Groundhog

We've never done it all season, it's insane. What's Dolan going to do in our own box? Leave him on the half way line. We seem to do everything we can to invite pressure. Was thinking on the way home that it's the total polar opposite of the Allardyce "money ball" concept. All the percentages are against us!

Gallagher usually marks the front post, made a few clearances when he was on, Pears rarely comes. Who's taking Gally's place at that corner? It was a good corner, Pears doesn't come out or is blocked off, and we were disorganised, Brereton makes a poor attempt to meet the ball. Soon as Gallagher goes off we lose height at set pieces, you knew it was coming. I blame bad leadership and no one commanding our own 6 yard box. Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson was adamant Wilson bundled the ball in with his hand but when that was put to Robins, he quipped: “Well he is a goalie!" What a twat Robins, presume he thinks he's been clever.

100%. Imagine if we could sign some proper battlers, just 2, I want one of those players like Chris Martin who you'd hated against you but came away thinking I wish we had him. Unfortunately every team wants them. I'm just fed up of watching teams getting one over us by getting the basics right and using sheer graft and nouse.

My head has accepted it, but at full time against Hull it really hurt that we didn't take the 3 points, same as Yeovil at home years ago, I've always had that feeling deep down that "we're better than this" and it won't go away, then it switches, my head takes over, and I think we are where we are, football goes in cycles and we're just having our lull, but could be worse, we're in dreamland compared to fans of Bolton, Derby, Portsmouth, what happened to Bury etc. I'd like to think we're still due success in the future, might take administration and new owners but this historic, famous old club must remain an attractive prospect for people.

Fair enough, can't hear it from where I'm sat. Talking shite as usual haha.

Yeah I want changes and three in midfield tonight. Massive massive game, one of the biggest in recent years. I hope JDT playing it down in the media is a smokescreen and he's getting them riled up behind the scenes. I want to see some passion and belief from the management down bleeding into the players. All well and good taking the pressure off, but maybe that's why they're playing like there's no pressure, get 'em fired up. Said on another thread - Souness in our 2001 promotion season, words to the effect of: "we're going to try and win every game and we don't care what others are doing" etc etc - let's have a bit of that!

I get the frustration, but booing at half time is poor, it's not like we weren't creating chances and anyone who's been to more than 1 game will know that in the second half attacking the Blackburn End we have a chance. One lad behind me during the Hull game needed a word - spouting drivel about every player, analysing their poor technique and tactics like an arm chair Pep. Fans like that drive me nuts. It's not just us, all fans are like this, especially clubs that have success in recent years and have a fanbase with higher or distorted expectations. I think there's a few defined groups of fans at Rovers now: people in their twenties seem to get behind the team regardless, they've never seen the "glory" years and not experienced the teams of Souness or Hughes, so this season is as good it gets in their recent memories. I've been impressed with the passion and dedication. Then there's miserable gits like me, born in the 80s, accepting our 90s and early 2000s success as the default standard and judging every team to that standard, but trying to remain calm, pragmatic and realistic. Obviously there's a flipside: FIFA playing kids expecting every player to become a world beater, and older fans comparing every player to Bryan Douglas etc. We're a mixed up bunch.

Yeah we're definitely not young, our average age against Norwich was similar apparently, it's just we're a rag tag mix of experience, not many do or die games under our belts in this squad, we're not experienced in games where it's mattered, it's been a few years of zero expectations and the lack of pressure is showing, we never turn it on and we don't seem to have a 6th gear to pull a win out of the bag when it's on the line. Take Sargent for example, has played in the Prem and I thought he struggled, but that experience showed and he looked a different player against us.

It's not being intimidated it's just getting the jitters - and not having battle-hardened experience around you. The team that went up under Souness had a mix of youth and a spine of experience, Craig Short, Bjornebye, Gillespie, Hughes, allowing players like Dunn and Jansen to flourish. Speaking on Souness, listening to old interviews for Rovers and he says things like "we're going to try and win every game" "we don't care about others around us" the usual stuff but I'd love to hear that now.

