I think his attitude has always been there, he seems a true pro and a really decent lad - just taken a while to get his fitness and get his match sharpness. The physicality and pace of the championship at first seemed to be too much, but he looks stronger and more aggressive now. I think also we need to appreciate that this is a rag-tag bunch of players, not a carefully built squad built in an "image" that JDT is working with, and they being asked to play a fairly strict system, so all this needs to be taken into consideration. They've got to be mentally fit as well as physically, always thinking and sometimes players get lost. Just to go off track a bit, like most fans I've been racking my brain trying to work out why the losses have been so bad, why are we so Jekyll and Hyde, I think it's due to the players playing the system as opposed to the game - it's a learning curve and they don't have a plan B when they're getting overrun. It's the one thing that needs to improve.

He's one of those players that if he was playing for the opposition, we'd all be like "we need someone like that". Superb performance last night, incredible energy right up to the end.

I'm totally buzzing after that, seeing the togetherness of the fans and the players at the end, where's this belief and team spirit come from? Seeing Gallagher punching the air toward the Riverside on the final whistle, he's suddenly got the fight in him. Thought he played excellent today and led the line, he's started winning flick ons! Thought that was one of Dolan's best games for the club too. In the second half when he was on my touchline on the Riverside, I could see him shielding the ball when it was cleared to him, using his strength and turning his back into his opponent and winning a free kick or two. This to me is a new side to his game and he's needed it, they must have been working on it in training, since he's been picked to start recently he has to lead the line. It was great to see. I said to my Dad before the game: if we win today I'm going to start believing, and that's what worries me, I'm scared to believe, the stakes get higher, but when it feels this good, who cares. We seem to have got more "streetwise" too, everyone is buying time, letting the ball drift out, taking fouls - we're also putting our foot in and taking bookings, not afraid to get stuck in. In the first half of the season we hardly picked up yellows, all the best teams do it, we're finally halting opposition attacks and disrupting others - just what they do to us. It's great to see and reminds me of the early days of Hughes's reign. COYB

Yeah what is going on with that, I'm surprised too - used to do me head in how quickly we'd adopt it before a manager really earned it. Appleton joins and within 10mins we're all singing it... Used to laugh about Sven joining us that "Sven Goran Erikkson's Blue and White Army" was too many syllables. Paul Ince's was too little, but he didn't earn it, so nowt lost there. I think us fans are just numb and unwilling to commit after years of TM, Stockholm Syndrome if you will. Maybe it was the Coyle debacle that killed it off. Would love to smash out "JDT's blue and white army" in full force at Wembley. ----- Edit: just thinking about it, that chant seemed to really stick when Tony Parkes had that caretaker spell, it felt proper, it was his army.

Mendy...Trav got right in his head. Love it. Buckley got sent off for far less.

The woolly blanket and thermos brigade can't see past Mr Lemon Drizzle. If big Tone came over he'd asked nicely before taking another custard cream, he'd talk about the weather and agree that "things aren't what they used to be". JDT on the other hand, he'd nick the last one while your Nan's back was turned and give her a cheeky flirtatious wink afterwards.

Exactly. I can't be critical of Vale too much, he scored at West Ham and at Norwich, those goals have allowed us to progress in the cups BUT there was a moment when he came on, I need to watch it again and others have mentioned it, where he didn't bust a gut to close a Leicester player down, it was odd and if I was JDT I'd be showing him a clip of that first thing. Think another poster mentioned this, can't remember who, but you've sat on the bench watching Gally work his bollocks off all game and you at least need to match that effort when you replace him. There is a similar languid body language like Butterworth about him, he obviously has good positional sense, but it is odd. Like with any of our academy lads, I want him to do well though.

This is what confuses me: he will have done his research, known the owners are rich yet useless (other than funding the debt) so he must have been promised money to spend surely? There must have been the conversation! And we've let him down at the first hurdle. Regardless of O'Brien, he wanted a striker and we didn't get one.

I'm trying to not get carried away but it's hard not to, as many have said one of the most enjoyable games to watch in recent years. Leicester played right into our hands, but I fully expect more games like Wigan at home etc. I'd forgotten what it was like to have an "exciting" season with stuff happening in it rather than just toil without pleasure 😂 League 1 was sort of fun, but there was an air of expectancy and it was nail biting at times, the pain of missing out and spending another season down there was too much to bear. Football's mad what it does to you, after games like the dingle disaster and Rotherham I didn't want to even see anything round or football shaped, after last night I'm literally scouring social media for every scrap.

Exactly, he needs wrapping in cotton wool. I think other players see it and it gives them a boost though, what do you think? If you see a teammate beating the opposition like that it only breeds confidence, we don't get "stuck" at the back and it stops the pressure ramping up on every pass. He royally took the piss last night on a few occasions, it was amazing to see.

He won't go to Feyenoord. JDT will only leave if he isn't backed in the summer. I think he looked long and hard at many jobs, took a year out, so coming to Rovers wasn't an impulse decision. If I was being cynical, perhaps his main motivation is that he wants to prove himself in England (his Newcastle spell) and put himself in the shop window. The one thing that erks me when he gets criticism, people need to remember who JDT is - this guy is a winner, and has had an amazing career and he's at our club, compare him to fookin' Owen C*yle and Bowyer and Mowbray, it's a joke: he's played on the biggest stages, with the biggest players and under some of the biggest managers. Think of some of the dressing rooms he's been involved with, he will know what makes players tick and how to manage egos etc. I'm very proud to have him at the helm regardless of what happens and can I forgive some of his errors, at least he's trying something...

