Good point on its own. The majority of away draws in this league should be considered a point gained, such is the Championship. However, imagine if Rovers had actually beat Millwall and Plymouth. We'd basically be safe at this point and there would be much more positivity surrounding JE. Instead, I still think there's a big possibility of relegation due to the run-in. Sounds like it was a much more balanced team yesterday, more than likely down to the returns of Hedges, Tronstad and Pears. Hopefully we can keep a consistent group together between now and the end of the season. Gallagher's form when he came back from injury was promising but he's fallen off a cliff in recent weeks. Deserves dropping but the problem is who do you bring in? There's literally only Telalovic available to come in.

I think regardless of if he stay up or not I can't see Sammie sticking around. He's dragged this team kicking and screaming throughout the season, and he has every right to want to move to a top end Championship club or possibly even have a crack at a bottom half Premier League club. His value will never be higher than it is now, and the club will no doubt be looking to sell him on this summer.

One thing to cling onto is just how inconsistent Boro are this season. They can go and beat Leicester away and then lose at home to Norwich. Playoffs seems a little out of reach for them at this point, so who knows, maybe they won't be able to get themselves up for it. Says a lot that I'm hoping Boro have an off day to give us any chance of something from the game 😂😭. Ultimately I think we'll lose something like 2-0, offering very little in attack unfortunately. Maybe a bit early to predict a team but i'll have a go. I just don't see JE switching from 3 CB's away from home, so I'm expecting to see O'Riordan or Billy K start. Alternatively he could go with Chrisene as the left CB as I think that's where he started against Soke. If Tronstad and Hedges are back that is a massive boost, as I think Hedges energy getting up and down the pitch at wing back is crucial on the left. Predicted JE team: Pears O'Riordan Hyam Wharton Brittain Tronstad Buckley Hedges Szmodics Sigurdsson Gallagher The team I would consider going with: Pears Brittain Hyam Wharton Pickering Buckley Tronstad Hedges Gallagher Szmodics Sigurdsson

What an utterly hopeless situation. If JE can't get this team up for games against our relegation rivals then what chance do we have of staying up when it comes to taking on teams in the top half, and even worse the top 4! Boro will have a field day against us next weekend, and I dread to think what will happen when we go up against the likes of Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and Ipswich. Dreadful. We are as good as gone I'm afraid, and its exactly what the club deserves for continued mismanagement and budget cutting.

Monumental game in the season and for the future of the club, as will pretty much every game between now and the end of the season, but this feels especially important because it potentially provides a huge boost to the team if they can get their first win under JE. Plymouth seem to be in a bit of disarray of their own, sounds like their current manager is on borrowed time already. I wonder if they could end up sacking him and Schumacher ending up back there if Stoke sack him as well before the season is out! It wouldn't surprise me at all. Anyway, the game itself. I think (or maybe its just hope) that Rovers will win this one, 2-1 perhaps. I haven't the foggiest idea what the team will be but I'll attempt a prediction. Wahlstedt Hyam McFadzean Wharton Pickering Buckley Ayari Chrisene Szmodics Dolan Gallagher I really don't fancy Pickering at right wing back, but I suspect that's what he'll go with because I can't think of any other option other than sticking someone like Garrett there, unless Hedges somehow makes it. Regardless, that is a team that looks incredibly poor on paper, Szmodics aside. Might be able to do a job in League One....

Absolutely woeful from start to finish. Never really looked like scoring and the one goal we did score was a gift from a misplaced Millwall pass. I'm sick to death of this club and it's players, bar a very small elite group that seem to genuinely care. Quite frankly, this team deserves to get relegated. They're the biggest bunch of soft touches I think I've ever seen as a Rovers side. The sad reality is, half of 'em won't care because they'll already be on to their agents about securing a move back to the Championship in the summer. The only one that deserves to stay in this league is Szmodics. Hyam gesturing to the crowd to calm down as he sluggishly meanders about with the ball in the 94th minute or whenever it was. Joke of a captain. I had hoped that Eustace would be a good shout, but he's looking more like the new Michael Appleton every week. Grim.

I wouldn't trust this club to tell us the truth on anything these days.

Yep, that just about sums it up. Leo in goal, no Tronstad. We are truly in the mud.

Don't usually get to midweek games as I work in Liverpool, but I'm going to go to this one as I finish early on Tuesday. Eustace has to get a win eventually, and I think it'll come here. I still think we'll go down but we'll do enough here to scrape a win. 2-1. Szmodics and Gallagher. My predicted team: Pears Hyam McFadzean Wharton Brittain Tronstad Buckley Chrisene Szmodics Dolan Gallagher I don't think we can play 4 at the back if it means Brittain at full back. At least as a wing back we have Hyam to cover him on that side. Hopefully Tronstad is back. If not then Ayari should come in as his last two appearances have shown a marked improvement. Anyone but Moran. I'd rather play Billy K in the middle than him! With attacking players...we just don't seem to have any other options, do we? So it kind of has to be Dolan and Gallagher up top with Sammie playing off them.

For the first time this season I genuinely think we're going down. Never thought it'd come to it this season but the way we've just failed continuously to win matches against teams below or around us, combined with having such a weak defence....this team are goners. Teams around us all fighting for their lives and Rovers players turn up with that first 20 - 30 mins today....utterly woeful. Plenty of fight in 'em for an FA cup game against a premier league side, but not in a crucial relegation 6 pointer. League One here we come.

Oh dear, oh dear. Shambolic first 20 mins has cost us here. Moran to blame for both goals as well, so poor. I've changed my mind. We're as good as gone with our run in. Sorry state of affairs.

