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[davulsukur]

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

Desperately needed some creativity today. Changes came too late in my opinion. 
 

A lot of poor games there. Travis stand out as per - what a player. 

By some distance too.

[philipl]

Has the game finished yet?

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

A repeat of Wigan at home all over again. I said before the match we'd see how far we've come by the end, and the result gives us that answer. 

I think we were a lot better than the Wigan game. It felt like Wigan probably should have probably won that. Tonight we pegged them right back, didn't have enough quality ultimately,but didn't get that luck break you need either. Most of the second half was played in their third. 

Swansea will be more open I would imagine. That is certainly must win now. 

[Dreams of 1995]

Just now, davulsukur said:

By some distance too.

If them leaked wages are true and he’s on the lowest wages in the club that needs to change or we will lose him. He’s our best player now, no doubt about it. He’s becoming a complete midfielder. 

[bluebruce]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Maybe, Butland is a very solid keeper. Makes a huge difference for a team playing that defensively 

Except for that Arma effort down by the corner, I'm pretty sure we hit every shot straight at him.

[jw_]

Pathetic! Slow pedantic tapping the ball around at the back while Stoke packed their own  half. When Stoke did come out  there was no urgency from Rovers to get forward just tapping around and letting Stoke get back. Why was this not addressed by Mowbray.

[Elvis Biro]

Let's get real -can you see this outfit being capable of playing in the Premier League?

[DE.]

I can kind of understand why Mowbray held back on the subs for a bit as we were in the ascendancy for much of the second half, and truth be told there isn't a whole lot on the bench these days to change things. Unproven youngsters, aging/poor strikers and that's about it. Squad depth is lacking and it shows in games like this when we need a change but have nobody to bring on who will 100% have an impact on the game. 

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

I think we were a lot better than the Wigan game. It felt like Wigan probably should have probably won that. Tonight we pegged them right back, didn't have enough quality ultimately,but didn't get that luck break you need either. Most of the second half was played in their third. 

Swansea will be more open I would imagine. That is certainly must win now. 

First half was shocking tbh, other than the first 10 mins as bad as Wigan for me. Second half better but the same lack of quality, guile and ingenuity to force a breakthrough. We just don't have it in us to beat teams who come for a point, unfortunately. 

[4000Holes]

Some saying great defensive display from Stoke, but I didn’t think we ever looked like scoring tonight.  Far too ponderous, needed 4 or 5 touches which allowed their defence to get into shape.  When video becomes available I would appreciate if some on here would watch it particularly from that point of view and comment accordingly.

 

[OldEwoodBlue]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

I think we were a lot better than the Wigan game.

What is this ?

[Inglorious basturk]

Groundhog !! I can live with the Brentford game despite throwing it away in the last half hour , however this happens over and isn’t again where the stage is set , Stoke at home is really so winnable just like all those occasions in the past we have had it in a plate . E apologists will be out in force but this frustration is why Tony most go 

[47er]

Forget the "must win" bit. Tonight was must win. Its not going to happen now.

How many chances do we need? Just got to get as many points as we can and try to keep some momentum going for next season. Gutted.

[Inglorious basturk]

Just now, Elvis Biro said:

Let's get real -can you see this outfit being capable of playing in the Premier League?

Weekly humiliations if there was no investment 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

What is this ?

We definitely were. We were dire against Wigan, much better tonight,just couldn't nick a goal. Win a must on Saturday  

[bboy]

We huffed and puffed there. 

Lacked any real quality. Felt we missed Dack today for the first time in a while. 

We neither won a playoff place or lost it today. However coupled with losing 2 points on Saturday negativety is in the air. 

I actually thing we can't blame Mowbray too much tonight for the match itself . I'd of picked same squad apart from playing it with the 4-4-2 we used 2nd half. 

What I do blame Mowbray for is the lack of January recruitment. 2 seasons in a row I think it'll cost us. More so this season. 

[Stuart]

Absolute dross.

Only going to get worse without Lenihan.

[Bigdoggsteel]

3 minutes ago, DE. said:

I can kind of understand why Mowbray held back on the subs for a bit as we were in the ascendancy for much of the second half, and truth be told there isn't a whole lot on the bench these days to change things. Unproven youngsters, aging/poor strikers and that's about it. Squad depth is lacking and it shows in games like this when we need a change but have nobody to bring on who will 100% have an impact on the game. 

First half was shocking tbh, other than the first 10 mins as bad as Wigan for me. Second half better but the same lack of quality, guile and ingenuity to force a breakthrough. We just don't have it in us to beat teams who come for a point, unfortunately. 

