Despite what the outlay is quoted as possibly adding up to in total I actually think they went down the safe route with Brereton. Very young, potential, decent deposit then terms spread over years and being so young likely to be on less than 10 grand pwk initially. If it works out it's a winner, if he just does average he can still be flogged for 2 or 3 mill which will more or less cover what's been outlayed up to that point and if he flops well it's just another BRFC write off but he can still be a squad man for years or loaned out !!! Signing a 25 yr old with a bit of championship pedigree would've come with 10/20k pwk three or four year contract as well as a fee or loan fee. In can see him being loaned back to Forest at some point in the future and that would set tongues a wagging again, quite rightly.

Certainly would he turned into one of the best battering rams in England once he had a manager who knew how best to use him. Just shows how players can change though as they develop as at first he was more of an Armstrong type albeit larger. Bet Bolton wish they had a 28 year old Davies to sell around now as well !

I heard from a few places that Hodgson didn't fancy signing Davies but the club wanted a big signing to replace Shearer and hopefully replicate him in some form and Davies was the man brought in, young, English, quick, strong etc. It was also an open secret that Woy made him about as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool ! Part of the problem of the Hodgson reign was that he was one of the original 'Head Coach' foreign schooled types that were beginning to become common in England. Places where he'd worked did things differently and the head coaches asked their sporting directors for certain types of players and they went out, sourced them, brought them in then said here you go coach him and fit him into your side. Roys poor signings fir huge money would largely back this up i'e he hadn't a clue as he was just used to being presented with quality players who could do as he asked. Also probably around that time agents really got a foot hold into Ewood for obvious reasons ! Apart from the fee I don't think this lad can be compared to Davies really it's a different landscape now.......we hope ?

He did similar with Dack I seem to recall, it's obviously his method and they are tried and tested but the likes of Dack can operate in several roles but this lad clearly needs to be in a central position so that's where he should be getting his cameo's.

Repeating for the umpteenth time I do understand TM going down the softly softly route with this lad but constantly using him wide is giving him mins alright but ruining his confidence. Mowbray has to decide now what is more important because he's clearly uncomfortable being used out there and he's learning nothing he'd be better off with a spell upfront for the U23's and take him out the limelight a bit he's only 19 for gods sake.

Graham hasn't got the legs to be grafting every game plus he's got knocks and niggles so I wouldn't be expecting much more from him other than being a central quite static target man or lurking to poach in the box. The main glaring problem is not getting him any decent similar target man back up when we've been crying out for it particularly when Samuel fell foul of injury and the fact he isn't good enough back up anyway. They chose a raw young lad on instalments and low wages because they seem terrified to spend on something more suitable and risk it being a flop. Personally i'd have bitten the bullet spent a few bob loaned someone half decent in.

Bouncebackability for Rovers or are we entering a little sticky patch that was going to show up sooner or later ? WBA 2 Rovers 2 - after being two nil up !

I'm blaming the coach -- but not the journey... ?

They do fly about a bit and stay over a lot I think so it's odd they didn't for what is one of the longest treks of the season and especially after Saturday. State of the art new coach has to pay for itself though I suppose plus it didn't really affect the first half performance and the second was more to do with Swansea stepping it up and Rovers having a tactical meltdown similar to Bristol away and possibly even Stoke.

A bit ott but agree with the second bit and not for the first time it was like a game thrown, not on purpose far from it but just for the sake of trying something else when at the time there was no real need. TM over cooking it, again ! But away from home against a good side with only a few hundred hardcore followers there is the time these crafty managers try these things because they have all the ready made excuses there on a plate if it backfires - which it did tonight.

I hope there isn't a touch of the Grabbi's to this one i'd love to know who was involved ! Thing is TM is obviously going to go softly softly with him but he SHOULD be getting his ten mins here and there up front but they seem to be trying to add the lone striker string to Dacks bow, probably in the hope of adding a few more 0's..... Failure to add another proper striker to back up Graham is the main problem though and something many of us highlighted in the window. One nil up away under pressure of looking to keep it at 1-q after and equalizer when they are in the ascendancy you need another big unit, proper target man. Too many small lightweights too easily knocked off the ball we have instead who are only effective on the break with balls on the deck.

