Yes the budget comparers tend to blank out that when the boot is on the other foot although i'm not a big believer in it for one off games anyway. Like you say 11 v 11 and it often comes down to who wants it most and who is prepared to go the extra mile as often as they can not just when the backs are against the wall. It's clearly evident at Ewood how comfortable everything is when there are viable excuses to hide behind before a ball is even kicked. After a two week break they should be champing at the bit lets get down there get 3 points in that bag if possible. No lets go and tip tap about instead a draw is a draw and if we lose well it's down to covid and injuries. Shrug the shoulders, that's life. Can't stand that attitude although i don't expect to win every game i expect those selected to have a real good go. They'll need to up the ante against the knobbers that's for sure.

That's one of the regular patterns when we sit off too long we struggle to get anything going attack wise and then predictably at some point we concede a poor one. Lenihen has taken over from Mulgrew as being the chief culprit of that, then we have to get back into and when we do we rarely take games late on. Usually after the standard subs and juggling about leave even less balance on the pitch. When we go at teams early and press using a higher tempo if we get in front we go on and wallop them. Don't understand why that can't be in evidence at places like Luton away. Are we really just flat track bullies or is there more to it. like as you've said too much fearing certain opponents and too much over cooking the team instead of the emphasis being on encouraging them to do what they are good at ?

How many times do we concede straight after a sub though it's like another ingrained weakness. Good thing is we often jump straight back into it but for me we are too lethargic too often. Shouldn't take conceding to get some urgency going.

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.