ben_the_beast

It's all what if etc. Which is not something I usually like to go into. But if we'd scored those 2 penalties against Sheffield Utd and Bristol we'd be four points off second right now. 2 points had we somehow not chucked away the points against Coventry. It's absolutely ridiculous that we've fallen out the playoffs. I'm not sure many sides have ever fallen away as badly as we have.

Exactly this. 110 minutes was insane. I've never seen a ref willingly go so far beyond the alloted amount of added time before.

Players were doing a lot of gamesmanship at the end to waste time but that was an absolutely ridiculous amount of time added on by the ref. He had no control the entire game. Absolutely useless

This is abysmal. If Lenihan were on the pitch I'm sure he'd be close to wanting to lamp JRC. The guy just plays his own game. Our only hope is to get to half time for wholesale changes. Everyone could see this coming when the line up was announced. Its shocking

Worst signing we could have made. He's a great player but Mowbray has got it in his head he wants to play him wide right and it massively unbalances us

If he was fit he would have been on the bench against Brazil just a few days ago. After being out for a couple of months to go from completely unfit to 80 mins in just a few days to me means they definitely gambled on him

The Chile fairytale has been great. I've loved watching it. But at the end of the day it's clear he wasn't fit and they've played him for 80 minutes. That's unprofessional and it's putting their star at risk and ours too. Not only did they play him for 80 minutes but they were doing so when they needed a 3 goal swing in the Peru game, a 2 goal swing in the Colombia game and obviously for them to win their own game. There wasn't a cat in hells chance before the match let alone at half time and they still kept him on the pitch. I've enjoyed the Diaz story as much as anybody but the debacle of how they've acted in this international break needs to be observed in isolation and its completely unacceptable.

It's a complete joke. I could understand him making the bench. But if he wasn't fit enough to be in the squad a few days ago he's certainly not fit enough to be starting tonight. Chile have acted disgustingly. They should do one.

It was a freak goal. I wouldn't pin it solely on Raya. 50/50 between him and the centre back. But he's caused confusion by coming into no-man's land.

This and some bloody instructions to get Khadra and Brereton narrow as soon as we have the ball. One of the big things I've not understood with how our tactics have adapted over the season is how we've come to be playing with our wide strikers as wide as they have been. My interpretation of our formation when we were on our run was that Diaz and Khadra dropped wider and deeper when we were defending but when we had the ball, they came far narrower as we had the width from the wing backs. Half the time it now looks like we have 4 wingers when we have the ball and only Buckley scuffing chances in the middle.

I'll be interested to see where he ends up. I was raving about him pre February. It's a good analysis you've given. I'd like to see him resign, though I don't think there is a cat in hells chance that he will. But given his second half of the season form, I think he'll be pretty lucky to see a Premier League team come in for him now. You never know he might go to a relegated Burnley 😂

I've been very Pro-Mowbray like a lot of us were during our phenomenal run. I said it to a few friends of mine and a lot of people on here said it too, that they felt as though our form was down to stumbling upon something that worked and a few really good characters amongst the playing staff. I was Pro-Mowbray because he was part of the run and it was important we kept things as we were to maintain momentum. In my eyes the only real thing Mowbray had to do was not mess with it. Keep things simple, keep things ticking. Think Ranieri in Leicester's title win. Was he a tactical genius? Not at all. Something just clicked and he had the good sense to just stand back and let it flow. Here's the issue. Mowbray has always seen himself as the most important cog. It's often him vs the rest. Players know when things are working and when they are not. We were always going to have a bit of a sticky patch. All Tony had to do was bring us back to basics a little, but he's out-thought even himself. The decisions have become absolutely baffling. From not bringing a striker in, because we don't play strikers, to the persistence of tinkering and putting players out of position, the further we've gone into this death spiral. Basically he's absolutely fu**ed it. The point of no return was yesterday. Player power took control against Derby and the players won it. Tony sulked on the touchline. All he had to do, was go home, reflect, come back in and congratulate the players. Hands up and be open with them. What do you guys think is working? What isn't. I'm certain the likes of Lenihan would lay it to him straight. Things need to be simple. And then we saw that masterclass of tactics yesterday. As a player I'd be looking at my teammates thinking why. And knowing that the squad and manager were pulling in different directions. You can see the confusion in the team. And then Mowbray lays the blame at the feet of the players post match. Hands up.... Who wouldn't be seething when arriving home? Moving forwards, he's become a hinderance. I think we'd see an upturn in results if player power picked the team. There are big characters in the squad. I've been massively impressed by Lenihans leadership qualities this year. I think Mark Venus would even see a temporary upturn. It's been widely documented over the years he and Mowbray have different ideas on tactics. Even Mike Bassett would get a tune out of them. Essentially I really believe if anybody came in with a laid back approach to management and just let the players off the leash, we'd still stand a massive shot at promotion. There literally couldn't be a better time to part ways (except for a few weeks ago). It won't happen. He's here until the summer, wallowing in his own gloom because his players aren't following his befuddled tactics. Go now and the club have a huge opportunity. Stay and we're done. I don't think there even needs to be much of a short term plan. Let the men on the pitch compete and man for man I think they'd get us over the line.

Agreed. This has been the subtle change we've seen as the season progressed. In possession Buckley, Rothwell and Trav were a 3. Brereton and Khadra more narrow. Out of possession Buckley pushed higher to press the opposition centre backs. It wasn't a false 9 which is what we're now seeing with very wide strikers. Today was groundhog day. The moment when you thought Tony had finally been pressured into going back to basics, but it wasn't to be. He still persists with his overly complex tactics which push players out of their natural positions. I see today as curtains, mainly because after whatever went on at half time against Derby, he had the opportunity to almost step back and let his leaders lead. Instead he's made it all about his ideas and honesty; from a people management perspective, that'll be a moral crusher. A sure fire way to break any togetherness. For all we'd achieved this season I'd become Pro-Mowbray for a long time but today he's really hammered that final nail in the coffin of me being certain, we'll never progress with him in charge. Thanks for the hard work Tony, but I think it's time you stepped aside.

