Just now, Vinjay17 said:

Considering countless other things (whether players, status, etc) this club has lost I doubt anyone will be covering themselves in petrol outside Ewood if he leaves. The club is trying to get promoted not break into the EPL top 4 spots. At a certain level I think clubs can lose their most valuable assets and still have the same aspirations. Whenever Blackburn Rovers haven't been in the top flight there's been realistic aspirations of getting there. Dack isn't that important or irreplaceable. I'm pretty sure United won't be interested. I doubt Spurs are.

The problem is there's several questions yet to be answered with Dack never mind without him. Losing what many consider to be the most valuable playing asset might make those questions tougher. Then again if Mowbray is good enough to win promotion from this League (of course he already has but several managers have "one hit" so to speak) shouldn't he be able to replace Dack? Especially if he isn't sold to another Championship club. 

Losing Dack would not be the end of the world - for the right price of course. TM could do a lot with the money, assuming our esteemed owners trusted him with it (not a given I know). But surely he needs to be kept until the summerv(and should be happy to stay here until then), unless we're out of the playoff picture altogether by then, which is looking highly unlikely ATM. Otherwise the club would be giving off totally the wrong vibes to fans, players & the opposition, especially if it's to Leeds or WBA etc. - back to the dark days like when Cairney left for Fulham.

Maybe mcmc started on the vino even earlier than me?

No offence intended of course!

Ah good, glad it's not me that's confused, even though I'm on the vino earlier than usual due to the missus being away with the kids for the night! If only I had something better to do with my unexpected freedom...

I agree on both counts, and possibly worth more bearing in mind the stats quoted above in comparison to Grealish, even without his overall performances being sparkling. But if his clause is £15m, we don't get a chance to accept or reject right? It's down to the player. So surely if we rejected it, either there is no clause or it's more than £15m.

Didn't we reject £15m from WBA in the summer?

I'm totally made up at today's result, what a massive victory to follow up on a tough run of fixtures!

Playing the form team in the division with 3 clean sheets in their last 5, and without 3 of most people's first choice back 5 is a cracking result. I get people being disappointed at the defensive nature of the starting 11 but feel TM was justified in erring on the side of caution given the injury situation & lack of anything like a first choice back line.

I couldn't get to the match but clearly it was a gritty, unattractive game where we stuck at it and reaped the reward. Long may that continue!

Delighted for BB too, and in his interview he sounds like he's on board with the project - good to hear.

25 points from 16 games, 1 off the playoffs and 5 off the top - this is the stuff if dreams isn't it?? Sure it's not thrill-a-minute but to grind out results like this is a solid foundation to build upon and allow those injured & out of form to get back on it...

Ideally the formation & personnel returns to something more orthodox this one.  I'm sure it will; as a poster pointed out in the derailed WBA match thread, Saturday's team was chosen to do a particular job away at a freescoring promotion favourite, and but for 3 things  that were beyond TM's control (1 if not 2 pens not given, a couple of missed 1-on1's and a proper in-match injury crisis) it would've worked.

Arguably it did work despite those things; a point away from home is a good point, bringing 4 from 9 when 0 from 9 wasn't beyond the realms of possibility.

We'll need to be very alert & professional v QPR. After a poor start they've hit some real form & go into this fixture above us. I know their fixtures have been easier than ours recently but that's not the point. They'll have real momentum, so we need to be up & in gear faces from the off. 

I hope injuries ease. Sounds like Nyambe might be back in contention at least, Davenport too. Not gonna predict anything else until nearer the time as a lot can happen in 4 days. 

Good luck Rovers, I can't be there as will be coming back from hols. Hope it's a confident performance & 3 points, but no complacency please!!

3 hours ago, tomphil said:

. Hendry was firm but fair he'd be sent off every week now just for having the nerve to throw himself in front of the ball leaving someone's toe.

He'd be sent off for that only if he'd not already been sent off for ungentlemanly conduct for showing his arse to the BBE before the match...

I can't see 25k on but maybe 22-23 is the best we can expect.

What we need to do is get at the from the off and do what we can to shut them 7,000 up. 

It'll be a tough game this, if that's not stating the obvious, but we've got to back ourselves and be on the front foot. They'll come with their usual confidence & swagger but I think it's brittle and they'll collapse if we approach this right.  They've got a few injuries to cope with, plus yesterday they had Ayling sent off and Jansson ought to cop a ban for his post match comments about the ref, so they may be relying on a few square legs in round holes themselves - something we'll need to make the most of.

OK, so now we've reached the second international break let's take a step back and take stock.

