Iirc similar things were being said about Armstrong when Graham & Dack were banging in the goals; and then about BBD when Armstrong was banging in the goals. Gallagher scored 7 league goals last season in 30 apps (as many as BBD the season before), mostly whilst playing wide right. If he is part of a functioning & fluid front 4 (as seems to be the plan) and can be available most of the season, he's more than capable of comfortably doubling that goals tally; he wasn't far off that when he played for us under Coyle in fact. Hopefully this season can be when he comes into his own & we are all thankful that he signed a contract extension come next May.

Accy Stanley have something decent brewing in the women's game too. My 17y/o niece plays for their open age women's side, about 4 divs below Rovers Ladies but seem to be investing a lot of time & effort into them. I've seen a few games these last 12 months and there no shortage of ability on show. My niece would run rings around me if I gave her the chance (I wont!).

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We now have 8 interchangeable forwards of: Gallagher BBD / ANOther Vale Dolan Hedges Szmodics Dack Markanday It's reasonable to expect that as an average, each of those can score 6 goals across 46 games (i.e. 48 goals). Add in another 15 from midfield, defence and og's, that's 63 goals. Last season we scored 69 goals, conceding 59. It's the 59 figure that most needs addressing, but if that can be reduced by 10 and we can match last season's goals scored tally, that will see us top 6. I know that's rather a simple way of looking at things, but I don't think it ought to be considered unachievable with the right investment in defence this window.

Well worth watching on the iplayer, great little piece and definitely something the club should be crowing about loud & proud. I really enjoyed what I watched of the Euros, inc the whole of the final. I felt the quality on show was really good, & the goal made at Rovers was top drawer. Women's football really is going places, we should get right to the forefront of it & this is a great springboard.

Don't know much about either of today's signings but GB and JDT do seem to have a plan and some thought has gone into the benefits of each addition both in the short & medium term. We've now brought in 2 perms with hopefully their best years ahead of them, who have decent (and recent) championship experience. They bump the average age up a little but still have plenty to give. I know both were in relegated teams last season, but most players have that on their CV's at some point so I'll not hold that against them. Am interested to see how TM (mark II) and SS settle in, & who next follows them in through the door. Hopefully, those concerned about numbers & lack of funds are having their fears allayed somewhat.

If we got them both, then we'd be motoring.

Totally. A much better explanation than my bumbling attempt above!!

