Just now, NeilInBristol said:

No no you are missing my point. 

He has been here a week. We have conceded 3 goals in 2 games.

He has work to do. He needs to focus on defending. It's shocking so far.

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.

14 minutes ago, NeilInBristol said:

We can be patient and get relegated or work hard and start keeping some clean sheets. I don't think its unreasonable to expect a coach to coach a side 

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.

53 minutes ago, NeilInBristol said:

He's had a week but we have concede 3 goals so not looking great for JE so far.

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.

Didn't realise that we have Swansea, Millwall and Plymouth to play in a row next month. Those are some seriously huge games in Rovers season.

Would've taken a point before kick-off but it has to feel like a defeat with the way we let them back in. Seems like the Fleck injury changes the flow of the first half in Preston's favour. Garrett has been decent at times this season but appears well off it at the moment.

Let's hope Fleck's injury isn't too serious and that Buckley can kick on under Eustace.

Gallagher in good form since coming back from injury, good to see.

Can't see anything other than a PNE win here. Rovers often seem to struggle to get themselves up for derby games and with current form I don't see the players doing much to change that tomorrow.

A draw would be a fantastic result.

My predicted team:

                        Pears

       Hyam    McFadzean   Wharton

Hedges     Tronstad    Garrett    Chrisene

                      Szmodics

               Gallagher    Dolan

I'll have a guess:

                        Pears

Brittain     Hyam    McFadzean     Chrisene

                 Tronstad       JRC

  Hedges       Szmodics       Dolan

                     Gallagher

David Lowe and Damien Johnson masterclass incoming 😂.

I hope Fleck and Garrett have trained well this week cos I can't be doing with seeing Moran playing CM again.

Welcome to the asylum, John.

Wish him all the best and hope he can do a good job for Rovers.

2 minutes ago, Polky said:

JDT’s reign had a few sliding door moments…

1) Starting at least one Wharton in the game at Turf Moor

2) Hedges shot hitting the post, crawling across the line and out at 2-1 in the FA Cup quarter final. 

3) Hedges chip attempt at Deepdale

4) Szmodics half volley bouncing off the cross and down onto the line at home to Luton.

 

The inability to earn points from losing positions always stuck out like a sore thumb to me. There's no doubt that JDT has potential to be a top head coach somewhere, but you could pretty much guarantee that we'd lose a game if we conceded first under him.

Eustace is an ok appointment IMO, given the circumstances and how the club has embarrassed itself so much recently, I'm surprised he'd be willing to take the gig after Birmingham.

1 minute ago, wilsdenrover said:

mcgrew

Thought that said mulgrew at first 😅

All this talk of downgrading...a proper downgrade would be Gareth Ainsworth, someone that we know has failed in the championship. Eustace is relatively new to management, and he wasn't given a chance at Birmingham to show what he can do after a debut season of firefighting. He did an admirable job and it's unfair to suggest he's a downgrade at this point in his managerial career.

Eustace as good an appointment as any at this point. It won't be pretty at times but that's where we're at.

19 minutes ago, Bethnal said:

I would argue that Broughton is the only one with something resembling a plan, at the club.

Is it still “not a huge loss” when you consider that without him, our next managerial appointment would be made by Waggott and Suhail?

Broughton has to stay, for me. Whether he wants to after the bullshit that’s been pulled in the past week or so remains to be seen.

I say "not a huge loss" on the face of it because we ultimately have zero clue how much influence he actually has. He may have brought JDT to the club in the first place but as time has passed and the financial situation has become apparent, how much influence will he have on the next appointment? I don't know, and neither do you.

Would not be at all surprised if Broughton goes as well. Not a huge loss on the face of it, but he did tie down a few players to ensure we don't lose them for nothing.

Don't know what to make of this meeting that's taken place. It's hard to gauge from the leaked footage. Ideally we'd have a transcript but that'll never happen.

