DE.

Friday night's match saw Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City™ continue to show no fear of losing, as they were once again beaten, this time 2-0 by Coventry City at the CBS Arena. Rooney's first nine games in charge have yielded a dismal five points, but their poor away form stretches back to the beginning of the season, as they haven't managed a single point on the road since August 19th (according to the beeb). The Sky Blues could have won by more in a match they completely controlled, but they'll no doubt settle for three points and a clean sheet. In Rooney's post-match interview he said his team can't defend, can't attack and can't take set pieces. Not ideal. Birmingham now slip to 17th in the table, overtaken by a Coventry side who are finally getting their form back, now in 15th having won three of their last four league games. Rovers hosted Leeds at Ewood park in one of two lunch time kickoffs on Saturday. The quality in Leeds' ranks ultimately proved too much for Rovers to handle, as they fell to a second successive defeat, losing 2-0. Rovers' home form continues to be a concern, with six losses from ten home matches this season making for worrying reading. Additionally concerning is that ten defeats ranks up there with the worst teams in the division, but as we don't draw, nine wins has seen us remain in a decent position - only three points from the playoffs. Nonetheless, Rovers' GD slips back into negative territory at -1, and we've now lost three of our last five league games. Leeds meanwhile notch up their third straight win in a row, continuing to pursue Ipswich and Leicester in the automatic spots - albeit from a distance of seven and eight points respectively. Sunderland's first game without Tony Mowbray went well, as they arrested a run of three games without a win by beating WBA 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. WBA only managed a single shot on target, and scored it, so they can't really complain about the result. Victory lifts Sunderland back into 6th position on goal difference, level on points with Cardiff in 7th and Hull in 8th. The Baggies have now lost two in a row, but stay in 5th for the time being. Joe Edwards continues to find life as new Millwall boss difficult, as his side slipped to four games without a win, this time suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium. They really could have come up with a more creative name. Anyhow, a largely poor game was decided by a 78th minute goal from Dimitrios Goutas. The result has Caridff in 7th, pushing for the playoffs and only behind 6th-placed Sunderland on goal difference. Millwall drop to 19th, having only managed one point from the last twelve available. They are just two points off the relegation zone, and with QPR suddenly springing to life, a lot of teams will be starting to get very nervous. One of those teams will be Huddersfield, who laboured to a 1-1 home draw against Bristol City. They are unbeaten in four, but three of those four games were draws, which are limited in usefulness when they come in clusters. Huddersfield have still only won four games this season, and remain in 21st, increasingly anxious as QPR approach at speed in the rear-view mirror. Brisol City's season continues to define mediocre, as they sit in 14th place, having managed five points from the last twelve available. They have now failed to win in three matches. As with a few teams in this division, Plymouth are pretty useless away from home, and Leicester ruthlessly exploited that by giving them a 4-0 pasting. Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher said after the match that "4-0 is not the scoreline we wanted before the game". I mean... yeah, obviously. Leicester seem to be well past their mini-wobble and are back on form, remaining top of the table having attained ten points from the last twelve available. Plymouth are doing a Rovers, stuck in a WLWLWL pattern, and this loss drops them to 18th in the table, three points clear of the relegation places. Not too long ago Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna were coaching at Manchester United together. Nowadays each has their own post in the Championship, and they were in opposite dugouts for Middlesbrough's home match against Ipswich Town. It was relentless Ipswich who continued to make this Championship lark look easy, scoring two and keeping a clean sheet at the Riverside to earn yet another three points. A fourth win in five for Ipswich keeps them in second place, a point behind Leicester and still seven ahead of Leeds, who must be wondering if Ipswich are ever going to give them a chance to catch up. Boro's third loss in five matches sees them remain in mid-table, 12th, although still only three points from a playoff position. Norwich and Preston played out a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road, a rare blank for typically free-scoring Norwich, but also a rare clean sheet. The draw doesn't do a great deal for either club. Preston drop to 9th, although the draw does halt a run of three consecutive defeats. Norwich meanwhile sit in 13th, having gained a credible ten points from the last fifteen available. The resurrection of QPR is well and truly underway, as they beat Hull City 2-0 at Loftus Road to secure a third win in a row - having only won twice in the entire season beforehand. Marti Cifuentes impact is certainly being felt, as QPR's new boss appears to be yanking his team from the ashes and giving them a fighting chance of staying in the division. They are still 22nd, but all of a sudden just two points behind Huddersfield, Stoke and Millwall, and three behind Plymouth. What appeared to be a hopeless situation has transformed into a genuine push for survival. It was a second defeat in a row for Hull, who fall out of the playoff places, down to 8th and overtaken by both Sunderland and Cardiff on goal difference. Rotherham, in contrast to QPR, find themselves staring into oblivion as another loss - this time 2-1 at home to Swansea City - sends them to the foot of the table with just two points picked up from the last fifteen available. They should probably aim to appoint a manager at some point in the next few months, as Matt Taylor was sacked way back on November 13th and nothing has improved. Daniel Ayala did not help Rotherham's cause by getting himself stupidly booked twice in the first seventeen minutes, leaving his team to play the rest of the game with ten men. Much like Sunderland, Swansea's first match after sacking their manager ended with a 2-1 victory. It ends a run of five games without a win for the Swans, pushing them up to 16th. Sheffield Wednesday followed up their second win of the season last week against Rovers by not only winning again, but keeping a clean sheet as they beat Alex Neil's Stoke side 1-0 at the Bet365 Stadium. They can perhaps count themselves a little lucky, with Stoke having missed a 64th minute penalty, and the Owls snatching the win in the 91st minute, but three points are three points. With Stoke having picked up an abysmal two points from the last eighteen available, Alex Neil was relieved of his duties two days after this result. He leaves Stoke in 20th position, on a run of four straight defeats and two points from the drop zone. Sheffield Wednesday are still eight points from safety, owing to their horrific start to the season, but young boss Danny Rohl sees his team claw above Rotherham to 23rd in the table. The great escape seems unlikely... but you never know. Southampton appeared to be heading for a narrow 1-0 away win against Watford, but a last-gasp 96th minute equaliser from Rhys Healey meant that the points were ultimately shared. Watford rise to 10th place, leapfrogging Rovers, having been able to collect ten points from their last fifteen. With all of the teams above them winning, a draw for Southampton means that - although they remain comfortably in 4th - they have slipped three points behind Leeds, ten behind Ipswich and eleven behind Leicester. The Saints poor start to the season leaves them with little room for error if they want to seriously challenge for the automatic spots.

