Hedges or Dembele ? It’s a no brainer. He’d be quicker than Hedges running backwards.

For his size he probably was the best but there were much taller guys who were better. Three Welsh strikers- Ron Davies at Southampton, Wyn Davies at Newcastle and John Toshack at Liverpool for instance.

I’ve just been and got my old boots down from the loft. I’ll be having my phone close to hand In case I get the call when we’re down to the last men standing.

Giving the ball away in dangerous areas led to the free kick. We do it all the time.

Johnny Giles looking on in the background.

Our opponents will run through Buckley and Cantwell all night. There’s no pace or tackling ability in there.

Th three who did nothing - Dolan- Forshaw - Hedges. if we had more time I’d go 3-4-1-2. As it is time is too short and games are coming too frequently. I was thinking along the lines of Pears - just about. He was shaky again yesterday Brittain -Sanderson - Baath- Hyman - Beck JRC - Forshaw/Garrett Buckley Guyere- Dolan Cantwell has been a disappointment in the role and Buckley looked better for me yesterday. it’s pointless playing Gueye on his own, get somebody next to him playing of the knockdowns. The width comes from Brittain and Beck.

There’s 3 players in that team who did the square root of nothing yesterday. Another one who tried hard but achieved nothing also. Plus one more that tried hard and achieved a little. We are in the position of rewarding failure. If this was a Saturday game I’d be having a radical re-think during the week. I’d be changing the formation. What we are doing isn’t working. We aren’t making scoring chances and just a couple of half chance per game.

He was the one player I fancied to put that volley away near the end. He normally strikes a good ball but he just let it get away from him slightly. Probably our best chance.

Me too. I’ll hold my hand up. I saw him at Accy and thought “ What is he for, he’s not very big or aggressive, doesn’t run with the ball, only got a short passing game etc etc “. I’ll hold my hand up - 100% wrong, he’s the blotting paper soaking up the ball in danger areas.

Not only that Jim but I see O’Brien more as a Travis replacement than a Tronstad replacement. Travis should be back by the time we’ve managed to incorporate him into the team. I expect both of Weimann and Forshaw were signed as 20 minute subs to bring on. At the moment they were expected to play large chunks of the game. We have Ohashi, Travis, Carter, Pickering, and now Tronstad all out injured. They would all be starters and the weaker players who are starting now would be on the bench.

What was the keeper doing ? Going to buy a pie ?

The drop off in form since his days at Hudds concerns me. I’d give him a miss to be honest. We have more urgent needs further forward.

He’s not. He’s a liability when it comes to defending. His best position is playing just behind the “ strike force “. He looked our best player yesterday when he got further forward. Not saying a lot, I know.

Pickering did his knee, but I take your point. Fatigue would probably have a bearing on the injury. There has been way too many games in this last 4 to 6 weeks given the pace of the modern game. The five sub rule hadn’t helped in that respect. Players who have played 60 to 70 minutes are having to go up against fresh players all over the pitch. Of course that suits clubs with big squads that can rest players.

I’d carry the O’Brien that was outstanding for Huddersfield to Ewood on my back but what has he done since then ? Genuine question. Didn’t he go to the USA and then back to ‘Boro. ? His game seems to have gone very quiet. Maybe that was his “ Brererton “ season ?

Let’s face it, people only stay at Ewood until something better turns up. Would you work for the chicken chokers when you could work for normal owners ? The churn of back room staff is ridiculous at Rovers.

He’s all left foot, it’s obvious what he’s going to try to do. Especially on the right wing.

That was part of the problem, neither full back got forward much until the last ten minutes. I’d have considered a change of plan earlier. Sanderson on, three at the back, two wing backs getting forward. Or Sanderson on, Baath up front for the last ten minutes. Do something different, what we were trying wasn’t working. Lot’s to think about before Tuesday any way.

The new Markanday. Too easy to play against. Turn him round and get him running into midfield until he loses the ball. They’ve all got him weighed up.

Nearly all the old time players are. No big time Charlie’s in Ferrari’s then.

Running out of legs.

Good free kick, ours went in row z.

Dembele or Hedges, let me think about that for a millisecond !

A really, really tired performance. We played like we’d been made to walk it from Blackburn to Oxford before the game. Out enthused again, much too static, much too deep, too much walking football, second to too many 50/50 balls, lost too many headed challenges etc. etc. We played for about 15 minutes at the end of the first half and 10 minutes at the end of the second half, other than that Oxford ran the show. I’m more than disappointed, for large parts of the game it was like having teeth pulled. I wouldn’t have started with ACD and Gueye. One is a boy playing against men and the other one is much better coming on for the last half an hour. Scores Pears 6, bsck to the shaky Pears of old. Palming balls back into the danger area. How did that free kick go through the wall ? Brittain 6, did his best but only got forward right at the death. Hyam 6, a decent performance. Baath 6, ditto Beck 6, kept their winger reasonably quiet and showed him the running track a few times. Could only get forward at the death like Brittain. ACD 5, I’m sorry but he’s out of his depth. Got out muscled all the time and was giving the ball away for fun before he got subbed. Tronstad 6, too busy firefighting, which led to his injury. Buckley7, MOM, our best player.he looked really dangerous playing higher up the pitch. Dare I say it - better than Cantwell in that advanced position. Cantwell 6, worked hard but he was another who kept losing possession. Weimann, 5, another who is playing from memory. He shouldn’t be starting. Last 20 minutes player. Gueye 6, did his best and held the ball up well. Our attacking threat went when he went off. Stupid booking. Subs, Forshaw 5, another 20 minute player being asked to play 60. His poor pas led directly to their free kick. Dolan 5, did nothing. Hedges 5, see Dolan. JRC, 6, tried his best. Leonard 5, absolutely no service but the lad has no presence what so ever. Did he actually touch the ball, Going out for a pint now but more later.