anyone in Blackburn and I can count on 1 hand how many times I've had a proper discussion about the club with someone outside of Blackburn who has the same feelings towards the club as me. It can be quite lonely when you watch a game and can't talk to anyone about it except on social media - which can be a great or awful experience, depending on who is responding or what has happened. Even when Rovers win, you don't have that person to turn to and celebrate with. You just enjoy it on your own. It's a bit easier when Rovers lose because you aren't reminded of it because no one talks about them down here. It is strange when you're in the away end at Southampton, Portsmouth etc hearing Rovers fans slagging Southerners off....when you're a Southerner...but I wouldn't want it any other way. It's even better when you spot your friend in the home end at St Mary's giving them a w****r sign and they're smiling back. It isn't great when you're grabbed by throat outside the stadium being called a Northern so and so when you actually live and work 10 minutes down the road. Like I said - it's pretty strange! I love going to Ewood Park because it does feel like a pilgrimage to your football church to see the team you think about every day. Whether it's rainy and miserable or the sun is shining, you breath it all in and enjoy every moment - except the food inside Ewood - that really does taste awful! The flipside of that joy is having to watch the clock tick towards 90 minutes knowing that you might not be back any time soon, which makes you feel sad. The reason why I wrote all that is because it's difficult reading this post. I'm sure we've gone through similar experiences throughout our lives supporting the club from afar. Personally, I would find it very hard to stop supporting the team. I've dedicated too much of my personal life and time towards the club, however, Venkys are a cancer at the club that needs removing and if that isn't going to happen soon then you have every right to choose to do what you feel is right for you. I hope you can switch that dedication that you have for Blackburn towards something else that brings you the joy that the club has brought you over the years. Good luck.

Venky's will have to sell the club and we get bought out by cash throwing billionaires to afford those 3 game changing forwards by the end of this transfer window. Fingers crossed! 😂

The question is - was the contract offer worth considering or not?

The trouble with any talented player is that they'll struggle to shine in our current team. If Messi played for us, he would probably just retire 🤣

I agree, they aren't first team ready but I think if they were all given the same opportunities as Tavares, Henriksson and De Neve then I have no doubt they could have had the same impact, if not better. Will they be better players in the long run? Hopefully! but based on what i've seen, I think we've spent a lot of money on the wrong players. I hope they prove us all wrong and improve next season.

The question I keep having in my head is: IF we stay up - what has Val learned this season that he can apply next season? Is he brave enough to take a calculated risk? Does he have what it takes to bring out the best in the players? I think there is too much of an over reliance on 'trusting the data'. The trouble is, what data are you trusting and at what point does the data become untrustworthy? Our stats might look better playing a 5-3-2 than a 4-5-1 but at the moment the key stat that is being ignored is the lack of wins. I want Val to look at the overall picture and think "This is clearly not working, despite what the stats say, let's try something DIFFERENT". When I watched Macclesfield beat Palace, they had a plan. The part time players may not have thought winning was likely but they still believed in the manager and his plan and it worked. I appreciate V.I has a lot of injuries but I don't think we could have beaten Crystal Palace the other day if we played them. We don't seem to have a plan that the players believe in or can get the best out of them. I want Val to take on the challenge of having a weakened team and make the players feel 10x better. Instead, they look like they are scared to not let him down rather than try and take on the world.

Yes, we lost, but what yesterday’s game really showed us is that our youngsters stepped up and delivered far better performances in the first team than many expected - fans included and especially those within the club making the decisions. Those youngsters have actually exposed a lot of people within the club and shown that the club have wasted a lot of money and time bringing external players into the squad when we already had an equal (arguably better) player already within the ranks. I hope the positive in this poor season is that they look there first before 'trusting the data' elsewhere over 'trusting our own' that we've spent years developing.

Another classic match for the 150th anniversary DVD.

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.