Dolly blue

We have 11 man size shirts out there but they are filled with little boys …little boys with no bottle, no guts , no brains , no desire to WIN their battles ..in short an embarrassment to the club…. However….when I look at the bench carrying the “ coaching staff “ …I can’t blame these little boys entirely as the “ men “ making the decisions are dire .

Totally agree re Khadra …pace and step overs …..not the effort of Dolan or the brain of Hedges…..we’re far better off without him……but I would love to see us put in some kind of offer for Pearson at Bournemouth. He figures as regularly as Rothwell ..and we all about that ! ,

Can’t stand him in an opposition shirt ….would love him in a Rovers shirt, just what we’re missing…a nasty piece !

Wharton’s sulking is alleged, possible dressing room disharmony is alleged, Morton’s contract that he must play is alleged, Mowbray being interested in taking Dack and Buckley is alleged … WHAT IS NOT ALLEGED IS…. …players wearing Rovers shirts who are not good enough , not brave enough, not disciplined enough …. ………..a “ management team “ who are embarrassingly short of the needs, knowledge and demands of Championship football ….the guy Broughton making appalling late signings who he thinks are the way forward…Hirst, Mola We are no further forward than we were at the start, during or at the end of Mowbray’s journey …I look in envy at clubs with soul ….I really don’t know where we go from here.There was always going to be bumps in the road with this appointment…but it doesn’t matter how many bumps there are when we’re on the road to nowhere ….

If ANYONE offers ANYTHING for BBD we should grab their hand off. A big lad with one trick , no guts …a “ prolific “ myth

When we look at gates / following it’s about supporters buying into something they either a) believe in or b) want to be a part of…….eg Bolton , Ipswich , Burnley or c ) it’s because they can support their team at a reasonable cost…. eg PNE . ….now let’s look at why Ewood is a morgue with neither hope nor expectation… 1 An ownership that has taken us back years …no ambition 2 A CEO who believes price increases are the way forward 3 A manager , who in my opinion, is out of his depth, who is one dimensional and who, like his predecessor, chooses not to play to the strengths of his limited squad The current Championship is there ( probably via play offs ) for us to take …….could we ? YES……..will we ? NO and why ? …no ambition, no guts, no leadership on or off the field…we can only dream of the gates at Bolton / Burnley/ Preston / Ipswich…..how sad is that?

This JDT football does not create chances, it doesn’t put the opposition under pressure , it is naive, it is ponderous , it has no intent …it is hard to watch . With every passing game my belief in the manager decreases..his substitutions are bewildering..defeat totally on him . We have a midfield of boys where men are needed and we have a Chilean striker with the strength a kitten . BBD needs to be sold in this window …he gives us nothing …my only solace is…I didn’t travel . Things need to change …and soon. I just hope he isn’t afforded the time given to Mowbray

Slow in movement without the ball ..Slow in thought with it …VERY POOR…and as for Gallagher and Brererton….never has so little guts been shown by “ men” so big !

Is there any update on Dolan injury ?

I totally get the starting line up….thin squad , big league games coming up but…..what I don’t get is No plan..either A or B A manager who cannot / will not see when “ players “ ( I use that term loosely) are harmful to the club when they are on the pitch..Hirst , Mola, Wharton , Travis Away of playing which will have fans leaving in their droves….Mowbray was on a “journey “ and we all know where that ended but this fella seems totally clueless re systems, formations….he doesn’t “ get “ what we at Ewood Park expect…not wins every week but a team who have some pride in the shirt and a rough idea of what they’re supposed to be doing I know we are third …….I believe more by luck than anything JDT had put together… but this set up lacks thought, balls and respect for the ones of us who remain at Ewood ..yet again I journey home full of embarrassment, anger , frustration…and most of all hopelessness…merry bloody Christmas!

For weeks it’s been obvious that we are a very poor football team…..we’ve managed some wins by the odd goal and these results have masked the painful truth…not technically good enough, not brave enough, not fit enough…..with a manager who has as smile for every question …but an answer for NOTHING ….some very tough days ahead .

If Travis is deemed capable of wearing a Rovers shirt …so am I and I’m 71 years of age…his decision making is nil , his fitness is poor and his technique is …no words

I had no time for Mowbray …but this is worse than any thing under him….JDT ….TOTALLY out of his depth

Utterly appalling…JDT …hang your head in shame…your team ( more importantly OUR team ) ….is an embarrassment..

I was at Wigan…I was livid with the non performance…but today …livid doesn’t come close….It’s taken until now to try to process the utterly appalling performance both on the pitch and in the dug out. The “ selection” was baffling …a midfield of little boys… in age, experience, character and ….balls . Thomason week after week insists on the suicide passing out …when Travis is his receiving midfield player….WHAT is that about ..he’s not good enough mentally, physically, tactically….a VERY poor player …Morton and Garrett looked what they are …kids Ayala is THE reason we fail at the back …far too slow…he invites trouble..then puts some other poor bugger in bother….he was nothing short of appalling today ….to play Mola in a game of this magnitude was unforgivable….to bring on Vale ( to mark Barnes at their corners !!!!!!) was embarrassing….we are in a false league position…and this defeat has been coming ..but what angers me the most is the casual approach , the lack of guts , the lack of pride …JDT is entirely responsible…..

