11 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Absolutely buzzing to see Isaac Whitehall back playing for the club. Hopefully still a massive prospect for the club and can kick on injury free for us.

He was certainly the "golden child" of his year (2018-2020). It was obvious from within, that he was the hope of that (average?) crop.

For record, his class was Luke Brennan, Dan Pike, Jalil Saadi, Jordan Eastham, Enzo Boyomo (who is doing well over in Spain), James Connolly, Chanka Zimba, Sam Burns and Sam Durrant. Not exactly the class of '92.

Just now, Leonard Venkhater said:

Rothwell?

I'll remain seated for that one! 🤣

Some thoughts on today.

Rovers were lucky to draw, got away with THREE 2vs1 or 1vs1 counter attacks. 1-4 was a real possibility.

Shout out to the officials who I wouldn't trust to referee an U8's football match. He's the guy that "lost the plot" for the final 20 mins vs Bristol City last month. That's a clear penalty (and by law - maybe a red card). VAR can't come quick enough in this league - 12 hopeless idiots every weekend.

Always harsh and rash to judge a player on debut (Rudy Gestede - who was there today - being one!), but Chrisene was pure garbage in all facets. Szmodics was poor. Garrett (after MOTM last week) was ineffective and lasted far too long. 

The "tactics" after the final subs were BEGGING for a Huddersfield winner. Why? 

Sorba Thomas (those booing him was nonsense - glad the applause took over) was the best player on the pitch. I remember him drilling every cross low when at us, and I couldn't understand why, showed today he knows how to play.

The irony of going to back 5, and then having two of them gain serious injuries.

Final shout out to Huddersfield "Football in a library" Town, who came to Ewood and sang that chant (at least) 7 times. Though our home fans mainly only sing about Burnley, so who am I to comment.

Can't wait for the next 3. 😳

5 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Who was that elderly big Spanish lump we hired for about half a season - Yordi??

Arrived in England, comes on as a sub days later at the Millennium Stadium in a cup final, gets a Worthington Cup Winners medal, played about 300 minutes of football, scored two tap ins and left.

Legendary form compared to Telalovic or Ennis.

Rovers will continue to play (a maximum) of 1 central striker.

Options (as of today) are Ennis, Leonard, Gallagher, Telalovic, Vale, or the "False 9".

If you don't think that Sam Gallagher is unquestionably the best option for that position - by a significant margin - then I don't know what to say to you.

It's Gallagher, and it isn't even close.

Lewis Travis should have been the first name on this team sheet!

Almost every game for the past month, Blackburn Rovers has showcased a mentally weak, soft and pathetic "performance" from it's starting XI... yet our captain (and passion!) is shipped out to 2nd in the league because he actually shows some cojones! 

This defense is funamentally broken. Is that JDT, Rene, Benson (set piece coach?) or the players? 

Andrew Moran with a blinding 45 minute game of hide and seek. Disgusting half... there's playing badly (Hyam, Brittain, Leonard), and then there's hiding, which is worse?

Hyam (mk 2?), Leonard and Moran need hooked. If Gallagher and JRC have 45 mins in them, get them in. Give Chrisene a run out too.

I'd genuinely be making 4 subs. 

                      Kean

       Orr   Ward   Greer   Caddis

                  Davenport

Feeney                               Gladwin

               Brown      Stokes

6 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Is that Sammie's first hat trick for us? I had a feeling he was going to get one today after the second.

Bold prediction. 🤣

38 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

List here of players here out of contract in 2024...

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/transfers/endendevertraege/statistik?plus=0&jahr=2023&ausrichtung=Sturm&spielerposition_id=alle&altersklasse=u23&land_id=0&yt0=Show

Always a fun (and upsetting/pointless) exercise. Most of the players there will have options, and Rovers never dive into priority Free Agents like we wish the would.

Just looking at UK/Irish nationality you could create a full and competitive team for "free" - bit dire on the Goalkeeper and Winger front though.

Bold ones being of particular interest, wishful thinking for BRFC. (Sheff Utd relegation pending!)

GK: Hart, Walton

LB: Lowe, Taylor, Norrington-Davies

CB: Kelly, Tosin, Lascelles, McKenna, Wood, Cooper, McNair

RB: Wan-Bissaka, Bogle

CM: Hughes, DaSilva, Dier, Brownhill, Lundstram, Whiteman, Baird, Sibley, Saville

RW: Ritchie, Dolan

CAM: Alli, Connolly, Burrows

LW: Willock

CF: Vardy, Adams, Gallagher, Wellbeck

42 minutes ago, LDRover said:

I mean, look at the state of Stig of the dump Lowe, he wouldn't look out of place in a shop doorway yet he continues in employment at Ewood overseeing year after year of decline.

Never seen a "1st team coach" so reliant on a whistle.

Sorry, to clarify, I'm not trying to correlate Markanday/Hedges to loan value.

