DE.

Come on now, those first 25 minutes were terrible to watch. We were being ripped apart time after time and had already allowed them 13 shots by the 27th minute. We were very fortunate for the score to be 2-1 and to still have eleven men on the pitch. Norwich play very well but the opening to the game was completely unacceptable. After that we did improve, and we looked better once Norwich dropped the intensity in the second half. They still could have scored another couple if they had been more clinical, though, whereas we only had one shot on target the entire match so even when we were playing better we were never going to score again. The end of the game was particularly frustrating as we dawdled around their penalty box with no attacking threat whatsoever. I don't think Norwich felt we were a serious threat which is why they dropped off a bit in the second half and moved to control the game rather than force themselves on us as they did in the first half. Some of our better players had absolute stinkers which didn't help. Dack was terrible. Lenihan was lacking composure. Travis seemed overwhelmed at times. Graham didn't get into the game at all. Armstrong also struggled to really make a mark. The difference in class was very clear and I think the scoreline flatters us a bit. We were second best for much of the match and got absolutely mauled in the opening stages which on another day could have put Norwich out of sight before half time. There's a lot to digest from tonight. It's not all bad - another good game from Williams, a few good moves when we got the ball down and an improved second half means it wasn't all doom and gloom. Still a lot to work on though and hopefully Mowbray will study the differences between the likes of us and Norwich. I don't think we're a million miles away - we're actually in a similar position to where Norwich were last season in many ways. 14 Norwich City 46 15 15 16 49 60 −11 60 14 Blackburn Rovers 45 16 11 18 62 67 −5 59 The question is whether Mowbray can do what Farke did and transform the club in the summer to be a real force. Norwich have shown it can be done.

Pretty sad... bottom three teams are genuinely terrible though. Rotherham put up a bit of a fight at least. The other two just an absolute shambles.

Could have been worse. In the first 25 minutes we looked like we were in for a proper hiding. Managed to step it up a bit towards the end of the first half and Norwich were nowhere near as fired up for the second half, for whatever reason. We looked much better as a result but never really looked like scoring. Norwich the better team. Hopefully they will "enjoy" their season in the PL before returning to the Championship again for the 20/21 season.

We're probably better off with ten men than having Dack on the pitch at the moment. What is he playing at?

On the plus side this should put off any PL managers watching. Don't think we have to worry about getting that £20m bid any more.

They had a fair few shots from close range in the first 25 too, so whatever we were attempting it wasn't working. After Travis scored we finally seemed to get a slight foothold in the game but that was purely because we actually started closing down and giving them less time on the ball. The difference between the two teams in possession was really obvious. We were also at various points leaving huge gaps in sections of the pitch which I can't get my head around. Hopefully Norwich will come out a little less pumped up and we can sneak an equaliser. They concede easily so it is possible. Even with that first half performance we could and possibly should have scored twice.

It would be a good plan if we could defend. Unfortunately we can't, so, instead it just led to Norwich scoring twice as we backed off until they decided to shoot. The second goal in particular was ridiculous. You'd think the ball was on fire the way our players were running away from it.

Why are we leaving the left hand side of the pitch empty? They are marauding down that side without a Rovers shirt in sight.

First 25 minutes it was down to our own poor attitude, imo. Like rabbits in the headlights. Last ten minutes we've been asserting ourselves more, closing down, and there's been a noticeable shift to a more even game. Not sure why it took that long for us to get going. Norwich still looking very dangerous but at least now that is more down to their quality than our lack of effort.

We've made them look amazing to be fair. We aren't closing down at all. Most teams would look incredible if they were allowed as much time as they wanted on the ball. It's been a pretty shameful effort so far. The fans who have travelled deserve better than this. 13 shots for Norwich already in 27 minutes. They look like scoring every time they come forward, our defence is non-existent.

That's hilarious. Still going to lose 5-1 but a good strike from Travis there. Norwich are pretty poor when it comes to conceding goals, so we should just shoot on sight and hope for the best. Will require being in their half of the pitch more often than we are now though. As in, more than once every 23 minutes or so.

This is painful to watch. Right back to the Rovers of February/March. Interesting game plan to avoid closing down anybody. Not working so far.

I was trying to be optimistic

We are dreadful. The gulf in class is frightening. Why are we playing like the entire team spent last night out on the lash? There's no energy, no closing down, no anything. Did Mowbray send them out with instructions to not spoil the party? Because we're making it easier for Norwich than Ipswich did for Sheffield United earlier. At least Ipswich tried. Oh, and if Mowbray thought he was doing Leutwiler a favour by giving him game time to showcase him to other clubs - bad idea.

This could end up being 4 or 5. We haven't turned up at all.

Norwich certainly look a division better than us at the moment. We need to try and retain possession rather than continually gifting it back to them. As a basic rule it generally works.

Well done to Chris Wilder and Sheffield United. An amazing achievement. More importantly Leeds now have a much harder route to the Premier League

Not sure why Leutwiler is getting so much game time, but other than that it's about the best we could have hoped for. Smallwood still nowhere to be seen.

Sheff Utd 1-0 Ipswich in the least surprising update of the afternoon. As it stands Leeds are staring at the playoffs.

A decent start, a terrible November and Christmas period, a fantastic January, a truly dire February/March followed by a good end to the season. Pretty erratic but it will end in mid-table consolidation which has to be seen as acceptable all things considered. If Mowbray learns from this season then the extreme lows of this campaign will hopefully be worth it in the long run. If we start with the Evans/Smallwood axis next season with Mulgrew at centre back and diagonal balls being launched up to Graham with Bennett shoehorned into the team wherever possible then I'll despair. Even Mowbray surely has to understand now that his loyalty and mindset has been misplaced for large portions of this season and needs to be re-aligned for us to really progress. I just hope we can shift some of the deadwood, even though we gave some of that deadwood new contracts at the start of the season.

I prefer to remember Yeovil from an FM game I played years ago where they got into the Prem, got rich and bought a lot of my cast offs without ever threatening my position in the table. They were the Everton to my Manchester United. And they never beat me 4-0. Better memories than that game. I think that was when I knew for sure that Bowyer was never going to get us into the playoffs.

Yeovil relegated to the National League. They were only in the Championship a few seasons ago. Looking like Sunderland are going to be in the playoffs. Honestly thought they'd get automatic.

Rotherham relegated with a game to spare. In all honesty they did better this season than I thought they would, considering they could only finish 4th last season in League 1 and were light years behind us and Wigan in terms of points. That said the two teams below them are appalling, with one not even able to pay its players. They also have -30 GD which is quite embarrassing. If Sheff Utd beat Ipswich this evening then that's automatic promotion and all the relegation spots in the Championship essentially wrapped up before the last game of the season. If Frank Lampard's Derby™ beat Swansea on Wednesday then that would all but give them 6th place as well, leaving the final day of the Championship as a dead rubber for everybody barring some ridiculous scores.

The EFL will desperately drag Bolton's bloated corpse to the finish line no matter what, even if it contravenes their own rules. They'll do whatever it takes to get this season finished and then sit back and congratulate themselves on a job well done whilst Bolton themselves implode during the summer.

It was only a couple of seasons ago we were inexplicably relying on emergency loans for reasons which I believe were never specified? Whilst the Bolton car crash is interesting to look at in some respects, it's also terrifying because it's like a mirror showing a very likely potential future for our club.