I think JDT has managed Wharton pretty well, as a manager should. He's 18, I think some forget this. He's also coming into the side in an era of information overload, where every move is scrutinised, and rumours are rife - I'm sure young lads coming into the team over the last 30 years have had all sorts of little foibles and issues, we've just never heard about it. I want him to play every minute as I love watching him and I can see what he brings to the team - but can you imagine if we'd used him every game for 70mins a piece and totally run him into the ground? In an ideal world JDT would have O'Brien and Buckley alongside Travis and he could phase him in. Imagine if he'd misplaced a backpass against Preston or maybe made to look like a lost kid against Burnley, or done a Morton against Wigan. That's why JDT is holding back slightly. He also knows he gets an easy ride from the fans as he's a local, a fan and academy product, its a rare position for a player to be in. Swap Morton for Wharton, would he get the same stick? He'd get a free ride and sympathy. I heard on one of the many Rovers podcasts after Hull (they keep me sane during the working week), can't remember which, that imagine in the late 90s when Duff arrived on the scene, that we had some United or Liverpool loanee keeping him out of the team a la Morton now, and every time Duff came in with 10mins to go, he'd light the place up and create chances, but we went back to benching him for the next game, playing the loan ahead of him. It's not quite the same but I get the comparison. I think JDT plays Morton as he can last a game (or there's a clause in his contract). In reference to that my only real complaint, definitely shared by others, is the time in which he's been subbed on recently, why give him 15 mins against Norwich, 10 against Hull? Our subs have been dire this season. I think next season we'll see him get more game time.

I was just listening to the Kidder Street Noise podcast today and they mentioned that Hyam was telling the Blackburn End to calm down during the Hull game, was this true? What was going on? Didn't see it from where I was sat. He didn't have the best game but I admire him as a player, and he seems like a true pro. I'm going to get pelted for saying this but I do think the pressure and frustration from the crowd got into the players heads a bit - they're an inexperienced bunch at the most, not many players used to grinding games out in a top of the table run in, when it matters. For me it's one of the main reasons, along with the squad size and depth, that we drop off every year. The system doesn't help, although I can see why it works. It requires them to play a perfect ball out of defence and have a player control under it under pressure, if you're second guessing yourself and your own ability you're less likely to pull the trigger, accept the ball on the turn and going for it - too scared to mess up. Not blaming us as fans, as it works both ways, but I could feel it ramping up. It just showed when they brought someone on with natural ability like Wharton who can take the ball under pressure, play on instinct and naturally make room for himself with feints, dropping of the shoulder etc it comes natural to him and he could take the pressure off the team and move us forward. We need a target man who can do the same up front. I hope the players see that when in the first half JRC played a long ambitious diagonal ball straight out of play, he got a round of applause appreciating the effort. We don't mind the odd misplaced pass forward, as 2 out of 5 times it might stick.

Looks like it's just some Sky Bet feature on Rovers, not an emergency "we're fucking shit in front of goal Andy (Andrew) help us" session

No way, wonder if this was JDT's idea? Or Gregg's got him on a 5 game loan 'til the end of the season?

I'm amazed by that statement released by the club and their chairman Alan Pace. Either they genuinely feely aggrieved and something has broken down in the process, or they're completely irresponsible. What a way to rile up both sets of fans.

I agree - I meant as a combination of that plus lack of management. Our matchday "product" is poor and doesn't compete.

Pre Waggott, pre cost of living crisis. Pre Ewood turning into a dump due to lack of maintenance.

Don't want to get into an argument about attendances as it's boring as fook but I'll bite: Under Hughes we averaged in the low 20s. They were "good" seasons with exciting football and a European challenge. If we got promoted, in the current climate, do you really think that fans are going to come back, with the current prices, to watch a small underfunded squad getting smashed every week? I'd love the opposite but need to be realistic.

Totally agree - reduce the capacity and make a better stand, 3k is fine - and add a safe standing area too. Let's face it unless football changes on a grand scale, we'd be lucky to get above 20k for most games in the Prem. In the last 20 years we were only near capacity when Liverpool or Man Utd visited Ewood.

They're really getting their knickers in a twist about it aren't they? I know we gave them some stick in the 90s and beyond, and for some to be fair they're finally getting their own back, but they're showing real delusions of grandeur. You have to laugh. One season under Kompany, with a few tasty loans and a load of cash in the bank, and they're talking like an elite club, versed in a new brand of cultured football. Do they really think we're going to let them have a promotion party at our place? They're like angry toddlers wanting everything on a plate: "I want the Darwen End, I want a guard of honour". Fuck 'em I've read some rumours that JDT and the footballing side requested the smaller allocation? Is there any truth in this? If so, good on him. If it backfires and we lose we look stupid, but better that than a repeat of City in 2000.

