Unless they avoid the halves issue altogether with a block shoulders.

@S8 & Blue I think you’ve won the thread pal. Definitely the most unpopular opinion. I can see exactly where you are coming from though.

“Incapable?”. That term should be reserved for our scouts. We have money. We pay these people to find players. Any research I put in is almost irrelevant - although right now it’s looking like the club would be better off paying me to look as our current scout team can only seem to link us with players who have already played for us - or kids for the youth team. We were within reach of the play-offs following a great January after a poor December. We could and should have strengthened. We only get two opportunities per year to do so. If January isn’t a time to strengthen - for a team competing for a play-off place - then they should scrap it completely because nobody would ever buy anyone. Or is it just Rovers that excuse applies to? Having not strengthened we are still fielding makeshift teams and looking like having a February which look like falling away. In the good old days, being safe from relegation was the time to let the players off the leash, not remain ultra cautious. Taking off Travis yesterday was a sign of that caution. Are we going to do that every time he gets a yellow? Because if I was an opposition player I’d make it my mission to get him booked. Another example is us losing a ready-to-go player in Palmer, due to lack of game time, and replacing him with an unfit crock who has barely played for 12 months - just because he had played for us before.

Don’t be silly, Dave. “Regardless of that” is the start of a lost argument. Our scouts are the ones paid to find these players, not me. If they can’t then I’m afraid they are surplus to requirements.

Also known as massive mistakes.

We didn’t make 4-5 quality signings this year which means we didn’t need them. This season is looking like petering out therefore this season is all about consolidating after promotion. Bolton and Wigan are doing badly so that means we need to be happy that we are not them. Everything is exactly as it should be. Ambition can wait until another year. When we buy the right players that will be the right time to buy the right players. When we get near the play-offs in future seasons then we can can start to think about promotion. But only if the manager agrees, otherwise we need to be patient, get real maybe. Or we could just fall backwards as another three rich clubs tumble out of the PL and make promotion even more unlikely in future years. At which point our lack of PL income/parachute payments will be used as an excuse as to why we can’t compete and fans should just get behind the boys and the manager regardless. We are in no rush. (Forgot to add, Palmer was a waste of time because he left. Had he stayed he would have been a good loan signing.)

Didn’t feel like that under John Williams.

100%. We said exactly that at the time. Looked good on the ball too. I guess he is too much a ‘here and now’ player and we need ones for the future.

Will have to agree to disagree. Although it wasn’t a booking. In any case, we should have had the options on the bench to not have to make three changes to accommodate it.

I agree Nyambe should have started if he is back fit. We were surprised to see Bennett starting and Nyambe on the bench. The problems we had today was that we made too many changes - unnecessarily. Personally I wouldn’t have subbed Travis. We can’t keep subbing players who are on yellows, that’s a nonsense. We very much missed his positivity and nobody could really replace that. Amazing how far that lad has come in such a short space of time.

Impossible not to blame Mowbray for that one. Calamitous substitutions and unnecessary changes that completely foxed Rovers instead of Bristol. Travis on a yellow, and after an untidy challenge Mowbray decided he couldn’t trust him not to get a second one. So brings him off and decides his only post-window option is to move Reed inside to cover him. This means bringing on Nyambe in order to move Bennett from right back to cover right mid. Three changes to deal with one perceived problem. (And we missed Travis when he went off!) Brings off Dack for Rothwell, and we’re thinking that’s brave but let’s see how Rothwell does in the role behind Graham. Oh no, no, no. He still sees Rothwell as being a wide left player so he moves Armstrong to the right to make room. (Bear in mind Arma has been causing their right back all sorts of problems). At this point Graham is looking over at the bench like “so who’s playing where, Tony?”. Not sure Tony even knows - although he spent the length of the Dack substitution explaining his master plan to Bennett, who then had to tell as many people as he could. During this chaos, Bristol of course score, from a delayed corner due to the fussy official, and the game has changed completely. From being on top in the second half and looking like taking the game to Bristol to looking very much second best. He then brings on Nuttall. So maybe he’s replacing Graham? Kind of makes sense. I guess. But no, off comes Smallwood - his preferred holding midfielder, presumably because having Reed in there is enough, and he is going for an attacking formation. But Nuttall doesn’t seem to know straight away if he is meant to be playing as a centre mid in a five or as a second striker alongside Graham. It was just an absolute mess. Yes, the ref was totally out of his depth but that game was Mowbray looking to nick a point, then throwing it away, then panicking to try to get it back. Another bad day in the manager’s office, and the Manager of the Month hoodoo in full swing.

