Why do we play Cantwell on the left? He seems to rome, and him and Dolan often trade places, but not often, probably by circumstance rather than design. All I can think is that it's a "modern football thing" and that having Dolan central allows him to press their back line and harry?

No wonder it was 0-0 last night 🤣:

Cantwell stood out by a mile last night, can tell he's done it a level above. We just need one more player of that quality to pair him up with.

Feel like I'm in the minority but I really enjoyed last night. I quite enjoy seeing two evenly matched teams try and outwit each other and enjoyed the battles all over the pitch. I prefer this pragmatic approach by Eustace, he'd done his homework, I like seeing us match up to the opposition, rather than gallantly losing 1-3, totally fine by me. Yes, they had chances, but so did we. We kept Maja quiet until we tired, a player who was once courted by us - if he was in a Rovers shirt last night we'd be moaning about his performance. West Brom are a top 6 side, some say top 4, and that fact we matched them for 80mins is to be commended, only their better squad depth was the difference towards the end. If anything it just makes me more frustrated by the results at Plymouth and especially the Coventry game, and more frustrated again by the ownership, but that's a given... I wasn't even bothered by the passing out from the back, I can see why we do it - the margins are so tight nowadays with the way opposition teams press, and it does work. What doesn't work was the constant hoof up to Dolan in the second half, that was driving me crackers, but who else can we aim at once Hedges has gone off and Gueye on the bench? I wish we had another option up front with height and strength, and not just the pace of Amari CD to look forward to. January? Oh yeah, sorry... My main concern is that we don't have anyone who can run beyond against the well set up sides, I think it's due to the lack of pace, our build up play is slow, when we quicken it we look the real thing, but 80% of the time we are playing safe and not going for the first time pass out of midfield, mainly down to the abilities of the squad. It takes confidence to ping a 30 yard diagonal on your second touch. We can't get in behind as we allow teams to drop back into position and set themselves on every attack. I thought bringing on Brittain to help JRC was a good move, but did wonder whether there was a little bit attacking intent in it too, hoping he'd cross it to Maktar, but we never got a chance, both on too late. I'd love to see us try 15 mins of sustained crossing to Gueye just to see what he could do. I thought the Blackburn End were fantastic in the second half for the good 25 min spell, and I feel the fans do appreciate the grit and effort the team are putting in. Whoever booed in the Riverside at the full time whistle and at every square pass needs to give their head a wobble - we've been in the championship long enough to know it's an attritional slog and not every game can be full of wondrous attacking play, the good teams behave the same. At least the team are fighting and scrapping for every ball, we are annoying to play against, and I like that. I do get a feeling that Eustace and his team are seeing the season as a whole and managing our limited resources well, there will be bumps and we're not always going to get it right with our lack of depth, but I trust him.

Worrying statements from Palace. Get the lad the surgery he needs. https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/crystal-palace-adam-wharton-injury-surgery-glasner-b1188794.html

Famously Ranieri set Leicester 50 points in 15/16. Nothing wrong with that approach. I think it's healthy to break the season down into sections, get to the first international break, cling on through winter and then try and avoid the new year slump for once.

If only he'd put away a similar header against Brum last season.

I'm a bit confused about these stats, the "big chances" and "big chances missed" - did we not have at least a couple, Travis and Dolan? Meanwhile, the levels of bitterness and disillusionment are strong in this video, sheeesh: To save anyone the chore of watching it, I lasted 10 mins: “An opportunity missed for them - there best chance of beating us in the last 15 years, and they didn’t even try to do it. It shows a lot where the two clubs are.” “They didn’t come with a proactive plan to try and win the game.” "To show such a level of dominance against them I feel they’re going to behind us for a very long time.” “We were totally dominant” then “but we didn’t threaten the keeper too much.” “Gueye didn’t look a coordinated footballer.” “I can’t give them credit for their goal as there was some sloppiness from our defence.” “He could have sent the entire Blackburn team off for time-wasting.” Funnily no mention of the offside goal, again. Drinking the koolaid in BB10 clearly. There's definitely a theme developing that others have mentioned, forgetting their Lord Dyche roots, that we somehow are awful and backward because we chose to defend with 10 men. Odd. I'm sorry we ruined their usual 3 points in the fixture, apologies for not rolling over. I need to leave it, can we not just all agree it was great to have a competitive derby again?