Great to be back at Ewood today, though it certainly didn't feel like a July opening fixture! Good to see Amstel on draft in the Riverside, good service & a lick of paint in the bar booth, and a new playlist for the season inc (love it or loathe it) classic track of thunderstruck!! As for the game, it was a tentative opening half hour in which we eased ourselves into the game with some neat one-twos amongst the front 4. Nothing much to get the juices flowing besides a couple of midfield challenges that nearly resulted in a red for JB; the ref was clearly going to show a yellow until he realised it was Buckley. IMO the ref took sympathy on him as he realised the first booking was a little harsh, given that it came after he'd allowed a silly advantage moments earlier which we quickly lost & left Buckley exposed. They hit the bar on 25, but then we started a bit if a head of steam. We perhaps went ahead alittke ubndeservedly given the balance of play up to that point, but what a strike, worthy of winning any match! I hope Trav doesn't keep trying to repeat that..... Shortly after, a thunderbolt from BBD followed a nice move, which their keeper did we to react to, and we finished the half strongly. 2nd half, besides TK having a wobble, we dominated the game & created some good half chances without really threatening to add to our lead. Most QPR attacks were snuffed out before they reached our defensive third, but not surprisingly we tired a little & could've done with a couple of pairs of fresh legs. TK - 6 - didn't have much to do but looked solid & commanded his area well. One scary kick at start if 2nd half that could've proved costly. Brittain - 7 - solid debut, clearly has an attacking mindset but also did well defensively & stuck to his task well. Doesn't seem to know when he is beaten & didn't give up when he was passed. Pickering - 5 - our poorest performer I think. Plenty of misplaced passes & showed no attacking impetus, esp in first half. His lack of pace was evident defensively too. We need an upgrade. Ayala - 7 - solid, esp 2nd half. Composed, dealt with everything he needed too. Class at this level, when fit. Wharton - 7 - great foil for Ayala, and played similarly competently. Will have tougher afternoons, but a very solid season opener. Travis - 8 - did everything that Travis does, niggles, harries, frustrates, often unnoticed, but what a scorcher of a goal that certainly will get him noticed. I watched JDT celebrate & he loved it! Buckley - 7 - would've been 8 but for nearly getting sent off. I like to think he assured JDT at half time that he could trust him not to risk a 2nd booking, as 2nd half he was composed & at the beginning of most forward exploits. Will be a key player this season. Hedges - 7 - worked v hard, has a decent footballing brain on him but didn't quite a come together for him. Showed some neat touches & good interplay, and certainly suits a pressing game. Vale - 6 - a decent full debut, showed some good touches & link up play but didn't really get an opportunity to show his best off. Deserves more game time. BBD - 7 - epitomised Rovers generally as in a slow start but became more & more influential as the game wore on. Occupied QPR's defence well, drew fouls, linked up well with those around him. Definitely seems happy, but he needs to sign a new contract or move for a decent fee. Gallagher - 5 - worked hard as always, but was generally ineffective & often clumsy in possession. I'm a fan of his overall, but this was the type of performance that his detractors could rightly point to as evidence that he should do better. Dolan - 7 - was busy and at it from his introduction. Can't be easy to defend against when introduced an hour in. Drew fouls, harried & chased. Was a bit silly / naive to be caught needlesslt offside in the build up to BBD's disallowed goal. Overall, a decent start and one which bodes well. New starters are needed no doubt as the squad is too thin, and there will be much tougher opponents than a surprisingly toothless QPR. But today showed to me that we have 13/14 players good enough to compete well in this division, certainly until the transfer window closes which affords our new management & recruitment staff time to work on ensuring we get the right new arrivals in. Nice to see JDT's enthusiasm, whilst also keeping it fairly low key. Nice touch to join the players at the end to applaud the crowd. I'm quietly confident this could be the beginning of something that we can all buy into...

Fair enough, but my point still stands that there's a risk & reward situation for the club to carefully balance, in terms of making sure that what's attractive to one player in Phillips doesn't alienate half a dozen or more others.

I think there's too much speculation as to what to read into our current situation, but I can almost guarantee that it's not black and white in terms of the club is set up for progressing, or for relegation. There are many who, understandably, point to the failure to persuade Lenihan, Rothwell or Nyambe to stay. Time will tell on whether or not they turn out to be wise decisions, but for each of those that have left there are other first teamers who were offered & have accepted new deals (Kaminski, Buckley, Travis, Gallagher, perhaps even Dack although his situationwas different). Are they any less important to the team than DL, JR or RN, if used properly? Imo no they're not, but the fact that they're staying shows the taps have been neither fully on nor fully off. The lack of incoming transfers is a concern, but then appointing GB & JDT (who undoubtedly have up & coming reputations given their successes at Bodo Glimt & Malmo respectively, and appear to have a real positivity about their approach) doesn't equate to the taps being turned off. JDT has identified who he wants & GB has said there's a healthy budget, so let's see the proof in the pudding before either pronouncing the window as a failure or a success. Even then it won't be clear; remember season before last when it was almost universally felt we'd had a good window (Holtby, Douglas, Trybull etc.) but we finished a paltry 15th. Last summer it was almost universally felt we'd failed in the transfer window, yet were 2nd at Christmas & finished our highest position since relegation (albeit disappointingly). So nothing is black & white, nothing is guaranteed. I'm not against speculation, but especially under this new structure it's a bit foolhardy imo to be concluding that we're fooked just because we haven't paid average players like DL or RN what they wanted so they have signed for clubs who finished below us last season, under an average (at best) manager.

