I completely accept Buckley was ultra-numb to put himself in that potential situation. I accept that. What I don’t like is the fact that in practically any game you watch there will be pushing and a square up. That also is violent conduct and the referee would be correct to show a red card there. When Kaminsky held the ball at Norwich and the incident with the ball boy happened, there were players two handed pushing each other there. That should be a red every time. Remember the Kevin Ball tackle on Dunny? Flitcrofts response is a red card every day of the week. If the ref had spoken to, or booked Buckley, nobody would have raised an eyebrow at his leniency. Not even the referees adjudicator or whatever they are called. The ref had an option and he has chosen to give a red. In doing so he ruined the game as a spectacle for thousands of paying fans. “But it’s in the rule book” will be the response. Well yes it probably is, although not sure whether is falls under “excessive force” which the twitterati are saying it needs to in order to be a straight red ( @arbitro is that the rule?). But all those holds and grapples which happen at every corner should be penalties according to the rule book. When a defender is letting the ball run out of play, and steps 6 feet away from the ball and barges the striker away is a foul in the rule book. . Every throw which is taken 10 yards from the correct place is against the rules. But in those situation refs decide that’s not really the done thing and ignore it.

If that’s a sending off for violent conduct, then every time two players square up and have a pushing match in any game they should both be off because “That’s the law. “ The ref could have had a word, or even booked him, and not one person would have said he got away with a red card. It was a double whammy, as most of those long balls that opened Boro up time and again in the first half were coming from Buckley. How shit must Hirst be if we are down to 10 men and need a goal and he still doesn’t even get a cameo.

Where’s Vale?

It really doesn’t. That formation against Derby with Bradley Johnson was one of the most baffling wtf moments I’ve ever had in 35 years of watching Rovers.

We’re no worse off Gav, and at least were not complaining about putting Johnson up front and Gally at right back anymore. Plus I’d forgotten what it was like to concede in injury time until the last game.

Who didn’t?

Met him once socially. Soundest bloke you could meet. We grilled him for ages on his World Cup win and he talked us through the whole experience. When we said “you must be bored keep being asked and recounting this to strangers”, he said “what’s the point in winning it if you can’t tell people about it”. Also was genuinely interested in Blackburn and Darwen, as he knew it well from when he was a kid. Think he said his family had the Millstone in a Darwen somewhere back down the line. He sadly died less than a year later after we met 🙁

Hirst and Mola have proven to be shockers. Hope they were knee jerk reactions with new arrivals coming in in JDT and GB. Need far better quality than those.

I didn’t think Travis was too bad tonight at RB. Admittedly, that may because there was one of the worst full back performances I have ever seen occurring at Left Back. By comparison, Trav was Paulo Maldini.

As for the attendance tonight, if the priority for the club is clearly the league (based on team selection), then you can’t complain if the priority for the fans is the league also.

It’ll be a good test for the midfield here, especially Wharton and Garrett. Will give us an indication if they should be pushing the first team. No confidence in Hirst up front mind you. Id be happy to still be in it after 60 minutes as there’s plenty of options on the bench.

That had Dack, Buckley and Dolan in IIRC.

Presuming Travis has lost his place on Boxing Day, he probably starts here.

Be good for the Blackburn End if they could say hi to their old mate Dean Henderson tonight.

Just finished Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Saturn. I’m really not sure what to make of it tbh. It often appears on lists of ‘the best games you’ve never played’, but I found it a bit of a grind from about half way. I’m not the biggest RPG fan admittedly. I imagine it’s game style has dated badly and that I would have gotten more value out of it back in 1998 on release, but I think it’s rarity has enhanced its rep a little. Graphically impressive though, apart from the usual pop-up that blighted the Saturn,

As I repeat time and time again to people on here, it’s not playing out from the back. It’s being pressed and being in trouble and yet refusing to clear you lines. Getting caught in possession is one thing, getting caught in possession because you tried a 1-2 in your own box whilst getting closed down is just plain dumb.

Wigan now playing suicidal keep ball at the back and keep getting caught in possession. Where has this come from?

