Just now, Bbrovers2288 said:

At no spell in mowbray reign have we been dominant and fluent for a whole game, I think he is on thin ice, he doesn’t seem to know how to change it. He was talking about a new approach and way we play- how exactly? Is the new approach to go 3-4 down before we play because that’s what it looks like 

Wouldn't say thin ice, but I've had a but feeling since before the season that he doesn't make it throughout the season.

No first half goals in 66% of matches

Smallwood first name on the team sheet

Shit scared of every opponent we face

Average of 1 completed pass per 30 seconds.

Subbing DG for Williams when 1-0 down.

Wow.

Woeful. Yet again. 3-0 Would be fair.

95 completed passes in 45 minutes!! Let that sink in... 95 passes.

Also, wake me up when win a meaningful header!

Gutted for the fans that have bought tickets for these last 2 away games.

Where is the passion!

The frustration is that they fully deserved the win yet only had 39% possession, 6 shots, 4 shots on target and scored 4 goals...(85mins stats)

1. Lenihan came charging for a ball he was never gonna win and got schooled. Good finish.

2. Poor pass from Nyambe and nice move after, Robinson showed good speed, strength and composure.

3. Williams got turned FAR too easily... however it's actually offside as when the PNE lad shoots before it deflects off Nyambe, Moult is offside and a deflection is still the same phase of play. 2-1.

Add to that that Brereton was very much onside for 3-2 and it could have been very (undeservedly) different had one of those calls been correctly given.

4. Lenihan (and others) defended poor, Raya actually maybe had a chance at that one too! 

Williams, Palmer, Smallwood out for Wednesday please... maybe a striker?

I got the "Wigan 5-3 - Santa Hattrick" feeling as soon as the game started... mad thing is their keeper made 2 worldies in the 1st, we have a goal wrongfully disallowed and we still fully deserved to lose by a few.

Try again please Tony.

My gripe is what happened to the "6 second rule" as it seems every goalkeeper takes at least double that before it even becomes a question.

I think there was a Liverpool game in europe last season where the foul was eventually given after something like 23 seconds.

Change it to the "10 second rule" and actually enforce the bloody thing! 

Today, I did notice their GK doing 5-10 kickups with the first 15 minutes but ultimately it's up to us (Amari Bell, Armstong, Dack, Graham) to score in the first half of games and end the time wasting before it starts.

I don't think Brereton was (as) poor tonight, but it's the whole package of changes like people are saying that caused the collapse...

Why swap Reed and Armstong at half time?

Why take Graham off and play that personnel in that formation?

Why does Bennett play so rubbish when we're on the ??

Fact remains the game was a 0-0 (besides a clear penalty gifting us a goal) until they get oh so unlucky/lucky for their first after 65mins. Then we fall apart for 15 mins before Bennett should score and keeper makes a great save from Dack for 2-2, within 40 seconds it's 3-1.

Not as bad as Bristol City 2nd half, but far too many similarities... not least at the feet of the managers poor tactical changes. 

Does anyone know when we travelled down, the commentator said we took a 5 hour coach ride... looks like they might have done that this afternoon given how quick they fell off the pace last 30 mins.

Lots to learn from our away performances of late...

Dont think i've been as underwhelmed by a win since we beat Hull 1-0 at Ewood under Big Sam and they got booed at the end for being far too negative.

Bolton were dreadful and yet we park the bus for 70 mins. They are a mid table league 1 team on that performance (Bolton).

Interesting that Mowbray isn't (publicly) gloriously pleased with the performance. Thought he'd be rock hard after his back 5, 5-5-0, 2nd half clean sheet. 

We were a crossbar away from throwing away 3 goals in 13 minutes, 9 points lost in the last 10 mins and defending a 1-0 for 70mins isn't going to float for me. 

For the record i thought we played well for 22 mins and then defended very well (mostly) thereafter. Players need these 2 weeks off, that's for sure.

