First time this morning, actually excited about a couple of beers in the EWMC and a match! I predict it will take approximately 10 minutes of self defeating keep ball around our own box before I go back to hating every other second at Ewood!

Yea, I vividly remember walking away from that game with KHod around the 60th minute rather embarrassed! We went on quite a good run after I recall.

I remember frustration about creativity or final ball (I’ve had a ST for donkeys years and watched those games btw) and I certainly remember head in my hands defending…. However, I do not recall ever sitting there thinking “wtf are we even trying to achieve?” I would say that we’ve shown at times exactly the Russel Martin nonsense argument - especially at home, especially this year. The relentless short passing from set pieces in our own half has caused so many issues and perseverance with it fills me with dread. It doesn’t need to be the exact opposite either, a style that relies solely on physical stats and set pieces. I’m sure even some minor aspects of “Pulis” in our approach would help, like a good old fashioned “when in doubt rule”.. I appreciate the business aspect involved in sustainability, where the “value added” stuff belongs - and the only way to evaluate that is long term, hence why I’m no in anyway trying to advocate any changes of personnel. I don’t do that anyway. I just can sense this is going to be a long fucking season. Please prove me wrong.

I’m not bothered about directness, wing play, a number ten, 3 at the back - whatever. Not fussed, I don’t know enough about tactics to have a stake in that argument. I find this particular brand incredibly boring at times to watch. As a fan. No amount of repeating yourself (I mean how many times do you want to type “highest league finish since relegation”?) is going to change that. I want to be proven wrong and excited about watching rovers.

I don’t recall ever pinching myself to stay awake watching our defence and goalkeeper pass it around then. Remember, this entire discussion started because I find the football boring. I can agree with everyone about giving someone time and the scenario also of being first in English leagues, arriving late etc. I get all of that. I just cannot stand this dot to dot stuff. I know yesterday was only pre season, but the first 30 minutes just felt like a prelude to more frustration.

Many loose and unnecessary passes + weak as piss unorganised defending against basics = the whole issue I have with JDTs “journey”. The end. I hope I have to eat these words ASAP.

Exactly the same points total as 21/22

No I wasn’t. TM didn’t inherit a team challenging for the playoffs previously. Besides this is not just about the result being the same (points / position / lack of playoffs) Im talking about the style, I find it boring. Over a full season on average. Maybe JDT can improve that this season and the results. I’m not convinced

I’m just saying that I find it boring. I appreciate that overall the job was a decent one. I’m just saying that this specific style of football is hard to watch. Over a season though - those things work out. There are a few complete no shows, that made just as much as an impact on our finishing position - simply listing all the unlucky things, forgets about times when we looked completely out of our depth. I agree we could improve this season but I guarantee that the patience won’t last if we don’t.

Again, the stat that counts is points / finishing position. I wouldn’t call last season a success.

“I’m not patronising but you can’t answer a simple question”… that you’ve already answered. To repeat myself for the dim witted - I’m not bothered about the style of play, I just preferred it when our tactics primary job where to win, get points. This setup’s first responsibility is to “add value” and I find it boring in the main. Either deal with it and move on or find someone else to quote.

Don’t be so patronising. There are 50+ games to look at. Only a blithering idiot would base their opinions on the two best performances.

I am looking it as a whole, it was mainly boring and tepid. Some of the games got me off my seat - the Sheff United game in the league and the cup stuff but ultimately; He got the same amount of points as the much maligned Mowbray. With a style of football that bored me to death. Each to their own.

Islander - just look at the very last competitive game we played. We had to come back from a deficit caused by our ridiculously bad decision making with the ball in our own half. All caused by playing out from the back. It might be worth upping the spectacle prescription.

Yea Luton at home when we desperately needed points was “excellent football”… we only scored after throwing away the game plan. Spanked off Norwich, who let us pass around for as long as we wanted, played a direct ball and cut us in half. Hull at home 0-0 on sky at 8pm, easily the most boring game of the season. Same against Coventry at home and Preston - whilst you can argue we had some misfortune in all of those games, we didn’t get the result. So I’m not sure which games you watched - the only top performances I would’ve picked out, Huddersfield away (but remember our shocking weak as piss defending) and then the stomach punch of Burnley at home.

What a surprise. Go on, I will bite. Possession football is further up the pitch, what we do is not that. This constant playing out from the back is never going to be safe, because we don’t have players technically good enough. Im all for pressing, but our play generally is depressing because teams know they’ve probably more chance of beating us by letting us have the ball. All I want to see is a team setup to get the best results. Ours is predominately setup to add value to players first. Most of the football in the last 12 months has been dull, imo.

It took me 10 minutes or the first game to remember why I hated long spells of last season and the incessant passing around the back. Why this is a popular style of football is beyond me.

Preston averaged 1500 more than us at home over last season, total attendance that is. Season before 2500 less. I don’t know the ins and outs of the cost over that time or their relative finishes in the league but that is a big jump from 2022

My guess is it’s more likely just someone he knew was being transferred, something that’s exactly what happened to trippier and I imagine Harry knows quite a few top English players from coming through.

Judging by the amount of likes this post achieved, I can’t believe people are still so sore about that! If it’s linked to betting - the exchange markets (betfair etc) are normally quite liquid before 2pm, but if you know for definite that a big player is missing or on the bench, you’re benefiting from information that the market doesn’t have. Its advantageous for those laying the bets, not necessarily those taking them.

What would you suggest is a good figure this summer? I appreciate that we had 18k around 12 years ago, but realistically that would take more than cost or marketing to achieve imo. 10k? I’ve no real opinion on Waggott but being realistic, what do we think would be successful this summer.

Out of interest, do either of you have season tickets?

Isn’t that pretty much what JDT said in March? “They’ve never had it so good”? Personally find (not you Mike) the conspiracy stuff still floating about with Mowbray on this thread incredibly strange. The guys gone, just move on.

Like cigarettes and tobacco - they’re always going to be something kids will likely see adults doing and try, I do get that but cigarettes aren’t even legal to advertise because of the damage they do, and how addictive they are. We don’t know everything about long term vapour inhalation, other than it’s less damaging than smoking. That doesn’t mean they should be sold in sweet flavours and colourful boxes though - that’s the marketing to children part, look at Totally Wickeds branding for Christ sake, couldn’t be anymore alluring for young teenagers. The second part of this is exactly the point - they’re being put into view of every single young rover. It’s bad for them and the environment. It’s bad for our brand too.

No