Poor draw for us. Rafa will have them mid table by the time we play and they will be desperate to go on a cup run. Newcastle to win and it wont be close the way we defend and concede goals.

I hope you are right and he turns out to be a sensation. My beef is we've committed to a huge deal (for Rovers) and Mowbray wont start him and when he does come on as a sub, it's out wide. From what I've seen of Brereton, I think he's just a Joe Average. If he's no better than what we have, those funds should have been used to strengthen other areas where we know we are weak. If you don't look after today, there is no future!

Aye, you are right! Think Britt and Gilliver were crocks when we signed them (bad backs) - goodness knows what the medicals were then!? As far Big John, I think he was a 6 foot 4 plank who struggled to get off the ground (certainly in a Rovers' shirt). Terrorised defences with Brentford - not sure why that changed when he got here, perhaps he too was crocked.

Look, Chaddy seems to think we shouldn't sign 'older' players. I am making the point that age is no barrier. I mentioned Moran and Gale but hey, ho that's from another era according to Chaddy. Therefore pointed out Giggs and the number of 'golden oldies' (35+) presently in La Liga. Ability is all relative - you will find 'golden oldies' at all levels of football from La Liga, PL right down through the Championship to Division 2.

Each to his own opinion. What a wonderful country we live in when we can all express our opinions freely! I will be amazed if Brereton doesn't turn out to be another Davies, Blake, Ward, or Grabbi etc where we squandered big transfer fees and wages.

Think you miss the point I'm trying to make. It doesn't matter who Brereton has working with him, if he has limited ability he will not kick-on and justify a £7million investment. Dortmund are a top Bundesliga side, scouted Sancho and thought he could perform at the top level over there and he's delivering. How Rovers came across Brereton, we still don't know. We certainly don't seem to have been jostling for his signature with other clubs - think we were the only one in for him, certainly at that extraordinary price. We've made a huge investment for us and the lad is deemed not good enough for our first team at mid Championship level - he can't be otherwise Mowbray would select him. Instead we've seen 'anyone but Brereton' selected for the 'number 9' role including Dack and Palmer (non recognised strikers). It's farcical.

More importantly, does he have the ability!? Jason Lowe had/has "a strong work ethic, no ego, and wants to learn and improve and listen to others" - he's made "a go of it in the game" and no doubt set himself up financially for life. The difference is he cost us nowt whereas Brereton has cost £7million.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear !!! You could bring both Messi and Ronaldo in to work with Brereton but if the lad's not got it, he aint got it and never will have. I see Rothwell and I see a spark, I see Brereton and I see next to nothing.

You don't half talk some rubbish. Ryan Giggs was playing at the highest level when he was 39 / 40 just 4 years ago. Look at the number of players currently playing in La Liga all 35+ Brown and Greer were poor signings as were Hart, Gladwin (far younger players) etc. Age is irrelevant, young or old, - it's ability that counts.

Huth is a good shout. For those dismissing him because he is 34 years old will do well to remember Kevin Moran who joined us at the age of 34 and played at Rovers until he was 38 including two seasons for us in the PL! Similarly, Tony Gale joined Rovers at the age of 35 and made well over a dozen appearances for us in our PL winning side! Particularly at centre back, age is no barrier. What we would give now that a centre back of that ilk.

Hey Chaddy, that's life! Had a great social day and night though with the latter all the sweeter given Rovers' win which delivered me a net £45 on Rovers' bets! Winnings went towards extra bottle of Nebbiolo d Alba at my local Italian. Aint life grand when we win!

As I said.............................

Sit back and relax. This one's in the bag.

Net win of £45 not to be sniffed at Jim! Rovers betting is for fun and the cherry on the cake - the icing and the cake made by Sports Trading!

That's more like it. Can we not give Tony another contract extension to say 2027!? Win bet at 11/10 comes in. Hope my Italian is well stocked with quality reds tonight.

and my 2-1

Disappointing but unsurprising selection from a manager I find so uninspiring. If we hadn't bombed so spectacularly this week, would have taken four tickets today. I'm sure there are hundreds with same thoughts. Good luck to those attending - hope you at least get a shout.

So 0-0 if BB doesn't start?

Giving Mowbray a contract through to 2022 is, in my opinion, lunacy - a recipe for stagnation and mediocrity at best. I think he will be gone within 12 months and we will be coughing-up for failure once again. He should have been given a 12 month rolling contract with big performance bonuses - payment by results. We are not that much better off, league position wise, than when Mowbray first arrived. Success to me for Mowbray would have been keeping us after replacing O_W_E_N, a top 8 finish in the Championship last season and mounting a real go at the play-offs this season. Fair and realistic. His recruitment, IMV, has been average at best and the Brereton signing still needs an explanation. In my opinion, it's either a Mowbray clanger or he was not a Mowbray signing and if so, why is our purported man of principle subservient and still here?

Not going today after the Wigan debacle - not shelling out over £100 for tickets to watch dross. If Sharpe's predicted team is anything like right then I think it merely confirms how abysmal our recruitment has been. Doesn't seem our big summer signing, Brereton, will start today and this is now beyond a joke given recent results. I think there has to be something seriously amiss with that signing. Having said all that, I expect a response and we are playing a team lower than us in the league on our own turf and for those reasons, I've lumped on a Rovers' win at slightly better than evens. I think it will be a horrible, horrible game but we will sneak it by the odd goal in 3 and, for my 'fun' bet, have stuck a tenner on 2-1 at almost 9/1.

Not a problem for me. Even offered to buy Chaddy a pint at Wigan.

Bobby Moore was not the quickest, however, he had football intelligence. He read the game like many couldn't and had superb timing. A team gels as a unit far more quickly and far better the more they play together without constant chopping and changing of both systems and personnel. Footballers also perform far better when they are not played out of position. Football is a relatively simple game and football management should be.