I think all modern full backs play too close to the centre halves but they’re obviously told to play that way. I noticed the Millwall full back marking ACD played wider, got right into his ribs, and never allowed him to turn with the ball. If the winger gets a run at you you’ve got a problem. If he’s smart - he’s going to be running at you and he's got you stopped. Only one winner there.

Yep, a real ale house ball if I ever saw one. He should have passed it back to Hyam to who could have passed it back to Pears. Safety first after all. I’d have him in for extra training.

What I’m really saying is we need to mix it up a bit. Constantly coming inside doesn’t ask enough questions of the opposition in my opinion. Our last goal came from a real old fashioned ale house cross but Sunderland coudn’t deal with it. Same as us at Millwall last week.

3 of the 4 goals today came from players getting up the side of teams and crossing the ball. Just saying.

He managed to play the ball in right footed for their second goal. That was after he’d got around the outside of our defence.

The Shirelles - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

Bloody hell, you’d get long odds on those scores.

Maybe whoever was playing outside him could have prevented the situation arising in the first place.

After what feels like a lifetime of the chicken chokers chaos it’s a miracle that that many turn up.

Once your central defenders are having to turn and run back towards their own goal you’re in deep shit. As Sunderland proved today.

Somebody should have been helping Beck out when we were out of possession. In my book that somebody should have been whoever was playing on the left wing at the time.

Couldn’t make the game today but from watching the highlights where was whoever was playing left wing ( Hedges ? ) Beck was left completely isolated for both goals.

It’s just a shame their guy didn’t cut inside for their second goal.

What, more than normal ?

I’d have gone with that under the circumstances.

The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes

The best Rovers team I ever saw. Of course we lost the return fixture pretty badly a couple of days later.

I played full back in my playing career and if I could get the winger I was playing against cutting inside it was job done. On no account would you allow the winger to get past you on the outside. If that happened your defence would be turned and would be running back towards their own goal. In that case watching both the player in possession of the ball and the player you’re supposed to be marking becomes really difficult. What you have today is players coming inside, running into traffic, being shepherded along the 18 yard line, and bunching the play. The play is always in front of the defenders and therefore being able to watch the player in possession and the player you’re supposed to be marking is much easier. If you want a classic example watch the Tugay-Pedersen-McCarthy goal against Liverpool back in the day.

I look forward to the day when Rovers have the likes of Saka or Salah playing the wing for us. I take your point but like lots of modern tactics it only works when you have top class players executing the plan..

Mm, a bit of a gender issue here - “ Hey There Lonely Boy “ was by them. “Hey There Lonely Girl “ was Eddie Holman. Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely.

Yeah, it’s like me going to a company that made components and the management saying “ We want you to make these components but we’ll chose the machinery we buy to make them with “. Err , no thanks, I’m off.

Obviously not. They don’t spend their nights annoying the neighbours under the street lights playing “ Wally “ anymore. Were you could only use your “ weaker foot “. Until you didn’t have a “weaker foot “ .

If they had any sense he would be.

That thought went through my mind. He’s too easily out muscled for me, Dolan not so much so, he’s older and a bit stronger. I’ve never liked wingers playing on their wrong wing. It really handicaps them in my opinion. The full back already knows what they’re trying to do.

It’s a chicken choker free zone.