Absolutely. Most of our recent starting 11 must be running on fumes. Fresh legs, impetus and enthusiasm needed to start the game even if it means a dip in abilities - unless JDT shakes things up at the start, I fear another home loss.

JDT has worked wonders given the constraints upon him, however, with all our injuries and paper thin squad, I fear it will all catch up with us tomorrow and we are in for a right mullering. 4-1 to Leeds

Sunderland appointed Mowbray because they needed someone to steady the ship and make sure they didn't go straight back down. He did that and exceeded expectations taking them to the play-offs and making it extremely difficult for them to sack him at the end of last season. This season has been typical Mowbray and Sunderland should be applauded for having the balls to sack him rather than see the club drift along this season on a tide of Mowbray's bullsh1t. Mowbray can console himself with a big compensation package and a huge slice of lemon drizzle cake! Be amazed if JDT is not in their thinking but if they want to get up this season, Heckingbottom might be their man. As for Dack, pretty certain he'll be out of that club before Jan. window closes.

Leeds will muller us. We aren't stretched, we are at breaking point. I very much doubt we will get a single point from those 3 games. That bench today was a feckin sad indictment of where we are as a club. As capable as JDT is, he can’t walk on water but he may very soon be doing his version of the Lambeth Walk!

I was confident before the game. We should have been out of sight with the chances we had and SW would have just shriveled up and died. Give some teams half a sniff and they will get a foothold by fair means or foul and when the latter happens, we just can't handle it and shrivel up ourselves. Sadly, we have no 'tough' players who get going when the going gets 'tough' and this is why we need 2 or 3 scumbag type players to see it through. Teams know we can be bullied and we get bullied - we saw this with PNE and today. I smelt the coffee a long time ago and have been posting as such for some time.

Being saying it for ages, we need 2 or 3 real scumbags in our team who can look after our 'kids' and kick the feck out of the opposition if need be. Feck the purists and the dreamers (get off fantasy island and wake up and smell the coffee), you also need physicality and aggression to go with the skill, to get out of this league. A feckin sickener today. Rovers are like one big tease where the big moment never arrives.

Just back from a Christmas jolly! Wow, that bench. 1 down but still confident. Got Rovers win at 3-1 with SS and Leonard as anytime goalscorers all at 75/1. Bet on track! COYB

We are really stretched but can only see a Rovers' win. We have enough ability to create at least 3 or 4 really good chances every game. SS is in the form of his life and I think Dolan's injury will be a blessing in disguise as Leonard is increasingly looking the part; Leonard's hold up play was very good last night, his movement excellent, terrific asssist for SS and a super finish for his goal. 3-1 to Rovers - SS with his obligatory goal and a brace for Leonard. JDT is working miracles with one hand tied behind his back - long may it continue, however, I fear it wont be long before suitors are knocking on our door with opportunities JDT will find difficult to resist.

Two wonderful goals. We really are much better WITHOUT Dolan.

What an awful game.

Absolutely nothing to fear here. Think Brum have gone backwards since Eustace left. Rovers in a canter by 3 or 4 goals to 1 followed by 3 points over the Owls on Saturday. Will set us up nicely for a 'charge'.

Terrific result - beyond expectation. Echo the plaudits for JDT - doing a fantastic job in the most trying of circumstances. Just how far could we go if he was given just moderate backing! Sadly, barring a complete rethink from the, IMO, morons in India, I think we will lose him for next season. Away form is great - think JDT is bright enough to take the learnings and apply them at home as appropriate. A Rovers' win followed by a nice curry tonight and an accompanying bottle of wine even makes 'Strictly' enticing!

As an aside, is Stoke's 'Naughty Forty' still operational ? Remember them, and saw them at different games, in the late 1990's - they had some real hard cases and head bangers in their ranks.

JDT on Ennis: "Niall got injured the other day for the 21s, it's a player who came into the building with a lot of physical issues," Tomasson said. "He is now injured again and I am disappointed for the boy. "It's difficult for him to get up to speed when you're injured a lot. He can't show what he's capable of doing. We're disappointed that he will probably be out for a couple of weeks." Sorry but just wtf did we sign him!?!?!? Anyhow, think tomorrow we will be well and truly bullied - a magnification of the PNE game and result. Stoke 4, Rovers 1.

