Atko's Engine

I don't think Eustace is one to "pander to the squad"! He makes his own choices for his own reasons, but also doesn't seem scared to accept if something isn't working, & change it. He's made a big thing this season about subs making telling, positive impacts. All 3 goals had key parts fir the subs to play (1 goal, 1 assist & 1 chsnce-creating dummy).

So sell. Simple. Good business people know when to get out & cut their losses.

Well we've signed 2 players in these 14 days haven't we? Didn't we sign someone really early on last Jan too?? I'm sure we've had targets in mind for a long time, but think about it. In that time our needs have changed & other teams' needs have changed; players in mind will have hit form & gone above budget or no longer be obtainable, or will have lost form & not be such good value, or have gotten injured. Rovers don't exist in a vacuum where we can click our fingers to make things happen when we want them to. Unless we're not rolling in cash to splurge & in prime position to start off a domino effect of transfers - & under these owners we never will be - then unfortunately we often have to play a waiting game for the players we want to become available within whatever budget is allocated. Nearly every team in the division will be looking for a pacey winger & a freescoring number 9...

That's all well & good but this block of games didn't include the first of them a month ago; plus, back then, we didn't know anything about injuries to Travis, Pickering or Ohashi, or the recall of Baker, which have had to be bumped up the agenda. Add this to the general uncertainty of when players come available for loan or transfer, especially at the end of a crazy amount of games in a shirt space of time & with cup games on the horizon when managers play fringe players & rotate their squads more, it means we can't just dictate what happens from our own scouting booth; there's a lot of moving parts that we have little control over.

One thing to bear in mind; when Sanderson was playing for Brum last season, after JE left he played mostly under the fabled Rooney. Forshaw has played this season mostly under.... you guessed it, Wayne Rooney. And they still beat us.... Let's not write these players off based on initial impressions.

Carter's not going to come back fully primed for Championship cut n thrust football. He'll need a few games to get up to speed, so if he's not available for another month then it's likely mid March until he's properly back to his best. That's a long time to risk reliance solely on Baath, Hyam & McFadz.

I know I'm a bit late to the party here, but that's literally what JE said in his post match interview. The signings of Sanderson & (in particular) Forshaw are short term ones to plug gaps where we're weak due to injuries & to provide motivational support on the pitch, in the dressing room, in training etc. Both have given a clear mantra in their interviews that they're here to help however they can; they've not been sold the pup of guaranteed 1st team football so I think these are solid, if unimaginative, January signings. These aren't the names that'll make or break our window.

I've genuinely woken up with a tingle in my tummy for this one, like a kid on Christmas morning. It's bloody crazy what a footy match can do to an otherwise regular, unexciteable, down to earth middle aged bloke!! COYB, don't let me regret this anticipation!!!

Travis will clearly be a big loss today, Pickering on a smaller scale in terms of what we lose on the wing with Beck dropping back. I foresee Baker in for Travis as that's most like for like, and Hedges for Pickering. Could be Weimann but I'd prefer Hedges' athleticism over Weimann's. I'd go with ACD again, Gueye up top, Cantwell in behind to pull strings. Good to have some options for bringing on busyness fromthe likes of Ohashi and Dolan to trouble them when tiring. Sunderland are no great shakes I don't think, especially away from home, & we shouldn't be too downbeat about the Millwall defeat given the circumstances. I'm going for a 2-0 home win. It will be interesting to see what the reception will be like from the away fans re Danny Baath. I expect it will be a good one and hopefully he can repay it with a solid performance against them.

Merry Christmas everyone, hope you've all had a special day. I was expecting to have to miss tmw due to family events; however I have the bonus present of a pass from the missus - a very rare Boxing Day treat which I intend to make the most of! COYB!!!!

As I said below (and no-one had commented otherwise), he played key roles in our last 2 away goals, both of which were winners & therefore worth an extra 2 points each. He's a different type of player to what else we have in that area of the pitch, and he fits the mould that Eustace likes. At this level he's easily good enough for a championship squad.

