Bethnal

Much brighter start to this half than the last. Some more fluency to the attack, but still got nothing happening out wide. Middlesbrough haven’t got going yet.

Szmodics uncharacteristically poor with the ball in the key moment there. Notable purely for how rare it is.

Hedges is rusty, Gally’s just perplexing.

Honestly don’t think he’s been bad. He’s floating inside too much, but there are worse out there.

Always, ALWAYS lack decisiveness. The main negative attribute that has prevented him from progressing.

We look shit, again. This team hasn’t needed an international break quite as much as it does now, but I’ve still no confidence that Eustace does much with the extra time he has with the team. Middlesbrough have enough about them (that Latte Lath looks a nuisance again) to put us away, but seem a bit vulnerable on the break. Perhaps overcommitting, perhaps poor organisation/maintaining the press unnecessarily. Hoping they don’t find their shooting boots any time soon and we can nick one or two on the break.

It is extremely “Blackburn Rovers under Venkys” that the postponed hearing has been postponed. It’s almost funny. It also makes me think that it might be a little bit personal on the Indian judiciary system’s end. They're not shifting unless they’re made to, we’ve been down this road before. I personally believe they’ll slowly continue to strip off saleable assets to fund the club, as an exercise in vanity, until the club is taken from them by the administrators (whenever that is - we have a fair chunk of change kicking about, as well as saleable assets in the summer and costs that can and will be cut). I fully expect to see some f*ckery around trying to buy it out of administration, as well. Dodgy desktop valuation and a quiet pre-pack, mark my words. I’ve planned a trip up for the Sheff Weds game, but that might be it from me spending money with The Blackburn Rovers Football & Athletic Limited, so long as it’s owned by VLL or another subsidiary of its rotten parent company. I would absolutely love it if the fanbase came together and ousted them. In the meantime, those of us that want them gone should try to just starve them out. Give them hell at Ewood for the remainder of the season, but BYO refreshments, buy from the local stalls outside the ground, dodge the Rovers Return, cancel your subscriptions and make them feel it financially. It’s the only instrument to force them out that we have left and we’ll all continue to support this club, whether Premier League or Regional Premier Division.

This manager is basically the opposite of what you need in our position. Soft-touch, defensive-minded, zero personality. So far, the only attacking plan appears to be “let’s hope Sammie scores.” His defensive game plan is “5 at the back is better than 4,” and he can’t even make that work. He’s got a week with the team to get something working before Middlesbrough, so it has to be a point, minimum. After that, an international break with the players, so Ipswich at home should be a victory, if we’re genuinely playing as well as he says we are and the only thing holding us back is the lack of time on the training ground. He won’t deliver either of those. We’ve been made to look incredibly ordinary in the league games and he cannot find a way to win with us against the poorest teams you could ask for (after Rotherham) at home. It would be viewed as madness to bin him off at this stage, but how many do we let him have without a victory? Ten? That leaves 6 games for a replacement, which would have to be Warnock or Big Sam, if you wanted to stay up, but you waste the international break between them. He should be gone, he won’t be and there’s every chance he is at the helm come first day of next season, in League 1.

Some woeful performances today, players need a frank conversation about effort and desire, so many seem devoid of it. Sammie heroic once again, Ayari very impressive. Siggy better but still not seeing enough from him, currently. The rest need a slap, a proper slap, in the chops.

Well-worked goal for Plymouth, to give them credit. They’ve looked more than value for an equaliser. For context of how bad that was defensively, Szmodics made a goal-line block in the middle of it, because nobody else on the pitch had been able to handle it before then. This manager is clueless. We’ll be lucky to get anything here.

No idea how Harry Pickering had just been megged from five yards away then.

Atari’s distribution today has been excellent. Fashioned a number of excellent breaks and chances for us. Effort and application throughout. Wouldn’t mind seeing him back next season, he’s found his feet relatively quickly and - while not the same level - could be the one to slot into Adam Wharton’s boots.

He appears to have very little stamina for a guy who thinks he’s a winger. Get’s to their box then and basically has nothing left, so loses control easily.

Gallagher ambling around the field, aimlessly. For a guy out of contract in the summer and a baby recently arrived, he doesn’t appear to give a shit.

This is a shambolic defensive display.

Ridiculous red card. All at sea and Fadz drags him down, pointlessly.

Sam Gallagher utterly anonymous, so far. Captain Hyam hasn’t got a hold of this game. Big names in this team (relative) not showing up at a time we need them to. Luckily, one of the leadership group is turning up every week in a big way, but the others need to be showing a lot more.

Siggy hits the woodwork from point-blank range. excellent link-up between Ayari, Sammie and Siggy, though, another great move. Gallagher needs to be better contributing up top.

Huge let-off

Yeah, there’s only one confident man in blue and white on that pitch.

Don’t care what Eustace says, today is must-win. The players should be made abundantly aware.

Good because I want him out and I don’t want to catch any more grief for it. I genuinely believed we had to win this and Saturday to stay up, because the only other potential win I saw was Sheff Weds at home in the run-in. If we turn up again on Saturday with this attitude, we’ll have stolen a win, if we manage it. While typing this, his interview came on the Rovers TV feed. I’d share it but it’s too big of a file. Suffice it to say, he’s pleased with the performance, somehow.

Are we out of the “FFS, give him a chance!” window, yet?

Dom Hyam turning to the fans while the ball is in play to tell them to calm down after he drives forwards to start a break before turning back on himself and passing it backwards? The fucking hell is this team even about?

Ayari very positive since he’s come on.