There is a lack of urgency for sure. Only Travis wanted to take things quickly, complained to the ref about Stoke time wasting. The nasty teams with the winning instinct do that 

We should have went with Samuel and Armstrong upfront. Stoke were one of the most defensive teams I have seen at Ewood (on ifollow ?) the 3 centre halves are decent and we don't have a centre forward who could have bullied them , maybe Samuel could have done that. Must win on Saturday 

[bluebruce]

OK. So, tonight is extremely frustrating. It feels so familiar, to work to a position where we can drastically close the gap on the playoffs then piss it away against a poor side at home. Because it is, it's the umpteenth time we have seen it since dropping from the Prem. It feels like a sign that we just can't do this, that we will throw away all the opportunities like in the past. We were also tepid, pedestrian, with no cutting edge whatsoever. 

THAT SAID.

By the end of Saturday's games, we could find ourselves just a point outside the playoffs.

I'm not saying that will happen, I don't think it will. The brief groundswell of belief I've let myself feel has been pissed damp and rancid again tonight. But for a bit of perspective, it's potentially possible in just a few days' time to be that close. Think we may as well save our apoplexy until then. It wouldn't be the first time we have jumped from a shite result to a good one, and then we just need a couple or so of the other results to go our way.

[47er]

7 minutes ago, Inglorious basturk said:

Weekly humiliations if there was no investment 

TBF, the side that goes up rarely starts the first game in the Premiership---apart from Burnley. However,you have to have a solid core o at leastf 5 or 6 players capable of Premier League football and add to them in the summer. We had better than 5 or 6 both times we were promoted but I really doubt we have that core now. Nothing much upfront particularly, despite that being where we have spent all the  money. Additionally old 'uns plus loans sees us sadly lacking.

Need to have more quality and depth in this squad before we are serious contenders. The Manager's transfers have been inadequate.

Edited February 26, 2020 by 47er

[Ossydave]

Disappointing but pretty much how I feared it would pan out this morning when comparing it to Wigan. Let's hope Swansea doesn't replicate Birmingham now....

Draws really are no use at all at this point. May as well go all out attack last 20 and risk being caught out.

Not quite sure what Nyambe did to warrant MOTM although it was exceptionally slim pickings tonight!

I do think Preston will drop out, their fans I speak to are saying they're bobbins lately. Brentford are on a mini wobble with only 1 win in 5 games now. Bristol I can't see making it now either.

2 play off places to play for still IMO. Looking at our remaining fixtures though we've probably used out last lifeline up tonight and simply no more slip ups allowed. It could be argued 'tougher' fixtures in the run in may work in our favour mind, our record against the bottom teams is pretty awful.

Quite how we are going to get on now without Lenihan for 2 games though remains to be seen, huge blow.

[OldEwoodBlue]

Rothwell is just so bad it's untrue.

Attacking midfielder... no goals, half an assist, unbalances the side, no concept of team play... why the hell did Mowbray think that was a good idea.

 

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Well that was predictable.  Lack of wingers a glaring weakness.  Subs were wrong. Downing's set pieces were dire.  Mulgrew way better with a dead ball.  We are paying him enough, he should at least be on the bench.  How many direct feeekicks we scored this year? 

We simply arent  capable of getting in the playoffs.  

[DE.]

Personally I would have started Armstrong out wide tonight. I know he's been scoring goals playing as a striker but if we're going to play Gallagher (and I hasten to add I would not) then he needs to be playing up top. He's useless when out on the right, and when we switched to 4-4-2 tonight when attacking we were left exposed on the right as Rothwell was not covering the position Gallagher was leaving open. Arma can score goals from the flank anyway, and a lot of his goals come from outside of the box. He would have been much more of a threat on the wing tonight than Gallagher. Ideally Downing would have started centrally from the beginning (much more effective there in the second half) with Rothwell on the right, AA on the left and SG up top. It may still have ended goalless but I think we would have been more of a threat lining up this way than how we set out. 

[Wood26]

Just now, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Well that was predictable.  Lack of wingers a glaring weakness.  Subs were wrong. Downing's set pieces were dire.  Mulgrew way better with a dead ball.  We are paying him enough, he should at least be on the bench.  How many direct feeekicks we scored this year? 

We simply arent  capable of getting in the playoffs.  

Who you dropping to bring Mulgrew on? He’s done his bit for us but set pieces alone don’t warrant him in our team.

[Wood26]

13 minutes ago, Inglorious basturk said:

Groundhog !! I can live with the Brentford game despite throwing it away in the last half hour , however this happens over and isn’t again where the stage is set , Stoke at home is really so winnable just like all those occasions in the past we have had it in a plate . E apologists will be out in force but this frustration is why Tony most go 

Surely you seen enough championship by now to not want our manager out for a draw at home? Stoke have spent over £60 million since relegation, compare that to our team and how we are still well in the play off chase? Why would someone else be so much better?