Also on Beinsport in Australia

But that wasn’t before the game he was referring to.

Really excellent and enjoyable performance / result. Special credit to JDT for reading what we’ve all been telling him to do for the last few weeks, and then actually doing it.

I only know cos I once thought exactly the same as you and ended up looking into it. I bet the players wished they sponsored the MOTM award 😀

Lotus are based in Norfolk. Sponsored Norwich in some capacity for years.

If this applied to our business model, you’d be better ordering (for example) 700, selling 650 and clearing the rest for a pound, than only ordering 500. As a side point, I wonder how many shirts they order / have spare for the various teams to use and what happens to those shirts at the end of the season? Im fairly sure it’s more complex than it appears to us, but consistently being out of stock at Christmas tells us whatever they are doing isn’t working.

Whilst not being privy to the full details, surely the original order is too low. If they increased the previous order, and then have excess stock between now and the end of the season, I’d be amazed if they couldn’t clear it at more than break even inclusive of transport. That’s how we handle China in our business.

I was going to reply to @booth on the Norwich thread but I moved it here as it’s a bit of a long rant. However it follows on from another @boothpost I disagree with. Some people appear to be blind to the situation bothering a lot of fans atm. Its not our results or our league position that is bothering people. It’s not our goal scoring ability, or our defensive capabilities. All of these seem to be functioning fine under JDT. Its solely his refusing to tell the players when under pressure to get the ball forward and get rid of the danger. We said at the start of the season it was frustrating and was costing us, and I joked “imagine if we were still doing it and it cost us at Burnley”. And yet we did, and then did it again the next game. I’m watching England V France on Saturday night, and I’m thinking how is it in a World Cup quarter final both of these fancied teams are happy to let the defenders clear it long when under pressure, and yet our average championship players are instructed to play out from dangerous positions. It has clearly cost us points in games, and I don’t believe that we have seen any benefit. We are not talking about the inability to have a plan B and go more direct. That is a different argument. Let’s analyse where the game was lost Saturday. You can view the Preston Highlights here - Preston highlights - uncomfortable viewing The first goal is a bad pass. That’s up near the half way line and is trying to get us on the front foot so I’d put that down as poor play but also as just a disappointing goal to concede. However the second highlight is a scramble in the first half. I’ve looked back on the full replay and the chance starts (27:30) from Mola taking a throw near our own corner flag. A couple of touches and it’s played back to him under pressure. They have quite a lot of bodies around that area (because we’ve been sussed) and yet instead of clearing it down the line he tries to play a delicate 5 years pass and gets caught (which is where the highlight starts). Ball comes in and a bit of a scramble. We survive. Phew. It then comes to Morton in our own box who tries a cushioned 5 years pass to Sammie in his own area and gives it away again. FFS. What is the point of that ball? Same shit every game. Anyway we ended the first half stronger and I thought have a go second half. As we know Kaminsky immediately gets caught in possession not hoofing it clear but luckily gets a goal kick. Inexplicably (to us mere fans), he gives it to Travis surrounded by 3 men. Once he receives it and realises he’s closed down he has two options to me. There’s a ball out to Carter at RB or just clear it and bollock Kaminsky for playing him into trouble. However he’s been told to play it short so inexplicably he tries a little shitty ball to Morton and 5 seconds later it’s a goal. Game over from that point. Interestingly watch Carter’s reaction at RB from when Travis gives the ball away. He strolls back. Had he sprinted he probably would have got to Evans before the ball was pulled back. He’s not busting a gut for ‘the project’. If this was a one off fine, but you could pick highlights from Burnley, Coventry, Wigan, Luton and Sheff United of us doing the same thing. I’m not saying he’s a worse manager overall. He’s clearly not. But I honestly believe Mowbray, Ince, Coyle and Kean would all surely have said “let’s try something different “ if a small part of their gameplan was repeatedly costing us goals and points (whilst also regularly boosting the opposition’s XG for all you stat kids out there). So stubborn and so avoidable.