Perhaps being Citys player any knock niggle or strain he might have they insist he can't play until they've cleared him to do so. Over protecting their player, it's odd they wouldn't let him play if he's fit after a good run of form in the shop window before business opens. Maybe they have firm interest but in that case you'd think they'd call him back, maybe we are being primed for that. Then again Tony probably sees our player Del as number 1 if he's fit. That would be standard.

Good post, this team are genuinely a reflection of the gaffer as are his signings. Honest, humble, usually hard working but happy to coast and seek out the comfort zone again after every 'fans about to turn' kick up the jacksy. Capable of good stuff but in the main dull, uninspiring and drifting. Shame because the squad is slightly above average overall i feel but needs a lot of direction and drive to keep it on its toes.

They should have been out the door ages ago ! I said this kind of thing would come back to bite us on the arse way back in summer when he didn't shift deadwood out. Too busy trying to be nice and look after everybody with somebody else's money. He'll never release or loan out one off his hundred midfielders though i bet.

TM must be the luckiest manager in this league by some stretch. Not only is he well in with the ownership he has a set of excuses lined up by some fans to prepare for the next bad run before it happens. Also every time his head nears the block he somehow quite remarkably has a blinding moment of clarity in his selections and formation. The team responds and saves him with a little purple patch before he inevitably gives in to his inner 'keep em all happy' demons again. Any club in this division that has 3 forwards costing a combined 15 million before wages should be able to score goals really.

A) It doesn't matter who they loan in to cover they won't get used correctly he'll be looking for ways to involve Bennett and Armstrong first. Closely followed by Gally of course. B ) We've been hinted at numerous times about life after Dack and that they were recruiting players with that in mind. Well now here we are but what will we see ?

They really shouldn't have the audacity to moan about crowds again anytime soon from within the club. Most of the extra fans drawn in over Christmas will now be bored off again with the same old team, tactic revolving rubbish with the same poor performance end result. It makes me laugh how they make a song and dance about getting more in then when they do they turn in insipid unambitious efforts like the last 2 games. If you were a director you'd at least be having a word with the manager and stressing the importance of having a good go. No guarantees of course in football and at least they didn't lose but if you don't have a go you won't win. Back again to the disjointed poor stuff that two average teams have come and got amongst us and found it easy to go away with something. Only the hardcore will keep turning out for that.

This manager isn't hungry for promotion that's the main problem. He's more interested in just balancing status quo within his squad and gathering enough points along the way. Only ever goes positive attacking then sticking with the same winning side where he can when he's coming under pressure. The very minute it abates he's back to players over points keep them all happy mode. Forever the midtable under achiever when it could be a bit more interesting with a set of balls. He will do the same things over and over and over....

It has been, senior favs trump everything else.

Truck load of changes yet again type has been reverted to. Let's hope it's a other Bristol scenario proving us wrong but we've been down this road so many times before No such thing as a best 11 under this manager whoever is available.

After years of supporting Rovers we should all know by now there is no such thing as a home banker at Ewood.

Biggest turnout for years......and they actually won !!!

Lets not be making the 'tired' excuses already then marvelling in the next breath at the set up behind the scenes ! Football has come thick and fast at this time of year as long as its been going its part and parcel of the job they should be prepared for. Decent sized squad we have and a manager who rotates and rests all the time anyway. Other teams manage it so that won't wash with me its an easy cop out for poor performances. Get out there and run your bollox off for 95 mins and get some results i'm sure they'll getr near enough a week off between fixtures after this period.

I'm beginning to think the Chapman signing was either just a favour to someone or out of the famous TM sympathy angle.

Rovers 1 Brum 2 I think we'll revert to type again here, we've been sussed a bit so the manager will start his multi changes again. 15,898

As Mowbray quite rightly said last season we'd have found a way to lose that game. So the mentality and concentration is definitly improving a little. Helped by weeding out the likes of Mulgrew who was prone to flagging late in games. However we were also plagued again by no plan B because there was nothing on the wing/s to stretch Wigan and maybe come up something in terms of creating. Then we end up mumbo jumbo again strikers on the wings etc, that kind of thing can be improved overnight by sourcing/signing and actually playing the right players.

I think as time went on if he'd had a bit of backing he would have added a bit of flair in wide areas and a good striker or two. Similar to what he did at Bolton and we'd have had a fair team then all bit on rock solid foundations. Anderson and Kean put paid to that though. Totally agree on the away games though he killed the away support it was like games were thrown before we kicked off. He would only play one way though and it just didn't work much away from home.

Was he injured or just rested so as to give Del a run out ? Strikes me as the type of thing TM would slip in in his crusade to keep footballers happy. Either way it doesn't matter as long as he gets back in and remains first choice if he's playing well.

There's a 7 million pound man signed for some god forsaken reason but some of the excuses for him surround us having to play Dack. Now that won't be the case lets see why they signed him and what the intention to use him for really was. Now he has a real chance to come in from the wilderness of the right hand side.

Certainly doesn't fit with the 'saving money' model and it's not the first time either.

2116 Wigan fans by the way, i'm surprised some saying 3.5k that was always way out there really didn't look that many. Fact they were utterly needlessly split between two tiers probably gave the impression of more. What a waste of money, now tell me again WHY they shut the DE lower to home fans.....

When you look what's happening behind the scenes and fact they are printing giant flags with him on ! Then waving them in front of the cameras i'd say there is very little chance of any change happening.

Yep that bulldog attitude you need every game goes missing too quickly here. Listening to TM prattle on before the game the SKY interview went off him mid sentence when he was whining away about how hard it is to leave footballers out and how guilty you feel etc. Add in the other post match comments back to putting the wind up everyone about Wigan - bottom of the league - you can see why we lack the cutting edge and killer instinct. That'll never materialise until it's drilled into them and players fitting that type are filling the team. On a side note related to that it was good to see Lenihen early doors losing his rag and bollocking people. A bit of that from the sidelines wouldn't go amiss to help him get the message across.

The announced attendance is tickets sold/handed out and corporates the club has said this many times. It isn't bodies through the turnstiles and bums on seats so it was still probably a thousand shy of the official figure. Agree on the pricing, keep it simple.

Never.

Depends what you've grown up with i suppose, a lot will see it as just that, Greater Manchester for that's its name for going on 50 years.