It has but I think today it was almost like there had been no or little attempt to get it flat. The bobbles were evident in the warm up.

I could well be in a minority but I thought we were bang average today with so many misplaced and over/under hit passes. There seemed to be a real lack of urgency from some players mixed with lethargy. The conditions didn't help the game but the pitch seemed to be bobbly and uneven. I wondered if this was deliberate to stop Swansea playing their passing game.

I haven't a clue what the score will be but surely Mowbray has to realise that our best chance of winning is by playing a balanced team with players in the positions in which they are strongest. On Tuesday the balance wasn't right. Personally I would play Carter at centre half and leave Nyambe at full back. I'm sure Mowbray won't do that though.

Stoke were good defensively last night but have conceded 53 goals this season although O'Neill looks to have them better organised. The truth is though that we just weren't inventive enough to break them down. The plan seemed to revolve around getting the ball to our full backs and get crosses in. Far to predictable and quite easy to set up against.

Normally I would agree about Rothwell but having been out for a month I thought he wasn't ready to start. I was surprised when I saw the team.

A friend on the bus back home mentioned the lack of X factor and I think that was the nail on the head. We were predictable and sometimes ponderous in possession and in all honesty Stoke were never really stretched. I couldn't understand the selections of Gallagher and Rothwell over Buckley and Samuel. The pace of Samuel has been a feature of the last few games and Mowbrays 'fish out of water' selection policy didn't he'll us on the night. Losing Lenihan is a blow but I would throw Hayden Carter in.

I think this could be one of the toughest home matches of the season so far. I can't help thinking back to late December when we had, in many people's beliefs, two comfortable home games on the back of some good results and form. In my view we are in exactly the same position now and if the players aren't at it the results could well be the same. Over confidence can be as bad as a lack of confidence sometimes.

The keeper can't pick up the ball direct from a throw in.

Was there any indication of when it was Stuart? I love photographs like this. There is an authenticity and honesty to them.

For matters of fact such as offside or ball over the line for a goal VAR and goal line technology is really good and not open to any interpretation. Subjective decisions are far from factual and open to opinion. And as such it's a complete waste of time and money. There isn't the exact science here that the PL chairmen and chief executives thought they were funding.

I was critical of the signing of Downing, probably down the thirtysomething wasters we have endured in recent times. Absolutely delighted to be proved wrong.

Raya had many of those rushes of blood for us and cost us a lot of points. There was a chant of "you're just a shit Christian Walton" to Raya which I found amusing.

I wouldn't have said it's out and out wrong but more soft. I'd have been disappointed if it had gone against us.

To be fair we didn't really chat about specific incidents although I have seen it now and the outcome should have been a yellow card for a clear act of simulation. I thought our penalty was soft too.

As I walked back to Brentford station I got into a conversation with a Brentford supporter who had a reasonable outlook on the game but was critical of us because we were physical, consumed time at every opportunity and played too much long ball. I told him I was pleased about that and he asked in a perplexed manner why. I told him that invariably we have had to punch above our weight and the success of recent times (cup runs, European qualifications) has been built on such attributes. We aren't a pushover anymore and are learning a few of the darker arts. That's exactly how I want opposition teams and fans to see us. Hopefully there will be no more rolling over for these teams with delusions of grandeur. The game itself was strange as I would have snatched your hands off at 12.30 for a point but the joy is obviously tinged after being two up. Once again there were many 7/10 performances and that level of collective consistency is getting us results. Brentford can, without doubt play but the conditions aside we pretty much did a job on them by denying the too much space. All in all I thought it was a fair result and allows us to maintain and perhaps build the growing confidence that the team is showing.

After the Charlton game in which we made the most of a big pitch we are on one of the smaller, tighter pitches here. Brentford tend to use this well with a short, sharp passing game. We need to press all over the pitch and be intense out of possession as well as in possession. Armstrong and Samuel are our two most mobile forwards and just start. No wide strikers for me but I fear he will recall Gallagher and play him there.

Leeds are three points clear in second place with a superior goal difference to Fulham despite their indifferent recent form.

It was a clear sending off abetted by an over zealous challenge from a Rovers player. The Nobber reacted and was rightly sent off for violent conduct. The referee didn't see the challenge as a foul as the game restarted with a Nobbers throw. Most of the Nobbers are clearly embittered but at least some are objective.

I thought we got away with one last night as the result was harsh on the Nobbers. In my view the Nobbers right back (who stupidity got sent off) was the best player on the pitch and their number 10 and captain also looked good. There were some decent Rovers performances notably Whitehall who looked a player. For me we have the ball away too much and even at 3-2 down and with ten players Nobbers were creating chances. That matters not a not though as the result is there all and end all. Our youngsters celebrated wildly at the end and hopefully we can beat Arsenal in the quarter final.

That must be really frustrating. Is your return leg a similar duration? Hopefully there are no issues with Northern Fail for you. I live in Darwen and it would be easier for me to get the train to Bolton and on to Piccadilly but I just don't trust Northern Fail. I drive to Manchester and park my car for £3.50.

Almost four hours to London? I'm on the 8.15 from Piccadilly and arrive at Euston at 10.21.

I think the amnesty kicks in after match day 37 which in effect means no yellows for four more game for Lenihan. A tough ask.

Lenihan just isn't the type of footballer who can hold back due to the risk of a caution. At the start of the second half on Saturday he committed four fouls in the first ten minutes, the last of which he was (rightly) cautioned for. He has to avoid a yellow card for four games before the amnesty kicks in so I think he will almost certainly be missing for two games. Williams is competent there but I just don't think we are defensively the same without him.

Some of them are egotistical and can hide behind a keyboard whilst taking some moral high ground. And if an earlier post about him not going is correct the irony of him not contributing anything to the running of the club is clearly lost on him.

I thought Armstrong and Samuel interchanged a lot and their movement caused lots of problems for Charlton - that's the fluidity I mentioned. That fluidity enabled them to come in from wide of central so for me it's difficult to say he played in a definite position. Armstrong looks to get in behind a lot as balls are played through so it's a completely different way of playing to when Graham is playing.