Preston had a free kick just in their own half close to half time, sent their centre halves up, won two headers in our penalty area from the kick and got a corner from thsee pinning us inside our box. I'm sure in my own mind if that had been us the ball would have gone back of sideways and ended up with Kaminski allowing Preston to squeeze play. Territorial advantage is a big thing in football. It can lead to goals and force errors. We are far too easy to play against and so predictable it's worrying. This hasn't just been in the last two games but in every defeat and even in some wins. This one dimensional stuff is a real poor indictment on Tomasson and his coaches.

Garrett wasn't good at Burnley but having seen him in many under 21 matches and his first team games so far I will confidently say he is better at every aspect of midfield play than Travis.

65% possession for Rovers according to the BBC. We lost 4-1, we second best all over the pitch and should have lost by more. Most of our players were shockingly poor and cowardly in possession. What a nonsense stats like that are and weak managers hide behind them.

This is a project and he needs four transfer windows is what he has said several times. I seriously doubt his coaching credentials after the last two games where we have been out played, out thought and out battled by local rivals conceding seven goals in the process. I guess the only positive is that we should have conceded ten. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

He needs too many touches and slows the play right down. Our best performance of the season was at Blackpool when he played at full back and the midfield contained Wharton and Morton. They created, played with pace and intensity and kept the ball moving with two touches. I don't think we have seen them two together in a full game since. Jake Garrett is already better than Travis.

Probably the biggest indictment on any professional footballer is being out fought physically by your opponent both individually and collectively. Today was embarrassing as only one player comes out with any semblance of credit (and our erstwhile manager was just about to take him off before he scored) as Preston (that's fucking Preston by the way) battered us as we waved the white flag. On the back of a abject derby performance at Burnley we were boldly told that how good the break has done the players and Tomasson talked about working with them to make us better and impart more of his ideas on them. That worked well. We still had the walking football, trying to play out when everyone(apart from Tomasson) can see we patently aren't good enough too. Travis was Loweesque in his performance today, in fact that is disrespectful to Lowe. He was shockingly had and the vast majority of his team mates weren't much better. The tone was set for me when Brittain bottled out of a tackle and hurt himself. The self inflicted errors were plentiful as Preston totally dominated. Right now Tomasson and his bullshit can fuck right off and his pampered, namby pamby players can join him. I honestly want to see the likes of Wharton, Garrett and Phillips picked for Norwich instead of some of these weak willed over hyped excuses for footballers we have.

Hopefully the road to redemption starts today with a win and if that is supplemented by a good performance then great. I do fear though that Ched Evans will do a Barnes and bully our centre halves. I want to see us snapping into tackles all over the pitch, moving the ball quickly with purpose and ninety minutes of intensity. As results have proved so far this season scoring first is vital. If it's not us getting that then I think Tomasson might be in for rude awakening.

Another manager being too smart for his own good. The Argentines were rattled and couldn't handle the big Dutchmen and long balls so what does the manager do? He goes back to the Dutch Disease football of inane, pointless passing and hands the initiative back to Argentina. You reap what you sow sometimes.

I was talking to a friend this week who goes to the home games with four or five of his friends. They are all JW Upper season ticket holders and I see them on the concourse before every home game and they will normally have three or four pints each pre match and at half time. They have decided to stop this due to the price, poor service and paper cups in which their drink is served. Instead they will meet in the Old Chapel in Darwen for a few drinks and get a taxi to Ewood and back. They don't want to do this but they feel their hand is being forced by Rovers and Sodexho just not getting the basics right. I'm sure there are many others who feel the same way and simply stopped spending money at Ewood on match days. I have seen the topic of food and drink talked about many times at the Fans Forum but from what I hear things are getting worse not better.

Your first paragraph sums up my feelings to. Nothing less that a win tomorrow will even start to change my disappointment at our surrender at the Turf.

But if they only sell a small amount for the top tier whilst there are empty seats in the bottom this would surely lose money when you factor in stewards, turnstile operators and catering staff.

Amazing what a Hobnob and cup of Rosie Lee can do.

My shirt arrived earlier and many thanks to Ian and anyone else who was involved in the procurement of these. When I opened the package my mind went back to a day around sixty years ago. A bus ride from Shadsworth into town, a walk from the Boulevard, through Thwaites Arcade and into Johnny Forbes shop. My mother spent some of her hard earned money to buy me a Rovers kit, almost identical to the one I got today. I couldn't wait to get home, get changed and go and play football on the pitch at Shadsworth Junior School. I felt a million dollars and from that time I was hooked. Thanks again to all involved. If I knew how to post a picture of it I would do it. 😂😂

https://www.pnefc.net/news/2022/november/blackburn-rovers-tickets-to-go-on-sale-monday/ 700 tickets for the upper Darwen End are now on sale to Nobbers but there are 600 unsold in the lower tier. I'm not sure how that works.

I don't often watch/listen to full time match analysis by the 'experts' in the studio but something I heard last night resonated with me. A young lady (Danish I think) said the the Spanish style of play was boring. She said what millions are thinking and saying but for some reason many 'experts' won't. In fact some are embarrassingly patronising about it. I have sensed a seed change in this World Cup though that quite a few countries aren't afraid to play long passes or have their goalkeeper kick it long.

This penalty taking style which is in vogue at the moment is bloody infuriating. It makes the player look good when he scores but missing makes them look stupid. The Spain manager said his team have taken a thousand penalties in training to avoid a penalty shoot out defeat. That worked out well.

One word - iconic.

Bassey the Ajax centre half was signed for a reported £25m from Rangers.

Has anybody heard if Ayala was injured as he went off at half time?

The issue for me is that the officials are happy to allow VAR to make a big decision as it takes the pressure away from them. In Rugby League when a decision is referred to the video referee the on field referee has to commit himself to a decision and that is heard by the supporters. In football the on field officials are non committal and happy to pass the buck.

VAR found wanting again as a Uruguayan deliberately stamps on a Ghanaian. For some reason VAR is reluctant to get involved for violent following or serious foul play.

It really is awful when a player tries to be clever as he strolls and stutters up to the ball. It just makes it easier for the keeper. And it looks like the shocker is going to cost Ghana now. As you say just belt the bloody thing.

Rovers 1-0 up in 5 minutes through Szmodics (against Hearts that is).