I'm happy with the Hedges extension. If you're going to have a squad of 25 players, not all of them are going to be nailed on first 11 quality, especially at this level. He's a great squad option; he's a grafter, committed, a team player. He's inconsistent yes & has had injuries, but he fits in perfectly with Eustace’s ethos & we're less reliant on him now than when we signed him so hopefully this helps his fitness. His won't be an expensive extension. And for those querying his end product, he was heavily involved in both of our last 2 away goals (at Sheff Weds & Hull), providing the assist for the assist with some decent approach play; both goals have been worth an extra 4 points for us, the difference between playoffs or not at this moment in time.

The clean sheet & winning runs that we're on ought to be irrelevant to the outcome of any match, other than the confidence they bring to the squad. I think that Eustace, perhaps more than any manager we've had since Hughes, is great at keeping folk calm, their feet on the ground, and implementing the "one game at a time" mantra. He'll be looking at this like he always does; as a tough game against a team who, despite their current disharmony, haven't conceded many & have played some decent teams of late. I'm confident of a win here to set us up nicely for S'land then Hull. 11 games in 40 days is a tough ask, regardless of opposition. Sensible rotation will be key. Eustace has many more options open to him than I can remember in recent years, and I trust him to know how to use them. The easy change for Saturday imo is to bring in Cantwell for Pickering or Beck; I would also swap Dolan for Ohashi to give the latter a rest. Keep Gueye & Amario in, & no need to rush Brittain back in for JRC given the congestion ahead. Everything else stays the same for me.

I wouldn't say no faith. I think Ohashi is on 5 & Gueye 2 for the season; which isn't great but they're chipping in well elsewhere & creating goals for others (sometimes even without meaning to!!). I think I prefer that overall, instead of putting all our scoring eggs in one basket a la Szmodics, BBD or AA. But more support up front is needed, not least because Ohashi is close to having played 12 months of solid league football, with added internationals thrown in recently too. Leonard's re-emergence may help, but I'd rather we brought someone else in to supplement Ohashi's inevitable drop in energy levels / increased risk of injury arising therefrom.

Hendry enjoyed showing us his own massive hole before each match too! (Dundee1962, you might need that one explaining to you; we had a chant for him that went: "Colin Colin, show us your arse, Colin, show us your arse!" And he did, like any self-respecting legend would do!)

Great result yesterday. First half we were the better side, though I felt 2-0 perhaps flattered us a tad. But JE's tactical masterclass meant we used that cushion v well 2nd half by sitting tight, being organised, not pressing hard & letting them have the ball in areas that couldn't hurt us. It was very efficient, even with some players out, & just what we needed before the Christmas glut of games. Shoutouts to all the back 5 who were immense, to ACD for his industriousness & abundance of talent, to Ohashi for his selflessness & to Gueye for his sheer presence, enthusiasm (and assists!). As for Matt Smith, I've finally made my 14yr old daughter jealous of me being at Ewood! She loves him, even has a lifesize cardboard model of him in her bedroom; I "Doctored" it last night...

John Eustace is a Legend.

Class goal that from back to front again, this time at pace (unlike Cardiff) & involving some great vision, bravery in possession, one touch positive passing and direct running from some very oft-maligned players (Pears, Dolan, Hedges & Brittain), plus Tronstad & Cantwell.

I've not been on here in a while numerous things have gotten in the way of late. But I just want to say that I think this is the best team we've had for a long time in terms of fight, spirit & togetherness. Everyone has each other's back, the camaraderie is there to see. What a special mmanager Eustace is, he's getting the best out of bargain basement signings, players unwanted elsewhere, journeymem loanees & academy graduates. Dolan was immense today, I know he is frustrating but he has something different to most other players, and he us still only v young. Eustace pulled off a masterstroke with Cantwell, he's getting better every match, the way he shields the balls & works in tight spaces is awesome. Pears has really shown some grit too, aside from some dodgy kicking today he is proving himself to be as good now as Kaminski was imo. And Travis, well, just wow. He's turned into a proper leader, by example & on attitude. He must be an absolute bugger to play against, & the way he dealt with Dolan re the dispute over the penalty (both during the dispute & after it had been scored) was so mature. I am really starting to love this team. It's not perfect & there are weak links, but I absolutely trust Eustace to sort these out if given time.

