What's the point of playing possibly one of the 5 or so best sides in the world at this stage of the season? Perhaps if we were fighting relegation and needed to put the defense through the wringer, but we're looking to push on towards top 6! Has to have been some sort of economic incentive.

Anyone care to give an update on tangible rumors (if any) that has come up regarding transfers? I've been more or less off the football grid since the pandemic started.

...and I recommended us signing Sebastian Andersson, who didn't score in the game in question but has notched 11 in the Bundesliga this season so far, when he was available on a free transfer from 2nd Bundesliga about a year ago!

I think we tend to underappreciate how Rovers were a measly four points from a Champions League qualification in the 05/06 season. If we had beaten Arsenal away instead of losing 0-3 earlier in the season, we might have been in the mix for those places for the final round of games.

Part of a dismal era (and only played one season), but such a class striker. Big, strong, technically gifted and even fairy quick!

At one point I really thought we had a player in Ben Marshall. He had a great season in 14/15 as a winger, then Bowyer moved him into central midfield/number 10 role (something I remember a lot of people here, me included, were excited about) and it never really came off, and he somehow never found his feet again before succumbing to injuries and a bad attitude.

Fantastic before that though. Most accomplished header off a ball I've seen at Rovers.

I honestly thought Akpan was OK at the time, gave a woeful midfield some defensive stability.

A few days back I was reminded that Souness briefly used Jonathon Douglas in the team when we were struggling at the tail end of his tenure, Douglas even scored in that 4-3 win against Fulham that Stead clinched. Must be rare for one of our own products to have taken a place in central midfield, in the Premiership no less, only to completely go off the radar in just a season's time. Then there's Dunny... Had a decent career as a whole, but he looked so damn good in the promotion season and first season in the PL before getting on the wrong side of Souness and all the injuries.

This deal broke down, and Olsson has now signed a three month contract (for a total of less than £1.000!) with his home town club Helsingborg in order to keep fit while waiting for football to start again. He probably doesn't fit out current business model and would be some way off from match fitness, but he should be very much available.

I never saw those goals back in 2003, only read about them, and this showed up in my Youtube feed. Besides, it's an interesting reminder of a bygone, yet not that distant era, where we signed respected players and developed several prospects of our own, for the world stage rather than the English second tier. Lots of blasts from the past as well. Classy players like Jansen och Cole, workers like Flitcroft, Emerton and Thompson, and just plain odd signings like Baggio and Gresko.

We really battered them at home, could have scored five there and should have gone through if it weren't for bad finishing and excellent goalkeeping from their guy. Speaking of goalkeeping, Friedel doesn't exactly cover himself in glory for their first goal in the away tie, even though it's a good finish.

I wonder how many Championship midfielders live up to that?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/feb/25/boxing-deontay-wilder-blames-ring-walk-outfit-knockout-loss-tyson-fury Embarrassing. I though he handled himself gracefully in the immediate post bout interviews, but stuff like this is just laughable. Does he/his team think we're all idiots? Or is he such a narcissist that he needs justifications like this in order to move on?

Joshua has fought and beaten big lunks before, but on the evidence of his last fight I'd almost rather see Ruiz fight Fury at this stage. Still, Joshua is pretty much the only big name left for Fury to put away after having beaten Wilder, I don't really see anyone coming up behind him at present.

Shaun Wright-Phillips has an 18 year old son? Those Wright men seem to settle in early.

My immediate association after seeing that starting 11:

And everyone who goes on about how Chapman is our salvation will be put to the test...

I'm not saying you're wrong, but Mowbray clearly signed him to play in that weird striker on the wing-role he likes to employ. We're much more likely to see him there than as the lone striker.

With Rothwell out for a month I don't see Brereton leaving.

Every club where a player has been between the ages of 12-23 gets to share 5 % when he generates a transfer sum. In other words, we'd be getting a bit of compensation, but nowhere near £5 million.

I've been impressed with Atsu when I've seen him play for Ghana, and he's played almost 20 games for a not terrible PL side already this season. My only reservation would be that I'm not sure he has the motivation to step down to the Championship on loan and push on from there, I'd rather have a hungry player with something to prove.

Reel it in a bit... If it turns out to be someone with the pedigree of Baines, Albrighton or Antonio, I'll eat my hat.

GET THE **** IN!!!!

Anyone else thinking "How are they going to screw this one up?"