They allegedly got Dack in for 750k and they could get ten times plus that if they sold him tomorrow then they throw 7 mill at a young guy who they are reluctant to put on as a sub in his proper position let alone start him and who may or may not end up justifying his price tag. One wonders just why they didn't continue down the Dack type route with some recruitment ! Don't think his signings overall have been bad it's a right lottery at this level but even Coyle got in Mulgrew, loaned in Gallagher and Emnes who were handy. Bowyer proved quite proficient despite his lack of experience when he had a few hundred grand to chuck about here and there so jury still out on TM but early verdict from me is = average.

He likes versatile players and that's fine but it doesn't mean he has to try odd things just to shoehorn them in and prove that versatility just use it when it's needed. Horses for courses for a while, get in a decent 6ft plus target man and some pace wide and leave off the midfielders who can supposedly play in multiple positions across the middle for a while. TM is a forward thinker and that's great but sometimes it makes the team go in reverse !

Rovers fans fighting amongst themselves again ffs this is a recurring theme, good job Wigan is an evening fixture this time !

So just the usual 5 or 6 Rovers related threads running then, no new ones ? ?

I notice no one has posted links to that PNE forum tonight ... Probably crashed with all the euphoria !

Good player but isn't and never will be a 25 million guy some of the hysterics around him when he has a good game or poaches a goal in an otherwise anonymous performance are a bit over the top it's almost like we've never seen a good player before. He's important to us and we don't want to lose him but he clearly needs a kick up the backside now and again and he'll never be worth more than 15 million I don't think. Does he warrant another new contract just keep him ? Not on recent efforts but will the transfer fee or a chunk of it be reinvested in a good replacement ? Unlikely. Kick him up the backside, get him in a comfortable system and give him the platform to perform again is the best bet.

Mulgrew is a class player but not a bruiser he needs a Hanley next to him but main problem with Charlie boy is he's a country before club man and it doesn't do him any favours. Most of his plaudits at club level are won by his on the ball stuff not the muck and bullets. Wish we could find a new version of the young Colin Hendy !

100% agree on the Graham situation it's something most saw coming midway last season, half fit or tired a guy like him will score goals in league one just by standing about on the pitch at times, this league no way you have to be fit. Poor the failure to address this regardless of the Brereton signing, a loan in would've helped it and they could've continued the softly softly approach with Ben. Samuel getting injured didn't help of course but using Dack as the number one back up was never going to work every week. Think in regards to TM he is a safety first manager but his main drawback is the over egging things in terms of changes all fans of his other clubs will point to this. Every so often it does work of course but also it'll come off the rails now and again. Would be nice to have a few comfortable 2 nil wins now and again though !

Yes Fergie always seemed to put great stock into having a very good number two whereas a lot of other gaffers just bring in their pals .... or whoever an agent provides ?

Which comes back to the present riverside being rebuilt as the new stand into the old other three of Ewood that had their fair share of wood and not long after the Bradford disaster. Any new construction would probably not need that runway with all the open accessible corners, would certainly help the atmosphere with another stand closer to the pitch. I've been surprised when I sat in there for a bit and when the tv cameras have been live above that stand there's sometimes a decent noise in it but you can't hear it from other stands on match day.

Lowe just comes across as the clipboard, cones and bibs man, every club probably has one i'm not sure if he makes much difference good or bad. Venus comes with conflicting reviews I have heard he works hard one on one with players but don't know how true that is. Overall the three of them have done ok so far but whoever is responsible for keep messing things about and trying to be too clever has to shoulder some it today.

Not taking anything away from todays poor all round effort BUT much as it sticks In the throat Preston are better than their early season form suggests, decent outfit last season and today they made us look like the new boys we are and they the seasoned old heads who'd done their homework. I'd like to say we'll play worse and win but no that's very unlikely however we've been put away by a side who might just end up above us. That's the reality of the championship.

Yeah we don't really care, let them have their day over their great rivals. Meanwhile we'll concentrate on the biggie..... Wigan away.

