JHRover

We've really, really, really struggled for goals of late, and that has been all too clear in the last 2 home games where we have just done enough. I fear that those struggles will be even harder to overcome away from home. New manager or not if we want to secure a top 6 spot we need to be going and winning away games and after impressive results at Watford and WBA we should be confident at QPR. Sods law that we hit them at this point but it is still early days for Ainsworth there and he's a big job on in the space of a few days to turn it around. But with BBD and Dack both likely out and the players really putting a shift in of late I'm not too confident. Would love another 1-0 professional display.

I thought it was a better performance and game from start to finish tonight compared to Saturday. I think part of that might have been down to a better atmosphere with a reasonable away following, but it was clear we were more 'fired up' to get into them early on whereas on Saturday we seemed to laid back in the first half. After getting 1-0 up particularly second half it was full of commitment and effort and really should have got a second to put it to bed. But another committed display, another deserved clean sheet despite enforced changes at the back and another win. Like or loathe the way we play the results are coming and I don't think anyone can put a negative spin on them at present or our position. Of course there is a good chance it won't continue with the lack of depth and options we have at our disposal, but JDT is finding a way to grind it out at present. Read somewhere that's the 2nd highest points tally at home in the League. Such a crying shame the efforts of July to January didn't earn him a sliver of backing in January. But that's what happens when owned and operated by charlatans, liars and bullshitters. Maybe somewhere in a recess of a Venky or Waggott brain there is a 'what if' ringing about what could be possible this season if they'd made any effort to reinforce in January. Probably not, but Waggott is still cashing in on the 'jam tomorrow' stuff by referencing potential free agent signings that we all know will never materialise. The Mowbray obsessives can have a few nights off, they were out in force last week after Sunderland moved briefly above us but will be silent now we are back above them, as we have been most of the season.

I think the 'multi year project' stuff is just the usual sort of stuff you get from any new manager at a new club. Particularly important at Rovers where there always seems to be a 'jam tomorrow' approach to things. I think your last line there probably sums it up. By the time the Rovers job came up I think JDT was running out of time and alternatives and jumped into it with whatever reservations and drawbacks there were put to one side. He'd been out of work for 6 months and failing to land a job in the summer might have put him on the scrapheap. He needed to get into work and Rovers were presumably the biggest option he got. I think most new managers would ignore or overlook the obvious warning signs hoping that they weren't going to cause a problem, or that the owners were going to change their approach, or that the issues could be managed. Listening to the likes of Waggott and Broughton probably solidified that, giving him the impression we were a properly functioning football club. And to be fair up until January things were reasonably good on that front - there was backing of some level in the summer (essential of course to replace the exodus of quality from last season) but JDT was wise to go with the 'project' talk having had one short summer and transfer window to get to work. The shenanigans of January however I expect have burned bridges big style. So many people mucked around and made to look like fools, and there's no way I'm believing that its all because of box ticking or someone forgetting to fill something in. The 'internal factors' Broughton referred to suggest ownership issues again. So having done a season here, if he keeps us there or thereabouts and then moves on in the summer he will be able to refresh his CV with a reasonable record here. The only way he stays IMO is if there is some reassurance on future backing or if there's literally no option for him to turn to. He doesn't strike me as the sort who will plod along on the road to nowhere whilst being made a fool of, unlike his two predecessors.

Can't see it with Leeds but what I can see are the predicted rumblings of a want away manager. Disastrous transfer window with zero backing to a manager who has had us in the mix all season. Followed by press conferences where he is clearly fuming with the situation and then keen to remind everyone of how well we've done so far this season and then haven't been backed, whereas rivals have strengthened. Manager then suddenly changes agents within a couple of weeks of the window closing. Followed by 'rumours' in the press for the first time of a move elsewhere. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what is going on here. He's been let down and will be planning a move elsewhere. Whether he gets a better offer, or whether he is prepared to stick it out and collect his salary or throw in the towel and go unemployed for a while is the question. Expect to see more of this sort of stuff over the next couple of months.