They are two recent examples of a January "speculative" cheap signing (who happened to be in final 6 months) vs an expensive loan signing like Lewis O'Brien.

The Crewe lad is a speculative signing who has years on a contract. I'd rather do that, than pay a loan (with no option) for any player, given the way the season has gone.

21 minutes ago, tomphil said:

There is a flip side to loans especially if it's loan to buy, we certainly could have done with having a look at Leo first !

A "loan to buy" is of course the exception. I agree.

Unfortunately, lets say a player is going to cost £1m, the loan may be £400k, but I bet the option doesn't come down £400k to include the fee.

The only 2 genuinely good loan options were Gestede and Cairney. DJ Campbell, Vardy, Diaz etc were obligations, and the good ones we had like Tosin and Reed ended up moving for affordable prices, soon after.

I much rather the Armstrong model, low fee, high sell on. Seems a win win (as annoying as it is when you lose out on 40% of £12m).

In (recent) years I've been adamant about getting quality loans in. Not doing so previously has cost us probably 2 top 6 finishes (at least!)

This season already seems a like a Mowbray special dead rubber... 10pts clear of bottom 3, and 8pts off (a strong) top 6.

Don't get me wrong, there is work to be done to stay up - Gallagher, Hedges, Dolan, Hyam, Wharton, JRC, Buckley and Pears all to return should likely be enough for a top 20 finish. We need what, 5 wins minimum from 20 games (assuming they pick up a handful of draws too!) - about 20-25pts to be certain of safety?

Maybe this IS the year to be going for the speculative in signing £500k lads from Crewe? Maybe they will be better than James Hill in 12 months? Rovers wanted Hill when he left Fleetwood for £1M a couple of summers ago... I wonder how much was paid to Bournemouth to "loan" him? A good chunk of that I'd imagine.

There'd be little point loaning in a "Prem Ace" for £1m+ (like O'Brien last year) when we're likely not even competing to sniff the top 6 (sure as shit not getting promoted this year with Leeds, Leicester and Southampton to name 3 teams we can't even compete with!). Spending money loaning a player in to get this team up from 17th-19th to 12th-10th, isn't worth it.

This squad is good enough to stay up this year, but is also not going to threaten the playoffs, and has Raya money (+) coming in the summer! So not much point in loans, when they still have fees attached.

I'd rather spend that money on permanent fees. £200k Hedges, £500k Markanday type deals (hope for better!) Let's have a gamble on an actual long term player. Better than paying 5x that for shit on loan (Morton, Mola, Hirst!).

10 minutes ago, Silas said:

Two very poor passes/hold up play from Leonard. 

He's out of his depth currently. Needs hooked as he's worse than playing with 10 men if he keeps giving it away easily. He's not quick, he's not tall, he can't hold up the ball, and apparently he needs more chances than Andy Cole to be a "fox in the box" (offside or not, that hits the back of the net!)

Lad has potential for sure, but not ready for this. Needs a Loan.

Also, a winger on the wing and a RB at RB wouldn't be amiss. I'm a huge fan of (RB) Brittain but he's abject as a LW. Hill has been fine, but he doesn't have the knowledge to help us in possession.

Siggy looks like he's actually warming up, so I may get my wish.

Szmodics is playing absolutely woefully today thus far.

Rovers needed three things to go their way to have a real chance tonight.

1. Don't give away stupid, silly or unnecessary shit goals = did it twice.

2. Get competent, lucky and helpful refereeing = 2 penalties?

3. Score your chance(s) = Leonard (46) (EDIT) Arnor (92)

4. (Bonus). Oh, and it'd be helpful to play your best XI from KO.

Normally Brittains biggest fan, but he has looked pedestrian tonight.

Pickering, Garrett and Leonard have also been absolutely outclassed /bullied.

The rest have put in a very good shift.

I have come to the conclusion that Chelsea would walk the Championship. 

Harry Leonard is not a goalscorer.

He must be close to a double digit number of (sitters/1vs1) missed chances already this season.

€460m in that Chelsea starting XI. 

2 loans, 5 acadamy graduates and about £3.0m spent on 4 players, for Rovers.

Keeping horror moment is the reason we're 1-0 down. Though Chelsea comfortably dropped 3 gears after they scored. Clear penalty for Rovers not given. All in all, could have been a lot worse, and there have been positive signs.

However, only 3 players in yellow even look remotely close to competing at this standard; Wharton, and two players we don't own.

If Chelsea stay in this gear, we've every chance. If a sloppy 2nd goes in, I think it's 4+.

Ref gives that in our area 10 times out of 10.

Not even a debate, that's a stonewall penalty.

Running out of hope for Leo. That was simply abysmal.

Why on earth he's going for that with his left hand. I genuinely think if you'd have put me in goal for that corner, we'd still be 0-0.