Miller11

Hedges is a good player, but like a jigsaw he goes to pieces in the box.

I think that highlights how Jekyll and Hyde our season has been. When we’ve been good we’ve been really solid, and when we’ve been bad we’ve been dreadful. Looks like we are finding a bit of consistency now though. Like I said the other day I think JDT seems to be understanding the league more. If we continue to cut out the daft mistakes we’ve got a great chance of making the playoffs.

I know it’s not just you saying this Chaddy, but I’m not sure your first sentence is correct. Over the last few games it looks like we are getting there defensively, but it’s only just over a month ago that Rotherham put 4 past us, and we’ve had a number of hammerings. Being on a negative goal difference despite being 4th in the table doesn’t scream ‘solid defensively’. Like I said, hopefully we’ve turned a corner. We seem to have cut out the self sabotage and gifting opposition soft goals.

Two things that have become noticeable lately… Since Pears has come into the side we are going longer than we did with Kaminski. Goal kicks are taken properly and not passed 5 yards to a centre back. It’s a very welcome change as the previous tactic put us under enormous unnecessary and sustained pressure and cost us a number of goals. I thought Brittain last night and both JRC and Carter of late have used the ball better and not been averse to trying a longer ball to relieve some pressure at the back. In the early part of the season we missed Nyambe carrying the ball down the right hand side, we’d become accustomed to that being one of the main ways of getting upfield over the past few years, for it to be replaced by incessant back/sideways passing. Last night was the best collective fullback performance this season (won’t have it so easy very often though). Secondly we have a lot more attacking intent and actually attempt to get more balls into the box. This has started since Thomas came into the side. Now we seem to overplay it far less when we are in and around the opposition area. We still need better finishing though… last night would certainly be enough to persuade me to have a look at the free transfer market, there must be someone there who could become an impact sub for the run in. Hopefully these are some concessions JDT has made to his preferred playing style that we saw for the early part of the season. Perhaps he’s learning the league a bit more and prioritising points over philosophy.

Well happy with the three points tonight. Should’ve been a comfortable 3-0 and against better opposition our lack of centre forward options might have bit us on the backside. Gallagher was very poor, as was Vale when he came on. We never looked in any danger and it was nice to see us attack with a bit of intent. Becoming a big Sorba Thomas fan. Thought both fullbacks had really good games and benefitted from not having to worry too much about their defensive duties against pretty impotent opposition. It was clear that Poveda didn’t fancy it after the first few minutes and Brittain duly had him on toast. Dolan I thought was a shoo-in for MOTM til he did that daft flick on the edge of the box. First half in particular he was superb and nice to see him step up with the goal. Szmodics put in a hell of a shift and despite recent criticism Travis had a very good game. There’s a big gulf in quality between us and Blackpool, being in and amongst the playoffs isn’t overachievement for us.

I only glanced at the Brereton article, but it just seemed a rehashing of Broughton’s comments a few weeks ago. Is this a supposedly new contract offer we’ve put to him? Nobody would meet Venky’s asking price because Brereton is a technically unorthodox/poor player and players aren’t valued on their effectiveness these days. I’m sure there’ll be several top flight teams willing to take him on a free in the summer though. Only chance he plays for us next season is if we manage to go up.

Maybe JRC could take Brereton’s place? He is our number 11 after all.

That’s the nail in the head for me. I don’t see how any neutral watching it could’ve come to any other conclusion.

First half today was beyond bad. Solid bordering on overcautious at the back, absolutely clueless in midfield, created nothing. The players looked confused with what they were supposed to be doing. Two teams stubbornly sticking to their managers half baked philosophies, and the one who binned it off in the second half got the win. So much better seeing us commit players forward and get balls into the box. Obviously it needs a lot more work, but it paid dividends in the end. Brilliant to nick a late winner like that. Carter, Ayala and Dolan the standouts for me. Thought Thomas came in to his own late on and Pickering did well on the left. The mounting injury list is a concern. Gutted for Dack and hope it’s not a bad one. Depressingly predictable how it’s being used to dig at fans who wanted him to start by those who see managers as infallible.

Rumour mill saying 5 at the back with Dack on the bench.

We are obviously now in the midst of a run that will see us clock up our longest ever sequence of draws. I’m going for 1-1.

