Agree. We only have 8 bonafide defenders at the club, and that includes Duru and (more terrifying) McFadzean. JRC and Travis can cover RB and could utilise Pickering as a LCB in a 3. But still the 5th senior CB is a miss.

Sun sets late in the ribble valley.

The delay was having to find batteries for the drone and the pointless 20 second video.

Isaac Whitehall... the enigma of 2020. Probably still playing U21 football for Rovers when he's 30. Seems like every defender has had a 50+ yard run this half. Our U21's seem as abject defending corners too. One cleared off the line fortunately. Back to transfers. For me, if there is one more in the works it HAS to be a CB who is clearly CB3 day 1 (at the least) with chance to start every week. Tosin, Van Hecke, Harwood Bellis, Hill... who's next?

Igor Tyjon (from the #10) with a nice turn and goal vs United. (Am I allowed to post it?) Can't say I've heard of many of our U21 squad. But they've dominated Man Utd for 10 minutes to start the 2nd half. Running through them at will.

Re Cantwell: I'm hearing the table reservation with his agent, Waggott and Gestede in Manchester is booked for 8pm. Uber back to Blackburn scheduled for 10:00pm. Plan to arrive back between 10:50pm and 10:55pm where they will then attempt to sign the contract before it closed at 11:00pm.

It depends on the opponent honestly as Travis, JRC, Baker would play in different scenarios, as would Ohashi/Gueye. The RW is tough, but today it would be JRC, next month hopefully Cozier-Duberry. Tóth Brittain - Carter - Hyam - Pickering Baker - Tronstad JRC - Cantwell - Sigurdsson Gueye Subs: Pears, Beck, Baath, Travis, Buckley, Cozier-Duberry, Dolan, Hedges, Ohashi.

My bet on today's puns. "Who's Hungary for another signing" - Balázs Tóth "We Cant well wait to share our next signing" - Todd Cantwell "Get Cozy, another incoming" - Cozier-Duberry "Oh God, one more" - Martial Godo

Was supposed to say 18 in 87, which would be 4.8. I believe I reference it as "18" further down the same post. But kudos for being pedantic.

Needed to clear up some wage to pay for Ennis, Moran, Phillips and Gallagher.

Hard to spot any flaws with this loan signing. Chelsea academy graduate, 29yrs old with 18 goals in 87 Championship appearances for Stoke, so 1 in 5 strike rate from CM. I believe he's out of contract after this season, and they wanted £2.5m for him 1 month ago. So either way we were likely to be paying his wages, but maybe saved £2m+ doing so, and likely first dibs on a contract at seasons end if he impresses. Baker an ever present for his first 18months at stoke before only 20 appearances last season. 🫡

"Somethings cooking 👨‍🍳"... So, Baker.

GK: Tóth, Pears LB: Pickering, Beck LCB: Hyam, Baath, Wharton* RCB: Carter, McFadzean RB: Brittain, Duru CDM: Tronstad, Travis** CM: Baker, Buckley LW: Sigurdsson, Hedges, CAM: Cantwell, Dolan RW: JRC, Cozier-Duberry, Weimann S: Gueye, Ohashi Thats about the size of it, bold being new additions. **Travis only listed behind Sondre as he is our only backup holding midfielder, even though he is a "starter" currently.** That's only 23 (fit) players. More would certainly be needed, probably CB and CM as you usually want 5 capable players there. Gilsenan, Leonard, Tyjon, Hilton and Atcheson all knocking around/injured. Duru may be a generous acknowledgement. JRC is probably back up for 6 positions which helps, and there is fluidity up top as all (bar Gueye) can play multiple. Better than I ever hoped back in July. But is it enough?

I remember when Rovers spectacular failed to replace Alan Shearer and the #9 was vacant to start the season. They got special permission from the Premier League to move Sutton over from #16 and 💫TADA💫 our new number #9. Was a Waggott special 28 years in the making! Though saying that, I would very much like to see Pears lose his #1, literally and literally. Tóth should have a word.

Certainly refreshing to see outgoing loans to football league and SPL clubs. O'Riordan, Markanday, Batty, Vale, Garrett and Gamble will all get move value this season playing more first team football than being 20-25 in our squad. Would probably move Gilsenan and Leonard if they were fit, and also Hilton if we get Tóth through. Loan out you fringe players to loan in theoretically better fringe players is the model. Garrett < Baker Batty < Beck Markanday < Cozier-Duberry

Hope Akpan taking strays on Deadline Eve 2024 was also not on my Bingo Card 🤣

An 8 is a more foward thinking CM. Perhaps you'd call the box-to-box midfielder the 8 (Lampard, Gerrard, Dunn), whereas a Tugay/Tronstad type is a 6. The 10 plays in the gap between the midfield and Forward - Szmodics, Dack, De Bruyne.

I joked that they must outsource the media team, which is why 6 signings in 24hrs were done in July. Now getting them in for a 18-hour contract on deadline day. Why pay an annual salary for media when it can all be done in 2 days. 🤣

Did not have 2 pages of Ryan Nyambe discussion on today's Bingo Card.

Remember how excited we all were 12 months ago with Leo Wahlstedt coming in. Let's not let Leo Wahlstedt being a bad signing stop us from being exciting about Balázs Tóth. The odds on Rovers spending money over £500k in back to back summers on two foreign goalkeepers, and them BOTH being worse than Aynsley Pears, has got to be pretty much 10,000/1.

Couldn't stump up the extra £300,000 or whatever it was up to £1.2m for De Lange, but they'll pay almost the same amount now for a more risky/obscure Hungarian.

No problem with (this iteration of Blackburn Rovers) loaning a player from Brighton and Liverpool each season - as long as it is the best possible loan those clubs are letting out to the Championship - such as Harvey Elliott and Jan Paul Van Hecke. The Moran, Khadra, Koumetio, Clarkson and Morten type ones are what is holding us back. (Morton and Moran sounded more exciting pre arrival). 3 correct loans from the Premier League can literally be the difference from potential top 6, or relegation. Once upon a time Huddersfield loaned Aaron Mooy from Man City whilst Rovers got Jack Byrne. Safe to say Rovers don't get relegated and Huddersfield get nowhere near promotion if you swap those two loans.

Cantwell is more of a "prime" Bradley Dack replacement.

Why is he meeting Rovers representatives in London? Who is based down there?

Underrated part is getting him with 50+ hours still to go in the window. You figure it strengthens the appeal of Rovers to a loaning EPL club when they see quality additions like Cantwell who Doak for example can line up next to. Perhaps.