We do usually get a good response after these complete cock ups bite us on the arse so this is a big test of that and let's have Mowbrays Rovers back not another reincarnation of Coyles misfits. However win lose or draw today Wigan is a bit of a graveyard for Rovers let's face it, I've seen some shockers there and I've seen us play quite well....and lose. Wrong game at the wrong time I fear this is, i'd snap the hands off a nil nil right now. Wigan 3 Rovers 2

That's a fair old protection ! I suspect and I reckon TM does as well that he'll just sink at the min if he's started so I actually agree on that with him but just because they want to get mins into him shouldn't give him a free pass to get on the pitch every game regardless of the score, which I think he more or less has since arriving. Nor do I think he should be immune from being left out of the squad now and again and maybe go and have a few U23 games upfront to keep sharp in front of goal, surely that will help prep him for the DG role out of the spotlight. It's not dropping him it's developing him and if he didn't cost 7 million quid and was an academy graduate of ours I doubt he'd be getting a sniff at the min. So yes we'll have to respectfully disagree....now I've got it off mi chest ?

Fair do's although I'm looking at it over the season so yes he's had a couple of assists recently but come on throw him in and if he sinks in a game like that it doesn't bode well. Nuttall has sniffed out a few goals so he deserves a chance now and again but he didn't cost anything so his signing doesn't need justifying every week. Nothing against BB at all but just try something different now and again as he clearly isn't yet some kind of wonder kid just a young player trying to find his feet, may come good may not but he's being protected in a way that to me prevents others from having a chance to see if they can benefit this current team. It's all about the team not the individual and a couple of assists aside he's shown very very little, doesn't mean he won't but let's prioritise getting a unit upfront and a provider wide otherwise we'll still be seeing this same time next season with him.

We've got to remember the riverside was built within the old Ewood so that probably carried some weight back then. The plans Jack had to rebuild that stand moved to towards the pitch just like the JW, they probably would've made provision for emergency access in the corner but I thik you could get a vehicle in between the JW/BBE through the gates no bother.

For Dack to be at his effective best the others have to create that space for him to operate in otherwise the opposition just crowd him out and at the moment he isn't interested when that happens. In order for him to poach in the box which he's also good at you have to be pinging balls into there and creating chances, something we don't do enough of really. A good winger would've been handy !

Fair points although what sets Ewood apart from other grounds in terms of having to have a road in in front of one of the stands ? Not exactly common is this another peculiar Blackburn Council requirement like not allowing Jack to build a train stop near Ewood ? It's nearly as odd as being the only local club who moves kick offs to accommodate as many away fans as possible ?

Nuttall whilst not being anything special is probably more suited to starting in the DG role in front of BB so i'm saying i'd try that before i'd start Brereton. Yes he is showing signs with a few assists but really if you watch him he's offered bugger all so far. He's taking up bench space that in my opinion should be occupied at the moment by someone more capable, for me again it all comes down to not getting in proper striking back up. That would allow the slowly slowly approach with Brereton and keep the spotlight of him a bit.

Can understand how he operates with Graham it's the way he has to be managed these days so no complaints there but they knew this and should have got in proper target man back up. Especially given the way we need to play to get the best out of Dack and the rest. Brereton is obviously one he's going to bring along slowly so I don't think chucking him in today would've made much difference but yeah it would be nice to see something from him he's taking up bench space and getting on every game in front of others. Nutttal caries more goal threat and i'd be mightily pissed off if I was him.

Like him as I do there is no doubt some of his daft over cooking it hands the initiative to the opposition. It's the championship and we have a no frills basic squad so lets base it on that and play from there, leave the confusing Roy Hodgson type stuff to the chess playing mind games of the Prem.

Palmer is this seasons lad from West Brom, all reputation but very little product to back it up. Good 'on top' player to bring on late in a game you're cruising. Silly to start him and expect much else really.

Cowardly display in a game like that and Mowbray's rabbit in headlights tactics cost us, this was Oldham away all over again. I dearly hope i'm wrong but there seems to be a touch of complacency setting in judging by today they are all believing their own hype, battling loses get a free pass from most fans but shit like today from most players AND manager deserves a panning ! New contracts doffed out left right and centre doesn't mean they can switch off when they feel like it i'd damn well not pay many of them today after that. Hope it's just a blip, get back to basics against Wigan and stop trying to be clever. Oh and get a fricking decent striker in January for gods sake, how well could that 7 million have been spent on the forward line for this team ?????????

It certainly worked for Huddersfield a few years ago along with the continued good management of the team obviously and positivity around the club. Works at Bradford as well although the sheer size of place almost guarantees big gates for low prices regardless of the product on the pitch.