We're playing well so far, keeping the ball. Though Charlton are sitting deep and letting us pass it around.

Blatant penalty not given

Hull were shocking. We’ve got it bad, but their fans must be depressed, flogging their best 2 players in January. Probably the worst team to come to Ewood this season. Replaced with Maddison who looked like he could barely move at the end. 

Would have liked to see Buckley earlier, and Davenport / Chapman at some point given what we were up against, they’d have a chance to get their foot on the ball a bit (how often do we have 70% possession?)

Bennett shouldn’t be starting, and Johnson didn’t look up to much. Would like to see a change here ahead of Charlton. 

Armstrong keeps scoring screamers!

We can be frustrating at times, but with our injury pile, a 3-0 win keeping us in touch is nice to see 

5 minutes ago, superniko said:

Bleak 2nd half but we are rightly leading now. Should be 3 really if we could finish / had any sort of quality. 
 

masking over the cracks though I fear when Tony is bringing Samuel on as the sub to change the game. 

And just like that it is 3!

Bleak 2nd half but we are rightly leading now. Should be 3 really if we could finish / had any sort of quality. 
 

masking over the cracks though I fear when Tony is bringing Samuel on as the sub to change the game. 

Just now, Bbrovers2288 said:

How many difficult saves for their keeper. Il tell you, none 

Think that’s a bit unfair. Armstrong missed 2 absolute sitters and Johnson (I think) had the header from 5 yards straight at him. 
 

Finally a change....

Brererton and Samuel...wait, what?

Tony playing football manager, chuck a load of strikers on 

Would like to see Bennett and Johnson replaced. 
With any 2 of Buckley, Chapman and Davenport.

Hull aren’t interested. We’re controlling the game and it’ll be a good opportunity for them all, who can all offer more. 
 

I actually think we’ve looked okay, and considering the odd negative post about Graham, I think he’s been significantly better than any Gallagher performance all season....albeit Hull look terrible and have a a reserve team out. 

Big game for us after two disappointing draws.

Our rivals for the top 6 are playing 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th in the league all at home! so a defeat is likely to leave us 6 points + GD off the playoffs!

All teams from 4th to 10th are at home except ourselves.

Bristol City: Luton (H) - 22nd

Swansea: Barnsley (H) - 23rd

Forest: Wigan (H) - 24th

Preston: Reading (H) - 15th

Fulham: Stoke (H) - 21st

Sheff Wed: Cardiff (H) - 11th

I'm going and looking forward to a sell out. Will head to Magic Rock brewery for a few beforehand, nice place if you've not been before.

This is dour. 
What’s the new style of football we’re supposedly playing these days?

- - - - - - - - - - Walton - - - - - - - - - - - - 

- - - - - Tosin - Lenihan - Williams - - - - -

Bennett - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cunningham

- - - - Holtby - - Travis - - Downing - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - Dack - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - Graham - - - - - - - - - - -

Can’t see Armstrong getting dropped, but I’d go with above.

I think Holtby edges it over Rothwell and would like to see how he performs from the start. 

Just now, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

Notts Forest at home?

Pull yourself together. 

Some of the hysterical reaction on here is pathetic.

Of course it was a winnable game. They were completely bang average. 

Every game at home in the Championship is winnable. I’d expect 3 points against all bar Leeds, Fulham and West Brom to be honest. 

That was a frustrating 90 minutes. The 3 points were there for the taking.

We just do not have enough quality in the team to mount any kind of challenge to the top 6.

I’m a supporter of Tony, but my patience is running thin. He has his favourites and he can’t see past them. I’m starting to think he’s holding us back from any progression. 

Holtby looked good when he came on.

Samuel couldn’t even start for me in L1, why the hell is he getting game time when we’re meant to be challenging in the Championship?

Finally, little gripe but Walton looked like he was settling for 1-1 the time he took on some goal kicks at the end. 

We CANNOT cross a football

Half Time view:

Poor game really, I think we’ve been the better side. Forest just looking to counter. A few half chances but we’re not very entertaining (what’s Tony’s new style of play?)

- Sam Gallagher is not a winger, a wasted shirt in the 11 and does not deserve his place

- Armstrong is getting a lot of the ball, but has no end product which halts all our creativity. He’s got in a lot of 1 on 1 situations but isn’t skinning the defender. Mowbray be screaming at him to take advantage of that  

- Dack has been poor, giving the ball away more than normal 

- Cunningham has been good, big part of the reason Armstrong is seeing so much of the ball. 

- I think Downing has been fairly solid in the middle too

- Nobody in the team can cross a ball. 

Rothwell for Gallagher 

I’d leave Armstrong on for a bit and just get him to beat that full back when he has no cover

Has an attack ever highlighted how a player is not a winger than Sam Gallagher down the right hand side then?

What are you thinking Tony?!

They’re here for the taking though, don’t look anything special. 

Lenihan needs to be careful though 

Lots of “lively Armstrong” comments, but has he actually done anything yet? No end product at all. 

He’s just getting a lot of the ball and doing absolutely nothing with it. 

- - - - - - - - - - Walton - - - - - - - - - - - - 

- - - - - Tosin - Lenihan - Williams - - - - -

Bennett - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cunningham

- - - - Holtby - - Travis - - Rothwell - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - Dack - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - Graham - - - - - - - - - - -

Just now, Yonder12 said:

Downing moved to the middle 

Yeah, Holtby was central too.

Just now, OJRovers said:

Where did Holtby play when he came on?

Central, pretty much like for like replacing Johnson. 

Frustrating result to take that. Felt like one of those games where a win would really start to give us hope. 

Whereas this defeat has had the complete opposite affect, and we all feel that we have no chance of top 6 now.

Samuel looked poor when he came on, but in fairness he's been out for a long time. I just don't think Tony really knows what he is doing up top, Armstrong and Samuel as 'wingers' at the end.

It's simple for me. if he wants to play this 4-2-3-1 (not sure why we stick with it with 0 wingers) then it has to be Graham up front and Dack in the whole. Then we need to player 2 WIDE players and not a striker who cannot cross or a central midfielder.

Lets hope we bounce back against Forest mid-week, though they look in good form.

Danny Graham is far superior to any striker we have. Player of the season last year......yet cannot buy a start! It's baffling.

Neither Armstrong nor Gallagher should be starting in a top half Championship side, should they?

Looks like Johnson in the background of this video, albeit not the best quality. 

He still lives down there but not sure why he’d be going on the piss at their ‘team building’ night, even if they are all old friends. 

If it is him, Mowbray won’t be impressed. Holtby and Travis together tomorrow?