Mercer

Ask him for the financial analysis behind the decision and what the projected savings are. My 'back of fag packet' numbers show we will actually lose money on the decision! Challenge Waggott hard to prove me wrong.

Because both individually and as a pair down that right hand side I think JRC and Brittain offer more than a Brittain / Hedges combo. Hedges' decision making, judgement and execution are awry at critical times whether it be in front of goal (PNE away last season, Plymouth away this season) or when defending (Sunderland the other evening). JRC's best spell for Rovers was as a rampaging full back last season. Brittain is very good going forward with good delivery - IMO, better than Hedges and would provide much better cover for our full back than Hedges (as seen in that rash penalty conceded on Wednesday). We need more 'impact' players and JRC / Brittain tick the boxes and would make our right hand side much stronger both defensively and going forward - Hedges at best is average. A 'no brainer' for me.

It's time those who meet Waggott put some serious challenge in. Prior to the meeting earlier this week, I would have asked Waggott for the cost analysis behind the decision. I've no intimate knowledge of operational costs at Rovers but some 'back of fag packet' stuff shows, IMO, what a ludicrous decision it is not to open the BE. Suppose 300 adults who usually sit in the BE decide not to attend the match - loss of ticket revenue net of vat £2.5k Saving on operational staff (stewards, caterers, cleaners etc) in BE - say 30 @ £50 = £1.5k Saving on utilities - say £0.5k Extra resource in JW (stewards, caterers, cleaners etc) given increased number of fans - say 15 @ £50 = £0.75k So, if 300 adults decide to miss the match because the BE is closed, it will actually cost the club £1.25k!!! I know this is 'back of fag packet' stuff but its unlikely to be too far adrift and if Waggott reads this MB, I challenge him to correct these financials if wrong. IMO, it's a feckin ludicrous financial decision - add into the mix the further alienation of fans and loss of goodwill and future revenues and it confirms, IMO, Ewood is a nous free zone. Overall, the financials are chicken sh1t in the general scheme of things and it just adds to the bewilderment.

Push Brittain up to where Hedges plays and play JRC at full back where he's excelled.

In just over two and a half seasons at Sunderland he played 70 (56%) games out of circa 125 league and cup games. To miss 55 games (44%) through injury is very significant and not what you want from your main striking man.

Ipswich is one tough one - McKenna has done a great job there, talks a lot of commonsense, has an edge about him and is one to watch. Pears, Hedges and Dolan must not start. Pears - IMO, should have stopped Sunderland's all important second goal. Think Pears has already cost us too many points this season, he's a third rater. Arteta has shown how it's done - Raya over Ramsdale and having said that, Ramsdale is an England goalie! Unbelievable if Leo, a full Swedish international, not now given the gloves. Hedges - a liability. Doesn't take responsibility, poor judgement, makes rash decisions and misses too many golden opportunities. JRC back to full back where he excels and Brittain (who has found his feet and can play further forward) in place of Hedges. Dolan - IMO, he's utter dross and offers nothing, get him and his big head out the feckin building. Would start again with Leonard up front. Has shown he gets in the right places and last night's finish was very clever going back across goal. Should a change be necessary, a striker for a striker with Semir replacing Leonard. I shudder when I look at our next three games - Ipswich (a), Leicester (h) and Coventry (a). More likely to be in the bottom six rather than the top six after that little lot.

Think there are leaves on the line and train will get derailed in Ipswich: LWLWLL

Started well and should have been 2 or 3 up. You have to make it count when on top. Stupid Hedges challenge - makes too many rash decisions and misses too many chances. Travis good until I think his injury caught up with him. Wharton doesn't look fit and suffering from not having a proper pre season. Leonard took his goal well heading back across goal into opposite corner but should have netted at least one of two good second half chances. First thought was that Pears should have stopped Sunderland's second goal. Crazy substitutions - we need a goal and our new striker is brought on as 5th sub with minutes to go - think Semir showed in one 'opportunity' there is something there. Dolan, IMO, is utter sh1te - get him out the club and Garrett is simply not yet at the races. Sunderland have some tasty players in midfield and up front and, sadly, as I thought, had too much for us. To me, the alarm bells are ringing. This season is going to be tough. Three poor transfer windows are about to catch up with us. Think we'll be lucky if JDT is with us come Christmas.