Got to say I thoroughly enjoyed that yesterday. It was a thoroughly organised, composed & professional display with a smattering of Japanese gold dust!! A couple of individual errors and a 5 minute spell aside, we were dominant throughout and never really looked in any danger. Our pressing was top notch (as illustrated by the first 2 goals) and there seems to be a real sense of collectiveness in the squad, including from the manager down the the coaches, player & academy set up. All down to Eustace and, perhaps, Gestede? I'm trying not to get carried away, but what a tremendous start to the season, which has made many observers sit up & take notice. Goals from all over the place too; right foot, left foot, headers, screamers & tap ins. A very strong bench with options (and more besides who weren't available today like Gueye, Pickering, Brittain, Wharton & Leonard). Last word for Yuki, my oh my what a find! 5 goals so far; a cheeky chip, a glancing header, a brave diving header, right foot top bins, left foot top bins, and no shortage of hussling & harrying in between. Soon it'll be Shearer referring to him as Mr Ohashi if he carries on like this, what an impact he's had!!

Kudos to Eustace, based on this from Cantwell: https://www.rovers.co.uk/sponsors/header/macron--new.pnghttps://www.rovers.co.uk/sponsors/header/WR.pnghttps://www.rovers.co.uk/sponsors/header/venkys.png 20 minutes ago Club “The manager gave me a feeling that the others didn’t" By Blackburn Rovers FC Todd Cantwell says talks with John Eustace were crucial after the exciting playmaker was lured to Rovers from Glasgow giants Rangers on deadline day. The 26-year-old, who has multiple promotions from the Sky Bet Championship on his CV, returns to English football after an 18-month spell north of the border at Ibrox. Norfolk-born, Cantwell progressed through the ranks at local club Norwich City, going on to feature over 100 times for the Canaries, which included two seasons playing in the Premier League. After a half-season loan at AFC Bournemouth, which ended in a third promotion from the Championship, Cantwell made the move to Scotland, playing European football with Rangers and totalling 14 goals in 64 outings for the club. Rovers managed to fight off competition for the midfielder’s services, with the new boy admitting Eustace’s influence was key to him heading to East Lancashire. “It’s nice to get it done and you have to be patient as a player when you’ve been in the situation I’ve been in,” he said to RoversTV after penning a three-year deal at Ewood Park. https://images.webapi.gc.roversservices.co.uk/fit-in/1000x1000/e0331d60-66fd-11ef-9316-cbeb1d2afa36.jpg “I had a few to pick from and this felt right from the moment I spoke to the manager. “I’ve spoken to a few managers over the last few weeks and I think there’s a lot to say for going with your heart. “The manager gave me a feeling that the others didn’t, ultimately. I feel it’s the right place to be at with a club who I’ve always enjoyed playing against, a club with a big history and with a lovely stadium. “I was looking for a new adventure and the interest came from a couple of weeks ago. As soon as I spoke to the manager here, I really wanted to see the proposal and what we could get done. “It’s an important time in my career," he admitted. "There’s a lot of noise around me and there are a lot of things that I want to show. “It’s a very respected league and there’s not many easy games to play in, which is exactly what I’m after. I want to play as well as I can for as long as I can and show everyone the real me.”

Haha, it's true though, he can pull off decent saves, he just should perhaps pull off more whilst being less error-prone & rash in possession. He has the agility & skill sets to be a decent 'keeper imo, that's what's so frustrating. Anyway today's looking like being a happier day than we've had for a while, let's not take the gloss off it now (that can wait until tomorrow... 👀)

Agreed. But then so too did Leo, & you could put together a good reel for Pears too I'm sure... Hopefully this guy is the real deal though!

The perfect answer, let's just leave it there!!!! (Roles?? Don't you mean barms?!)

Much higher; 957 (not inc mod deletions)