Watch Faf de Klerk. Tiny guy, runs nonstop, tackles, gets hammered by guys twice his size, gets up and knocks them down. As I said, rugby players are trained to take knocks and footballers arent but it doesn't excuse footballers rolling about in apparent agony and then getting up as though nothing has happened 10 seconds later. Its the over dramatising of every tiny knock to try to get your opponent carded that I dont like. If you're genuinely hurt then by all means stay down, get treatment, expect the opponent who caused it to be punished. But dont play act.

No there's nothing wrong with their being there. Results are what matters. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. And when I say nasty and niggly, that's very different from being tough and hard to beat. I watched a fair bit of the playoff final and whenever I looked there was a player rolling about like he'd been shot and trying to persuade the ref he should get a free kick. its that aspect I dont like. I watched a fair number of City players do the same thing in the CL final too, and it grates. On the day, Swansea didn't play well enough and deserved nothing. I just wish they'd been able to keep 11 men on the pitch and make it a better contest.

I know they are trained to take hits, and so roll with them better but can you imagine a Curry twin hitting one of our players softly as they do in prematch warm ups😅

He used to run a soccer school in Clitheroe. Both my lads went and loved it

I was just disappointed Brentford won. Family members down in London support them. We used to be able to look down on them. And Brentford are nasty, niggly little team. I watched a rugby match yesterday that was absolutely brutal. Brentford's players should be embarrassed at the ease with which they went down as though dying, only to get up and play on without a care in the world. I'm not impressed with Swansea, but Brentford in the PL just feels all wrong to me.

I've always liked Rugby Union. Used to watch 6 Nations back in the 5 Nations days and Kim always went to Twickenham when we were first married through connections with Taunton Rugby Club. We've been going to Sale for more than 10 years now, but on a casual basis at first. We've got more and more hooked by it as Rovers have deteriorated. Not the team, but the ownership and management. While Rovers have lost connection with the fans, Sale have done all they can to engage with theirs. Their liaison over ticket sales for last night's match was brilliant and any delay in communications was immediately apologised for and rectified. The owner was there meeting fans etc before the match. The non playing players are around before matches, serving in the club shop, posing for pics with kids etc. After the match they'll pose for pics, chat to fans etc. The buses they run from various places to help solve the parking problems at the ground are generally free (last night they cost £1 each. Something to do with numbers we think). There was free hand sanitiser, a free drink, those cardboard clapper things given to everyone before the match. The clapper things had names of all who'd bought a membership this year or donated the remainder of last year's season ticket money to the club. There was a free bottle of water on entry for all fans because they were not allowed to sell drinks on the concourses of standing areas for social distancing reasons. All very small things but makes you feel valued. And this is a Premiership Club. Not a small time outfit. The owners care, and, when they needed a new manager, they went and got someone widely respected in rugby, although he'd never been a DOR before and this was a new situation for him. He had coached Saracens and been a big part of their management team and had played for Sale. He's immediately connected with fans and is so enthusiastic he can barely keep still in interviews. Fans already love him and he's the wow factor in a club with Faf de Klerk playing for them. Its not lemon drizzle for Alex; it's Malbec Sundays, a phrase fans have taken on. I used to think nothing would destroy the way I feel about Rovers, but this lot have come very close to it and Sharks are more captivating in just about every way. Means I can still love Rovers but get my fix of live sport and feel valued for it.

It was a cracker. Sale's defence was immense then in the second half they scored 3 tries to win 22-12. Great night!!!!!

Union not league, but I'm at the AJBell tonight for Sale v Bristol. Transport laid on from Trafford Centre. Cost £1 return. Free drink outside. Free bottle of water to take in. Names of those who are members or who donated remainder of last season's ST listed on the cardboard Clapper things they were giving out. Great to be back along with about 3k others.

By Teesside standards, its not bad

He doesnt live in Middlesbrough. He lives in Marske. That's at the seaside so wherever he is he's on hols.

The issue is, whatever we sell Armstrong for will disappear into a black hole somewhere. It will NOT be invested in the defence. Weve seen it all before.

Just finished watching the cup final. Great for him and his team

Yeah but imagine how you'll feel to log in and see that

Or got rid of until we can have a new one. Mowbray GONE

I'd be off like a shot if anyone came calling.

Anyone know where we can get hold of a bear?

Mowbray definitely does not get us. Hes from Teesside like me. I grew up among men like him. It's an area that has never been ambitious, always lived in the shadow of Newcastle and never really looked outwards. It's an area with a chip on its shoulder because nobody has ever, ever taken any notice of them in living memory. Tony is typical of many people there. Hes stubborn, unambitious and awkward. We here in Blackburn have many of the same problems but the football club has always aimed higher until recently. Mowbray may be staying but we all know he shouldnt be because his ambition certainly doesnt match ours

'An affinity with' simply means that they get us. They get the history, the area, the fans. They understand where we've been and know where they want to take us. It doesnt mean they have to be from the area, have connections with the club. It means they share our aspirations. At this point our aspirations are to be challenging for promotion whilst accepting we may not get there. We genuinely want to give it the right good go that managers have said they are giving it whilst giving it no such thing

Sale Sharks did this. They wrote first to those who had 19/20 season tickets and asked if they wanted a) an immediate refund b) to carry the remaining ST value forward against future tickets c) to donate the remainder of their ST value to the club. They then set up a membership scheme where for £90 we all got this season's shirt and a scarf. We also got priority on tickets for matches that were possible to play with crowds. Hence huge uptake for the 2 remaining matches in the league. Fans are happy and stay connected. Ticket office chief organised watchalongs Friday nights whilst league was suspended. People all sat down in their own homes watching streamed match of her choice. All Sale wins, some going back a few years, of course but all about keeping supporters and club united. None of it big stuff but someone had sat down and thought, what can we do to engage with the fanbase and keep them onside. Perhaps they should have got more players involved. They have trouble staying onside at the best of times! Seriously even some of the players got involved and chose their favourite matches too. Then, during European cup weeks, Sharks, who'd been knocked out by La Rochelle, organised the Olympics and put it on Twitter. 10 players, 5 days, 5 events. Dizzy kick, egg and spoon race, hula hooping, steady hand game and medicine ball throw. Great to see Faf de Klerk is a hula hoop star, whilst Ross Harrison, the front row, was the only one to put the ball between the posts whilst dizzy. It was a laugh done to break up training when there was no match at the weekend, but shows the kind of imagination Rovers are lacking across the board.

Unfortunately Mowbrays successor looks like being Mowbray so nothing to discuss

It wasn't the stealing or not stealing but the fact that I picked him up on use of language he was on about

Presumably you're going to buy them not take them

Philosophy is fine if used correctly. If you sign the players to fit it and it includes winning as many matches as possible. Top clubs have a philosophy. They defend well, create from midfield and have strikers who find the back of the net. Everything else is frills and furbelows if you don't get that bit right

It occurs to me that, if Mowbray is going down the route of playing our youngsters, then we might as well bin him anyway and give the job to the guys who already manage them relatively successfully. Thats not what I want to happen, but it's logical.

I reflected to my husband on the sliding doors scenario where Venkys walked in and did it right.