History tells us that he's probably more likely to run his contract down. We've been here before several times over the last few seasons.

Liam Kitching on loan isn't exactly inspiring but if its simply as cover to what we already have then fine, as we know we do need some cover defensively. The greater concern is the lack of solidified targets further up the pitch.

Baker has probably been recalled due to Stoke bringing in a new manager. Robins probably wants to run the rule over him. It's a shame in terms of losing a body to cover for Travis, but he wasn't pulling up any trees either. Baker is just a very mid table standard Championship midfielder, but the goal against Cardiff was appreciated. In some ways I'm ok with Garrett sticking with the first team squad as cover, but we definitely do need someone else of first team quality to come in now.

Buckley lost his way big time after Mowbray left. When Adam Wharton broke into the team its as though Buckley just cowered away from the challenge and has never recovered since. If he applied himself properly with the right attitude then he'd be on the team sheet every week in Trav's absence for sure, because I'd say he's a more technically gifted player than Lewis Baker. Looks like he has lost his love for the game at this point. It happens, and it would be best for him to drop a level or two and find the love again, but I doubt he will.

I agree with that, but its intelligence / decision making were he seems to be lacking. Similar to Dolan really, they both lack the intelligence to step it up a level or two and stay there. Its always 1 good game in 5 with them.

Hanley?? Really??? Crikey. Didn't realise he was 33 either. We already have Batth and McFadzean as the super experienced types, and I'd say Batth is probably a better defender than Hanley anyway.

Rest as many players as possible for this one. Would like to see Toth, McFadzean, JRC, Buckley and Leonard all come in as a minimum. It'd be absolutely typical Rovers to go and win this game and lose the game in hand against Portsmouth 😂.

I like Mowbray, and appreciate that he got the club back up at the first attempt...BUT yeah, forfeiting the League One title was piss poor, and it set the tone for the remainder of his time at the club.

Do they not play in totally different positions? Not being good enough for a premier league side anymore is one thing, but Schlupp would probably get in Rovers team as it stands ahead of Hedges / Dolan

He's probably asked to be paid peanuts, just the way they like it. Have a mate who works in social media / marketing. He applied for a marketing role at Rovers in the summer. They short listed him for the job and asked for his salary expectations, to which he put whatever the average is for such a role. They immediately ghosted him afterwards 😂.

I mean, they should be a class above given their squad value. They have played like that all season. Did anyone truly expect Rovers to go and outplay them? My point on Parker is that he isn't cut out for the prem, as we've already seen....twice. He's a fine manager at Champ level at a club with money to spend on a better standard of players as he had with Fulham and Bournemouth, but as with both those sides I suspect he'll be found wanting...much like our friend Russell Martin. Also don't forget the awful spell he had in Belgium. Some coaches just aren't good enough for the top level...like how Neil Warnock was never cut out for the prem but seen as the ultimate 2nd tier coach.

Didn't see their celebrations but that is pretty gut wrenching to hear. Unfortunately it will continue this way until Venkys are gone. The only way Rovers surpass that lot again is if they get new ownership that know what they're doing and actually treat the club with the respect it deserves. Burnley meanwhile will continue the cycle of promotion, relegation, spending parachute money to get promotion, relegation, etc. until they cement themselves in the top tier again. Don't think they'll manage it with Parker though. We've already seen with two separate clubs that he can't hack it in the Premier League.

I'd take Schlupp. Plenty of Championship experience and IMO is a better footballer than anyone we currently have playing out on the left. At 32 though he won't have the same pace he used to, but I'd still take have him in the side over Hedges or Dolan. Kent is a tricky one. We need players who can hit the ground running and he's been without a club for a few months, probably needs to spend some time working up to full fitness, so how much of an impact can he realistically make this season if he was to come in? It also seems more likely that he'll end up back at Rangers based on the latest stories about him.

I think Brittain was just about the best player for Rovers today. I think he's having a pretty decent season overall.

Do any of Rovers attacking players have the hunger to get on the end of chances to make them top players? I'm not so sure they do. We probably will get a striker and a winger, but it'll likely be young loans from the likes of Fulham, Bournemouth and Brighton, and they probably won't improve the first team whatsoever.

Never has it been clearer what Rovers need to do in this transfer window than it was today. Absolutely shocking offensively. Gueye has his critics and rightly so, but the man was absolutely starved of any service, and the one time he did get service it was from an offside Cantwell. Some players who can actually create chances are just as important as someone who can score them it seems at this moment in time.

Massively disappointing outcome, but not exactly a surprise when you look at the value of the two squads. Baker's header was probably the only clear cut chance Rovers had in the game. The rest were half chances at best. Burnley had one clear cut chance and scored from it, and that was the difference on the day. Getting really fed up with seeing that lot win at Ewood, but I equally don't see that changing anytime soon while Rovers are owned by Venkys. Rovers offered absolutely nothing going forward, whereas Burnley despite being generally quite poor in their play have at least got the quality to put their chance away. Its clear what Rovers need, and I fear they won't get it. Wouldn't be at all surprised if Eustace is in the West Brom dugout by the next round of league fixtures, if they are indeed interested.

Poor from both sides overall but Rovers are offering absolutely nothing going forward, and yet somehow we've had more shots than them. I don't see us scoring at all, been so wasteful from set pieces. Dolan looking just about the only decent player going forward and the options off the bench don't exactly make for anything better unless Weimann fancies scoring another worldie. This has 0-1 written all over it.

All things considered that's probably our best 11 on the day. Just a real shame we're missing Travis and Ohashi who have both been full of energy this season, and I'd feel a lot more comfortable if Beck and Pickering had been the left side. Ah well, let's see.

Apologies

Going to guess that Rovers will be the last Championship side to make a signing this month.

JRC is a frustrating one but he isn't THAT bad in my opinion, just wildly inconsistent. In any case, I think Left Back cover is far more important. We do have at least JRC and the young Duru to cover Right back if Brittain gets injured, whereas if Beck gets injured we're screwed on that side with Pickering out for so long.

There won't be many goals in this. Could well be 0-0, or a 1-0 to either side. Predicted team: Pears Brittain Batth Hyam Beck Tronstad Baker ACD Dolan Hedges Gueye That forward line doesn't give me much hope for goals but that's where we're at. I think he'll opt for Gueye over Leonard for the extra height.

Excellent result. Doesn't quite make up for losing at home to Hull but I know beating that lot next up will do the trick 😅. Another assist for Gueye was it? 😂

100% agree with all of that. I do feel a bit sorry for Eriksen, but he really should've stayed at Brentford. United are paying a hefty price for spending a ton of cash without actually strengthening any areas of the team. They have accumulated so many expensive players on big wages, and they'll struggle to shift a lot of them. Every season that passes they seem to regress further, and Jim Radcliffe seems more interested in slashing the pay and bonuses of the everyday staff that work for the club. Now they have a head coach who actually is probably very good given he was beating Man City 4-1 in the Champions League not that long ago, but he's come in during the season and insisting on the system he had at Sporting with a group of players who simply can't play it and just generally aren't good enough. What they needed was an unglamorous steady hand to see them through the season and then reset in the summer....someone like I dunno, David Moyes? 😂...but now they look destined for a relegation fight. That club is rotten to the core and they deserve to go down.