superniko

This will be a big test of the teams character. Should be 3-0 and instead we go in 1-1. Hopefully we come out flying

More and more impressed with Pickering every time I see him.

We just need to keep putting points on the board if we keep playing. Keeps the pressure on teams playing catch up in the new years. We'll be 2 ahead of QPR, Stoke, Coventry, Sheff Utd.

Surprising considering they would have watched us get smashed 7-0. With Bournemouth playing on the 27th this week, a win on Boxing Day away at Hull would have us in the automatic spots even if it's just for 1 night!

1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 since Wharton came back into the team. Take a bow. I jest as Lenihan and the whole back line deserve credit for that. It’s the best Travis has played for a good while, the middle 3 really suit each other. Superb, we look unreal, only way it could have been better was Brereton getting his 20 up with a Cantana special

Wigan away. Cheap tickets and a full stand selling out for that I’d expect

The Top 7 all play each other on Saturday except ourselves at home to PNE. What an opportunity this is to put a bit of breathing space between ourselves and 7th. Fulham v Bournemouth Coventry v West Brom QPR v Stoke We could be 5 points clear of 7th with a win

Yeah, the Wigan offer 2 years ago was a much better atmosphere to the rest of the season, but still only 18k in total, albeit a poorer away following. A decent ticket offer and we would get 20k for pne, which is usually the highest attendance of the year since we’ve been in the Championship.

Can’t be understated can it…when did he come back from injury? As we’ve only conceded 2 in our last 4 games. (Think he was back after the Fulham trouncing and red card for Van Hecke)

He didn’t start today but I can’t help feel Dolan’s work ethic and personality is rubbing off on others. He works his socks off, and even without him today we played like a team without the ball. With the talk of “gegenpressing” as Rangnick is looking like the United boss, I love that we’re sort of moulding into that, like the Bielsa Leeds side in the Championship. Not having loads of possession but as soon as we lose it we press to force the mistake and then use pacey, entertaining forwards to take advantage. I can forgive a lot in Rovers side if they work their socks off, and when we have that we get rewarded like today (albeit it felt like a poor Stoke performance despite their position)

Agree with all of that. On to Preston, should be a cracker.

Buckley was absolutely superb, I think that’s the best I’ve seen him play. Not just the neat passing and through balls but he’s so good at picking opponents pocket and little pressure tackles. Rothwell first half was also immense. Great work from the midfield 3. Also a shout to the back 3. Lenihan was brilliant, looks a lot more comfortable in a 3. Well deserved win, hopefully Rothwell and Kaminski are okay as missing the two of them and Ayala would be a worry. Even better after hearing the hopeless commentators. One of the worst teams we’ve played this year, they didn’t have a midfield at all.

FlashScore. LiveScore would be the same too so which ever you prefer from the two.

Wow - a lot around us struggling today

Not sure what’s worse here the commentators or the ref. I suspect a late Stoke penalty

Not sure if anyone is watching on ifollow. But the commentators are an absolute disgrace. They actually get paid to do this for a living.

Lovely from Khadra! Good pressure from Buckley after losing it too. Love the work rate in the team this season.

I like Nyambe but I agree he often lacks an end product / poor decision making in the final 3rd. It can be frustrating when he’s playing wing back…But if he improved there he’d be above our level.

I added ‘so far’ as we know what happens next!!! 😬

Rothwell is the best player on the pitch. Overall we’re the better team and they don’t look much danger so far.

Good start anyway….beat Stoke and you’d hope for a great atmosphere at PNE. Coventrys next 4 fixtures are all against top 8 teams too so the Top 6 should be ours at the half way point if we do our job.

Looking at our remaining fixtures this calendar year, I'd be extremely disappointed if we're not sat in the Top 6 on New Years Day: Peterborough (H) - 22nd in the league Stoke (A) - 4th in the league Preston (H) - 16th in the league Bournemouth (A) - 2nd in the league Birmingham (H) - 15th in the league Hull (A) - 21st in the league Barnsley (H) - 23rd in the league 7 games left before New Year and we play 3 of the bottom 4 (3 worst teams in the division excluding Derbys point deduction) and only 2 teams ahead of us. We will be favourites in 5 of those 7 matches and need to show it. A minimum of 13 points hopefully, and that should set the 2nd half of the season up nicely! However, I do recall a similar feeling last Xmas though when we only got 1 point from Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield and Birmingham (all below us), and worse still, the Christmas before, we were 1 point outside the playoffs and had the ticket offer on the Wigan game, Dack picked up his injury and we subsequently picked up 2 points from Wigan (H), Birmingham (H), Huddersfield (A) and Forest (A) and in the space of 8 days we went from 8th to 13th in the league.....so I'm not holding on to too much hope!

Horrendous commentary. “They’re playing against one of the best sides in the league” blah blah blah. We’re at home, midweek and losing 6-0….regardless of who we’re playing we should be getting pelters from the comms here.

I hold on to hope that a battering live on TV might just do it (although it’s 3am in Pune)….then I remember that Mowbray survived these two runs…

I wonder if Wilder will be watching on Saturday against his old club.