I noticed that Dan Pike from the U23 squad has been given a squad number over the weekend so you just never know. Hate to be negative considering the recent results and the fight the lads have shown over the last week or so, but you do have to wonder if this one will be a game too far for us with the injuries piling up.

Haha We're in trouble if we're basing things off what Mrs Desai thinks on a football level.

I said this on the opening page of the Barnsley thread, and have to say the lads proved me wrong this week, two real scraps of games that we have ground out and come away with 6 points. Some might disagree but after the thumping wins, these wins prove to me more that we could actually be up at the top end challenging. Key now is to try and grind out some wins away from home when we're under the cosh. Delighted.

He wouldn't dare. Remember his perfectly balanced and valid article about Sam Gallagher back in February?

Another beauty from Football Town on the way.... https://footballtown.com/products/the-red-rose-special-edition?fbclid=IwAR3kc-R9ek2hbNVT2ZpP3KrJXHV1ghXZvReKXR5IpcjvzuMWlsOOM5kFLJk

It was meant to be yeah, the only reason it wasn't on TV after the restart was because sky's commentators couldn't bang on for 90 minutes about the 7000 Leeds fans there.

Ah yeah of course. Some real optimism around Ewood that night. There was an away game at Doncaster on a Friday night too the season before, but I don't think that was televised.

Hard to believe it took until the end of October last season for this lad to even get a start because Mowbray preferred Bennett ? I think he's brilliant, especially on Saturday with him having a hand in both goals. I don't see him signing a new deal here though unfortunately.

I can only think of two live Friday night games on sky since relegation in 2012, both in our first season down against Middlesbrough & Wolves.

Obviously a terrible day but a great pic, both my mum and grandad went to that and my mum still has a dislike for Palace even now. My grandad always said it was a toss up between this and the 1960 cup final for his worst. My first trip down there was for the opening game of the 92-93 season, I think there was still a bit of tension there that day due to the events of 3 years earlier!

Only 3 televised games for Rovers in the whole of 2020. One weekend game One midweek where the other fixtures weren't on the red button One midweek where the other fixtures were on the red button

To be fair I'm sure we have all heard a grumble or two about BB, as I'm sure we all have had a moan ourselves about him (although some won't admit it.) I think this happens all over the country, with 99% of players to be honest. Yet here with Brereton some are trying to make out like the whole of Ewood is out there baying for his blood. I still remember as clear as day in 1994 sat in the riverside as Shearer went 7 or 8 games without scoring, I would have been 12/13 at the time and I clearly remember grown men in there 40s tutting and shouting "he's lost it that lad", "f*****g s**t Shearer" etc etc. It's one that has always stuck with me and from then on I've pretty much learned to take no notice of it as if he can get "abuse" then anyone can.

Of course he isn't, that wasn't the point though. Just a wild estimated guess at what a pay as you play contract might be like at Rovers in 2020.

Yep that's how it works. There was something in Jansen's autobiography when he signed a pay as you play deal with us in 04 that his basic salary was a couple of hundred quid a week, that jumped to something like 10k when he played. So with inflation I'm guessing a standard pay as you play deal for someone like us now would be 1k a week or something.

Maybe I'm harsh and I don't mean to be, but if he can't handle that then he's probably in the wrong game unfortunately.

Very true. However, I also think there is something seriously wrong that despite having the best GD in the league, and the leagues top goalscorer, we still sit in 12th!

Why on earth this lad was on the wing this time last year I'll never know. He's been brilliant at times this season and definitely needs a new deal, I have a feeling he'll going back to Germany though.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't really want or need to see a "ball playing centre back". Get your toe, head, knee what ever on things and give it to the lads in midfield who can influence things further up the pitch. He's had a couple of good games coming in has Wharton, and at least should be above Williams in the pecking order now, as I think we all know as soon as Ayala is fit that Wharton is back on the bench.

Again, the lads who have the shirt deserve to keep them for this game. Dolan looks like the perfect impact sub at the minute.

I was about to come in and say something similar. BB has been immense at times this season, and I'm not taking anything away from him because it's a huge upturn from the lad we have seen over the past two years. One thing where a pattern develops with him though, is that the games he has been unplayable in are the games where we have gotten on top really early and scored the first goal. Very much a confidence player that needs the whole team playing well to benefit him. In the games where things haven't been going for us, or have been really tight he has been pretty much anonymous, if/when he can start changing games like this where the rest of our lads aren't really at the races, then I think we could have a real player on our hands.

To be honest if we beat both Barnsley and Milwall 1-0 with 30% possession, I would take more satisfaction over them wins that the Wycombe, Derby, Coventry & PNE games put together. Good sides at this level win ugly a lot of the time, something we need to do now. I'm not conviced we have it in us but lets see.

Been here many times under Mowbray. 02/02/19 - 2 points off the play offs after 4 wins in a row, we go 2-0 up at Brentford only to lose 5-2, then go on to lose 9 of our next 11 games 23/12/19 - 5 wins from our previous 6 and only 1 point off the play offs, up against second bottom Wigan at Ewood, we draw 0-0 and go 6 without a win. 27/06/20 - After beating one of our nearest rivals we again find ourselves in 7th place, and again 1 point off the play offs with a better goal difference than anyone around us. We then lose our next 3 in a row, two to relegation threatened sides in Wigan and Barnsley and don't threaten again. History tells us we'll get probably get one or two points from these next two home games, lets see if anything is actually different this time.

The quoted post is from last year.

I think all the midweek away games were made available for ST holders.

Didn't they win at home on Sat? Sure I saw that because I breathed a huge sigh of relief.