I’ll raise you a JohnO’Mara and or Frank Lord!!

Buckley could be the answer rather than Baker. Buckley played the forward pressing position very well on numerous occasions last season. His lack of pace is what holds him back from being the full box to box midfielder package but doesn’t limit him in the more advanced Cantwell role.

No……. Boxing Day is THE traditional day for going to the football.

There’s a hint of faux pessimism about this game on the board No sound reason why we shouldn’t come back with a positive result though we’ll miss Travis’s defensive industry and his renewed forward drive. The reliable Baker could well come in to the Travis position and perform adequately. Got to be content with Hull’s pricing structure on this one TICKET PRICE Adult £23 Senior (65+) £15.50 Young Adult (16-22) £11.50 Under-16s £8 Under-11s £3.50 The initial allocation for this fixture is 1,271 tickets but presumably can be extended if demand exceeds that supply. Looking forward to this one!!

What’s with the unusual 1.30pm kick off?

Gueye is in some ways similar to Gestede who was not a brilliant all round footballer but was a robust “old style” centre forward thriving on crosses and early balls into the box. Gestede must have seen a bit of himself in Gueye and ought to be in a position to assist the head coach to get the best out of him if not in terms of tactics but with personnel in the next transfer window. Gueye must be crying out for a MK2 Craig Conway.

Fair do’s to the Club on this one!! The Club appears to have kept to the script in this. I got a £26 partial refund of my senior Riverside ST cost in mid July. The Club emailed me confirming my random selection in the ballot. The refund pays for my Plymouth away seat on Saturday.

Harking back to last season and hoping we get a similar reaction from this group to the way that the team immediately reacted to the desolate midweek 5-0 loss at Bristol City last season…. the 1-0 win at Leeds!! Making the trip to Plymouth this weekend hoping for a positive outcome. Last time there was 32 years ago for the Speedie inspired 3-1 win that catapulted us to promotion under Dalglish. Fingers and toes all crossed.

Has the penny dropped? The above was my view about him on Boxing Day last year. I didn’t see much over the rest of last season to suggest he had overcome what I perceived as a lack of desire to run the hard yards. This season following his recovery from injury last season he’s had a full pre-season and looks like he may just have cottoned on. He may just prove to be the player we thought we were getting. Yesterday’s goal had so many positive elements to the product. Finding space in midfield good early forward pass to Gueye in space outpacing all around him into space decent control in taking possession tenacity to brush off his immediate opponent and the power and precision and placement of the shot. Then there was the passionate reaction to being the goal scorer with the fans on BBE and other players. One swallow doesn’t make a summer but fingers crossed. 🤞

1. Winners of the Championship Leeds 2. Runners-up in the Championship Watford 3. Championship Play-off final winners Burnley 4. Where will Rovers finish the season? 18th 5. Which 3 clubs will be relegated from the Championship? Oxford Portsmouth Plymouth 6. Who will be the first club in the Championship to change manager? (For whatever reason) Plymouth 7. Who will be the BRFCS Player of the Season? (As voted for in the Match Centre on BRFCS) Maktar Gueye 8. A wildcard prediction for something (possibly quite mad) that will happen to or at Rovers during this coming season Rovers beat Burnley in FA Cup 3rd round

Let’s not forget how Palace out-waggotted Waggott in refusing the supposedly agreed loan back arrangement for rest of season at the last minute and gave him a take it or leave it revised low cash offer!! Still makes my blood boil (though obviously Adam Wharton has thrived as a result).

I was there. It was not a day for faint hearts. My profile name is a homage to that game!!

Bazza. A trip to Specsavers needed if you think that description fits!! (Joking Merce!!)

He hasn't shown any great pace trickery or consistent desire to get past his immediate defender. As such defenders find him easy to play against. But he has bought into the JDT way. If he added a committed progressive dimension to his decent finishing ability he would be more threatening.

Lucas Neill was a tough, tenacious skilful and reasonably quick player leader and Captain and was used all across our back line RB LB and CB. He was open about his intention to run his contract down and his performance levels weren't obviously compromised by any lack of application. A proper professional in my view. Always felt that if he'd gone to Liverpool rather than West Ham (after a last-minute change of heart0 that he would have achieved more footballing success and recognition.

Clutching at straws?? Lady Luck has not been disposed towards us of late. It's time for luck to turn!! We're short of goals from our shot shy guys. Is there an alternative source of goals? Forum contributors should not ignore the OG stat that I have discovered. Luton appear to have so far scored 4 - Lockyer(2) and Morris and Horvath (1 each). Millwall appear to have scored 2 - Bradshaw and Hutchinson (1 each). If our guys can't do it the opposition could!! Fingers crossed!!

The ever-optimist in me harks back to 1991/92 season. Could history repeat itself? We lost 6 league games on the trot in March and April (coinciding with Newell's injury absence) and the crawled across the playoff line in 6th after that glorious win at Plymouth on the last day. The rest is history as they say. When Newell came back and linked with Speedie for the last 5 games there were goals in the line up. I'm not at all confident we've got those result changing goals in the team this season though.

Rovers have had no luck on the 4 previous occasions I've been to Bramhall Lane. I couldn't contemplate an early return there after trips there in 1969 twice and 1971 when we suffered 3-0 4-0 and 5-0 cosecutive defeats (I still can't get Tony Currie and Alan Woodward out of my consciousness!!) until the disappointment of that FA Cup quarter final penalty shoot-out loss in 1993. Never again never again was my mantra but i'll be back there on Sunday as undoubtedly every dog does eventually have its day and on Sunday I believe it will be Rovers who will be barking loud and proud,

Just wonder if JDT might have JRC down to do a man-marking job on Chair today. Did an OK job on Riley McGree vs Boro at Ewood in that role though McGree ultimately did score the winner. If Pickering is fit for LB with Brittain RB with a back four then it might be a runner.

Adam Catterall is an old boy of St Bede's Blackburn. He gave a superb motivational speech as principal guest at the school Annual Presentations Night some years ago though it wasn't in the same league as the one delivered by Lorenzo Amoruso which was truly inspirational (though the link between our erstwhile Italian Colossus and the school was never explained).

It was suggested on here that the early purchase deadline to secure last year's seat and the discount was to be extended by a week. Has this been officially confirmed please?

U23s are at listed to be home at Ewood on Monday night so little prospect of that group flooding the 1st team squad!!

Example of Bias: Van Hecke accidentally ran into Mitrovic's elbow!!!

Surprised to see Vale in team tonight given the short number of strikers for tomorrow and the cocerns that BBD may succumb to his recent exertions. Game over so give him the early hook and a fast car to South Wales for a bench spot tomorrow,

The Rovers 2022 calendar creator was not optimistic for Joe Rothwell’s Rovers longevity in positioning him in the January slot!