the highlights reel obviously missed the 5 Boro blocks in their 6 yard box near the end

Based on recent form, Birmingham Huddersfield and Stoke are both below us and are in bad form which is reassuring. 5 clubs have to perform better than us in points and 4 clubs in goal difference. Yes we have a tough run in but at this stage of the season clubs at the top can get the yips.

Head down.

I like the way he has dropped Moran after the way he cost us 3 points at Swansea. A bit of ruthlessness. Jury very much out but JDT is a very hard act to follow and for me JE is doing ok in the circumstances . The fanbase is massively demoralised so the players would equally be feeling down after the January farce.

Great and astonishing to have Isaac Whitehall back after 1,000 days and three fractures in the same place.

Positive: first game for Eustace with a manageable list of absences and we looked a much more controlled and footballing outfit. Looks like a pragmatic mix of JDT ball combined with a willingness to find Row Z if needed.

Very decent performance from a Rovers side which didn't look to be struggling perhaps except in front of goal. Results elsewhere meant we inched forward a place and added a point advantage over the four immediately below us although we remain 3 points above 22nd. I had thought Sheffield Wednesday would extend their good run to getting themselves out of trouble but that 6-0 drubbing must be hurting. Tronstad, Hedges and Pears returns all had positive impacts. Szmodics looked more knackered than usual and Gally frustrated as usual. Getting Carter and JRC back will add a level of class which we are missing. On today's game, one side looked short of the necessary to make the play-offs and the other looked comfortably a class above a relegation outfit and at times it was hard to tell which was which.

Strange how Wharton is Palace player of the match every time I look at. the ratings yet not good enough for England under 21s

If an Indian Court is warning this might take a long time....

You don't need Jerome to find them a buyer. I know of two potential buyers. But you wouldn't want them at Rovers because the club would just be a feeder in an international stable of clubs.

The only clarity we have at the moment is there is precious little. They misreported the acquistion of Neville's house and Balaji's birthday party a dozen years ago or so and about 12 months ago the Indian authorities got wise to what happened and caused the funds transfer restrictions and Court cases. WTF are billionaires doing misreporting such relatively trivial sums? Are they systematic grifters? Was one family member hoodwinking the others? Next question- is there a systemic problem in India for transferring funds abroad for less than commercial purposes (nobody could claim Rovers are a for-profit investment) or is the restriction of funds transfers specific to Venky's and their tax misreporting? Then, what is going to take time and what is the finality about August's final hearing?

Great to see Brum kept deep in trouble and Venus sounding clueless but 3 wins have taken Boro from the edge of the relegation race to the edge of the play off race. And Brum was a walk in the park. So that screws my assessment of three games on the trot against fellow strugglers... Hey hoe still have to go to the Riverside (Tees not Darwen) with a winning game plan. Over to you JE...

I am waiting until after the international break to see what Eustace does with our full first team squad back available after injuries. Last season and the start of this season they were substantially competitive with the top clubs in the League. Let's see if Eustace can replicate that form in the league in the way he raised them against Newcastle in the Cup.

Ben is a lovely lad by all accounts but daft as a brush and was chosen by his Rovers colleagues as the last friend they would call on Millionaire... Unlike them, he is now a millionaire... every season of his lengthy contract.

Hopefully now the under 21 long term injuries have reduced from 8 to 4 and the team has gone from losing nearly every game to winning nearly every game, some of this will rub off on their training mates in the first team. Risen to 15th place which means Cup games next season if we stay in the top 16.

While we are waiting for an Indian Court, likely to be heard in a Maltese Court, yet another football corruption case here https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/sports/football/128059/mfa_police_investigating_alleged_corruption_by_premier_league_club_

None of the current injured and unavailable players are expected back for this one. So pot luck and hope for the best.

This might be useful: Teams that finished 21st in the Championship over the last decade 2022/23 - 22nd 44 pts. 21st: Cardiff City - 49 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 5 points. 2021/22 - 22nd 37 pts. 21st: Reading - 41 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 4 points. 2020/21 - 22nd 43 pts. 21st: Derby County - 44 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 1 point. 2019/20: 22nd 47 pts. 21st : Barnsley - 48 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 1 point. 2018/19 - 22nd 40 pts. 21st: Millwall - 44 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 4 points. 2017/18 - 22nd 41 pts. 21st: Bolton Wanderers - 43 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 2 points. 2016/17: 22nd 51 pts. 21st: Nottingham Forest - 51 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: +2 GD sending Rovers down. 2015/16 - 22nd 40 pts. 21st: Rotherham United - 49 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 9 points. 2014/15: 22nd 41 pts. 21st: Rotherham United - 46 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: 5 points. 2013/14: 22nd 44pts. 21st: Birmingham City - 44 points. Gap between 21st and 22nd: +15 GD. Average 22nd 42.8 points Average 21st 45.9 points

Got to remember the West Brom game followed the Man U home game where we held on to the 84th minute at 0-0 and nothing got past Scott Danns. Against West Brom, in the first 7 minutes, Danns missed THREE easy defensive headers and Orr was practically showing the West Brom winger where to cross from. The first goal saw Danns go up for the ball then crane his neck to get his head out of the way of it giving West Brom a free header which deflected off Olsson and in. Robinson and Nzonzi immediately confronted Orr who sheepishly walked away offering neither an apology or an argument. Their second and third goals were equally created by Rovers errors and Modeste got himself sent off for a nothing reason in the 89th minute 12 minutes after coming on as a sub.

Before Millwall I said I was looking for a win and two draws in the 3 games coming up. We have avoided catastrophic defeats against fellow strugglers Plymouth and Millwall so Boro has to be the win, please. Boro are virtually safe. We need them to be motivated to finish the job against Brum and not us.

Boro have a job to do at Birmingham on Tuesday evening. A Boro win with a few injuries and a sending off please.

I like Huddersfield letting 4 in in 20 minutes.

Kean was far worse than lacking class.. I am worried but we are over doing writing Eustace off.

Of all the injured players, Carter and JRC are needed back the most. We are still in the lap of the injury Gods- continue to have a bad run of absences and we are facing huge problems. With 5 clubs below us and 3 within 3 points above us, we are looking for 2 of those 8 to perform worse than us in the last 9 matches plus Brum and Huddersfield not getting unlikely wins in their game in hand.

And West Brom away. I was right behind the goal and saw exactly what happened there. And Swansea away And both Man City games There were two other games which were very dodgy. Plus Scott Danns 5 own goals Plus that dodgy right back we bought. And the fights in the dressing room, arguments on the pitch with players accusing each other of not trying....