I don't think there is an icecube in hell's chance the game will go ahead as scheduled. There will be some kind of announcement tomorrow regarding players contracting the thing, and from there it is a short and slippery slope to postponement.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the behind closed doors nonsense reintroduced before the end of the season...and we all know how that works for Mr Snooze and his baffling battle against winning games.

3 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

Out of those clubs only Bournemouth have a lower average home crowd than us. Rovers home average is 12000 even Bradford hammer us hands down with a crowd average ours is the 5th worst in the division because our divided fan base means some will not come to the ground even if we have billionaire owners! Look across the football spectrum and ask why we don’t see our corporate boxes used very often? Why are we lacking in sponsorship ? Why would sky want to out a Rovers game in tv in a ground with no atmosphere when 9k are in a 32k all seated ground ? It’s the main reason why Rovers don’t have a huge cash flow other than the supplemented income from the owners and player sales that’s the reality ! We are not the club of 20 yrs ago we have no Jack walker we have no solid footballing board and we have a divided fan base which adds to the detriment of the club. There are numerous bad owners throughout football however that clubs fans have remained behind the team Newcastle Forest Birmingham Sheff Wed Portsmouth Swindon Bradford Ipswich Blackpool Bolton are all examples yet our own fans or some of them refuse to back the team come what may and that’s the sad part. I am sure that if the fans returned to back the team it might create a whole different picture rather than a scenario that says if they can’t be bothered why should we?

Hmm, but isn't the key difference the fact that Rovers supporters are fans of the club, but the Loons from Pune aren't (indeed they don't even seem to know anything about football, never have, never will presumably). For all their wealth, business acumen and bling, they have no worthwhile connection to Blackburn Rovers in the way that you, me or any other of the keyboard warriors on here certainly display.

And so, for me, they can feck off. Now.

5 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

And in terms of pure finance, how many other "town" Clubs have multi billionaire owners who supplement the Club's income by c £20m p.a. ? 

And how many have owners who show such sustained contempt and disregard for their hastily acquired business, who lack any clear connection to the long-standing community of supporters who care passionately about 'their club' or who show such total and utter ignorance of the basic tenets of the game of (professional) association football suggesting they have learned NOTHING in their 11 year, near on £200 million experiment as owners?

That's right - only one set of faceless, clueless, hapless goons - the ones from Pune.

Why do they continue this baffling association with the club? Nobody knows, and far too many are afraid to challenge it in case of an existential challenge to Blackburn Rovers. However, they have a motive (only they know) and nobody - not even a bloody multi-billionaire - spends £20 million a year unless there is some clear rationale for doing so. Time to fess up, Venkys! Time to FESS UP or FECK OFF!!

Oh, and Merry Christmas, you deluded billionaire buffoons! We just want our club back 😉

COYB & BOYB! (Come On Ye Blues, and Bog Off Ye Buffoons!) 

1 hour ago, 1864roverite said:

Where in central Blackburn would they find a site covering 150 acres?

Waggot's ego - easily that big, and more.

This made me laugh 🙂

7 hours ago, arbitro said:

I haven't posted on here for a few weeks due to personal circumstances after my mum passed away but I have seen all the games live and what I would say first and foremost is that the last few games have been similar to watching Rovers under Mark Hughes. We have been defending properly with blocks, by winning tackles and headers but we also have some creativity and guile. Hughes got the balance right for me and I'm seeing signs of this with the current crop. In the last few games I have found it difficult to actually pick an outstanding player as the sun of all the parts has been key. Who knows where this will end up but I'm enjoying the ride at the moment. However my bottom six prediction is looking dodgy I am delighted to say.

Sorry to hear about your losing your mum, which is a hard thing to come to terms with for most. I hope you and your family have had a chance to reconcile your loss, and that you are starting to heal. I hope her passing was peaceful and that your memories are strong and fulfilling.

Great point about the qualities of Hughesey's set up and the current crop. You can usually tell when a group of players is doing it for each other, and where there is mutual trust and confidence in the job each one does for the team. I think you are right that there is something qualitatively different about this squad, and their recent cohesion on the pitch, and it does look like something has 'clicked' on field and behind the scenes. I too had grave reservations about our prospects for this season, and likewise I am both delighted and somewhat bemused by our tremendous recent charge towards the top end. I hope, as I always do, that we can do something with the next game, and the next, and then each one after that to the end of the season. There is a wonderful resonance that builds up around a winning team, which I've had the pleasure of experiencing in the old third division, during our initial promotion into the Premier League and at various times during our long tenure at that level (especially when a certain striker now turned MoTD pundit was guaranteed to score every week!). This current form might be a flash in the pan, but it does feel SOOOOOOOO GOOOOD!

Anyway, Merry Christmas to one and all - I'll see you on the RIverside on Saturday 😉

COYB!

5 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

After some of the abject performances earlier in the season including a record 7-0 home defeat this excellent run is hard to take in.  Long may it continue! A long, long way to go and I hope we haven’t peaked too early but a playoff place looks a distinct possibility 

Well, at least we can safely say it would have to be one hell of a sh!t show for us to get relegated from here...