My opinion of Waggott sinks lower and lower, IMO he's a truly detestable individual who has positioned the players in front of fans to act as a shield between him and them. I have no doubt that the players will have been encouraged to say certain things. This is utterly cowardly behaviour. No idea what kind of questions were asked, but I appreciate the fans that got to attend and get their messages across as best they could in what are extremely surreal times at the moment.

As for JDT...

I felt that it was time up for him after we failed to beat Rotherham at home. Truth be told Rovers have been absolutely awful since the Birmingham win, and we weren't very good in that one either! It's not good that the goal posts were moved and the budget was cut, but regardless of that, the players that we've had available were good enough to be beating Rotherham, Huddersfield and QPR at home. Losing 3 nil away at Huddersfield as well, it's just completely unacceptable for this team regardless of the change in 'the project'. I'm sure he'll be successful elsewhere, but its gone sour very quickly at Rovers for him and its for the best that he and the club part ways before more damage is done.

Truth be told I'm glad he's going but I'm not happy about the timing of it. Getting rid of a manager after a transfer window is never a good move.

44 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Which aligns with what I was told by two different people on Saturday namely that one of the brothers (presumably the playboy) actually sacked (through his minions) Tomasson on Friday but big sis reinstated him within a short space of time. I believe there is real disharmony at Chez Rao and we are piggy in the middle.

When I saw this the other day from someone on Twitter I thought it was a joke based on the Steve Kean days (think similar happened with him once upon a time...?).

If this is true, then I can only assume that she blocked the sacking because he'll need paying off. I feel like that is the only reason he's still in a job anyway. At very few clubs would a head coach survive this kind of awful run.

Great podcast, really enjoyed it despite all the doom and gloom we're currently going through as Rovers fans.

Agree with what was said about JDT. While I do have sympathy for him in that 'the project' has changed and it wasn't what he signed up for, I'm now at the point where I'm sick to death of hearing him talk about it. We know it's not what he signed up for but I now feel like he's using that as a platform to share with the media so that he can absolve himself of any blame for this awful run of form.

He's not won a league game in this calendar year. What is it, 1 league win in 11? It's simply unacceptable whether the project has changed or not. The body language of the players shows that they've all just feeling sorry for themselves, which is exactly what JDT is doing as well. It's simply not very good leadership.

I can't stand this stubbornness to continue playing kamikaze football. I understand that we want to play football a certain way but when staying in the league is at stake and that style is playing you into trouble...change something! I think he's getting away with it at the moment because of all the off the pitch madness. The reality is if we lose to Stoke then the gap could reduce to 2 points if QPR beat Norwich.

2 official club statements in the last 2 weeks. Got a feeling there will be a few more in the coming weeks at this rate 😂.

They're an embarrassment, and we need to let them know it at every opportunity.

Seems to have got lost in amongst all the other stuff, but wasn't there mention of a board meeting happening over in India this week? I'm sure I saw someone say that Nixon stated something like that on Radio Lancs the other day.

If true, then is it too much to hope that its regarding putting the club up for sale...? 🤞🙏

The fact that its now end of play on Monday and we've now had 2 working days since the closure of the transfer window with the club not even prepared to comment on the situation sums it all up. Embarrassment from top to bottom.

I really do feel like JDT is days away from leaving the club, and I'm sad to say it's probably for the best.

We know that larger issues are present off the pitch, but on it, I just don't see a group of players that are playing him anymore. This style of football we are trying to play. For the teams with money to burn it can get you promoted comfortably, but for the likes of Rovers and several other teams it can get you relegated.

So many players underperforming way below their standard. This doesn't tend to happen unless the head coach / manager has lost them. Morale must be at a real low in that dressing room and sometimes it just needs a fresh voice to pick them up.

I suspect there are bigger problems though in that it'll still be same old voices in the coaching staff anyway. Can't imagine the likes of Lowe is able to really motivate the players. He's no Tony Parkes is he!