I not sure what your point is 47er. The manager signs the players he wants and can afford. You or I have no influence over that so why waste energy being angry. At the end of the day it's his job that's on the line if he gets it wrong. Like all supporters I want us to be the best we can be but at the moment I honestly believe that we are a mid-table Championship club, one who will finish somewhere between 10th and 16th. I honestly don't believe this squad is poor enough to take us down but I'm not convinced they are good enough to take us up. Like last season they'll string results together and then go on a losing run. At the end of the day much will depend on how the likes of Gallagher and Brereton develop this season along with the new lad from City. A fit Williams would add competition in the centre of defence as I thought he and Lenihan did OK towards the end of last season. There is still a week left in the transfer window so we'll see if the manager can bring in the players who give us what we need. A commanding centre half of the McNamee, Hawkins, Moran variety would be my wish but I'm not buying the players or paying the wages so I can't really influence who we bring in. Yes I enjoy attending matches at all levels with friends and yes I want us to win every game. But a lifetime of supporting Rovers has taught me that disappointment is never far away.

I thought the game turned the moment he withdrew Armstrong and Downing and introduced Graham and Rothwell. We lost all momentum at that point and the two subs did nothing to justify the change as it completely upset the balance of the team. I thought Downing and Johnson look positive additions but I'll reserve judgment on Gallagher and Walton at this point. Once again we conceded two very soft goals - although in fairness we also scored a soft goal. On the evidence of pre-season and today I would think that Hart will be given a chance at left-back when fit as I thought Bell and Bennett were poor today. Early days but I still think we have more than enough in the squad for a comfortable mid-table season. Looking at the results today it just shows how difficult and unpredictable the Championship is.

I think that's what Bolton fans said - and then Anderson arrived!

Personally, I would much prefer to see the survival of famous old clubs like Bury rather than worry about missing out on my first game of the season. I remember Stanley going out of the League in 61-62 and look how long it took to get League football back in that town.

Personally, I think the EFL have a lot to answer for with regard to what's happening to clubs today. As you say the rules and regulations are flimsy at best and then seem to be applied as and when the EFL feel like it. It's always the long-suffering supporters who have to endure the prospect of seeing a beloved club go under because of the incompetence of others. The old concept of owners being merely custodians of clubs and handing them on from one generation to the next seems long gone. When I first started watching Rovers most fans would have been hard pressed to name the directors of a club - today the owners are often THE story in newspapers. Egos, money and football - a deadly combination it would seem.

Be careful what you wish for. If our owners ever decide to pull the plug we will be in the same boat as Bolton and Bury. The League should do everything in their power to prevent these famous old clubs from going under, particularly as they sanctioned the owners who got them into this mess.

I think Nuttall has tremendous potential in terms of pace, power, physique etc. However, there is something missing - that something that I can't quite put my finger on. He drifts out of games and seems to lose concentration. He improved around the turn of the year after Mowbray had words with him but then his game drifted again, in my opinion, towards the end of the season. We played Everton on a number of occasions last season and I compared him with Bassala Sambou and that lad seem to have that missing ingredient. I dearly wish Nuttall comes good because, as I've said, I think he has all the physical attributes required but that certain something that makes great strikers. Hopefully we can loan him out somewhere that will enable him to play first team football on a regular basis and then come back and score goals for us. As I don't know Tony Mowbray I wouldn't what he and his pals think of Nuttall. I only know what I think as someone who has watched him an awful lot since he arrived and as someone who really wants him to succeed at this club.

Everton play at Southport. Rovers moved from Morecambe to Leigh a number of years ago and for the past couple of seasons have been at the Lancashire FA headquarters at Leyland. It just seems that over the years a number of our players who drop down the leagues seem to end up at Southport at some point on their travels. With regard to Chapman and Armstrong I would say that Armstrong is a far better player at this point in time and Chapman will have his work cut out to get a starting place based on what we have seen in pre-season.

Decent run out for the Under-23's at a very wet Brockhall today. Southport had six former Ewood men in their line-up and gave a good account of themselves with Charlie Albinson outstanding in goal. Nuttall came up with two, the first a superb free kick over the wall which beat Albinson all ends up. However, Nuttall's general play was not quite so impressive. Chapman, again, flattered to deceive and despite his pace there was no end product until the final stages when he created the goal for Nuttall. Danny Butterworth, recovering from illness, was lively. The back three of Louie Annesley, Tyler and Matty Platt, were rarely troubled and looked comfortable. Brad Lyons was the pick of the players for me with a very good display in midfield. It will be interesting to see who Mowbray keeps and who goes out on loan. My guess is that Platt, Tyler, Lyons and Nuttall will be given the opportunity to taste first team football elsewhere for the first half of the season before re-evaluating in January.

Agreed Gavlar, my examples are old - bit like me - but are merely to illustrate that different clubs work in different ways. The role of a sporting director who buys and sells players as opposed to the manager is probably the way we are headed and is very similar to the American model of a General Manager and a Team Manager. I don't think that will happen with the present manager at Ewood but I can see it happening in the not too distant future when Mowbray leaves if someone like Johnson was appointed as manager to work with the players and a senior figure appointed above doing the administrative work, including the selling and buying . We had something a little bit similar in the late sixties when Eddie Quigley was the team manager and Johnny Carey returned to Ewood as an administrative manager. Quigley worked with the players and Carey did the paperwork etc.

