We are both wrong- I should have said 25,000 averages: 2010’s average: 18.484 2014-2015 14.912 Championship/Level 2 2013-2014 14.962 Championship/Level 2 2012-2013 14.997 Championship/Level 2 2011-2012 22.551 Premier League/Level 1 2010-2010 25.000 Premier League/Level 1 2000’s average: 24.019 2009-2010 25.428 Premier League/Level 1 2008-2009 23.479 Premier League/Level 1 2007-2008 23.944 Premier League/Level 1 2006-2007 21.675 Premier League/Level 1 2005-2006 21.015 Premier League/Level 1 2004-2005 22.315 Premier League/Level 1 2003-2004 24.376 Premier League/Level 1 2002-2003 26.225 Premier League/Level 1 2001-2002 25.976 Premier League/Level 1 2000-2001 20.740 Championship/Level 2

Charlton in 2002/3 was an ordinary game. Oxford last season was £10 and a promotion to celebrate. Huddersfield with nearly 30,000 (I think) in 2000 was a closer parallel to Oxford. I keep repeating that it is less than a decade since Rovers' average attendance was over 26,000 repeatedly. Edit- I was mistaken, we had two seasons (2009/10 and 2010/11) running at 25,000- see post with the table below.

If I were TM, I'd be showing Rodwell Tugay videos on permanent loops and getting the master over to Brockhall to have a word. Rodwell's play at Bolton for about 15 minutes was Tugay-esque running the game from a holding-ish midfield slot spraying the passes around. We dare hope.... That said, a back three with two wing backs work if you have the right personnel. We clearly didn't last season. We are screwed this season also if Rodwell, Lenihan and Mulgrew aren't all fit and on top of their game and we need continuous development of the defensive sides of Nyambe and Bell as wing backs to dare playing a back three in the Championship. But if these things came to pass, a back three approach would make Rovers incredibly exciting to watch.

I don't mind reading pieces by people I disagree with. I do object to people who get easily checkable facts wrong and then developing extended arguments. We all make mistakes but the Simon Smith column is just one big mistake.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/8250759e-d17b-11e8-b8d4-d6fb90acb7b1

Well that's a vote of confidence in their promotion campaign- not!

Reading this thread is like seeing Rovers fans trying to flog off our best player!

meatballs

It was a morgue, even for good games. Stop kidding yourself.

I would have given Palmer a big dark red for not getting to the 6 yard line in the first attack of the game. Otherwise agree all the ratings. Great stuff as always. Thanks!

Season average 20,740. Half the gates under 20,000 with lows of 16,... against Grimsby and QPR. Only Huddersfield was a cheap ticket offer and that drew almost 30,000.

Yes tough but the sort of game Mowbray and the lads will be up for. Result depends on who wants it most- we did against Bolton but turned into Blades Appreciation Society v Sheff U. If we go for it, we can certainly win regardless of the away support. Long had an inkling we would win this and lose unluckily at Elland Road. Penalty to be awarded for us as a nice change- Lenihan drawing a foul from a corner.... Gate officially 21,000 and over 22,000 if Leeds find a way of infiltrating...

Function of where we are in the league. If we are challenging top two and give someone a comprehensive going over on TV the 20,000 crowds will be there. Less than ten years since our average crowds were over 26,000.

Shearer was a world record fee or close to it at the time. So I'd agree with you if Brereton had cost £70m. You'd certainly be paying around the £50m mark at least for each of the four players you named. Frankly your comparison has a nought missing from its logic. If Ben becomes only an averagely good Championship striker by the time he's 21, Rovers would get their money back on him.

We have scored direct from one of these rubbish corners.

You are positively wrong!

A Lucas Joao double has given Sheffield Wednesday a 2-1 win at Ashton Gate and we slip to tenth, a point and three goals off 6th.

Nearly eight years on now. Lest we forget (thanks Savio)-

Players at Rovers seem to enjoy their football and being part of the club. I would imagine that for Rodwell, the previous two years have been a living hell in football. If he is motivated by football I would be amazed if he doesn't stay at Ewood. The risk is him getting back to speed by Christmas and a bottom half Premier League club seeing the opportunity.

Yesterday I thought he showed a huge amount of footballing intelligence and positional sense. Put another game changer on the park with him and watch him blossom. We might have that in Rodwell. Stick a Chapman on who needs two opponents to cover his pace and just watch Dack use the extra bit of space that will give him.

Great post. Let's not forget Davenport when he is fit. Got the feeling that yesterday's win is massive in the context of this season and Rovers growth and development. We should believe in ourselves more and our ability to close out games. Bolton coming back into it was down to our failings, particularly our passing fell to pieces after we had scored letting them back into it. But we were always comfortably the better team and I never felt they carried the threat to draw level let alone beat us after the two saves from Raya in the first half. In a league where any club can beat any club (you missed off Millwall beating Villa), having a manager who really studies the opposition and picks an eleven to beat the club we are facing is going to be worth perhaps ten points over the season. I really liked him putting Rothwell and Rodwell together then swapping them out together for Evans and Smallwood. Clubs which go up have players who are different class in their side or are brilliant as a unit. Rovers are progressing towards both goals far faster than we could ever have imagined. Different class now: Raya, Dack and different class dulled by age: Mulgrew and Graham. Could get to different class very soon: Nyambe and Rodwell. All the way through the game I kept thinking I'd love to see Harry Chapman running at Bolton and tieing up two of their players on him. Yes we need a beast at the back but having a Chapman whose pace terrifies the opposition is needed as well.

The linesman

promising performance today- I expect he will be a big player for us by he end of the season

Picture as broken as Rovers play at times but both made it through to the final whistle.

Who'd have thunk it. Second international break and we are level on points with 6th place.