Football is all about confidence, commitment and a little bit of luck. I think we had all three in spades today, and long may the lucky streak continue.

I'd love us to smash and grab here, but it seems more likely we will come back down to reality with a grinding bump.

Parachute cash in hand & some good quality players from their prem stint - I think they will have too much for us, but hope the spirit of the current side is enough to see us through 2-1 to the cherries 😞

More like this please ...

Rovers aren't getting out of this division this year. Speculating about what might happen if we were to return to the Prem is about the same as wondering what life might be like if you won the lottery, and probably about the same odds if we are realistic.

It is great that we are riding a wave of confidence and form at the moment, but we've done that briefly in recent seasons only to have our hopes dashed by a long sequence of dross. Plenty of time for things to fall away, but some good green shoots imo include:

• The emergence of Wharton who appears to be growing in confidence and stature each game
• The impact of Khadra who is clearly a class above in terms of his application and close control
• The quality we can call on from the bench, which is a real surprise given the doom-sayers pre-season
• The gurning chump has all of a sudden become a passionate and involved figure, clearly enjoying the run and getting stuck into refs in a completely opposite way to last season's touch-line nod-offery
• Midfield has a bit of bite back about it once again
• Goalkeepers don't seem to be a source of anxiety for defenders or supporters
• The blistering form of a certain Chilean-derived Potteries prodigy

So, lots to keep us entertained, and engaged and hopeful. If we can maintain some semblance of form there is no reason why we shouldn't at least aspire to a flirtation with the play-offs, but talk of a spell in the heady heights of the Prem next season are premature beyond comprehension, except for the dreamers.

Dream on 😉

COYB! 

Think Tugay, think Cowans, think the type of player whose experience, vision and ability to hold the ball under pressure and pick out a killer pass more than compensates for their lack of speed over the ground....

If Buckley wasn't so powder puff easy to shake off the ball, he'd be a very sought after player. But at the moment, he is too easy to dispossess and the opposition know that and target him.

An old head would be a great addition to this team of young bloods. Good shout Gav.

GEETTTT IINNN N!!!!

DIAZ DIAZ DIAZZ 

Edun on for Rothwell - not sure about that. Rothwell has worked hard, and Edun doesn't have long to settle into the game.

Ched Evans is a maggot, but he is a class act compared to most of his team mates 😉

Good to see Mowbray coaching players during the brief delay for Olosunde to get treatment. That is a massive change over last season.

Khadra has had a good game today. But here comes DOLAN!!

Good pressure from Rovers!

CMON YOU BLUES!!

Johnson on for Buckley. Experience head perhaps? 

Knobbers not out of this yet. A strong response so far to conceding.

Great stuff Rovers! Kick on now!

Travis is a poor player. Slow to the tackle, ponderous on the ball. Little vision. 

Who can we put on instead...?

Mowbray being lectured by the ref in the tunnel before the restart.

Showing some passion (at last)

Crowd 18430

Wharton knobbled by Ched Evans there . Wanker

7 hours ago, north_ender said:

Not confident heading into this one, or any game this season for that matter. I wouldn't be too taken by our last 2 results. We were horrendous at Middlesbrough and were essentially gifted the win. Fulham we did okay with Ched Evans galvanising us but we were still nothing special and only got a point.

My view, and the view of most fans, is that McAvoy is hugely out of his depth. I would be surprised if he does a job on Mowbray tactically like Neil did 2-3 times whilst in charge.

Like any team at this level we have the odd big result in us, like winning away at Bournemouth, but performances have been poor all season on the whole and the majority view is that we need managerial change very quickly if we're to move up the table.

Evans coming back into the team is a big boost as he has been outstanding since signing, and Riis is a big threat up front too, but our defence is there to be got at. We play 5 at the back but don't really have any good wing backs.

Thanks for sharing your views - to be fair it is a measure of how far fans' confidence in any team has fallen these days that no-one really goes into a fixture like this with any real idea what is likely to happen. All we know is that there will be chances at both ends, and the first team to make a breakthrough might get enough of a boost to see out the game. 

With any luck the players will give of their best, the referee won't be a complete buffoon and the fans of both sides will come away happy that their team gave it a good go. Come 16.50 I am hoping, of course, that the walk back up Livesey Branch Road will be a jaunty one for those in Blue & White ;0)

Good luck, but COYB!!

7 minutes ago, TruRover said:

Big eyes on the fulham v Bournemouth game tonight. A Fulham win followed by the beating of Preston could really put us in the top 2 mix 

Cue meltdown tomorrow evening when it has all gone Teets Oop

35 minutes ago, Gav said:

After watching this I'm changing by 3-1 prediction to 4-1 Rovers. 

 

 

Blimey, I'd forgotten that drubbing! Them were the days when players weren't afraid to put their boot laces through the ball and bury it in the onion bag. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Wait a minute, it WAS a lifetime ago (for some). Great stuff Gav!