[Baggie_One]

Pinched but funny

Imagine a shark with no teeth, no danger to anybody. That's us that is

[Blue Baggie]

The problem is our owner.
Knows nothing about football.
Steals our money.
Appointments managers with saving money a priority.
Until the top changes nothing changes.

[Salopbaggie]

And there we have it.

2 points from 3 games...

How to analyse this performance? Well, we're miles off being a good side. So many none performers today.

Grant was absolutely appalling. Swift terrible. The central midfield duo happy to just tip tap around. Full backs absolutely dreadful...

But how long until we have to start questioning Bruce?

He brings Wallace to the club, who is clearly a crosser rather than someone with a creative pass and gets rid of Carroll and plays Grant on his own up top for 100 minutes...

He could at least throw on Bartley for the last 10 surely. But no, let's bring Adam Reach on instead...

No idea what position Robbo was playing when he came on...

And as for Phillips coming on at right back, is TGH really that bad?

The likes of Reach and Phillips are the players we should've been looking to get off the wage bill. But instead Mowatt goes?

Our best player sat on the bench watching that dross for 60 minutes... Bet he's really glad he turned down Galatasary and Champions League football now...

It's difficult to be critical after the Watford performance, but like I said in my last post, we saw this last season. Performing excellent to beat Fulham and then losing to Blues without laying a glove on them.

I just don't see what our identity is. We don't ever seem to to try and win away from home. Just seem to turn up waiting for the opposition to score...

We're miles off, with no money, and a manager who will not know a good player as long as he's got a hole up his arse... Just buys individuals with no idea of how they will fit into a system...

We should win the next few, but who knows what to expect from this team.

Some of your comments surprise me slick, but of course we are all entitled to our opinion and that is what make these forums interesting.  We have been the better team in all three of our games so far, but its scoring that brings home the bacon and that is where we a lacking.

I did think some of your points a touch contradictory,  Such as "Our best player sat on the bench watching that dross for 60 minutes" (which is probably a fitness issue, more than a tactical one).  Then you say "a manager who will not know a good player as long as he's got a hole up his arse... Just buys individuals with no idea of how they will fit into a system."

I am also a little surprised at the criticism of Wallace, I certainly don't see him as just "a crosser of the ball", I suppose it is about your definition of a cross and a pass.  To me a cross is putting the ball in a dangerous area and hoping for the best.  A pass is when a player puts the ball exactly where they intend to for a team mate.  Wallace is putting the ball exactly where he intends to, if the player at the other end does not know what to do with it that is not Wallace's fault.

[valpayne]

Judging from what I've seen so far from the watford game live, highlights of others and the stats we are the much better team for the majority of those 4 matches. Blackburn were never going to be a push over they've started the season very strong.

The watford game was a revelation in our fitness, strength, attitude and determination to win every ball we had the majority of that game in our pocket but for their crazy once in a blue moon goal we tore them apart They couldn't live with us.

The stats show that yesterday we had more possession, twice the shots and twice more on target, 5 corners to their 1.

We won our cup game against a decent side just 3 days previously and away to middlesborough who are expected to be amongst it we've taken a point with a much better 2nd half performance probably due to a HT pep talk from the manager.

So won 1 drawn 2 and lost 1 this isn't the time to write us off. After 10 games they say you'll have an idea how a team is doing.

So it strikes me (pun intended) that the major outstanding issue is a striker a natural goalscorer. Diaz being a good example. I knew before KO yesterday he would score against us. that is what we are lacking. I sincerely hope that Bruce can sign someone to replace biscuit man asap. but does he have the funds?

Oh for the pairing of Gayle and Rodriguez at this level. That would be the difference between winning and drawing or losing games
besides that Dan Ashworth is also a big miss for this club.

[Slick_Footwork]

Some of your comments surprise me slick, but of course we are all entitled to our opinion and that is what make these forums interesting.  We have been the better team in all three of our games so far, but its scoring that brings home the bacon and that is where we a lacking.

I did think some of your points a touch contradictory,  Such as "Our best player sat on the bench watching that dross for 60 minutes" (which is probably a fitness issue, more than a tactical one).  Then you say "a manager who will not know a good player as long as he's got a hole up his arse... Just buys individuals with no idea of how they will fit into a system."

I am also a little surprised at the criticism of Wallace, I certainly don't see him as just "a crosser of the ball", I suppose it is about your definition of a cross and a pass.  To me a cross is putting the ball in a dangerous area and hoping for the best.  A pass is when a player puts the ball exactly where they intend to for a team mate.  Wallace is putting the ball exactly where he intends to, if the player at the other end does not know what to do with it that is not Wallace's fault.