Hyam was massive last night, every time a ball came in I took it for granted he would be on the end of it. What a signing. On the upturn in results it definitely coincides with JRC's form, he gives us the ability to bring the ball out when under pressure. He seems to inspire confidence in others too. It also coincides with Dack moving and offering for the ball, and the energy of Szomidcs. We didn't have this at the dingle dome disaster and over Christmas. This tika-taka system JDT plays is totally dependant on confidence and belief, the hardest thing to do as a player is play that killer forward pass into danger, after 10 sideways passes, under pressure from the crowd and the opposition and with little movement up front. Our lads aren't blessed with Brazil like levels of ability so they need a boost from somewhere.

haha LOL I find myself saying "in that way" all the time recently. "yes I'll have a brew, with intensity, in that way"

He didn't have a choice though. Why didn't he play the Whartons against the Dingles? Trying to protect them? Too soon? But yeah it's impressive, what an experience for Phillips and JDT obviously trusts him. Just rather BBC didn't broadcast our youth talent to the world 🤫

As I said on the JDT thread, we did to them what Rotherham, Dingles and Nob End did to us. Leicester were there to be bullied. I hope we can keep it up. At least we're seeing them be braver on the ball now, moving it forward, Dolan and JRC give us that outlet, with Travis playing his socks off, needs a partner though. Something has happened, it's either confidence from a good run or just some team spirit starting to cement itself, and a belief in JDT's system finally. I was angry that he fit the system to the players regardless of their quality, but he's showing that with the right talent in there it can work. Summer: Get. him. backed. And...Hedges in for shooting practice at 7am. Come on Ryan lad! Congrats to the fans that made it down, class everyone of them, gutted I couldn't go.

Trying to not get carried away. We just did to Leicester what Nob End, Burnleh and Rotherham did to us. When it works, it really works, when it doesn't it's a disaster. I can't pass judgement on JDT until he's been given a chance to build his team with the type of players he needs to fit this style. Whether he gets backed or not will be the clincher. I think we're starting to see great team spirit and togetherness, and a willingness to buy into the system that was missing in those games, they're taking those risks that he mentions and getting reward. I was critical of him in those games of trying to fit a style to the side regardless of the quality of player, I can see how it's going to work, we looked balanced tonight and hungry. Diaz, Dack will have to fight to get back into the side now. Right off to play JDT bingo with his post match presser: "in that way" "intensity" "he's a good boy"

Never thought I'd see these words applied to JDT's Rovers

Leicester worse than us at tapping it about at the back, makes a change. We are taking risks but we seem to have an out-ball now, we seem to be playing it forward quicker and also inside centrally, more so than we did in that spell around Christmas. Is this the "bravery" that JDT talks about? JRC cutting inside and doing his man and releasing the ball is really working for us - and Dolan is someone to aim at. Hyam is always there, love it. Szmodics, if Leicester bypass our midfield with a couple of quick passes, he always busts a gut to get back goalside. Very impressive. We're just wasteful up front, come on lads, look up, think...

That game was a mad one, I remember the blizzard coming down just after half time as Sutton scored that chip, lots of people didn't really witness it as they were all settling down for the second half and getting their coats on 'cause of the weather. I thought that team were going to go onto great things. Sutton was my favourite player as a kid, I liked the underdog act to Shearer and the fact he had a nasty streak, hard to play against. I had the copper away kit with his name on wish I still had that now. He scored my most memorable FA Cup goal in the 2-2 away draw at West Ham, down to 10 men after that little sh*t Berkovic got Gallacher sent off. Coupled with the coach getting pelted as we entered the ground, it set me off on a lifetime's journey of hating on the 'ammers. I was right behind the goal when Sutty scored, and you could see every muscle in his neck and face straining to win that header, and the way he celebrated with the fans...amazing. He was a proper player, he could hold the ball up and keep it there, all elbows and a boney arse sticking into the defenders 😂. Not many like him any more. Anyway, watching these clips is getting me proper fired up for tonight, come on lads! COYB!

Chris Taylor: To be fair he was one of a few to show some effort. Always looked good playing against you. One of "those" Rovers players. When he played in the cup game, he was in the ref's face, in our player's faces, being a real shithouse, and getting stuck in. He didn't seem to have that at Rovers - just shows what a team spirit and togetherness can do to lift players.

Don't worry, hardly memorable. So many players from that era just disappear into dust. I remember everything before my kid was born in 2016, born into a time of Coyle at the helm, and Trump as president, what did I bring a life into this mad world for? Poor little thing.

We also made Chris Taylor look like Kaka that night too. I was somewhat slightly "excited" when he signed for us, oh well... That night was a painful night, too many painful nights to chose from in that era.

I've enjoyed watching JRC give it out a bit in recent games, it's what we need. Loved watching him winding McClean up on Monday night.

There is a direct correlation for me between our second half season slump and the Jan transfer window. It doesn't matter who the manager is, or what the squad is - if, as a player, you feel that lack of ambition seeping through from the top of the club and you don't see any signings coming in it will affect the squad - that second half of the season suddenly starts to feels like a huge slog and they'll literally have the desire knocked out of them - what's the point? They all know they can barely compete and they see our rivals strengthen. How many of us have worked in jobs where you can feel the team down tools in reaction to a decision made by leadership, or a rumour that they aren't investing or cutting corners - I've seen it happen so many times, malaise is something that can set it in so easily. People just stop giving that extra 5%, and that's the difference between finishing 10th or 6th in this league.

Nah it was a total clusterfuck from all involved! A fear of not being able to just whip a decent ball in.