I’ve voted in hope more than expectation. That said I’ll actually be really annoyed if we don’t make the playoffs. It looks like four from Luton, Boro, Millwall, PNE, Norwich, Coventry, Sunderland and us, so it really shouldn’t be beyond us. Not a lot of parachute payments among that lot, and I wouldn’t be clamouring to swap squads with many.

Morton benefitted from this massively too.

Wharton needs half as many touches as anyone else and can see passes nobody else can. He tired towards the end, understandably, but could be a big player for us in the run in.

Diaz caught one down the back of his ankle that looked nasty.

We’ve been unpredictable all season. Had horrific runs of poor returns when we’d have expected to take points, and had spells of form that were way beyond what we thought possible. We just need another one of those spells with shockingly good performances/results over the next few games.

Just done my player ratings… how is JRC only on 9.3?!?!?

Very good point re Carter. As abysmal as he was in the first half he was outstanding in the second.

Mixed emotions there. So poor to be trailing by 2 at half time having played pretty well, and a phenomenal effort to get a point in the end. We needed some of that attacking intensity in the last few games. I’ve hammered Morton for most of this season but he was actually good in the second half when he had little to do defensively, tons of space and practically every player in front of him. Wharton was excellent but looked tired by the end. Carter and Hyam were both shocking in the first half but looked rock solid second. JRC is our best defender, midfielder and forward at the moment. The big frustration is that we are now looking over our shoulders, and while we are still in the mix we should be comfortably sitting in the playoff spots.

We need 3 goals to have any chance to save our season. How has Morton not been subbed off for Leonard?

Carter will get sent off here.

So far so good. Should be ahead though. Wharton standing out already, credit where it’s due, Morton playing well.

I’d say exactly the same is true of Brittain. He’s been a very useful attacking outlet a number of times, but a defensive liability on other occasions.

Is Brittain any quicker? I think it would’ve been very harsh to drop JRC.

Why are we changing formation to accommodate Morton? We get overrun with him in there because he’s not very good or committed. Just made it easier for him to be a passenger.

Morton and Gallagher are massive problems for us at the moment. We have several better options than Morton and continually playing him is costing us. I’m not generally as down on Gallagher as many in here are, but he is far from prolific at his best. Right now he is in dreadful form and therefore pretty useless.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he had a good game, nobody really did, but I think we have far bigger issues than Brereton.

No, I don’t think he looked noticeably shattered. After their goal he was reasonably lively, but Pickering, Hyam and Morton’s first touch always seemed to take them back towards our own goal. He took up a number of more advanced, central positions when Szmodics sat in for him, but again the passes were sideways at best. At one point he came deep and picked the ball up in our box, strode out and played a through ball to Morton that he didn’t quite have the legs (or maybe desire) to get on to. On about 20 minutes he had tracked back far enough to cut out a loose pass about 20 yards away from goal and pass back to Pears when nobody else was bothering to do what should’ve been a central midfielders job. He also made a good few runs into their box when the ball was on the right, but the only time Hedges put an early cross in it was very deep and he got under it.

I think some of the criticism of Brereton’s performance is harsh. Practically every pass to him was a safe one in to his feet, or just behind him, on the halfway line with his back to goal. He’s at his best when he’s running onto balls over the top or into the channels. Our play was nowhere near brave enough, it was the return of the laboured, incessant passing to feet. Playing Hedges encourages this. He’s slow and on his wrong foot so he’s always coming backwards. One thing Gallagher has done well in recent weeks has been coming deep to win flick-ons. This didn’t happen once on Friday through no fault of his, it was because we barely varied our play at all. That doesn’t excuse the rest of Gallagher’s dreadful performance though, and I’d be reluctant to start him despite the lack of options, same goes for Hedges. Surely now the penny must have dropped regarding Morton. I’d give Brittain a start and play JRC in front of him, that’s more to do with our lack of options tomorrow than anything Brittain has done - he’s been disappointing overall.

That’s an absolutely horrendous stat. Another to add to the Venky’s list of shame. The fact we have never beaten Burnley under their ownership is another one people need reminding of over the next few weeks.

When he persists in picking someone who would rather lie on the floor pretending to be hurt than track back during an FA Cup quarter final, it’s not a reason that washes. There’s no debate to be had after today. Picking Morton above Wharton is self sabotage.

Morton should be as involved as Mola has been since the World Cup break - not at all. That’s on Tomasson. Ridiculously stubborn in some of his actions, particularly his reluctance to make substitutions. That really hasn’t helped our lack of getting back into games.

Yep. Very poor in and around the box too. I think he’d have made a really solid left winger 10 years ago. In our current squad he’s just a body really. Yeah, to be fair I was harsh on Szmodics in my assessment. I wouldn’t go as far as wonderful, but he worked hard even if one or two things didn’t come off for him. Nowhere near as effective and involved as he has been over the last couple of months, but not bad.

I am pretty crushed by that to be honest. Despite what the table says the playoffs now look a very tall order. Our only really consistent spell of good performances this season was when Thomas first came in. Having a proper winger on his proper foot in there made such a big difference and gave our play a totally new dimension. He is also the only player in our squad apart from Brereton who possess real pace and power. Quite why he was dropped for Hedges I have no idea, and how it took so long for the sub to be made is unacceptable. Hedges is a proper Mowbray player… a steady Eddy Jack of all trades on a good day. He was shite today. I have maintained for a while that the persistence with Morton could cost us our playoff spot. While he hasn’t stuck one in his own net in the last few games he has been incredibly poor. Enough bullshit about attitude (Morton’s is cowardly and half arsed anyway), Wharton is the far superior player and had he been preferred all season to the loanee we’d be comfortably in the playoffs. Gallagher dire again today. The reluctant centre forward. He’s lived off his work rate for too long. He’s woefully inadequate. We were poor all over the park today. Hyam was diabolical to the point I thought he looked injured/ill, I hoped he had a stronger mentality that most of our squad and would help us stop bottling it. Hopefully today was just an off day. Speaking of off days, today was definitely one for JRC, but he’s another who has built a lot of good will. Of the 11 who started Pickering is really the only one who can be proud of his performance. JDT needs to start utilising his subs better, and more importantly sooner. It’s already been said on here he’s reactive and not proactive. There’s no reason in these days of 5 subs we shouldn’t have had Hedges and Morton off for Thomas and Wharton with half an hour.

Agree. Of course there will be people who can’t pay £30 who would probably love to be able to. Hopefully people who don’t normally bother with evening games can break their usual routine as a one off too.

I think the biggest factor will be how much we have to play for by the time the game comes round. If we’ve nothing to play for we won’t sell many, if we need the points for a play off spot we should sell loads.