Hard to differ from that, in my opinion / experience ☝️

This bit is quite key. Brad played (excelled) in the Premier League and the World Cup. Jones played in the 2nd and 3rd tier for us. I'm sure Jones would have been a good GK at that level, but Brad was way ahead of him.

To be honest, they'd probably sell better than some of the shite they've had on for a while. You see some of the stuff served at other clubs (especially abroad) and it puts our efforts to shame. Some stale hot dogs, greasy chips, pies and some kind of sad-looking curry contraption.

Sack Waggott and give John Williams as much money as he wants to come back, to assemble a proper football club administration team. The rest is pretty elementary, once this is in place.

Holly Tree chippy do a cracking John Bull and not too far from Ewood, for those travelling from outside the local area 👌

I think that's the catch - if they come for him. Not convinced that they won't have bigger names in the frame, however much of a legend he is at Feyenoord. Whilst he's done a very solid job with us, it's a bit of a leap from Rovers to the top end of the Dutch league.

Agreed. And he can do it with his back to the oncoming player, almost seamlessly. Really does look to be a special talent and seems a good lad as well, from how he comes across in the media/etc. Has all of the ingredients, for sure.

Plenty of recent links with bigger clubs. At least his new agent is earning his coin...

Really valid point, momentum is a huge thing in football. Sunderland had no right at all to have been anywhere near the top 6 this season, having just come from League 1. I could see both Soton and Leicester dropping like stones.

Goes against the notion that they're totally uninvolved / uninterested, which is one thing.

Highly unlikely we'll be sold. Highly unlikely anything dodgy is going on with the accounts, audits would pick up on it. They're just incompetent, disinterested and disengaged.

I don't like the TW logo, looks cheap and tacky, but I do still prefer it to no logo. No logo looks crap - and also reminds me of the Leon Best / Danny Murphy days.

Once again confirms that all of the 'fallen out with JDT' stuff was bullshit. Makes you wonder who decided to make that up and what their motives were in doing so. We'd have all liked to have seen him more this season, but even Adam's admitting himself that JDT's judgement and handling of him was spot-on this season.

I'd say that Pears isn't of sufficient quality for a promotion-winning side. But Jason Steele is first choice for a top 10 Premier League club and I was convinced that I was a better GK than him, not too many years ago. So what the fuck do I know.

I don't disagree with any of that - absolutely loved Duffer when he was with us (and also with Ireland at the World Cup, even as an England fan). But one thing that stuck in the throat was when he scored a goal or two against us for Fulham, then starting kissing the Fulham badge and giving it the big one to the Rovers supporters. Felt a really weird thing for him to do, all things considered.

It's a good point - and you can add similar sentiment to the squad that Bowyer had at his disposal. This is why having a proper manager in place matters more than just the right squad. This season we've had the opposite - good manager and very limited squad, yet still almost made the play offs. If Venky's were ever going to throw caution to the wind(!) and buy their way out of the division, now would be the time to do it. Sheff United managed it this season, not even bothering to actually pay for their best player all season and, now, they're up, they face no sanctions or consequences. It's not fair, but our owners have deep enough pockets to do it, if they wanted to...

I'd prefer Boro, tbh. Luton are a League 1 / 2 club to me and, even though he left them some time ago, I can't deassociate that little hyperactive Welsh prick from them. Coventry I wouldn't mind, but their fans are unbelievable. They were a League 1 / 2 side not too long ago and have achieved the square root of fuck all in at least 40 years, yet a large portion of their fanbase seem to think they're one of the biggest clubs in the country. And then the handball. Cheating Warwickshire pricks. Sunderland have done well, considering they were playing in the division below last season, but Boro have been the better of the 4 in my opinion, over the season.

In my opinion, promotion is the only chance we have of the owners selling up. Take in the TV money, recoup a proportion of the losses and sell for a greater price than they would in the Championship. Can't see any other way we'd be rid of them. But to answer the initial question, I'm more optimistic for next season than I have since we came down. Young, progressive manager with ideas greater than 'ah, we'll plod along and see what happens next season' attitude. He's a winner and every defeat this season would have hurt. Feel this season has been a 46-game preparation for what's to follow next season (presuming the club actually make some signings this summer...).

