Just now, Sweaty Gussets said:

Someone else said that the other day and he denied it. Unless the R stands for Rioja. 

RV is Ribble Valley. Where he lives and talks about a lot.  Howard.... Every Howard on the planet drinks gallons of red wine. His tweets also remind me of Mercer in terms of structure and wording. 

It's a theory, they're there to be disproven.

1 minute ago, blackburnravers.com said:

Dunno how true this is but thought I'd share.....

Right. I actually have a theory that this twitter account is Mercer.  And hence, I have a theory that this is a load of bollocks. But I shall watch with interest. 

30 minutes ago, BigBar said:

 front line that can tear up this division. 

 

What's this based on? Brereton is great obviously. The rest haven't scored more than.... 6 or 7 a season in the Champ? Dolan is a 15 minute pest, Vale is young and needs games, Hirst is unproven at this level, Gally is Gally... Szmodics needs to show a lot more.  Pre-match last night we were dead last in the division for every attacking stat except goals scored, where we were 15th.   What logic dictates our front line can 'tear up the division?' 

12 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Im Hoping the club haven’t looked at last night and thought actually we’re okay going forward. We are still lacking quality uptop IMO.

A pacy winger is a must.

An injury to BBD leaves us practically toothless and with a lack of pace and quality in forward areas.  AND, it now most likely means that yet another multi-million pound asset walks out the door for nothing. 

Tad disappointed that our two final signings are loans. That 'special player budget' must be going back on ice for now.  Okay, loan to buy 'option' but as we've read millions of times in the last 24 hours and seen with your man last season, there's absolutely no obligation to spend any money. 

Last night's result and emergence of Wharton came at a perfect time for GB and Co.  It completely placated a tetchy, nervous, frustrated fanbase.  The squad isn't great, new players have to prove themselves and I still think we're in for a nervy season.  

Just now, WacoRover said:

Solid enough, if we don’t lose Brereton on a free next year. 

At the risk of bringing out the tooth puns again, I think you better brace yourself for that particular outcome.   If we don't sell today that's that I would say - he can sign a pre-contract in Jan as  far as I can understand.  But, only with overseas teams?   So if he does want to play PL, we might still have a chance...

Just now, alexanders said:

Actually first you saw about Dembeles name was a link posted by me from football insider. 

Football insider have been very accurate and early with transfer stories this transfer window. 

Yeh, sorry I was talking about first I saw Mola's name - Sharpe seemingly had a sniff of it before he was holding the shirt above his head.  That's what gives me hope that Dembele is a possibility. 

Sharpe has said 'not aware of anything' regards Dembele.... but how much did he know about Mola?  First I saw his name was about 20mins ago from Joe H.    

We're getting there now in terms of a squad, but that could be blown to smithereens with a Brereton late departure.  Even with Dembele through the door I'd be very fearful there's nowhere near enough goals without him. 

The sticker book is full 😑

2 minutes ago, alexanders said:

Sources: Blackburn Rovers in advanced talks to sign Siriki Dembele

Blackburn Rovers are in advanced talks to sign Bournemouth attacker Siriki Dembele, sources have told Football Insider.

The winger was a target for Turkish giants Besiktas, but Blackburn are now well placed to lure him to Ewood Park.

https://www.footballinsider247.com/blackburn-rovers-in-advanced-talks-to-sign-siriki-dembele/

Would love this. 

5 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

If Greggy boys let's BBD go at this late.stage for feck all he can take his bags and fuck off....we already had Wharton and all that before he came...

Is there any evidence whatsoever that this is happening?   Seems unlikely.

56 minutes ago, Iceman said:

There was one ball played over to Dolan by Morton I think. I simple lob over to him, and he couldn't reach it 😅 

I remember watching last night just thinking how ineffective Dolan had been, particularly in the first hour or so - don't know what minute he went off, but he had a couple of flashes in the second half. 

We can't consider him a starting player - he's good to have buzzing about for 15mins at the end, but he is so lacking physically - not just strength, but pace, balance, ability to get himself between man and ball.  I really hope that Hirst can bring some power and pace up there. 

32 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Pickering did look okay, but Wharton was the reason behind this.

People writing off Bowler after 1 game 😂 he is unbelievable.

Yeh he's a terrific player - great feet.  Testament to our group that we managed to nullify him as well as we did - Pickering, Wharton, Diaz.  

45 minutes ago, Gav said:

Exactly what Mowbray used to do, they both know we've very little budget and no strength in depth.

I'm torn on selling Diaz, a club like ours cannot afford to keep letting quality players leave for free, but on the other hand an injured Diaz for a significant part of last season meant we couldn't score goals, we ended up for the most part in relegation form.

We won't go up this season, thats for sure, but will we go down? Possibly and that becomes a stronger possibility without Diaz.

That's my train of thought too.  Said last night, no-one else in the squad will score more than 6 or 7 goals.  Brereton is still the only one that can run in behind a defence - no surprise that Dack in his natural position had the ability to find him.   Even with BBD, I can't see us challenging the top 6, so you've got to make a calculated risk - is it worth £15 - £20m if it means we COULD get in to a relegation scrap. 

In fact, pre-game they showed a few extremely damning stats of just how blunt we had been all season.  Last night incidentally we created more chances than we had all season, but BBD was still central in everything good that we did going forward.  Without him I'd fear for us. 