A friend who inquired as in hospitality tonight. Fortunately, weather now turned for the better - hope to get there myself work commitments pending.

Ribble Valley is terrific but generally Hampshire offers a tad more. Spent time in Netley and got to know the area well.

Heard pitch inspection at 2.00 pm if not before.

Stewart is a huge gamble - still not able to play and seems injury prone. If they appoint JDT within the next couple of weeks, he'd get them up this season.

Would be no surprise if Southampton don't come calling when they sack their managerial myth. A club with equally good, if not better, facilities than us and far greater potential; also, a lovely part of the world for JDT's family.

I can't think of one thing Waggott has done to move our club forward. I wouldn't trust the guy as far as I could spit - the Brockhall debacle said it all. To close the most vociferous area of the ground for a competitive match is beyond the pale. Sadly, I think we have an executive management that provides no leadership and operate in an uninspirational, unimaginative and nous free zone - coupled with, IMO, our incompetent owners we are fecked. Without a manager of JDT's calibre, I think there is a real risk we could crash through the divisions.

Yep and I was wrong. I hope I'm wrong again for the Sunderland match as I can't stand Mowbray.

Tough game this. Sunderland are a tad mercurial. Be interesting to see if Dacky plays a part given his absence yesterday. Travis will be a miss if not fit, as for Gallagher, doubt he'll make it and usually misses a few when injured. JDT has got some excellent results with what he has had to play with but I think Sunderland will be too much of a handful given our failure to really strengthen this window (not one new signing started yesterday) and we will go down by at least 2 goals.

Absolutely agree. Think one paper wrote Rovers would be disappointed if he left Swansea as he was our choice should JDT walk. Thank God neither happened. Fail to understand his Southampton appointment and I posted on here I thought he'd be gone by Christmas. I'll update that forecast and I reckon he'll be gone when Ipswich do them in midweek - signs the Saints' fans are already turning, don't think the chant on Friday night of "who's the wanker in the black" was directed at the ref!

Think the big issue today is who starts in goal. Jackson says JDT hinted Pears will get the nod (a huge, huge mistake, IMO) and thinks Rovers will go: Blackburn Rovers (4-3-3): Pears; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Wharton, Travis, Szmodics; Hedges, Moran, Gallagher. Sticking with my thoughts on this from earlier in the week.

Or JDT has a weakness where goalies are concerned and extends loyalty too far! Really hope I'm wrong as I don't rate Pears but I think JDT will give him this game given it's against his old club.

I fear for us on Saturday. Middlesbrough are much better than their opening five games of four losses and a draw would suggest. We all know what happens when the opposition need a win or an opposition striker needs a goal! Middlesbrough made two very good signings in O'Brien and Geenwood and undoubtedly the former will play like a man possessed and show Rovers just what they missed. A horrible feeling JDT will stick with Pears against his former club and, if he does, it will be idiocy and a decision that will backfire. Sadly Rovers 1 Middlesbrough 3 and a result we might find difficult to recover from.

So sorry to hear your sad news. Someone once said to me "grief shared is halved, joy shared is doubled". Found this so true over the years.

Fergie is one of my all time Rovers' favourites. At his best, an absolute magician. An out and out winner with an ultra competitive edge. If Fergie had joined one of the really big clubs when he left Rovers, I feel sure he would have got even better and gone on to play for England many times. Tony Field was good for Rovers but come on, he wasn't in the same league as Fergie who plied his trade consistently well at the highest level.

and what is your knowledge, experience and intuition telling you?

Does anyone know wtf is going on / has gone on? Don't forget, I first posted about the Adam's stuff in mid June and at that time there was no indication of what was to come. Given where the information came from, I am very confident it was correct and it certainly was not nonsense.

Jim has given you one example below. Other examples, have we even found anyone as good as Blackpool's discovery/signing of Jerry Yates and Josh Bowler - both would walk into our team and improve it. There are many others. As for Adam's 'muti-million' pound offer - that's an exaggeration, told both Rovers' offers in £2 to £3million range. Circumstances change, not Broughton's fault, and you go with the flow. Are Ennis and Semir the best Broughton can really do?! Nowt to do with Raya and Phillips. Sadly, it seems 'investors' got cold feet and is it any feckin wonder!!!