54 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Then we had that Irish midfielder on loan from City. Did nothing at Ewood but ran us ragged for Oldham in one match at Boundary Park.

Byrne wasn't it? Signed by Coyle hardly played for us. Season after given the freedom of Oldham because Mowbray was scared of Oldham's right back

47 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

He played for Northern Ireland and was on loan to us, I think, ha.

Effectively a centrally contracted player, like in cricket 😏.

Only in reverse as we paid the wages not the ECB [or its equivalent] 

1 hour ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Yeah but numbers are a good reference point to highlight changes in the way the game is played and to explain specific roles. A double pivot is very different to 2 central midfielders. Historically most teams played 4-4-2 where a 6 would be the more conservative and the 8 would be up and down. A double pivot is neither. 

The idea of a double pivot is that the ball is constantly moving, with the pivots being responsible for that linkage plus adding a screen to the back 4. It's a really difficult position to play and requires a great deal of maturity. I'm not sure Wharton is best placed in one of those roles as he is more of a classic deep lying playmaker a la Tugay, Pirlo, he doesn't offer much protection for the back 4 and his passes are much more progressive than a pivot. I'm not sure who goes in there alongside Sonny to be honest as Travis is more water carrier than someone who can constantly rotate possession.

I would never call Faz or David Mail midfielders they both wore no.6. No. 6 usually was one of the central defensive pairing. No.4 or 8 were the midfielders

14 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/20671027.blackburn-rovers-reject-ogc-nice-bid-ben-brereton-diaz/

I stand corrected. 

45 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

But it was Venkys that allowed money to fritter away by rejecting bids. Even since Broughton joined, we had bids for Brereton turned down above his head. Until they stop meddling, that risk is always there.

Genuinely can't remember any bids only talk I can think of was Everton preparing a bid but then they signed Maulpey instead 

5 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

In fairness Jim does have half a point, QPR look a terrible team, I was half expecting to wake up to news of Ainsworth being sacked.

That being said, one of our problems has been converting chances, you can't deny that problem went away yesterday, let's hope its not temporary. We could have done without the damn international break disrupting the momentum from yesterday.

How many times have we said we shouldn't be losing to them? Any victory should be enjoyed.

How many times have weve been told by opposing mangers, we are the best team they've played when weve lost to them?

Refreshing to hear praise when we've won 

51 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Just catching up with some posts it seems that some are unhappy we have played well, scored four and kept a clean sheet.

I find that so strange.

We only whinge when we are winning! 

22 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I think both of the centre backs look really poor but my point is that both were very good last year when they were being adequately protected and I feel like any of the 4 would struggle in the current tactics.

Agree with this. The issue is with gaping hole in our midfield because our third midfielder Szmodics is playing so high up the field then at best one of our defenders is playing midfield, usually two of them so we are outnumbered at the back. So with the two at the back overloaded mistakes will happen.

Even with the world's best defender and keeper will struggle playing effectively 4-3-3 but in reality that formation is 3-2-1-4 or even at times 2-2-2-4 or even against Sunderland in the 2nd half 2-1-3-4.

It would be great if we had forwards who could take chances but we haven't.

3 hours ago, rigger said:

Yes you are missing something, because Szmodic is seldome in central midfield. He is more of a player, in a position off the attackers.

It is the reason we are stretched, one midfielder taking off the defenders one to cover the middle third and then Szmodics in the final third taking the glory. Unless the wide forwards are prepared to play deeper its why teams can pass through us

27 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I would expect most PL clubs to be looking at him. 

Unless we get a silly offer in January he is going nowhere at the minute

Way he is playing at the moment, there wont be any silly offers

3 hours ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

Am I missing something? We have a three we seem to forget that Szmodics is supposed to be a midfielder not an attacker.

So principally we are playing as a 4-2-4. Suicide

5 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Any two in midfield will get over run by a three. We’re asking him to play a game he’s not suited for. Get two grafters in midfield and let him be the playmaker.

Am I missing something? We have a three we seem to forget that Szmodics is supposed to be a midfielder not an attacker.

12 minutes ago, DE. said:

A lot of our defensive issues come down to how we're being set up to play. I don't think it really suits the personnel we have. I get why JDT is going with this attacking style - he knows we typically need a lot of chances to score goals due to our limited firepower - but it's leaving big gaps which exposes our defence. Our standard midfield duo of Travis/Wharton don't seem capable of doing everything that is being asked of them. This is borne out by the amount of shots registered against us in games so far this season.

Hull - 19 shots
Watford - 24 shots
Plymouth - 23 shots
Boro - 21 shots
Ipswich - 29 shots

I feel like most defences would struggle with this kind of bombardment, and we need to reassess our gameplan. 

