Norwich were top of the league before that 7-1 hammering. Cannot see anything but a defeat if we are without Lenihan.

Checked the match thread and nobody has volunteered for this one so here goes. I had vowed never to do a Match preview again after chalking up a 100% record of defeats in games I wrote in anticipation of last season so probably as well I saved my literary endeavours for one that doesn't matter. Not even prize money for places are at stake unless someone can correct me. 1965/6 was the first season I followed Rovers in depth and we had a decent Cup run as well as an abysmal relegation. In the 5th round we drew then 2nd Division Norwich away and got a 2-2 draw before winning the replay at Ewood 3-2 after a fright of being pulled back from an early lead to trailing 1-2 until quite late. Roll forward 15 years and I worked with a pleasant guy at Shell who was a passionate Norwich supporter who told me he had been at the Carrow Road game and had see his first incident of football hooliganism when Rovers supporters pelted a guy dressed as a canary with anything they could get their hands on. So much for football mascots... Back to Saturday night and the late late kick off and a chance for somebody to put themselves in the shop window... perhaps... Leeds are not playing Villa until Sunday and If Sheffield United fail to beat Ipswich at 3pm then Norwich will be playing for both promotion and the title. Party pooping time! Something we did a few times when in the Prem but not recently. Of course Norwich will be on a roll in a packed Carrow Road which can get quite noisy as a smallish stadium extended upwards over the years. So not perfect for blooding youngsters but I hope we will see a repeat of u-23s on the bench while saving the nappy job for Swansea. I see no benefit from not restoring Raya and very much hope travis has recovered to give us an otherwise unchanged outfield line-up from the stroll against Bolton. We have shown we can give all of the teams at the top a headache (even Sheff U away until the sending off) and Norwich had their work cut out at Ewood until the clock struck 80 and the most vulnerable defence to late goals met the most potent late scorers. Norwich have now drawn 4 consecutively and not been commanding in any of their games recently. Of course if we see Mulgrove, Evans and Smallwood together- we will let in at least 4, again. Not a game for Charlie unless we win a late corner. I would particularly like to see Rodwell in midfield under the pressure Norwich will exert. We have seen enough from Rovers to know we can get in amongst the Canaries. I don't expect we will get to or past the 60 point mark with a game to spare but I do expect we will make a decent game of it which is the very least the tv audience and the travelling 600 deserve.

Very sad. Not that he is banned but that he should find it worth his time to do such a thing.

Hoping we don't end up with a single colour on the back in the way that has been inflicted on stripes this season. I believe pale blue was mandated by the sponsors so the logo would stand out so I am not expecting any change back to proper blue any time soon.

Could be a key point in what we all have seen as excessive loyalty this season. Listening to Mowbray's post match interview on Saturday I got a sense that certain players are not taking kindly to being dropped and he was not sympathetic.

Senior left 8 May, the day we were relegated. Cheston had been completely overruled on appointing Warnock and have we heard anything of him or Silvester? Accountants were external- KPMG and EY brought in to review the club after relegation and Mowbray's visit to Pune so I doubt they were in any way directly responsible persuading Dack to join or keeping the key players after the drop. From what I heard at the time, Mowbray played a huge part in keeping the club together when it could easily have been allowed to fall apart.

A series of improbable scorelines could see Bradford, Walsall, Scunthorpe and Accrington relegated. A single point v Plymouth or either of Wimbledon not winning or Southend not getting at least a point and they are totally safe this Saturday.

Your memory is betraying you.. No senior management other than Mowbray at Ewood when we were relegated and Mowbray went to Pune on 22 May 2017. 2 lots of accountants were swarming all over Ewood while the summer transfer window was open which undoubtedly meant that no strategy was agreed until almost when the new season opened (disastrously if you recall). Other than Dack, new signings were pretty late as well. Mowbray worked an absolute blinder in very difficult circumstances.

L1 tougher this season only because half the division is driven by fear of relegation in an insane scrap at the bottom. Having sung the praises of Luton, both Rovers and Wigan of last season were better sides than they are currently. Mowbray's record relative to past records in L1 more than speaks for itself and should only be held as a pure + for him. It is whether he can repeat the trick and get us promoted from the Championship which is the nub of the debate, isn't it?

Luton are being diminished by having only just come up but they have some good players and pace throughout the front line. If they keep them and strengthen judiciously, no reason for not finishing top half of the Championship. For what it is worth, Rovers' 96 points is a record high for second place in League 1. Average points for 1st are 93.5 and 2nd 86.7. If you look at Gordon Lee's title winners in 1975 recasting with 3 points for a win, they would have got 82 points and that fabulous side of Howard Kendall in 1980 would have got 84 points coming second in Division 3- all 46 games. So Mowbray last season needs to be viewed in that context. But I would back both our 1975 and 1980 teams to beat last year's Rovers but that is what hindsight does for you...

I believe remaining games make Accy nearly safe now. Only one of Plymouth Argyle or Scunthorpe United can finish ahead of Accy. Walsall and Bradford already impossible. Southend United need highly improbable wins v Rochdale and Sunderland and a Wycombe win or draw places Wimbledon below Accy. Accrington Stanley v Plymouth Argyle AFC Wimbledon v Wycombe Wanderers Rochdale v Southend United Scunthorpe United v Bradford City Bradford City v AFC Wimbledon Plymouth Argyle v Scunthorpe United Shrewsbury Town v Walsall

Great win for Accy. Now the clubs beneath them playing each other works in their favour. All but impossible for them to finish bottom 4.

jim is priceless! I am afraid I am siding with him on Nuttall. If our ambition is Premier League, I don't see him as a PL striker. However, Nuttall ability to put himself about means he could be prolific in lower Leagues.

Remarkable number of clubs not safe and remarkable number of games between clubs in danger in remaining few games.

Big night for Accy this evening. Doncaster chasing play-offs v Stanley Luton chasing automatic promotion v Wimbledon I think Stanley are currently at least a point short of what will be needed to play Bolton next season.

Given the way Sheff U took Hull apart, that might be 15 or more when Leeds kick off.

Definitely keep. Promoted teams usually contain players easily too good for the level they are playing in. A fully fit physically and psychologically Rodwell will come into that category for Rovers. Rodwell is where Mowbray, the physios and sports Psychologists will earn their keep... or not...

Successful teams are based on a solid defence. Yes there are better keepers than Raya but they cost the GDP of a small country and still make mistakes. Yes get someone to challenge Raya but remember Raya was looking increasingly solid before WBA and he has been behind a very iffy defense all season. So get a gk to challenge Raya but don't blow the budget as this is not priority. Beast of a centre half is priority. Much as I like Bell and Nyambe we need two full backs who know their business and are reliable if only to give those two real pressure to make them perform. I wouldn't faddle around in midfield unless someone is leaving. Looking like we have real talent coming through here. Yes we need a real forward to cover/challenge DG.

Mowbray's post match comments encouraging.

In reality there was as easy a hattrick as they come if Ben had got his feet right yesterday.

Leeds have blown it. Sheffield United v Ipswich town next Saturday.

47 points which we were stranded on for weeks during that long losing run became enough to secure Championship football next season today....

Derby 2nd in 102nd minute

Have to fancy Derby for 6th following that 94th minute penalty.

text just showing a succession of fouls...