Blue blood

They have done fantastically well to get back in the mix given they were miles behind and have off field issues. All that said, despite their good form it's still not been enough to get them out of the relegation zone and they have a horrific goal difference. Also they were battered recently 6-0, forget who by so there's a fragility in there. They're still up against it imo to avoid relegation, especially with 5 games left.

When did Brum last get a point? Think they are most likely to go down. It's the same as before but a round of games less. A heroic effort yer Sheff Weds are in the bottom 3, Plymouth still not beaten a championship level team, Huddersfield continue to fold in games. Bit surprised Millwall won as thought they were getting dragged back into it but can't see the other three teams mentioned overtaking us. One win and we are fine. A few draws probably will be enough

Try, just try please, to engaging with the points people make.

You are totally missing the point! I'm not arguing with you as to whether it was his game - I've seen enough others to do that and will steer clear. I'm saying if his record was so good it wouldn't make a difference whether this one match was included or not. As it does make a big difference, that shows he hasn't been doing that well! Would agree the last couple of weeks have been more positive. Let's be honest though, it hasn't an amazing start. (BTW it's OK to criticise the club and admit when everything is not rosy.)

To justify yet another shambolic decision by the club needing an appointment after getting a promising young manager to crash and burn.

Yep, ironically those adding in the Stoke game - which can charitably be called a debatable addition- are actually highlighting how naff Eustace has been. If you have to give him that one result to help make his stats good, it shows he hasn't done that well! In fact desperation to include it shows how underwhelming the rest of the time has been. Mind you it's all rather arbitrary - no context, deciding where to start/end the stats from. I'd have a bit more time for it if there was an honesty of its been a fairly crap start which has perked up of late.

Think this is a great summary of how I feel too. Under JDT the wheels had clearly- and understandably - come off but given the points accrued already Eustace hasnt 'needed to be that good to keep us up. Not even above relegation for., just not broken. Personally feel TM was unlucky to get relegated given his efforts in his first season here, whereas Eustace will be fortunate he had so low a bar to aim for.

Agree one of the hardest games to predict because they are such an inconsistent team. Reckon a draw is the most likely result as we've limited teams of late and unless Bristol are having one of their better days that should be enough to nullify them. But they could be gash and a repeat of Sunderland or they could batter us. Must be interesting being a Bristol fan. That's a good set of fixtures for us. Leicester will beat Millwall. We win whatever the result of QPR/Plymouth. Preston and Norwich should beat Hudds and Sheff Weds. The Wedneaday games are trickier for us as both Brum and Stoke could pick up points. But given Stoke are grinding out points I dont see them as going down so that's less worrying. Huge opportunity for Brum though, a very winnable game. Lose this and I think they will be sunk.

No idea who the second team will be. You can make a case for any of them going down or staying up. I would say Brum is the most compelling to go down as they have been in terrible form for ages, have an interim manager - their 5th manager of the season? which can't help stability - and haven't had much of a reaction from Rowett, which is a surprise. Plus we've seen them have multiple bad runs this season. As for the other could be any one of the teams involved. Though Millwall were out of it for this season but they seem to be faltering quickly. At a push I'd say us QPR and Stoke are safe. The extra points and the fact all 3 teams are picking up a few points regularly should see them safe with 5 games to go. That said a bit of bad luck, imagine an injury to Pears or Sami for us, and that could change. As for Plymouth Hudds Sheff Wed and Millwall the case vs all of them is quite compelling. Wouldn't like to chose which one goes down.

I don't think anyone has issues with drawing these kind of games. They are a solid point. It's not capitalising vs the weaker teams which is an issue. A point vs a very talented team (even one with a poor manager) is a creditable point. Well done Rovers. On other results Sheff Weds result means 2 places are well up to play for. Looks like the new manager bounce is waring off at Millwall. And it's only left them 2 points above the drop. Plymouth did win but it was against Rotherham who aren't championship quality. Will be interesting to see when they next win vs a championship side. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record Sheff Weds win but still don't leave the relegation places. Huddersfield winning was a surprise though as their form has been abysmal.