The lack of players getting in the box is really infuriating. At one point last night Dack picked up a loose ball on the left hand side and your natural instinct is to want him to sling it back into the box. Brereton sprinted over going short for him, Dolan was in the box (just) but is no target and JRC was arriving late… from fullback. Telling that our goal came from a free kick outside the box. Based not just on last night, we create very little. Dack has been back nearly a year. The injuries are no longer a factor.

He’s probably a technically really good coach. Obviously did well enough with the young kids to get the promotion to first team. There’s an argument that maybe you are better off with someone who has been there and done it with the first teamers as you aren’t really working on developing their techniques or their basics - stuff you can learn from a coaching manual, and a lot of it is the mental stuff. I’d lean towards this myself. However a lot of keepers will tell you they want to do interesting, varied and enjoyable sessions. It can get really repetitive, so maybe Benson has a knack of keeping them sharp and happy. If the keepers are happy, who are we to argue.

Hopefully that puts an end to the talk of Brereton not trying. He worked hard again at what was often a thankless task, hopefully that goal gets him back in amongst them. Really poor for their goal. Morton especially, who was shit all game. Hyam and Brittain didn’t cover themselves in glory either and their introductions weakened us defensively. Hope JRC is not going to miss games. Talk of Travis being injured for the goal and hard done to by the ref is delusional. If he’d been playing against us people would have claimed he should’ve been sent off twice over. What a save at the end from Pears. His recent form is a real unexpected bonus, my previous doubts of him are proving very unfounded. Good point, but I’m far from convinced with the way we play.

That ridiculous near assist for them from Dack is a symptom of shitty modern football and the “style” we are trying to embrace. Why would any attacking player look to play a first time ball back to their centre back when they are well in the opposition half? Stupid.

I like the way West Brom play. Jealous of the way the way they play on the front foot and get balls into the box. That said I’m really impressed with how we’ve dealt with it so far. Defending really well, Scott Wharton especially. Brereton is far too wide, but I’m far more annoyed about Morton being persisted with.

The very same! He said that if the Riverside is condemned then the council would be more likely to help fund developing something in its place. He wants a campus for the UCFB and was more interested in how this could be somewhere people played computer games and used virtual reality than actual football and proper reality.

I was very suspicious it was all part of the Brockhall downsizing plan, perhaps due to the fact I heard about it at the same time. However the fact it hasn’t materialised makes me think I was right. Fielder is particularly keen on the idea of council and other grants. He’s hoping they will come flooding in once the Riverside is condemned.

A couple of years ago they had plans in (and I think approved) to remodel the site where the BRIC currently stands completely and build an astroturf pitch next to it where the away coaches park. Reading between the lines I think there was some back and forth with the council. Rovers wanted them to pay a significant amount towards this but the council wanted more use of the facilities for the wider public than the club were willing to give up. One thing mentioned was moving the early years Academy, and possibly the women’s team to there. I assumed they had rethought this when the Brockhall scheme got shot down. Two people at Rovers have pipe dreams that this could have something to do with…Waggott’s wants a hotel, Paul Fielder wants a three sided ground and a university campus.

He hasn’t. He was appointed in June 2012. Incompetence has never been a barrier for as long as he’s been at Ewood.

I’m not sure this is the plan as Brittain hasn’t played regularly at right back since September. And that includes spells at left back and on the bench, not just injuries.

I’m not sure I agree with the whole Brereton isn’t trying viewpoint. Unfortunately he’s playing like an out and out winger at the moment, he’s getting up and down the line and certainly not shirking his defensive responsibilities. Unfortunately we don’t seem to be playing to his strengths and he’s clearly lost a bit of swagger. I’ve not really noticed him pulling out of tackles - it’s certainly not blatantly evident like it has been with Morton and Brittain, but there is a bigger issue with our entire team being reluctant and/or incapable of tackling generally. Give him a go up top. He’s clumsy enough to be a handful and quick and strong enough to find some joy centrally.

Basic maintenance of Ewood has been neglected since Venky’s rolled up. Funny how a few new bulbs and a bit of jet washing or weeding is beyond them, but they have managed to find the money to put mirrored glass in Jack’s box directly above the tunnel. Rumour has it that Balaji’s son has started coming to games. Whoever is in there doesn’t want to be seen.

Just watched the highlights back. I think it’s very harsh to blame Gallagher for their goal.

That’s a good point in isolation, but it’s depressing seeing the slide down the table. Thought Travis was excellent today. Centre backs, Pears and Dolan all worth a mention too.