I didn't intend to be critical of Wallace. I thought he was the best player against Boro and good against Watford.

(After re-reading my post, I don't think it comes across as critical about him)

I did say he's an old fashioned direct winger who likes to put balls into the box early. That is in no way a criticism, it's just an observation on his style of play.

What I am critical of is Bruce.

Because with Wallace's attributes, he needs to play with a target man...

Yet Bruce got shot of Andy Carroll...

Wallace will not get that assists that he got for Millwall if he's aiming at Grant, who simply doesn't have the presence to lead the line on his own. That isn't critical of Wallace, it's critical of Bruce for signing Wallace with no thought of the bigger picture and how to get the best out of him.

Yesterday Bruce should've thrown Bartley on at the death to try and get on the end of Wallace's deliveries. Instead he brought Reach on. That's where I'm critical, the manager's clueless decisions. Bartley is excellent at attacking balls in the air but the manager just doesn't think outside of the box.

As for Yokuslu, maybe you're right and he wasn't fit. We'll see on the next game because he has to start now.

I do disagree that we've been the best team in the 3 games though. I thought Boro completely outplayed us up there and should've been out of sight at half time. Against Watford we did play really well and deserved to win, but actually only ended up getting a point because they missed a penalty after Townsend's dodgy back pass put Sarr clean through. Yesterday we had most of the play but never looked like we were going to score a proper goal IMO. We almost got a route back thanks to a dodgy deflection. I thought Blackburn executed their game plan while we didn't seem to have one. Which seems to be the theme away from home under Bruce.

Considering we haven't got any money, we did well in the summer signing Swift, Wallace and Yokuslu who all look excellent and far better than the dross we signed last summer.

But is Bruce the man to put them into a "system" that gets results? 2 points from 3 games suggests not. But I do hope I'm wrong.

[baggietrousers]

I'm with slick on this one.

[Minizin]

The problem is two consecutive managers have built their plans around a striker with a very good championship record - only to find him injured in the second game. Grant is okay - but not as a target for crosses or to hold the ball up. That’s why we’ve looked good and created chances without scoring. The right chances for the wrong player.

Challenge is for Bruce to find flexibility and another way to score. That’s what Swift should do, but by all accounts he was poor on Sunday.

Beyond that, we need new full backs, a centre back, ideally a goalkeeper - and a centre forward. Hard to do when your owner has “borrowed” £9m and you can’t shift old dross like Bartley, Zohore, Livermore, Furlong, Robinson… As always, we’re still paying for mistakes from 3-5 years ago.

[Salopbaggie]

Well the Liam Delap rumours going again, but even in the reputable press this time.

[Slick_Footwork]

The problem is two consecutive managers have built their plans around a striker with a very good championship record - only to find him injured in the second game. Grant is okay - but not as a target for crosses or to hold the ball up. That’s why we’ve looked good and created chances without scoring. The right chances for the wrong player.

Challenge is for Bruce to find flexibility and another way to score. That’s what Swift should do, but by all accounts he was poor on Sunday.

Beyond that, we need new full backs, a centre back, ideally a goalkeeper - and a centre forward. Hard to do when your owner has “borrowed” £9m and you can’t shift old dross like Bartley, Zohore, Livermore, Furlong, Robinson… As always, we’re still paying for mistakes from 3-5 years ago.

I think your assessment is spot on with what we need.

We're desperately short numbers up top and quality in both full back areas. At centre half, I don't think 3 is enough either.

Unfortunately, you're probably equally correct with the fact we'll not have the means to do so. Mowatt going to "balance the books" suggests to me we'll get either 1 senior player in 2 juniors in.

We must be paying the likes of Zohore Premier League wages so there's no wonder that nobody is willing to take a chance on him. His wages coupled with the fact he's out for 6 months every time he breaks his toe nail and the fact that he's gash when fully fit means it's almost inevitable that he'll see his contract out. We can only hope another team gets desperate.

---

Well the Liam Delap rumours going again, but even in the reputable press this time.

Delap would be a welcome addition.

Looks like he has lots of potential judging by his record though the youth teams.

I do hope we would also be looking at someone more senior in addition though, as it would be a big risk for the club to hang our hat on Delap scoring enough goals to get us promoted considering he's never played any senior football. I also think we need a lot more competition for places at the sharp end of the pitch.

That said, I'd be shocked if the budget stretched to 2 strikers, so hopefully the gamble on youth comes good.