Bethnal

Just a side thought - massively artificially inflated attendance today, clearly. Covert way for owners to get cash into a club? Have an intern mindlessly buying tickets up all week?

Well deserved for Dolan, he’s been an utter nuisance today, such a good performance from him.

I’m nervous because of recent form, but Sunderland have had a torrid time of it recently with managerial appointments and with nothing much to play for, may not fancy it. If we don’t win this I expect it’s our doing, not theirs.

Two massive goals. First fifteen we were not on this really, but it’s been all us for the next 20. Clinical from Sammie in both instances but excellent play from Dolan in each, as well.

He’s not been here long enough to be a true Rovers legend, but his performance this season on the whole will live in the memory. Completely stepped up to be the main man and - as you rightly say - carry us through the season. If we stay up, it’s exclusively due to him, in the dressing room. Nobody near him in there currently.

Pears had nothing to do all game and couldn’t even do that. level of performance in the final 15-20 was the absolute minimum I expect from a Rovers team, but nothing special. This manager will - as a few of us have been saying for a while now - take us down.

If we weren’t as shit in general as we are, these lot would be well behind. No skin off their noses, though, they’re about to go too for half an hour.

Absolutely staggering that they’ve not seen that.

Still, the previous manager had managed to lose this dressing room, full as it is of players capable of putting on displays such as this. Just needed the shackles taken off!

Ah, Andy Moran is here to see this loss out for us.

Dolan for Ayari, Sammie as a false 9, Gilsenan for Chrisene. Nowt much else doing.

Don’t think we’ve been too bad, but a poor mistake and a more diligent ref and we could be 2 down. Doesn’t look like a team, though. Looks like 11 individuals struggling under pressure.

He’s had nearly two weeks on the grass with the majority of the squad and if the manager wants the credit for the Newcastle performance, he should take the credit for some of the more insipid displays, but I digress. Two weeks basically uninterrupted, with some R&R included. We’re in a relegation fight and this is a home game. If the manager can’t get this team motivated against a high-flying team that has shown defensive vulnerabilities away from home against “lesser” sides recently, then he’s not going to produce the necessary to keep us up. I think he takes us down, but a win today gives me pause on that thought and I hope to Christ that we do.

I actually think the possibility of league titles and domestic cup wins (even if it’s in Scotland) plus the chance to play in the Champions League for the next couple of years, considering where he has been in his football journey, would be a huge motivator for that move. Celtic don’t really have form for deploying the kind of money that I think makes the move worth it for us, but if their heart is set on it and a few English Premiership sides throw in cursory glances, they may have to. Wouldn’t begrudge him the move at all. I cannot recall a game where I could question his work ethic or desire and he’s been excellent for us in his short time here.

I’ll never stop saying it. Though wealthy, the people in charge of Venky’s - our owners - are talentless brats. They physically cannot achieve anything of their own making. A legacy of failure. Venky’s is only where it is because their father was extremely switched on and capable. He built an infrastructure that should be able to be run by competent senior management. The trio of siblings are essentially glory hounds. When challenged even slightly to achieve something (this club) they’ve never made the right choice, not even once.

I have given stick for a lack of victories, but that’s a good point and arguably the most fluent performance in the league since Eustace joined. We rode our luck a bit, but they weren’t at all dominant, apart from the opening 15. Encouraging, though nothing to write home about.

Pickering getting exposed on the left.

Movement a lot better this half. Looked like we didn’t really know what we wanted to do early in the first, but this looks a lot more coherent.

I’d like to see Dolan on the press, agreed.

Much brighter start to this half than the last. Some more fluency to the attack, but still got nothing happening out wide. Middlesbrough haven’t got going yet.

Szmodics uncharacteristically poor with the ball in the key moment there. Notable purely for how rare it is.

Hedges is rusty, Gally’s just perplexing.

Honestly don’t think he’s been bad. He’s floating inside too much, but there are worse out there.

Always, ALWAYS lack decisiveness. The main negative attribute that has prevented him from progressing.

We look shit, again. This team hasn’t needed an international break quite as much as it does now, but I’ve still no confidence that Eustace does much with the extra time he has with the team. Middlesbrough have enough about them (that Latte Lath looks a nuisance again) to put us away, but seem a bit vulnerable on the break. Perhaps overcommitting, perhaps poor organisation/maintaining the press unnecessarily. Hoping they don’t find their shooting boots any time soon and we can nick one or two on the break.