If the aim is survival, we're on track. If the aim is championship consolidation, we're on track. If the aim is reaching the playoffs, we're on track. If the aim is outright promotion, we're in a decent position from which to attack.

Let that sink in. A year ago, none of us would have dared believe we'd be in this position, so I think we can be v pleased with where we are.

Do we deserve it? Overall yes, absolutely. We got lucky today to some extent but that cancels out one of the 93rd minute minor disasters. If we'd beaten Ipswich but drawn today, we'd be in exactly the same position but would the sentiment from so many be so underwhelming? I doubt it!

It's worth noting Wigan got stuffed 4-0 at bottom 3 side Preston today. Bottom 3 side Ipswich won at Swansea. Stoke won at Norwich. There's no easy or predictable games in this league!!

Grinding out unconvincing points is a cornerstone to any team's success... Are we perfect? Hell no; we got a mauling on Weds night - but then Sheff Utd now sit pretty at the top. We're work in progress, building a team ethos to go with the spirit. TM knows this, and his post match comments show he's not resting on his laurels or taking anything for granted.

I remain really excited about what this group can achieve with proper guidance, support & time; if we're in this position now with all the uncertainty / rough edges about players like Raya, Lenihan, Williams, Nyambe, Rodwell, Smallwood, Evans, Armstrong, Brereton, think what Rovers could be like in a few months' time once they have another 20 or so games under their collective belts...

Roll on Leeds!!!!! 

My own take on Brereton.

He needs to be given time by us all , all the skating he's getting you'd think he was a seasoned pro. He's 19 and has been here for barely longer than 6 weeks, of which 1 of those was away with England. He's here for what, 4 or 5 years? I don't think we'll start to see the real player for a few months yet, needs to get his feet under the table.

What I saw from him on Wednesday night was something different to what Graham offers. He's tall but not as strong or game savvy as Graham, but he clearly has pace and intelligence. He looks like he wants to play off the shoulder of his defender, and made 3 or 4 arching runs but wasn't picked out by the man on the ball, meaning his contribution was worthless. If he keeps making those runs, he'll get played in eventually and can chase the ball down the channels or in towards goal, leaving space behind for others (Bennett, Dack, Rothwell, Palmer, whoever) to fill and support. I think once this approach becomes embedded in the team it will prove very fruitful, and add to our variety of play.

As for the lace tying, he'd had his foot trodden on in a challenge, which seemed to dislodge his boot. So he had to take the boot off, then untie the laces in order to put the boot back on again and then tie it up. It took him about a minute whilst play went on around him. I think too much is being made of it by some who seem keen to knock him whenever & however they can.  That's not going to help anyone, so I urge everyone not to prejudge him, expect too much too soon & just give the boy a chance.

6 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

We offer very little threat from out wide and are thus wholly reliant on Graham and Dack

That was certainly the case on Wednesday I agree, and was amplified by us also not having Nyambe & Bennett together on the right side providing support, as we have done most of the season to reasonably good effect in most people's eyes. We should definitely aim to have more variety in our play though (I'll comment more on this in the Brereton thread later), and I'm quietly confident that'll come in time if we keep the core of this group together over the coming 12-18 months.

12 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

13 hours ago, Atko's Engine said:

We were last night, but I don't think you can say that about most other games this season.

I think I can certainly say that about our other home games. 4 goals in open play at home all season, 1 win, the least crosses and the most long balls. We are very one-dimensional. God help us if Graham gets injured

Hmm, I get your point blueboy but since when did goals from open play count more than goals from set pieces? Surely we've done something good in open play to get those set pieces in the first place. For example we carved Forest open with good short interplay on several occasions in open play, albeit we only got 2 goals to show for it. How many times have we hit the woodwork from open play at home this season, it's 4 or 5 I think?

I agree we could be more clinical at times and are too reliant on Graham & Dack, but we're very much work in progress. I'm sure I speak for everyone on here when I say I'm hoping for Brereton to take weight off Graham's shoulders in time, and for TM to decide on his best first 11 and reliable plans B & C soon. 

We were last night, but I don't think you can say that about most other games this season. Dack & Graham both had off nights; we missed Bennett's drive higher up the pitch; and service to Brereton was poor when he came on. We just weren't at the races front to back. Against your Boltons, Rotherhams, QPRs, Sheff Weds etc. I expect (hope!) we'll be far more competitive in order to achieve our realistic season's goal of midtable security. We should definitely start Rothwell though next match in place of Armstrong. I like Armstrong but he needs to play more centrally, Rothwell is far more at ease and creative on the left.