I was at this game but this incident totally escapes me, what happened again? Thinking about players that single handedly affected games: that **** David Goodwillie coming on in injury time against Brighton at home in 2013, and immediately giving a stupid penalty away so we drew 1-1, that one hurt. Not an important game but it just summed up the shitshow at the time.

Yeah this loan business is getting out of hand - some Sheff Utd fan on 606 saying “it’s a disgrace that the our two loanees can’t play in the semi final and they should make an exception” even Sutton agreed with him. No one want to point out we couldn't play Sorba Thomas yesterday as he was cup-tied? One of our in-form players? Couldn't make the game yesterday and had to watch on TV - gutted as that away end looked class - the love in for the Sheff Utd and the two loanees was pretty hard to stomach, no mention of our Academy lads and the fact we got that far without loanees, thought it would have been worth making the opposing view.

'99: Utd at home when we got relegated, Ashely Ward missing that sitter. The Forest game at home when we lost 2-1, only game I've ever walked out of - couldn't hack it as a kid. '97/'98 when we got beat 4-0 at Old Trafford too, that Kenna own goal - having to go into school the following day and face all my plastic Scum supporting classmates. Proudly wore my Rovers coat and got into all sorts of trouble. That really thickened my skin that game. The European disaster in '95. First real feelings of embarrassment following football. Getting beat 1-0 by Stockport at home under Ray Harford. Any game against West Ham where we lost. Shearer elbowing Gallacher in the face on his return to Ewood, and his post match comments, that pissed me off. Hearing every away section singing "where's your Shearer gone?" in the late 90s. Sorry this thread isn't about what has made you the most angry after a game 😂 Funny all the memories I have of games that "choked" me up were from my teens, must be hormones an' all that - anything in the following years I'm just numb to it. Even relegation at the hands of Wigan, and then the league one relegation, felt nothing just the crushing inevitability. In fact yesterday has been the first game that has properly got me in recent years - it's the hope that kills you, and feeling for the players - I genuinely love this squad and manager, 2 loans, loads of Academy and local lads, can't help but really get behind them. Also knowing that we're starting to move in the right direction, but our owners will always hold us back, these little glimmers feel more and more fleeting.

I think his attitude has always been there, he seems a true pro and a really decent lad - just taken a while to get his fitness and get his match sharpness. The physicality and pace of the championship at first seemed to be too much, but he looks stronger and more aggressive now. I think also we need to appreciate that this is a rag-tag bunch of players, not a carefully built squad built in an "image" that JDT is working with, and they being asked to play a fairly strict system, so all this needs to be taken into consideration. They've got to be mentally fit as well as physically, always thinking and sometimes players get lost. Just to go off track a bit, like most fans I've been racking my brain trying to work out why the losses have been so bad, why are we so Jekyll and Hyde, I think it's due to the players playing the system as opposed to the game - it's a learning curve and they don't have a plan B when they're getting overrun. It's the one thing that needs to improve.

He's one of those players that if he was playing for the opposition, we'd all be like "we need someone like that". Superb performance last night, incredible energy right up to the end.

I'm totally buzzing after that, seeing the togetherness of the fans and the players at the end, where's this belief and team spirit come from? Seeing Gallagher punching the air toward the Riverside on the final whistle, he's suddenly got the fight in him. Thought he played excellent today and led the line, he's started winning flick ons! Thought that was one of Dolan's best games for the club too. In the second half when he was on my touchline on the Riverside, I could see him shielding the ball when it was cleared to him, using his strength and turning his back into his opponent and winning a free kick or two. This to me is a new side to his game and he's needed it, they must have been working on it in training, since he's been picked to start recently he has to lead the line. It was great to see. I said to my Dad before the game: if we win today I'm going to start believing, and that's what worries me, I'm scared to believe, the stakes get higher, but when it feels this good, who cares. We seem to have got more "streetwise" too, everyone is buying time, letting the ball drift out, taking fouls - we're also putting our foot in and taking bookings, not afraid to get stuck in. In the first half of the season we hardly picked up yellows, all the best teams do it, we're finally halting opposition attacks and disrupting others - just what they do to us. It's great to see and reminds me of the early days of Hughes's reign. COYB