They have been on an absolutely horrific run of form, so can't say it's too surprising.

I'd be angry if one of our youngsters got sent off in such a stupid way, let alone a player of Ayala's experience.

Idiocy from Ayala in both instances, really. Regardless of whether the first yellow is harsh or not, what was the point in doing it that early in the game? If it's late on and you're 1-0 up and you're trying to buy some time for tired legs to make their way back to defend then okay, maybe take the risk, but shouldn't be necessary that early in the match. Second was just reckless from an experienced player. You'd expect him to be a lot wiser there.

In terms of coming from behind to salvage a game, this is an issue we've had for many years now, stretching back, at least, to when we got promoted from League 1. It seems to be a mentality issue, but a lot of players have come and gone in that time and we've had a new manager for nearly a year and a half now and it's still a problem. It seems to be a deep-rooted issue within the club. As far as our home record is concerned, certainly not good enough lately. I'm sure it'll be something that is bothering JDT, too, as he has repeatedly stressed the importance of strong home form. The way we play seems to lend itself to counter attacking, which we perhaps aren't able to execute as often at home.

If there was any evidence of the general standard of refereeing improving then okay, fine, mistakes happen. Problem is it seems to get worse every season, so an apology is a long way from being enough.

To be honest, I don't think with the current squad and style of play we can bloody the noses of the best teams in the league. If we played, or had the ability to switch to, a more direct, combative style like in the Allardyce and Hughes days then maybe... but the way we play now is more akin to how the better teams try to play. It quite often looks lovely, but when you come up against a team who play a similar style and have a far higher quality of player... well, the vast majority of the time there's only going to be one outcome. Factor in the fact we have no squad depth and a bench full of untested youths and it really becomes a case of it is what it is. With that said I'd still expect to be competitive against most Championship teams, but when we come up against the likes of Leeds and Leicester... it relies on those teams having an off day and us putting in a top-tier performance across the board. It's not impossible but it's not very likely either.

I didn't have much expectations for today, so whilst I never enjoy it when we lose I can't say I'm overly downbeat. To win today we would have needed practically every player to give an 8/10 performance at a minimum and that's a tall order in any match. In the circumstances I thought we competed well enough, we were simply beaten by a team who have far more quality at their disposal than we do. No shame in that, although our anaemic bench doesn't help when we need to try and change things. That's on the owners though. Bristol on Tuesday will be a good chance to pick up points and try to improve our home form. Hope that Hill's injury isn't too serious as we're thin on the ground as it is.

Not sure you can really describe a lad who turns 24 this month as a development signing tbh.

Also why I said if I was Rotherham chairman I wouldn't necessarily look to appoint him. Does he have it in him to significantly boost a team out of trouble? Not sure. Don't think there's much evidence to support it. Plenty of evidence, however, to suggest over a full season he's unlikely to get a team relegated (or promoted). Did well getting Sunderland to 6th last season, but had a big helping from Rovers and our usual late-season collapse.

Feels like Gallagher's injury proneness has gotten much worse in the last year and a half. He seemed to be available far more under Mowbray than he has been under JDT. I don't think I'd extend his contract as his wages don't justify what he brings to the table, and we have to accept the £5m is basically down the drain at this juncture, but I don't expect we'll replace him with better due to the budget cuts.

