Graham and Dack ae lively and on form = we win, a rookie back line comes up against an out of form attack which swings it in our favour. Great debut for another youngster, stick with him now don't change a winning team they've earned their shirts tonight. Leave the favs where they are for a bit...out of the starting line up and start leaving the ones only interested in their International stuff out altogether, they know who they are ! Time for Tony the Tough, team and results first individuals second !

Not sure I think that might have been a night game and in the middle or a bad run I just remember the BBE singing 'One BOB there's only one BOB' and finding it funny for some reason.

Rovers 1 Wigan 3

Do stadium managers have agents.... Anyway weather has bucked up a bit and i'm feeling more positive now for some reason although I can't help remembering when Rovers threw Bob Dewhurst in ! Anyone else remember that ?

I don't think they themselves are looking to profit from this kind of thing although I still believe middlemen are like I said that doesn't go away overnight and it's a football thing it's a giant cattle market and agents and some at clubs/owning clubs are dealers getting their % whilst debt or money from elsewhere pays for it all. I reckon they've gone down the speculate to accumulate route to pay on going costs and help the club wash its face in the long run and it isn't a bad thing to do but as always it's how you do it and who does it for you. But they aren't football team decisions the first team must prosper then everything else falls into place and that's something they never seem to get to grips with. I also still believe we are just an easy target for friendly agents plonking their players in here and giving owners and manger their lists to pick from. No wonder TM has tried to play it safe and go for players he's known previously his other options might have been a bit limited if this is the case. It would be so nice if they could just ok a bit of investment directly into the first team and let the manager & co think outside the box a bit.

....or young ?

We are still somewhat an agents vehicle that kind of stuff doesn't disappear overnight. Mowbray is perfect foil for it, nice guy, ok manager, gets a good deal so won't rock the boat and can come out with allsorts at the drop of a mike in front of him as to why we aren't signing anymore decent players when we should. The cosy days are back at Ewood under the stability guise, just wait till the sales start again.........

So that's what swung it coming here for Stevie ? I always wondered just how we'd managed it !

From an ex director the appointments are made away from Blackburn and the first the club officially hears about them is when they are told who's coming the day before. Been the same with all of them, all cloak and dagger and all 25-1 + shots unemployed flawed managers.

And whilst we want the club running properly and a sustainable business model to give a platform for a good team in future that kind of thing isn't based around football it's based around making money. In the meantime the first team is suffering from lack of quality and strength which could ultimately see us back to square one if not careful so it transpires the first bit of success we have under these crackpots and the strange stuff begins again ! Who is really to blame though manager or owners...or the middle men/man ?

If there was ever a good time for a flooded pitch and it to be called off I think this is it ! Groundsmen do your stuff, turn the sprinklers on.

He'll be a wide midfielder who can maybe play number 10 when they've finished with him it seems the way these days they want robots, the winger is dead !

It is a shite shade though to be right, weak colour weak bods in them and it sends out a 'too mild' look to opposition. Well that's my take anyway ?

Good point I was going to add there could be the issue of him as probably THE senior pro and captain not quite seeing eye to eye with the manager and possibly sick of trying to get his points across so in effect he's thought sod it what's the point. Although him legging it on the coach at Bolton doesn't mean much probably just knackered and wanted away. Don't think we could lose sight of the way everything and everyone seemed deflated after the last transfer window I don't think it's a coincidence. There was no statement of intent more a job done as you were air about it. The real intentions at the club start to show themselves bit by bit in ways like this, seen it all before and not just because we didn't chuck ten million at someone.

I know it's easy to jump on someone when things aren't going well but I've mentioned before in past about this guy when the team is struggling he's no leader at all. The season we went down it was obvious he was a tidy player comfortable on the ball but when it called for dogs of war he wasn't showing his teeth I was concerned how quick his head went down but he was a newbie and no worse than anyone else. Fast forward to the start of last season and I was appalled at his on pitch body language to be honest especially in the first home game we got pasted, hands on hips or arms dangling clearly wearing a look of i'm too good for this ! After that and the rest of last season he was excellent and looked like he'd really found his feet -and maybe level- and early this season the same but after the latest transfer window he's been missing defensively although not with cultured left foot. Hard to know what to make of the real Mr Mulgrew but i'd suggest he's a bit of a big time/good time Charlie who only shows up when the team is doing well. If he's pulling strokes now putting country before club ( won't be the first here eh Corry lad ?) then he can do one for me i'd bench him for the rest of the season and boot him off the wage bill in summer. Bloody hell we'd miss his goals though......