Much as I enjoy the attacking play upto the business part of the scoring goals and as much as I think Pears need dropping. The simple maths of probability is that the more shots rain in on our goal the more chance the keeper will make mistakes.

At the end of the day if we had Friedal, in his prime, in goal this season we would be conceding goals. Our new keeper gets better every game he doesn't play.

3 hours ago, Tabula Rasa said:

We're 8 games in.

If we can stop leaking goals, we'll go up.

There. Said it.

or we dont and we go down.

So is this where we can maintain the Alan Nixon knows Jack Sh*t where he just repeats his Adam Wharton is being looked at 'put in any premier club here' until Jan?

3 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

Genuine question - is our style of play burning us out by half time?

In the last 4 games we've had more expected goals in the 2nd half once - compared to the opposition having more expected goals in the second half in all 4 games. 

In answer yes we are knackered but is also shows that there is little to back up our starting XI after they tire

3 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Not hard enough he got up soon enough to take the pen. I've seen Clarke quite a few times and he's a conman diver, as well as being a bloody good player.

He is one of those annoying players but when Jack GRealish is idolised by the media as a God nothing is going to change.

SG may not get many goals as we would like but he is very capable at defending corners which was noticeable on Saturday when he went off. It was probably coincidence more than anything but our ability to clear our lines also suffered after he went off.

7 hours ago, philipl said:

With that line-up, taking 50 to the Austrian training camp (not counting the three lads leaving the club and the not fit duo) is entirely credible. I wonder if trialists A, B and C etc are in the party and hence only the front line 31 being named?

Fans going to the training session and the two games will no doubt confirm or otherwise...

Trialists A, B and C cant play for us as they were playing for Accy on Saturday. lol

2 hours ago, smiller14 said:

Aren't these ties seeded? Pretty sure we couldn't draw a side in our league anyway.

Nevertheless, an alright draw. Chance to give some fringe players a go. 

EDIT: Seeing QPR v Norwich suggests it might have changed this year! Double checked and yes, it has gone - although I'm 4 years out of date! - 2023-2024 EFL Cup / Carabao Cup (League Cup) Stadiums, Statistics, Fixtures and Format | Football-Stadiums.co.uk

Watched it....it wasnt seeded just North and South draws

On 02/06/2023 at 17:56, rigger said:

I'd find a place for Duncan McKenzie.

He crossed my mind but remember Kendall got shut of him for Viv Busby

I thought the original post was applying present tactics. When under JDT have we played 4-4-2?

My team would be

Freidal

Emerton    Berg     Henchoz     Le Saux

        Sherwood           Tugay

Bellamy       Dunn               Duff

Chris Brown

As we are using today's tactics, the ultimate striker who couldnt score has to Chris Brown.......only kidding it has to be Alan Shearer

3 hours ago, lraC said:

From memory Crawford was a one season wonder and at third tier level too. I would certainly place Back above him, due to his longer spell at the club and for performing at a decent level too, over that longer term.

Beamo, is a special case, as he was in some ways the pantomime villain at times. Given his role at the club, once his playing days were done, he is certainly fondly remembered by me and I am sure plenty of other too.

I guess, I am neutral on Dack. He earned decent money and probably became a B List celebrity whilst at the club, so probably a decent marriage at the right time.

Tony Field was mentioned as a comparison and that feels about right to me.

I used Crawford specifically because both scored the goals that fired us out if the third tier. 

44 minutes ago, lraC said:

I think that does put Old Ewood Blues, comment in to perspective.

Is he the equivalent of Simon Garner, definitely not.

Can he be put in the same boat as Andy Crawford or Ken BEamish though?

Just as a side thought. To me Dack was never the same player once Danny Graham started to decline. Keeping Dack makes no sense without a player like Graham. It was probably why the club was trying to get 15mill at the time of the first injury as the club could not replace Graham.

2 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Harsh. I don't think the project talk from JDT is the same as the project talk from Mowbray. Under Mowbray nothing changed, it was the same season after season. Same excuses, same death spirals, same mistakes.

There is clear progression under JDT for anyone who cares to look for it. Or at least a clear direction of travel, with a specific way of playing identifiable. You can definitely see what he is trying to do here, if you'll pardon the hoary old cliche. I never got that impression with Mowbray. 

This summer is pivotal. I've never been more hopeful in the last decade than I am now. However all that is predicated on JDT staying. 

Same story, same excuses different manager. Did we not have a death spiral again, just later in the season?

I agree though this summer is pivotal. We can build but if Venky's pull the rug under this management team then trouble could be ahead.