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Good to see making 3 permanent signings for cash

https://media4.giphy.com/media/tIk1NLkHzKYBboNhnO/200.gif

Am I the only one who looks at our squad and worries that we have a huge lack of pace?  I barely see anyone run in behind the defence, when Brereton does he's usually offside.  We've never replaced Armstrong's pace.  Defences look really comfortable playing against us. 

Apparently Sammie is quick but I'm struggling to see what he brings to the table at all, frankly, pace or otherwise. 

I feel like we're so one-dimensional.... in fact, I'm starting to worry we might be 'none-dimensional'. 

27 minutes ago, rebelmswar said:

If I were the suspicious, ex intelligence type I'd say he gets a wedge or a deep discount, but you can never discount absolute loyalty and almost manic cheerfulness. Either way I take great enjoyment reading him. 

It's extraordinary how many replies he gets.  Absolute star of the show,  whether you agree with what he says or not.

8 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

I note this Idiot keeps popping up on my news feed on twitter. Very wrong he had some racist tweets, but come on, saying that's why he didnt get job is just laughable.

What has that wally ACHIEVED to think he would be a good choice for the job

 

The fact that I know who this guy is speaks volumes about the absolute chaos that is and was the Venkys ownership of BRFC. 

"When they wanted me to be their manager in 2012/13".  This sounds like bollocks to me - what stopped him getting the job if Vs actually wanted him?  His salary demands or his expectation that a better opportunity would come along?

Bellend.  

Honeymoon period now a distant,  happy memory.  The last two games we haven't only been soundly beaten, we haven't even laid a glove on Reading or Sheff U.  Yesterday could easily have been 5, 6, 7 but for Kaminski.  An absolute mess. 

I sat watching it and I just could not see a game plan all.  There seemed to be absolutely no cohesion, no patterns of play,  no identity, no idea.  

Seriously worried about Szmodics - I don't know what he brings as a player for us to have paid a fair chunk of our budget.  Works hard...  That's all I've seen so far. Can't see him having a big impact at all.  Dack can't be fit - if JDT has made his mind up on him that's another big warning sign for me. 

Yes, we need players but if that's an indication of where we're shopping then these signings aren't guaranteed to solve all of our problems.

Big two weeks until the international break.  This group must restore some confience - I'm suddenly very,  very nervous.  

5 minutes ago, Gav said:

You make a good point Jimmy and to be honest I have no idea, but when a transfer fee was involved he usually bought well, his record is pretty good, you missed Dack of your list who was brilliant from day one, Kaminski too, Ayala when he plays, but we'll never know. 

If Venkys give JDT 8-10m to spend this season every Rovers fan should be up in arms, they're taking the piss out of us if they do that given where we found ourselves in January and plug was pulled. 

 

I did miss Dack, that's a good point, Gav.  Was thinking more of his 'big splashes', if you like.   Kaminski yes, but also bloody Pears and prior to that, Walton 😐  I'm also trying to think who he brought in Jan 2018, to get us over the line in League 1.  Jack Payne was one... I had high hopes for him after he gave us a lot of problems at Oxford away...  Was Paul Downing another or was he August?   Anyway, would be interesting so see his January activity there and see if any really made an impact.

6 minutes ago, Gav said:

He had no funds in summer 2021, what makes you think he suddenly had funds in January? 

What he did have in January was a top scorer about to miss several games due to international duty and a growing injury list.

Read between the lines islander200, he was saving face for the owners, he had no funds to speak of or he'd have spent them.

Out of interest, do you think TM would have made the adequate signings to get us over the line?   I'm genuinely struggling to think of a signing that he made that really hit the ground running.  Brereton obviously didn't, Gallagher still hasn't hit the ground, never mind started to run.  Armstrong took a good while to set light as well.

Of his Jan signings, Giles was a disaster and played literally on the opposite of the field to where he was supposed to, Zeefuik was rubbish before his injury, and we saw 5mins of Markanday sadly. 

49 minutes ago, Gav said:

That’s a budget not seen at this football club in years, I’d be astonished and angry if we spent that sort of money now.

We had the best opportunity in 12yrs to go up last season and they failed to back the manager, if they do it now I’d be absolutely fuming and convinced the plan is to remain in Championship.

Haha, I love this massive split.  Those that are convinced TM had money available and blew our promotion chances by stubbornly refusing to spend it..... and those on the other side of the fence who are convinced TM crawled over broken glass to beg for support, only for the overlords to banish him from their sight.

Sort of passive aggressive messages throughout the thread - Rev on one side, Gav on the other, trying to bait each other from a distance. 

42 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Think it's the other way round.

£54.4m????  Extortionate!

14 minutes ago, Theaxe15 said:

I’d pinpointed this weekends game as our first defeat of the season after the first 3 wins. The fact we’re heading there after being hammered by a dire Reading team fills me with all sorts of dread and an expectation of a pummelling. They’ll stick Sharp on Phillips and he’ll have a torrid time. 

He rolled his ankle last weekend and they've not yet given an indication of how long he'll be out for.  Missed last night and I think they'd be lucky to have him available for Saturday - don't want to be rushing a rolled ankle unless it's heavily strapped.  Last night was N'Diaye and Brewster up front with McAtee (Man City loanee) behind.

I didn’t see much of the game… no one has mentioned Szmodics yet.  Guessing he was as poor as the rest of them?

1 minute ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Fair doos

Still a player that I'd prefer to have in the squad though for the time being at least

To be fair, last season he created 3 or 4 goals through sheer persistence and I hugely appreciated and admired his work rate.  I don’t think he’s a Champ starter though.