This argument is often raised against Pele in more recent times by those who haven't seen much of him or know much about his character and background. Weaker League yes, but he did score 1000 goals and back in the day he was such a National icon the Brazilian Government refused to allow him to leave the Country so I think its unfair to levy that against him. On the National stage he lifted the major prize 3 times out of 4 in 58, 62 and 70 and was kicked out of a 4th here in 66. I think to be the greatest you have to have something about you as a man as well. Maradona was a genius in pure footballing terms but showed himself to be a cheat on the pitch and drug addict and questionable character off it. I think everyone's greatest players will vary depending on when they grew up. My top 6 Pele Cruyff (Criminally underrated imo) Maradona Messi Ronaldo Best

Agreed, but having been let down so many times over the last two and a bit seasons I'll only believe it when I see it.

You're getting slightly carried away there, "routinely dispatching" easier looking opposition after seemingly building up a bit of momentum isn't really something we've managed in the Championship under Mowbray before.

Agreed, played where he is now. When you see him this season it makes it fairly baffling why the manager wasted him out of position (Harrison Reed like) out wide last season.

Very good performance tonight. Think it's only the manager that can hold us back, it's pretty clear we shouldn't be playing the likes of Evans and Bennett and you can also only play one of Johnson or Trybull at the same time, and JRC isn't even in the same league as Nyambe at RB. Holtby is absolutely key for us. Brereton was great, surprisingly Gallagher was ok. Wharton is looking incredibly impressive, does what it says on the tin, nothing fancy, just solid no frills defending. Dolan's cameo was sensational, never seen anything like the turn and dummy which sent the Preston player off into the car park for a burger and him in the other direction clear into the area. Great night, just need to be way more consistent.

Decent half. Surely even we can't blow this.

I think the point behind it being a finite number rather than a percentage is that inside the grounds are not perceived to be a problem, but travelling to the game and getting to and from the ground and your seat is so they don't want large numbers travelling at this stage. Agree that it seems very unfair that some Clubs can have fans in and some can't but don't get me started, I don't agree with any of the restrictions generally.

I'm under no delusion whatsoever that this will actually happen with Swag in charge, unless the owners decide to take a closer look at what's going on and cease to be taken in by the 'we're bang on course" routine. However whilst I don't think it will happen, the day you don't think a manager who isn't up to scratch SHOULD leave is the day you should give it up as a bad job! I'm really fed up now, normally I can't stand international breaks but I took a complete two week break from Rovers news, didn't miss worrying about Moggasaurus in the slightest, and returned to it full of idle curiosity wondering if a two week break would have healed some limbs and recharged our batteries. Sadly not it seems. In that two week period I'd almost forgotten how bad in general we are under Mowbray.

Spot on JH. Excellent post. I only hope someone that matters in Pune is reading it and beginning to see through this "slow build" jam tomorrow nonsense.

So how long does he get? Should he be allowed to ruin yet another season or should someone else be given the chance to try and salvage something out of it? If the latter we need to be making the change in no more than four or five games time imo.

Apart from the fact we're not 11th, we're 14th. In the second tier........

Not seen everyone's else's posts. Thought that was a desperately poor performance for 80 mins yesterday. No urgency whatsoever until the last 10. Too many players completely anonymous yesterday, Johnson (back to last season's form) Trybull (what a pointless player he looks - Lowe/Evans mark 3) and Elliott. Rothwell the pick by a country mile and next best Brereton in terms of overall play although he seems to lose his composure completely in front of goal. Poor result against a very ordinary side under a poor manager. 14th already and another wasted season, lower mid table at best, beckons unless there's a change in the dug out.

Played pretty well today, although rode our luck on a couple of occasions. To my mind the injury to the useless Evans actually helped us no end. Wharton also looks to me exactly what we need, a solid no nonsense defender who does the basics gets, gets his head on stuff when needed and isn't afraid to put the ball in row Z if necessary. Unfortunately he probably won't get a look in when everyone's fit. Armstrong's a weird player, misses easy chances, scores more difficult ones and some of his play is really poor but his goal output has been phenomenal so far this season. You can sort of tell what sort of afternoon we're going to have when you see the starting line up. Bar Holtby for Evans and Douglas for JRC I don't think that was far shy of our best starting line up today. Rothwell the pick for me.

If no one passed to him he wouldn't be! ?

Second one was a terrible shot from Armstrong. Like a back pass. And why won't he pass to Brereton?. Could have slipped him in three times.

Solid 2 mins from Evans prior to the international break. ? We might have a chance now.

Positives - Wharton starting Negatives - Corry "Started 4 lost 4" Evans in the starting line up again and no Holtby. I think we know which way this is going to go already.

Absolute nonsense. No-one has a divine right to be in the Premier League whether you're Blackburn Rovers or Manchester United but it would be nice to be challenging and feel like we're in with a genuine chance of achieving by the same. I don't know how much clearer it has to be to convince some people that Mowbray is not remotely capable of delivering that. 15th/11th/15th already this season, five points from the last seven games, I mean come on, do we actually have to be six points adrift at the bottom of the table before we make a change?

Yes Wonder how much he earned for sitting in the stand last night. £10k?** And as soon as a couple of injuries clear up I don't see how he gets in the side ** (I'd have done it for 5)

Which Christmas. 2025?

We actually improved and resembled a professional football team in the final 25 mins, the first 65 was an embarrassment and a disgrace to the Club and shirt. We were immensely lucky Boro were sloppy in the final third and not out of sight. The only positive of the night for me was a decent cameo from Wharton. Two or three examples of great muck and nettles defending. Overall though we seem to be drifting further and further away from looking capable of mounting a challenge.

Strange how your point of view changes, depending on the result. After we got tubbed at Watford you loftily informed us how no-one in the know or with any football knowledge judged a team on results, you should ONLY judge it on performances. Now we've scabbed a fortunate point at home because Boro should have, but didn't, score 3 or 4, all of a sudden we're meant to be hailing "a fantastic result!".

Dolan the sacrificial lamb again. Bet Gallagher survives 90 minutes without getting hooked.

I don't so far either. Looks like another Evans. Speaking of which, can't believe some are calling for his introduction. The whole team need to step it up massively. Holtby who's been generally excellent this season is having a stinker tonight.

Don't get the Dolan bashing, looks more likely to do something than most. I'd take Gallagher off, bring Rothwell on and move Elliot into the middle. At least he might be able to control the ball up front.