Silas

What a great option. Tap it around the midfield for whole of 1st half. Come out after halftime, the same player walks straight up to ref and uses four and abusive language, red card. They let us walk one in. 1-0 up against 10 men, all to play for with 45 mins to go. I'd accept that as a fair deal. It's way better than the position they were in.

I'm working on the assumption that this season is nailed on to be a cemented mid-table bore, 14th to 16th type affair. So, hopefully this shambles will be irrelevant. But should your prediction even come close, or we finish our regular couple of points out the playoffs, it's gonna be quite the bitter pill to swallow.

Harsh. Refs travel all over to different grounds. He's not to know our pitch is garbage at water drainage. All the other matches in the area were completed with the same rain. If he'd called it off at HT because he thought the pitch might become unplayable in the future we'd have all gone nuts.

There's always grey areas. Could be has to be the same players if available. Can sub in others for injured. The authorities are always banging on about protecting "the integrity of the sport". I can't see how a full replay of this match does that. Damages the integrity for me.

There's a first time for everything. Set a precedent. I can't think of many so late with a team so dominant (goal up and man up). Can vaguely remember some for snow, after 20 mins odd. 0-0. Even at 1-0 after 20 mins there so much time to go and so much that can happen. Just think this one would be ridiculous to replay. And that's not even with bias. Would think the same if Burnley v someone, albeit whilst chuckling.

Regardless of whether we get screwed in this instance, the rule needs changed doesn't it. Maybe a line in the sand moment like Lampard's ghost goal and goal line technology. If we go on to lose to Ipswich later in the season, no way this should happen again to someone else. The injustice should facilitate a change from next season. I don't know exactly what change though. Surely the clubs can agree to one that's fair for all.

Is there no chance of the football league ordering the last 10/15 mins to be replayed with 11 v 10. I'm sure I've seen that happen somewhere previously.

Great words from Amir: Rip Ricky. Once had a night on the town with him in Newcastle back in the day. Proper down to earth, thoroughly nice bloke. And that was just before the Mayweather fight, so was at his peak. Couldn't have had more time for people despite the fame at the time.

Yeah, makes sense. Still raw from the game being gone. It's a depressing sight in so many ways though.

Forget the plastic bird, peeling paint/plastic etc you rightly point out. I can't stop looking at the faces in that snap. Heads in hands, arms folded, glum, misery, despair. Some on phones cos they can't be arsed watching what's in front of them anymore. Despite paying for the privilege. And all across the ages, from young kids up in the posh seats to a wide range of adults. I can't spot a single 'content' or happy face. Remember when football used to be fun. Suppose it's not groundbreaking to find a picture of unhappy football supporters. But I assume that was taken soon after the penalty and sending off?

Think someone said Waggott had confirmed to people verbally in meetings. It seems fairly certain we have the clause. Whether the % is accurate I wouldn't bet my house on.

What would this net us? Close to an extra £20 million. (I know I know, before anyone says):

If I don't watch it, how can I prove other posters wrong. 😃 He just did a lovely back heel flick in build up to the opening goal. The type of skill I barely remember coming off for him in a Rovers shirt. Would have tripped and fell over for us.

Watching too. How the hell did he get away without a card for that tackle. Launched himself full weight onto the blokes ankle. Got away with one there. He's struggled to see much of the ball this first half hour.

Think that jeopardy rule only counts if it's a genuine attempt to get the ball/make a tackle. He was nowhere near the ball and pulled an arm. Really dumb.

'So glad we are out' really hurts. Even though I know the reasons why, even though I don’t blame a single person for feeling that way, and know I would probably feel, and do, exactly the same in that position. Still can't help but feel like a divorced Dad after my partner has packed up and left with the kids. Sat miserable in the living room eating a Pot Noodle. Grim. Angry, bitter, and jealous.

Not to be petty, but I could screenshot the comments about Gallagher's debut at Stoke. Prime Duncan Ferguson. But we knew the truth. Happy to be proved wrong. I'm rooting for him, honest. But I find this love-in a bit odd. Can totally get it with Adam W and others. But Dolan. Hmmm, suspicious that some are desperate to be proved 'right'.

Not being funny, but there's all high praise on here, but google has him lowest ranked of the 6 attacking players. He's actually joint second lowest from the entire Espanyol team at 3.7. Haven't watched a minute since he's been gone. But there's either some misty eyed confirmation bias going on from his longstanding supporters. Or google is way off the mark. To quantify, google is pretty close to the mark on Rovers games etc I do watch. Certainly ballpark. So something doesn't add up here. I'll make an effort to view with my own eyes though, just to head off the cheerleader backlash. 😉

That format makes sense for the NFL. There can be something 'big' happening in a game every 5 mins or so. Be that a touchdown/field goal or a massive play that takes a team 50/60 metres down the field. The highlights, jumping from game to game structure works. Different in football. It's all about being engrossed in the ebb and flow of the game from end to end. See the match yesterday, after Arsenal's goal how many highlights were there. The odd Cunha run, penalty shout, and a good save from. Raya from a header. Slim pickings for a Red Zone format. I still enjoyed the match tho.

August 2011, after Everton beat us 1-0, I had that feeling of relegation. Even so early in the season: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/14600659 It was crazy that we didn't get even a point from that match. Dominated it from start to finish, hit the woodwork 3 times, including 2 missed penalties. Then an outrageous penalty decision against Chris Samba gifted them all 3pts in the 92nd minute. We deserved so much more from the performance and it felt like a mugging. Resulted in being our 3rd league loss on the bounce to start the season, and the rest is history. I have the exact same feeling after the Birmingham game, and the similarities are terrifying.

For all our whinging at the ref, it's criminal that they're on 2 bookings and we have zero. I'd be fuming other way round. Altho I hav no doubt the next soft foul we do will result in a yellow.

Both your points have merit, but the shitness of our team is the big difference. If you're dying of thirst in a desert, a cup of warm piss suddenly looks very appetising.

This ratings website has Xhaka as 2nd overall last season for Leverkeusen, after Wirtz (he was 5th season they won title): Same website for last 2 full seasons Walker played for Man City (including the treble season) he's 13th, both years. And that was back when he was good. 😂 P.S. Same website Xhaka's in Top 4 for Arsenal on four separate years, including 2nd place 2018/19 behind Aubameyang. Think it was more Arsenal as a club that failed in PL during that period.

Surely going to be one of the worst signings of the summer. Not even rivalry bias, just the way I see it. He was starting to look fairly woeful in top level teams. Where his attacking strength should still shine. He's always been suspect defensively. So, in a team that is more likely to be on the back foot than attacking the final 3rd, can't fathom this one at all. Mix in his waning pace, the distraction of his off field antics, and it looks a recipe for disaster imo. Feel free to come back at me in 6 months if he becomes a Michel Salgado. I'm quietly confident.

Wouldn't even mind a dodgy decision or two going our way. The crying online from other nations about the length of injury time and the penalty were great fun other night. Particularly odd as I thought 7 mins was fairly conservative considering what had gone before.