5 of Stokes starting line up tonight are there on loan. Including 2 of the midfielders Pearson and Smallbone. I do agree though, I'm rather envious of a couple of their players right now. There's a couple of them who would have added a lot to our promotion push.

We were very poor last night. I hate football when we've actually performing well. I often think I'm one of those that is passionate but has the ability to not let it ruin the day. In reality as a Rovers fan I've just become accustomed to expect failure. Being able to let things go really goes out the window when you start to belive. It's the hope that kills you. I was so wound up last night, firstly by our performance and then by the spineless referee. After some time to calm down, Alex Neill did a number on us. They let us have the ball at the back and their press suffocated us whenever we tried to go forwards. We became unsettled and constantly misplaced passes. The quick switches of play also destroyed us. Dolan was terrible for not tracking back, but I also think Pickering twice followed his man more centrally leaving so much space. We didn't deserve a thing from the game. I'm hopeful that under JDT we have a habit of bouncing back. Top 6 is the aim. A win at Reading and playoffs are still a possibility.

Oh fuck off referee. The ball was in play for about 90 seconds of that 5 mins added time. Spends his entire time pointing at his watch and blows on 5 minutes. Absolute twat. Its no wonder so many games are such a shit watch when the referees are such spineless fuckheads.

I think that was the time that QPR were finishing towards the top of the Premier League for a couple of seasons, with an absolutely impeccable home record on their plastic pitch.

Again you're just picking players to suit your argument. Let me counter with David Bentley, Stephen Warnock, Yakubu and Brad Friedel. 4 players all with Premier League experience who were excellent for us, that I've thought of in a second. Just to demonstrate that you're being selective to try to back up your point, let's transfer the stance you're taking to the European Market. Duds, Radoslav Petrovic, Corrado Grabbi and Vince Grella vs Mccarthy, Santa Cruz and Samba who were brilliant buys. In my original post I wrote if we were promoted it would be good to look at a couple of top championship players supplemented by players from the European market and a bit of Premier League experience, so I don't see why you've taken such opposition to what was 1/3 of the post. Pre-venkys Rovers made it part of their identity picking up unpolished diamonds. Like I've stated above you're literally picking players to suit your own argument so I feel like I'm wasting my breath. And it's not even a particularly staunch stance of mine as shown by the fact it was a point which made up 1/3 of my original post.

I think we have very different definitions of the word experience. You seem to be perceiving it as a player in his mid 30's, possibly looking for one last pay day. The Premier League is so awash with money that clubs are often looking at what is new and shiny with plenty of competent players still in their 20's struggling for game time. Players who have wracked up a decent amount of Premier League minutes in their careers.

In a word, no. There are so many examples of experience being invaluable. To solely pick out the worst of the absolute dross we signed under Kean to suit an argument is silly.

We should have beaten Stoke earlier this season, but we conceded the first goal and they shut us out. Our difficulty in coming back from losing positions could likely rear it's head again. My feeling is that so long as we get the first goal, we stand a very good chance. I agree it's going to be a low scoring game.

Looking at the table statistically helps me temper my expectations. In my opinion 2nd felt out of our reach anyway, especially when looking at the average amount of points needed although Sheffield United are currently 2 points worse off than Bournemouth were at this point last season. The average of 86 points would need one insane run of form between now and the end of the season and the wheels to completely fall off for both Boro and Sheffield United. I can't see it happening. ----- 74 points for the playoffs still requires what I would consider an excellent end to the season though again Millwall are 2 points worse off than 7th place was at this point last season. All the teams in and around us have been winning lately. For me we really need a buffer going into our last 5 games. I think JDT being level headed will be vital. Take things game by game and don't worry too much about what is going on around us. Each win is one small step towards where we want to be.

If we're still in the championship then a couple of strikers are a must, Sorba Thomas has been a great addition, a centre mid and possibly a left back. Emphasis on quality over quantity. ------ If we got promoted I'd absolutely love us to make an attempt for Victor Gyokeres. Proving his value season after season for Coventry. I'd be quite open to a combination of top Championship level players (would O'brien still consider us) a couple of overseas recruits and any proven Premier league players who are out of favour. Be shrewd in our recruitment. It would be an almighty scrap to stay in the Prem and if we were relegated, we'd be well set to bounce back.

Maybe the old saying "but can he do it on a rainy night in Stoke" is fully ingrained into people's consciousness.

The other possible take on this is that he's deeply upset at the amount of work his team put in, only for it to be worthless because of the admin screw ups. The amount of times I've witnessed people leaving companies in my career because "a great opportunity has come up", when in reality if the culture and process was correct in their current role, they wouldn't be remotely interested in leaving in the first place.

Wilmot, Sarkic and Pearson all doubts for Stoke. All first team regulars. https://www.google.com/amp/s/the72.co.uk/2023/03/06/alex-neil-shares-injury-updates-on-wilmot-sarkic-and-pearson-after-stoke-citys-win-over-sunderland/amp/

I don't think anyone is saying we should be scared of Stoke. Given our form we need to be going there with a plan to make sure we come away with three points. I do think the opposition in Stokes recent upturn in form has been fairly weak, however the apprehension some posters are having is because they are conscious Stoke will be no pushovers. We will have to go there prepared for a battle and given the tight margins of many of our victories, you always need that little bit of luck.

