So sad to lose another of the sixties team so soon after Mike Harrison. So many wonderful memories they've let behind. Fred was such a powerful striker who feared nobody and who could score goals for fun. I remember being distraught when he was sold to Everton. RIP Fred.

Everton got the point they needed last night to get through. Between Rovers and Sheffield United for the other place.

Difficult conditions at Southport last night and a draw was probably a fair result. First half was fairly even with both sides having problems with the blustery conditions and a heavy and bobbly pitch. We had the better of the chances and Vale was unfortunate to have a goal ruled out for offside - which was a very tight decision. We started the second half on the front foot and took the lead after some brilliant play by young Buckley. However, as the half progressed we started to run out of steam a little as it looked as if playing two games in the space of four days had caught up with us. Nonetheless, it was a decent performance against a side who have already beaten us twice this season. Joe Rankin-Costello, Buckley and Mols had excellent matches but, once again, it was a real team performance. We now need Everton to do us a favour and take something from their last match against Sheffield whilst we need to beat Doncaster if we are to progress to the knock-out stages.

Different players. Butterworth is a player who likes to support the main striker - rather like Dack. Nuttall is more of a Danny Graham type striker. If it was understudying Dack I'd pick Butterworth everytime but if it's understudying Graham I'd favour Nuttall.

Possibly towards the end of the season if we are mid-table (which I expect) we might see one or two given the chance to see if they are ready. For me I'd have Danny Butterworth in over Brereton at the moment. In fact last night we were discussing Brereton and playing him in the under-23's but we came to the conclusion that he might struggle to get a place at the moment because of the speed at which the Under-23's play.

Terrific performance last night from all concerned - a real team performance. Down at their place earlier in the season we were hammered but last night you could see just how much we have improved over the season. Of course, going down to ten didn't help Leicester but, in fairness, we were already in the lead and looking very impressive. Tyler gets better with every game as does young Buckley in midfield. Butterworth, who didn't score, is another Speedie, constantly causing problems for the opposition with a fiery style of play. Mols looked back to his best after the injury and Joe had his best game since his long lay-off through injury. The new lad looked very comfortable when he came on as did Saadi who has really improved over the last few months. Our youth set-up certainly seems to be making real progress at the moment in terms of developing young players who look full of promise.

The last two games have illustrated just what a good League the Championship is in terms of entertainment value. On their day it seems any team can beat any other irrespective of form. Last week Hull came to Ewood on a good run and were given a football lesson. Yesterday we were given a similar football lesson by Brentford at Griffin Park. I have to say some of their football was sensational at times and Sawyers simply ran the game in midfield with none of our players able to get near him. Brentford's use of the wing-back system was as good as I've seen in a long time and their play in and around the Rovers area was exceptional. We made errors, of course we did, but sometimes you have to hold your hands up and simply accept we were beaten by a better side on the day. This game merely confirmed what I've always felt - we'll finish in mid-table and no disgrace in that.

Quite of few of the Under-23's are training with the first team squad everyday so that shouldn't make any difference to him on a day to day basis. The only difference will be that he gets 90 minutes football every week.

I just think they need to stick him in the Under-23's for a bit and allow him to play, score some goals and rebuild his confidence out of the spotlight. Sadly the price tag, which isn't the lad's fault, is probably the reason why we've been reluctant to do this. But with Butterworth improving with every match I believe Brereton may well fall further behind in the pecking order if things don't change. I think we all need to forget about the fee, put him in Under-23's and allow him to find some confidence and form over next few weeks.

He's looked pretty decent at this level and would expect him to move up to the Under-23's towards the end of this season. Difficult for the lad as he tries to adjust to a new country and learn a new language but he certainly looks a prospect.

Now the window is closed we can get back to football. Personally, and I know many on here will disagree, I think this window has more or less fitted in with what we were told at the consultation meeting in the summer. Both Mowbray and Waggott said they had told the owners that throwing money at it was not the way to go. That it had to be a gradual process in which the foundations were built on in a progressive way. That seems to be the approach we have adopted. I'm sure if he could have got Gallagher on loan he would - but Southampton didn't want to release him which is fair enough. We only have to look at Brereton to see how every deal is a gamble. Hopefully, the lad will come good given time - although personally I have my doubts. The January window is never the best for serious transfer business because fees become inflated as panic sets in. As it is both Travis and Nuttall now have the opportunity to show they are capable of holding down a place in the team/squad over the long term. The time to judge the strategy that the club is following is in a couple of years time, not just a few months into it. Mowbray and Waggott seem to have a good relationship with Mr. & Mrs. Desai and from what they say it would appear that the two brothers are not really involved now. I'm more than happy that we are now moving in the right direction with the right management/admin teams in place. If we finish outside the play-offs, which I've always thought we would, a mid-table finish would be perfectly acceptable and give us a platform on which to build.

There speaks someone who hasn't seen him play.

