Right, it has taken until Tuesday to get my head straight.

It is simple, everytime we've played away and a home team has applied a high press and been able to out muscle midfield we've got beat. 

Ive said it before but Ayala playing means our defence plays at least 10 yards too deep, meaning midfield gets stretched and our forwards get isolated.

So long as Ayala plays we are easy to get at. 

Why or why did you make it easy for them? 

Much like every one:-

Why insist playing Ayala when it means we need to defend a minimum of 10 yards further back than when he does not play resulting in the passing across our own penalty box rather than nearer the halfway line?

For those mentioning the Forest fan dyeing in Burnley, let us not forget the Carlisle fan dyeing up at Carlisle when a Rovers fan returned a brick into a crowd of Carlisle fans that had previously been thrown at Rovers fans.

Every club has its idiots we can only hope that this match passes off relatively peacefully.

We'll probably end up facing another team in claret n blue

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I just watched the highlights again. Two wingers getting around the sides of teams caused most of the goals. They should show that film to modern day coaches.

Two wingers with a tall man in the middle and a small one feeding off them.......it could be the future.

Full backs and wingers working in tandem so they'd cover each other. Not like todays full backs bombing forward with no cover...again it could work.

I was told Woy was hardly there, as he was teaching on Internatinal coaching courses, which left Faz and TP in charge. Apparently the big name players used to rule the castle apparently saying things like "Weve won the premiership you won Div3 how can you coach me?" Others partied like it was 1999 as Prince used to sing. They were just a couple of years early

Most of his signings didn't work. Davies arrived for way too much money, even Woy was horrified at the price but he was again away from the club. Davies also arrived at the club recovering from glandular fever. Perez arrived from France and couldn't settle. Hendry signed a new contract then changed his mind and went to Rangers. Dahlin came with a back injury and never recovered.

The football we played at the beginning of his first season was some of the best we;ve seen at Ewood though 

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He would have had to have a serious downgrade to be any less useful than Hirst or Vale when we need a goal.

When he has played he has seemed physically fine, was really good at Blackpool and won us the game with his pass.

Did not see the Blackpool game but Ive not seen anything from Dack to suggest he is nothing but a shadow of his former self.

5 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

We won’t know until he gets a run of games and I’d bet my life he offers more than vale and hirst 

Agree we won't find out until he has a run of games and I also throw Dolan in with Vale and Hirst being not good enough but Dack Ive seen lacks pace.

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

The Dack to Sunderland rumour is the easiest story to write in the world, whether it is true or otherwise.

If there was any truth in it, it would be Sunderland's gain and our loss while players like Hirst, Vale and even Dolan and Szmodics play ahead of him.

Stop living in the past. On what evidence is there that Dack is anywhere close to the player he was?

I still maintain you cant play Szmodics as the third member of a midfield 3 and the other 2 players suffer. If he plays further forward he is fine. Both Morton and Travis struggle as they get overrun as Szmodics does not contribute in this formation. Either play him as a third forward player or not at all.

Also still think Ayala plays too deep due to his lack of pace which also stretches our midfield too much.

Am I alone in thinking our team suffers when Ayala plays? Granted he is a good defender but he stiffles the play when we build from the back.

Like against Brum use him as a sub later on the game when we under attack. 

Is it coincidence we win four on the bounce without him and then put in a lethargic performance with him back in?

11 hours ago, Bohinen1983 said:

Nobody else think we're woefully short in centre mid? Morton, Wharton, Buckley are carbon copies off each other to varyiKhad Bradley Johnson and to a lesser degree even Davenport.  I think we're very limited in there now in terms of mixing it up.  We can't control games and are fairly predictable.  I'm a massive fan of having players that carry a threat. That put the opposition on the back foot.  I forgot about Khadra- another player that gives the opposition something to think about.  Just a very 'meh' side. Massively punching as shown by the xg table.  Finish around 17th imo.  Saying that, for once we have a solid defence so you never know.

I think we are just short of numbers in there when we play as a two in there. Most teams now play with a three and we just get outnumbered. Travis in there helps as he is a different type of player so you maybe right but when we play with Travis in a two our midfield is very limited. 