Hey Dreams, great post. A few thoughts in response to it. Firstly why do u expect a response different for Eustace for the same players. Mainly because football almost always shows that players buck up after a new manager comes in. New manager bounce, honeymoon period, call it what you will but generally most managers get an initial reaction. I could be mistaken but I think even the duds Plymouth and Millwall appointed got a few decent results at the start. Regardless of those examples I think it's well held players up their game for a bit for a new manager. You could also argue if they were unhappy with JDT and had downed tools for him, surely his removal would have made them happy and willing to up tools again. Not saying Eustace has had it easy but comparatively his injury list has been less and some kinder fixtures made it the kind of run you want to have. Sure the players had to be managed but even 60 minutes of some of our better players is better than non whatsoever! Especially when our squad is so thin. Games coming thick and fast yes, but it's the same for other teams too. Not wanting to ignore the squad problems or the culprits behind that so not everything is on Eustace at all. But I don't think it's as tough a start as he could have had. I'm less bothered about the style and agree the last few months before Eustace were grim. But are we really improving? I guess for me it only seems that way if you compare it with the last 10 games of JDT and don't take in other factors. Even then the lack of goals and wins vs some weaker teams make me question have we really improved. And if the 10 games prior is seen as a blip- caused by a peed off manager being shafted for 3 windows alongside injuries - then have we improved since earlier in this season, let alone last year. I'm not convinced with a slightly wider lens that we are improving or are where we were in November say. The yes man vs willing to work debate is an interesting one. Personally given the rampant abuse of our club by those running it, anyone happy to work in that and not challenge it is probably pretty complicit. And we've seem at Rovers those employed with us can be complicit in the destruction of the club, Waggott and Kean for two. Not saying he is at that level but rather it's hard to see him not being involved in the misuse of our club. I guess one analogy would be a manager who comes in to a factory using child labour to make substandard products and is happy to work in that framework. I'm not sure you can be happy to work with our framework and not be complicit because it is so broken and so clearly wrong. Hopefully this doesn't come across as over dramatic, the point I'm trying to make is I don't think the two are that distinct. Mind you add in him being a Maggot appointment and that doesn't help me give him the benerit of the doubt! That man is poison and I wouldn't trust him not to appoint a yes man. Not that thsys evidence enough in itself but again has me leaning towards the dud and complicit perspective. I also don't think that Eustace's commente help either. At Rovers I feel comments matter more. Added to 2hidj he comes across as deluded and part of the corruption in our club when he comes up with such wild untruths. So yeah not a fan! I will say in fairness though anyone coming in after JDT would e viewed negatively. Appreciate you getting me to think more how much is a reaction to JDT leaving Rovers and if I'm being overly harsh

The stats and improvement context is also a bit misleading from the LT. I mean, when that's meant to be your improvement with the new manager bounce it's not a great record. Especially when you factor who those games were against. Likewise JDTs last 10 game stats doesn't factor in injuries or the fact he may have downed tools after 3 windows being shafted transfer wise. I'm still yet to be convinced he's not a dud.

Glad to have predicted this one correctly. To be fair it was our easiest game - a team with nothing to play for, a caretaker manager and in indifferent form is just the sort of game you want. That said we went out and more than achieved what we should with a thumping victory. I think now we are safe. No way do the teams below us all win a third of the games left. Even if they do, I'm sure a couple more draws will be enough to scrape by. No more sleepless nights regarding relegation this season.

Think we are going to win this one. Will paper over a few cracks but likely keep us up this season. Think my optimism is more based on the opposition than our abilities but can't help feeling strangely optimistic about it

With seven tricky matches to come, Eustace revealed he'd not even looked at the 3pm scores before kick-off against Ipswich Town. His sole focus is on ensuring Rovers control their own destiny by picking up enough points to stay in the Championship Again I'm glad he's not letting any other teams distract him. Can't imagine how dire it would be if the poor chap had his focus elsewhere.

At a club like ours, where real success is impossible with the current set up, and given how badly.we have been burned by management stooges before - words take on even more importance. Likewise prefer a Rowett approach and my issue is with the everything rosey is that you can still protect the players and not criticise them without coming across delusional. Agree with the overall point that results matter more, but those aren't coming either. At this point it looks like we will stay up more because of others inability rather than any talent of the manager or squad. Really worried that we've hired an utter dud.

The positive of this is that when they play other relegation rivals they both can't pick up 3 points. Plymouth have the best run in from that. Millwall in particular have been strong of late, and Stoke are doing OK but both will be safe by then (I was rather wrong about Stoke) and perhaps might be better classed as black fixtures. Outside of us QPR and Brum have the toughest fixture lists. QPR really need to get points before their very difficult last few games and Brum from that fixture list alone must be favorites to go down. Good work BTW Hasta!

Thats fine Chadster! It's called a debate! One person says I think X because of Y, the other says have you considered Z and so on. You engage and consider each others points, sometimes your opinion changes, sometimes it doesn't.

Personally I'm glad there's this zero excuse culture. Because if that's what a zero excuse culture looks like, I can only imagine am excuse culture involves the team rolling around on the floor pincjing the grass, crying "its not fair!" Mind you I can see Brittain doing that anyway...

Even the best squad struggles with a duff manager. For example Bowyer's talented squad never got playoffs.

And mine is otherwise for the above reasons! Didnt realise it was 2 games in hand which paints a slightly false picture. But even if they win both they Still aren't in the top 2. They dropped points again today, so for me I can't see beyond a 3 horse raise for automatic promotion. Incidentally another poster made quite a good case that Southampton have the best squad in the division. Not sure I totally agree but it's certainly up there. That's a slightly different discussion though.

Whilst I can't see us winning, the same can be said of a number of other teams too. Plymouth, Brum, Huddersfield over the last few weeks have looked like they won't win another game. Sheff Weds charge has stalled. And all these teams probably need to get double the amount of wins we do to overtake us. With 7 games left I can't see it happening.

No way Martin will mastermind an automatic promotion at Southampton. He's pretty clueless despite having an array of talent. Plus they are too far off the top 3.

That's a good question but given Waggot is pond scum and clearly wanted someone who is a yes man, its unsurprising that it makes people hostile. Mind you the no wins in however many now can't be helping his cause either.

Still don't think we are going down despite our appalling form. Whoever said we are next seasons Rotherham has lt nailed on. But excluding Rotherham there are 4 teams below us that can't overtake us with the one win in 18 form we are in. And only 7 games left. I think the other teams aren't going to catch us. Not that that's anything to crow about. The only other managers at Rovers I can think of with zero new managers bounce are Coyle and Ince...