Unfortunately not too much time to recap the weekend's events, but just quickly: Preston 0-2 QPR - Pressure continues to mount on Ryan Lowe as his side suffered a dismal 2-0 home defeat to a QPR team who are coming to life under new boss Marti Cifuentes. This was a second win in a row for Rangers, who have only lost once in their last five games. Three points keeps them in 22nd, but moves them to within four points of Huddersfield in 21st. If they can keep their momentum going, that gap could close very quickly and cause a few teams above them to sweat. Preston remain in 8th but have now lost three on the spin. WBA 1-2 Leicester - Leicester had been going through a tricky spell, and WBA away was a big test. They went ahead in the 72nd minute but were pegged back in the 89th, and it appeared the game would end with the points shared. However, a 94th minute winner from Harry Winks gave Leicester the victory. They remain in 1st, still a point ahead of Ipswich in 2nd. Defeat for WBA wasn't the end of the world as most of the teams below them also lost, so they remain in 5th position. Birmingham 0-0 Rotherham - Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City™ continued their run of poor form under their new boss with a lacklustre 0-0 draw against a Rotherham team who struggle away from home. Rooney suggested "we have to be happy with a point", but I'm not sure many of Big Club's fans will share that sentiment. The draw sees Birmingham in 15th, with Rotherham stuck in 23rd, still 7 points from safety. Hull City 1-2 Watford - The Tigers' three match unbeaten run came to an end as Watford scored a solid victory at the KCOM. Hull will rue a missed penalty in the 60th minute when the score was tied at 1-1. They do stay in 6th though, as no clubs below took advantage of this slip up. Watford climb to 10th and are now just three points from a playoff place. Ipswich 2-1 Coventry - Ipswich won again at Portman Road, ending Coventry's mini-revival. Wes Burns' incredible effort with the outside of his boot is well worth watching. Ipswich keep pace with Leicester, just a point behind the league leaders, and remain 7 points clear of Leeds in 3rd. Coventry sit in 17th. Leeds 3-2 Middlesbrough - Leeds came out on top in an entertaining match at Elland Road. All goals were scored in the first half, with Anfernee Dijksteel's sending off in the 62nd minute making Boro's task of getting back into the game much more difficult. Leeds remain in 3rd, whilst Boro slip to 12th, with two defeats in their last three matches. Millwall 1-1 Sunderland - As Joe Edwards' starts life with Millwall, this turned out to be Tony Mowbray's last game in charge of the Black cats. Despite fighting back to gain a point, having gone behind just before half-time, a draw wasn't enough to convince the Sunderland hierarchy that Mowbray was the man to lead them forward. Just one win in five has seen Sunderland slip to 9th, but they still remain only three points from the playoffs. Nonetheless, two days after this match Mowbray was relieved of his duties. A point for Millwall leaves them in 19th, also with only one win in five games. Plymouth 2-1 Stoke City - Plymouth's impressive home form continues to keep them out of trouble, and another victory at Home Park helped move them up to 16th in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone. Stoke meanwhile are on a miserable run of form, with Alex Neil's men having lost the last three games and only taking two points from the last fifteen available. They drop to 20th, five points from the relegation zone. Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Blackburn - The league's worst team won only their second match of the season, scoring three for the first time this season, with plenty of assistance from the referee. Rovers, at times, must have felt like they were a man down as the ref ensured he did as much as possible to help Wednesday to victory. Admittedly Rovers' performance was poor, too, but one look at our bench gives an idea of how a result like this could happen. It ends a two game winning streak for Rovers, but we remain in 7th due to most of the teams around us losing. Wednesday meanwhile pull themselves a couple of points closer to Rotherham in 23rd, but are still ten points from safety. Southampton 2-0 Cardiff City - A routine win for a Southampton side in top form at St. Mary's keeps them in 4th place, but still a point behind Leeds and eight behind Ipswich, owing to all of the teams above them also winning. They are now nine points from Rovers in 7th place, however. A brace from former Rover Adam Armstrong - very much at home now that he's back in the Championship - pulls him one goal closer to Sammie Szmodics in the top scorer table, but he remains two goals behind Sammie, who also scored again this weekend, on 12 goals. It was a third defeat in four games for Cardiff, who fall to 11th, although they are still just three points from the playoffs. Swansea 1-1 Huddersfield - Another manager who saw a 1-1 draw against a struggling team spell the end of his tenure, Michael Duff was dismissed as Swansea manager despite his side scoring a last-gasp goal in the 94th minutes to share the points with Huddersfield at the Swansea.com stadium. Whilst Patino's dramatic late leveller would have no doubt been wildly celebrated by the Swans, and was the least they deserved, it was ultimately a poor home result and enough to see the end of Duff's short six-month spell as the club's manager. The equaliser would have been a sickener for Darren Moore and his men, but they remain on a three game unbeaten run. The result edges Swansea up to 18th, five points clear of the drop, whilst Huddersfield continue on in 21st, nervously looking over their shoulders at QPR. Bristol City 1-2 Norwich City - Despite taking an early lead, the home team found themselves pegged back on the 59th minute and then watched as Norwich snatched all three points with a 95th minute winner courtesy of substitute Adam Idah. New boss Liam Manning has now seen his side lose back-to-back games, and three points for Norwich, their third win in four games, helps them swap positions with City, from 13th to 14th.

I hadn't really factored in location and you're probably right, moving to Wales wouldn't be ideal for him at all. On the other hand, I think he genuinely loves football and being involved in it, so the offer of taking over a decent-sized Championship club may appeal to him. I guess we'll see.

I've always thought it was a little churlish for people to blame him for that. Came in to an already weak team that Coyle had wrecked with 7 months of donuts and 5-a-side, yet still ended with a points total that in 95% of Championship seasons would have seen us safe. If Venky's had acted sooner, ideally before feckin' February (mid-way through), we'd probably have scraped survival with Tone. His career in the Championship is mostly defined by mid-to-upper-mid-table finishes, and that's about where he is. Would I go out and appoint him if I was Rotherham chairman? Possibly not, but it wouldn't be the worst call for a team like Swansea who need someone to come in and steady the ship without walking into a total disaster.

