Groundhog

He won't go to Feyenoord. JDT will only leave if he isn't backed in the summer. I think he looked long and hard at many jobs, took a year out, so coming to Rovers wasn't an impulse decision. If I was being cynical, perhaps his main motivation is that he wants to prove himself in England (his Newcastle spell) and put himself in the shop window. The one thing that erks me when he gets criticism, people need to remember who JDT is - this guy is a winner, and has had an amazing career and he's at our club, compare him to fookin' Owen C*yle and Bowyer and Mowbray, it's a joke: he's played on the biggest stages, with the biggest players and under some of the biggest managers. Think of some of the dressing rooms he's been involved with, he will know what makes players tick and how to manage egos etc. I'm very proud to have him at the helm regardless of what happens and can I forgive some of his errors, at least he's trying something...

Hyam was massive last night, every time a ball came in I took it for granted he would be on the end of it. What a signing. On the upturn in results it definitely coincides with JRC's form, he gives us the ability to bring the ball out when under pressure. He seems to inspire confidence in others too. It also coincides with Dack moving and offering for the ball, and the energy of Szomidcs. We didn't have this at the dingle dome disaster and over Christmas. This tika-taka system JDT plays is totally dependant on confidence and belief, the hardest thing to do as a player is play that killer forward pass into danger, after 10 sideways passes, under pressure from the crowd and the opposition and with little movement up front. Our lads aren't blessed with Brazil like levels of ability so they need a boost from somewhere.

haha LOL I find myself saying "in that way" all the time recently. "yes I'll have a brew, with intensity, in that way"

He didn't have a choice though. Why didn't he play the Whartons against the Dingles? Trying to protect them? Too soon? But yeah it's impressive, what an experience for Phillips and JDT obviously trusts him. Just rather BBC didn't broadcast our youth talent to the world 🤫

As I said on the JDT thread, we did to them what Rotherham, Dingles and Nob End did to us. Leicester were there to be bullied. I hope we can keep it up. At least we're seeing them be braver on the ball now, moving it forward, Dolan and JRC give us that outlet, with Travis playing his socks off, needs a partner though. Something has happened, it's either confidence from a good run or just some team spirit starting to cement itself, and a belief in JDT's system finally. I was angry that he fit the system to the players regardless of their quality, but he's showing that with the right talent in there it can work. Summer: Get. him. backed. And...Hedges in for shooting practice at 7am. Come on Ryan lad! Congrats to the fans that made it down, class everyone of them, gutted I couldn't go.

Trying to not get carried away. We just did to Leicester what Nob End, Burnleh and Rotherham did to us. When it works, it really works, when it doesn't it's a disaster. I can't pass judgement on JDT until he's been given a chance to build his team with the type of players he needs to fit this style. Whether he gets backed or not will be the clincher. I think we're starting to see great team spirit and togetherness, and a willingness to buy into the system that was missing in those games, they're taking those risks that he mentions and getting reward. I was critical of him in those games of trying to fit a style to the side regardless of the quality of player, I can see how it's going to work, we looked balanced tonight and hungry. Diaz, Dack will have to fight to get back into the side now. Right off to play JDT bingo with his post match presser: "in that way" "intensity" "he's a good boy"

Never thought I'd see these words applied to JDT's Rovers

Leicester worse than us at tapping it about at the back, makes a change. We are taking risks but we seem to have an out-ball now, we seem to be playing it forward quicker and also inside centrally, more so than we did in that spell around Christmas. Is this the "bravery" that JDT talks about? JRC cutting inside and doing his man and releasing the ball is really working for us - and Dolan is someone to aim at. Hyam is always there, love it. Szmodics, if Leicester bypass our midfield with a couple of quick passes, he always busts a gut to get back goalside. Very impressive. We're just wasteful up front, come on lads, look up, think...

That game was a mad one, I remember the blizzard coming down just after half time as Sutton scored that chip, lots of people didn't really witness it as they were all settling down for the second half and getting their coats on 'cause of the weather. I thought that team were going to go onto great things. Sutton was my favourite player as a kid, I liked the underdog act to Shearer and the fact he had a nasty streak, hard to play against. I had the copper away kit with his name on wish I still had that now. He scored my most memorable FA Cup goal in the 2-2 away draw at West Ham, down to 10 men after that little sh*t Berkovic got Gallacher sent off. Coupled with the coach getting pelted as we entered the ground, it set me off on a lifetime's journey of hating on the 'ammers. I was right behind the goal when Sutty scored, and you could see every muscle in his neck and face straining to win that header, and the way he celebrated with the fans...amazing. He was a proper player, he could hold the ball up and keep it there, all elbows and a boney arse sticking into the defenders 😂. Not many like him any more. Anyway, watching these clips is getting me proper fired up for tonight, come on lads! COYB!

Chris Taylor: To be fair he was one of a few to show some effort. Always looked good playing against you. One of "those" Rovers players. When he played in the cup game, he was in the ref's face, in our player's faces, being a real shithouse, and getting stuck in. He didn't seem to have that at Rovers - just shows what a team spirit and togetherness can do to lift players.

