Ghost7

Defending deep as we appear to have been trained to by the current staff. We often feel on top of our goalkeeper when a team attacks. It looks to me like the message is get deep and drop behind the ball when out of possession. I thought the same on their cutback that should have been put away.

I've got to say even in our clean sheet games Batth probably should have cost us a goal or two. He looks clumsy and a bit past it, got away with a few already this season. Phillips on the other hand put in an impressive performance last night. Again, the compensation received for Phillips should have been spent on a centre back. When was the last time we spent money on a centre half? Hyam? Shocking stuff. We are where we are due to receiving funds frequently and not reinvesting them in the first 11, that is on the owners.

There's an old saying buy cheap buy twice... which Rovers are likely going to keep on experiencing. Wahlstedt, Telalovic... Gueye... and Toth might be the same. From what I can see Wahlstedt is 3rd choice for his team in Sweden, he doesn't make the match day squad and is behind Klaesson and Jasper Hansen. You can argue the same for players like Hedges and Pickering. We still need a good winger and a better permanent left back.

Surely Stoke won the toss and decided that?

Two words. The owners.

I've defended Gueye based on not getting the right service and the team being out of form but he had it tonight, that cross is perfect from Brittain (who was excellent all night), it was a very worrying miss.

Keep the faith in Gueye! He will cause Ash Phillips and Ben Gibson problems.

Dolan is playing way too much mens football due to a steady lack of investment in this squad over the past 3 - 4 years. That's my assessment on things. Crap player but not his fault he's starting every week.

On the pathetic first goal that loose ball in the middle is Dolan's to win. He has to win it. Most players would... but the man is child like. The Sheffield player scuffed the shot because he wasn't favourite to get there and was expecting more of a challenge from Dolan. That should have been our ball. Also on the second, Hyam strangely tackling Moore with the outside of his weaker foot didn't help. He could have taken the ball and man with a proper tackle on his stronger side. The kind of challenge a player like Moore needs. The less said about Rankin-Costello the better. A technically odd player that seems to like hitting it into touch more than finding his teammates. Dolan, Rankin-Costello and Hedges all need dropping.

There's definitely a feeling under Eustace of "I have the ball what do I do next with it". We are playing out short from the goalkeeper without having any midfielders capable of coming for the ball or taking it comfortably on the half turn and we do not have runners in behind. I'm not sure what the idea is behind playing it short without any of the above. Whatever the gameplan is at the moment, it's not working even before today.

I've no doubt about it, Cantwell will have a low release clause. There's no way he'd have signed here without one.

A shake up of the starting 11 is needed. Hedges and Dolan seem to be getting a free pass into the line up each game. Their performances have been appalling. Dolan, I have said for years... just doesn't have it. But this what you get when you sign 9 players and pretend you've invested money when the reality is you're barely spending a penny but are selling players for tens of millions. Most fans appear to have been fooled once again. Cantwell will exit this team fast. We received £4 million from the Raya deal (not even our player sale) and didn't even spend that as a bonus in summer. Like it never happened. Was it wired our bank of India account along with the Szmodics money? A man who carried us game after game sold for £8 million and not a penny reinvested.... unless the original end of season transfer budget was ZERO? Just 6 months before that we sold Adam Wharton for £21 million. The owner's are taking the p!ss out of the fanbase year after year after year and getting away with it. We got £2 million for Ennis and Gallagher for gods sake!! Which is nearly all we've spent.

He has a decent first touch and draws defenders in with his size - which is fine for a target man. It's our wingers that are the problem, they are slow and can't cross - which isn't fine for a winger! When I see people creating chances for him and missing those chances... I'll agree.

I like him. He's a problem for Championship defenders, more so than Gallagher imo.

Toth must be shit in training.

Sigurdsson should be getting more minutes. He's an intelligent player, good technique and can finish, albeit he is slow. I think he has the ability to kill a game off if the chance arises but he likely won't get that chance in 8 minutes of football.

Agree, I can't understand why the minutes aren't being shared more. Dolan does not need to be on there for nearly 90 minutes each game, there aren't really any stand out players and the bench can easily be involved more during games and earlier on. Tronstad and Travis will burnout soon. There are never any minutes for Baker, Sigurdsson or Buckley. It seemed to take forever for him to make any significant subs and the game was nearly over.

Enough to put people off going. Waggott back in action!

We simply have to get some better wingers.

1 in 10+ isn't good enough for me but Dolan absolutely has poor crossing technique for what it's worth. You won't see a good cross often.

The team is performing miracles with the lack of Wharton money reinvested (lets not forget that). Surely a £3m transfer budget should exist at this level without selling a player for £21m... 🤨 The squad still lacks pace and quality. I fear this fixture could be a game too far.

Crossing from our wingers is terrible. The service from Dolan and Hedges has been appalling/ non existent all season. We need to bring in a wide attacker with pace and a decent delivery. Beck, Brittain and Cantwell are the only players in our team who can cross a ball. Pickering can but he can't beat the first man to get his cross in so it's a waste of time. I'd still like to see a bit more of Sigurdsson in games. He has good technique for this level.

Sometimes if you aren't good enough it's best not to sign a new deal since it allows a club that wouldn't usually spend money on you to take a punt. That is what will happen here, the risk is you end up in League One and ability wise Dolan would not be out of place there. It's a risky move and I doubt he has the best advisors, looking at his friendship groups around the ground on a match day.

I don't see him being used as a "squad man". I see him starting far too many games.

I'll add... that was one of Pickering's best games in a long time.