Which in our current formation we can’t do, as in that role you need to press hard (hence why no Dack) and Szmodics has made it his own.

No, Wharton is often deep collecting from the defence and turning. When the opposition break at us it is Wharton who is often the midfielder in position to break up or stop that attack and because he isn’t very good at it, it causes massive issues, as seen clearly yesterday at the Hawthorns. We’d be far more solid defensively if we started with Garrett / Tronstadt instead of Wharton / Tronstadt, but then what do you do with your most valuable asset? The formation and style of play with Wharton playing where he is contributes to us being defensively weak. We either need to play slightly differently, or drop AW.

Partly Broughton’s as certain aspects of the contract / process were not understood causing an unnecessary delay from 10pm to 11pm. You just don’t accept this.

Maybe stop leaving us exposed with Adam Wharton as a deep midfielder then. If you’re shipping goals at an alarming rate maybe try setting up slightly differently. But that would mean invoking a plan B.

Come on Phillip. Look how full the JW lower is on that picture. It’s obviously fake.

Yeah but with Garrett in the Szmodics role and with Wharton plodding around as a defensive midfielder. None of the highlights show the chance towards the end of the first half when they race through the middle with Adam Wharton completely unattentive to the danger and then jogging back to try and get back and cover. It was a shocking piece of play for someone in the holding midfielder role. I'm not digging him out and making him a scapegoat as he's the best footballer we've got. But the way we play and the position he plays gives us a massive problem defensively.

One problem (and it is only one of many) is a defensive unit made up of Brittain, Hill, Hyam, Carter, S Wharton, Pickering with Tronstadt and A.Wharton doesnt look that bad on paper. Some will disagree but, with the possible exception of Adam Whartons defensive ability, there are far worse groups of players in those positions in this league So why we have conceded the most goals in the league? Clearly some of it has to be down to defensive coaching and the way set up. JDT cant control the budget but he can control that, and he is failing. Next game if we are to set up exactly the same, I'd drop Adam Wharton for Garrett.

Wharton is an issue. Supremely talented, but how we play him leaves us wide open. He’s terrible off the ball and teams can just run through us. He needs to be further forward, but that means disrupting Sammy and he won’t be able to press as JDT demands from his players who are further forward.

Spineless. But let’s loan out your non-playing captain and bring in some kids 👍👍

No. The owners can’t give at the moment because they’ve been bullshitting to the Indian Authorities where their money has been going.

travis-already-playing-a-captains-role

So despite starting 2023 well, we are clearly in the bottom half of the table for teams who have played 46 games. Great stuff.

You simply can’t move Szmodics. I’d drop Wharton.

West Brom had a guy go clean through near the end of that half then and Wharton was just jogging back behind him. He could see the danger right in front of him and just watched him, then hardly bust a gut to get to him. How the hell can you watch that and think Wharton is better than Travis in defensive midfield off the ball?

His positional play and sensing of danger is far better than Tronstadt and the lazy Wharton. Some people need to look at what players are doing off the ball.

He’s fucking gash mate.

As we all would, I’d be screaming for a foul if it was Rovers, but ultimately the Luton player steps into Traffords line and stops. Trafford then runs in to him. Had there been a few metres between them when he stepped across there would be no complaints, but the fact he did it when Trafford was so close to him made it difficult for the keeper to avoid him. However he didn’t ’barge into’ the keeper.

Also see about 7.17 onwards here.

He doesnt barge into him, but he moves late clearly to make sure he is stood in the keepers way. Its probably obstruction, and Id be furious if it was us, but if thats a defender shepherding a ball out for a goal kick they do it all the time and it never, ever gets given. Highly amusing.

And yet 7500 Leeds fans had to be moved from 3pm to 12.30pm kick off on police advise. One was on TV and one wasn't so I always suspect some of the TV money goes the way of the police in these situations. Who knows.

I imagine Lancs police may object.

And for some of us, it was blatantly obvious 10 minutes into the second half how that game was starting to go. We started well, got tired, had no plan B, lost. The end.

No one is jumping on Leo. I’ve heard no sarcastic cheers or abuse on the ground, and his name is sung after any great saves. But, like Brereton before him, people will always give their opinion whether in a pub after the game or online. I don’t like Pears and was clamouring for him to be dropped for Leo pre-injury. But Leo has made more mistakes and unfortunately looks even shakier. I get people preferring to stick with Leo, but to say he has been streets ahead of Pears is absolute nonsense.

If S4C show it, I presume it has to move from 3pm Saturday? (For once I actually need this moved)

You've said this a couple of times lately but that certainly wasn't my recollection of the game. We had a lot of posession but the only other real chance I recall (and shown on the highlights) is the Sigurdsson chance. We probed and had posession and territory a lot in the first half but, as we do, created little. The second half they looked far more dangerous and eventually their pressure led to 2 Wahlstedt mistakes. All the key stats seem to back up my view. When we tired we had no nouse to try and see the game out.