sharpysharps86

Never suggested it would be those two, but yes you're correct on that. More likely 1 of those two and Ruddy on loan.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if we do want 2 GK's. For all we know JE doesn't rate Pears, but he simply has to play him because Hilton is nowhere near the required ability.

Yep, went down to Ewood on Friday to pick up the away shirt. Checked the third shirt and they only had kids sizes or 5XL left in adults. Seems to be very popular!

1. Winners of the Championship Leeds 2. Runners-up in the Championship Luton 3. Championship Play-off final winners Burnley 4. Where will Rovers finish the season? 17th 5. Which 3 clubs will be relegated from the Championship? Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth 6. Who will be the first club in the Championship to change manager? (For whatever reason) Preston 7. Who will be the BRFCS Player of the Season? (As voted for in the Match Centre on BRFCS) JRC 8. A wildcard prediction for something (possibly quite mad) that will happen to or at Rovers during this coming season Waggott will leave

If Eustace wants 3-4 more players they've gotta be a GK, LB, CM, and a proper winger. If Szmodics goes then we need a replacement for him too, likewise if anyone else leaves. Obviously it depends on who the players are that come in and how good they are, but I'm quite happy with business done so far given the circumstances at the club, and I feel JE is going to make is difficult to beat first and foremost. Some actual experience added to the ranks gives the squad a much more balanced look to it. Obviously very early days in regard to Ohashi and Gueye, but both sounded promising from last nights game and will each add something different.

Don't know anything about de Lange, but playing as a number 1 in a side that finished mid table in the Eredivisie....he must be good enough for the Championship and surely an upgrade on Pears. Hopefully this is a deal that gets done.

Anyone's guess who starts for Rovers in this game. If Szmodics is still here then he should start IMO. Tonight's friendly may be quite telling as to who gets the nod, particularly in the attacking positions given we've brought in 3 that definitely go into contention. I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw. Derby look like they've done some respectable business for a newly promoted side, but they do have a manager who's an expert in getting relegated from the Championship. I don't think this is the team that starts, but it's the one I'd like to see providing there are no new incomings before the game: Pears (no other options) Brittain Carter Hyam Pickering Travis Tronstad Wiemann Szmodics JRC Gueye If there's no Szmodics then either Markanday or Ohashi to come into that role. Take Wiemann off for Hedges after an hour.

Garrett definitely needs a full season on loan somewhere, we'll see more of what he's made of and will probably be make or break for him at Rovers. Hopefully we are bringing in a midfielder to strengthen us now.

Gentleman's agreement and Steve Waggott are two things that simply don't go together 😂. Sammie will go. He'll probably force it in the end, which will be a sad way to end things but I just hope that some of the money coming in for him allows us to bring in an actual replacement, although I fully expect Wiemann to end up coming in to be that player.

Gallagher is a good lad and I thank him for his efforts at Rovers, but it was definitely time to part ways, and it has been time for a while. He has regressed as a player in the last couple of years so hopefully for his sake a fresh start will reignite his career...just not when it comes to playing us. All that being said, he simply wasn't good enough at scoring goals and has never built on the double figures he hit back in the Owen Coyle days. It might click for him at Stoke, but it didn't at Rovers, and he was deeply frustrating to watch for the most part. Hopefully the new attackers prove to be more of a goal threat.

Probably because Wharton is injured long term and O' Riordan is untested at Championship level, leaving us with just Hyam and Carter at the moment as the clubs only proven championship CB's.

Nixon just tweeted that Danny Batth is not training at Wolves today and that its 'game on' in regards to a move (presumably that's where he's been doing his pre-season as a free agent). I'm fine with Batth and Fadz both coming in, as long as we don't ever find ourselves in a situation where they're starting together 😂. If O Riordan isn't good enough and with Wharton out for a long time, we need the extra cover for Carter and Hyam.

Not Liam Millar is it? The lad who was on loan at PNE last season...or is he still with Basel?

My favourite Shearer goal will always be his third against QPR in 1994/95 at Ewood. It was a fantastic strike, but what made it extra special for me was that it was also my first ever game going to watch Rovers.

I imagine that the 3 booked in for medicals are the young French lad (although surely he did a medical already if he's been over for a week...?), Ohashi and McFadzean. Its something, but its nowhere near enough at this stage, especially with Sammie and Gallagher on their way. Not arsed about the latter, he's be awful and injury prone for the last 18 months or so, so it doesn't really feel like much of a loss.

Gallagher needs to be moved on, but only if we're actually going to sign some adequate replacements. A forward line of Hedges, Dolan, Vale and Markanday isn't going to keep Rovers in the league. Granted Ohashi might be decent and the French lad might be a gem, but its looking extremely bleak in that area. Szmodics deserves his chance in the prem and I wish him all the very best for his efforts.

If somehow Szmodics is still a rovers player in September then he MUST be made captain. There is no other candidate that comes close to him IMO. The club is seriously lacking leaders on the pitch.

Completely agree. There is always plenty of decent Championship level players available on a free every summer, and yet Rovers never seem to do much in that area...or maybe they can't compete with other clubs in offering contracts, not sure. Tronstad was on a free last summer wasn't he? I'd call that one a win.

150k...it's all making a lot more sense as to how this deal has been done now 😂. But whatever, the fact is Rovers are signing someone for the first team, and at that price if he turns out to be decent it'll be labelled as a fantastic deal. Hopefully the young French lad is better than the U21s and can challenge for the first team as well.

Who knows whether this J-League player is any good or not, but there's certainly potential for it to be a decent signing. Danny Batth...really not sure about him but my judgment is clouded because of last summer's fiasco trying to bring him in, and the fact that he didn't exactly pull up any trees at Norwich. That being said, he'd be coming in as cover for an injured Wharton and a replacement for McFadzean. If O'Riordan turns out to be up to the task of championship football then that gives us Hyam, Carter, O'Riordan and Batth as 4 main centre halves. Not brilliant, but not bad either. Sign a new left back and there's also the option of Pickering filling in at CB as well if needed.

Thanks. Sounds like an U23s type signing to me, but hopefully he's something special.

Pardon by ignorance, but who is Mafoumbi? The only one I'm aware of used to be a goalkeeper for Morecambe and Blackpool.

Ipswich will be testing the waters with that first bid. They know Rovers are a mess so they'll have gone in with a low ball offer. I imagine they'll be back with another bid in the coming days / weeks.

Indeed. Jason Roberts at championship level was a monster. To have someone like him in this Rovers side is the stuff of dreams now. Sad.

This. 100% this.