Sorry pal i've not much time for CM these days defence wise but i can't for the life of me see a 19 year old kid who was at right back last season in this league being a safer bet next to Bell. Swapping Lenihen to wrong side is bonkers. THis is the dilemma our ex defender manager has created though. Personally i think we are that desperate i'd just replace Bell with Downing for this one and see how it goes surely Mulgrew can put the odd good game in.

If i'd been a Fulham scout and watched Bell struggle then seen us throw the loanee in next to him i'd be recommending sending as many balls down between them as possible. We might see 3 at the back in this i suspect.

Tosin next to Bell ???? Would be everything that's wrong with Mownbrays defensive recruitment right there, naive.

And how much of that has just flown through the club elswhere without making a blind bit of difference to improve the team ?

Quite good he is has his own show on tv now. Wonder if he posts on here or reads ? Be interesting to know his views on this subject and how he became a Rovers fan. Unless he's one of those dual supporter Fogarty types ?

That'll be the person they want to send out to run the rule over those they've complied from their lists surely after the backroom boys have analysed? So maybe they've got some lists together which would be a start ! Top of the requirements - must be a nice lad - must like being played out of position - must be cheap or free - must like to be rotated - must not be a defender - must be prepared to be converted to one at some point - must like Charlie Mulgrew

I think when you've got plans to turn the old coach building site into an Asian shopping centre it shows what you are up against it's not really integration it's keeping things separate. I'm sure if someone started another pro team in town and it involved Asian people and played over that side of town there'd be several thousand watching it. I once worked with an Indian lad briefly and he understood me but barely spoke a word of English so i was surprised to learn he'd lived in Blackburn nearly 5 years in the heart of the Bastwell area. Lovely lad and family but i'd imagine there are many like him and some are probably unaware what Blackburn Rovers is they just live. work, school and go about their lives within the heart of their own community. Only thing that will ever really swing it in Rovers favour and away from the glory hunting is a player of their heritage and even then he'd have to be a good one. Great that the Taz comedian fella seems a passionate Rover he gives us a bit of exposure.

Not sure quite why they keep allegedly chasing targets they know from the off they can't afford. Ok they may well keep pitching offers and hope that one just drops into place if they don't get what they're after elsewhere. That though just leaves us hanging on then nothing gets resolved and it usually only ends one way, no player at all. Trying to do some things on the cheap but then lavishing money elsewhere is such a Rovers Venky era thing to do no wonder the squad is unbalanced quality wise. To my mind if you really want a good player you try and get near what they want and get the deal done because if they are half decent somebody else will pay it if you don't. Think Bauer is a classic example of that.

I feel similar and can't stand the fickle nature of some fans who hero worship one min then slag off the next although the majority on here just want him replaced properly as with some others or relegated to 4th choice in the pecking order permanently. Handy squad man yes but the main issue is again the manager who likes him and we know what'll keep happening. However if he gets in the team and we are winning a few regularly then iv'e no issue with him staying in. What it is with managers of TMs ilk is you've got to remove the temptation otherwise being the players man he is he'll keep giving in to it.

A raft of over generous contracts especially in the direction of Mulgrew will have a big say in it i think. TM has backed himself right into a corner even if he drops these guys they won't leave.

I'm torn between thinking if we'd played a good side it could've been a thumping or we'd have raised it as we often do. In truth though despite our possession they could have had another one or two.

I think they'd already be here if there was even if they had one leg, seems to love 'project' our Tone.

Best conspiracy yet ... ?

I think he'd be better than Robbie Fowler..... ?

Superb effort yet again lets hope the performance is worthy we have a big mobile lad in Gallagher now so use him properly no excuse for not having him pressing and defending from the front. Run him into the ground then replace with DG or BB 70 + mins scoreline pending of course.

Fans made similar calls the season we were relegated i'm 100% certain that a one or two decent defensive recruits would've given us an extra point or two to stay up. Problem there was Coyle and the dollopers he wanted to bring in via his mates so Senior was probably right to block that although he should've dug something up himself. Similar calls midway last season but nothing except sending the capable back up out on loan then very quickly followed by a relegation run of form. I still think even with this lot we've enough to finish similar to last season but surely we want an improvement on that for gods sake.

I think it's money already spent rather than upfront and probably just pays down the day to day overdraft although we can but hope. Let's not forget a few years ago they were dripping a few hundred grand and the odd million in here and there forcing the club to liquidise it's assets. When this happens isn't it just a case of updating the accounts rather than a big cash injection ? And being classed as owner input it must be pushing us nearer FFP ?

Yep the tempo and aggressiveness of the team will have to go up several notches on a regular basis as well.

I can understand that to a degree he's been here before and proved quite popular, likes the club and wanted to join but was too expensive so when he did become available we were always likely to have a punt. Add in his agent it was always a goer. Still no excuse whatsoever for not sorting the defence if we can afford to loan in the City lad and throw probably a million quid straight down the drain in Downing we can afford a decent defender or two.

There is a different feel to it than before you see people who would jump on one negative vibe on social media saying why the hell hasn't this manager significantly strengthened the defence. Are his hands tied from elsewhere on some of them ? Not sure but Bennett himself said the manager asked him to play right back so basically it's on Tony's head this one his naivety is startling to be honest but i think he'll keep plugging away with the same lot ready to say i told you so when we win a couple.

I know i question him a lot but it's more through sheer frustration he's a good defence away from being a really good manager and it's something he's admitted to recognising as a weak spot. Can't fathom why he'd say what he's said and then totally ignore it. Mercer might be onto something with his sell to buy line in terms of big cash signings.

The more i think about it the more it seems unlikely Mowbray has just decided to ignore the defence and hope for the best i really now reckon it would have to be 1 out 1 in. He's tied his own hands with that because he'd have to cash in Lenihen on the cheap because no one would want any of the others even free because of their wages. Aside from Nyambe that is who was frozen out last season despite being no worse than the rest and now inexplicably left out for Bennett. Something is at play there, watch this space.

How can it be to keep us within FFP ?

Done a lot of business in the past with Asian owned and run firms particularly in Leicester and what always struck me was how interested the younger guys were in football down there and the amount who appeared to support Leicester City. I'm going back to way before they won the Prem, when i went down i usually had a Rovers related top on or the car/van/wagon had a sticker in so it was an instant talking point. Never the same in East Lancs although maybe the close proximity to 'glory glory' big TV clubs carries a big share of the blame.

The tombola will start rolling, 3 changes minimum with either Evans or Smallwood back in. Think we might just dig a result out... Fulham 1 Rovers 2