Embarrassing…all responsibility must be at the door of JDT …Back to Mowbray type selection …square pegs, no urgency , appalling standard of passing , a manager unable / unwilling to see the obvious failings after 10 minutes …they will struggle for walk on support following with this pathetic display….LIVID

Not sure what I’d play at the back or up front…. but I do know that we cannot function with a two man midfield….irrespective of personnel..any combo of Travis , Buckley, Wharton, Morton ..as a pair …no chance . They have neither the guile, the experience, the muscle ,nor the legs…..shown perfectly in the back having to bypass the midfield at Luton JDT must address this current weakness….particularly against the Millwalls of the world ..

Poor…..…..but what concerns me more is the fact that JDT continued with a futile line of attack…not working in the 10th minute, the 40th minute, the 80th ..yes, he changed the personnel ..but not the system..it was failed attack after failed attack…and defensively we were so exposed. Travis is NOT a full back.. and there were times today when I questioned whether he was a footballer….shocking first touch, dire positioning , wreck less. Pickering..a decent 45 …then reverted to type..slow, no forward ball , not championship standard Wharton and Morton are obviously footballers and the best is yet to come ..but, currently, without additional steel in there with them , they are exposed..as happened yesterday, time and again . Dack was too deep ( plan or …does he find the game easier there )?? …because of this offered no support to Hirst. …surprised to see him subbed on 45. Hedges had good and bad moments …takes a long time to sort out his feet….opportunities then pass him by. We had some Brereton and we had some Diaz…took his goal well Hirst…had great opportunity in the opening minutes…had that gone in ?? The score line flattered us …they were much better in every area of the park…I believe this season will be one of good and dark days whilst a new philosophy/ system takes shape … but I want more steel, more leadership and a defensive set up which makes us hard to beat…these are prerequisites …and I look for more from JDT ..he cannot continue with a system for 90 mins when it’s obvious it does not work .

I know the squad is thin but 1 …. I’m really concerned that JDT can select JRC for a Championship game having seen him since June…. 2 …he can continue with the myth that is John Buckley … I know he removed them at half time but by then the game had gone ….we need men not boys and certainly not boys with egos ….A big week coming up …I just hope it doesn’t have a line up with Buckley, JRC , Szmodics , Dolan anywhere near it ….there’s thin and there’s bloody hell …..

Beyond a joke now…. .I’m convinced JDT is regretting his decision to come to Ewood….no backing, no confidence in “ the men upstairs “ , no squad depth, no development / confidence in Markanday, no fitness in Dack….no chance to do anything with this threadbare, inexperienced, lightweight squad .. The only thing he has is the support of the fan base…but how those numbers through the turnstiles will dwindle at a rapid rate unless we get players through the door…the bubble has well and truly burst ..boys doing the jobs of men on the pitch….and a collection of incompetent men doing the jobs “ men “ of it ….

Currently we are buggered each time we take the field …… We play a left back who enables the opposition to cut us open and get behind …..we cannot defend his total in capability … We are very lightweight in midfield ( Travis and particularly Buckley) have neither the experience nor guile to offer meaningful challenge to championship teams …overrun , out tackled , out thought .. We have little if any creativity therefore scoring opportunities are rare…. Until we sign an experienced, nasty midfielder , a left back who can defend , and a creative, intelligent forward …we can all forget about anything other than a relegation battle ….and I’ve not even mentioned a threadbare back 4 I know , it is alleged, we have no money but we have to make signings this week or the gates will die after a bright start, JDT will view the choice to come here a mistake , BBD will force through an out, Dack will continue to flounder, the Mowbray lovers will be in heaven and we will continue to be told that the academy is the answer….IT IS NOT in the current situation ….these next few days are crucial in determining this club and its credibility…if only those upstairs cared as much as we do….

When compared to the big boys in this league…we are babies…however I had hoped for greater guts than I saw today. Apart from Kaminski, Ayala and, to a degree Britain we were appalling. We carried Buckley ( and have done all season) …. If Smodiczs is the best we can do …just don’t…..and as for Pickering and Edun….don’t know where to begin …dire, dire, dire. Dack must be finished if he can’t get a game with this level of player. …I expected bumps in the road, a season of adjustment..but we can’t play be playing with what we’ve got….or not got …not angry …just fearful

I really want to believe in Buckley….I don’t doubt his skill, his ability to play a killer ball …but I do doubt his guts, his ability to graft …and sadly, his intelligence. Currently, he is a luxury , one we can’t afford in a 2 man midfield. It reminds me of the Flitcroft / Dunn pairing ..one worked his arse off one waited to be given the ball. I have confidence in JDT …and I believe he will have discovered tonight who “the men “ are..I hope more “ men “ turn up on Saturday.

Great result…good performance…Mowbray and JDT …night and day . ……currently we have a squad small in number… big in confidence and a manager with a can do approach to the game …haven’t felt this pleased in years .Travis without shackles, round pegs in round holes …WHAT !

As a very Anti Mowbray fan who chose not to attend Ewood last season, I’m not too concerned at the lack of transfer activity to date…JDT had to assess his squad…hard pre season , intense fitness work, friendlies …particularly check out Ayala and Dack. In the coming days ....look to offload Magloire , Butterworth, JRC etc….THEN…..Diaz needs to go soon ..I would rather we waited, as we are , than sign more of the likes of Edun, Pickering etc…IF the Diaz money or some of it were to be used to strengthen the team we are looking in a different pool to that of league 1 ….the next few days are crucial…I’m not patient by nature …but I can take what’s happening… To be back ( Mowbray free ) for the QPR game will be wonderful, it’s been too long….…I just hope we will get players through the door …currently, we’re not good enough ..but in JDT I have some trust / hope …never written that about a Rovers manager for 5 years !