Who hasn’t seen Magloire play? I rate the lad, he was captain the other night, but he isn’t ready for the first team. Downing, ironically I’m not a huge fan, and think we need an upgrade on our cb first team players, let alone cover. But what Downing is, is a no-nonsense defender who can step in and do the important basics really well. None of this playing Nyambe or Bell inside and sticking Bennett or Williams I’m at full back. This is where I have a problem with Mowbray there are too many sticking plaster answers to questions with make shift players filling in. Now, if we hadn’t spent (wasted) £7m on one player and he hadn’t told us “there is money available if we need it” then you could understand this approach. As is is we look to have no ambition and no real plan to develop a style of football, recruiting the right players. We are still relying heavily on players Mowbray inherited two years ago, and signings have been poor. But seemingly we need to get down to Ewood because of how important we should realise a game is!

If our main two weren’t made of glass I’d be more inclined to agree. Williams isn’t “just as good” as Downing though, IMHO.

Not yet he’s not. Has Magloire ever made the first team bench? Grayson has and he is out on loan. Unthinkable that we would send out three defenders only to rely on the fourth or fifth most experienced back up option as first team cover.

Excellent post. You are definitely on to something. Money can be sanctioned for attacking players but seemingly very little elsewhere. Rhodes Brereton Armstrong Dack Samuel Bell These are the players we have spent money on in the last three years. Bell being the odd one out and we keep trying to play him as a wingback. “Yes, Madame, he is an attacking player”. The last defender they spent money on - Shane Duffy - was sold for more than double the fee paid. All very strange.

And if Mulgrew and Lenihan are both injured? It is irresponsible management to not have kept Downing at the club until the Summer. Unless... he has someone lined up.

Somehow you managed to stop reading after the first sentence - and there were only two!

Mulgrew and Lenihan, and even Rodwell are midfielders. But ignoring that, we now have no back up - which was I meant.

Hope you’re ok pal.

I think Mowbray has. I wouldn’t be racing to give him another wedge to spend. But then I’m not Venkys so who knows. Part of the problem is that, unless I dreamt it, Mowbray came out previously and said there is money to spend if we need it. Well, we have no central defenders and with money seemingly no object why wouldn’t we go out for cover? Such a shame Nixon isn’t around to tell us that “something has changed”. Like all of a sudden the phone stopped ringing about Dack...

Don’t know if you were in here at the time but there actually was a lad who’s bedroom window faced the training ground at Brockhall. He used to post the Saturday team early and was bang on every time. IIRC his dad found out and gave him a bollocking and he stopped posting. Hopefully he came back under a different alias.

Not sure of the ‘hit rate’ for HITC but I think it’s looking more and more likely that he won’t play for us again. Formerly on the fringes of the first team, he now can’t get into the U23s except to cover suspension. If rumours are true about personal issues then we might end up where a good player gets his head right elsewhere and comes back to haunt us (a la Anthony Pilkington).

Not knowing him as intimately as you seem to I can only go off what he has actually done rather than said. Actions speak louder than words.

?? It was incredible really.

They were both so quick and tidy with their feet. Nasty challenge on Butterworth, didn’t you think?

Butterworth was fantastic this evening. So was Buckley. Mols was quiet. Magloire had a great game also, playing to the right of a three for the most part. Captain on the night too. Downing and Platt were very comfortable. Excellent first half. Quick and attacking, ball being pinged about. Second half was a bit of a non-event. Not sure Sheffield had a shot all game.

Bit concerned this ref is going to get someone injured. Couple of reckless challenges not property dealt with.

Butty with a third. Absolute cracker, low and hard to bottom left from the edge of the D.

Lewis Thompson just smashed the ball out of the ground from inside the six yard box - open goal.

Pen for Rovers. Buckley rapid to win it. Butty scored it. 2-0

1-0 to the mighty blues. Platt, I think.

No Brezza but a young Paul Downing getting some minutes in.

I only dislike him as much as he dislikes fans. It’s not personal, I just don’t like the way he goes about doing business. John Williams wasn’t perfect and made mistakes but he understood the fans. I had a great deal of respect for him. From the outside looking in Waggott’s approach seems to be maximising profit with very limited consideration of the fans.

That’s the problem then. He can’t “just say” anything though as it’ll be very evident on his channel if he is showing unofficial highlights. Normally, though, anything posted on YouTube would be taken down following a copyright claim by a large organisation (e.g. the football league) or somebody they contract to do so. Strong-arming or banning somebody filming is a more of a local action and suggests that the club have intervened directly. It’s just another example in a long list of bad PR moves by the club since Waggott has been here. After the shower that he followed he could have been an absolute hero. Instead he sits in Mowbray’s shadow. He should be making far more effort to build community relations. We don’t have a radio station any more, someone like this guy is promoting the club and engaging with fans FOR FREE - work with him FFS.

I’d be astonished if we were “only” £5k per week (on a one year deal with no transfer fee). This is a guy (or his agent) who put a non-relegation clause in his Sunderland contract when everyone else didn’t. He’s not daft.

Yet another anti-Bumley song. Poking fun at their short European campaign which went as far as “Aberdeen at home”. Which wasn’t actually that short, isn’t actually an accurate dig, and singing it makes us look a bit daft. I think we have more songs about Bumley than Bumley!