Fancy us today (I know, I know!). We now have a really strong first 15/16 players, the only position we seem to lack any depth in is RB. I hear covid doesn't affect any of last week's starting 11, which I'd go with again if possible (albeit with TK replacing AP). Form is temporary. We're top of the form table & Brum near-bottom, but that doesn't really mean much besides breeding confidence & momentum, both of which can quickly shatter a young team that is founded on being hard working, well organised & pacey on the counter. It only takes an injury, red card or a bad ref to spoil what's brewing. If we are at it from the off & get an early goal, we could go on and get a hatful. Should they score first, we'll have another chance to see what our young bucks are made of. With the cushion we already have to 7th & with more postponements likely over Christmas, this is a real chance to nail ourselves on as leading play off contenders if not top 2(!!). Any result is on the cards today. I'm going for a 3-0 win with BBD (2) and Rothwell. But I'll happily take another 0-7 if it leads to us going on another 6 game run afterwards like this one!!

Thanks fella, & the others who liked my post. Tbh I'm only just coming to terms with how important it is to speak openly about mental health struggles, but I'm getting there. Let's just say it's a journey, to bring it back on topic!

Hi all, it's been a while since I posted on here but I've been "lurking & liking" from time to time! Like @arbitro (who has my heartfelt sympathy), we lost my mum in February, to Alzheimer's; after barely being able to see her, let alone hug & comfort her, due to covid care home restrictions for nearly all of her last 12 months, it hit me hard. Coupled with a few other things, I've since experienced some mental health issues, which I'm still grappling with. So as a previously-staunch "Mowbray in"-er, it didn't seem compatible with improving my mood to maintain a presence on here during THAT 17 game run, a poor summer on the recruitment front & with the Brockall shenanigans thrown in, all of which was pretty indefensible. I stand by my view that, up to Christmas last year, TM had overall done a good job; but in view of all those things, I was quite happy for him to have walked or been potted in the summer, as it seemed he had actually taken us as far as he could &, for the good of the club, had to go. Well I'm now glad that he didn't, as this season has so far been a revelation (Fulham debacle aside). The passion, desire, organisation & ability shown by such a young team has taken me completely by surprise, and whilst TM can't take all the credit for that, he can take a huge chunk. There was an interview I listened to with Bradley Johnson this week where he praised the attention that TM gives to the players as people, as individuals, and how much they respect him for his man-management. He's clearly well liked by the squad, whatever we might think about his treatment of certain players re square pegs / round holes, his aloofness, his often contradictory comments, or seemingly hanging young'uns out to dry. He's also clearly lucked out in many ways; such as being forced into less tinkering due to a small squad, likewise the increasing reliance on youth, and of course BB's transformation into BBD. Whatever the cause, I'm massively re-enthused, as I know we all are. This team is winning ugly if we need to, digging in, putting bodies on the line & seem to have learnt lessons from previously poor game management. It's great to see the togetherness in the squad, even amongst the loanees. Yesterday was a real statement; this month is a chance to make more of them, with 4 eminently winnable games. We all know never to count our chickens, but 7 points or more out of those would see us in a strong position come the January transfer window to secure contract rebels & bring in support, esp at RB. Bring it on I say! COYB

Or, even better... 😁

How does this look fellas?!

I suspect there will be news (mostly positive) on this front in the next 2 weeks, with it being 2 weeks until the next league match. Obviously we're now in the transfer window so there's priorities there too. Busy few weeks ahead for the club off the field, and a welcome break from games for many first teamers.

HNY everyone, and thanks to all behind the scenes for keeping this site running and, indeed, enhancing it. I've been a bit quiet on here recently for a variety of reasons (let's face it, it's not been much fun this month!), but I still lurk and will contribute further in 2021. 2020 really has been totally shit, to say the least. 2021 is bound to be tough early doors but hopefully, as the vaccinations kick in, we'll start getting our collective foot on the ball, bring some composure to proceedings and as we move into the second half, change formation and go all-out attack to finish the year off in style. We can but hope... Good luck all in 2021!

I'm in, as a season pass holder. Good side, v much looking forward to this. My boss is a Robin's fan so it could get spiky on WhatsApp...!

Looks like it's the latter tonight.

I can understand the concern here, it being 3 weeks or so off the new window & certain key players being able to talk to others. Nyambe is the most perplexing for me as he is young, experienced & showing most potential for a modern fullback. Not signing him up yet is deffo a mistake. Possibly JRC too, although I doubt he is as highly sought after. The others though? Yes they are viewed as key players now, but they weren't considered as such by many on here in the summer. Armstrong, despite his good form since Dack's injury,wasn't really considered a magnet for PL attention in the summer, but the way he has kicked on this season means we now have genuine concern for keeping him. Rothwell was seen as flattering to deceive, producing the odd gem but nowhere near often enough. Dack 9 months through a year long injury, with no guarantee of his fitness on his return, plus there's a 12 month option. Holtby; seen as a disappointment, and likewise Johnson, even maybe considered a flop. They've all become far, far more important players to us since the start of this season than before, perhaps more so than even TM expected when he set on his 433. If all those had been given 12 - 24 month extensions in August or September, I suspect there would've been quite a bit of unrest here. But we now need to pull out all the stops to keep all of them. The price of progress perhaps?