It seems similar to the Busby/Murphy - Clough/Taylor relationships in terms of the manager and the assistant handling different aspects of the job. Then Waggott and the owners either sanction a deal or don't. Every club handles things differently. Personally I don't see a problem with it. At some clubs the manager has no say in who is bought and sold - it's done by others and the manager just coaches what he is given.

Tony Carss. I think Darragh Tuffy was assisting him.

Comfortable win for the Under-23's at Kendal last night. Four first half goals in a seven minute spell - Vale, Chapman 2 and Nuttall - proved far too much for Kendal. Credit to them they worked hard in the second half, as the Rovers seemed to ease off, but never threatened our goal. Louie Annesley again looked impressive at the back whilst Tom White and Brad Lyons held the midfield with little difficulty. Chapman troubled them with his pace in the first half but often tried to beat one man too many and faded out of the picture in the second half - clearly still working on his fitness. Nuttall troubled them with his strength and power but his finishing was erratic at times. An enjoyable night in a very warm Kendal.

Have to say that we spent a very enjoyable time in the Louden before the game. Everyone was very friendly and the staff were excellent. Great place to go for a pre-match drink.

Thanks for a very sensible assessment of the position we are in. I totally agree with everything you say. I'm sure a few years ago both Bolton and Bury fans were saying someone will buy us - and they did and look where they are now. Slow and steady progress may not be exciting but I'm more than happy to keep on that path rather than gamble the future of the club away. As you say, massive mistakes were made early on but we can't alter that - the past is the past - we can only look to the future and, sadly, our income streams mean we are always going to be up against it with regard to FFP.

We were told at the last consultation meeting by both Steve Waggott and Mike Cheston that it would be tight with regard to FFP by next summer.

In the seventies and eighties they used a different badge on the shirts - a rose head in full bloom with the initials BRFC underneath. However, at the same time today's badge was used on programmes.

Thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to Ibrox and walking around the stadium you really get the sense of just what a huge club it is. Spent time in a Rangers pub decorated with photos of former heroes - Souness, Dawson, Munro, Tugay, Ferguson, Amoruso amongst them - and the folk couldn't be friendlier. For a pre-season game it was a competitive, enjoyable affair and served it's purpose in giving players time on the pitch - which is what pre-season is about after all. Travis and Buckley looked a good partnership in the second half and Hart continued to look decent at left-back. I thought we looked good during the first twenty minutes and the last twenty minutes with Rangers dominating the middle part of the game. We looked better with the high pressing game we played in the second half when younger legs caused them problems, It was during this latter period that our passing finally started to cause them problems.

I must admit although I don't buy these shirts I do like this away kit. It's different, seems a touch more modern than what we usually have and when you are changing shirts every year you might as well have something that is distinctive. When I first started watching the Rovers the away kit, like the home kit never changed. Never a hint of red on the home shirts and the away kit was a plain red shirt. Commercialism in sport means shirts have to change on a yearly basis and tradition really counts for very little when there is money to be made! That is not unique to Rovers it's the same at every club. As with everything, some will love it some will hate it. The success or failure of this away kit will be dictated by sales and I suspect it will sell well simply because it's the 'latest' kit. Personally, I would congratulate whoever came up with the design for actually coming up with something different.

Luke Brennan

A decent performance tonight by an Under-23 team that was largely made up of the Under-18's. Jordan Eastham saved a penalty in the first half and looked fairly assured in goal. The defence was very well organised by Louie Annesley, who looked solid at the back. Daniel Pike was his usual steady self at left-back and continues to look a very good prospect. Stef Mols scored a spectacular overhead kick to give us the lead and Jack Vale came on at the interval and quickly made it two. There were a number of decent performances from the likes of Zimba, Boyomo and Brennan but Mols was really outstanding. Brad Lyons ought to have scored early on with a well worked move.

Enjoyable enough night at Mansfield and the youngsters looked impressive over 90 minutes. Butterworth and Buckley looked very comfortable at this level and coped with some physical challenges. Andy Fisher made some excellent saves in the second half. A night when Mowbray gave the young players game time, and left the likes of Mulgrew and Dack on the bench, and in fairness they did exceptionally well against decent opposition. I suspect Sunday will be the time when we see an eleven that will give us an idea as to the players who will be starting the League season.

If you intend attending every away game then the away travel season ticket works out cheaper than buying coach tickets on a match by match basis. I think this season it works out at something like an average of £18 per trip with the away travel season ticket.

When they introduced the 1875 membership scheme it became part of the away travel package. The away travel season ticket tends to be flexible in terms of price from one year to the next - due to the distances travelled and fuel costs. You also have to remember that if you travel by car or rail and decide not to go to games you incur no costs. With the away travel season ticket you pay up front for the season and if you don't go to the game you lose that money unless your seat on the coach can be sold to another supporter. The real benefit with away travel, particularly in the past, is that you are guaranteed match tickets. This proved usual during our brief excursion in League One at a couple of grounds but these days has no real benefit unless we reach a Cup Final. I must admit that I got full benefit from the 1875 membership over the past couple of seasons with things that I was able to get from the Club shop with little or no cost due to points on the membership scheme.

The cost of the away travel season ticket includes the fee for 1875 membership - thus if you are an away travel season ticket holder you automatically become an 1875 member.