Not trying to be hysterical, objectively I think this is the worst performance of the season so far 👎

Jesus Christ he's done it again

Yet another stinker for Pears' scrapbook. He is useless!

90+5 for the Lions Chin up Eustace 😂

There's a long way to go yet in those early kickoffs but if it stays like this, they're in big trouble... 👀

The fourth official has started holding up maracas when we make a sub instead of the board now

League title 😂😂😂

They other sections might have sold out, they were available when I bought mine

Karanka would be the worst of the lot for me, I think we'd miss out on the top 6 and I think he'd be potted in November with us stuck in a relegation scrap. Would love someone to come back to this post when we're in the Premier League under his stewardship but I can't see it. The two ideal appointments would be either Dyche or Steve Cooper. Both know exactly what to do in this position to get promotion or playoffs, done it on multiple occasions. We can't afford either of them though so we're stuck picking from unknown quantities and absolute chancers.

Still baffled as to why so many people want Gary O'Neil. I have a dreadful feeling it's going to be him and he has no business being our manager 👎 It's damning that our current league position should make it the most attractive job around right now for an out of work manager, but that the candidates are all absolutely dogshit. ( maybe that's why they're out of work) I wonder if any employed football league managers besides Wellens are sniffing round it like Eustace was doing while with us, that we don't yet know about. I suppose we wouldn't pay a fee to release them, we're too tight.

Getting points on the board early has the added psychological benefit, it gives our group of players that feeling of being close enough to touch playoffs, while it demoralises the players and fanbases of those chasing us

All the games between Rovers, B*rnley and Preston this season have been very close, cagey affairs and low on quality. Very much the local derby stereotype and this is shaping up similarly

Got to be aggressive from the first minute today, really put it on them early. We tend to start well at home and often dominate the first 20-30 minutes, but then what happens next usually depends on whether we score in that time or not. If we score first today then make it awkward we might take the wind out of their sails. If they somehow get the first goal we'll be in serious bother. Crowd will turn and they will shut up shop.

Be great if QPR go on and get 4 or 5 tonight, will make for a good 'togetherness' presser at FT

It will probably end up being Kenny Dalglish Senior from Phoenix Nights

Are they bringing King Kenny out on Sat to distract/placate the fans? Or am I being too cynical and it has been planned for weeks? 👀

Agree with the above posts, there is no way the club would want the scrutiny brought by the travelling media circus which would follow someone like Gerrard

Venkys would love that, as when he walks out we could have Beale for a bit, then Critchley when he walks. Buy one get two free on managers.

Worrying how many people seem to be talking themselves round to Gary O'Neil at this point.

The way Dolan and Trav have spoken about him speaks to him being almost like a father figure to them and they're clearly distraught he has gone and feel some loyalty to him. Chances are, they have a much better idea of what has gone on than we do. I wonder what they think about the way the club is being run...

Wondering how many points will be needed to finish 6th this season and how many more wins we would need. At the current rate it will be only 68 (67.56) based on what WBA have after 32 matches. That would be quite low based on previous seasons going back a fair few years, it tends to be mid-70s. But there is a long way to go just yet and I suppose anything can happen. Targeting matches against Plymouth, Derby, Luton, they really need to be 3 points against the cannon fodder of this season (never that simple).

I agree, I'm certain I'm going to be underwhelmed with the appointment. My other response was nothing personal, I just think Wellens would be a rubbish appointment, would send the wrong signal to the squad and the fanbase about our short term and long term ambitions. He has been around the block in the lower leagues so to speak and has had a purple patch at Orient who seem a well resourced and organised club at L1/L2 recently. I think he would be a short-lived disaster at Brockhall (I always want to be proved wrong with my pessimism)

I have to disagree on this. We have 14 games and a massive opportunity which we might not get again for years. We need someone who would hit the ground running, not an up and comer, an experiment or a project. Edit - the ideal scenario would be someone who has been in this position recently and knows what buttons to press at the right time. So for me that would be a Steve Cooper or someone similar, but we know he's probably beyond budget