66% possession, 6 shots,  0 on target and lose 5-0

Your the man, Russell.

And contrary to opinion expressed by another they will not win the title, not gain an automatic promotion and, I really hope, continue Russell's implosion into the playoffs.

23 minutes ago, M_B said:

I watched the first goal back and paused it just as Pears headed it, have a look.

If he doesn’t come out, their player is clear down the left channel with all the defence gone missing. He made exactly the right choice, it's Hyam who cocks up by not clearing his lines.

The right choice would have been Pears heading it out of touch and not playing a header to a player facing him and at an awkward height.

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

They’re not the only ones who will be at it. Leeds winning last night has intensified the race at the top meaning Leicester will have it all to play for in the last game.

I’m increasingly gloomy, I can’t see us getting another point.

I expect Leicester and Coventry to win their home midweek games.

Coventry will come to Ewood still in the playoffs mix and Leicester could be putting the icing on a title win at home.

I too expect no further points, hope 49 are enough and trust in the inadequacy of others.

Not pessimistic, just realistic.

If I'm wrong I can be 😊 

Edit: the Leeds of last night would have torn us a new one.

All those left from the squad v SW.

They are L1 at best.

1 hour ago, Devon Rover said:

I know how he felt. However he, like several of our lot, has no right to be too critical bearing in mind how many times he has lost possession, missed tackles and wasted attacking positions, this season. Pears' errors were atrocious, but the lack of quality, focus and fight goes well beyond the goalkeeper in this team.

Every Picture Tells A Story, Don't It.

I wonder what Mr. Brittain is thinking about Pears og

8 minutes ago, London blue said:

Granted it was on target but in no way was it an overhit or challenging pass to deal with.

Subjective, I think it was.

Audio released

6 minutes ago, rigger said:

I totally disagree with the statement in bold

So you're wrong, no big deal

12 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

For me the two challenges are fouls but I don’t think the Forest player’s exaggerated fall for the first helped their cause.

With the handball I’d day it falls into the ‘seen them given’ category but for me it’s one that should never be given.

That's how I saw it.

Atwell, hmmmmm, best not opine, it would be impolite.

3 hours ago, yellowsubmarine said:

i agreed with this. Pears should have taken his chance and try to catch the ball after the miskick (since it was unintentional). Probably that's what the ref came over and spoke to him about. "You could have caught the ball and it will be okay, son".

He had time to kick the ball again. It was close to him. Once the ball bounced and spun away he was doomed. He's not that agile at the best of times.

Hyam played his part, over hit ball, on goal and bobbly.

That doesn't excuse Pears not making proper contact with the ball. Specsavers needed.

12 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

15 touches in total (you needed to scroll down a bit further…)

Thank you! Still getting used to navigating that site.

It confirms that Dolan and Gallagher didn't manage a single one between them.

Markanday put himself about a bit in his cameo.

4 hours ago, Groundhog said:

I was furious on Sunday. One of the worst days for a long while, I wanted the ground to swallow me up in that 2nd half, and the feeling of deflation across the entire ground was heartbreaking. But it may be an unpopular opinion, but I'm directing all my ire toward the players and the club hierarchy, not the manager. Forget the manager, whoever we have in charge, it won't make a difference.

The one common factor over the time of TM, JDT and now JE is:
1) the board, lack of ambition from the top down, cost cutting in all areas
2) the slow dumbing down of the playing squad, death by 1000 cuts, poor recruitment (1 player from the last 2 transfer windows in the starting XI)

I'm not sure even Warnock or Allardyce would get a tune out of this lot. 

I totally get the frustration of playing 5 at the back at home, just because it worked at Leeds doesn't mean we should have carried it into a must-win home game, totally different scenarios. The Millwall and Plymouth games were tedious dross too. 

But I'd love to hear what people would do to get this lot taking the initiative at Ewood, to put teams who are sitting back to the sword - what could we do differently with this set of players? The only thing I can think of is getting the squad to get back to basics when under pressure, get Gallagher running the channels, spread their back 4 wide, stop trying fancy flicks, keep the ball, play it simple for periods just to regain control - I just don't know what the game plan was.

Against Stoke at home, they were poor, and trying to attack, leaving space, plus we never went behind.