I liked him from the beginning - understood that we were buying potential and I felt that some genuine talent was underneath all of that initial raw endeavour. I took a LOT of stick on here (and elsewhere) for suggesting that he'd play in the Prem and internationally, right from that first season and whilst he's not played in the Prem yet, I think it's a matter of time. Massive, massive confidence player. If he gets off to a good start at Villarreal, anything is possible for him there. Conversely, if the ball starts bouncing off his shins or he keeps playing his simple passes into the byline, it could turn pretty quickly for him. Hard to ignore what appears to have been a lack of effort over the last few months though. Lack of talent you can sometimes forgive; a lack of effort for any professional sportsman is unforgivable. Pleased he's ended on a fairly positive note, but we could have done with that version of BBD for the previous several games. Still say he's not finished developing yet and, under the right coaching & guidance, there is still unlocked potential in there. Heard a whisper the other week that we did a deal with Villarreal in Dec/Jan whereby they were able to secure his signature and we locked in a sell-on fee. No idea if it's true, but could be an unexpected bonus if we did (and he does well out there).

B+ Looking at the whole season, finishing where we did and being in with a chance of the Play Offs on the final day represents a good season for me. JDT has been consistent and transparent all season that this wouldn't be the season for a promotion push - it was about implementing his style and developing the players, which we've seen some real successes this season (Wharton, JRC, Carter, etc). The new lads have mostly been successes - Hyam and Szmodics particularly, but I rate Brittain as well and think he'll be a big part of the side next season. Balanced with the duds of Hirst and Mola. We all know what happened in Jan and that was what undoubtedly derailed our unlikely promotion bid. Those late goals against Coventry and Preston, not to mention failing to score against teams like Hull...the opportunities were there, but I'm hoping it's a big learning curve for the side ahead of next season. The main aspect for optimism for me is that we have a progressive, development coach with a clear vision and style. Until JDT, we've had plodders and chancers through the door, with no plan or strategy; they were just tootling by and picking up their salaries. I believe that we'll see an improvement next season, on top of (hopefully) new faces. Genuinely looking forward to how we fare next season.

Agree with this. Fully expect JDT to be here next season. The focus is now on the recruitment teams, SLT and owners to show a bit of ambition and back the best manager we've had since...well, probably the first one they potted to kick off this entire shit-show we've endured over the last 10 years.

A season is 46 games, not various hot/cold spells throughout it. You finish where you deserve to. Only Dingles and Sheffield have spent more time in the top 6 than us and whilst we miss out, on the final day, by GD, that is way above what any of us expected this season. Gutted to miss out, but let’s put some perspective on it. Plenty to be encouraged about for next season.

Absolutely not. We’ll be stronger next season. But we do need to replace the weak links: Pickering, Travis, Hedges, etc.

I was just too young to have seen Garner play for us, but fortunate enough to have seen this man on a weekly basis and have him as my childhood hero (hence the profile image). You genuinely felt like you were 1-0 when the game started, he was incredible for us. Never boo'd, of course and always felt that was ill-judged at the time, but fortunately time glossed over any ill feeling and he seems to still speak of us fondly. We've had some players at Ewood, but I'd struggle to believe that any of them were as good as Shearer; absolutely world class.

We've been a victim of our own 'success' this season - by being in/around the top 6 all season and then stuttering at the death, it feels like a failure. Had we made a late run for it and been in tomorrow's situation, on the last day, we'd have been delighted. Important to apply context; to be in with a chance of the play offs with a game to play represents a good season for us, particularly so in a transition season. I think we'll win tomorrow, but it won't be enough. And to be completely honest, even if we made the top 6, Boro are going up this season. As a final point, for anyone 'not arsed' about tomorrow's game...maybe you need to take up a new hobby. Days like tomorrow are exactly what football is about.