Well, I'm already starting to think I was wrong about Hill.

Looks a quality signing and the sort of leader we've been lacking.

Even when all our centre backs are available - I'd have him in the team. 

10 minutes ago, lraC said:

Genuine question, as I have not followed him.

Him coming into the side last season coincided with them having a good run.

They won 7 of the 14 he started. It was the second half of the season when he came into the team. 

They won 5 of the 28 he didn't.

2 minutes ago, lraC said:

Does Rothwell feature at all, in fact, is he still there?

Not sure if you're joking? He was tremendous for them last season - one of their best players in their good run. 

1 hour ago, sharpysharps86 said:

1997/98 is a season I'm really quite fond of. It felt at the time like we'd found our 'new Kenny' with how we started that season. The 7-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday is iconic. The way it panned out for Roy at Rovers really saddens me when you look at the career he went onto have.

5-1 up inside 24 minutes. I remember thinking we were going to score 10 the way we were playing.

Playing with proper wingers and two strikers.

Spoke to a Burnley fan this morning who has been to their last three away games.

He reckons they've been totally figured out and the players are scared of the ball now.

Think Kompany just stands there looking clueless and doesn't know how to change things.

14 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

duff and gillespie flying down the wing💗

Duff was obviously the better player of the two - but I used to love watching Gillespie when he was on it. Very few players get you on the edge of your seat these days like him on his day.

15 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Big money players don’t make those mistakes.

4 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Big money players don’t make those mistakes.

2 minutes ago, yankfan said:

All in all a good showing and one the lads can take pride in as they weren’t run off the pitch by a side that cost 20x ours. 

I'd have to check the numbers but suspect it would be more than 200 times ours.

3 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

Not sure on the result but surely szmodics is nailed on to score? Away, in the cup and in London.

Does anybody know of anywhere local ish showing the game tonight? Do the blues bar usually announce it on the day if they're showing it? Cheers

Szmodics isn't playing.

14 minutes ago, bazza said:

I'm surprised Hodgson is so low down the list. I liked him as a manager. He has proved to be a good manager throughout his career.

Hodgson's win percentage up to Christmas Day in the 97/98 season was 54.5%. From then until he was sacked it dropped to 26.8%. 

The table at Christmas Day 1997:

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I think win percentage is a flawed basis to use, partly because it discounts draws, but it also obviously doesn't factor in the different situations, for example how they inherited us, the league we was in etc.

Completely agree. For instance - Hughes inherited a bit of a shambles. Parkes was generally coming in to take over a bad situation. 

I still find it interesting to see how the win percentages compare though. 

7 minutes ago, rigger said:

I don't know what this means, can someone explain ?

It's an Alan Partridge reference. 

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

We cant afford to play players like Gamble and Hilton.

 

It would be a Gamble

I've gone a step further and put together every Rovers' manager of all time that has managed at least 10 games for the club.

Venky's appointments highlighted in yellow. The fact that they've managed to appoint 3 of the worst 6 (statistically when looking at win percentages) the club have ever had - suggests JDT was a fluke. 

All figures taken from Wiki. 

35 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

But the United fans I work with biggest problems are the lack of spending on improving the stadium or training facilities plus the lack of proper transfer plan and no proper sporting director 

So similar to the Venkys....only they are actually providing transfer funds. 

10 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

Was with a United supporting pal in the boozer yesterday (he’s a Salford native tbf) and he was saying it’s too binary.

I.E- he’d rather be rid of The Glazers, but they actually have given managers money, but no players ever improve, in fact, most go the other way. Neville was right about the toxicity at the club eventually poisoning everything and everyone though. If Fernandes and Rashford play well, usually, so do United. However, they’ve been well below par, this season. Rashford got a bumper new contract, despite there being no threat of him going anywhere and he’s not earnt his money in months. 

For all the stick the Glazers get - United have a net transfer spend of more than a billion pounds over the last decade.

I know these numbers don't necessarily tell the full picture, but here they are anyway:

Mowbray's figures are boosted by a year in League One. JDT is easily number one.

With the players at his disposal - you'd argue that Bowyer should have done better.

19 hours ago, Polky said:

I feel your pain, I’ve been going to Ewood with my old man since I was young. He’s not well enough to go anymore and my wife has been accompanying for the last six seasons.
 

She didn’t want to waste anymore weekends at Ewood so it’s just me now 😂 

I'm currently boycotting games, so wondered if your wife was busy at weekends? 😂

5 minutes ago, RoverDom said:

When you think our front 4 could includ - Kane, Bellingham, foden, Rushford, grealish, maddison, youve got to think most teams should fear us. 

Full backs we're well stocked in and then there's Rice and Stones in the middle. It's a fantastic squad.

Well stocked at right-back, but he insists on playing a right back at left-back when Shaw is out. I like Trippier, but would much prefer a left footer playing there.

Considering our strength is definitely going forward - we should play more on the front foot - something Gareth doesn't seem keen on. I'm assuming Phillips will go somewhere in January and get some regular football. No way him or Maguire should be starting if they can't get in their club sides. 

58 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

According to BBC football gossip Man City want to give 33 year old Toni Kroos £13 million a year to sign. The football world’s gone mad. I wouldn’t mind but he’s nothing special in my view.

Toni Kroos was excellent.

I went to the Champions League semi final at the Etihad last year - City's midfield ran rings around Kroos and Modric. It was sad to watch two top tier players look so washed up.

No idea why they'd want to bring him in based on that game. 

10 hours ago, Butty said:

Sigurd son son son 

He’s better than Gudmundsson 

Sigurd son son son 

He’s our midfield magician 

To the left to the right the Blackburn End will sing all night 

He is calm he is class 

And he’s better than Diaz!

To the tune of Agadoo. Sorry in advance 😂

Definitely right to apologise for that 😂

22 hours ago, Displaced Rover said:

Glad to see they've come out with a 16 game bundle for the exact same price per game as a full season ticket was in the summer. That sort of outside the box thinking is sure to get all those on the fence piling in. Hope the website and phone lines are up to the job....

You've got to be careful not to make the offer more appealing than the full season ticket though - or you risk pissing off full season ticket holders and further damaging sales next season (as they'll get the pricing wrong again).