Shows how different opinions can be, I've seen lots of complaints online about the performance and suggestions we were lucky to get anything. I don't agree. I thought the performance was pretty decent. We looked solid for most of the game, they had few real chances. We didn't offer much of an attacking threat but rarely do - that's only going to be exacerbated when you're away at a side like West Brom who don't concede goals at home. We showed good spirit to get back into it having gone behind from a bit of a mayhem 20-30 seconds in the build up. That was the culmination of a 3-4 minute spell where they got on top but there wasn't really much more than that. Once 1-0 up they resorted to typical Corberan tactics of feigning injury and timewasting at every opportunity. Ref was content to allow them to, shame we didn't have him at Watford when we were 1-0 up and started getting yellow cards for taking too long on throw ins. Don't think anyone can reasonably complain about draws at Watford and WBA and as far as I am concerned far better performances than we were getting a few weeks ago e.g. Rotherham. In theory some 'easier' games coming up but we know what happens with those.

I'd almost be disappointed in JDT if he wasn't looking for a new job. I know people seem to treat Lambert's conduct as unforgivable in having a release clause and throwing in the towel so quickly but I'd expect no less from any remotely ambitious self-respecting manager. That's the reason we ended up with Kean, Bowyer and Mowbray for a grand total of 10 years between them. People who wouldn't have got a look in elsewhere, all of whom overstayed their sell by date, all of whom knew that they weren't going to get better offers any time soon. This is the Club where ambition goes to die, overseen by wasters like Waggott here to meet their own targets, keep things 'ticking over' whilst the club decays. That's why players with ambition have moved on and why Tomasson will too.

Well whoever is advising Rovers on this must be clear that we have a solid case. Personally I like the idea of arbitration simply because it will take the final decision out of the hands of the EFL board.

I was surprised to learn that we had only lost 1 in 8. It seems since the break our 'up and down' form has levelled out into more consistency, meaning less wins but less defeats. Although the football hasn't been thrilling, and goals have been hard to come by, we have had some creditable results of late. Draws at Watford and Bristol City not to be sniffed at. Wins at Norwich hard to come by. Clean sheets at home v Wigan and Cardiff. It's frustrating because the draws are now flowing but this means we slip down the table. If we were following the early season trajectory we'd have lost at Watford but beat Wigan and have more points to take from it. Clearly the goal element is the problem. Shame there was no backing for the manager and team by bringing someone in on that front. One or two astute additions up that end could have made the world of difference.

That time has been and gone. The owners and their henchmen made their intentions perfectly clear, and now they are attempting to make out that it is all down to administrative issues or boxes not being ticked. As for Mowbray I do find it interesting. He inherits an upwardly mobile club bouncing after promotion last year, has them in the top 6 for 5 minutes and people are gushing over his credentials. Meanwhile JDT has had us in the top 6 ALL season after inheriting a shambles from Mowbray and seems to be getting stick from multiple angles.

Reading looking like dark horses for relegation too. Always a question of when, not if, with Ince running things there.

QPR have collapsed since Beale went to Rangers. Dropping like a stone. Haven't won at home in about 4 months and no wins in 10 or something. Critchley will be under big pressure there soon. I dread our game there in a couple of weeks because it will either be last chance saloon and turning point for them or they'll make a change right before the game and will be well up for it.

Another struggling, town Championship club attracting foreign investment? Can't be true I keep getting told Venkys are the only show in town and that nobody would ever be interested in buying such clubs.

Broughton has already confirmed that the lawyers dealing with it were Centrefields in Manchester.

I remember back in 2016 that people said we should avoid him because of his age and because he would only be around a short while before retiring. He can't. He obviously loves it to keep coming back at that sort of age. Some relief on my part we aren't in that particular battle because my money is now on Huddersfield stopping up. Biggest worry is our match there in a few weeks.

Standard EFL stuff. Incapable of reaching a decision promptly. No wonder hardly anyone has ever been punished for FFP issues when it takes them weeks to even determine if a player was signed properly or not. What I would like to know is whether Rovers will be seeking some form of damages from the League if our appeal is successful. We've already had Wigan and Watford without O'Brien in the side and seems like WBA too. 3 big games that could be crucial to our play-off prospects. If we are successful in our appeal and have missed out on his services for such games through no fault of our own I'd hope Rovers were assessing chances of compensation.