It still comes down to the player or players you want being available and then being available at a price/wage that is within your structure. If they aren't available or beyond your financial means then it's just wishful thinking. Gallagher on loan seems to be a realistic possibility but if Southampton say he is not available then there is little we can do. I would have been happy with Austin but the lure of the Premier League will obviously beat offers from Championship clubs. It's rather like Reed, who I would love to sign but can understand why the lad wants to go back to Southampton in the Summer to see if he can break into their team before committing himself to moving on.

I suppose it will depend on if he can help keep them up. If he does then it will be well worth it if it means another season of Premier League money flooding in. If the player we wanted is not available then there is little point in spending money just for the sake of it. We've been down that road before. Since Mowbray and Waggot only deal with Mr. and Mrs. Desai, according to what we've been told, there seems to be a far more sensible approach to transfer activities - although obviously the jury is still out on Brereton. Personally, I wouldn't be too disappointed to see out the season with what we have already. Although I'd loved to be proved wrong I honestly don't see us as serious promotion candidates nor have I ever thought we would go down.

Depends what it was for - sometimes you have a family crisis which is far more important than work. I'm not saying that is the reason but it just amuses me that you get pages and pages of speculation about players who the club may have no interest in at all and then everyone goes into meltdown when we don't sign a player who we may have had no interest in at all.

Perhaps the fact that he is from the north-east, a Newcastle fan as a lad, and may well have been visiting family for all we know and not anything to do with transfers.

Any deal for Assombalonga will come down to wages. I suspect the club won't be keen on disrupting the harmony within the group by smashing the wage structure for one player. The success we have enjoyed over the past eighteen months has been built on Mowbray getting together a group of players who are a 'team' in every sense of the word. I suspect Gallagher on loan would be a more realistic option, unless Assombalonga is prepared to accept the type of wages that are on offer at Ewood at present.

Sad news indeed. Like so many on here, of a certain age, Mike was a member of the best attack I've seen at this club. He was quick, direct and a goalscoring winger. Without doubt the best penalty taker I've seen. Looking at that team group on the website, it brought back many happy memories of watching was what an exciting brand of football played under Jack Marshall. RIP Mike and thanks for such wonderful memories.

Totally agree. Graham was outstanding in the way he held off defenders, brought the ball under control and laid it off. As you say, it was a master class in centre-forward play. Long may it continue as he's a joy to watch at the moment.

He didn't say that he wasn't searching the foreign market full stop, just that the January window is not the one he would want to use to bring in foreign players. I assume he means that a summer signing gives the player time to adjust to a move to a new country and a pre-season to adjust to English football. From previous interviews, he has talked about scouting across Europe for the right players. The fact that we have brought a Lithuanian player into the Academy set-up, one who has attracted a lot of attention from top flight clubs, suggests that we are looking abroad for players.

His actions are always in the best interests of the club - you may not like them or always agree with them, but he always has the best interests of the club at heart. John Williams wasn't everyone's cup of tea but he too, always had the best interests of the club at heart. I've found Steve to be the same. Personally, I think we are lucky to have him.

Jack Doyle isn't on loan anywhere. He returned with a bad injury some time ago. Sadly injuries have blighted Jack's progress during the last eighteen months. Certainly, Doyle looked a far better prospect when he was fully fit. I suspect the jury is out on Hart - although I believe that he had impressed on his return from Rochdale - and this enables the club to see how he goes at Southend.

Personally, I do think that he has made a real effort to meet as many different groups within the town and also the council to improve things. I know that he is not going to please everyone, some of the decisions he makes for sound commercial reasons are not always popular, but I really can't fault the guy for the effort he has put in over the past twelve months. As I say, he has an open door policy, like John Williams, and his enthusiasm for the club is clear to see if you talk to him.

You couldn't be more wrong Stuart. Steve has engaged with supporters from day one and I've found him to be very similar to John Williams, in that his door is always open to supporters and he's extremely approachable. The fact that he is also trying to put the club on a proper business footing is only a good thing. FFP, whether we like it or not, means clubs have to get their houses in order. We have criticised the club for not doing that in recent years and now we have someone who is working hard to do so. Of course, not every decision is going to please everyone, but so far I've found him a breath of fresh air in turning the off the field business around. Indeed, I would say the club is now being run in the same way that it was with John Williams and Tom Finn and that the present 'management' team is pretty good to be honest. I've found them all very approachable and genuinely concerned for the interests of Blackburn Rovers.

I suspect, although I may be wrong, AAK was talking about the old Central League that existed prior to the Academy system being introduced. I would agree that up to the early 1980s the old Central League was a far better standard. 42 games were played, mainly on Saturday afternoons, on the home team ground - not training grounds or non-League grounds. You had established internationals lining up on a regular basis and many players had an entire career that was spent playing Central League football with occasionally first team outings. It was a tough learning ground but its the one that produced generations of top class players. I remember being on Ewood in the early sixties when you could get gates of a couple of thousand for games not the couple of hundred you get today. Today, players can face each other at U15, U16, U18 and then U23 level but without ever coming into contact with senior pros until they make the first team - thus the jump from U23 to first football seems huge. I would agree with you Stuart that there has been some good football played at times by our development squad over the past couple of seasons in particular.