It'd be somehow very Rovers if, 21 games into the season, our first draw was the derby game. Its a bit silly how anxious I am to even see the half time subs (if any!)

would this count as a draw for hoodoo purposes?

Opinion that will go down like a lead balloon - If we could find a new good left back from somewhere I'd be half tempted to try Pickering in midfield - he's got a great range of passing and can tackle, but against a fast winger he's just too slow and gets minced. He's been one of our better players this season and he'd be less exposed on the left of a midfield three.

The Wharton-Morton-Wharton spine is doing a job

Surely if three of our (on paper) more talented players don't fit the system then the system should be evaluated? We can't really afford to just write them off.

It must have been really tempting to hoover up free transfers or whomever was available early in the window just to get bodies in to fill the squad up. Nine times out of ten you end up with an unbalanced unit and a manager having to try to come up with a system to fit the mess of players through the door. Now all the shouting is over I think it's been quite a brave window - giving first team minutes to the youngsters to really test them (but also dropping them again if they don't perform) and then looking to fill the gaps with the correct players and not panicking if we have to wait a bit to sign them. I think that keeping BBD is calculated, as having his quality in the side makes up for a bit of inexperience elsewhere - every goal he scores balances out a potential mistake from one of the teenagers. Not cashing in on him buys us a season to fix the squad up, rather than just a transfer window. I expect that by January the current group of players will be thoroughly evaluated and we can probably expect a similar approach in the transfer window then. Given all the outgoings this is probably the only time I can really buy into a 'two or three transfer windows to sort out the squad' approach. I would have liked that extra out and out striker, but considering we got in a RB, CB, LB (utility), CM, and a Forward, and spent money doing it, I think it's got to go down as quite a good window. Start compiling the shortlists for January.

Makes sense for bowler, premier League wage to take a year's holiday in Greece... Nice work if you can get it

Mola is an England youth international - we seem to have been targeting those in the past few years with bbd, Armstrong etc. Fits the bill, fills positions we're a bit thin in

Jeez, front three of Dembele, Diaz and Hirst and just let them chop and change between themselves during the game - that'd do

200k per week, per reports, you're a bit out of date. Anyone got our total wage bill to hand?

Something along the lines of? Kam Travis Ayala Phillips Pickering Morton Wharton Hedges Dack Dolan BBD Struggling to keep up with the formation changes - Got to say that for all it hasn't worked so far JDT isn't afraid of shuffling the pack to try and find something that does a job. Good god do we need reinforcements though.

I'd be happy with caulker as an 'and' signed - ie. At the end of the window you get a report that reads 'Blackburn rovers have been busy in the transfer window with the late signings of X,y,z and also picking up veteran journeyman Caulker on a free as defensive cover...' If he's the headline then I withold comment on the grounds the mods have enough to be getting on with

My main takeaways from the game - The talk of our youngsters not being professional standard is off the mark. Even the players that honestly I don't think many of us expect to make it into our first team at this point (Annesley, JRC etc) look fine Vs league 2 opposition, and could plausibly end up at a higher level than that. The younger players that we do have some hopes for (A. Wharton, vale etc) looked to outclass a decent league 2 outfit. Our youth setup is doing good work. They won't all end up with us, but I'd be surprised if many of them dropped into non league unless they have attitude problems. From the highlights I didn't recognise Dack for the shape he's got himself into. Misread his shirt number and thought he has one of the kids in midfield, initially thought 'amazing first touch but might be a bit lightweight'. Lovely game from him though, needs to be playing.

The five minute warning is dated August 1st

Like, Sancho was good for Dortmund right? I'm not inventing that? Goal involvement (scoring or assist) better than every other game if memory serves. Not sure id prefer him to Hedges at the moment. Edit - tell you what Raya will be having a giggle at de gea too. Spain's no. 1...

Gives Scott a break I guess, does JDT really see Pickering as a centre back though? Two games in a row, unless Edun is playing central.

BBC have got the formation hilariously wrong - Dack at left back, Edun right wing!

I pretty much want us to line up with two Whartons and a Morton just for the commentary. Are there any Hortons or Nortons we can sign?

In general I agree, but it would have been fun if they'd both got sent off

We almost had a double, Nyambe was brought on as a 90th minute sub and still contrived to get booked...

28% possession per BBC stats and a comfortable win. We had their number from the start.

two hours of football into the season, new manager, new lineup, haven't conceded yet - maybe give them a couple of games to get going eh?

No subs on the horizon? Five available, even to allow for fitness surely we need some?

It'll be very interesting to see the subs - who and when will be quite telling for JDTs management style I think. All of us could probably have a fair stab at predicting what TM would have done from this position.

A few high press sides have had that one bloke though - usually some maestro well into his 30s to pull the strings, but a talented 20 something with no knees might fit the bill. Surround Dack with other players to do the running for him and it could work.