Great interview with Sonny. But am I hearing this right, Tronstadt says he got a yellow for also showing a yellow card? He didn't get booked if I remember correctly. Fast becoming my favourite player. Get the feeling he seems to care about the club and loves being here.

The more I see that little shove on Beck from the petulant Koleosho off the ball at around 14 minutes, the more it winds me up, and they call us for shithousery. Thanks for spurring us on ya little shite.

🤣 Correct me if I'm wrong but they didn't mention Dolan's offside, hardly a review. Funny that. - - - - But, great review from the Second Tier pod - surprisingly pro-Rovers, criticise the officials, the offside decision, and didn't think Big Mak deserved to go: https://www.secondtierpod.co.uk/podcast/episode/72dfa2ad/taking-le-bris-second-tier-weekend-show

You can hear the Burnley fans jeering thinking that it's gone over in real time too. The shot from behind him as he cuts across is amazing. Burnley fans calling it a "hit and hope". Give it up.

I felt like we were a rabbit in the headlights. It's why I'm proud of the team. They've got 14 years of pressure weighing on them and Burnley's players were faster, stronger and scarier and desperate to start well. For me it all stemmed from the little shove that Beck got, and we got stuck in then, 1-0 down, under the cosh, possibly on the end of another embarrassment, and a case of reaching rock bottom before you can crawl out of it. Wiemann's goal calmed us down and we started fighting. Unfortunately I live and work in Burnley territory, and due to some penance, possibly in a former life, I've married into a Burnley family (In my defence, I was part of some government scheme to try and improve the gene pool and reduce hospital admissions so go easy). I do the school run and the Burnley dads were quiet this morning. Last time after the 3-0 they all came out of the woodwork gloating, (even someone I'd never met, in front of my kid, called me a "fucking bastard"). Not so sure this morning, all I got was "you created nothing" which is what I've heard all over the internet too, I don't know where they are getting this from. Apart from the first 15-20 where they looked frightening, Burnley were totally toothless and created nothing in the second half. 3 shots on target each, and none of those from Burnley came after we went down to 10. We had the better chances to win it, and had the ball in the net twice. Great post. Sums it up perfectly. It's really very odd. These guys are crying over the toughness of the Championship, like you said, I thought they were proud of the their roots and supposed "little old Burnley status" and toughness. They also seem to be glowing about their performance, the football they played. Before Big Mak got sent off, the game was open, we may have lost 3-1, 3-2 but some parity was being reached. Teams are allowed to soak up pressure and hit teams at home on the break, it's a normal thing to do and not something to be ashamed of, you can't gloat about your team being the Championship Barca and then accuse the opposition of sitting deep. Accusing us of parking the buss and falling over, and "if that was us I'd be embarrassed". An absolute joke this and sums up their smugness: If Burnley in the Prem were a force to be reckoned with, rather than one 7th placed finish and a load of toil and struggle, they would have some right to class themselves as some sort of footballing cultural elite, but they're just not, sorry. One season of wonder under Kompany, signing a load of tricky Belgian lads, has gone to their heads. I do fully expect them to improve and start putting teams to the sword however, just by default with the level of player they have, but we'll see how the signings bed-in during the bleak West Yorkshire winter. To assume that they'll walk the league, and take the piss out of our little side for our tactics, with both clubs now teetering on the edge of financial issues is foolish - it could come back to bite them.

Great stuff I hope you thanked him for his touchline coaching / shithousery antics on Saturday! Hard to see on the TV but can anyone who went tell us a bit more what he was up to? I saw him "accidently" kick the ball away, good stuff. Edit: just found some full match highlights - I missed him stood there whilst watching as was so f****** sick and nervous pacing about, he's basically stood in line with our defence barking orders. Makes a mockery of the technical area but bollocks to it. Good lad Fadz. Love it. I know it doesn't seem like much but it's such a relief to have some normal, experienced championship heads at the club for once.