I've not read all the comments on here, not got time, but a skim read through suggests many on here had too high expectations. Last night we were thoroughly outplayed and deserved exactly what we got, but I don't think there's need for words such as "appalling", "disgusting" etc. about our performance.  Lethargic yes, tired and out of sorts definitely, but Sheff Utd were superb from the off; it was a perfect performance from them. On one level I'm surprised it's taken this long for us to meet a team like that and be given a reality check of what this league can be like. If we put in a performance like that on Saturday then I'll be concerned, but for now I'll just doff my cap and say well done Sheff Utd. 

Great game today, proper entertainment which had everything save for a red card. I felt after a slow start we had a really good hour, shouldve taken more chances but then could've lost it near the end too. Of the penalties, I thought the 2nd was a clear dive tho the photo above tempers my anger, but thought also there was a push on Graham at the far post in the first half and a definite foul on Dack in the second. I felt the ref was inconsistent and gave all 50/50s in their favour.

Overall though it's a good point, especially if we follow it up on Weds with 3. 

7 - Raya. Not that busy, 1 great save, a few good claims, kicking slightly better than usual. Nothing he could do for either goal.

6 - Nyambe.  Weaker today than normal, got beat a bit too easily for their first goal I thought. Hope his injury not serious.

7 - Lenihan. Dodgy start n penalty seemed fair enough, but recovered composure well I thought.is still work in progress.

6 - Downing. Average performance, did some good things but definitely not worthy of another start I don't think. Need better backup in Jan as a priority.

5 - Bell. Suspect at back, not as good going forwards as was vaunted. Not taken his chances since Williams' injury.

7 - Bennet. Good industrious performance albeit w/o a match defining contribution. Love him. Grew into the game, just never gives up.

6 - Evans. Solid if unspectacular. Not quite at the heights of previous games. Was he injured? He was stretching a lot before he was subbed.

8 - Smallwood. Really good game, tackled well, tracked well, distributed well generally. Finding his feet hopefully.

8 - Reed. What a gem this lad seems, popped up everywhere, a real pocket rocket. Real good box to box performance, supported front & back well. MOTM.

7 - Dack. Quite quiet overall but had spells where he was just short of pulling off his magic. His understanding with Graham shone through again.

8 - Graham. Great game, strong & wily, doesn't let his head drop, a great role model for centre forward play. Deserved a goal, very unlucky in each half.

6 - Rodwell. Looked assured mainly, if slightly ring rusty at times. Looking forward to seeing more from him.

8 - Armstrong. Caused them lots of problems, lucky goal but made his own luck. Would've been 9 & MOTM if he'd been braver with the 1 on 1.

6 - Rothwell. Did ok but came in at a difficult time just before their equaliser. We never really recovered & he couldn't spark us. Needs a start IMO.

7 - Mowbray. Good team selection given quality of opposition, then looked to make positive changes but I feel he (or others on the bench) should've been more alive to Nyambe's injury, and I think Rothwell on for Evans just left us short of grit in the midfield. But it was an attacking change to extend the lead rather than the usual defensive one to hold a lead - he just can't win can he?!

3 points on Wednesday & I'll be a very happy bunny.  

By the sounds of things we were looking to address all those areas of the squad, but Fielding got injured, & Bauer and Chapman weren't allowed to leave their clubs. It happens and to be fair we can't realistically expect Mowbray to fill every gap in the squad in 1 window when moving up a division. 

33 minutes ago, Gav said:

beating a recently relegated Premiership club with the likes of Ince, Berahinio, Allen and Adobe in its ranks is a superb achievement

We were a bit softwaren't we tho at the end there?! ?

Team spirit is massive for any team, esp in leagues like this. Look where it got our unfancied neighbours a couple of seasons back. Anything is possible at this stage of course, but we can certainly compete with the best in this league. Consistency throughout the season will be key for those wanting to achieve promotion.

I can only go off comments and highlights, but as far as the last 10 mins are concerned it was all about Crouch. He caused panic, not surprising due to his height and awkwardness. We're not a tall backline of 5, and without Mulgrew it was very, very young - average age of about 23/24? That experience should teach each of them a hell of a lot, stand them in good stead in their future careers & benefit us as a club. All whilst ultimately not costing us anything on the day, just!

Great to get 3 goals from open play. I've heard rowett refer to the goals being gifted to us by their poor defending; he's right to question his defence, but huge credit must go to Graham, Dack, Bennett, Reed, Smallwood & Williams for their parts in 3 excellent goals from our perspective.

