I still don't understand what Southgate is trying to do. Again we are playing 4 at the back which totally goes against his selection of 4 right sides defenders. We've already seen Sancho drift more centrally. Which is when he's played his best stuff but then the team look unbalanced as we lose any width. Grealish has drifted to the left a lot where Rashford is. Kalvin Phillip's very slow in possession. I still have no idea what Southgates plan is. I'm not sure he does either

Good to see him signed up. Mini-moan now. Could be any reason as to why it's only for 3 years. But again it follows the trend of being slightly on the short side.

I think we have plenty of scope for players who play a 10 in pretty much the formation you've outlined. In fact having 2 number 10's but one inside right and one inside left. Which I realise isn't quite a 10. A hybrid of a 10 and an inside forward if that makes any sense. The full backs provide the width and then we have Mount, Foden and Grealish who are all perfect for those pockets behind Kane. Sancho can do the same to a slightly lesser extent. Its Rashford and Sterling I see as squad players and not commanding a spot in the starting 11. I'd post my own formation but it's the same as yours but with an emphasis on narrow and fluid for the forwards and either Grealish or Foden for Sterling. Importantly I'd be giving Kane strict instructions that primarily he is a striker. Dropping deep worked at spurs as their attacking players are more direct rather than fluid. For England it's not all about him. We don't need him for creativity. We need him to finish the moves.

For me 5 at the back works well. Our full backs are class and given the extra security of 3 centre backs it allows them to bomb forwards and provide all the width we need. Biggest benefit to this being our attacking players are very fluid as opposed to being out and out wide players. So our 3 up top becomes Kane and two free roaming 10's as opposed to Kane and two wide forwards.

Only way the 4 right backs make sense is if we are playing a wing back system. So James and Walker are RCB's and Tripper and Trent are wing backs. Personally I feel that is our stronger overall formation too. However if we begin to see Trent pushed into midfield I will be livid as that would be a true square peg. The players selected only work in a wing back system.

I don't think it is sour grapes. That's been their tune for a long time. I live in the city and wasn't impressed with the few games I went too prior to covid.

Think he will be available for more like £1million. He's not in the good books down in Pompey with his antics off the pitch. On the piss and scrapping same night as missing out on the playoffs. Bit of an attitude on it too. Not much pace and a one trick pony. Cuts in and shoots. Lad thinks he's a lot better than he is and all the Pompey fans I know would be glad to see him out the door.

Kante for Balon D'or? Certainly deserves to be in the top 3. He was always phenomenal but his ability carrying the ball has become world class too. Only other player I can see being deserving is Lewandowski.

I don't think in their eyes they bought a business. They bought a toy, a plaything. When it goes well, they invest, when it goes badly they don't make tough decisions, they lose interest. We are picked up and put down like they're on the playstation having a game of fifa.

I watched the whole game last night. Mainly because I've a soft spot for Villareal. My main takeaway from the game however, was watching United equalise, move into the ascendancy, look like the only team who were going to win it, to then watching Villareal make 5 subs in normal time and wrestle the game back. Solskjaer didn't make a sub until the 110th minute when it was clear his side had been running on empty since the 70th. It was ridiculous. You've only got to look at how Lingard has performed since leaving United and its embarrassing for Solskjaer. His reluctance to use any of his subs shows just how limited and lacking in faith he is.

More like La-boring et La-boring

I think Arma is going to be off regardless. So as well as the Raya clause it would probably be helpful having Brentford go up and taking Ivan Toney off the market too given he is the only player of comparison goals and age wise at this level.

I see that the reason we've offered Chapman a new deal is that at no point did we have an option in his contract to trigger an extra year. Mowbray specifically stated only about a month ago we would be triggering the additional year and that the reason Chapman went on loan was due to this always being the plan, so as he could gain first team experience and come back this year and push for a place in our side. We all knew Mowbray was lying when saying it was always the plan anyway. Whether Chapman is up to Championship level is another debate but its more concrete evidence of either Mowbray rewriting history now that we're skint and he can't pick and choose his favourites/not care about burning money or its concrete evidence of the shambolic way the club is run and us not actually knowing the expiry date of an assets contract.