Telalovic not in the U23s either, so possibly an injury or illness.....but the reality is that JE probably doesn't fancy him.

Quite simply, don't lose. A win would be ideal obviously because I think we need 7 points from the next 3 to ease any relegation concerns after how last weekends results panned out. Feeling optimistic, I'll go for a tight 0-1 win, with backs against the wall for the last 20 minutes. My predicted team: Pears Hyam McFadzean Wharton Brittain Tronstad Buckley Chrisene Szmodics Dolan Gallagher If Gallagher doesn't start then there's a tough call to make. Perhaps shift Sammie further up and bring Moran or Sigurdsson in? Or we stick Billy K up top and he bags a hat-trick 😂🙏.

Definitely get that impression. I doubt well ever be in a situation with JE where he is continuously moaning about off the pitch situations. As likeable as JDT was / is....it was becoming extremely irritating to hear that in every interview.

Incredible pride tinged with disappointment of what could've been was the overriding feeling for me last night and again this morning. I thought the starting XI were all magnificent. I was very concerned at Moran partnering Buckley in the middle but he was superb. It's impossible to not love Sammie Szmodics. Buckley showed his class but needs to do it on a consistent basis. Who is this keeper and what's he done with the real Ainsley Pears?? Not sure whether it's down to a change in style or the personnel in front of him, but Pears is playing like a proper number 1 at the moment. Long may it continue. JE got everything right tactically on the night, and the subs were largely the right ones. Ayari and Markanday pleasantly surprised me with their impact. Billy K was an interesting one. Seemed terrified when he first came on but grew in confidence. Being picky, Sigurdsson seemed to struggle at times and dallied on the ball, but he did well to pick out Markanday for the goal. The ref was shocking and so in favour of Newcastle. Some of the calls he made and things he missed where shambolic at times. The Ewood atmosphere was a delight. It's been a long while since it was rocking like that. A taste of what things could be like if the club was in the right hands. The important thing is to carry the confidence of that performance into the league, starting at Swansea on Saturday.

Would be dangerous to risk Gallagher, McFadzean and Szmodics with 3 huge games coming up in the league. Getting to a quarter final would be brilliant for the 2nd year running, but not if it means our key players are knackered for Swansea on Saturday. My predicted team, and probably way off. Please don't dislike my post 😂. Pears Hyam Wharton Pickering Brittain Tronstad Garrett Chrisene Moran Dolan Sigurdsson

Its really difficult to be patient given the situation at the club and the constant lingering threat of teams below us picking up wins. However, I remain confident that Rovers will pick up enough points to survive. JE is making us hard to beat, and I feared that if JDT had stuck around that he would've continued with the suicidal approach of trying to outscore the opposition without any kind of organisation at the back. It won't be pretty or particularly enjoyable, much like Hughes in 2004/05 and when Big Sam coming in halfway through 2008/09, but I have faith that JE will keep us in this league. That being said, we simply must win the home games against Plymouth and Millwall, and not lose away to Swansea.

Think it'll be a third draw on the spin here. I'll go for a 1-1. Szmodics to score for Rovers. My predicted team: Pears Hyam McFadzean Wharton Brittain Tronstad Buckley Hedges Szmodics Dolan Gallagher This is probably our strongest XI with who we have available for selection. Question mark over whether Hedges starts or not though. I think McFadzean starts this one before getting rested against Newcastle, like a few players will I imagine.

I'm really hopeful that Buckley can kick on now. There is a spot up for grabs and I've thought at times in the past that he has the potential to become a focal point of the team, it's just he's always been in the shadow of others it seems. The Sheffield Wednesday loan was never right for him, and I believe he was played mostly out of position under their previous manager before he got injured. On paper, Tronstad and Buckley together could be a very good pairing.

A point away from home, a clean sheet. I'd have taken that before the game for sure. Hopefully it can be followed up with a win on Saturday. Norwich have been free scoring as of late so it'll certainly be a tougher test.

Cardiff aren't in great form and Rovers are coming to town. Seen this story before! Starting XI will be very interesting given we've had to really chuck Hedges, Gallagher, McFadzean, etc. in at the deep end recently. With Fleck likely to be missing, Garrett in the middle seems the most likely option but I'd love to see Buckley in there if he's ready. Pears Hyam McFadzean Wharton Brittain Tronstad Buckley Hedges Szmodics Dolan Gallagher

14 games IMO is enough time to pull away. It's just under a third of a full season. Teams have been in far, far worse positions than Rovers at this stage in previous seasons and survived. We've just come off the back of 2 tough away games, but before that we beat Stoke. I believe they will be fine. Sorry if you don't think so.

Of course he does, but it's not like he'll be sat on his arse twiddling his thumbs. It's no more shocking than it was under JDT and I've no doubts that if he had been in charge today that it would've ended in defeat trying to play it out from the back constantly. Both of Rovers goals came from mor direct play. Todays conceded goals, I'm not sure you can do much about the 1st, the 2nd is poor for sure, but it takes time to change things, whether we like it or not.

Did I say be patient and get relegated? Nope. Of course its not unreasonable to coach a side, that's his job.....but what you're implying is that 1 week is enough to turn a team that's shipped more goals than anyone in this league into a unit that keeps clean sheets consistently. That is completely unreasonable to expect and an warped expectations to have. No wonder managers / head coaches don't last long these days with that kind of expectation.

Crikey, are we really expecting him to transform this defence after 1 week with the players. This team isn't going to suddenly start keeping clean sheets after 1 week.