Two cracking games in the Conference playoffs today!

I think Swansea will get at least a draw. While Sunderland Mowbray seems a lot more interested in his job then Rovers Mowbray was for at least his last 3 years with us, we all still know he is more than capable of a monumental collapse or an uninspired nothing performance. PNE can be really hard to beat when they want to be, and they are at home. There’s every chance it comes down to us and Millwall. I know we’ve supposedly had loads of “must win” games lately, but this one actually is do or die. The last couple that were genuinely that (Leicester and Sheff Utd) were incredible performances and we’d have won both but for bad substitutions. It’s definitely more hope than expectation, but I’m believing.

Yes. Renewal process is underway. Should be reasonably straightforward.

For something that size I couldn’t even hazard a guess. There’d be a wide range of price options for sure.

I’m not sure who picks it to be honest. I think the biggest issue at Ewood is that the PA system is absolutely knackered. In some areas of the ground it’s deafening, in others you can’t hear a thing, and sometimes it’s just unclear noise. They who supposedly never refuse a cheque should be tapped up to replace it.

Personally I think that list Millwall will be playing on Monday is belting! I’d like us to come out to the pitch to either Hardocre Uproar by Together, The Illicits version of Born Slippy, or something by New Order, perhaps Ceremony. However I think that we should implement something like Millwall where every fan can make a request. We might get a good bit of variety rather than a 12 season long repeat of some random “indie hits of the noughties” CD. A little thing to include the supporters, and hopefully generate a bit of buzz pre-match.

Asked (and continue to push) for the same to happen at Ewood

I’m predicting that despite the complaints about having no central striker for the last few weeks, we will see Gallagher wide right and Dolan through the middle.

Deciding to bring on Wharton and Brittain. It’s never helped us hang on to a lead.

I’d have thrown the kitchen sink at them for 5 minutes. Get as many players in the box and get the ball in there as frequently as possible.

Yes, I’d move Szmodics wide. The fact we haven’t won in 9 means I’d have no qualms in asking an in form player to do something a bit different. No Dack won’t make the runs Szmodics does. He will come deep, show for the ball, pick out forward passes, find space in the box and shoot. I’d like to see him stick around if he’s prepared to negotiate reduced terms.

Hopefully long enough to get a goal. Better starting him and hopefully getting our noses in front and subbing him off once he’s knackered.

Lazy argument and untrue. He was never the quickest but his movement is a lot cleverer than most. Bringing him on when they have shut up shop like they did yesterday was never going to be easy for him, but he offered miles more than any of the front three that started.

I like the look of that! My nephew likes to watch the warm up from the front of the Riverside pre-match and we stood right in front of the shooting drills. It was frightening to see. Only one player looked a remotely competent finisher - didn’t miss, clearly had better technique than all the rest, every type of shot hit the back of the net. That man was Bradley Dack.

Funny how the only time we managed to get the ball in the back of the net was a header from a centre back. I’d have put Leonard on as well (a lot earlier than Tomasson did). I thought him and Sorba Thomas were effective when they eventually got on, but I’d have thrown Ayala up top too as we were desperate for goals… if nothing else it might have encouraged Hyam to knock one long instead of playing one-twos with Pears in Brittain in injury time.

I wish we’d chucked Ayala up top last night

We play some dreadful stuff at times that is painful to watch too. And how often the good outweighs the bad is very much up for debate.

What constitutes “good football”? Passing it round but mostly backwards to no avail? Despite what TV pundits and viewers would have you believe, the point of a game of football is scoring more goals than your opponents. Good football = goals. What’s good about what we are doing?

Project Crewe mark II

I’ve seen people elsewhere advocating selling them, even going as far as saying it would be “exciting” due to some naive misapprehension it would give us money to spend. It’s probably the same people still maintain we got a good deal for Raya. They obviously play far too much football manager.

I’m also struggling with the idea of it being an enjoyable season too. The events of Tuesday night will haunt me for a long time.

That was infuriating. I was disappointed when I saw the front three was unchanged, I was fuming at the start of the second half after Dolan, Hedges and Brereton all put in wretched performances and remained on the pitch. Knew he wouldn’t make a sub until we went a goal down. Thomas made a positive difference but Dack was massively up against it with Luton parking the bus at that point. Both should have started, not bringing them on at half time was inexplicable. Pathetic performance from Travis. What was the point in bringing Brittain on? Leonard on far too late. Is Hyam completely thick or is he playing to instructions with his insistence on passing it around at the back in the last seconds when we are desperate for goals? The same happened on Tuesday. Aside from this he’s dipped generally. Again we try to walk it in for the vast majority of the game. JRC and Pickering having our best attempts in the first half sums up how toothless our forwards are. Minor miracle now needed for the playoffs. It should’ve been so different.

The biggest driver is without a doubt fear of missing revenue targets. There is absolutely no appetite for risk and they won’t gamble on selling more with reductions across the board. Not since they pushed catering out to Sodexo. They seem happy bringing in a potentially limited but guaranteed revenue via the easiest path.

Every time (and there’s been a lot) we’ve mentioned the numbers that Preston have shifted to Waggott, the response is always “but they haven’t generated the revenue we have”.

But still won’t have been to Wembley!