RoverDom

Crucial game this for me imo. Losing given the past few games would mean 4 points from 12 and suddenly we're in a rut after being on a 10 (?) game unbeaten run. Draw wouldn't be a disaster but a win would put us 10 points clear in the play offs and up into second albeit with an extra game. It's the difference between a 10 point cushion and a 5 point cushion with winning bringing a bag full of confidence and losing probably damaging morale

New year results aren't great. I hope to god we're not in the early stages of a spiral...

2 massive decisions against us

If we lose playing like this I can swallow it a lot better than if it were the first half performance again

Surely a not fit zeefuik would be better?

Toothless long balls and people trying a Hollywood pass to nowhere

No coincidence that our best run came when gally was injured

I did some sleuthing aaaaages ago. Vague references to his high flying professional life got me curious + there can't be many Phillip Ls from Blackburn living in Malta. Anyway long story short, he posted on LinkedIn like 2 weeks ago so escaped covid it seems

Just got images of mowbrary trying to haggle in Spanish - like Del Boy with a boro accent

2.5 years in this house and I've never used the washing machine

This is my worry about playing a full strength squad, are we in danger of damaging our confidence or momentum for the league campaign?

Open goal, they all count

Who Zeefuik is he?

Tbf, Spurs have a tight wage structure and can't imagine Spanish wages keeping up with PL so at his age maybe it is his last big contract to get as much as possible

Odd move from trippier, why go from la liga winners to a relegation scrap. Can't see Newcastle doing enough to stay up this season so it's a pointless relegation to get on your CV. God I hope they go down

Who are we signing for £82k. In todays market I'd fetch a fee of £82k and I haven't played a game of football since 5 aside 9 years ago.

I would go fringe players for this as well with some good backup on the bench if things aren't going to plan. Not because of fatigue, we've had an easy December but all it takes is a bad challenge on one of our key players to derail the league campaign when imo they don't need to be playing. We've been crying out to see Butterworth, so let him start. Carter would benefit from first team game time and league 1 opposition is a good chance for that. Johnson and Davenport aren't starting in the league but they're players we'd be relying on in the event of injuries and suspensions. Ayala would benefit from some match sharpness as well. It's not like we're fielding the U23s, we need to trust the fringe players against league 1 opposition because if we don't, what does that say about potentially bringing them into the first team when needed in the league? People look down on teams fielding a weekend squad in Cup comps but it's how the likes of TAA and Curtis Jones broke through into the Liverpool first team. It's a good opportunity to see youngsters without derailing the league campaign.

Was just about to say the same. We've had a very easy December mostly playing just once a week.

I'm about 32 weeks behind you, you can be my canary down the mine. If things get rough for you I've got 7 months to fake my death and move to South America

In fairness to the venkys, for all their flaws, they've always been pretty good when it comes to selling players. Squeezing money out of the Phil Jones deal, not having to sell unless we have to etc. I see no reason for that to change when it's vital to keep someone

Get out

The thing with BBD is that he has two values. The value to us, second in the table thanks to his 20 goals so far. Then there's the value to the buying team, if I was a PL club I wouldn't be looking to spend more than £15-20m on a championship striker who has had 6 good months who could very easily not cut it in the prem how many big scorers in the championship have gone on to do not a lot in the PL. The two values are so far apart it means only an imbecile or someone with no footballing interest in the club would sell in January.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that cavani could have got 8 PL goals if he had the same minutes as him

I look at united squad, especially in attack, and see a lot of pure quality but also stroppyness and ability to sulk. Ronaldo enhances this for me. Was always a Ronaldo fan but he's gone down in my estimations this season. Attitude is a bit sucky.