Inject that into my veins Priceless

Anyone up for an East Lancs play-off battle? That would be fun wouldn't it? 🤣 (I want to caveat this by saying I think anything above mid table is a good season for us in the circumstances, but we can all dream, not getting carried away - our small squad will put paid to any of that)

Yeah you just need to read this thread to see the true level of disillusionment: https://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=77292&sid=761fea8b59e3f4110386cdc1e37e9e7d There's also talk of how dominant they were, we had the most clear cut chances in the 2nd half, and after the sending off weren't we the ones to actually register a shot on target? They were completely blunt up front. Benson falling over on the touchline on 96mins summed it up. All the talk too of how their players needed to settle, our best performance came from a player who had been at the club for 2 days... Lots of them seem to think we're tinpot for celebrating a draw. If you can't celebrate a hard point with 10 men away from home, after all the talk that they were going to hammer us, after being 2nd best for 10 years, with a bench that cost more than our squad - then maybe try a different sport... any Rovers fan under 30 won't have known a time when we were on top. Football comes in waves and it needs some perspective. It was more of an outpouring of relief that the team turned up and fought more than anything. We all want a competitive derby in East Lancashire. On the game, I'm really surprised they didn't do more to overlap down our flanks, to really get in behind, they never doubled up on us and kept going at Hedges and Beck - I thought they'd pass us to death and switch it about more. After the first 15 minutes it looked as if the game would only go one way, Brittain didn't bust that extra gut to get close, like a hot knife through butter, but after that, we suddenly showed some real steel and harried everything. Their goal typifies our big weakness this season, we are guilty of being too relaxed and capable of falling asleep at the back - Hyam actually ran with Foster for a bit then just marked the space, frustrating. He recovered well though and I hope that puts to bed the nightmare of the last encounter down there.

I'm sorry I can't find the post to quote but someone said that although Gueye should know the rules, it's ok for the opposition to crowd the ref and verbally express they'd like a booking, and for someone else to do it with a hand gesture - frustrating, especially as the first wasn't anywhere near a yellow. And also I read another post re Beck that I agree with - after a soft 10 minutes for the whole side, a Burnley player gave a little shove to Beck into the advertising hoardings, it seemed to trigger something and after that he started fighting, he rose to it. Well played Owen 👏

Haha Dingles complaining we parked the bus - get over yourselves, they've turned into a right smug bench, entitled or what. Also seen comments the ref let us get away with certain antics, my oh my how deluded. We needed that goal, calmed our nerves, started doing the basics better after that. Parker complaining players had no chance to train: may I present Owen Beck...

Very, very proud of the lads, that's all we wanted - Eustace will have loved digging that one out. Could have won it. Owen Beck take a bow, Warnock MK2. Surprised how toothless them lot were. Delighted we got stuck in. Build on this lads. COYB

I'm glad we're getting stuck in - get into these soft bastards

If we get the two pacey wingers this window then I think that's a real positive, and I'm finally glad that Eustace, Park, Rudy whoever, has recognised we need pace in the team. Until we signed Maktar there was no one in that team that would scare me as an opposition player. I love Dolan, JRC, and they have their role - almost feel like family now after so many years of watching them, but we need players who can tear apart the opposition, no one has pace. I'm fed up of watching it done to us! When Maktar is on we've seen that teams naturally start retreating and facing the wrong way. If we can get some danger in this team then our backline can only improve as a result too.

Yeah me too, think he would have been a flop in all honesty.

That game was an utter disgrace, one which many will never forget. JDT totally downplayed it, VK didn't. I had to look at the team the other to remind myself and time away hasn't made it any better. Morton. Ayala. Mola. Throw in an ineffective Diaz, a powderpuff Hyam and it was a recipe for disaster (I'll never forgive Diaz for some of those phoned-in performances that season).

Listen you Dingles, the daughter of the chairman has told all you to be kind. That starts on Saturday with an easy 3 points to us, thanks in advance. Love thy neighbours and all that.