harryhealless1928

In the Telegraph today JDT said he had to leave as"the project had changed"or words to that effect. Same story as under Lambert. Think JDT really wanted to keep Gally as he dreaded the "no options"alternatives. Getting promotion to the Premiership would involve larger capital outlays than Venkys want-higher player expenditure plus higher wages all round. Maybe even more pitch and infrastructure expenses. Not to mention FFP,contracts length,and the Indian courts. Nonetheless the problems are very real in League I.......the Premiership clubs with the dough wont bother offering large amounts for Academy saleables/players at League I level knowing clubs here are in a weak negotiating position. Coupled with seriously lower gate receipts/attendances. Even harder to get to Round 5 of the F.A.Cup!! Its kind of a mess.

Shocking first-half again. Feel sorry for Szmodics. Most of the team just cant cope with any pressure to win matches. Too many mentally-weak players but Moran needs to go into the under-23s or under-18s. If we have to play him every game then sub him on in the 95th minute,or preferably later.

Very hard to disagree with any of this. The best three players this season on performance definitely Szmodics, Tronstad & McFadzean. McFadz has been just sensational, ; honourable mention for Aynsley Pears perhaps? Just as well we dont vote on the three worst performers perhaps!!

The players were absolutely up for it in the F.A.Cup where they could showcase their talents(or lack of them)on the world stage against Newcastle. Different situation against Swansea away. Rather agree with Joeys comments here. Resting players and using the squad intelligently key. Perhaps another 2 x 2 in midfield(Buckley & Moran ;then at least Ayari coming on, with Markanday getting another cameo in the Szmodics/Gallagher(??) position. . Dont want too little size/weight and bite but these lads have earned the game-time for me. Koumetio one to bring on when we have at least a 3(yes three)goal cushion.

Completely agree with most supporters on here that was a Rovers performance to be proud of. Anyone being critical cos of lack of technique should study Ethiopian pondweed or the history of wallpaper design instead! Exciting edge of your seat stuff and probably the best game Ive seen at Ewood since we thrashed Manure 4-3(David Bentley hat-trick)..a team that included Ronaldo & Van Nistelrooy. Extra shout out to Pears & McFadz who both showed how exciting and pumped up footie can be! Think it filtered through to the rest of the players.

Jack Vale done rather well in his very short loan spell at Motherwell. No idea what standard he was usually up against. However I did watch him in a Scottish Cup tie where Motherwell got beat 2-1 by Greenock Morton on BBC Scotland. He scored for Motherwell after coming on as a substitute and looked the stand-out player in their team. JE is correct in wanting to assess all possible options in a threadbare squad.

Think the bench needs shaking up more than the first XI tbh. Whats happened with Harry Leonard? Gilsenan cant be any worse than Markanday(who should be released imo). Highlights a bunch of not fit for purpose loans (expense? cheap?).Or just incompetent recruitment? Lets really hope the injuries dont start piling up.

Cannot understand the negativity over what was our first clean sheet of the year. Once upon a time both Big Sam & Lambert would go beserk repeating the mantra about clean sheets and how absolutely wonderful they were. As lambert correctly pointed out what was the point of having 2(yes two) top goalscorers in the Championship in Jordan Rhodes AND Rudi Gestede(as well as Josh King)and not even being remotely near the play-off spots. JDTs brand of football was great to watch(when it worked)but VERY high risk and the goals conceded really were something else. Two at the back?? Come on now!!

Yes,I wondered that too. Poor Harry Leonard.! At least Telalovic probably is cheap and helps with FFP(Im guessing)?

Brittain "the kitten" should be nowhere near this team,even at Championship relegation level. However from what a couple of scousers have told me they think its absolutely hysterical that any club would loan in Koumetio. That said,you play with what youve got. Not the softest Rovers team of the season.

Whatever tactical formations or squad tactics Eustace puts out its all fairly irrelevant if Pears gets injured again. The lad might not be great(Im seething at how we virtually gave away two,yes two,world-class goalies in Raya & Kaminski)but make no mistake IF Pears cant play relegation is pretty much nailed on.