Not that any United player was fitting of wearing an armband today, but one of them should have marched up to him on the pitch and demanded he hand it over. Shane Duffy excluded, I've never seen a player so obviously give up during a game. Disgraceful diving (nothing new), having the ball knocked past him and literally walking whilst his team mates spring past him, shoving the linesman and waving in protest at not being subbed when 6-0 down. I've never seen anything like it.

My comment was really in reference to all the other teams we're playing in our final 5 games. The Burnley game is an exception. Form counts far less in a derby. It's simply going to be a battle.

I'm not sure Stokes form has me worried. They've beaten Huddersfield, Swansea and Sunderland and lost to Blackpool and Millwall in that time. In terms of the wins you couldn't wish for 3 kinder fixtures. What does worry me is them being Stoke. I've not looked at our history against them, but my immediate memories of playing them is we never seem to perform well. I'm certain it's not going to be a pretty game. Alex Neill isn't a bad manager and I see them sitting deep with us struggling to carve out many opportunities. Prediction is 0-0. If a team is to win it will be 1-0 and that could just as likely be them as it is us.

It's not like we're due a transfer fee anyway so I couldn't care less. He obviously has the offer on the table from Villareal which he is seemingly yet to accept. It's not long until English based clubs will be able to offer him pre-contracts either. Regardless of whether he is in the Rovers team, given his form I can't imagine there will be many Premier League offers incoming. Maybe one club may take a gamble but there won't be a scramble, resulting in mega bucks. Even from an unbiased perspective I really think his best option may well be staying with us. He looks a million miles from being ready to step up to another team right now and would be at real risk of his career completely stagnating.

In terms of the playoffs it looks like a 4/5 horse race for the final 2 spots. Coventry and Norwich are absolutely flying and will be in the mix. Given Lutons style of play I imagine they will continue picking up points and will be there or there abouts. I think Millwall will begin to drop away, but still being in with a shout with 2 or 3 games remaining in the season. Boro and Sheffield United to be somewhere in the top 6 regardless. My only frustration with out current run is the form of those around us. It's crazy there's not more of a cushion. ------ And then there is us. Given our form we may close the gap towards the automatics but our squad is paper thin. Realistically I see automatics as a step too far. Our next run of games are very winnable and so, so vital. Stoke, Reading, Birmingham, Norwich, Huddersfield, Hull. Followed by a very tough run of Coventry, Preston, Burnley, Luton, Millwall. My hope is the fixture list has been kind as most those teams are bang in form. If a couple of those begin stuttering we may have avoided them just at the right time. Momentum is so important. Keep winning through March and into mid April, confidence will be sky high and Ewood will be rocking just at the right time for that tough run.

I'd love Mowbray to reverse a death spiral for once in his career. Frustratingly their next 3 fixtures are against Norwich, Sheffield United and Luton. I imagine that'll be 3 points in the bag for each of those teams. As hilarious as it'll be we could really do with him doing us a favour or two.

Dack has done brilliantly to force his way back into the side. Now he's injured, Szmodics has stepped up and Dacky has to do it all again. He'll get opportunities to do so, but no player should automatically expect to walk straight back in. The reason we are where we as is because every player has to fight for their place. I look forward to Dack trying to force his way back in and Szmodics keeping his levels high knowing that any drop off in performance may see him lose his place. Healthy competition. On that note, the same applies to Diaz. He needs to win the shirt back too.

Ethan Brierley started and got an assist for Rochdale today.

Res card all day long. Doesn't matter that he got some of the ball. You go in with that power and studs up that high its a leg breaker. If Dolans foot was planted that's exactly what would have happened. Terrible decision by the referee.

This game has the feeling of Bournemouth away last year, only a lot later in the season. We were on a great run and they were a test as to how far we'd come. We convincingly won that game, with a lot of heart and desire and at that point I truly started to believe (foolish). At the moment I'm very impressed with how we're performing but ultimately still doubt the overall quality in our squad. Beat Sheffield United this weekend and I know I won't be able to help myself getting carried away!

On reflection, I'm quite pissed off about this. Maybe I need to be more cynical in life as I genuinely thought us taking it this far meant there was legitimate reason behind the appeal. Fair play to those posters who saw through what people at the club were doing. Spending money to take the heat off and protect themselves. I'm interested as to who drove the appeal reaching this stage and like the poster who has emailed Waggott, I want a true and transparent investigation. Fat chance of that happening since the ones who probably lodged the appeal are those culpable. Looking at the spurious reasons behind our appeal maybe there were a lot of heated discussions behind closed doors, which is why it took so long for the club to communicate with fans when this first happened. Why Broughton came out and said the buck stops with him, I've no idea as there are certainly others in the firing line far before him. Maybe he just gradually recognised that nobody else at the club was going to have the decency to do so. I was annoyed at us not getting the transfer over the line, but this feels like treating the fans with contempt. So Waggott and Sylvester could protect their own backs. I'm going to try and forget about this now. The playing staff and JDT are making us proud and bringing genuine enjoyment. That doesn't mean I want this swept under the carpet, but I'm sure it will. The appeal was stage one of operation save face.