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

The problem is, spoiling only gets you so far, you need to then keep the ball otherwise you are in a cycle of attacks for the opposition.

I agree it's a tactic with limitations, but it's not Smallwood's fault if those selected around him aren't able to make proper use the balls he wins. Though I accept he can improve his basic passing sometimes; he's far from the complete midfielder!

At this stage of the season against the likes of Derby away, I understand a cautious line up from Mowbray, even if it is a tad frustrating.  My hope is that as the season progresses and the newbies buy into Mowbray's teamwork ethos , and each player gets to know their teammates' strengths & weaknesses, we'll end up in most games starting with a soldier (seemingly Smallwood, Evans or Reed) alongside of an artist (Rothwell, Davenport or possibly Rodwell) to complement each other. I like the way this could shape up, and if we can grind out some plucky draws against title contenders whilst on the way to that stage then even better.

Bizarre how some posters have Smallwood as MOTM, others say how he was worst player on the pitch.  How can that be?? I guess the truth is somewhere in between. I like him, though his abilities are limited. He can do a spoiling job in this type of game.

The real plus from all this is that we have Mulgrew, Rodwell, Rothwell, Reed, Davenport, Brereton all to return or start in future games, options a plenty there. They'll all get their chances in a tough, long season and will all most likely contribute to better performances against lesser opposition as the season builds as will Armstrong, Dack & Palmer who by all accounts were fairly anonymous tonight.

Didn't see the game but going off comments and stats it looks like we got away with one, and gained a massive point in so doing. Picking up points whilst not playing well ought to help us achieve our main realistic aim of consolidation.

Derby are amongst the favourites and will be far more disappointed than us. They've failed to score against a newly promoted team at home; with their outlay and resources that's quite a big minus for them.

Sadly I couldn't make yesterday's match nor watch it live on TV due to family commitments. Itss a shame as I clearly missed a cracker, but here's my thoughts on the main issues after watching the quest highlights.

Dack's "goal" should've stood, was level with Hutton.

McGinn was already going down, but got caught by Smallwood's outstretched leg as he did. I think ref got it right, but we were v lucky.

Mulgrew lucky not to have a pen given against him for holding onto Jedinak, but I guess that type of thing happens half a dozen times a match. Now Mulgrew has been highlighted he will be a watched man so needs to be careful.

Mulgrew and Reed did brilliantly for Dack's goal. Mulgrew showed a couple of nice turns actually, and great freekick for Dack's "goal".

Think Grealish was fouled for their free kick. Naive from Reed, gave ref an easy decision to make.

Wall was too far over or short of a man or 2.  Can't tell from highlights if Raya tried to do more & wall ignored his instructions.

What a free kick it was. Fair play. Not sure if 2 more men in the wall could've stopped it, might've made the strike look even better.

That said, Nyambe ducked, should've done better.

Overall a good point, but the circumstances of it are a kick in the nads.

Some general points:

1 calendar year unbeaten at home. Wow. Wish I'd put a fiver on that! Well done all concerned.

Raya's a great young keeper; long way from finished article, but which keepers ever were at his age?

Nyambe & Bell progressing well.

Reed sounds like a cracking acquisition.

Brereton needs time. Hope fans give it him, and that he gets chances in his favoured central role. Only probably had half a dozen training sessions with the squad due to England involvement.  He celebrated the goal as hard as everyone else, which hopefully is a sign he's bought into Mowbray's ethos.

Lenihan needs longer studs.

Dack needs new boots; maybe spangly sparkly ones to show off his twinkle toes even brighter. That Cruyff turn (when off balance) then nutmeg were stunning, shame about the cross. Not to mention the cheeky click for his goal.

Mowbray - far from a tactical genius or a maverick, but has proved to be a perfect fit for the club. Brought humility, decency & pragmatism to the club when we most needed it, and has pleasantly surprised me in doing so as I confess I was underwhelmed when he was announced. Knows how to build a team / squad to grow for the longer term, and get players to gel and fight for each other. It's a great environment to grow a team in & for young players to develop.

I've really enjoyed this season so far, and am looking forward to seeing how far we can go in the coming 2-3 years. 

COYB!!!

If nothing happens re incomings today I would be quite happy, think we've massively exceeded expectations so far and have plenty of options across the park. Yes we could improve further - Chapman being the obvious option - but got to be careful we do not sign too many players and risk upsetting morale by having too many players unhappy at lack of game time.

Re outgoings, Caddis, Gladwin & Whitts can be safely moved on for good hopefully - for their sake and the club's. Buffalo loan, Travis too but I'd also be happy for him to stay and fight for a place.