Miller11

I don’t want to try and predict anything, but we are playing like losing isn’t an option at the moment, and confidence is a huge factor. I think/hope we’ll make the playoffs, prevent a Dingle double over us, and make the FA cup semis. It’s a LONG time since I’ve been anything like this confident. Memorable end to the season in the offing.

I don’t think there is any intention of selling Phillips just yet. It’s definitely the idea further down the line, but I can’t see him being sold for the £5 million quoted in the article. There’s an expectation he’ll fetch 4 times that by the time he moves on. I’m indifferent to the Gus Williams news. If he had input into the Sorba Thomas loan he’s played a blinder there, but he doesn’t appear to be anything like irreplaceable.

We have no reason to fear anyone at the moment. I think we will continue our excellent form here.

Not even a booking! Ridiculous decision that. Thought it was bad as soon as I saw it, turned round to watch the replay on the telly at the back of the Riverside and it’s an obvious straight red. They really lost their cool as the game went on.

There’s real reason to get excited here. Things seem to have really clicked lately and this is the most enjoyable time to be a Rovers fan in well over a decade. We were fantastic again today with every player doing their bit and some. Buckley was fantastic first half, Dolan had them absolutely terrified so they had to resort to booting him, Thomas has been a revelation - his athleticism is massive. Shout out to Gallagher… a proper target man performance today. While he can frustrate massively at times he’s in the side on merit at the moment. Hyam looked like prime Hendry today, only with a more conservative hair do. Travis fantastic, but Pickering just edging those two to MOTM - lovely finish and a rock solid performance all game. 8’s, 9’s and 10’s all round. How they finished the game with 11 men was ridiculous. Horrible side. McBurnie is an absolute wanker, but fortunately for us he’s an absolute donkey too.

I’d go with Pickering today. You lose a bit going forward but it gives a bit more defensive balance and solidarity. Hope JRC is fit, he’s the first name in the team sheet at the moment.

I think we’d be able to block a few hundred off the capacity and therefore their allocation with some “segregation”

I’m absolutely baffled by people not thinking this is a good draw for us! It’s the 4th best outcome we could’ve hoped for… 1. Grimsby H 2. Grimsby A 3. Sheff U H I don’t see the clamour for a “glamour” tie at this stage. We played at Old Trafford and the Etihad regularly in the fairly distant past. We’ve never been to the new Wembley, this gives us a real opportunity.

I think the appeal actually succeeded in its primary aim. There’s loads of “fuck the EFL” posts all over social media from Rovers fans, and the whole invented narrative about a typo and a relegation clause is still alive and well. Despite all the evidence we submitted doing nothing but prove complete incompetence at our end, there’s plenty of Rovers fans happy to play the victim. It’s astonishing. Reading between the lines, I reckon Greg was too busy playing the genial host, and Silvester was completely disorganised and flapping. It’s all typically slopey shouldered from everyone involved. Confused reporting lines and undefined remits strikes again.

That was brilliant! Almost every player out there tonight deserves massive praise. It should’ve been a lot more comfortable, but it’s a wonderful performance and dare I say our proudest day under these owners. Hope JRC is ok, we missed him when he went off. Dolan, Szmodics and Travis all getting a 10 on the vote from me. Vale’s lack of effort nearly caused me a heart attack but I’m not dwelling on that now. What a night! Fully deserved. Let’s carry this on and make it a season to remember!

Got to be bringing Garrett or Harlock on for Morton here. They both love a tackle and Morton is repeatedly conceding possession.

Gallagher was fantastic there, and Szmodics too obviously.

As good as we’ve been that’s a ridiculous miss from Hedges

I’m really enjoying this so far! Good call to bring Pickering in for this one and keep it simple at the back, though JRC is running riot as usual! Dolan has been superb, Hyam and Carter super comfortable, and well impressed with Travis.

This was run by the Community Trust rather than the Supporters Trust. We get this confusion sometimes. I did spot this on the club’s website which might answer your question… https://www.rovers.co.uk/fans/rovers-readies/

I think one of the factors in our collapse last season was the churn of players in January. We brought in Zeefuik, Brown, Hedges, Markanday, Giles. Carter, Magloire, Butterworth and Clarkson (who had all played) went out. Let’s also not forget the baffling situation with Chapman where he came back briefly, played, and then went back out on loan. None of those coming in made any real impact (although Hedges is now an integral part of the squad and was probably under utilised by Mowbray). Mowbray having more options was pretty disastrous and he utilised a couple of these really badly. Injuries were also a factor, but the core 11 that had done well started to get regularly disrupted and we went to pieces. Fast forward 12 months and our January signing is proving to be effective - he’s brought something different, cemented his place and is being picked week in week out in his actual position. If we’d got O’Brien the same would probably apply. I suppose what I’m getting at is the quiet January window doesn’t look to have done us any harm. The players who have been on the fringes have really stepped up when we’ve had to turn to them. Obviously we’ve been left lighter up top than anyone would’ve liked (again), but we seem to be dealing with it a lot better. Keeping a tight knit group together has its benefits.

From my point of view, he’s done exactly what I wanted him to do. The big source of frustration was his stubbornly sticking with the laboured passing style. Lately we’ve been attacking with a lot more intent, playing more direct, clearing our lines, and it looks like prioritising the points instead.

Bingo! I always rated Nyambe. Still do. Really good defender. It was also particularly good to see a young player come through and play a couple of hundred games for us - things like that have been one of the few shining lights in the last decade or so. He was certainly more worthy of his place and our support than a lot of the absolute dross we’ve witnessed under Venky’s. He’s maybe a bit of a throwback, and fullbacks like him are certainly out of fashion now. He wouldn’t fit the way we are playing currently at all. That said, shame he didn’t stick round til January. He’d have been very useful in some of our defensive horror shows before the new year.

I’ve not had a lot of luck since the big Brereton one, you wouldn’t generally want my tips! I think I only put it on today because I was annoyed and thinking he was extremely fortunate to be starting, and I was ready to be proven wrong!

The fact he was on the verge of being packed off on loan for the season shows how fine the margins between success and failure can be. I think he is proving to be the perfect fit for the way Tomasson wants his fullbacks to play - although he looks like he’d do a good job anywhere at present! He’s comfortable on the ball and happy to come inside. He struggled under Mowbray as he was expected to be constantly bombing up and down the touchline, driving forward and chasing back.

I think it’s very picky to be critical of anyone’s performance today. To a man they were all good and played their part. Great three points! I had a funny feeling about Gallagher today and had a little bet on a brace at 25/1 so even happier. I enjoyed seeing us mix it up again. The shift to going a bit more direct and not overplaying is paying dividends. I get the feeling there has been a decision made that we are going to have a proper go at making the playoffs, and it feels wonderful right now.

No criticism of Brittain, it’s just the risk you take

We’ve seen the positives and negatives of a right footed left back here today. Brittain has been great on the ball, but Pickering blocks that cross

He’s definitely been a victim of been played all over the place. I’m not sure what his best position is meant to be, but I’d quite like to see him on the left - Him and Thomas on opposite wings. Doubt we ever will though.