It depends how you spin in really. If they intervened on Rothwell because they thought (or had been told) they couldn’t adequately replace him with the funds offered, then the decision not to sell him makes perfect sense. If they intervened on Brereton because they thought (or had been told) they couldn’t adequately replace him with the funds offered… or if signing a player for circa ~7M and selling him for circa ~8M vs. him leaving for free in 12 months makes hardly any difference to FFP, then it makes sense.

Clubs that get out this league in recent history have one thing: money. Either through player development and trading (Brentford), Parachute Payments (Burnley) or huge city-based income (Leeds). Our big chance was when we had just been relegated but the people running and managing the club were totally incompetent. Waggott is incapable (he would say it is impossible) of revolutionising income at a club like Rovers. Therefore the only proven model is player trading - develop players, sell them, have a recruitment system in place capable of replacing them. That is the reason why suddenly the academy is the future: because we need to make profit from the players it develops in order to fund transfers. Phillips, Batty, Wharton, Leonard, they’ve thrown all the eggs in that basket. FFP means clubs in our position cannot possibly spend their way out of it however rich the owners are.

I think it’s exactly what is needed and is realistic. I thought that when Mowbray was saying it, I just didn’t believe he was capable of delivering it. I’ve believed since he was appointed the odd decisions and trials have been tests to work out which players are capable and which aren’t. They (the management) aren’t passionate about the town, it’s people or Blackburn Rovers like the fans are. They’re interested in ‘the project’. Once you accept that it’s a lot easier.

The players are more disposable than the system nowadays.

…you’re scraping you’re targets and just getting by! Retirement is pending, no money you’re spending, Leave Brockhall alone and get out of our hair.

Will Adam be allowed on the coach?

If Gally is through one on one I’m expecting him to finish. If Hirst is through one on one I’m worried how the opposition will counter.

Arguably one of the coldest grounds in the league. The thing is made of breezeblocks. Take two coats, a hat and gloves.

I think I’ve only had one of the three messages here. Send me your addresses please @oldjamfan1 and @Darrenbot, I’m only doing one trip to the post office!

Some would say there’s something going on, it’s almost like his head has fallen off since the Burnley game.

Catch, @K-Hod

And Nkunku, who’s just signed for Chelsea for 60M.

France have a superb keeper - Mike Maignan, AC Milan’s first choice keeper who is out injured. They were also missing their first choice left back Lucas Hernandez, Kante and Benzema. They’d have comfortably won it with those four.

Argentina manager deserves props here. Keeping Di Maria as a threat so far on the left hand side of the pitch is making it almost impossible for France to attack down the opposite side without stretching the pitch. France will put Mbappe central second half to try and counter it.

Phillips seems to be the answer to the Ayala question.

Best team in the league by far, sadly. If they ask, make sure you say they’re buying the league. They don’t like that at all.

Yep - I remember singing “we want Steve Kean out” in the Blackburn End before a game had started.

Sorry to be the negative one, but I’m not getting ahead of myself. If their manager lasts until the New Year I’ll be impressed. That was a performance of a team of players that have turned against the manager and the fans where booing from the second minute. We played well and deserved the result but there’s clearly problems at Norwich.

They’ll sack the manager before the new year - they’re clearly a team suffering as some of the players throw their toys out the pram. Not getting carried away..

A bit of fight shown for once as well. Dolan and Hanley. Kaminski against Pukki, although the players took a while to come over and support then Dolan and their left back. Now JRC and Henandez. Been asking for this for a while now. A bit of passion, some fight.

Dolan and Buckley have worked their socks off. Dack has played well. We look a better team four at the back than we do five. As far as I’m concerned the following are key players, the rest are up for debate… Kaminski Brittain Hyam ? Pickering ? ? Gallagher ? Brereton Dolan

Meh, fair play. Great local sponsor that. EG should be our equivalent.

I’m taking that back - they nearly scored because he went AWOL again.

Are they sponsored by Lotus as in the car brand? If so, is that a sponsor they got while in the Premier League? Are they local? Assuming it is, it blows my mind how they’re sponsored by a luxury car brand and we’re sponsored by E-cigs.

JRC seems to have picked up a touch. I’ve given him plenty of shit, so it’s only fair I say he’s played well this second half.