I've just seen a fleeting glimpse on Twitter of the players arriving for today and it looked like one of them was Leo Duru.

I'm quite worried today about the system and tactics Eustace will use. I think he will go with a back five and set up not to lose as he did on Sunday. That went well 😁. We really can't afford to be overrun and need to play with a higher intensity level and match Coventry. As ever the first goal will be important and it should be us on the front foot trying to get it. We need something to defend if that is the mindset of Eustace. Szmodics will be receiving his POTY awards before the match from Colin Hendry. Hopefully there are plenty of people in their seats to give him the accolade he richly deserves. As for the lap of appreciation I'll more than likely be sat on the bus ready to go home when the players come out.

In the Supporter Consultation meetings (whatever happened to them) there was quite often some direct questioning of Rovers officials so Waggott came up with a diversionary tactic. He brought Mowbray along to at least two and he pretty much tried to take the floor whilst regaling us with stories of Middlesbrough past. It didn't really work but gives you an insight into how Waggott works. He doesn't like confrontation and likes to have a human shield which, by the way insults our intelligence. He certainly wasn't comfortable with Tomasson having digs at him and was fearful he would go full blown anarchist when he was stopped from speaking to the press. It's how Waggott works. Big wage, little responsibility.

And out of the six we signed there probably isn't 20 starts between them. And the likelihood is that only one will be here next season. It was an awful January window which followed an equally bad Summer window.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/april/26/we-want-to-prove-the-doubters-wrong--says-sammie/ Szmodics trying to create a siege mentality for tomorrow. If more of the squad had his mentality and attitude then I wouldn't be as fearful of going down but sadly there are too many surrender monkeys for my liking. Hopefully by tomorrow evening I am eating my words.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-predicted-team-blackburn-29064082 An article which contains Coventry's predicated team. Having seen some headlines about them having to play Academy players Eustace and his players should not fall into the complacency trap. That predicted team is a good one with the likes of O'Hare, Ellis and Wright included. Tomorrow is going to be extremely tough and if we don't match their intensity and desire we won't get anything from the game. Anything resembling the lacklustre second half last Sunday and relegation beckons. And Eustace has to earn his corn by picking the right team and tactics.

And the Broughton/Venky model will become increasingly more difficult I believe. The likes of Wharton and Phillips were given a platform by Tomasson and the big clubs began to take notice. But I honestly can't see any young home grown players being given the same opportunity under Eustace who certainly seems to trust the senior players rather than youngsters. A big thing was made of Broughton getting lots of deals done with quite a few youngsters but in reality how many of these would be deemed good enough to break through to the first team. The likes of Gamble, Batty, Vale and others will possibly be released soon.

Good analysis and the numbers really do tell their own story. Out of a possible 66 points thus far we have garnered only 24 points. And to think Ewood used to hold some fear for visiting teams.

The intensity has gone out of our game under Eustace so I don't think that the amount of games Coventry have played will be any advantage to us. We aren't a pacy team by any stretch of the imagination but under Tomasson the intensity made up for some of this. We really look like plodders and as such easy to play against.

I didn't see him. Benson was though.

He did well. He still got forward on the left side when he could but was disciplined in his defending. Cirino though was predominantly forwards in a proper conventional wing back role so most of the time Batty was in a defensive three rather than the rigid five Eustace plays.

A really entertaining match tonight at Ewood as the under 21's came back from two goals to draw and for long periods in the second half looked like we were going to win. Sheron played three centre backs with in Whitehall, Gamble and Batty but it was the wing backs who really excelled. Cirino and Duru were great examples of how to play that position and the forward runs they consistently made were a real strong point for us tonight. I have said for a few months now that Duru has been excellent for six months and in my view he should at the very least be in the first team match day squad. These games are free for season ticket holders and in the past I have just scanned my season card and gone in as I would for a first team match. Tonight everyone had to go to the ticket office, show your season card and get given a paper ticket. In light of the reasons for the farcical Digital Day and the EFL Environmental Award how does that make any sense. Another day in the crazy world of Blackburn Rovers.

I don't remember Ian.

I honestly don't know and found it strange. At the time I just thought he was consoling him. I always found it safer to keep out of a players way for a while after they had dropped a bollock.

Post of the season.

It's an interesting take on it but in my view and my most recent knowledge of law then Pears would have been penalised for deliberately handling the pass to him irrespective of his swipe and touch of the ball. For the life in me I wouldn't consider that a new phase of play. I don't know for sure but I couldn't see the referee consoling him by saying he could have used his hands and prevented the goal. That would have made Pears feel even worse in my opinion.

Is it Eric Winstanley?

He probably will but he wasn't signed to play for the under 21's. We signed three centre halves in January and between them they probably haven't reached double figures in first team appearances.

Indirect free from ten yards out, no yellow card.

Had he touched the ball with his hands it would have been deemed an intentional pass and punished with an indirect free kick. So it is my belief he was reluctant to use his hands when the ball spun off his sliced kick. The choice was that or concede a goal. No brainer really

And yet he is on the bench ahead of O'Riordan. In truth both have been signings which have offered nothing with one of them costing a reported £500k. Once again questions have to be asked about recruitment.

Rovers under 21's play Arsenal at Ewood tonight. If I was Eustace I would be insisting on Koumetio and O'Riordan playing with a view to seeing if they can play against Coventry in Saturday. We desperately need some pace at centre half and aside from Carter we have none. However I don't for one second think either will play. Eustace likes his experienced players irrespective of his badly they are playing. Hopefully Michalski plays too.

It was absolutely a back five with the sole purpose of keeping a clean sheet. He has set up this way in most of his matches so far and it simply puts us in defensive mode. It worked really well at Leeds and was the main reason we won. It's horses for courses though and against the likes of Plymouth, Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday at home we should play a more attacking formation with an extra midfield player. In two really good performances at Middlesbrough and home to Southampton we played a four at the back and kept clean sheets. In my view it was because we had the numbers in midfield to stop them playing. It shows a real fear and lack of tactical acumen from Eustace. One of the criticisms of Tomasson was that he was one dimensional, had no plan B. Eustace is pretty much the same.

I've just seen the goals on tv and I'm staggered that Pears tries to blame Hyam for his aberration for the third goal. He is compounding his embarrassment. And for their second Brittain looks like he is towing a caravan trying to keep up with the Wednesday full back who scored. Under normal circumstances there would be wholesale changes for the Coventry game but I'm beginning to fear that Eustace isn't comfortable making big decisions that might upset players. His all too cosying up to the players just doesn't sit right with me.

I think back to the impromptu meeting between some fans and senior players which was brokered by Waggott. Hyam was whining about being booed off at half-time by some supporters and the effect it had on the players. That told me a lot about his character. And then the 'calm down' gesture to some Riversiders near the end of the Millwall match when he took the easy option of going backwards instead of forwards. He's certainly not captain material.