I think this is as winnable a fixture down there as we've had in a few years. Despite having Toney in amongst the goals, overall I think they're a weaker outfit than last season without Watkins & Benrhama, whereas we're stronger in all areas. Their record in their new ground is ok I guess, but 2,000 fans in there will be far less intimidating than 12000 in Griffin Park was. My niggling doubt is Rovers' disjointed performances recently, but the onus is on them to come at us and if they do, we have plenty of speed & craft offensively to do them real damage. No BB sadly, but with the likes of Arma, Rothwell, Elliot & Dolan we've plenty of speed to burn. If we can keep solid at the back & get control of midfield (likely via Holtby & Trybull) we've got every chance of a very commendable 3 points. All that said, I'd probably take a draw now!! ?

I have to say that I felt similarly at the time, especially re Gallagher & Holtby. However it is also worth noting that it was those 3 midfielders (Buckley in winning possession (in tandem with Johnson), Rothwell in carrying the ball forward, then Downing in carrying it across the box) who combined to bring about the winner. Mowbray could quite legitimately argue that his choice of subs turned 1 point into 3. I wholeheartedly agree on everything that's been said about the kit clash, and how pleasing it is that we appear capable of grinding out victories in attritional matches as well as turning on the style in "easier" games. Bring on Brentford, that promises to be a bit of a humdinger end to end affair which will better suit our 433. Hopefully we can remain solid at the back & do some damage on the break.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55152637 And so it begins... something for the European Scouting network to get its teeth into! Best of luck to them I say! Could be good for homegrown youngsters mind you.

Not dropped, rotated. With two games a week for 2 months, get used to it all over the park!

Good lineup that, probably only 4 players missing from a best 11 (Dack, Travis, Ayala / Williams & possibly Nyambe). Should have too much today for Luton, but I expect they'll not be push overs. Hopefully their 2 wins last season will breed a bit of over confidence & we can exploit holes in behind.

Kaminski Lenihan Travis Armstrong Dack However, so far this season it's: Kaminski Holtby Johnson Rothwell Armstrong They've been our 5 most consistent performers so far this season imo and are the key 5 that allow us to play the 433 most effectively. Problem is the middle 3 are all capable of stinkers...

What a legend.

I agree, I'd say that article & the opinions therein accurately sum up the turmoil our great club has been put through. I for one am hopeful (as opposed to confident) of a brighter future given the arrest of the slide these last 3 years, albeit being reluctantly resigned to the likelihood that it will include our current owners for the foreseeable.

I'm just trying to give it some perspective, I'm not giving the teamtalk! This game is not the be all and end all. Yes it's important for confidence, momentum etc and I'm certainly not belittling that. The problem with "expecting to win" is that if we don't win, the supposed consequences of that are magnified beyond reality and it puts additional unnecessary pressure on the next game (it being at Preston is pressure enough). The reality is that if we win we're not guaranteed to go up; lose and we're not guaranteed to stay down. It's a marathon not a sprint and there's still 75% of it left to go after Saturday. This is the right way to think in my opinion; expects ups and downs, keep level headed and maintain some sanity!

Fair point, and perhaps only recent history (which isn't good) plays a part in the mindset here, but even then the context is very different as both teams (certainly ours) will be significantly different from the ones that played there last season, and for us that match was effectively a dead rubber whereas for them it was a matter of survival. By the same token, looking at the match completely in isolation Luton are above us in the same division, so it cannot in any way be viewed as an easy match. My point was that there seemed to be a feeling building of, "it's only little Luton, if we can't win that we'll not do anything", but football isn't like that as for 80+ years we've been a bigger / better club than them, yet we're still winless there in 20 league attempts! We can take nothing for granted. We'll have to work hard & get some luck to earn 3 points on Saturday. But we're absolutely capable of doing it and breaking our hoodoo, of that I have no doubt.

It's up for discussion because they're in the same league as us, next game up, are above us in the table (albeit having had an easier run of fixtures, on paper at least) and we've never won there in the league in 20 or so attempts across various divisions! 5 points back from 6th at this stage of the season is nothing. Yes that needs to be improved upon but, given our run of fixtures, injuries & illness up to this stage of the season, I'm confident it will be as we enter a period with a lot more winnable games & players returning. Hopefully starting with Luton, but I won't be throwing my hands up in despair for the rest of the season if we don't win.

https://www.11v11.com/teams/luton-town/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Blackburn Rovers/ According to this website, we have won once at Luton Town since 1937, in about 20 games, which was in 2007 in the FA Cup. So never in the league. So historically it's not a happy hunting ground for us, yet we've still had plenty more overall success than them in that time. Nothing significant will be decided on Saturday whether we win, lose or draw. I think we are more than capable of winning on Saturday, but would suggest that those thinking we are underperforming if we don't, or that it is somehow a barometer of how rubbish TM is if we fail to win, ought to think again.

He will be anyway due to his time away with Namibia, which regardless of anything else would be the right call in my view.

You forgot about Coyle. I wish I could.

My sister in law is a Wrexham season ticket holder & is very excited by this. They put out a spoof promo video advertising Ifor William's Trailers - Wrexham's club sponsors- as part of their announcement of imminent takeover. All a bit bizarre, but good luck to them I say.