Angry_Pirate

Least it was scored by a towering unit of a player.... ?

So part of my wants to say its pre season so don't read too much into it... The rest of me see's Bennett at RB, Evans and Downing starting ahead of Travis and Rothwell, and Mulgrew and Leutwiler as starters... No matter who he signs, you just know he wont play the best XI. New manager by Xmas.

More like couldn't organise a dogshit defense. Is he in Rovers?

All part of his master-excuse.

Goalkeeper: NEW*, Foderingham*, Leutwiler, Fisher. Central Defence: Lenihan, Mulgrew, Adarabioyo*, Williams, Magloire, NEW*. Right Back: Nyambe, Bennett, Adarabioyo*, Rankin-Costello. Left Back: Olsson*, Bell, Williams, Hart. Still doesn't exactly scream out Promotion. (Unless the unnamed GK and CB are very high quality ?)

Foderingham will play the first half for Rangers and the 2nd half for Rovers.

I asked my contact about Carson, an unequivocal "nah" was the response. Guess we'll see what happens and if I bother posting their info again ?

Imagine if it was Kristoffer Ajer or Jozo Simunovic... I'd be gobsmacked.

Nikola Katić and Borna Barišić in a straight swap for Evans and Mulgrew?

The squad numbers are baffling. Half the players (Lenihan 26, Mulgrew 14, Armstrong 7, Dack 23) have their old numbers... yet Rankin-Costello is 2, Hart 3, Travis 11 etc. Means absolutely nothing I'm sure. But why not number the first XI 1-11? Keep it simple.

Be the perfect time for Mowbray to bid. A team already in a stronger position than us, offer £1k less per week, then bemoan other teams financial muscle. TM then can claim credit for trying (and personal scouting efforts from two games last season), then blame everyone else. Classic.

I don't think it is sabotage (clearly), I'm just genuinely worried that Mowrbay is dull enough and thinks that Bennett, Williams, Smallwood, Mulgrew + Leutwiler etc = Promotion (or even puts up a challenge). Every season teams get promoted and win titles with starters who should be nowhere near that level (theoretically) and are swiftly sold back to the Championship. Maybe Bennett etc are those in our squad... personally I don't see it. Also, ? Just vomited in my mouth seeing a Rovers team sheet on July 17th 2019 with "Smallwood (c)" on it. I worry that we've been too relaxed sleeping on the assumption that Smallwood would be getting sold. Don't get me wrong, the team tonight is Smallwood + 10 Under 21 year olds, so who else would be captain... but still ?

John Ruddy. (Not my opinion).

Skrtel turns 35 in Decmeber so it's not ideal is it, though he is a bigger name than I was expecting and would hope he would do a good job for a season. Scott Dann being over 2 years younger would be a better option. Olsson I would be happy with but I think he is a 3rd priority. Ironically didn't our team the first year relegated feature Olsson and Dann in defense (with Hanley) and almost get relegated? ? Nyambe, Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Dann, Williams, Olsson and Bell... is that enough? ?? (excluding youth). Carson, rather not. He's an upgrade on Leutwiler. Not Raya.

I hope you're right. I like Bennett (I think we all do), but he is a very poor right back and shouldn't be first choice anywhere else... I'm not advocating we get rid (like I do with Smallwood), as I do like his committment, heart and versatility (Plus he is also a superior CM to Smallwood). However he shouldn't be starting week in week out based on his performances and ability. Bennett starts (somewhere) Vs Charlton, 100%.

Yup, I bet if every fan on this site made their current best XI, Bennett would feature in possibly what, 10%? Yet he is automatic under Mowbray. Bennett will start at the expense of Nyambe or in attacking midfield. Dack, Armstrong, Chapman, Rothwell, Gallagher, Butteworth, Downing and maybe even Brereton are all playing for those 3 roles, yet Bennett will be gifted the RW slot if TM chooses to go Nyambe at RB. Either way, "Fan Favourite Agent Benno" starts.

As should Mowbray.

That's disappointing, why bother?

Was it 3 days of negotiations which we couldn't complete, or was it 3 days of Lewis Holtby shadowing Smallwood learning how to be a proper central midfielder? I shudder either way.

Easily the most exciting name we have been linked with all summer (years?) and it was successfully dangled and taken away from us within 2 sentences! ??

Lewis Holtby, damn that would have been nice. Even with our 15 midfielders. He is more of an attacking midfielder? Are we actually actively trying to sell, release, loan out any of the deadwood? Smallwood is close to dropping to record breaking pecking order depth.

Gallagher, Johnson and Downing are enough to claim a slight improvement on last seasons squad, however without a Raya replacement and a central defender we will be nowhere near the top six, and this summer will be a C- grade at best. A few years ago Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes scored 42 league goals between them, and we still missed out on the top six, despite one scenario with us needing to win 7-0 (with other results) on the last day - because of our defending. Scoring goals keeps you mid table, not conceding goals gets you promoted. To quote the USA saying:

Gallagher is not a bad signing, but we would really need to look at moving out Samuel and Nuttall (even on loan), as I can't see them getting anywhere near the team. Graham, Gallagher, Brereton and Armstrong should be enough options in the 18 and with the other two out on loan with a January recall in case we have injuries. Rothwell, Chapman, Armstrong, Bennett, Dack, Butterworth and Gallagher as wide /CAM options is plenty too. Likewise Travis, Johnson, Davenport, Downing, Evans, Buckley (Adam, Butterfield), Smallwood and Bennett are crazy numbers for CM. That's 20 players, TWENTY, for 6 positions. Yet we have 1 (poor) GK and 5 (actual) defenders. Insanity.

It's quite regrettable thinking that during those early to mid 90's, Blackburn Rovers could have (financially and even reputationally) signed almost any player in world football... the fact it "fell apart" so quickly after 1995 was a catastrophe and over loyalty to the 1994/1995 team... sounds familiar ?. Zidane (£3.5m) obviously being the famous example, but the fact we signed the likes of (no disrespect) Holmes, Coleman, Gudmundsson, McKinlay and Croft, when we could have been bidding for Dennis Bergkamp (£11m), Lilian Thuram (Free), Rivaldo (£10m) and Clarence Seedorf (£3m) who all moved within 1 year of winning the Prem. Anyway, back to 2019 and Jacob Buttefield and Tom White... Signing tomorrow, I can feel it!

Too soon! ?