This second half tactical switch is just inviting Bolton on to us. Poor from Mowbray, see what these subs do.

Wow, Smallwood and Evans. Wow.

Yeeesh,

The biggest positive from that is that this is the first time in 25 home games we can discuss negative comments with just cause.

This team needs a shake up now. Rothwell, Rodwell, Travis need more minutes. We REALLY missed Nyambe as he's leaps ahead of Bennett as a right back. 

Thought we were better from 45-65mins but bar that it was very pedestrian. Dack was well off his game... and even though we aren't a 1 man team, it reflected the team.

Their 21 waltzed past 2 of our players on a counter for 0-1 when it was clear someone (Reed especially) should be taking a tactical yellow there. 

Brereton... why oh why do we agree on Loan-to-Buy players with no exit clause. He looks very very poor at this early stage.

Positives, Raya made some very good saves, Rothwell, Bell as a LWB, another game closer to a new cm.

I'll be putting £20 on a Leeds win, were bound to go from 25 unbeaten to 2 defeats in a row... it's the Blackburn way.

Struggling to find any positives with that.

Looks bang on 10 yards to be fair... they just usually only put them back 9.

??

Not to increase the nervousness, but I would be very surprised if there wasn't a release clause put in to Dacks new contract.

... of course I fully expect it to be Premier League teams only and over £20m.

Regarding Dack, I think he loves it here and would be very surprised if he pushed to leave us to go to a Championship club. If a team comes down and offers £20m + that's different.

But for as long as we're trending upwards, I can't see him or Lenihan looking at anything except Premiership.

For the record of trending upwards, we've gone from 5-1 to 14-1 to be relegated.

20 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Nonsense. It's all been happening already, with 3 hours to go.

We've paid off a pub player so he can hit the pubs. Given a Fisherman a new contract. Said Travis and Nuttall are going on loan, then said they probably almost certainly aren't but still might be. Heard Samuel won't be able to help us for the season, which we knew last season. And best of all, we've played amateur sleuths and zoologists by deciphering Twitter photos and cross-examining little pussies (not nearly as paedophillic as it sounds).

Hectic.

?? Harsh. But amusing.

We definitely still need a winger. 

Actually, now Caddis has gone.

Releasing or "trading" (can't call it selling can we) Caddis, Gladwin and Whittingham fundamentally makes no difference... we will still need to pay them 60% of their remaining season wage to make either happen as no club in L1 or L2 will pay more than 25% of what they're on here.

The earlier article someone posted said that there was interest in both Whittingham and Caddis... why haven't the gone yet then?

Surely it will be a matter of what wage % we will have to pay as we can't be asking for a transfer or loan fee for either?

I'd like to see up to 7 depart today, those two and Gladwin permanent. Nuttall, Tomlinson, Butterworth on loan. Travis I'm happy to keep but if the option is outstanding he will benefit (only till Jan though)

Fisher just signed a new contract, which judging by Roversway if working means he'll be off today too.

Edit: Bye bye Barrel. He actually looked like the only player who knew how to play Mowbrays 3-5-2 formation ?

He seems like a good professional and role model too... all in all he probably won't have even cost £1m total so he's not to be classed as a huge failure by whatever stretch.

Could we offload him now and save ourselves a hundred grand or two... It'll probably pay most of Rodwell's wages.

33 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

I think Rovers may well pay off Whittingham and let him move on for free.

Probably for the best.

Didn't he accept less weekly wage for a 2 year deal when he chose us over Cardiff? He probably only has about £350,000 left on his contract if he was on about £8k which is likely given our L1 status.

Doesn't sting anywhere near as much as the 4 year £30k per week Leon Worst was on (£7m).

2 hours ago, S8 & Blue said:

Would be gutted to see Caddis leave now, he's my new favourite player - can do a job as 3rd choice. 

He probably only works cash in hand £150 day rate too so not like he's doing any harm.

