Crazy modern football ideas. When I first started going to Rovers we’d four regular first team fullbacks. Three of them could, and did, play on either wing. If you can’t pass successfully with either foot and tackle equally well off either side you shouldn’t be playing pro football.

I’d say it’s more like going into a boxing match with one hand tied behind your back.

I moan a lot about how we play. It’s called constructive criticism and it’s about the things we are getting wrong. The things we get right take care of themselves. Just my opinion of course. We got things wrong when we won the Prem, I’d be moaning then but at least there was plenty to praise them for.

Yeah, that started on Sunday afternoon.

Rovers withdrawal ? After Sunday ? Speaking personally I’m glad of the break.

We’ve got a good defence because with the exception of the two strikers everybody is playing in there.

Too many nice lads, we need some bad losers in the team.

Looks like Ronaldo has kicked his last ball for Utd. He’s been a great player but as a man he’s a bit of an arse. Everything has to be about him.

I remember going to a “ meet the new coach “ presentation at my Rugby League club. He was an Aussie and obviously new to the area. After the usual niceties the meeting was thrown open to questions from the floor. One guy got up and said - “ This isn’t a question Coach, it’s a bit of advice - Beat Oldham and beat Oldham and beat Oldham again, that’s all you have to worry about “. So in the usual pre-season warm up “ friendly “ known as the “ Infirmaries Cup “ he treated it as a run out, played two entirely separate teams in each half, and we lost badly. That coach never really recovered from that start.

But it’s not one bad result is it ? It’s a succession of really poor, half hearted, away performances. It looks to me like the players haven’t bought into his way of playing and are just going through the motions.

Well the Preston game will be interesting. If we carry on where we left off against the dingles alarm bells will be ringing loud and clear.

Nobody is seriously saying sack the guy. He needs more time, that is obvious. What lots of people are saying is everything about Sunday’s performance was unacceptable. There wasn’t one plus point. For me that applies to the managers response after the game. There should be somebody at the club telling him exactly that but there won’t be. There in lies the crux of all our problems. Do you think Jack Walker would have accepted that shambles with a shrug of his shoulders ?

Not for the first time this season team selection has cost us.

He signed the attacking player he wanted, allegedly, in Summer. Where was he on Sunday ? I’m not having this - “ they’ve spent more money than us so they should win” malarkey. How did Brentford win at City last weekend ? City must have out spent Brentford a thousand times over. The bottom line is for what ever reason - we weren’t up for that game. Not even nearly. I saw my first derby in 1962, they were top of the league, probably the best team they’ve ever had. We were mid table but we out played them and won 2-1 after being 1-0 down at ht. Later on that season we went to Burnley and won again 1-0. If they would have had those 4 points they would have won the league that season. In the sixty years since then we’ve had our ups and down but we’ve never waved the white flag like we did last Sunday.

Just business as usual with a smiley face. For me a totally inappropriate response. That result will be stain on his record for ever just like the 7-0 will be a stain on Mowbray’s record. He obviously hasn’t realised that and we’ve nobody at the club that is going to tell him.

That sums up my feelings really. I used to be buzzing before a World Cup but this time I can’t get excited about it at all. If you ever needed proof that the game is bent this is it.

Me too. I was optimistic until I saw the game against Hudds, especially the second half. I thought then if we give Burnley the same amount of ball in our half as we have given Hudds today we’ll get murdered. They pressed us right back and we were just clearing it anywhere at the end. Then we had the West Ham game were we managed a great draw after 90 minutes, coming back late on in the game and going on to win the shoot out. I was hoping that we’d come out with the West Ham game mindset but we came out with the Hudds mindset and paid the price for that. It’s too early to call for JDT’s head but at a normal club, which we aren’t, he would have been brought into the boardroom after that game and told that the performance was completely unacceptable, that the away form is a major cause for concern, as is our complete inability to respond to going behind in games. He would have been told in no uncertain terms that things must improve. However, being who we are, absolutely nothing will happen.

We could have done with the players manning up a bit yesterday.

Not me if I can help it. That’s Mrs Shoelaces department.

Yes but 99% of them didn’t phone in a “ performance “ in their second biggest game of the season.

I’ll be honest with you. I expected us to be further down the league but I expected the standard of football on show to be better.

You be must forgetting the time we came second to back into this league. Not a play off position though is it ? Am I teaching you some history ?

I get that. What I don’t get is their complete lack of self awareness. If I’d have played like that in such an important game I’d shut the fuck up for a couple of weeks at least.

Compare that with our xG 0 yesterday.

How do you think that will go down with the poor bastards who are having to decide wether to put food on the table or put the heating on or maybe treat their kids to a trip to Ewood over Xmas ? I was thinking of taking my grandson to a game. It can wait now.