He’s going to have to play next Sunday I think.

I think I agree with that but Whiteman, or most midfield players, would struggle in a central two also.

You can’t really set out your transfer strategy on those lines. Do we have to sign two more full backs just in case ?

I’ve only seen him once and that was on TV. I can’t say I was over impressed but Preston collectively had a bad day at the office.

He didn’t look 100% yesterday.

If Wharton was a couple years older he’d be my choice in a middle three. Unfortunately he’s not fully developed strength wise and this is a league were physical strength counts for a lot. Three or four grafters will always get the better of two footballers even if the two are better players. I accept JDT has to go with the players to hand but yesterday wasn’t the first time we’ve been made to look ordinary because we were light in midfield.

However a good one is worth their weight in gold.

Playing just Travis and Morton in central midfield was a mistake. Not the first time it’s happened this season. Hudds out numbered us there. We need three not two.

I’m pleased with the 36 points and 2 nd place. The football on display isn’t very pleasing.

I was talking to my son yesterday. He watches every game. Home and away. He said - “ It’s like this most of the time Dad, in fact sometimes we’ve been worse than this “.

I’d like us to be more dangerous.

Message for the pilot when they land - “ Leave the engines running “.

The two things go to gether. Unless you are entertained by seeing our defenders booting it back out to an opponent for half an hour.

Well, we’ll soon be seeing attendances shooting up again then ?

What some people seem to be forgetting is that along with football being a results business it’s also an entertainment business. Or it certainly used to be. Ponder on that when you decry the attendances at Rovers. If I was an ex season ticket holder considering returning to attending games nothing I saw yesterday would have me rushing back down to Ewood. Shutting up shop when you’re 1-0 up against the bottom of the league at home with 30 minutes to go won’t get the lost thousands coming back irrespective of our league position. The passing in the first half was laboured, turgid and un imaginative. Lots of the time we were playing walking football. Always in front of the opposition and so rarely around the sides. So easy to play against, even for a team at the bottom of the league. We should have teams shaking in their boots when they’re walking out at Ewood yet yesterday we let them play themselves in with no problem at all. We never go for the throat straight from the kick off. The couple of times we went out of character and played route one balls we caused them real problems. The last 30 minutes of the second half had me pulling my hair out. Nearly all the game was played out in our last third of the pitch. Yes, we defended really well and restricted Hudds to speculative efforts most of the time. That was because they are really blunt up front, better teams will make the most of playing 30 minutes in our half. Anybody who thought that last half an hour was entertaining - come around to my house, I’ve got a hammer and some nails - you could knock them through the back of your hand. Sometimes I think we’ve watched so much shite over the last ten years we’ve forgotten what entertaining football looks like.

We’d 5 at the back, 3 up front and nothing in the middle for lots of the second half. JDT must have spent too long in Italy.

When Big Sam was here we were playing the cream of the Prem not the likes of Luton and Millwall etc.

I had to keep reminding myself that Morton was actually playing.

If we were playing like it I would be over the moon. As it is only another 14 points to the magical 50 and theoretical safety.

Yeah, unfortunately we drew a big fish away at exactly the wrong time.

I thought he did ok when he came on other than he could have put himself about a lot more than he did given he was fresh and everybody else had played for 70 minutes.

Looks like the flight path of one of Ayala’s clearances.

I’m always happy when we win. I’ll have a big smile on my face for days. However that doesn’t blind me to what I saw today. The “ walking football “ doesn’t suit our players. Funnily enough the minute we went from back to front with one pass we scored. JDT talks about polishing up our new style in the World Cup break. He could have whilst the next World Cup break and it still won’t work with players who lack the required technique. The likes of Ayala and Travis etc will never be ball players.

A more incisive team than Hudds would have punished us. They’re not bottom of the league for no reason.

Anybody watching that on TV won’t be thinking - “ bloody hell I missed a great game today, I must get down to Ewood for the next home match. “. The last half and hour was like the “ attack v defence “ we used to play in training. This was against the team at the bottom of the league at home when we were winning 1-0. And we parked the bus !