Don't think they wanted him to stay beyond the end of last season, but unexpectedly getting into the playoffs made it a lot more difficult to justify giving him the boot. Unsurprisingly, first sign of serious trouble this season and he's gone. Think he did a decent job there all things considered, but was always a stop-gap appointment so did not have the luxury of the death spirals, stupid media comments, playing players out of position, playing favourites, and so on. Wouldn't be surprised if he pops up at another Championship club in the near future. If you need a steady-eddy to keep you in the league, Tony's your man.

Agreed, it's going to be very, very difficult, but we just have to hope that Leeds have an off day in front of goal and that we can defend well - if we get to 70 mins or so and are either in the lead or level. There are going to be some tired legs out there, Leeds will have quality players to bring on, and we'll have no experienced players to bring on from the bench. It's the brutal reality of where we are right now, and it's going to make for a tricky December. If we're still within touching distance of the playoffs by the end of the month then JDT will have worked wonders, again. Sadly I have little hope that he is going to be buoyed by desperately needed reinforcements in January.

Leeds is an interesting one. They're in very good form for the most part, but lost to Stoke away at the end of October and also drew with Rotherham away recently, so there is some weakness there. They haven't kept many clean sheets either recently - only two clean sheets in their last nine matches, I believe. If we score the first goal then I think we have a decent chance of getting something from the game. We're going to need to really be on it defensively though, and lack of options from the bench, as Tyrone has been pointing out, will put us at a big disadvantage as the game goes on. It's a very tough ask, but then the entire of December is going to be with the amount of games and the limited options available to us across the squad.

As far as this season is concerned, I can forgive the Ipswich and Plymouth results to some degree. Ipswich are making a mockery of the league and most of the teams in it thus far, and have won 9 of their 10 home games. Plymouth have won 6 of their 10 home games, so are actually pretty solid on their own turf. It's their away form that drags them down, as they've won no away games. 3-0 was still a dismal result, but, few teams have found Plymouth away an easy match. Today's result however is absolutely unacceptable, regardless of circumstances. Would be interested to know our local derby stats in recent times too. Imagine they are also extremely poor.

One minor positive today is that almost all of the teams directly around us came up short as well. 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 12th placed teams all lost. Sunderland in 9th drew. Could argue we had a massive opportunity to take advantage of the teams around us failing, but if you're going to take a positive outlook, we haven't lost any significant ground. 13th / 14th play tomorrow so at least one of those will drop points as well. Bristol in 13th could climb above us on account of GD if they win, but Norwich would have to win by at least four clear goals to go above us.

Wasn't even on the bench today, don't tell me he's injured again? He's going to end up even more of a crock than Vince Grella at this rate. As far as Dolan is concerned, he really seemed to be getting his confidence back in the past few weeks, so it's a massive shame that he's out for so long.

Considering the demolition of our budget in the summer, our horrendous injury situation, a lack of senior striker for most of the season (Sammie stepping up has been a relief, but we're still missing goals from another source) and the utter lack of ambition from those above him, JDT will have done very well to have us finish comfortably in mid-table this season - and I believe he will. His ambitions will extend beyond this, though, and it's worrying to think about what comes next after he inevitably departs.

Pretty much ties in with my comments on the ref, so yeah, I agree... but as you say, they all count and it's simply a fact that we're the only team they've scored three against. Whether you solely blame the ref for that or not, it is what it is.

We're the first team this season they've scored three against. They only managed 9 goals in 18 games before today. Much like the Rotherham 4-0 debacle from last season, we'll just have to write this one off as a really poor result and move on. We know that if a team scores first against us we're basically dead in the water, and unfortunately it seems this is even true against the worst team in the league. Just have to hope we score first against Leeds. I do agree with the concensus that the ref was an absolute embarrassment today though. I don't usually comment on the referee's performance as it seems like an easy excuse, but he was their 12th man this afternoon. Can't blame JDT for losing his rag.

Eh? Rotherham are the other team in the bottom three. They drew away to WR's Birmingham.

I know there will be a thousand excuses, some relatively valid, but that is a shocking result. Only Wednesday's second win of the entire season, their other being Rotherham.