Feeling his groin! Think that's at least another 2 weeks out. You'd struggle to make it up with Ennis!

Some interesting names and perceptions. My views (mainly based on those names already mentioned with a handful thrown in for good measure): Hard, uncompromising and able to look after themselves: Knighton, Kendall, Branagan, Speight, Nicky Reid, Speedie, Shearer (no one bullied or dared to bully Alan), Batty, Givet, Stephen Reid Hard, menacing and sometimes went 'looking for it': McNamee, Keeley, Flitcroft, Lucas Neill, Andy Todd, Mokoena WUM supreme: Diouf and he could handle himself WUM: Savage - certainly not hard and needed 'protection' around him of which he had plenty in Hughes' Rovers' team Sadly, we have no one at present who frightens or intimidates the opposition. Any of the above would have Travis for breakfast before spitting him out dismissively.

From Jackson's article on Jan. 2024 transfer window in today's LT: Around £8m of it will go towards wages and salaries, while £900,000 will cover VAT and around £217,000 is marked for ‘repayment of loan’. Additionally, £1.8m will cover agent fees and £572,000 will go towards utilities as part of the day-to-day running of the club. £1.8million on agents' fees !!! Unbelievable (not far short of our season ticket revenue) - think there are some extremely 'soft touches' in our Exec. Management.

Think John Buckley is a 24 year old footballer who is a legend only in his own mind. Not good enough for Rovers and not even good enough for a very poor Sheffield Wednesday rooted to the bottom of the league. Yet another appalling piece of management from Rovers to give him a new 5 year contract just over 1 year ago. IMO, yet another gross error of judgement by Broughton. We really do keep shooting ourselves in the feet - little wonder we average £20million / year losses and are now seemingly borasic. The gravy train just keeps rolling and rolling on for a wide range of Rovers' personnel (playing and other) who, IMO, are quite simply miles away from the standard we need.

Think our hopes and aspirations for January's window will flounder in 'the bleak midwinter' !

We are told Ennis was 'sought after'. I would not think his wage is 'really low'. IMO, factoring in employers' NI which is 13/14%, likely cost to Rovers over 4 years will be in the £2.4million to £3.6million range. At this time, it's looking like big money down the sh1tter.

We lost! They scored more goals then we did. Football is a simple game - too many feckers try to be clever and over complicate it.

Indeed. There's little point in trying to engage in any sort of discussion with him.

Preston North End captain Alan Browne believes Preston North End's experience helped them beat Blackburn Rovers, describing the game as 'men against boys'. Stark reality. They bullied and intimidated us. We had no answer. Every objective Rovers' fan can see this. For the deluded, rose spectacled brigade, keep dreaming.

Sadly, when the injured players return and some not until January onwards, I suspect all hope of making the top 6 will have gone as we will be too far adrift. We will have paid the price for a paper thin and inexperienced squad. This will not change until our owners decide to back JDT. The more likely scenario is he will be gone long before next season kicks off.

There will always be a place in football, no more so than in the Championship, for a physicality and a controlled aggression. We are a small, lightweight side with little aggression and the opposition know this and we get bullied - this must change if we are to be successful when it matters. You know full well what I am talking about concerning potential new coaches who turned us down pre JDT's appointment. If my memory serves me right, you were salivating about at lease one of those appointments. I have better things to do than revisit that thread but I suggest you do. As for your confidence that the club would back JDT if he wanted to change Benson and Lowe see my previous point and start being realistic instead of pretending all is wonderful at Rovers and every decision made is correct. JDT has wanted a proven c/f at the last 3 windows - didn't get one, JDT wanted an experienced c/b in the the summer - didn't get one, JDT wanted the financial backing he was promised on appointment - hasn't got it, JDT wanted to fly to long distance matches to save travel time and impact on players - hasn't happened. I could go on and on and there is enough there to illustrate that JDT does not get what he always wants!