Kaminski 

       Lenihan    Ayala/JPvH.   Wharton

Nyambe.   Travis.   Rothwell.   Pickering

                          Buckley

             Dolan                       BBD

Kaminski would be a huge loss…fingers crossed.

id play Ayala if he’s fit. His experience will be really valuable against this lot.

I really hope we can beat these and get a point from Bournemouth. Start of another pivotal week for this group. Beat Preston, avoid injuries and we roll into the Bournemouth game full of confidence! The opposite is not worth thinking of! 

1 hour ago, Ulrich said:

No one's bid for Dack either......

Erm, not technically true. There was a bid on the table for him of around £15m from West Brom when he suffered the first injury.

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

Well it's easy to source a replacement if you've decided a top half of Championship worthy RB is actually tosh yeh. But I suspect most of us disagree, even with him on a run of poor form by his standards.

Just opinions. I think our position in the league is due to many factors, one of which is player form…in our case the form of Ayala, Buckley, Dolan, Rothwell, BBD and Pickering. But in spite of the form of Nyambe.

If I’m honest, I don’t think it’s form with RN. I think he’s just not a great footballer. His game intelligence and technique are poor! He’s bailed out a lot by his physical attributes which are AWESOME! I think he’d make a good right side CB in a 3. 

8 hours ago, bluebruce said:

It's the end if you can prove it. So, who is the RB in League One of the same standard as Nyambe who is available for a couple of hundred grand in January?

Based on how good I think Nyambe is I reckon with an hour or so free to research I could probably identify 1 or 2 so our full time scouting department must have a hat full.

Ill bet Joe Harvey and his team could rattle off a few. Nyambe isn’t great.

34 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Nyambe is still making the same mistakes as he was when he first came into the team. Technically he’s no better. He’s still got no idea of how to cross a ball. Lenihan is still making the mistake of being drawn to the ball too easily, how long as he been in the first team ?

Nyambe could be replaced with a couple of hundred grand spent in League One. The end.

The secret (controllable) is recruitment.
 

You can’t make people sign contracts and those on here suggesting we should simply break our wage structure for any of the three mentioned, thus opening the floodgates for every bog standard player to ask for improved terms is ludicrous. The losses extrapolated over contract periods would far outweigh any potential value of the likes of RN, JR and DL.
 

RN can be replaced for a few hundred grand (think Harry Pickering) or a good pre contract. DL is pretty much in the same boat imo. Maybe a million!to replace him. Then there’s Rothwell, who is undoubtedly talented if a little (very) inconsistent. He’s the one with potential to be worth the most…but I wouldn’t smash my wage structure for him….Buckley will end up in that role for Rovers and is already a superior footballer minus Rothwell physical attributes. Dack and Butterworth will fight it out for the advanced role the Buckley currently fills.

BBD is the conundrum now. His form and potential value means it may be worth offering an exceptional deal. The possibility of promotion also applies pressure on the situation.

Ideal world, they all put pen to paper on new deals. We freshen up in Jan with a winger on loan (for Poveda) plus maybe Josh Maia (loan with option to buy) in the summer.

If non re-sign I’d push like mad to sell RN and DL, who are easily replaceable RB (£500k from league 1), John Souttar (small fee). Then let JR run his contract down and try to get promoted.

If someone turns up with £25m for BBD we HAVE to take it imo. The guy has played 15-20 good games in 3yrs. If we sell him then I’d make some more signings - Hedges (small fee) and Rhys Healy (7m) prob sort the whole lot for £10m.

The key is to have the deals lined up. Fingers crossed we have!

24 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

This is the type of game we lose. 

Physical side, dark arts, and all that. They wont let us play and we will struggle to get through them. Plus, we'd be top 6 if we won, so not happening is it. 3-1 Stoke.

I agree! Have been thinking how much of a milestone it would be to win, at Stoke and not go out with a little whimper following three good results. The fact that we always bottle it in these games also playing on my mind…on the flip side IF we win today, it could be a huge psychological boost heading towards the half way point.

Heart says a narrow win, form guide says a draw, head says our expectations get dampened with a narrow defeat.

I'm prepared to go with my heart!! 

