Exiled_Rover

The fan base is there - you saw it yesterday and you've seen it for the Burnley game. The quality of the game isn't really a problem (losing it though), it's the fact that there's just no direction and no connection to this club anymore. I go because it's a social event with my parents. I've no real love for what this club has turned into.

I don't think they intended on playing with three at the back - look at the makeup of the squad: Ribeiro and Pickering have no place in that formation (neither will be cheap, relative to the rest of the squad) We only have three CFs for two positions (and he basically refuses to play Gueye) We only have one RWB in the squad We only have four senior CBs for three starting CB positions It's pretty clear he's stumbled upon this formation (or perhaps reverted to it as I know he's played it before) and we're trying to make do with the players we have. I actually think it suits most of our players, we just don't have the required depth to play it when injuries inevitably hit. If I was in charge of January recruitment I'd be looking at a RWB, a CB, a CM and a CF as an absolute minimum. I'd also be looking to shift Pickering and Ribeiro on.

If the ref wasn't so blatant today I'd suggest he was on the take. I simply list it down to incompetence. He needs to find another career because he's in well over his head refereeing at this level.

You've seen from Henriksson, who's come from what you'd imagine is a very physical Swedish league, and is struggling to get up to the speed and physicality of the game - it just isn't. The Championship is full of the best paid cloggers on Earth. It's unbelievably physical.

The question is; are any of them good enough? If you're throwing youngsters of the standard of Montgomery into the starting XI you're on a hiding to nothing.

Who's buying an injured GK in January?

It's the current 'project'. As Broughton and JDT found, it's liable to change on a whim.

Yes, our fans do not listen. They explained there'd be a poem, then a minutes silence, then the last post. They cheered through the last post because they're morons.

Curious you'd say that - consensus around me was they were a very thuggish side that were fortunate to have such a weak ref and were lucky to leave with all three points. Eustace has spent a hell of a lot of money to be playing that style of football.

He literally didn't make a save today.

If my defender had been beaten and like that and then tried to pull the shirt off the player's back I'd have been livid. Absolutely stonewall penalty.

Time wasting / slowing the game down / doubling up on Alebiosu is fine and clever tactics. Sending your players out to foul from minute 1 until the ref calls you up on it (which he never did - what a weak individual he is) is beyond the pale. It clearly took a half time teamtalk for our players to start giving some back as we were much more physical the second half.

Firstly, SKY - LOL. Secondly - he was clearly pulling his shirt and impeding him. It's as clear a foul as you'll see.

I don't know where you sit in the ground, but I was in line with both penalties. Sanderson dove in and took out Ohashi. Stonewall.

The one where Sanderson scythed down Ohashi from behind? I mean...

Just flicking through the thread - is no-one talking about the stone wall penalty we didn't get for the foul on Gueye at the death? Derby lad thought it was full time, he was trying to swap shirts.

Maybe I was just watching with rose tinted glasses when Eustace was here, but I'm sure he didn't send us out to be so niggly and dirty. From minute one they were pushing our players in the air, blocking runs, tugging shirts. The useless ref didn't pull them up on anything so they doubled down on it. What a horrible, horrible team.

I don't know who was meant to be marking Morris for the first one, but Alebiosu should have got something on the second. Neither were Hedges' fault.

Well that's us fucked then.

And move Pickering on.

The accusation is incredibly believable too. I've always thought he's done similar with Rovers.

I think it just shows how far our standards have fallen.

If we play Pears we'll lose. Besides the fact he's awful, Eustace had him worked out when we played them last season - the game was over almost before it started because he just told him team to pile pressure on Pears. He crumbled.

0 shots on target by the opposition last night. 1 goal conceded in the last 3 (5 scored). It's clearly a team growing together - and one that was desperately unlucky earlier in the season.

Incisive ball from the RCB too.