Nice one Tone

None of the players have a clue what Mowbray has done. Dack off Rothwell left wing Arma from left to right wing Bennett from right wing to centre Graham looking thoroughly confused. #notonefromthetrainingground

Arma is looking like being the danger man this half.

Is it his birthday?

@Biz

Not bought a shirt for several years because Venkys have, with few exceptions, seen us have the worst ones in memory. Not hopeful.

Smallwood back too, for Evans (sake).

Do you think that the club is being run on money made from ticket sales??! Oh dear. If it was then we wouldn’t be paying fees for anyone! Plus, you can’t waste £7m then say we have to increase ticket prices because we are skint. That’s literally ripping off fans to pay millionaires! Under Venkys we have spent money; bought badly; sold players for big sums; been relegated twice; paid off millions to players and managers; we are in huge debt heading towards £200m despite our squad (and wages) being progressively lower; lost 10,000 fans; and are now reliant on them for day-to-day survival. We are currently in a bubble, where the budget for recruitment is solely down to Venkys and the decisions down to incumbent manager (and whichever agents have their claws in). It has jack-all to do with the number of tickets sold at current prices. In this artificial situation we need promotion and bringing back fans would help with that. But no, let’s point the finger at fans who want Venkys to do the right thing by the club and the fans. Now, if we were fan-owned and having to raise revenue through ticket sales and commercial opportunities I’d agree with you. We’d be in the third tier but hey-ho.

I know what you mean. If only the club employed people to look for players in order to fill areas of the squad that are lacking...

Agreed. When you have money - which we supposedly do - then you can by a quality, experienced centre back. These guys have had most of their mistakes ironed out and learned from them. When you grow your own you are baking in these mistakes into your first team plans. When Ferguson brought though his ‘kids’ he didn’t mess about at cb, he had Bruce and Pallister there. Both had lots of experience with other clubs. Lenihan is a case in point. He will get all of his learning under his belt with us and move to another club as the finished article. This may be fine for other clubs as a business approach because of the fees that can bring in. But we are a club that in which ever era you choose has a pedigree in the top flight. This needs to be short term thinking. Especially with owners allegedly wanting to put money in.

This “super” deal just underlines the fact that Waggott doesn’t believe in ticket offers. Bolton, Wigan and Preston are games we should be including in a multi deal ticket at £10 each, at the same time allowing us to charge the opposition the normal match day price. We should be getting folks in for a play-off push, not getting suckers to commit their cash and just see out the season.

Tugay may well be picked because he is a hugely likeable fan-favourite who interacted with supporters in the terraces but the more deserving Colin Hendry has a smudge next to his name. His swashbuckling, no fear style was partly responsible both for our resurgence to the top flight but also winning the title. It’s a great shame what happened in his personal life has possibly clouded what should have been a nailed on inductee. Also the scope needs to be widened to include King Kenny. He absolutely has to go in there. Bob Crompton was player, manager and chairman so there’s a case for it. Jack Walker surely has to be included as well but I’m not sure who would represent him at such an event. Lovely, and bittersweet, moment from last night was to learn from Val Clayton that Ronnie’s ashes are buried under the centre circle at Ewood Park.

Now then. If it isn’t just great Rovers players... Should Kenny Dalglish have been included?

Sorry, yeah. Reading that back it did come across as snarky. Apologies.