What the bollocks was Szmodics doing on that perfect Diaz pass

I don’t know how anyone can defend Vale and Hirst getting on the pitch ahead of Dack (bar Chaddy obviously)

Travis as wing back - has he been in the Coventry half yet?

https://media3.giphy.com/media/3oz8xZvvOZRmKay4xy/200.gif

I know Brittain missed our best chance but he’s been our best player for me. A very good outlet for us. Would rather him on the right and Pickering on the left though

We deserve that. We’ve looked shocking

No idea how they didn’t score there. We look a bit all over the show (said that so many times this season despite being 2nd). Defence giving it away a lot passing it about and Szmodics a few times with risky cross fields passes. Dack on for Vale and Pickering for Morton and switch full backs around with Travis in the middle

Don’t mind Vale starting if Gally is injured…Good to see JDT going with him over Hirst. However, scratching my head at Travis RWB though (assuming he’s there), when we have Pickering and Carter on the bench. Feels like we’re just shoehorning the captain in as he’s captain.

Tonight feels massive to me! A win going into bottom of the league at home on Saturday could really put us in a position we could only dream of heading to Turf Moor. Burnley play Sheffield United away too next Saturday so it really could be 1st v 2nd and a match to see who goes into the WC break top of the league. Coventry aren't prolific, only Cardiff and PNE have scored fewer this season, and they're yet to score more than 2 in a match this season. That alongside our much improved defence (ironically thanks to Coventry for Hyam) I think we have a real chance. I'll go for a 1-1 draw, but i'll start to believe if we win! -------------- Kaminski -------------- ------ Hyam - Ayala - Wharton ------ Brittain --------------------- Pickering ----- Morton - Dack - Wharton ----- --------- Gallagher Brereton --------- JDT won't drop Travis though so i'd expect Travis for Wharton and Szmodics for Dack to be the team he picks

A lot of blue tinted glasses and no sense of perspective I'd imagine (as you'd expect on a Rovers forum). You're comfortably the best team in the league unfortunately, followed by Sheffield United, then a bit of a gulf to the rest.

A bit of hyperbole this, and offensive to the slave migrant workers, especially the thousands who lost their lives. Not to mention anybody gay, non-muslim or even bloody female! Yes there is lots wrong with our country, but it's chalk and cheese.

"If we can stay in touch" and "Feeling more confident about Top 6"? You're bloody 7/4 to WIN the league (36% chance) and 1/8 (89% chance) of finishing in the top 6.....stop trying to talk your lot down in the build up to the derby, if you're not beating us at home it'll be deemed a failure.

Agree with this - whilst the stadium is too big for us right now - it wasn't the case when we were playing United, City, Liverpool etc. every season. Hypothetically, if we were to get promoted, how do you think Swag would price season tickets? I ask as ticket sales are a drop in the ocean in realty (£3m or so revenue this year from ST), and they're even more so in the Prem. Thinking back to the £200 tickets under John Williams. Fill up Ewood, get an atmosphere back, maybe cling onto a few more fans upon the inevitable relegation. Any money lost in ticket revenue is made up instantly by bigger away followings let alone the £100m+ in TV deals. Obviously Swag would increase it further instead.

Yeah Swag should do some sort of 2 for £20 for Reading and Burnley. Wednesday and Saturday fixtures. Gets you a bigger midweek crowd and can make Burnley A+ if he wants to fleece the away fans. I don’t really think ticket packages work for us, but it’s a way for him to fleece 7k away fans if he wants (he’d probably prefer the £30 and take it from home and away fans)

I think that is very fair. It's getting more commonly used but perhaps not painting a full picture to the fan on the sofa e.g. flashing up as a stat on MOTD

Because whilst Kaminski and Brereton are better than average and a factor in our over-performance in actual vs expected I stated that I believe luck or statistic size (as a broad term but perhaps could be worded better) is a bigger factor. Those two players alone aren't enough to keep outperforming xG as much as we have this season. Personally, the flaw I don't like with it is how it doesn't represent game scenarios i.e. Sunderland only started to lead in xG once we were 2-0 up and we sat back and they dominated - would this have happened if Breretons screamer went over the bar? Unlikely to the extent it did. We take the lead, we sit back and we lose on xG - if it keeps getting us 3 points then happy days. To be blunt though, there is a reason we're 8th favourites for promotion despite being joint top of the league.

It’s used widely in the bookmaking industry and I’m yet to see a poor one. Look at Bloom and Bentham - some of the first to use it for their personal gain. Now owning Brighton and Brentford respectively and they’ve both seen some uptick in their fortunes. It has flaws yes, but it’s the best stat for pricing odds on matches and at simulating seasons to predict finishing positions.

Whilst this is true, luck is a larger factor, and we will eventually regress to the mean….The season only being 46 games means it’s a relative small sample statistically speaking and that regression may happen too late as we march to promotion.

John Buckley does not keep the midfield 3 solid

Isn’t that a contradiction?

Usually 12pm for a 3pm match I believe. Enjoy it - good food, view, service and you might see an ex player or two.

Absolute textbook

I agree I think that’s the team he’ll go with, and also agree with the rest of the post. Perhaps small chance he rests Morton - seems to be the only player in the middle who he hasn’t yet and he likes to rotate

£10m I think they've paid (with all add-ons I assume). Decent wedge for a Championship club. Edit: Low initial fee and high add-ons apparently - probably includes PL promotion etc. which would make it all worthwhile.

We had Elliott and the 2nd top scorer in the league (as well as the 2nd top scorer the season after) all in the same team but still failed to make the playoffs! Almost feels more of a missed opportunity than how we threw away last season. We looked unreal at times in the Elliott season but just couldn't defend. If only we had Hyam, Wharton and a fit Ayala!