There was a game recently were he found himself around the penalty spot controlled it and swivelled for a shot on the turn that was blocked, might have been the Villa game ? Showed good striker instinct there but he's always told to go wide and presumably stay there I know it's early days and they are just giving him minutes but I think he could've been used better at times. TM did similar with Dack though at the beginning to be fair.

Impossible to judge him on that yet really until they get him operating in the middle.

This was another game when serious suspicions about what Kean was really up to bubbled to the surface yet again. Players clearly not happy with their instructions to basically not offer an attack. That guy was as dodgy as they come, match fixing by basically just employing awful tactics, selections, formations and subs ? You don't need players on the take if you have the power to go about it like that ####### scumbag did !!!! Hope Rovers exercise the demons of that day a bit tonight and give the travellers a good night. COYB Kean Out !

Yes I think we've more or less reached the point where armchair fans are armchair fans, part timers are part timers and hardcore as usual will nearly always turn up or still buy STs which mean they are there in spirit having paid already. Part of the Saturday ritual for match attenders now is maybe watch the lunchtime game then go to your own then watch the tea time game after so one in the middle is no big deal, wouldn't be to me anyway if I was going to Rovers i'd go I wouldn't choose Everton v Newcastle instead because it was raining. The saturation point means you take live tv games for granted now but most fans main focus is their own team or at least it should be.

I'm not even sure putting a live 3pm on would make that much difference anymore to be honest. Clubs of our ilk would be affected when it's our turn just the same as we are now for a tv game. In fact if the tv was involved the club and the suits and all their morals about non existent potential bother would soon tell the police to shove it and not move the kick off if it was Leeds. The crowd would be bigger than Saturday as well i'd wager. How many would swerve their own clubs game to watch a run of the mill Prem fixture at 3pm on a Sat ? Not many I don't think.

Just priming it for next years 12 o'clock kick off again, front page warnings next time. This is the new Burnley fixture for the OB, it's an earner with very little to do except sit on car parks in vans and cars eating Mcdonalds ! Why would anyone begrudge them that .......

Youth youth youth was the chant ! Plenty Blackburn and Bolton lads in the BBE that day cheering on Chorley.

I'd imagine that LT opinion fella being front row vetting the questions .... Strike a line through any that can't be answered with a blame the fans we do all we can line ?

Not dragging the whole crowd/following banter back up again but I did mention the huge allocation at Ewood can just as likely put pressure on the visitors as it can unsettle the home side. Maybe that was a case in point a bit yesterday as Leeds looked a little shy which was strange but of course the noon kick off kills any real atmosphere in most games that fall foul to it until the goals start flowing and fans get into it so rather than diving them on it's a bit quiet and they become nervous.

It is exactly the kind of whole package of things that were missing under GB despite some obvious good things then. That's not a dig at him in any way as he just brought an air of calmness to it all for a while that was desperately needed and he did a good job to the best of his abilities but they were very limited due to lack of experience. You can see now though why there was so much falling out on here in regards to him when a lot of us who've seen it all before felt it right to expect a bit more of the whole package of things we have now rather than the just do enough and it's enough nature of back then. If the plonkers that be had got someone in like TM after him to build on his stability we might well be in the Prem now. Lambert was a dud but not a disaster but never underestimate the damage getting Coyle in did and never ever let it be repeated.

I'm going for a shut out backs to the wall job where we'll look to nick something on the break or a set piece. 0-0 And it's one of those instances where that would be a good result !

That's why it's up there as one of the most competitive leagues in world football but I think it gets tougher every year now.

Leeds knocked it about well at times and the equalizer was quality it's usually handy to score near HT but probably not for them as they didn't have time to make it count. Trick to their style is to turn the whole team into a well oiled machine to allow that kind of football back to front then defend from front to back without the ball. Wagner managed it at Hudds but it takes time to implement, I think they'll be thereabouts in the top 6 come May though. Big victory for us and the counter attacking style which serves us well away did ok at home as it's suited to the better sides but it was really good to see us making something of set pieces whilst defending them well at the other end. If we'd held on v Villa that would've been a few big scalps already plus a nice local victory so it's shaping up to be a good season. Its been enjoyable so far !

Therein lies the problem of moving the kick off and charging top whack if that is correct which it probably is meaning only about 10k home fans pitched up in person and that is worrying for a game like that but the suits won't care a toss because the till receipts say 20k mostly paying customers. They need to pull their heads out their fat arses and get something done.