                    Kaminski

       Lenihan   JPvH.  Wharton

Nyambe.  Travis.  Rothwell.  Pickering

                       Buckley

           Dolan.                   BBD

Subs….Pears, Carter, Edun, Johnson, Clarkson, Butterworth, Khadra

7 hours ago, neophox said:

Think we may go for Swift at Reading.

Out of contract in the summer.

This a hunch or a bit of inside knowledge Neo? 

John Souttar has announced he will be leaving Hearts 👀

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

He has played rb, right wing back, as part of a 3 in midfield,behind the striker and false 9 so yes you may be correct he has played a lot but not always as an attacking midfielder

Buckley has a lot to learn but in its purest sense, is the best footballer at the club.

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Any sales in January would be cutting off our nose to spite our face and put paid to any outside chance of sneaking into the play offs. The squad is paper thin as it is and we really need net additions not losses.

I think we're at the stage where if we can still be where we are now relative to everyone else in January we would be in such an unexpectedly good position we would have to consider rolling the dice by not selling anyone in an attempt to make the play offs this season.

If anyone did go, Lenihan is the one that would probably affect us the least if Wharton and Ayala could stay fit. I think we could also just about cope with the loss of Rothwell. The loss of Brereton would leave us absolutely bereft in attack however and we'll never get another RB at this level as good as Nyambe imo.

Says it all that Waggott has had one job to do in recent months in getting said players signed up and has so far been unable to secure a single one of them. Well worth £300k p.a.

You had me until you said we can’t place Nyambe for a few 100 grand. Because we can.

My feeling is that we absolutely will not get into the playoffs with Mowbray and so I’m not cutting my nose off to spite my face. If I was in charge, I’d be working out right now if these deals were getting signed and if they weren’t then I’d be offering them out to anyone who’d take them. No way can we let players walk out of here who’ve had contracts sat on the table in front of them for months, leave for free and January is last chance saloon. Rothwell is the only one we’d struggle to replace imo.

Our success following any such sales are dependent of course on replacing them but with the signings of Pickering and Edun I’m fairly relaxed that we could replace DL and RN.

BBD is a different prospect. BUT he’s basically played 15 good games in 3yrs. So IF someone wants to pay £25m for him in January then I’d snap their hands off too!!

I’m hoping they all sign new contracts and no one bid for BBD. 

16 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Where would you be looking to strengthen the team ?

As things stand I think we’re a striker and now a winger short following Poveda’s injury. But that wish list will likely increase to cover any further sales or serious injuries.

FWIW I can see two of RN, DL, JR & BBD being sold this January. Dependant on which combination will decide our budget.

I also like the 343. JRC (rwb) and Dack (false 9 where Buckley started last night) are perfect for it. Buckley could then drop deeper next to Trav if Rothwell went?

Lots of positives last night. Dolan, Wharton and Rothwell the standouts and BBD put another couple of million on his price tag! 

Buckley the best footballer on the pitch for the umpteenth time this season. I was also impressed with Lenihan on that right hand side of a three and Trav was Trav! 🙌🏽
 

January looking more and more important, especially if we can be in and around the top 6.

43 minutes ago, Bad Boy said:

All 3 want out Paul.  Non are talking to the Club.  Our only option is to maximise value and look for replacements.  A lot point the finger of blame at the Club but I believe that is unfair in these cases.  We have always been a trading / selling Club and when someone is determined to leave the best we can do is maximise the fee we receive,

Interesting - SW suggested that RN and JR were happy to stay and it was agents trying to get more money and that it was DL who wanted a PL move.

If they won’t sign I’d honestly push all three out into the ressy’s and sell in January to anyone who’ll have them. Nyambe could be replaced for a few of hundred grand in League 1 (See Pickering signing), Rothwell fluctuates between genius and awful and I think Buckley will have more and more consistent impact in there and you could argue that Ayala and maybe Wharton at full fitness are better than Lenihan.

Interesting that we’re talking about interest in BBD though. He’d be hard to replace now…even with a £10m budget! 

38 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Whats the quote? 

It’s in the article that Chaddy has posted pal 👍🏼 

Really interesting read this morning in the LT. The bit about a potential ‘surprise’ omission from the team as the player is worried they might get injured suggests either Lenihan or BBD have a move lined up in January. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Nyambe or Rothwell didn’t start…

4 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Lenihan thinks he could get a prem gig? Thinks highly of himself lol. Those Sheff Utd rumours of a couple seasons back have got him giddy.