Yep, the cynic in me draws a line between the transfer deadline fiasco, spotlight turning on those running the Club and sees this as an easy attempt to claw back some credit with the fanbase. Others have rightly pointed out that all this is likely to do is put a dent in what Rovers are taking home from the Leicester game. Even if we fill our allocation of 2,200 from a gate of 20,000+ the impact on takings will be minimal and such income will be 'bonus' money for Waggott that he won't have factored into his projections for the year.

I'm excited about the prospect of the derby game moving. First it scuppers Sky/Rovers/police who want it at 12noon on a Sunday. Second it will be fascinating to see how they accommodate it elsewhere in the calendar. Only a couple of things are certain. It will be £30 a ticket for home fans and we'll roll out the red carpet to them.

The managers secretary gets seats in the box?

Well I'm convinced JDT will do well to last the season and will walk before next season starts. I wanted him to get the rest of this season and next summer and see how he got on next season with time and backing behind him but the Clubs conduct in the January window has torpedoed that. This has proven that there is no plan, no project, no ambition and that even when we find ourselves in a good league position they won't back the team to try and get the job done. JDTs interview tonight tells us everything - he's been let down and it is almost laughable to think we've reduced our squad size and options. So it won't be long before we can discuss which dreary desperate name comes next willing to put up with Venky shenanigans every window.

All the ingredients were there. Night match, Sky TV, struggling side coming to Ewood, Wigan who always seem to raise their game and performance levels when playing Rovers. So to be totally honest there's an element of relief that we didn't fall behind and lose it. Disappointing but not surprising. They were well up for it and were quicker in attack, we were once again too slow, ponderous and round the houses in our approach. I thought there were 3-4 decent performances by recent standards. CBs did a solid job, I increasingly like Carter who doesn't do much wrong. Travis had a decent game with some good forward play especially in the first half. Thomas a good debut and nice to actually have a winger to get the ball to and deliveries in. Pears continued his solid run of appearances. The Club gave up on any aims of promotion in January so a point keeps us ticking over on the road to nowhere., so we might as well accept it and take the point. Good news for those who run the club with zero ambition.

No demotion. No points deduction. No ban from competitions. No real transfer embargo. I can confidently predict none of these things will happen. What will happen is months of negotiations, wrangling, back and forth speculation, culminating in a fines, soft embargo or suspended punishment, none of which will cause a club like City any serious problem.

They always manage to rely on examples of players who have joined the parachute laden clubs and use that as evidence how 'we can't compete'. I'm yet to come across anyone who seriously expects us to outbid such clubs, it's a fact of life they can offer more, fortunately there are only a small number of rivals with parachute cash, and that doesn't stop recruitment taking place elsewhere, you've just got to be able to move on to other targets quickly. Interestingly there is little reference to the multiple rival clubs who have been able to get business done rather than whinge about how unfair life is all the time.

0-0 We dominate possession and chances but can't convert. They put in a shift to impress their new manager and will be happy with a result. We've recently learnt how to draw games.

Nobody is picking up the debt. Why should they? That money is the running costs of the last 10 years. If takeovers of football clubs included requirements that new owners had to refund the last 10 years of overspending then no club would ever get taken over. How it works is that Venkys and everyone else need to realise that this money is gone, spent, their tab for owning the club and negligently doing so. They have to walk away from it and sell the Club to a new owner debt free. It might sound unlikely but that's what happens in most takeovers. And it isn't a £300 million debt, it is about half that.

I don't think that is fair to say. Mowbray had over 5 years on his 'project' the high point and culmination of which ended with a disastrous second half to last season with relegation level form which somehow dragged us from a nailed on top 6 spot in January to miss out. JDT has had less than 1 year and a fraction of the resources Mowbray enjoyed so seems unfair to expect him to better Mowbray's high point in his first attempt at it. We know there is no real project or build but I don't think that is anything to do with Mowbray, JDT or Broughton, it just sounds good to the owners and fans but in reality there is no plan here from the top down other than make ends meet within the budget each year.