Agree with the general blasting of Brittain who is never,ever up for a fight and cannot defend. O.K.going forward and puts in a decent cross sometimes,I give you that. Unfortunately,this is a game crying out for Lewis Travis in midfield. Perpetually cutting the funding(thanks Venkys) means the new manager really has his work cut out.

Amazing the optimism a change of manager can bring. If tippy-tappy has been banished for eternity(cos our players cant play it very well) at least we have the chance to compete. Pep has big hard lads to enforce tippy-tappy (read Haaland, Rodri ,Diaz etc).Plus the huge,"non-Venky budget." Itll be a novelty to see our lads not being bullied. 1-1 wouldnt be terrible. Watch out for the red cards though.

If tis so,then move Samir & Leo on (if possible). Dolan is an exciting player to watch,high energy levels and even if playing badly doesnt seem to "disappear" in games,(just misses chances instead). Excites the younger fans,as well. All of them Ive spoken to said Dolan has replaced Diaz as their favourite player!! Get the lad signed up pronto.

Steady on,sympathetic clar ! Whilst the Dingles outclassed us last season with more money spent and a better squad Vincent looks this season to have the motivational skills of a sleepy sloth! No passion and not too much interest. Like a latter day JDT.

Smashing start to Johns tenure,which I think Damian Johnson & David Lowe deserve some credit for. The direct style is so refreshing but once other teams have worked this out we will need a plan B. Early days but hoofball rather than playing out from the back should decrease the number of goals conceded(in the very best Sean Dyche traditions). Sometimes simple things work!!

Just great to get a win. Felt like the shackles had come off for most of the team who played a football style they were more comfortable with. A bit of serious hoofball was such a novelty and Dolans goal celebrations are the best in Championship football(with due acknowledgement to Pierre Emeric Aubemeyang)!!

Good luck John. Very relieved we have appointed this man(assuming accurate)if the other options were Robbie Fowler or Wayne Rooney. My understanding is he is a defensive coach. Suits me given the position we are in. Dont see how we could get anyone any better with recent history.

Yes its always the more expensive deals that fail to materialise. First OBrien and now McGuire. Not only weakening the squad but so embarrassing no one will want to do business with us anymore. Sounds like JDT has pointed out where the problem is (with his comments).

Gotta laugh at the speed of Pears recall in goal. Well, yes. IMHO Leo isnt up to Vauxhall Conference/National League North standard yet. How about loaning him and Brittain out(ALL salaries paid)the softest full-back ever to wear the blue& white.

. Im no fan of the B.B.C. but it put the facts like this. Since the start of December Rovers have lost more games(seven),won fewer points(four),and conceded more goals(twenty-four) than any other Championship side. Huddersfield dont have West Broms quality but do have the benefit of NOT playing tippy-tappy football. 0-3 to the Terriers. Hope Im wrong!

Think tomphil has nailed it. This"silly style of football" is exactly what it is. If you are City/Barca with endless amounts of cash maybe you can afford to play ballerina tippy/tappy cos the players are just so good. Think that style really suits a much hotter climate than East Lancs. But when the players are uncomfortable with the style(as they clearly are)and its creating loads of errors why cant they mix it up with "hoofball"?? The parallels with Jim Iley and the"Stuart Metcalfe"incident are unnerving. As older fans will recall the manager lost that one

No arguments from me Matty, that JDT isnt the paramount issue here. However he is paid to coach/manage/improve the team. Turning into Owen Coyle II does his own reputation no favours.

Well, Matty JDT is paid to improve the team & avoid relegation. Continuing to do what doesnt work helps no-one (least of all JDT and his managerial/coach reputation). Granted Venkys underfunding is the real issue. However a country like India probably has a different concept of where the lines are drawn on sport/entertainment/business and what it is worth ultimately.

This inane grinning by JDT reminds me so much of Owen Coyle and the defending is becoming so,so similar. Coyle had a threadbare budget as well. Goalies were Jason Steele & David Raya(a youngster then)vastly superior to our current pair of Pears & Wahlstedt. However the defenders like Wes Brown,Gordon Greer,Adam Henley were quite a bit worse than the current crop. We all know how that ended up. So either concentrate on defending sensibly and change the goalie. Forget all about buying strikers and having a midfield overload. If JDT cannot do that, then he should do the honourable thing.