jim mk2

Wigan now the lowest scorers in the Championship after Boro's 2 goals tonight. Bodes well for Monday?

Looking forward to this match immensely.... it's a real test of our ambitions going into the new year. There can be no messing about, if we're serious about a top 6 place this has to be an emphatic win with a good performance. Coming over Merceresque here but it has to be a 3-0 or better. A draw or worse would be hard to take after the recent run raising our hopes (yet again)

We're nudging the top 6 but let's not delude ourselves we are a top 6 team We have too many flaws and weaknesses, not least goalkeeper. Walton is going to cost us alot of points this season. No club with him in the team is going to get promoted

Fantastic result cheered me up no end after a depressing week. Shame the Tory voters down the road won though Looking forward immensely to the Wigan game let’s hope we can keep this run going

Great story and a fantastic thing to receive when you're young. It's little touches like that which make such a difference and binds you to a club for life. You're right - it's very unlikely to happen now.

Interviewed him a couple of times. Always friendly, polite, a good man. His Rovers team with Hird and Bailey as attacking full backs was exciting to watch. After Ron Saunders another one gone from that era. RIP Jim.

I just hope (probably forlornly) that if the club does have targets that it moves quickly and gets the players signed up in the first week of Jan. It would be a sign that we actually mean business.

Keep it coming Mercer lad. I've made money too by betting against your tips. I'll be watching the nag at Musselburgh. Almost certain bet to come up lame.

Nope, against Mercer, as stated. And it's Rovers, not Blackburn

Not correct, actually. Mercer has a habit of getting it spectacularly wrong in predicting Rovers wins. I've made quite a bit this season this season betting against his silly forecasts.

We're a middling team that's far too high in the table at present. Mowbray will also have had the nod from above to lower expectations after the recent run. Reality check in the next 2 games. 2-0 Swansea and 4-1 Bristol.

He was playing centre forward that day - I was there! A very fine player. Good cricketer too

Hanky stuffed up nose time. And two acid tests coming up - Swansea and Bristol away Brizzle beat Fulham away today.

Don't. Please

Boys from the Blackstuff.....social commentary on the state of the north of England in the 1980s while the south was coining it in in the Thatcher's new "service economy". Who remembers going to matches and southern fans waving "loadsamoney" signs at Rovers supporters?

We’re not in nosebleed territory yet but Mowbray must be getting a little concerned at this good run. Time to put the brakes on

Rothwell showed today why Mowbray doesn't trust him. Brilliant in midweek, awful today. The lad needs to start every time IMO but you can see why he doesn't

So, after one of the best performances of the season in midweek can Rovers maintain the momentum away to lowly Stoke City? Fans have been buoyed by the victory over Brentford but Mowbray's Rovers have a habit of raising hopes only to disappoint in the next game. Stoke are in the bottom 2 but have a new manager in former Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill and have won 2 of their last 4 games, albeit victories over fellow strugglers Wigan and Barnsley. In the words of one famous poster, it ought to be a nailed-on Rovers win, but it's never been that simple with this team under Mowbray. Which team will turn up, the one that played so well against Brentford or the team that has too often been so easy to beat? Discuss.

Downing is still playing top class football at 35 and looks like he can carry on for s few more years yet. Says everything about hid quality as a player and his love of the game.

Good win and welcome too but Mowbray has sprung these surprise wins and even had good runs many times before and it is more than likely on past performances that tonight will be followed by several drab defeats. . Sorry to be a party pooper and all that but the optimism from tonight won't last. We're a mid table team with a middling manager going neither up nor down

So more midtable medicrity Parson? Is that the best we can do ?

Tony has these unexpected wins every so often and sometime he puts a run together but then we sink back into mediocrity and bad performances / selctions/ results just when everyone gets their hopes up. Fans saying we're "only" 6 points off 6th place tonight. Prepare for more disappointment. Long term he's not the answer

Good football manager though - and perfect for us at the time. Just a gut feeling but I knew we were doomed as a top flight club when he was sacked . It felt all wrong and was proved right.

PNE having a bad night 4-0

There was a good case for letting Raya go, but signing a worse keeper was nonsensical