Been saying this for some time as he's been linked for a couple of years on and off. Ronan Curtis is not good enough to make the step up. His mentality is terrible too. Watching him try and ping one from 40 yards in the left wing position today summed him up. He's a petulant, arrogant player who thinks he's significantly better than he actually is. And yes I've seen him play a lot.

The club may be in disarray but the community is still here. Fans may bicker but we're Rovers through and through. Football, life. Things can always get better.

Not even a post season zoom for Mowbray. The taps are truly turned off. Will he be sacked? Not a chance. He's just being ghosted. Pasha is not to be trusted either. His priority is doing as his bosses say which will be to recoup money. We are about to under sell our assets like how Cairney went under Bowyer. History is repeating itself. Again! I moved from the area when I was young so I'm not fit to comment on Blackburn as a town. But to me Rovers have always represented hard work, graft, punching above our weight so consistently that we earnt our right to belong. The underdog with just enough flair and skill to allow you to dream. Nothing handed on a silver platter. But more than anything pride, respect and doing things the right way. We weren't the best but we could hold our heads high. These owners don't represent any of us. They are the opposite. They had everything handed to them and they treat what has value to others with disregard, especially when the going gets tough. I'm not even talking about money. I just want to see integrity at the top. And this is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. Years of neglect and a slow, slow death.

I think we are desperate. Both Bell and Pickering for the price of Douglas wages. I do think with some of these contract renewals we haven't got a pot to piss in. So it's an area we can save a few quid. Which makes some sense. But we're desperate for Pickering to be good if Bell is the back up. On a separate note... It really grinds my gears that Mowbray is saying that he's not going to risk exposing out of contract players to injury as he did last season due to looking out for player welfare. In isolation I can understand that. But the players who he did that with last year were all given 3 month contract extensions. That grated at the time with them not being involved but now we know there was a 'gentlemen's agreement' not to involve them. That and pointless signings such as Downing, an area we were well over stocked in. Ainsley Pears when we had already brought in a capable number 1 and 2. It's no wonder we've got no money and can't afford to renew the contracts of our actual assets. It reminds me of teams in large businesses who make an effort at the end of the financial year to spend the remainder of their budget on anything since they know it will vanish otherwise. Mowbray dishes out any excess to his boys. As he's an honourable chap.

Good summary. Agree with the lot in the main. Though I'd have given Ayala 1 (worst signing in years) and Douglas 4. He's been poor but he's contributed. Elliott I'd give a 7. I think 9 is very generous. If he was ours then maybe I'd give him a higher mark. He's got a good number of assists and certainly been an asset. I think he leaves us very exposed though with a lack of work rate and physical presence and we've essentially spent a year developing Liverpools player.

I know the topic has gone off on quite the tangent but speaking of headers this had to be put in here. It's one of the best goals I've ever seen. I also don't understand how his knee didn't just explode upon landing.

Jansen could hover

What version you on? 2016?

See about as much of Ayala in his thread as we do of him on the pitch

Agreed. He is massively over-hyped. He does have talent but is a luxury. I can't see him as a wide man in a front 3. He's never going to have enough to play in a midfield 3. The only position I can see him in is as a 10 with no responsibilities. He is talented but his complete lack of physicality and most importantly pace will hold him back. I think bottom half Prem will be his ceiling. He reminds me a little bit of an old player. Played for Portsmouth for a little while. Andres D'Alessandro. Good footballer but tiny and slow. Only way to get the best out of him was to build everything around him.

They talk some crazy talk over on Facebook. Literally highlighted facts that there was a conflict of interest in waggotts position and was accused of being a mole set to do nothing but destabilise the club and Mowbrays position. Quite literally insane

Even if the super league was happening. No. Will have the quality to play in the prem but not towards the top. Real reason I came on this thread though. Looked very petulant coming off today. I'm glad Trav gave him a shove. Only positive from the entire game. Shame Travis could take that annoyance into his performance. Felt like because we were at Hillsborough he wanted to make a statement for the Liverpool fans again. That's some leap I know. But he was poor tonight (barring one great pass) I thought he was poor against Derby and has been so for a very long time. He's a passenger in our side as he offers so little off the ball that when he's doing nothing with it, it's like having 10 men. Edit: And before anyone says anything I'm aware we have half a team of passengers right now.