10 hours ago, Blue blood said:

Would agree with this. In many ways - in his best position - Gally is an average championship striker at best. And if we had another average championship striker as cover there'd be much less issues. The problem is as you say the other two are utterly appalling and offer nothing. It's like playing with 10 men. Even a minor amount of vaguely adequate cover and we'd be in a miles better position. 

Dont get the Gallagher is an average striker at best comment. Play him down the middle we won 4 games on the bounce and the game we are missing him we lose.

Granted playing him wide is a waste of a player but down the middle he is a handful for most at this level when his confidence high.

22 hours ago, rigger said:

If Hirst is in the squad. I will plait sawdust.

There will be a pile of sawdust on its way

3 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

In line with what you expect Tomasson to do.

Why is Hirst not in your squad?

He will be, just once JDT names his team tonight and Hirst is in it.

On 29/10/2022 at 01:25, Mike E said:

Didn't think anyone could replace 'Matteo at left wing', but Mowbray did it!

Mowbray took top two positions. Not only Johnson as a false 9 but Sam Gallagher at right wing back, Thrys Dolan at right wing back or Stephen Pears in goal can all be put in there as managerial master strokes 

On 27/10/2022 at 11:44, Admiral Nelsen said:

Such a strange player Johnson. Misplaced an unbelievable number of easy passes for a player who genuinely had decent ability. 

Struck me as a player with ability but at times tended mentally to switch off and that is why he didnt play at the top level.

On 24/10/2022 at 09:59, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Have to say I felt very let down By Kenny Dalglish for leaving so abruptly. 

And why Jack walker felt he didn't need to hire a top new manager and carry on investing in new players was a very naive set of decisions that backfired drastically 

Heard from someone during the run in of the premiership winning season that Dalglish wanted out but at the time didn't believe it. He wanted to go back to Liverpool as he felt he had unfinished business there and once the premiership was won the mission at Rovers was accomplished.

Same person told me about Shearer wanting out during Euro 96 and we all know what happened after he returned from England duty.

On 17/10/2022 at 18:43, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I went to the Oldham game. I remember Bennett getting in on the left wing, rounding the keeper, then hitting the post with an empty goal to aim at. In the first half.

Whatever happened to the World Class Right back that Mowbray feared so much he changed his team and tactics for. He must be a Galactico by now surely?

The division is still too close for us to tell if we are in a false position at present plus we've played a game more than most. Improvements have been made since the start of the season but lets see where we after Christmas and see if Tony has taken his death spiral with him.

22 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

I did think about Harper, but like Clarkson last year, when it became apparent that he wasn't doing the business he was binned off. Branthwaite was to cover an injury crisis if I recall.

I'm afraid we'll just have to disagree about him only playing youngsters when he had to. He didn't have to play Dolan who already is approaching 100 appearances for us. He was happy to start JRC until his injuries. For all the talk of him not rating Nyambe, he started him in a large majority of the games where he was fit in every season he was here. He didn't have to play Travis when he did either, but he took his chance and hasn't looked back.

JRC got forced to play RB even though he wasn't one. Oddly at the expense of onother youngster, Nyambe.

9 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

To be fair, JDT has brought in Morton. Mowbray only brought in youngsters from other clubs if they were instant first teamers like Elliott or Van Hecke, and if they weren't up to that then they didn't play.

You can use the two successes but lets not forget others like Raheem Harper or the centre half from Everton. Harper came from West Brom and was younger than our youth players with no experience.

With the exception of Buckley, Mowbray had to be forced to pick our youngsters like others have said. He also like to use them as scapegoats withe prime example being Raya.

5 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Mowbray bringing youth through ? Really, that’s news to me. The only time he gave a young player a game was when he’d no other choice.

or they came from another club on loan. If Mowbray had been here this season Garrett would have been at Curzon Ashton not in the first team

3 minutes ago, superniko said:

Strange one Roberts - was loaned out everywhere and when he did finally leave City it was only a 6 month contract to Sunderland in League 1. 

They'll push top 6 with himself and Clarke for sure.

I wouldnt be surprised if Roberts gone in Jan, or playing right back. It is the Tony way.