Last season the red scum got so many raggy wins it hid the underlying problems. I had expected them to get a streaky win against Spuds yesterday but they got absolutely spanked even with eleven and Spurs missing Son. With a lesser keeper than Onana, that would have been a 5 goal hammering.

We are 3rd from top. 3 months ago I would have been relieved at not being 3rd from bottom on 30th September. Hedges is a really solid performer and even gives us cover at left wb when Beck is suspended and Pickering not 100% fit. It shows how far we have come so fast that totally adequate performances from Hedges have attracted the ire on here. We are at a level now that solidly ok is no longer good enough and that is hugely encouraging. We have no idea who got a kicking and soldiered through on Saturday. When fit and not suspended, Rovers now have two complete first elevens inside our squad who would be capable of winning against most Championship clubs. Eustace has said he will use all his squad so the only predictable is there will be at least one unexpected selection tomorrow night.

The loans are doing what they are supposed to do. If the loaned out players cannot hack it at the lower levels, clear decisions can be made about their futures. Vale desperately unfortunate with injury. Garrett seems to have an eccentric boss. Markanday looks too good for League 2. As we move into October those three would seem to be ? but nobody doing a Hayden Carter at Portsmouth level of loan performance.

It is all going wrong for Coventry so far this season. Apparently only losing 3-0 at Leeds flattered them No suddenly clicking into place on Tuesday night for them please. How much Eustace is willing to use his big squad will be a lively discussion on here. I will go with Wharton, Gilsenan, Vale and Leonard not being on the bench. And no Beck either.

Asking for permission to get excited. In Eustace we appear not only to have a good man manager and decent tactician, but a coach who learns and can put lessons into effect. As has been pointed out we have a deep squad. Result is no weaknesses plus new problems for opponents when subs are made. I will add to the night and day subs bench comment compared with last season, that yesterday's bench had Sigurdsson, Britain and Beck unavailable and no space for a kid to be bloodied if we are coasting. Cantwell is different class. Noticed he was also finding space in forward positions the rest of the team aren't yet looking to pass to. Dolan has added brains to feet and is looking an increasingly big player for us Travis and Tronstad are so good individually and as a midfield combination. We all agree JRC is not at his best but I think Carter also can be better than he is showing so far this season. QPR were much better than in the bits of other games I have seen them in and there is a player in Smyth. Our defence did a really solid job preventing a problematic opposition from becoming a problem - and that was playing the second half with two makeshift wing backs. And Hedges played much better overall than his critics are allowing. Final point. I think we can all see this Rovers squad can get better in the next few weeks, perhaps much better.

I would really like to see Toth in action but if his mere presence consistently turns Pears from a liability to a clean sheet every game, he is a transfer fee well spent. I fear we will.persist with pears too long and we will toss away 3 points for want of making the switch earlier.

Plenty of bite in that one. Dolan should have put that one chance away. We were not winning individual battles all over the park and couldn't string passes together. Heckinbottom is an excellent manager to get that performance out of that lot.

QPR are big lumps who are deadly at set pieces. The defence can be got at. The question is who learns best from the Preston match? QPR as a blueprint for how to play against us or Rovers for how to up our game against big physical opposition?

We never got going today but it has to be acknowledged Heckinbottom has us sussed. Better get this sorted because QPR are Preston on steroids.

He did more pointing than Keith Andrews

One prediction that will certainly come true. The Rovers subs bench today will be the strongest most impressive and most experienced we have had since we were in the Premier League. My loving devoted fans will be appreciating the hyperbolic adjectives.

Depending how he is going in training, I would hope to see ACD get a chance against that PNE left side at some stage.

Last night was perfect for us. PNE slogged through 120 minutes against a Fulham side with ELEVEN changes from their last PL game, suffered two injuries forcing players off the field, no doubt picked up plenty of cuts and bruises then stood outside at 10pm+ on a September Lancashire evening in their sweaty kit for 33 penalties (16-15 plus the two that were missed)... I saw the first 10 minutes and Fulham were breaking at speed with ease except for the final balls which went out of play for goal kicks...

Amazing any player, agent or selling club have been willing to do business with the current Rovers set up. Ok we have shuffled some of the pack but Venkys and Swag remain as the dealers.

5,684 allocation sold

Looking grim for Morecambe and Stanley to stay in League football. The Bolton implosion is unexpected.

I will be very happy if Eustace finds himself in a Premier League club in the summer.. With us.

To the extent the early season table is a predictive guide, all the top 9 have winnable looking games this weekend.

It is pretty obvious that while transfer fees weren't splashed, the brakes were off on the wages bill this summer. Doing the deal with Dolan this Autumn is a litmus test for the club. I am encouraged by JE's comment. We have competition for places all over the squad which will lift performance levels but if we are in and around top 6 at Christmas then we need a couple of Prem quality players in the January window to seal the deal. We found the send button 11 times in the summer, let's hope its not taped over again on January 31st,

Given what happened to him at Birmingham and the Stoke chopping board (and the "opportunity" to reunite with players bounced out of Ewood... ), Stoke don't bother me. When Everton fire Dyche in November if we are continuing our run is a whole different matter.

Impressed by the Japanese lad from Celtic

Ohashi is a lot quicker than his strong frame and running style suggest. Quite apart from his skill at knowing the right place at the right time, he has the pace to get there. For the third goal, Hedges pass forced him out wide but he had the speed to get from near the touch line to the edge of the area before retreating Bristol City players could either intercept his drive inside or give cover to the bamboozled full back and they only had to run straight back to defend their goal. I would agree about Gueye up top and Ohashi in the number 10 role BUT - Ohashi has been scoring as the front man without Gueye on the field - Dolan is now playing the number 10 role really well with the set up for Ohashi's first perfect; tackled his man fairly in the centre circle, pace to break Bristol lines running straight at goal, strength to evade the tackle and played the ball while falling with perfect pace and direction for Ohashi's strike; no wonder he got a snog from Tronstad - and there is Cantwell building match fitness - and Weimann who undoubtedly provide effective halves and cameos as consistently one of the best behind the striker players in the Championship for years. What a wonderful problem for John Eustace to have... Starting at Deepdale

5,000 (3200+1000+800)

Watched bits of Pompey v West Brom. West Brom are very useful with some top Championship players but don't scare me. Pompey would have at least been level in the first half if they had a striker. Most Championship sides would be putting away the sort of openings Pompey created against West Brom 25% to 50% of the time, not going 0 in 5. They have League One bruisers up front. Overall, Pompey will be bottom half but unlikely to be relegated because they will score against worst sides with poorer keepers than West Brom have.

Just watched PNE v Sheffield United highlights of the season opener. I would start Gueye even if he comes off after an hour because the PNE boys are big and chunky with a long throw specialist as well as corners to defend. We need Gueye at both ends of the park. If he's ready, this is the ideal game for ACD given the way PNE had no idea how to handle Brooks in the Blades game. Just like Bristol City, we owe this lot rectification for some recent defeats. PNE look ponderous and will be vulnerable to the sort of breaks we have been springing this season from defence.