On the Ash Phillips debate of do we pay him 3-4 times his current deal / the amount his peers are receiving due to his huge potential, isn't he effectively the modern day equivalent to Marlon Broomes? Wasn't he touted as future potential England captain material, when we were in the PL, for a long while? What happened to him? Plenty of players early in their careers get touted as the next bobby Moore, the next Gascoigne (Makel), the next Shearer, yet go on & schieve nothing like that. I've never seen Phillips play so this us no sleight on him, but I can see why the club might not want to pay him as much as a top prem club can afford to piss down a drain. Is it worth upsetting the other players so much, and is it best for Phillips' career? Too much money too soon? Surely it's better to try to persuade him for footballing reasons, pathway to the first team etc.?

I agree, so why is GB getting such heat from quite a few on here against this background, none of which is of his doing? He's playing a massive game of catch up against our rivals, both in terms of timing and financially, as admitted by him on day one. Don't forget we also lost a newly recruited member of the analytics team in tragic circumstances; that's going to have an impact both emotionally and practically. Let's get things in perspective here. Surely the bloke needs to be left alone t o do his job.

I think he was when he stated "judgment begins on day one"!! Proper Dickensian stuff that!! And besides, isn't it true that the first thing GB did was approach JDT with the chance to be head coach here? I don't see that as a bad 1st box ticked so far, and probably the first bit of creative & progressive thing that's happened her since V's arrived!

Both GB and JDT were clear when they signed that promotion this season was not the direct aim. Just like it wasn't Jack's aim to win the title in 4 years. If it happens great, but in the longer term they mentioned than about stabilising the club, and making sustainable progress into bein a re-established Premier league club. Most people on here welcomed that approach, recognising that undoing the damage done in the last decade would take time. Now, barely a month in, GB in particular is getting pelters for not building Rome in a day, without a long: term recruitment officer!! I just don't get it; let the man get on with his job quietly & efficiently behind the scenes. He's a doer, his record shows that, so imo he deserves a little faith & patience to let his actions do the talking across 2+ full transfer windows!

Way too much wailing & gnashing of teeth on here re Broughton & lack of signings to date, in my opinion. Of course I wish we'd made some by now, but it's essentially been 3 weeks since JDT did his 1st day of training, & 4 weeks since he & GB could've had any first meaningful conversation about what we might need in what positions, with what budget. Give them a chance!! Some will point to Burnley as an example of how we could've moved quicker, but in comparison to us they've got money to burn from sales, and Kompany has been in line for the job since Dyche got binned off, with plenty of time to plan ahead & assess the squad before being appointed. I agree the club should've moved quicker for TM's replacement, but that's hardly the fault of GB or JDT. The window has 7 weeks to go, plenty of time to get key bodies in, as perms or loans. I know that's 7 games into the season, but that wouldn't mean the end of our season. Remember, Forest were bottom in late October last season yet they went up, almost automatically

60 hour shifts Mercer?? That's harsh!!

Coleman seemed to appreciate it too, I agree it seems useful all round. It stops the players getting too leggy in the last 30, & gives more fringe players the chance to shine & make a mark.

So this was their second pre season outing when it was our first; not sure why that is but perhaps it accounts in some way for what was roundly considered to be a below par performance in the first game.

Nothing like being patient!!

For the sake of clarity, I'm not there so thought I should caveat the above comments. I still think it's a valid assessment though.

Not sure if this is their first game or not, but I'm still not bothered if it is. I'm sure (hope) they've been told just to ease themselves back in whilst trying to learn new tactical approaches from a whole new management team.

Really not bothered about anything other than gaining fitness & avoiding serious injuries. Niggles are inevitable. Result & overall performance matters diddly squat. They've not played a match in over 2 months; I'm sure most of us would hardly be at our best on the first day of our return to work if we'd had 8 weeks away from the front line!

Tragic news for his family & friends. RIP

Buckley's good for attaching things...