If nothing else, hopefully his going leads to not reading about lemon drizzle cake and Gallagher’s ten minutes at right back any more.

They’ve had plenty of practice.

Well done Tony, thanks for all the hard work! Another game where you system confirmed that Dack has been beyond peripheral since his return. I’m not sure all that’s missing is a pre-season for him.

Thanks for summarising such a long article - much appreciated. While it no doubt has a bit of Mowbray spin, it seems well corroborated externally and, just as importantly, rings a lot more true than 99% of what has become the received wisdom on here. To me it just confirms that any success we have would have to be an absolute fluke - like Ben’s 20 goals by Xmas - and in spite of the permanent shit show of executive management and governance. With that set up, we won’t get the best manager, we won’t get him in time, and he almost certainly will fall short, no matter who he is.

Not too much weeping and wailing about Joe Rothwell having played his last game for us then. Never much of a fan myself: I stopped getting up off my seat about three years ago as his runs so rarely resulted in anything, mainly I felt because he was a lot better at accelerating than he was at decelerating while keeping the ball under control once he got near the box. Only very rarely would he be able to score or set up a decent chance once the defenders started closing in. As a centre-mid he was just too inconsistent as a threat and too rubbish defensively. Running down a contract once could be due to any number of reasons, doing it twice is symptomatic of calculating greed. Will soon be forgotten.

More interesting is what he seems to nearly say outright: how much of a shit show it is behind the scenes. Been there every day for five years and doesn’t know who makes decisions - in what other organization on earth does that happen? My theory is he is so much of a football nut, and it was a much better gig than he could’ve expected after Coventry, he put up with the shit show because he loves the day to day job. I think the two straws that broke even his back were getting knocked back on selling Rothwell without knowing who decided or why, and then his rather prickly self-esteem not taking to no contract discussions. My prediction is whoever we get in will not feel like putting up with the Venkys way for long and it’ll be another Lambert, and maybe a few more in quick succession. Venkys out.

Once Pickering was sold in 63, the ambition also left the building.

Tied neck and neck as the worst period in our entire history with 1963-1971 when we went from being one of the top 3-4 teams in the country to 19th in the third division after a useless manager in the form of Eddie Quigley, top players sold and replaced with rubbish, promotion pushes thrown away, and general mismanagement. Of course we know how that turned around whereas we don’t know how this one will finish….

Surprisingly enjoyable game. Two best goals of the season, I’ve seen many worse debuts than Brown’s, Bucko and Trav centre mid next season, Ayala sure can defend the aerial ball well, Hedges man of the match. On the downside, Pickering is a problem, Dack was a passenger yet again, and Gallagher is just pitiful.

Think you missed a comma out between it and stout Mark! 🤣

And those fans aren’t going to change their minds and adopt the attitudes of the majority on here. Not because they are thick/demented/deluded, but because they are no different to those of us who started supporting the club in the early 1970s third division days and who couldn’t have given a shit about the perspectives of the 1960 cup final ticket boycotters, of who there were many thousands. The younger more positive supporters clearly enjoy it, as did we back in the day, and the fact that things are a lot crapper than 12 years ago makes no odds to them. We were singing the praises of John McNamee - a lower league clogger if ever there was one - only two years after captain of England Ronnie Clayton was in his position!

Maybe two TonyOz awards: highest average and highest cumulative, which looks like Lenihan by a mile!

Embarrassing difference in quality

Awful goal to concede: no pressure on the bloke with the ball; Van Hecke nowhere near his man, Wharton nowhere near his man; Lenihan plays him onside. Gallagher back to his back on his heels self, anticipating nothing, late to everything; Pickering and Hedges out of their depth; Rothwell making sure not to trouble his future teammates - tippy tappy sideways passes at the back and a sudden liking for short corners.

A dead rubber is a match where the result, either way, is entirely meaningless to the overall outcome. It’s very much a live issue for Bournemouth and still marginally live for us. So the opposite of a dead rubber.

He put a peach of a cross onto Diaz’s head which Ben headed onto the bar, something Nyambe can’t do. Also Travis was freed up from being stationed ten yards diagonally behind Nyambe when in their half, where he receives the inevitable pass back.

Because none of the other ten had the balls to grab it off the lad. There’s no born winners in our team.

We ran faster down Manchester Rd afterwards than he ever did during the game!

Had to happen Tony after your pre-match comment that Lenihan at fullback would add good crosses and a goal…!

When Bucko dropped deeper into a midfield 3 he was by far the best player on the pitch imo, thinks quicker than everyone else. Has to be played there next season.

Wish I’d put a Mercer on Bucko and Trav scoring in the same game.

First goal was 99.8% Pickering and Diaz, Buckley’s goal a pearler but his first ever shot not leaning back, and Lenihan hasn’t given up. Nothing wrong with Hedges on that showing.

Rothwell’s first shot this year a predictable limp effort

I’m not sure why Buckley doesn’t get the benefit of the Mowbray handicap when donkeys like Gallagher do. Personally I’m looking forward to see him develop further playing in centre midfield alongside Travis and hopefully one other for a full season. He’s a great tackler and easily the best quick forward passer at the club. Yes he’s not the finished article but this has been his first full season where he’s barely been allowed to stay in one position in any one game thanks to the tactical genius in the dugout.

He was till it was time to pull the trigger; I thought all the efforts on goal were poor technique: soft header, mis-timed header, hit the bar when he should’ve just curled it in. Got into great positions but let himself down imo.