Man I hope this is the last game we are missing Brereton.

I was considering saying similar, as our general play is a bit more energetic and so on. But defensively we are an absolute shambles today, Reading should be a few up really.

We could do with his composed decision making right now. Well, Dack anyway, not sure about this Deck fellow.

God I hope this is our bad half.

Defensively it is. I see I was right to say we should stick with the 5 at the back.

Kaminski keeping us alive here. We have flattered to deceive a lot, the final ball and final shot has been poor every time. Reading look far more likely when they come forward.

What's the betting the LT turns out to be more tactically astute than TM and we see one of the little lads in the middle, or at RB....

You can drop anyone if they're no longer playing in their natural position. I wouldn't have moved to 4 at the back either. But as it stands, we have, and Mowbray has gone with the shoehorn technique for the millionth time. Not that Nyambe was available in the end it seems. (Unless he was named on the bench initially so that Lenihan could play RB and Nyambe told him to go fuck himself...I'm kidding before anyone reacts, not that I'd blame him)

That's an improvement in personnel IMO, but not sure about the formation change. I know it worked in one half last match, but our problem first half wasn't particularly our system, but the personnel used at the top end of it, which changed at half time too. I think we should be sticking with the 5 at the back, and using 4-3-3 as our plan B for now. And never ever considering using Johnson as a false 9 or any other such dumbfuckery. Also thought Nyambe was meant to be back...we will see how Lenihan does for a whole game as a RB.

Then, you're entitled to be like that if you want, but don't expect anyone to take you seriously. You're saying you know things, are allowed to share them, but won't, and aren't explaining why not. But expecting us to believe your vague overall assertions. The only possibilities I can see are that you're trolling, know nothing of real substance but want to back up the regime, or do know things but you're just being an asshole about it. My guess is the second, but even on the last one, we might take entirely different conclusions from what you 'know', and maybe that's what youre trying to avoid, but we won't get the chance because you're being obtuse about it. You went on to talk about offering a viewpoint to balance the other ITK posts, but at least most of those offer some degree of specifics rather than vague promises of a better tomorrow.

Yes, you can if they're under contract. That's the point of contracts. It's also why he didn't leave for free. Because we could stop him leaving, so they had to offer an amount we found acceptable. Which we did, and we let ourselves get ripped off.

Why not?

I didn't say anything whatsoever about him being a good footballer.

That's a completely unfair and inaccurate accusation. Gallagher does lack bravery at times, amongst other things, but he rarely lacks effort (and when he does it's usually because he clearly isn't fully fit). He has ran his bollocks off plenty of times.

He has played for them before hasn't he? Or am I thinking of someone else?

I have no idea what that post was trying to say, but I suspect you've completely misunderstood the conversation, and pointlessly and ineffectively tried to insult Darwen.

Well no, it will be because of all of them. And Brereton, Kaminski, etc. Lord knows why you would credit Dack, who has only just come back and missed a penalty plus a sitter last game, or Johnson, who just isn't very good, before you'll credit Dolan, Khadra or Rothwell.

Wow, he looks considerably more depressed in that interview after a 3-1 comeback win than he did in his interview after the 0-7 drubbing. Astonishing. I think either the talk of him getting both barrels in the dressing room is right (supported IMO by the way he retreated to his bench second half) or the pressure is really telling, and maybe other home life issues too. If that's the case, I'm no fan of his management decisions, but I wish him well.

You know it's been a good day when you see someone saying 'Gallagher mom' and what they're saying isn't 'Gallagher's mom is probably a better player'.

Too defensive. Buckley has been poor in front of goal but he can still be more useful in CM, kept away from goal, than Johnson in that role. Rothwell as a false 9, even though his main attribute is carrying the ball over distance...well...we will see I guess, but I'm not sold on the idea as of right now.

Was he downbeat?

Afraid I've got bad news...it's actually 1 goal in 9 games.

He is also the reason we won't make the playoffs, which can be seen as nothing but an abject failure from the position we were in. If you think differently, I'm happy to have a wager with you. A tenner to the winner's charity of choice. I'm betting we won't get in the playoffs if you're willing to bet we will. If you don't think we will, from the lead we had at the start of the year, surely you must think that's unacceptable? The club don't owe Mowbray, they owe the fans, and what they owe is getting us back to where we were before they relegated and humiliated us for a decade.

From Mowbray, about Buckley: “Everyone had the option of doing five minutes training (on Thursday) and then coming in to rest, relax and get ready for the next match, but he was out there for over an hour, practicing finishing and he wasn’t told to do that." Wait what? What do you mean they had the option of doing five minutes of training then resting?!? What the fuck does that achieve? And of course he wants to practice finishing, he's been abysmal at it lately.

Problem is I don't see those three as options either. Khadra missed one recently, Gally couldn't finish a Freddo right now and Rothwell barely looks arsed most of the time and is far from a goal machine. Once someone has already missed, anyone else sounds like a better option. Dack wasn't ready, but I'd say the other three were probably just as likely to miss it, and like I said you can 100% guarantee if they had, everyone would have asked why it wasn't Dack. We're in a really sorry situation right now, and I bet it takes a few games for Dack to believe in himself again now.