First half was poor, but clearly half time team talk had some effect and we’ve looked better. Not great to have as a pattern, really.

Maybe so, but I think even in the lulls that naturally happen in a game, there has to be a way to have him harness that. It could be a lack of movement ahead of him, I don’t know, but he’s much better when he doesn’t have to think.

Great ball from Buckley and it’s instinct that brings it out. How do you turn a footballer’s brain down to just work on instinct?

Interesting that Sunderland have no press on Buckley when he carries the ball. He reliably then gives it away. Given Mowbray’s only just left us, you have to assume he knew that about him, that it’s a pointed instruction.

That was really poor. The entire defence backs off him and he pinpointed it to their defender. No idea.

Nowt like a Rovers match to really bugger the Christmas spirit, eh?

Uh oh. edit: fully expected a red there. Would expect it against us. Borderline violent conduct.

No, no, no. Not having this. In terms of the job they were asked to do, Grabbi at least was a tactically aware forward and sought out his team mates, fair enough. I cannot countenance, however, Ashley Ward being better with the open goal miss at Bramall Lane from genuinely half a yard to hit the cross bar with a nod-in header. Similarly, Chris Brown not only never scored a goal across two seasons as a number 9, but never even looked like he knew how to score a goal. George Hirst is arguably a number 9 having to play a role that’s very different from that. Not at all suggesting he’s been a worthwhile loan, even but those two at the very least were absolute pony. I won’t be convinced.

You’ve a lot more experience than me, but even I can count Ashley Ward, Corrado Grabbi and Chris Brown as very likely much worse than Hirst. He’s not been up to much at all but all three of those gave me migraines to watch.

I would agree with you up to the point of Travis and Scott Wharton who have only quite recently hit fairly catastrophic patches of form at similar times and for no obvious reason. That’s the bit that makes me wonder and warrants some form of explanation.

Feel dreadful for the 9k or so if ours who turned up on a Weds eve before Christmas for that. can’t believe Trav’s trajectory from being made captain to most people thinking he’s not for the first team. No insight into Brockhall at all, but we look an unhappy bunch. Something definitely not clicking.

Do we know what’s going on?

Scott Wharton has had a fucking shocker, what’s going on with him?

And fair enough, if that’s what you want. It’s a hell of a way to make a lot of money and a job is sometimes just a job to some people.

He’s basically on holiday. Is it a one-year deal? He’ll miraculously slim down and hit some sort of form towards the end of the year, to secure another money move. He’d do well abroad, to be fair, but I think he loves the sesh a bit too much.

Lingard celebrating a free kick that ricochets twice on its way in, like THAT, is why he’s absolute finished. Never mind the 5kg he’s visibly put on in Nottingham. I hear the wings at Hooters are quite moreish, but Christ alive…

While we’re notionally “similar” levels in terms of the table, Forest spent like it was going out of fashion in the summer and haven’t got as weak of a team out as we have, really. I’ll take that performance for a first half. Unlucky with A Wharton’s effort hitting Markanday as it looked like it was going in and some haphazard defending/organisation, we’ve taken it to them a bit in the last 10 or so and got a reward. A victory here would be a really good result, but it’s fully achievable. They look poor at the back under pressure.

That’s how to recover from giving a penalty away!

Yeah, he looks like someone who is quite deep into the reserves league. Low-stakes, more casual feel to it at times. Not a slight on that level, just a reality.

He’s got something of an anonymous face, so I’ll give you that

Not quick enough for a full back.

Hyam?

Only 20 minutes but I fail to see what Markanday’s doing wrong. Why can’t he get a chance in the league?

Bit of a gulf in quality. Not expecting a lot here, but would like to see a few of the fringe players seize an opportunity and give this lot something to think about.

Norwich heads have dropped. Couple of them still trying to make something happen but we just need to keep it very sensible here. and just as I say that, there’s a fracas.