I thought his look up and cross for the second and his run and finish for the third were of the very highest quality - I don’t think any other of our players could’ve pulled both off.

Dacky delirious…

I got the impression that today was how he wants us to play from the back - more players were making more runs showing for the passes from the back three, and all three goals were moves featuring quick passes from defenders.

Another played out from the back goal - excellent stuff

What an excellent playing it out from the back goal: Ayala - Travis -Szmods-Ben

Much better so far than the last couple of games, very little pissing around at the back and a lot more forward passes onto players making runs. Gallagher is still a waste of a shirt and Diaz hasn’t imposed himself. Smodz done more good stuff than in all his appearances put together. Morton is key though, I think Bucko will be in the U23s a while.

Excellent quick pass and move that led to the penalty.

So, apart from the end of the transfer window, the Queen’s passing and that over the last 19 days the trend has been upward, I think you are bang on that people are losing interest!

Yet, after all that, I thought we missed the four best chances: Dolan simple chip, Smzodics, Dack and the penalty

A lot not to like about that but senior pros letting a 20 yr old sub loanee take a last minute penalty is the most cowardly thing on a football pitch I’ve ever seen. Absolute disgrace.

What would be your definition of failure? Personally, I can’t believe this ambitious over-achiever came to Blackburn Rovers to try and scrape Mowbray’s legacy squad into the Prem this season only to lose 0-8 every week next season. I think he came because he has been promised time, money and a fantastic crop of youngsters coming through to implement the way of playing he believes in.

I’m starting to see what I think the manager is up to: this is still the audition phase for the squad as to who can, can’t, will or won’t play how JDT wants us to play. He clearly is no fan of the goalie booting it straight to their centre halves as we have no forwards who can get on the end of punts and not give it away. To my mind, the plan is play it out from the back to encourage the press which stretches the oppositions formations and creates spaces. Then exploit these spaces with fast 1-2 touch play and then overload a point in the back four with three free role forwards. Of course, as is obvious, some players are passing and others failing the audition. Hedges is by far the one who gets it most, I think because he has such great awareness and really does move the ball fast. Others who I think are assets to the system are Ayala, who is better than I thought at passing through the press to feet, Brittain, Morton and Diaz. Hyam and the Wharton Bros also as the season progresses. Dolan is adapting - not one step-over yesterday and a right time, right place calmly taken goal. Trav I’m not sure about, but he’s at least not a liability. The ones I see not being with us long are obvious: Gally is miles off with touch and awareness; Dacky has never been a rule follower in his life - subbed off at half time, benched, then coming on for the last six minutes is a clear as day message: fit in or fuck off. Bucko’s tendency to glide with the ball but sometimes have it nicked off him is what I think cost him his place, he needs to be as quick as Hedges to move the ball but it’ll take time to unlearn five years of Mowbray. I think the manager has no intention whatsoever of adapting his tactics to suit the current players, he’s going to adapt the players to suit his tactics.

Great find Tony. Would you have kept up with play wearing a three-piece suit and spats? 😂

Very sad update on the one-season legend that was John McNamee https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-unitedjohn-mcnamee-health-24949563?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=organic

It’s increasingly clear that if Dacky doesn’t play the JDT way then he doesn’t play.

Surprised that more hasn’t been made of Dack getting the hook at half time. I remain convinced there is a battle of wills going on that will only have one winner. Before the game I watched Dacky say he’d never been fitter; after the game I heard the manager say he’s trying to get fit. Personally I think he got hooked for coming too deep looking to get a touch. That’s Dack First, not Team First. Under JDT, if you aren’t getting enough touches then I suspect the answer is you aren’t making enough good runs to make yourself a passing option. Coming deep to tip tap around with the centre halves just makes things worse. As a new manager, he has to bend Dack to his will and be seen to do so. Question is, is Dacky for bending?

One feature I noticed not already mentioned was how Carter is much more comfortable passing/going forwards than Phillips, who invariably played balls sideways or back. I assume the difference is maturity and confidence brought about by Carter getting well established at Pompey on loan.

It looks suspicious to me, Rev. It’s almost as though they are being orchestrated… Remind me, were you equally against signing Armstrong after his 1 goal in 20 Championship appearances for Wanky Wanderers?

So maybe it “just didn’t work out for him” at Rotherham, plus the lad was even younger then. It wasn’t working out very well for Brereton either when he was 21. Rothwell did sod all at this level for 2.5 years before he came good. I’ve no idea if he’d been any good or not in our team, but I do know one slanted stat (most of the appearances were as sub, in a failing team) doesn’t prove anything.

Gary Birtles got one in 40-something starts for Man U but was prolific for Forest either side of that. Sometimes players don’t get played to their strengths when they move club.

Out of interest, were you around when Howard Kendall won one of his first ten after being appointed? Before leading us to promotion and then very nearly a consecutive promotion.

On the plus side, I can’t remember a better academy league debut than Wharton, other than maybe Jones. Early days, the manager is still learning what he has got, and some players are failing the audition.

Five minutes of unadulterated crap from Brereton

Buckley, JRC terrible, Dack invisible - I’m beginning to wonder how good he is without Danny Graham teeing them up - only Ayala in the back 4 can pass forward. Get Hedges on for Buckley.

66.6% win rate - clearly a fail.