How long have you been watching Rovers ?

Weimann and Hedges were on the bench for a reason. Neither are starting players as we’ve seen over the course of the season. I agree Dolan and Cantwell were poor on Saturday. Dennis is going to be banned and Buckley is injured. All of a sudden we’re scraping the barrel again. What’s happened with Woodrow ? Surely he must come into the reckoning now.

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I can remember a few besides that one Jim. Mike England at the dingle dome after a running battle with Andy Lochead. Harry Gregg planting Mike England at Old Trafford. I’m pretty sure Big Clubs Trevor Hockey once got sent off at Ewood in a pretty fiery match in the late 1960’s. As you say it was very, very rare in spite of the game being much more physical. You may have seen one per season. No way would Dennis been sent off back then, he might have got a booking. Then again the lad being fouled wouldn’t be making a meal of it either.

I’d been watching Rovers for two seasons before I saw my first sending off. Now you see sendings off regularly. Two in the Newcastle v Brighton game today for instance. The game is fast becoming a non contact sport.

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How does Dolan get a start after yesterday ?

I meant Beck will become a better player than Beck already is now.

You mean keeping attacking players out of the “ D “ ? It’s obvious really because a lot of goals are scored from in and around that part of the pitch. Until recently Tronstad was great at policing that area. We very rarely allowed shots on goal from around the “ D” . That partially explains why Pears started to look half decent.

King was a really top class player. What he would have been like with two good knees ! I remember listening to Dean Saunders speaking. Somebody asked him who was the best player he ever played with. He said Paul McGrath right away. He said his knees were that bad he could hardly train at all but come Saturday he was ready for anything.

When I was playing if I’d have given a winger that much room I’d have been in for a long afternoon. But then there were wingers who were only too glad to run at you from distance. They’re running, you aren’t. Only one winner there most of the time. Current wingers seem happy to just pass the ball back inside.

He’s definitely an improvement on Pickering in my book. Beck will become a better player but he’s not going to be playing for us beyond May.

What is this tactic of having all 20 outfield players stood in an area of the pitch as big as a tennis court for goal kicks all about ? It looks ridiculous. Gueye got his head to most of the balls but there was nobody there to take advantage of it. They just went out of play.

We seem to go for the more complicated “ thread the ball through the eye of a needle “ type pass when there is a simpler ball on much too often. We don’t seem to understand how to build pressure by retaining possession. It’s like in rugby league, some teams think they have to score with every six tackle play. The smart teams know how to build pressure. They don’t try to score with every six. They’ll be content to force a goal line drop out, get the ball back, and go again.

Given time he could. Wharton can make those passes instantly. It’s his speed of thought and execution that stands him out. That’s why he’s made such an impact at Palace.

Jones never got any better. He was making the same mistakes at 25 that he was making at 18. Too impetuous by far.

Our passing is dreadful at times. It all comes down to decision making. We take the wrong option too often. I’d be sitting them down to watch the full game tomorrow. “ Here’s what you did, now what should you have done? “ it’s been the same story for ages.

He was beyond awful yesterday. He looked like a local amateur player who’d won a raffle to play in the game.

Apart from the incidents you mention the ref gave us next to nothing all game. Most 50/50 incidents went Norwich’s way.

Modern full backs play much too close to the centre halves. They’re not caught out of position because that’s where they’re coached to play. There’s acres of room out wide to be exploited if you can get the ball out there. Maybe it’s because they know nobody has any wingers worthy of the name.

A succession of really poor corners, free kicks topped off by the Brittain “ attempt “ at the end thst went yards over the bar !

Not Hyam’s style at all. If anything he’s usually not physical enough.

Easily.

Hedges was ok in the cameo. He’s another bench player, not a starter.

The first half was dog shite. We couldn’t string more than two passes together. We kept being second best to 50/50 balls all over the pitch. No pace or tempo to our game. They just played through us in midfield with ease. I said to my grandson at half time. “ We can only get better in the second half “. I was wrong. We just carried on in the same fashion. We were just getting into the game after the subs when Dennis got the red card. I didn’t have a good view of the first card but their lad made a real meal of that tackle for the second card. After that you could see their goal coming. I was pleasantly surprised when we equalised because I thought the game had gone. Especially when Brittain wasted that free kick. I’m sorry but I saw two teams that will be nowhere the play offs. Neither had a cutting edge. Dolan, absolutely terrible. Lost the ball nearly every time he had it. Travis, poor first half, looked better when Tronstad came on. Ohashi, made a difference when he came on. Definitely a pen. It was right in front of me and the foul was just inside the box. Forshaw, too easy to play against. Good to see Tronstad back. He allows Travis to get more forward Gueye, held the ball up great inspite of getting absolutely zero service. Dennis, looked more direct than Dolan, not hard I know. Cantwell, loses the ball in dangerous parts of the pitch. And those corners ! Why just float them in, so easy to defend against. Weimann, the ideal player to bring on for the last 20 minutes if you need a goal. Not a starter. Kargbo, horrendous first touch for our early attack. He controlled it further than I can kick it these days. He’s got pace and he’s direct but his decision making isn’t great. Worth his place though for the threat alone. The two centre halves were our best players. The full backs were ok. It’s in front of them where it goes wrong.