I think it's simple really he operates like Bowyer he's comes across as a pally manager and his first and foremost intention is to look after the players and try and keep them all happy. Ex players know how frustrating it is for pros to keep training all week but not get in the team so it seems some create openings for them where they can and try and keep them involved alongside keeping their favs and their signings the main stays even if they to have to be shoe horned in. Then as well there are younger players to blend in and maybe a signing or two you might have to play even if you don't want to..... All the complexities of modern day management and pampered players with a multitude of agents on your case so not easy and nothing wrong with keeping a happy ship but not if it is detrimental to the clubs progress. Consider others like Dyche for example or Big Sam who put results first , perfomances and players feelings a distinct second yet they continue to keep their clubs punching above their weight. It is all fine if you want your club plodding in midtable safety whilst it cuts it's c;loth more accordingly and as ownership your manager maybe conjurs up a player or two who'll bring in 20 mill combined in summer to cover recent running costs and keep your agent friends happy with their cut. If you were an owner absent owner with not much time or interest it sounds like a dream ticket to me it's the model they've wanted all along after relegation from the Prem ruined the original idea's.

Mulgrew expected to miss both games before INTERNATIONAL break, I wonder if he'll be fit for them ? Seasons over Charlie boy have a rest and get fit for your Country ? We'll be watching this one closely and i'll be surprised if Evans isn't rested as well at some point.

He's a good bloke and very experienced manager especially compared to the previous dross here and all that has been the main factor in him doing a good job here rebuilding the infrastructure and bringing some sense to it all. However on the pitch and in terms of recruitment he is absolutely bang on average and always has been I don't know why it's up for debate go and research all his former clubs. We took him from the scrap heap, the same one this club was heading for so it was a good fit at the time and he's proved himself better than being on there. However where we go next is anybody's guess but a lot of it is down to the ownership and how they lay out next seasons target and budget. We can't just demand promotion but we could expect them to say right we want to be moving forwards and aiming as high as possible with the best side we can put together so lets give it a go. like I've said half a dozen times I really can't see and major restructuring because A there won't be a budget big enough we need to stop dreaming of that it never becomes a reality under Venky's and B He's tied most of this squad to the club for a bit longer so how do you get rid ? You can't replace loads anyway because then next season becomes about 'bedding them in and blooding more youth' so midtable mediocrity or a struggle becomes an acceptable excuse again. He needs to up his game though for sure but so do the players he's put so much faith in, if they get him sacked i'd sack half of them as well !

Me neither who's going to pick up the tab he's earning here ?

Ian Dowie ? wasn't he qualified for that kind of thing..?

I'm beginning to think Rothwell is on some sort of pay in instalments if he starts or something because short of his head falling off i'm not sure what other reason for him not playing will be trotted out ! Rodwell is turning out as expected, a good footballer nowhere near fit or robust enough to compete every week at this level, that's why he's ended up here.

Agree but my point still stands we'd be a bit stronger still having him here or preferably a championship standard centre half covering his place in the squad than without either. I think it's nailed on we'd be a point or two better off as well.

Christ is it any wonder the team is such a soft touch at the back ? I really hope he's just trying to make light of it although he might have been better saying I've been on his case everyday in training and he's been busting a gut but unfortunately he's over done it !

I'd have a Hanley type if there is one out there and i'd pay a few quid for him, wouldn't have the Heed back himself I think he was too big for his boots here so hopefully he's been humbled a bit since. Rhodes love him as I do i'm not sure he's what we need now i'd have a proper target man then with the rest we have with the right set up and some better supply lines I feel we still have goals in us.

That's cherry picking because as far as I can tell he's not put a foot wrong there and fact is he isn't a Mulgrew or Rodwell class of player so no surprise they all have a rick in them at his level, the better players should be better though. I'm convinced that had Downing stayed and had a run of games we'd be a few points better off, nothing spectacular we'd still probably be moaning but i'm convinced him being at least decent in the air would've helped prevent a couple of goals and things would look a bit healthier. Besides that what happens if yet another centre half goes down this week ? Letting him go to get fixed up was nice guy Tony thinking about the player, not having someone come in in place was plain poor planning from a manager who should know better.