BigUts

Rankin-Costello is plop.

When I was awake at 5am this morning (thanks to my 2 year old daughter) I lay awake reflecting on the Forest game and too often Forest were able to get the ball "between the lines" and run at the back 3 particularly in the first half. As such; I'd go for Rothwell in the false 9 and bring in Johnson for further protection. Adding Johnson in there with Travis gives us two robust players and adds further screening in front of the back 3. Rothwell has the pace to allow us to press from the front. Gallagher was excellent when he come off the bench on Wednesday and I'd be tempted to play him up top with Khadra - who I always think is very unlucky to be removed from the action on 60 mins EVERY game, especially against Forest as they were plopping there pants just before he got brought off with his direct running. BBD will no doubt get the nod over Gallagher (and with every justification) but I think the lad looks a little jaded (although he has a very languid way about him anyway does Big Ben).

Gallagher was a revelation when he came on the pitch. He MUST sustain that intensity in his next performance. We all know he has it in his locker which is why he so frustrating when he doesn't show it. A weak referee and a very, very naive challenge from Lenihan really ended hopes of anything although I feel like the sending off rather spurred us on. Had Lenihan stayed on the pitch would likely have been a similar result. It feels like the balloon is deflating and we need a couple of solid results pronto to get the pep back in our step.

Really hope we get a decent turn out tonight and we are vocal. BBE looks on its way to being near full. Really think we should have done some kind of midweek ticket incentive to get the ground bouncing. £20 for a match ticket is a snip anyway IMO but a few extra thousand could really help propel is on.

Has to be Khadra surely. He frightens teams and is perfect for our counter-attacking. I think edge this one 1-0 akin to the 'Boro game.

Shite.

Does he now live in Yorkshire so no longer has access to the interwebs?

Same. Never mind Rovers making signings I'm at risk of signing on at the JobCentre!

Brentford just announced Christian Eriksen so unlikely to be in for Rothwell I imagine!

Think Wolves were a bit thin on the ground at the start of the month so brought him back for cover. Don't forget there was lots of flapping about Covid and games being suspended at the time.

Just thought that myself. It really could go one of two ways. It will also be extremely annoying if we had other deals lined up to replace him and they now collapse. Hopefully we can still manoeuvre some wiggle room to bring the much needed extra bodies in.

Don't think it's good news now if Joe stays. It's clearly upset the apple cart massively and it would probably be better all around if he went.

Get him gone. Genuinely didn't think this would happen with any of the 3 out of contractors. To down tools shows a complete lack of respect to the club. You've been paid handsomely for several years for being average. In a way I hope it is Bournemouth and we gey to shove it right up him on the penultimate game of the season. Just another in a long line of footballing mercenaries. A typical average Joe.

I think the only thing worse than the officiating today is the one eyed tossers commentating on iFollow

I work in data and the old addage of lies, damn lies and statistics often rings true 🙂 But I get the point entirely. He was much improved on Monday and I celebrated as much as anybody when he scored. The goal and subsequent result could be a huge moment in the history for our club. I think we can all agree that Gallagher doesn't make the most of his available facets and that in reality the most who are annoyed are in reality frustrated. We see passing glimpses of the potential for a very good footballer he needs to string it all together.

I don't think it was knee-jerk after Hull. Did you see his performance the week before against Cardiff? Or when he came on against Huddersfield? Both were poor. For my money he still flattered to deceive on Monday. He may have bagged a goal but he is incredibly frustrating to watch. You're a big, strong unit, put yourself about and win some headers!

Nyambe and Trav really did make all the difference. Nyambe may not be so good at crossing the ball but his runs forward with pace and drive really do help us turn teams around quickly. Was impressed with Zeefuik's cameo too. The guy looks big and very fast!

Massive. Huge. Very big. Whichever way you slice it tonight was so important in so many ways. After a series of drab performances (if not necessarily results) we really needed boys to become men tonight and wow did we step up. Literally could have burst I was so emotional at the final whistle. I feel really proud to be a Blackburn Rovers fanatic at the moment and it's been a really long time since we've been able to say that. YAAAAASSSS!

I repeatedly see Gallagher and hold-up in the same sentence. The only way they should be is as follows: Gallagher cannot hold-up the ball.

YES!

3-5-BLOODY-2! Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water and start changing formation akin to vs. Hull. The lack of any robustness around Rothwell and Buckley was suicide IMO. Don't know if anyone else picked up on the fact that Buckley seemed to be so high up the pitch on Weds and seemed to realise he was playing 8 and not 10 and dropped himself back?! We have pressed very well from the front recently and it will be important to do the same with having an anchor in midfield to protect the back 3. We should have straight-swapped Travis for Davenport / Johnson but fortunately the Invisible Man should be back. Kaminski Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Nyambe Travis Rothwell Edun Buckley Khadra Gallagher The ONLY reason I would pick Gallagher is basically because we have nobody else. Since his return from his injury lay-off he has been plop and was absolutely awful vs. both Cardiff and Hull. We shouldn't do anything other then stick to the system we have done so well with. Don't expect Gallgher to hold the ball up and battering ram his way through as he can't do it. He simply doesn't have it in his locker. What he can do is run and harry defenders and he needs to emulate BBD in that regard on Monday I think we will do OK here with both Nyambe and Travis back but I'd take a point if you offered it to me now. Rovers 1 - 1 'Boro

Really, really bad performance but we've ridden our lack for the last 4 games. The changes to the formation have blown us apart

Very, very poor. The only positive is we won't be any worse in the 2nd half.

Shape here is screwing us. Rothwell and Buckley are too lightweight as a 2 and Gallagher has literally not touched the football.

If you're wanting someone to hold the ball up I wouldn't be picking Gallagher!