If the job’s too hard for them, maybe they shouldn’t be doing it. I think the profile of individual in officiating is so mismatched to the task. Pencil pusher drips. There should be outreach for more former professionals to be doing it or for a much better profile to be developed. Today, the ref was the same one who bottled giving Bournemouth a penalty against United last season. Just a weak character. The opposite of what you need in a high-stakes game like today was.

Agreed. He’s definitely not worth the kind of money that he reckons he is. Did anyone come in for him this summer? A year left on the deal and nobody came in? He needs to knuckle down and deliver this season.

We’ve really dug in since the red card, encouraging to see.

The unfortunate truth underpinning the minutiae of this match is that - as a team - we are not playing well. Not handling the occasion, touches are poor in the key moments, bad decision making. Dangerous number of yellows. A little more fight than last time, but we look petrified.

Fully agree

Aside from the run through for the goal, Dolan has been basically non-existent. He’s about to lose his place to a player several times his level, he should be busting a gut for his shirt.

We’re about to get fucked out of this by the officials. Spineless, can’t take the heat, don’t officiate the game. Absolutely lost their heads.

Conceding from free headers is the kind of thing that happens three steps below this one. Carter horrendously overcommitted and Hyam like a headless chicken in the box for it. Feel for Owen Beck, what a game to be dropped into.

Extremely pleased with this. It’s a punt worth making and not the kind of move we’ve made too often recently. I was very concerned by “The Model” being replaced by Rudy and Park, but I am fully impressed that they’ve managed this one and that the others are turning into good bits of business. Nice feeling to go into the game tomorrow with.

I’m so fucking angry at the admin

Passing through 8pm is just weirdly ominous. We’re all living with PTSD.

That’s the thing! You can keep making it, just like they keep saying it! What are you waiting for?!

To be fair to Waggott, he does seem to do quite a bit, he’s just fucking awful at all of it.

This joke is never gonna get old for me. Love seeing it every time.

I hope it’s the latter but Waggott has tried the “medical shows you’re too risky, we’ll have to change the contract” before, I believe. I think there was a footballer said as much on a podcast and it might even have been deadline day.

People are pretty certain in their opinions, is the thing, but I think criticism should always be direct, for balance. We’ve entered the “off-topic” realm now, so before we get pulled for it, I suggest we cut it short. Even still, I appreciate the clarity.

So for clarity; we should only express opinions on players we may be looking to sign if we’re proven scouts? Noted, thanks for the clarification.

Sorry for posting an opinion, I guess?

Interesting. Seems to play a little simpler than Dolan and carries the ball well, but agreed, he’s not lightning and does cut infield a bit too often. I do think he looks quicker than Dolan at top speed in this video, though.

Quite the weekend for the nerves. Deadline day with Waggott at the wheel ‘til 11pm tonight. Dingledome Derby 13 hours later. *GULP*

Someone mentioned that Las Palmas had put an offer to Cantwell yesterday.

Las Palmas currently 1-0 up at home to Madrid. Let’s hope we’ve got this deal done, what a gazumping we’d be onto

Update: optimism reactivated https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/todd-cantwell-blackburn-rangers-transfer-33563900

I’ve booked the last two transfer deadline days off because I knew we’d be doing business very late. I’ve booked tomorrow off over a month ago because I knew we’d be doing the same. Late heartbreak incoming, I fear, but hoping for the best

I’m beginning to get a really bad feeling about our business over the next 30 hours or so.