Mulgrew has gone 

Just now, Madon said:

Rich Sharpe literally just copies what's on here or what a national journo says. Has he ever broke news?

I agree. Yesterday he denied the Cunningham links. 

Just now, danger19_80 said:

That sounds very promising indeed. Sounds like a done deal but knowing our luck there will be a last minute glitch. Was widely regarded as one of the best LBs in the league before his move to Cardiff. 

Cunningham would be an excellent signing. I’ll believe it when I see it. Him and a decent CB today and we’ll have gone from an average window to a very good one. That’s how crucial the next few hours are. 

You'd think we'd need to be very strongly linked with a defender today for something to happen tomorrow. Our recent pattern shows we are normally strongly linked with a player at least 24 hours before they sign, but I have yet to see us strongly linked with a defender from a reputable source so looking unlikely at this stage.

I'm absolutely flabbergasted that TM has not addressed the defensive situation at all. The signings we have made are good, but overall this window has been a huge failure due to not addressing our main weaknesses. I am a big fan of TM and believe he has done an incredible job, but sadly I think his job will be under huge pressure this season as we're likely to be confined to another lower mid table finish due to his failures in the transfer market.

In saying that, a LB and CB signing and we're back in the game. 

I presume we can still sign free transfers after the window has closed?

I think we will sign one defender before the deadline, probably someone who is a CB but can play left back too. That’s not based on any info, just a hunch. 

8 minutes ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

Think that result today might force a hand, honestly not had anything concrete in weeks

I’m hoping it does. We have a top 6 in the making so it would be very disappointing if we cant sign a couple of defenders that can head simple crosses out of our box 

Stating the obvious but Bell, Mulgrew, Bennett are not good enough. How on earth are these players still starting after the shambolic defensive record last season? 

Lenihan is good, Nyambe has potential, Walton will be good, and Williams is an ok back-up centre half but that’s the extent of any quality we have in defensive areas.

Big week ahead on the transfer front. 

My predicted team:

Walton

Bennett Mulgrew Lenihan Bell

Travis Johnson 

Armstrong Dack Downing 

Graham 

The team I would like to see:

Walton

Nyambe Mulgrew Lenihan Bell

Travis Johnson 

Armstrong Dack Rothwell 

Graham 

1 hour ago, philipl said:

I haven't looked forward to a new football season with such anticipation and pleasure since Mark Hughes was our manager.

 

I know that the odds are that I am destined to be disappointed and frustrated but sitting here without a ball being kicked, I believe that Rovers are sitting very pretty indeed.

 

For a start, there is no reason to have any realistic fear of relegation. We had bad runs last season but the causes of those runs  are being addressed and we forget that we also went on some very good runs as well and were rarely comprehensively out-played while in some matches out-performing form teams and promotion challengers.

 

There is also every reason to expect progress over last season and looking around the rest of the league,  there really aren't any clubs that we need to unduly fear. Certainly there are stronger clubs than Rovers but nobody we should regard in the same way that Burnley will “look forward” to playing  Manchester City or Liverpool for example.

 

Notwithstanding the possibility of a nightmare transfer window ending,  we have had no sleepless nights over losing key players II's which is quite a novelty as a Rovers fan and a very pleasant experience at that.

 

In-Comings have not been spectacular but man for man there is every prospect of the new signings being without exception improvements over the players who have left  in each position. I was sad to see Raya go but need to remind myself of Birmingham City at home as only the worst example for all the stunning saves he produced.

 

I like the way we have added players in the twilight of their careers bearing in mind we have so many tremendous prospects coming through from the Academy.  If Downing and Johnson in combination with Mulgrew and Graham give us a fabulous last year in this season only, Rovers will undoubtedly be there or thereabouts. 

 

Last season,  we had the second youngest squad in the championship. Inevitably, young players on average improve so we should should be stronger by the simple passage of time and accretion of experience.

 

What I have also come round to is liking the season start,  probably facing the league's bottom Club on the opening day two seasons running followed by Fulham away before they have got back into the habit of winning again.

 

I am not  predicting a playoff place,  but I would not be surprised to see Rovers and Brentford both upsetting a few apple carts by finishing in the top 6.

Good summary. 

I think we’re very much in the dark horses category next season, probably along with Brentford. I think a top 6 finish is a real possibility as we’ve got a decent squad and it’s a weak league this year. 

