Exiled_Rover

We're nearly halfway through the season and people are still clamoring after a tough tackling, mobile CM. You're simply not going to get much better than Travis at this level for that job... and what he's proven is that we need a CM that can pass the ball.

Why would someone bid £25m for Chris Wood in January? Teams get desperate, especially those trying to stave off relegation. I personally don't think the right offer will come in, but football is a funny old game.

But he is for sale. JDT has been refreshingly honest in his interviews so far. He's said that promotion isn't part of the plan this year - i.e. enjoy riding this wave and he's aware that if the right bid comes in we'll sell Brereton. As good as a player Brereton is, we'd be foolish to turn down £10-15m for him. That money could be re-invested into our threadbare squad. It'll all come down to people meeting our valuation within a certain timeframe i.e. leaving us enough time to get a couple of replacements in. Deadline day transfers will be told to f' off, as they were in the summer. Where we are in the league at the time will be irrelevant I think.

He's not converting chances at the ridiculous rate he was pre-Christmas 2021. That's about the only difference.

You've clearly not been listening to JDT's "Team first" messages. Armstrong is the most selfish player I've ever seen at Blackburn Rovers.

On talent he should be on the bench - albeit he clearly can't turn anymore after those two knee injuries. Obviously something has gone on behind the scenes - we'll find out what eventually.

They're genuinely not good enough to get near him if he's on song.

Ignoring his stellar playing career for a moment, JDT is a guy that has won back-to-back Allsvenskan titles - Malmo finished 7th this year, btw - he knows how to win. He also works with these players every day. He's (and Remy Reijnierse) quickly worked out what they can and can't do. Yes, we're 2nd in the league, but we've got there by putting in professional performances i.e. nicking a goal then shutting up shop. I'm sure he'd love to play a more cavalier style of football and blow teams away... but we simply don't have those players at the moment. Barring an amazing January transfer window, this is how we win games this season - at the moment it's enough to have us in the automatic places, long may it continue. If it doesn't, well we've been told since JDT arrived that this is a project so we shouldn't be too disappointed.

Give over, Lowe couldn't lace Travis' boots. As for the 'without an engine' comment, I think A. Wharton is a vastly superior player to Travis, but I bet Lewis destroys him in any sort of fitness challenge. The problem with Travis is that he had the creativity hammered out of him by Mowbray who wanted him to be another Smallwood - a midfield destroyer. At his best he's a box-to-box CM, i.e. he's a runner who can tackle and support. What he's not, nor will ever be, is a passer - which is what JDT wants his CMs to do. We desperately need another CF, someone with power and pace who can hurt teams on the break / chase balls down in the channels and generally just put the fear of god into teams.

I think the second we drew a PL team away our cup run was over. We've been using the competition as a chance to play our second XI, I don't think he'll change from that plan.

I reckon we'll end up selling him to a L2 team for a decent price. He gets bullied in the Championship, but he'll have more time to play at lower levels.

We're crying out for pace upfront. Neither Vale or Dolan are a threat to run onto a long ball. We're very easy to defend against when they're on in that situation.

I'd play with a back 3 just to get after them on set pieces. That extra height causes havoc.

I suspect their Board and fans won't stand for that. It's why Mowbray had a face like thunder for his last 6 months here when it was clear the Venkys weren't going to re-new his contract. He's never had it so good and he knew it.

Yes, but he can't play 90 minutes twice a week - 60 minutes a match appears to be his limit at the moment. I'm surprised Buckley is so out in the cold, he'd be ideal for this style of football.

I'd probably go with the 3-5-2 formation against Burnley and look to frustrate them in attack and score from set pieces.

Any big, strong, fast and direct PL striker loanees on offer? We'd be a much different proposition if we had someone to bring off the bench (or indeed start in place of Gallagher) that troubled defences on the break.

I don't know if it even is playing 'badly' - by my count Huddersfield had one chance and that was a blocked cross that their winger toe poked back into the box. We looked very, very good in the first half and on another day Brereton could have had a hattrick (how he missed that chance that Hedges put on a plate for him I'll never know). At some point in every second half JDT reverts to a very defensive look to see the game out - it's clearly by design, but it's certainly not enjoyable for the fans.

Ah, now I know why JDT can do no right in your eyes.

All this with a 5 week dead period between Mowbray leaving and JDT coming in during the summer, leaving us very little time to get our transfer business in order - Mowbray left him a very weak, inbalanced squad. From my seat in the Jack Walker you can see what style of football he's trying to play and the players he's missing to play it consistently. You can also see him adapting to the situation and getting the team to work hard for each other to put in professional performances. Hyam, Brittain and Szmodics all look like very good permanent signings. We haven't seen Mola yet and the less said about Hirst the better at the moment, but Morton has become the rock of our midfield on loan too. Added to that the improvement in Pickering, Gallagher and Hedges (he's literally a key player for us now) in such a short period of time is astounding. Not to mention he's sensibly blooding some very impressive Academy graduates in Phillips, Garrett and A. Wharton (I'm hoping Batty and Leonard join them soon). I'm excited to see what this side looks like in August 2023.

I hope Broughton has a quality loanee in mind. Someone with strength and pace would bag a hatful in this team.

The lad behind them isn't bad too.

I genuinely think he's just got nobody to bring off the bench to win us a game, or indeed change it. What he does have on the bench (which is ironic considering the last guy promised them) is a plethora of quality Championship defenders, so he knows he can shut up shop. At the moment Gallagher can't last 90 minutes and you'd be loathe to risk Hedges for the full 90 coming back from injury - and their backups are miles off their standard. I'm clearly in the minority here, but I think JDT is doing an incredible job managing the meagre resources he's been handed (he keeps referencing 12 out, 6 in for a reason!) and continues to eke out results, even if it's not the prettiest for the full 90 minutes (there are passages of wonderful play in there).

He has good feet when he gets the ball under control. It's the rest of his game I worry about - too slow, too easily bullied off the ball and his movement is poor.

Another professional performance in my opinion. The strength of our team is that back 3 (albeit I'd very rarely start with all 3 of them on the pitch at the same time). JDT loves shutting up shop and has confidence in those 3 (and Kaminski) seeing the game out. It's our 8th clean sheet so it clearly works. Personally think we squandered a few golden chances to kill the game off, but another comfortable win.