Don't worry, hardly memorable. So many players from that era just disappear into dust. I remember everything before my kid was born in 2016, born into a time of Coyle at the helm, and Trump as president, what did I bring a life into this mad world for? Poor little thing.

We also made Chris Taylor look like Kaka that night too. I was somewhat slightly "excited" when he signed for us, oh well... That night was a painful night, too many painful nights to chose from in that era.

I've enjoyed watching JRC give it out a bit in recent games, it's what we need. Loved watching him winding McClean up on Monday night.

There is a direct correlation for me between our second half season slump and the Jan transfer window. It doesn't matter who the manager is, or what the squad is - if, as a player, you feel that lack of ambition seeping through from the top of the club and you don't see any signings coming in it will affect the squad - that second half of the season suddenly starts to feels like a huge slog and they'll literally have the desire knocked out of them - what's the point? They all know they can barely compete and they see our rivals strengthen. How many of us have worked in jobs where you can feel the team down tools in reaction to a decision made by leadership, or a rumour that they aren't investing or cutting corners - I've seen it happen so many times, malaise is something that can set it in so easily. People just stop giving that extra 5%, and that's the difference between finishing 10th or 6th in this league.

Nah it was a total clusterfuck from all involved! A fear of not being able to just whip a decent ball in.

That was right in front of me, the ball from Morton to Hedges got stuck under his feet and he couldn't set himself for the cross, by that time he had been closed down and all he could do was lay it off to Pickering who saw glory, it was horrible to watch.

This has been a "thing" for a while now, I used to remember Amari Bell under Mowbray would stop at the half way line like he'd hit an invisible force field, it was happening last night almost every time we had the ball across the back 4, they were sat all square to each other playing it sideways with about 15-20 yards of space in front of them. When Wigan had the ball in a similar situation they would carry the ball forward and make the ground, with the full backs providing an "angle", getting them on the front foot for every attack. Second half a couple were urging them to move forward to carry the ball. Our lads look two scared to commit forward, they've been coached to move the ball quickly up the pitch, which is fine in theory - but every "attack" we're basically asking lads like S. Warton, Pickering, Carter to basically make an inch perfect Hollywood pass at home in front of an already disgruntled fanbase and the Sky cameras, to a forward line who are the most static I've seen in a long while. For me it's confidence thing and a fear of failure in what is a set of tactics designed for players we don't have, we don't do the basics right. All the hesitation does is allow the opposition to get back in their banks of 4, and we've been nullified again. The Wigan players were receiving the ball and turning immediately, bursting forward and pressing with the ball. We had a 30 yard gap between defence and midfield, you could have coned off the middle of the park and it wouldn't have mattered. The good thing about Thomas was his movement second half, he would change it up, change the pace, point inside, go outside, just to get Wigan thinking. Vale and Dack basically stood static all game waiting for the ball - and Diaz, I'm not sure what his tactic is, hug the touch line and hope someone plays it to him with his back to goal where he gets outmuscled every time, why can't he vary it - I remember one attack in the first half where he loitered at the back post waiting for a cross, but there was acres of space around the edge of the D, why not come short and make a run to the front post, make an angle for the crosser - it's so easy to play against. I thought we were meant to have a "fluid" front line?

100% well said, it's embarrassing

Because it could get misconstrued and influence the case by any number of means - I agree it's not a court case but it's wise to keep things under wraps until it's been sorted.

Brilliant post, couldn't agree more. Well said. 👏👏👏

Yeah and there's also a lot of prissy little spoilt Karens amongst our fanbase who love a scapegoat and just shout "sack him" and "shambles" and "disgrace" at the first person they see on TV, without really engaging their brains. People love a visible figure of hate. I think people don't like Broughton as he's well spoken, clearly educated and has good vocabulary, talks modern football lingo - he does the modern business advisor speak - and people feel like he's perhaps talking down to them in some way. But you get rid and what have we got? JDT out and Waggott overseeing recruitment? With the approach to ticketing and stadium maintenance I can see that going well... If it does turn out to be his fault then fair enough, or if it's a cover up due to lack of inexperience, or some conspiracy that in the final minutes we were scared by the terms - I'm sure he would leave, but do fans really think he was the one sending the forms in?

Waggott's tie caught in the toaster and the sprinklers have gone off?

Are you for real? Forest have no room to talk.

Exactly. A club like Forest with their transfer activity can't be throwing stones! I don't know which forum member said this but it summed it up superbly for me: “We've battled to the 5th Round of the FA Cup which, so far, has been worth £333k in prize money for us which isn't an insignificant sum. It's just over a month's salary for a player Forest deem surplus to requirements 6 months after spending £9m acquiring him.”

“Really frustrating. Lewis is a player we like and a player who works very hard, and he’s a good guy,” Cooper said. Didn't like him that much did they.