superniko

I was nervy seeing Wharton go off but Gally has settled that! Chuffed for him.

Would like Preston to get a draw there to be honest. Only one of those two are going to rival us this year, and they’re not called PNE

I actually think Wharton has been solid, not seen him do too much wrong. Barnsley have looked good but they’re not carving us open, just strangling us on the ball really. They’re doing well stopping Holtby getting on the ball. I actually think Bell has been pretty solid since coming on and was our best forward threat for about 20 mins. Someone posted early on in the thread that they’d take a scrappy 1-0 all day and hopefully it’s that kind of day (at worst)

I’ll eat my words. Brilliant burst forward and pass from Nyambe. Superb. Great finish Arma too.

Barely seen Elliott yet, doesn’t help that Nyambe is absolutely woeful when he has a football anywhere near his feet

Not in it at all yet. Barnsley have started very well. I’m a bit worried now. Douglas injured, made of glass the lot of them.

They're just a comedy club now, Big contract to Lamps with no experience, players on the piss, drink driving, crashing and leading to an injury to their own player for a year. Fiddling FFP to get Rooney, and owners selling the stadium to themselves for £80m. JT will be the icing on the cake, what a state they are. If he ends up there, I'd love to see them down in L1

A win on Saturday puts us within 3 points of the playoffs whatever the other results are (mainly as Bristol City play Reading). We really need the 3 points given the 4 games that follow, an early goal and another clean sheet please. Millwall (H), Brentford (A), Bristol City (A), Norwich (H) follow - I'd imagine we'll have a good idea of where we are as a team by mid-December. 6 points vs Barnsley and Millwall will go a long way to cushion the following 3 matches. It certainly feels more congested than normal at the top, Reading are dropping like a stone and won't be near the playoffs at the end, and I can see Bristol City dropping too. The thing is with Boro and Stoke looking improved and Brentford all outside the top 6 currently we're not the only ones with expectations to push on.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/december/christmas-jumper-day-at-ewood/ I'd like to see these, or similar in stock - they sold out really quickly in 2018. The one they're selling on the rovers site currently is awful!

Adam Henley too apparently

Elliott, Holtby and Trybull have all done okay. Elliott probably the only one to properly hold his head high. By far our best player today. Armstrong and Brereton both poor, Gallagher and Dolan did little to improve that. The less about the defensive unit the better. Whiteman scores again in another big game for Doncaster, buy out less than £2m and we’ve still got Evans plodding around the middle. As someone said earlier, we’re far too easy to beat. No spine, no passion.

I’ll have to dig out the message after Derby where someone told me we’d finish above Brentford.

Stinks to the high heavens.

Potentially yeah, though I don’t think Williams has done too much wrong this season, whereas Lenihan has been at fault for numerous goals.

Armstrongs finishing is frustrating. We create so many chances, so his top level numbers are bound to look impressive. He does seem to have the nack to be in the right place for these chances though, never really see Brereton or Elliott having an attempt at goal. The back 4 is the concern though (as it has been for years). Has to be Ayala and Williams when all are fully fit.

For all the nice football we play in the middle of the pitch...we look so shaky every time we have to defend in any form. No excuses.

I think this is the way I would have gone. Dolan for Evans with Elliott playing in the middle.

Apparently Rothwell was Covid clear to play today, had a bad back so missed out. Hopefully nothing serious and he’s okay for Saturday.

I’d doubt Mowbray would drop Lenihan, but on performances alone he needs to give Ayala and Williams a run together. No positives to take from tonight, apart from maybe Arma keeping his run going.

Both Reading full backs look very good.

Gallagher isn’t suited to our quick tempo at all, he cannot keep hold of the ball.

Great worked goal, top cross from JRC and great finish from Arma.

Wow, was it a 4 year deal? Jesus, who’s his agent? Makes no sense given he was signed as a reserve and isn’t even proven.

Nail on the head, I think that was midweek evening game too. Certainly a lot stronger.

Douglas has looked out of position on a few occasions defensively. More promising going forward. Lenihan seems to be lunging in for every challenge, like he’s always a few seconds behind. 1st 25 mins were dire, probably worst of the season or at least up there with the Forest game.