I'd feel better if we were just shit. But we continue to be the better side in games. We continue to have a number of guilt edged chances in games. And we continue to somehow keep on missing them. We should have brought in a striker in January. If we did, I'm certain we'd be at least 8 points better off. Sam Gallagher has been the biggest disappointment in this run for me. He just doesn't get into danger areas. His like of footballing intelligence and strikers instincts have made him completely ineffectual. This was his chance to lead the line. Diaz being out has really highlighted just how bad Gallagher really is. It almost feels like we're cursed right now. We haven't been blowing teams away. But on the balance of play, the chances we've missed, I find it unbelievable that we've not picked up more points of late. I think Mowbray is correct for sticking to this system. It's worked this season and to an extent is still working. However it was his decision to not bring in a striker. That judgement call is on him and right now it looks as though its costing us promotion.

At least we're seeing some lessons learnt. Kaminski, Trav and Gallagher all being signed up shows much better future planning to avoid a repeat of this seasons situation. I think the situation with the current lot was a result of us not being able offer enough money until it was too late. Through both covid and financial mismanagement of fat contracts for other, 'over the hill' players. By the time we'd sold the training ground and Arma we were in a situation where those players were happy to wait and see. Our form sky rocketed, their stock and thus demands rose. We were priced out. I'm very pleased to see better future planning. The excellent youth system is the life blood of the club, but also shouldn't be taken for granted that we'll continuously see it produce first team players season in, season out. We need to keep our assets tied down.

I don't feel sorry for any fan of Chelsea. If Rovers were owned by a Russian oligarch then I wouldn't see it any differently. Some things are more important than football.

Likewise. I've had some good news this week. In actual life. But I'm in a horrible mood after that. I'm completely fed up of watching us now

Just put your foot through the fucking ball. We were actually superb for the majority of the game. But Jesus shit. Just shoot. Actually just shoot. Rant made. Hedges is shite. Not even championship standard. Buckley even for the fact he's the biggest culprit of not finishing things was actually having an excellent game We've paid the price for no striker in January The biggest criticism of Sam Gallagher is that the bloke doesn't exist. When the ball is in the box he reminds me of me when I was 12. Avoidant. I grew out of it. It's the number 1 reason gally won't ever make it. He'd go to Vegas and spend all his money on a travelodge. He's never gambled in his life. I'm so pissed off. It feels like season over. We ain't gonna score. I remember old olivia atwood wishing happy birthday to her 'big willied' Dacky. None of the others have any balls. (Defence excluxed) This lot have nothing at the business end. And it's cost us. Diaz and Dack are the only ones who truly stand up. Without them we're nothing. They've made Rothwells flash runs and premier league dreams. He's just a support act. If footballers don't graft, anticipate, put their head in where it hurts then you're not going to score goals. Sure it looks great when finesse the ball into the net. But it's not making sure the job gets done. We're not going up. Because we can't score. I'm fed up now. It's the hope that kills you. BTW Ryan Giles is the worst of the lot. He's technical but he's a little softy with a fuzzy haircut. (Not worse than Gallagher) Who's touch is the worst I've ever seen. Soft and shite. Anyway. Goodnight

Bring the energy of our last two games and we may stand a chance. Fulham are the best team in the league hands down. So we need to turn it into a battle. Do that and i wonder how up for a fight they will be. My only fear with that is then losing key players for our winnable run of games with them picking up yellows. It's a little like Bournemouth earlier in the season. Nothing to lose so we might as well just give it a go. It would certainly help to beat any psychological barriers moving forwards.

That's just not fair. Will wait and let the dust settle before analysing. But my gut feeling is that was just bollox. No way did we deserve to lose that. Absolute salt rubbed in with the qpr and Huddersfield turn arounds. But that result was bollox

I think the game was playable yesterday. However I'm sure the pitch would have been ruined by the end. It might be a good thing for the club as we saw what a state it got into last season once it began to get ripped up. It does make our game against Sheffield United huge. If we can win there with the extra days rest then this could be a minor blessing. Anything else and one of the few winnable games of late being cancelled, really hurts the club. At the end of the day we need a new pitch. Simple as. Its an issue which can't continue to be ignored and fixed up on the cheap.

It says with add ons which would potentially bring the deal up to £5million. Which is a ridiculous offer by spurs as it is lose, lose for us. We'd get little money up front now to invest in our current team and if he met some of the triggers in the deal he'd be worth significantly more than £5m. On a side note, the way Phillips is being talked about I'd be disappointed if we accepted £5m up front cash.

We've had a wobble and the worrisome thing is Mowbrays inability to stop a blip becoming a death spiral in previous seasons. But he deserves backing right now. We've done phenomenally well this year. I'm hoping to see us bounce back. Couple of wins and all will be fine again. And it's perfectly possible. The goals have dried up, yes. But promotions are built on solid defences. It's not time to throw out the script. We'll start scoring again at some point, so long as we keep the structure to the team.

Massive boost seeing Kaminski sign a new deal. He's such a key player for us. I'm hoping we'll see Travis next. He seems to really care and be stepping up in a leadership sense of late. It does seem as though the club is trying to pre-empt things a little more to prevent the contract situation of this season from happening again.

Rich Sharpe stating the pre-contract Ash Phillips signed at 16 was 5 years so will have 4 years left once it kicks in at 17 which is reassuring. I still won't be relaxed until its all official after his 17th birthday though.