Highlight of my night yesterday was (after watching him try 3 times prior to fake cross and cut inside only to run straight into the defender) when Caddis did his man and unleashed a left foot shot that almost went in... my and my sister were in stitches quoting tractor boy "he's done him, he's done him!"

Irrelevant side info, I did my PGCE with his (Tractor Boys) younger sister... she's a beaut.

Agreed we should be turning our attentions to outs rather than ins though. There's 67 teams below us in the football league... surely one will want each of Gladwin, Hart, Caddis, Whittingham, Tomlinson or Nuttall.

Well for as poor, slow and bad as we were for most of the first half, they were in complete control, creative and professional second.

Mowbray seemed to send them out after only 10 mins of half time... and it showed.

But still, 5-3-2 (it's never 3-5-2) is only the answer if the question is "which formation should we R.I.P forever?)

Second half, credit where it is due.

5 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Stop moaning. We have a job to do this season and this Cup does not figure.

I can moan all i want thanks, paid £24 to watch this off the back off "We won't make 10 changes, etc etc". 

This formation fully nullifies Nyambe and Bell, it seems to be a 5-1-1-2 formation with Conway trying to figure out where he's playing...

... and just like that we unveil Bereton.

This formation is quite honestly abysmal.

Doesn't help that Rothwell is having a shocker and still waiting for Graham to touch the ball.

If we get ourselves a quality out and out winger (preferable if he is left footed) in before Friday we have to be thrilled.

Any outgoings: Gladwin, Caddis, Hart, Nuttall, Tomlinson, Fisher and Whittingham will be a bonus.

And even if we do have an injury spell, I'm sure fans would much rather see Joe Rankin-Costello and Stefan Mols make the bench over the likes of Gladwin, Caddis and Hart.

I do wonder if Rovers included a 1 or 2 year option into Rodwell's contract.

If we're paying him say, I dunno, £7k a week this season. We could have agreed to a 2 year £15k contract if he succeeds. That prevents us wasting our time on a success, and also Rodwell or his agent reverting to form and asking for £30k+.

Yet we probably didn't announce it as a "short term deal with 2 year option" to prevent the potential fallout. 

Does a anyone actually have any idea what his wage may be?

Happy with Reed and £6m Bereton, now to get some players out on loan.

11 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Next summer we'll have 13 people who are out of contract or end of loan. These are:

Paul Caddis, Sam Hart, Paul Downing, Charlie Mulgrew, Corry Evans, Craig Conway, Peter Whittingham, Danny Graham, Ben Gladwin, Kasey Palmer, Jack Rodwell, Joe Nuttall and Harrison Reed. 

Won't find 1% of people complaining about Caddis, Hart, Downing, Whittingham, Gladwin (and Leutwiler). Most would probably happily see them go now.

Nuttall needs a loan. I agree Mulgrew and Evans should be talked too and Graham can wait till season end again.

Having 14 promising/talented players under contract long term is fantastic for us after the past few years.

Great result considering the 18 we had to work with today. If Hart, Downing, Caddis and Nuttall are that close to the team (and it's still August) we need to fix that.

Surprised no-one has commented that prior to Rothwell winning the ball for the pass leading to the goal it looked like Smallwood committed a clear foul on half way which we probably got away with. Their manager was livid... though plenty happened between that and the goal so that's probably why it wasn't made a huge deal of.

Besides two shots from outside the box well saved from Raya either side of our goal, I find these Brentford opinions of us parking the bus staggering, as for my eyes they conceded a goal and proceeded to pass it between their back 4 and keeper for 40 minutes, hence their 60%+ possession.

Mulgrew and Lenihan haven't had an easier game in 6 months, and probably won't all season. I was at the game but I believe the (un-biased) guy on SSN declared the game over at 1-0 with 20+ mins to go, and on reflection it's hard to disagree as Brentford offered nowt... due to the immense high pressure Bennett and co put on.