We will hear all about Dack, the type of players TM wants, contracts and everything else through the LT throughout the season. While yes, it is always great listening to TM talk, onfield topics are not really what these meetings are designed for. So have to agree that TM should not be there and that the club uses their managers as a shield.

Bit all over the place that GK: Raya, Canadian RB: Nyambe, Reed, Bennett LB: Williams, Bell CB: Mulgrew, Lenihan, Rodwell, Williams, Downing CM: Evans, Smallwood, Reed, Rodwell, Bennett, Rothwell, Davenport RM: Bennett, Reed, Palmer, Brereton LM: Armstrong, Rothwell, Palmer AM: Dack, Palmer, Rothwell CF: Graham, Brereton Admittedly, a lot of that is players that 'can' play and cover a number of positions but this is seemingly how TM likes to do things. For me, we either need to sign a new LB so that Williams is free to act as primarily a CB or we just buy a new CB. Downing is not going to feature in my opinion as is not deemed good enough and our first choice pairing are both susceptible to injury. Up front DG rarely lasts a full game and TM does not see BB as the direct replacement as of yet and instead as one of the three in behind. I would loan or buy a CF that can provide cover for him now. RB needs better cover than Reed and Bennett with both being needed in other positions. Before any of that though, if we have ANY money at all - get Reed in permanently and sign Rodwell up on a longer deal.

They are doomed if you ask me...will be another club Lambert walks away from. Need points and some form quickly but Hurst invested poorly and lazily in the summer and other than Edwards, those signings have been crap.

It would suggest by TMs comments that 25 million is the magic number for Dack. Why not too if Grealish is valued around that figure?

Even funnier, they all started greed in football, the game is ruined when they first heard of the EFL breakaway thing but then changed their tune when they discovered they were on the list - and they call us plastic! https://www.pne-online.net/forum/forum/football-forums/pne-discussions/3402435-championship-clubs-threaten-efl-breakaway

Quite, we are certainly well stocked there. Unless he just means longterm we will need to improve on a Smallwood, Evans pairing at some point. Even then I would argue we could do that with what we have right now. Reed, Bennett, Rothwell, Rodwell and Davenport, with Travis too - not like we going to be signing N'Golo Kante anytime soon.

Phew - thought my PC has a virus or something!

Agree, I have been impressed with Rodwell in both positions and should be snapped up on a longer deal. Still feel he is better in midfield but perhaps he will grow more into CB the more he plays. Disagree, TM might not have said it himself but it is something we lack a little of. A towering defender that gets his head to everything at the back. I think we will look at that position and do feel we need to strengthen there a little, Williams has played well there when called upon admittedly but then that would mean we should definitely look for another LB. Cannot see a place for Downing, barely even makes the bench these days.

Specialised centre back. I would say we need Williams at LB as Bell has not been performing great of late. Downing he obviously does not feel is good enough at this level and Rodwell is more CM material really and has only just started playing a few games at CB. Mulgrew and Lenihan are both known for picking up regular knocks as well. It has also been noted we could do with a big, ugly no nonsense defender and I would assume that is why we wanted Bauer.

No Friedal? Edit: Then saw that Pedro pointed this out as well.

Cant see us getting him for that - look at how much they value Gallacher for example and Reed has actually featured in the PL 17 times. Would say 4-5 minimum for him.

Agree he could have and probably should have done more with his career but to say he wouldnt be in your top Rovers 30 players in your lifetime is a bit harsh. He also got himself an England cap during a time that was deemed the "Golden Generation" with Lamps, Gerrard, Beckham, Scholes and the like. There is also nothing wrong with giving a bit of extra credence because they are Blackburn lads either - all fans do it. Yes he had the ability to possibly be more than he was but the level he gave us was already good enough if you ask me.

His wife gets treated to a night out at least 6 times a year! Weekends away in Middlesborough watching the footie - such a smoothy !

Still think he is better suited to CM personally but will trust TM on this

Seems odd to say it but I actually thought the team we had under Souness was more exciting than our title winning one.

Once every couple of months - lucky girl

Who goes to the cinema for romance these days?

Yeah, i could have worded it better - did not expect such a debate after haha. Its not 'the' derby, not in my eyes anyway.

Yeah same guy, on loan for the season but most of us would take him on a permanent in a heartbeat. Real busy body in the middle, box to box player that I have not yet seen have a bad game. Has played a few games in the PL but is on the fringes at Southampton - just hope they stay up as think they will need him if they come down. He played at Norwich last season but primarily played as a RB for most of the season once their starting RB got injured.

Think it will be a good game, passionate affair. It is not a derby of course but it is very close to being one. Preston had a good season last time out so your current position is one that is a little false, so anyone on here thinking it will be an easy game are off their rockers. That said, our away form is good, better than our home form where we seem to draw too many. Like you say, Dack is the man for us but everyone seems to know it and doubles, even triples up on him which has led to him being very quiet the last few games. Even then he still pops up with vital goals. Harrison Reed is another good player for us while Rothwell from the bench is always exciting to watch.

Hope Conway fined them Yeah remember he kicked them out of the dressing room like naughty schoolboys.

Well why not say that then instead of we cannot afford him? Just say you do not think Ez E would be sold (which he would as all players will have their price whether the manager stays or not. Burke i am not so sure would be sold either, he like BB for us has obviously been bought as a long term investment in my opinion.

When our manager is looking at the Championship to find players, ala when he apparently watched Dack but was really watching Mount when we played Derby, it says it all about the English game right now. We are down to picking on loan players plying their trade in the Championship or some guy that has only just got into the Championship and is doing a good job. That said, Southgate is doing exceptionally in my view. In many ways he was the right appointment simply because of our expectations. We have done the high profile foreign managers with huge reputations but these guys were always under huge pressure to deliver due to their reputations. How can they deliver when the pool of players they have to choose from is so limited due to the foreign influx in the PL? Southgate has been given time to bring youth up, try new things out and we now have a team that is quick and has the potential to be very good.

Bell has been a bit poor of late but i dont think he should be written off. Like others have said, he has attributes Williams doesnt and vice versa, if we could combine the two we would be quids in. Still young though and time to develop. One thing about him is his body language - its seems lazy, languid and unfocused. I just hope this is just how he looks ala Crouch and is not his mindset. He has some good feet, nice bit of pace when he gets going but always seems to cut back. Is he left footed? As i always see him cut back on to his right foot.

So Burke would be a player the owners would fund TM for but someone like Ez E that was mentioned we could not afford and the owners would not fund TM for? You really dont help yourself Chaddy. You rubbish off other peoples suggestions saying we cannot afford them and then claim we can sign a 21-year old that was previously bought for 15 million.