I am physically buzzing, was jumping for every corner and free kick at the end. Feels massive with all the context. We are stretched and you can still see every player running themselves into the floor to get over the line. Would love to be rolling into the Burnley home game in this form, but for now, we just have to keep building on each performance, manage the squad and keeping looking up.

Audibly screamed that goal in in my living room, a neighbour has just knocked.

For me, this is the key bit. Everyone at Ewood took an hour off, it seems. I don’t think this is a recruitment-side issue, it’s absolutely an admin issue. Silvester and Waggott at fault, (directly and indirectly) Pasha somewhat, as the operational consultant. Our owners wouldn’t but I’d fire Silvester, reprimand Waggott/direct him to issue the apology and demote/remove responsibilities from Pasha, which is basically generous and lenient to the last two, based on the logic that you don’t fire a CEO when you’re pushing to promotion/playoffs and they’ve had Pasha working for them for many a long year.

Fucking hell, I’ve been keeping an eye on the result, while getting home from playing football tonight, knowing I’d be desperate to read the responses on here. What a result, delighted for those who travelled, those who watched at home and everyone on here that something really profound (and it is, don’t forget the relative wage bill, turnover and other infrastructural comparisons) has finally happened for us after the abject defeatism of Mowbray’s Championship years. FA Cup 6th round for a Championship team is a big do, but beating a team like Leicester, when we’re not close to full-strength and having already done it to West Ham this season, is a very, very big do. Whisper it, but it just might be clicking into a good year.

José Rankin-Casillas

Sign JRC to a new deal.

The Championship currently looks a league too far for Buckley. No idea how you return him to better form at the minute, the games just seem to pass him by.

We look bright, the press looks effective. Edit: nevermind.

Tasty, that‘s a satisfying “when it’s going for you, those end up in the net,” type of goal. Let’s put ‘em to the sword now.

Cannot take Gareth Ainsworth seriously on a visual level. Like the guy on a lot of levels but he needs a stylist or something.

I guess the point of difference here is me thinking we’ve set out with a game plan for the 90 minutes and you placing more emphasis on the fact that they’ve turned up very shit and we’ve responded to that. I don’t think your point of view is any less valid than mine, it could just be that.

I think the opening stages we weren’t playing as intended, hence that point where JDT shouted all the players over to bollock them, but we subsequently sat pretty tidily for the remainder of that half, so it looks to me like he wanted them to frustrate Swansea intentionally. We’ve also not come out of the traps at half-time like that for a good little while, by my memory. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t mind seeing this exact performance - with refinement - when I make it up to Ewood in March for the Burnley game. Exactly the same principles at play.

You’re absolutely entitled to think that, but I’m just describing what happened. We contained them in the first half and played with a low line of engagement. They came out more open in the second half and we pressed nearly a full third of the pitch higher. We battered them in the second half, although our final product wasn’t up to scratch. I might be influenced by the fact that I think Russell Martin is a dick, but I honestly think that’s how it panned out.

Contain a team that want to pass through you and can’t do much from out wide, to get the very arrogant coach to make his team tactically uncomfortable and then shift up a gear. You’ve just watched it happen.

This started because I asked how the “Dack not starting is criminal” brigade were feeling seeing him clearly overstretched. That extends beyond this board, to the fans booing JDT midweek and chanting his name while he’s on the bench. I’m not an expert in current sports science, but I can add 2+2. You started off by saying “that could happen any time 😂” or similar. You’re now implying the coaches have been irresponsible. He’s clearly an important player who needs a lot of management. Given the complainers got what they wanted, I was asking how they felt about it. I haven’t missed anything, you might just be getting obtuse in your old age.

Sorry, I’m still looking at where the goalposts were, where it was criminal he didn’t start. Where are you putting them now?

JDT and Remy deserve credit for the second half, tactically and the players for the effort. Very effective, totally nullified Swansea to playing on the break and hanging on at most points in that half. If we intentionally sat deep first half, to encourage Swansea to push/compromise in the second, all the more credit to the coaching team. A really good team performance in my book, even if individual performances were patchy. edit: Russell Martin is a pound shop Chris Hughton, criminal he’s in a job at all. Best placed at one of the oil money academies, teaching 8 year olds how to pass sideways.

Blowing out your hamstring (and him looking like he was holding back tears on the walk to confirm that suspicion) a few minutes after coming on, having been through two consecutive cruciate ligament injuries, managed through the recovery and subsequent to your first intense run of starts… but you’re right, I guess, random occurrence, could happen anytime.

Got to admire the brass neck of this, at least.

Very interested to see how the “Dack not starting is criminal” brigade are currently feeling.

Last twenty minutes have been objectively good football and really effective pressing specifically. Swansea have not been prepped for the gear shift in this half and if it’s been intentional by JDT, that’s great coaching. Not perfect, but really encouraging stuff.

Infinitely better. Higher line of engagement and a nervier Swansea back line, so the momentum is swinging our way.

More an observation that when the opportunity presented itself to sign an identified improvement in an apparent weak area, the opportunity was attempted. You’re right that it wasn’t good enough not to land him, though.

We almost did on deadline day.

Exactly the point. You should treat home and away different to an extent but if a team is going to play a very specific and defined way, home and away, you play against that. I don’t see - with our squad - how we would play any different against these. Yeah, Russell Martin. The footballing equivalent of a trainee painter and decorator citing Michelangelo and Da Vinci as an influence.