And last season it was 'missing Dack, Evans, Cunningham etc' as the standard excuses. There is enough in this squad still to fashion a team to get results in games like today and previous ones. Whoever is in we still have all too often the same poor patterns of play, same mistakes by the same people who are often the 1st on the team sheet and worst of all the lack tempo and having a go. In short it's the same old same old, all clubs have to roll with the punches but we always seem to ready with the standard excuses. As others have said fine if you want to settle for midtable again but no good if you are set on going places. The vibe again is the former not the latter but there's always next week and the week after and all that. We have good absentees but the squad is there now, is it being used correctly even in times of difficulty ? I'm not so sure.

Venkys don't usually know what's happening until it has happened so no different here imo. They'll realize in a year or two then either just ignore it and carry on or do something depending on who's advising what.

I think circumstances have forced it a bit recently but funny you should flag up Southgate. My mate said the other night how there were many similarities with Mowbray not least the underwhelming Boro stints. Southgates demeanor is that of a world weary going through the motions guy way before its time.

Yes that's the problem when you have to put in two defensive type mids.

Have to say what iv'e seen and heard of Trybul so far he's like a poorer version of Evans. I guess that's why he's here though so they can continue to carry Corry through his injuries and International career. Yet another that Mowbray has an umbilical chord attached to by the looks of it.

i think we've been over it a few times but imo they are happy to tread water and buy into his and Swaggo's spiel. Easy life for them now after years of turmoil all they have to do is sign the cheques. Promotion is but a mere bonus that may or may not just materialize whilst marginal gains and squad value take priority. We are in for years of this i reckon and like everything else with them they'll do something when it's least expected. Because it'll suit them to do so for whatever reason.

Massive difference his presence seems to hold it together at the back.

Abysmal ref but lets not hide everything behind that it was another water treading performance. Plus side is we used to lose those.

Should have rammed it up his arse.

Proper strikers goal we need more of that from him.

Well he's in Chorley now so if he's looking for a scrap he's in the right place ? Bit of a rep will have him a target for the lower league henchmen as well so you reap what you sow.

When Dack was fit most of it was tailored towards him and in recent times it's Armstrong. So i guess it would take both of them leaving before he looks to tailor things to Gallagher or Brereton regularly. That's probably part of the long term plan he seems to see himself as a developer of players and stability rather than a bold go getting promotion charger, despite what he says.

These are the little bits of things that can make a huge difference over a season, the fine margins.

And that's how you use a guy like him especially now we have a young lad who can deliver the balls but no lets use him as a substitute wide forward. Blood boiling waste of 5 million.

Good signings for them but shows how they were nowhere near up to scratch here especially Henley. Shame he got the niggling injuries but in truth he was never up to it a bit like Bell. Hope he invested the wages he used to boast about wisely.

Is it correct Henley and Tomlinson have now signed for Chorley ?

Never in doubt but neither was his injury record. That's the gamble and it can't be any surprise he's out already. My point was it's a similar story with the midfield so TM has a pool of them to cover it. Defence he keeps going over the same old turf with Williams the only other expericed one. Somebody increasingly injury prone himself.

They do all this research beforehand they tell us enough, how many deals have fallen through because of it ? A few i'll bet. Yet when it comes to ex boro players...... In all honesty old pals acts aside Rovers have long had a policy under venkys of chucking risky contracts to older or injury prone players. I think TM in his stint think he can cover them so collects a few extras especially in midfield as we all know Holtby, Evans, Johnson are never going to play back to back games for any period of time even if we only had 1 per week. Given that it's odd we didn't get another centre half of some sort through the door but nothing new we've been here before. It's a risky policy to operate though and i feel is another thing that holds us back a bit. Getting decent players here these days has proved difficult though so it's something we have to live with if you want a bit of quality and experience in the squad. We still should've signed Bauer though he would have proved decent vfm by now for sure, no world beater but no worse than anything we've got.

An 80's thing surely ? I never saw a league game with either Burnley, Preston or Bolton for 15 years or more after i started going. We seemed to play Oldham every season often around Easter or Xmas time i think. Some fiesty games and it used to kick off so they seemed to be the local rival football wise.

Never been far from the top of my list behind the dingles but that's probably geographical. For a team who Blackpool are the big rival they are certainly obsessed with Rovers iv'e always found. On a pure football level i'd always have them behind Bumley and Bolton but truth is they've been irrelevant to Rovers for most of my time until recently. A rival for sure, just a few rungs down the ladder.

This is why Saturday is a bit of a must win because i expect the inevitable in this one they always seem to want it more than us. Maybe them not having their rabble in with their giant Rovers sized chips on their shoulders will work in our favour.

He's ex Boro, we sat back and maybe let other targets go whilst he made his mind up. Non of it is surprising we always come up with the goods when certain things apply. Good player but like a lot of Mowbrays signings we'll be hard pressed to get our moneys worth out of him.

It'll be the standard 5 - 7 points I expect.

Really the proof is in the pudding from now on. Excuses get made for the early years fair enough. Then we got stability when the roulette wheel fell on Bowyer. His good work got pulled to bits, team sold then eventually enter Owen Couple and relegation. No excuses for all that. A repeat of that or hanging on to a regime that keeps us firmly anchored in midtable is what needs to be avoided in the next few years. Then the judgement will become a bit clearer.

Er... we've had quite a few windows to find a better one for cover that's the whole point.