As someone said:

1) we're neither a technical, pacey free flowing side built to play JDT's football, City on the cheap doesn't work - fed up of club's trying to emulate it

2) we're not physical or have the nous to play long ball and have a striker who can hold the ball up - imagine if we had a Kiefer Moore, or prime Danny Graham?

We're stuck in between two schools, with League One players, no subs to change it either. It's an impossible job - the Sheff Wed players harried and closed down, they weren't easy on the eye or technically any better but they were physical - where do you get lads like this? Why is our recruitment limited to players like Clinton Mola? That for me is the real issue. 

It was probably a "sensible" approach (don't shoot me down for saying that) to keep it tight against Wednesday, don't over-commit, remain calm, and pick them off as they get desperate, trying to bring them onto us. We went out all guns blazing against Sunderland and we still lost 3-1 - but both approaches have the same issue: no plan B, and players who can't handle the pressure as it slowly ramps up when we go behind. Is that on the manager or the lack of options from a poor squad?

Whatever is it, I'm sure when JE is falling asleep at night, he's thinking to himself "why is someone who's built like Gallagher no able to become a decent striker at this level" just like we all are, he just can't say it. If JE was at another club, and allowed to spend and build a side, do you think he'd be able to pick a player? So many unknowns.

Good post.

On the highlighted text we won possession, touches and passes whilst also playing more long ball than SW.

I can't locate touches within the opposition area but recall a ridiculously low number for Rovers being mentioned in commentary.

Just to add, and not in reference to the above quoted post, I am not putting any faith into there being any form of reset at the club over the summer. This attitude avoids disappointment and invites delight if I'm wrong, but 13 years of shite teaches something.

25 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto Mk2 said:

Has Gallagher even had one attempt at goal since coming back from injury? I can’t remember one.

Very few. In the past 5 games no goals, 1 assist and just 1 shot on target.

Dolan and Gallagher both had xGs of FA, Nada, Zero... At Ewood against bloody rubbish

11 minutes ago, superniko said:

Yeah, Ince only had 21 games in charge for us, but it was obviously the correct decision to pot him.

Ince had a win ratio double that of Eustace's current ratio, achieved in the PL, but rightly potted.

1 hour ago, superniko said:

13 points from 14 games now under Eustace (average 43 points across the season and 2nd bottom).

2 points taken from 4 matches against Millwall, Plymouth, Wednesday and Birmingham (3 at home).

He will have been our manager for 1/3 of a season, and it's highly likely that he'll only amass 13 points and 2 victories in that space of time across 16 games!

 

In the league he's on 0.92 ppg, and that includes the 2 somewhat unexpected away wins.

Pathetic is not the word I'm looking for.

Eustace's managerial record puts him in the Jim Iley bracket.

It will be argued that he's only managed a small number of games.

So did Jim, and he was then rightly booted.

There's no point in doing it now, the darlings would cry but over the summer get shut of this never will be.

8 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Just watched highlights the FA Cup semi-final and you have to say there is no way we are going to win this match

Coventry were brilliant, fought every inch of the way from 3-0 down and deserved to win

And how on earth is Hyam going to cope with Sims?

Rovers 0 Coventry 4

 

1-4

Sammie will get a goal on his Ewood farewell. Lucky lad.

And then on to Leicester and hoping they don't destroy what remains of our GD advantage.

I can't come up with anything polite. I've tried.

We are a shambles. I give up on the semi with MU up by 2. That was ok, seeing them jam it on pens would have been too much for one day.

Robbins will have them up for us. It's what he does.

I'm sticking with 49 points and GD being enough.

34 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

Thanks for posting.

But.

I will not subject my remaining sanity to his drivel.

25 minutes ago, DavidMailsTightPerm said:

It will be the worst couple of keepers I have ever known at Rovers in over 40 years, that will send us down.

I appreciate without him we would already be relegated - but today Smodics gave away the ball that directly led to a goal and also missed a good chance to make it 2-2.

I can't same I am optimistic, but I wouldn't be in the slightest surprised to see us beat Coventry next week.

But it was to the Tackle of the Century, according to commentary.

Anyone in need of a therapeutic sleep after that trauma just put Coventry v ManUre on.

Meanwhile and to stay awake I'm back to watching Palace and AW ripping Moyes a new one.