Tbh…your sentiments on DL were shared by SW. He’d told DL’s lot to “watch the Fulham game” if they wanted proof 🙈…I’m still pretty shocked by how candid he was.

2 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

All desperately worrying if like me you are hoping Mowbray will be long gone by summer.

Players on pre contracts don't help for the remainder of  this season and what if a new manager came in and didn't fancy the players he'd been lumbered with signing?

That’s assuming a new manager hasn’t agreed to them? They’d be fairly cheap and on the day so of the head of recruitment….🤷🏽‍♂️

From that conversation with Waggot, I didn’t get the impression we were going to blow our brains out on players though he did talk about “getting a few on pre-contracts for next season”. He was also adamant that none would be leaving for free in the summer and that they’d be working hard to sell anyone who didn’t sign extensions.

He felt JR and RN would sign as they were both keen and it was agents hanging on for more money. He also said that DL was less likely as he thought he could get a move to the Prem.

Based on that conversation and the injury to Poveda I’d say they’ll get a couple on pre-contracts, Hedges and Souttar. A loan / cheap winger to replace Poveda and potentially replace any sales.

Wouldn’t surprise me if they get another Striker either but that’s just a hunch.

So, 2-4 signings in Jan depending on sales and then another 2 or 3 on pre-contracts from Scotland ready for the summer. John Parks at the centre of it all.

For me….

                    kaminski

Nyambe Lenihan Ayala Pickering

                   Trav Edun 

Poveda         Bucko     Dolan

                      BBD

Davenport unlucky and I wouldn’t be against him for Edun. Dolan has been arguably our best player this season (with Bucko) so returns. Poveda the best player on the park vs Sheff Utd and keeps his spot.

Subs - Pears, Wharton, Davenport, Johnson, Rothwell, Khadra, Butterworth 

**Wharton, Rothwell and Khadra to start at home vs Peterborough on Wednesday and then back to this team again away at Stoke on Saturday.

Exciting week!

39 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

1) That ‘crying’ never happened, that lad on the video is literally parroting internet rumours.

2) Of course any clown abusing people is acting shamefully - but a tiny minority of fools does not reflect the fanbase as a whole, basic arithmetic, and it’s weird you always do this.

Matty, I can see you’re a reasonable guy. So why do people have such a hard time taking / feeling responsibility mate? All I said is that having watched the video I felt shame. That I felt booing him (a teenage boy) was an all time low as a fanbase. That’s my opinion…

The fact that it absolutely infuriates certain people (not you) is a reflection on them. 

21 hours ago, 47er said:

Here we go again! What % of your posts criticise Rovers fans?  Quite a high one I'd have thought. 

Brereton has been very well supported by the fans despite flopping for a long period of time.

 

I say it exactly as I see it….And yet, it only ever seems to upset the same group of you. Weird that hey? Like a pack of hyenas rushing to ‘like’ each other’s posts. Always angry, always bitter….relax lads 👍🏼.

8 hours ago, tomphil said:

But at ONE game a handful hurl a few boos barely heard beyond those in immediate earshot, then it makes it to twitter and is blown way over what it actually was.

Then months later geezers who probably never attend an away match further than Preston are still carping on about it. 

You think that’s the only negativity he’s had? Wow…

like I said, I just hope Ben has had a positive enough experience overall and we can get a few quid for him when the time is right.

22 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Not this again. Sense of shame for who?  ‘An all time low’ for who? A tiny percentage of idiots?

Considering just how poor he was, for a few YEARS, not weeks or months, he was given a lot of patience, yes grumbles, and yes there was a tiny minority of people being dickheads but that’s football, a £7million man wouldn’t have got such patience and understanding from the fanbase at many other clubs.

The fanbase at large have been excellent with BBD, shows that actually we are a pretty fair bunch down at Ewood and it’s a shame you want to go down that line…

If you feel that grown men booing teenagers is not shameful then we’re on a different page. Watch the video, he’s just a kid really who ‘we’ made cry because he wasn’t playing well!?