Typical game we do well in here. I could see us being 2-1 up, but drawing for a finish late on. Queue moral victory etc etc. Pain of being close to the play offs, with little to no chance of actually getting in rolls on.

I suppose she might not even have had any other family in the UK. So all and all, I suppose it was exceptional circumstances. I probably would have done the same as Darragh, I just do think that not every manager would allow it or approve of it. Not approving could also lead to issues. I just keep thinking of a player asking Roy Keane....? It's just typical of the type of good deed the club would do, but that we wouldn't get away with on the field!

I have acknowledged that it was out of regular season time. Just discussing generally really.

Ya, so anyone who says it's fine he didn't play, should therefore have the same view if say ,Dack , was fit next season and his missus was due the same day as the play off final , which we were in and he said he wasn't playing. I just think a Warnock or a Roy Keane may demand a bit more commitment from the player. As I've said though,it's not straight forward ,at all. I'm glad I was there and maybe I'm putting too much on footballers. I would just view it as an extremely privileged lifestyle, that perhaps requires more sacrifices. I'm sure people in regular jobs have had to miss births due to work commitments.

Amazing how people here claim to have so much info about Lenihans sex life(planning when they would conceive) and him and his missus relationship (kept his promise to her to be at the birth) I think the discussion on whether players should miss games for births is an interesting one. I just find it funny how some an say,it's ok to miss Wigan and Barnsley games, but not a final. If you mathamatically can't get promoted or relegated ,then fine , otherwise final or not, there is something to play for, so I would see the situations as the same. Not an easy decision to make and I'm sure certain players and characters look at things in different ways. Tough call to make either way. I certainly have sympathy for Lenihan because the season shouldn't be still going now. I wonder is it something that gets put in players contracts? Our squad just felt really depleted the other night and it had an air of a game where we were the ones with nothing to play for. Still, have a feeling we will beat Leeds on Saturday. Lenihan header

Ah, I know it's far from an easy one. I can certainly see both sides of it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesportsman.com/articles/5-times-a-footballer-has-missed-a-match-for-their-child-s-birth.amp Were any of these more important than our game? I would say no,but maybe I am being biased!

I was at mine and I'm delighted I was there to support my partner. Only one person is allowed on and I'm glad it was me. I just ,maybe unfairly, put football in a different category. You are paid vast sums of money to carry out a specific role that nobody else can do as well(on the basis that Lenihan is a starter and captain). Getting promoted would be life changing for fans, the town and the rest of the squad. It just strikes me as a Mowbray "softly , softly" decision and I'm not sure every manager would be the same. It's not an easy one to be fair, as a player could easily get in a huff if they don't get their way. I mean of doing this instils more loyalty in Lenihan to the point where he commits to stay here ,great, but imagine he leaves during the summer?

Indeed. It was a really important game. As pointed out if it was the FA cup or play off final ,you would expect him not to miss it. In my opinion this game was so big, perhaps a different decision needed to be made. We have been in the championship over a decade and this was arguably our best shot at promotion. We conceding either of those goals with Darragh playing? Not sure. I just wonder did he make the decision ,or did Mowbray. Would Neil Warnock have made the same one in our position? Maybe he has ,I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. I mean I'm sure the club could have made some arrangements where his time away from the maternity could have been absolutely minimised. Without getting too deep on it or pointing a finger at one of our best players, promotion would mean a lot financially and in other ways to staff at the club and the town in general. Football isn't like other jobs, sometimes you only get one chance. Plus footballers are very well paid to do their job, they aren't on ye minimum wage. If you're paid 20,000 plus per week, perhaps there is a bigger obligation to carry out your role. Anyway, it's done now.

Ya, you're probably on the money there

Well it doesn't look good now, but a win last night and it would!

What lol

I don't see how an emoji of a frog and a cup of coffee is related to Wigan??

How has this happened, are the new owners dodgy?

I hear ya ?

Ya, but if the play off final would be different, I do struggle a bit to see why a game that can potentially get us there, isn't also one that can't be missed. I think this is a recent thing, im not sure players did this in the 80s or even 90s,but I could be wrong. Society in general was different when it came to what men did in these situations. He missed it anyway and we lost, so it's all the one now.

Mowbray is doing a few things now that are really starting to irk me, obviously team selections, but that's ongoing. The 2 new things are saying that Barnsley, Wigan etc were "fighting for points" , are we not? Because we should be. The second thing is how he is repeatedly saying every team will have injuries, bit it seems to me we are getting more than anyone, why is that?

Ya,maybe I am being a bit harsh. I just don't think ,say Roy Keane would have done it. I was at the birth of mine, so I do get it. I just wonder would a player miss say an FA cup final or play off final in the same situation.

I read that Lenihan missed the game to go to the birth of his first child. I thought he was injured. Not sure every player would make the same decision with us so close to the play offs.

Maybe off the striker. It's not CM or the wing anyway, that's for sure.

That's very sad. Was enjoying it.

Ya, I have a strong feeling we will hear all sorts of names mentioned, but we will end up with a late loan for some random keeper that nobody had mentioned. Whilst Raya is playing PL.

Ya,I have no doubt that if we needed a point from the games against Reading and Luton, we would end up losing both.

Rothwell is shite and for some reason gets a very easy ride here. No idea what that's about.

I can understand Breretons frustration though. The best he had played in the last two games and Mowbray goes and drops him. Mowbray is a muddled man with his team selections. It's difficult to make sense of his decisions