There was proper succession planning under John Williams and Tom Finn. I remember players were offered new deals well before their old ones run down and invariably they signed. I remember Garry Flitcroft saying he was offered a new deal when he was rehabilitating after an awful injury. He cited that as the main reason for his loyalty which is a two way street. It's incredible to think that our season and probably the best chance of promotion could be derailed by money when you consider how much this lot have spunked on absolute dross. Only under Venkys could this surreality occur.

There is also a huge risk in losing our players in January, more of a risk than this 'wage structure' being broke in my view. Until it emerged recently that three players haven't accepted the club's offer I hadn't heard the words 'wage structure' relating to Rovers for many years. Now it's being banded about to pass the buck on to the players in my opinion and make them appear mercenary. With Waggott and these owners who knows what will happen but the reality is this could derail a real chance of promotion and in all honesty would fit in with the crazy decision making over the last decade.

Dolan hasn't has any injections. Potentially two others might not have played yesterday as they also mixed with the player who tested positive. Because the have been vaccinated they could play.

Firstly there was a vast majority of fans who do go to the games who wanted him gone and with justification. The run of two wins in seventeen would have seen the manager sacked at any other club. This season we have seen points dropped and dire performances, poor tactics and as manager that is down to him. The last few weeks have been great and as the as manager he takes credit as he also gets the brickbats when we lose. To countenance that I believe he has stumbled across this system out of desperation following the Fulham debacle. As history has proved we could go into a losing streak under him at any time. The real conundrum is his contract situation. In my view up until recently there was no chance of him getting a new deal but if this run carries on who knows what will happen. For the record I do think you are baiting as I read an element of smugness in your posts.

And most of Mowbrays substitutions have been like for like not the usual three or four positional changes we are used to.

It's incredible the contempt which is given to football fans. I have total empathy with fans of Villa and Burnley many of whom would have been travelling to the game when they found out it was off. Why on earth the tests for the players couldn't have been done earlier on Friday so the results were in sooner this morning I just don't know. And the galling thing is there no recompense for fans who are out of pocket because of this farce.

Wednesday 3rd of November this year around 9.45 will be written into the annals of Rovers history as the worst home league defeat in our history and the performance reflected the score. Players threw the towel in, gave up and looked dispirited. Relegation seemed a damned sight nearer than promotion that fateful night. Nobody will have seen what was coming then as we have suddenly started to keep clean sheets, score goals, win tackles, win headers and win games looking more and more confident every game. For example who would have thought Darragh Lenihan was capable of places pass like he did for the second goal today? The attitude of the players has gone a full 360 and a system which suits them has been found which has been the foundation of a great period for us fans. Today typified the change as we largely dominated the game. I have always said the key to success in this league is clean sheets and who knows where this can end up if we keep the opposition out. Football never ceases to surprise me.

Thanks Ian. In my little world surely the £16m for the STC would be in the bank for Rovers now as the sale went through some time ago. Wouldn't it? Or do you think the payment would be held back.

I'm no finance expert but what about the Armstrong money and the sale of the STC. I thought they were both to cover the shortfall and avoid falling foul of P&S. Has anyone any idea why?

That is a really good point and a glut of postponements, lockdowns etc could impinge on this season and next. The blazers domestically and internationally will be petrified of the already tight schedule being disrupted. Once again though their prime consideration will be financial.

Well us laymen don't hear what is said internally very often so we hear pundits using baffling terms, as I said to try and impress. But you proved my point with your second sentence 😁😁. I spent lots of time in and around football clubs with managers and coaches who I would speak to. The majority used to talk about the simplicity of the game and not over complicating it.

The only thing that has changed is the wording in a rebranding exercise, it's simply cosmetic. All this new speak for exactly the same thing is to make the people using them look clever and try to impress us laymen.

