You can see why we do it, but the issue for me is when we are at the point where we are running out of options we should then clear it. There’s a couple of times you could see we were be panicked into playing loose balls, and we weren’t fully in control, and eventually we lose it. I’ve not watched their goal in full, but from what I recall it comes from our free kick just near the half way line. We take it short, get closed down immediately and it works its way back to Pears. Pears should hoof it then. If we are playing it sideways and our players are making options that’s fine. But all Pears does is play it to Carter who is almost closed down immediately and has very few options. Markanday should do better then but he’s in trouble from the minute he gets the ball. It’s self inflicted. One goal conceded so far and it’s down to pissing about at the back. If your in trouble and losing control of the situation then get rid.

I didn’t think the second half was that bad for time wasting yesterday. If that warrants 9 minutes there will be games that end up with an extra 20!

Firstly, I really enjoyed that. A lot of opening days have been letdowns, but that was a good, tense game of football. I thought Markanday did ok, He was right infront of us and he was taking up the right positions and trying to be positive. I thought he was clearly better than Dolan first half, but was more anonymous second half and the decision to leave Dolan on was proven correct. Dolan really needs an end product, but for the last half an hour he was pretty sensible in what he did. Wharton was a bit of an enigma. An electric first 10 minutes, followed by being pretty frustrating and lax for the rest of the game. He’s better than his overall performance, but his ball for Leonard was a reminder how good the lad is. Leonard did well. Had he not wasted the two chances we’d be singing his praises higher, but I’ll put it down to nerves for now. Compared to other youth goal scoring machines like Joe Nuttall, he at least does look like he’s a professional footballer at this level. Far better than Vale. And Szmodics has just got better and better since he arrived.

Livesat usually lists them all

On many foreign TV stations.

This but we will somehow force an equaliser. 1-1 Like the end of last season, if we get in front and force them to come at us I'll be confident. It will just be getting that first goal.

Well pre-season games complete. I would expect us with the squad we currently have to be between 11th and 14th. We will dominate the ball for long spells but simply not score enough. With the current squad, if we lose Wharton and Hyam for any long spell we could have a big problem

Has there not been one?

Sorry, you’re right about Brereton mark 1. But the Brereton we had for the second half of the season last year, who was far less effective than in his Diaz patches, still had more presence and influence than Dolan has had in the last 6 months. As I said earlier in the thread, I think Dolan would be better as a more orthodox right sided wide man. He could approach the full back, do a trick to get a yard of space and put a cross in, or he could come inside and lay it off. At the moment he does get a yard of space but can’t cross on his left foot so he ends up coming inside and laying it off all the time. For whatever reason, Dolan looks less effective than the one that played for us during the covid season.

I did. I corrected it later. In this formation Dolan is more suited on the left as he’s ineffective up front and playing him on the right and letting him cross the ball would be pointless with our forwards. His best games have come in that position. However they are few and far between and normally against teams than really come on to us. When he has to help break a team down he is ineffective wherever he plays. On the left Diaz to Dolan is a huge downgrade. Even Brereton to Dolan is regression.

Yeah. Can’t even blame auto correct for that one.

Or as Ennis calls it, a lock-in.

Dolan also a victim of the inverted winger situation. Twice he got down the outside there but he has to cut in cos he’s no right foot.

Hedges would have chipped that.

Yep. I’ve just been trying to Google who he is. Anyone know?

0-2 Pickering skinned. Good finish.

It’s not been very ‘friendly’ so far.

JDT is just another negative whinger. Been in Blackburn too long. Of course there is money to spend. We will bring in another 6 or7 yet. Of course we are saying we've no money. You dont tell teams what you've got to spend. God, I'm glad JDT isn't doing the negotiating. GB will have a list of 6 or 7 names strikers we are after. Some for when Raya is sold for over £40million and some for if not. I have every faith in GB as he has proven to be just what we need so far. His constant communication with the fans has been a breath of fresh air. Why is JDT even talking about the goals Dack scored. He was finished and Szmodics is better. JDT is just unrealistic wanting Venkys to spend even more money even though they spend £20million a year and never fail to sign a cheque. JDT needs to get real. Its not 1995 anymore. He probably thinks a teacake has currants in. He's just a shit Tony Mowbray. 🙄

The offside one still worries me a bit. Is it still saying that this is a legitimate goal? Surely not. Otherwise linesman looking along the line now have VAR to help because they can't always get it right if a player is offside, but defenders with their back to the striker are meant to be able to work out if the striker is offside in order to decide whether to try to play the ball or not? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OSE1zer64y8

On the match report on their website for Girona's 2-0 win against Sheff United it says:- "Girona's next friendly will take place on Saturday against Blackburn Rovers (16.00, Esport3, Movistar LaLiga, DAZN)." Plus they've beaten what looks a decent-strength Sheff United team there. https://www.gironafc.cat/en/news/victory-over-sheffield-united-2-0

Weather will play a big part too.

It didn’t happen. Cool story though.

Judging by Kaminsky starting at Fleetwood and Pears starting this afternoon, it does indeed seem to point to TK being number one.

But Swag ain't gonna do that is he. Remember we all paid more at Turf Moor because he would agree to a reciprocal agreement then.

Am I reading this right? So because Leeds may charge Rovers fans over £40 for a ticket, for the return game Waggot is also going to charge Rovers fans over £40 per ticket?