Fulham have got the best team by miles and Leeds will be decent too, but then there’s not a lot in it. The two other teams who’ve come down from the prem are nothing to worry about, and some of the teams who did well last year (West Brom, Derby, Middlesbrough) have lost good players and are under new management. Even other teams who finished above (e.g Forest and Brum, if you discount their points deduction) have had unstable summers. 

Just now, Vilesinner said:

5th best heading stats in the division, is fast, two footed and has excellent passing stats. Should be good for us. 

That sounds very promising. Two things that we lack in our defence - heading ability and pace - so hopefully he can help plug those gaps. We have to stop conceding goals from simple crosses into the box.  

I’m not too fussed whether the city guy signs or not. He may well be a good player and I’d support him if he comes, but I’m not a huge fan of loan signings, especially when there’s little chance of signing them after their loan period. 

2 hours ago, SkipDonoghue said:

Some of you may know I'm not a Blackburn fan, I have a real soft spot for them through family connections and work

I have watched the young players come through for the last 4/5 years (I watch more youth football than 1st team football across the board) and I can honestly say the group on the verge of making it into the 1st team are up there with best around at the minute, Butterworth, Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Magloire and Grayson could be the start of something special, add to this Travis who for me has to be up there as the most improved youngster in the football league, Joe Rothwell who has all the makings of being a £10mil pound player in a few years if used right, Gallagher, Brereton, Davenport, Nyambi, Lenihan, Hart etc all still the other side of 25 and it excites me, keep the faith and hope TM uses these lads right and the future is very bright IMO for Rovers

You’re absolutely right. It does look like we have a golden generation of young players coming through our youth system and the future is bright if they stick around. Add that to the likes of Rothwell, Brereton (I think he’ll come good) and Chapman, and we have a very good set of young players. 

The transfer dealings so far have lacked the wow factor, but our younger players coming through mean we could have a very strong year. 

Good GK, pleased to have him here. Not sure if he’s an upgrade on Raya though, probably about the same. 

Hopefully the Raya cash will be spent on a CB, as TM has said recently. 

Just now, Peteb2014 said:

Simon Eastwood to return as the other keeper

That would make sense. Walton is surely not coming here to sit on the bench; and Eastwood is an experienced, cheap option who won’t mind being a back-up GK. 

I struggle to see the logic in signing Walton on loan and bringing in an experienced GK on a perm. Surely the experienced GK will be the one to start which leaves Walton warming the bench. Walton is a very good young GK, but it’s hard to get excited about a player who won’t be ours longer term. 

Also slightly concerned about the comment that “we'll see what’s left in the budget” after the two signings today. Two GKs and a loan signing in defence will not sort out our defence problems. I’m hoping that’s just a smokescreen to catch other clubs off guard who also may be chasing the same players we are. 

Key learning points: we have to start Rothwell and Travis when the real action begins. 

Johnson did much better alongside Travis, but Downing was pretty poor throughout I thought. Left back is a big problem, Bell still looks woeful. He gives the ball away every time he gets it. 

6 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

I'd say out of that the second centreback is a necessity, goal keeper and left back nice to have.

However I don't get central midfield at at all. We've literally got seven players who can play there from established talent (Travis, Johnson) mediocre plodders (Evans, Smallwood, Bennett) to promising youngsters (Davenport, Buckley). Plus Rothwell can slot in there too (though I see him more as a number 10 / inside forward).

Why would we sign more there? Only going to push Davenport and Buckley further away from the team.

I look at it in terms of where do we need to add quality in order to make a top 6 push, not on numbers of players in that position. Evans/Smallwood/Bennett are not good enough; Davenport may well be out for a while on the treatment table; and Buckley is still very young and most likely is not ready to play week in, week out. Think we need one more in there on a cheap-ish deal. Signing Adam would therefore make sense to me, but sounds like that is now unlikely to happen. 

GK and the Man City loanee to be announced today? 

My money is still on Carson for the GK position, although I’d prefer Joe Hart. 

Experienced centre half, another GK, LB, and central midfielder needed after that. 

He can play RB too so that gives us cover there too. LT reporting that it’s virtually a done deal.

James Wilkinson on Twitter: 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a loan player from Man City arrive at Ewood in the coming days.

Usually very reliable poster. 

Edit: player called Adarabioyo

Just now, CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber said:

Source?

Just a hunch. 

We’ll find out in the next 48 hours. 

So it looks as if Carson will be the keeper we’re signing. Good pedigree and good age for a GK.