I've said before that I don't blame any fan for not going after the debacle of the last decade. I stopped going when Kean got us relegated and when Coyle was appointed and the seeds were sown for another relegation and I have no regrets or built about doing so. Many supporters predicted these relegations but the owners went ahead and effectively cost the club tens of millions in lost revenue. Every wrong turn this club has taken in their tenure is down to them and to blame the fans who aren't going any longer is plain wrong.

I agree. Over the course of a season you finish where you deserve to based purely on results. Desperate managers often bemoan their luck but very rarely the converse.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11945/12494889/champions-league-last-16-re-draw-to-take-place-after-error-involving-atletico-madrid-liverpool-and-man-utd Deary me. These people are entrusted with the governance of European football and can't even get this right. Shambolic.

The recent carrot dangling on here about radical changes at the club had me believing that the structure at the top was about to be dismantled and a new one brought in. To hear the news that they are buying some land in the Ribble Valley has honestly left me underwhelmed. We have an Academy that works as evidenced by the number of players currently in the first team squad. It's been said many times that the Academy has been the one redeeming feature of the last decade so for me it they are spending money it should be on areas where there has been massive under investment. I would rather see the money spent on improving the Riverside, the ground in general or spending on a real promotion push next month. Badly advised again?

One thing which has become apparent over the last few games is how our game management has improved. We are pushing the boundaries on all restarts when we go in front and yesterday shortly after periods of Bournemouth possession we had players going down with 'injuries' which didn't advise require treatment but used up enough time to stop the flow of the game. Maybe some purists won't be happy to see this but ultimately it's up to the referee to control this aspect of the game.

Progress to round four would almost certainly mean the postponement of the away game at Swansea. And in turn that would mean for away travellers another night match in the back of beyond. Still I suppose it will be worth it to put the pie eaters to the sword.

I haven't posted on here for a few weeks due to personal circumstances after my mum passed away but I have seen all the games live and what I would say first and foremost is that the last few games have been similar to watching Rovers under Mark Hughes. We have been defending properly with blocks, by winning tackles and headers but we also have some creativity and guile. Hughes got the balance right for me and I'm seeing signs of this with the current crop. In the last few games I have found it difficult to actually pick an outstanding player as the sun of all the parts has been key. Who knows where this will end up but I'm enjoying the ride at the moment. However my bottom six prediction is looking dodgy I am delighted to say.

The Sheffield match was the best we have played this season, that is indisputable. We looked solid defensively, probably more so than any other time this season. I agree Ayala has been good this season but dropping Wharton sends out the wrong message to the players and fans. However as I said in my earlier post I expect there to be changes.

Anything but the same team and tactics from last time out will be wrong in my view. But I don't believe that Mowbray can help himself so I expect changes. I also expect him talking up Bristol City who have taken a measly 7 points from a possible 24 at home this season in which they have only scored 6 goals.

It's amazing how history is trying to be rewritten regarding BBD. He was banished to the under 23's to try and regain some from and confidence. He has also scored more goals as Brereton-Diaz than he did as just Brereton. Bradley Dack, in the most recently video mentions his problems. If a player isn't performing fan's have a right to criticise and that is the way it's always been and always will be. I'm sure I have also read or heard Brereton being critical of himself in his first two and a half years here. The moral high ground taken by some is nauseous.

The timing of Venkys arrival and our demise couldn't have been worse. Hanging on for another year would have seen us get a larger portion of the £3.018 billion, up from £1.782 billion on the previous deal which expired in 2013. Another reason to detest the owners. https://www.sportingfree.com/football/history-of-premier-league-uk-tv-rights-deals/

It's time this myth was put to bed. I was there and there was absolutely no booing. There was a cheer as the numbers went up and I still don't know if it was for him going off or the player coming on.

What scenarios have I painted? You used the word fickle as you say it epitomises some of our fans who criticised Brereton but your continual criticism of Mowbray and Waggott is not fickle. Can you not see any difference? My point is anybody can be criticised as they are in the public eye. Providing it doesn't get personal that is.