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I recall Beck marking Frey at QPR last season on corners and their very first one he scored. Interestingly it was the first time I had seen Morishita doing that. In some recent matches he has stayed further up the pitch from corners but I'm guessing that Ventre has autonomy on set pieces and is looking for variety which I'm all for.

Evans misses 4 match darts

I have not seen the incident so I cannot comment. But was Gueye off-side or did the officials get it wrong ?

Of course tho given his comments about England and their batsmen, its strike me if Langer wanted to replace McCullum as England test head coach. Looking at the county game, and reading different comments from former England players, ex captains, people like Strauss if our county game first class structure is actually set up right. Strauss wanted to play 10 first class games instead of 16. Also when we played these games is another problem. I don't think sacking Key, Wright, McCullum and Stokes is the right way. This problem of not winning test matches in Australia is a problem more than this series. But a proper review of the test series, how we prepare for the series, the test squad pick and lack of game time before the test series. on the test squad pick, where was the back opener or back up keeper? Did we pick the rest pace bowlers? interesting questions to answer

Thanks Chaddy. I put a fair few hours into each of these, so it's nice to hear that you find value in them👍 sometimes work/life commitments get in the way of making them as detailed as I'd like, especially during the midweek match periods, but I try to put some interesting stuff in there regardless. It's a fascinating league to cover, these really only scratch the surface.

Height is not a given that a player will be good in the air, see Sam Gallagher or Maktar Gueye.

Great summary and very informative. Thanks to go out to the people/person who wrote the summary, please can continue the great insight and writing them

Thanks to all the backroom staff and the effort that goes on behind the scenes to keep the website going, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all 🎅🎄 To all supporters, whether we agree or not over the issues over the year I just want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to yourself and your family. Have a most enjoyable one and hopefully Santa Claus bring you all you want. Lets bring those 3 points back from Riverside stadium and Hillsborough over the Christmas period to make it a most enjoyable Christmas period 🔵⚪

I don’t think I have ever seen a striker, stray offside say much. When he came on at Pompey, I thought it was a good tactic, but in our final attack, deep in stoppage time, we lumped a free kick forward and the whistle went for offside against him. Its a very frustrating trait.

Well Chris Rea won’t be driving anywhere for Christmas this year. RIP

I thought Spurs didn't get their faces enough, not by kicking lumps out of them but pressing them and trying to force mistakes in their back line. Frank doesn't know his best team or formation still. Why isn't Johnson, Richardlison and Paulinha not in the starting 11 more I don't know. Again, I thought they were toom passive against them. Expected a battle and it was in truth a boring match. Leeds and Palace had more action in it

I remember during some of Gueye's early matches he had some nice link up play with the other forwards. He's not a total disaster, but he's definitely regressed massively since Eustace left. The biggest issue, by far, is that he's a striker who can't shoot properly. It's not hard to see why his goalscoring record is so poor. He's not too bad at heading towards the goal, but his on pitch intelligence is not really suitable for this level and he's often just not in the right position even when a decent cross comes in. If he had just a bit more ability he could definitely have been a cult hero type player for us. Sadly I think he's a little below Championship standard in most respects. I think in a different league and with a different team he could be effective, not as a regular goalscorer but as a disruptor. It won't be here though.

This the way teams are being trained to defend these days The smaller lads are blockers and the defenders who are good in the air mark zonally. Fantastic when it works, looks awful when it doesn’t. It works more than it doesn’t though hence pretty much every team does it these days. Started in Italy and brought to England with the likes of Rafa and Wenger It helps that the smaller lads can draw fouls easier.

Thanks to all the team for providing a great place to connect. Have a great Christmas and hopefully a bright 2026. All I want for Christmas is a Rovers loving owner.

He has period last season when he look very good and an asset but since Ismael has come in he hasn't look good enough at all. Time to get rid. Use Henriksson and Joseph/Boggan instead till we sign one

Certainly has his uses. There’s odd times that his first touch is brilliant and then next time it’s like it has hit a brick wall. Eustace knew how to use him better but Eustace is miles ahead of Val in understanding the game Gueye’s time here has run its course. Won some important points for us under Eustace and for that he hasn’t been a waste. Sometimes it is just a step too far I think he could make a run of it in League 1. More than likely he will end up abroad. Hope he gets the Saudi option some have been floating - a license to print money for the lad

Spurs spent all afternoon trying to kick lumps out of Liverpool. I think that Simons was trying to block an anticipated pass backwards but got it all wrong. It was a sending off. His studs scraped all the way down van Dijk's calf. Romero is a prize idiot. The team captain shouldn't be sent off for kicking out, then make it worse by refusing to leave the pitch. What I found odd about that one is the ref gave Romero his second booking, so he'll only get a 1 game ban. He struck an opponent, shouldn't that be a straight red? I saw a bit of the Arsenal game. They were boring and Everton didn't seem like they wanted to put any effort in. Man U had to resort to bringing on two 18 year old subs. It may be a rough Christmas for them. Mbuemo is at AFCON and he has been a bright spot for them so far.

No - we took it off sale as the Christmas delivery deadline had passed & we didn’t want anyone to be disappointed if it didn’t turn up in time. If you want one, I can activate it for a short window..? 🤔

I'm not saying we arent thin up front but these players should be able to play a period of games especially when they arent playing full games either. Just interesting that given the modern era of sports scientists and fitness coaches that they cant play a period of games. Injuries happen during games not much you can do if impact injury granted

Makes it look so easy.

Just checking .. have the NB ones all gone?

Thank you for all of the work you all do and Merry Christmas to each and every one of you - and to each and every poster too. Hopefully this time next year we’ll be celebrating being Venky free too 🤞🤞

Birdy - Skinny Love

He tends to cause problems whenever he plays to be fair. Those problems though are sadly to us.