Record levels of goal kicks en route, if so.

My gut says that we’re trying to play a conservative version of what we did under JDT, but it’s not being coached as well as that and the players just don’t fancy it at all. I’ve seen worse halves from us, but I haven’t seen many and none that I remember where the absolute basics of football were this bad.

Okay. We look like a fucking pub team here. This is really bad.

Wanted to be clear that the criticism is of the players, as I’m confident Eustace won’t be looking for what they’re currently serving up. I just don’t understand how the players’ technical abilities are this bad, across the board, in this game. Gonna reserve criticism of Ayari. He’s positive in his play, which a lot of players currently aren’t.

Well, this is a difficult watch. No fluency from either side. All the energy/atmosphere of a pre-season friendly. Players are so far off it. Awful distribution and retention of the ball. Away on a cold Tuesday night in Cardiff, maybe a point is fine, maybe we’re set up to test our resolve to earn a point. A few players look like they don’t fancy it (again). Very little forward ambition, save from the usual suspects trying to drag us forward. I don’t really know what I’m watching, I don’t understand what the players are trying to achieve.

Interesting approach from Carabao: make an advert so bad that people are encouraged to pour your product into their eyes and ears so as not to hear or see it. Certainly not drinking the stuff, anyway.

Have been high in my praise of Sigurdsson, having been at QPR away to witness that performance, but he’s offered basically nothing today. This squad probably needs £10m throwing at it, at least, if we’re to make any progress at all.

Only bit of shape at the minute is the back three, everyone else is getting pulled out of position.

I’ve been a bit rash in my criticism (he’s got an assist today), just a complaint that dead balls aren’t amounting to anything and the balls in are poor.

Preston looking the more comfortable, currently. We look a stretched squad. More subs at this stage would be a big risk, so the 11 currently on the pitch have to make something happen.

Kinell, Brittain is a real head-scratcher… such a strange footballer that he can go from two assists in the Stoke game to absolutely dogshit supply in the two following games. How do players - who train with footballs for hours each day - not master the ability to kick a ball?

Chrisene against Millar is a car crash waiting to happen.

Fans have been fantastic so far, but the players need to give them something to roar about. Second half is giving me flashbacks to Tuesday, we look like we’re clinging on and we shouldn’t have to be.

Dolan should have his number up on the board, but there’s just nobody on the bench that you’d rather have on in his place. A draw looking attractive now.

Warren Lucy has said it right: “avoidable.” Definitely masters of our own fate here, which I hope is highlighted at half time. A great start stymied by a loss of composure/lack of concentration at set pieces. Some kind of mentality issue there, we just fall apart. A real shame considering the defending had been stout in open play. Every chance that we can come back out and hurt them early again, but we need the composure to be there. Generally good performances, although more attacking players have been the weak point in defensive situations. Garrett looking slightly peripheral, but not unreasonable being subbed on that early. Difficult to be fully in the mindset for this kind of game. Better than Tuesday, but more needed.

Set pieces still a weak point, clearly. Hedges blocking Pears is just careless. Looking disorganised at corners, which we can’t afford

Could’ve cleared the lines better, but not much anyone can do about the finish. They needed something like that to break for them, they weren’t getting back into it otherwise. Can’t invite them on here, got to make them think twice about the high line.

Extremely pragmatic approach and the opposition haven’t figured out what to do about it. A tactical victory (so far) for Eustace. There’s another goal in this half for us, if we want it. We won’t have it all our own way after the break, so that next one will be massive, whichever way it goes. Impressed by our work so far, more of it , please.

Those of us who find ourselves in the countries listed here are able to watch… https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/february/16/watch-our-lancashire-derby-live-on-roverstv-/

Based on Chrisene being poor and O’Riordan coming in to replace him, with Scott Wharton missing last time (I’ve since seen he’s back), McFadz and Hyam either side, O’Riordan likely the more mobile of the three to carry it out through the middle, the strength of Millar on the left and his crosses in, I’d like McFadz to have a better chance of challenging for the crosses, which he would have being in the opposite side. It’s moot if Wharton is back, as the back three picks itself, but those were my thoughts. Their right side isn’t as much of a source of joy for them as their left, basically.

Difficult to call this. If the same mentality arrives at Deepdale on Saturday as was on display at St Andrew’s, I expect Preston to put quite a few past us. Eustace hasn’t had long with the players, but if all we can muster in that time is a similar performance to what we offered on Tuesday, I won’t be particularly hopeful of a turnaround this season. The players - in the main - don’t look like they have the minerals for what we’re going to need to do. Waggott being the one to appoint him adds further doubt, which isn’t necessarily deserved, but how can anything that man does be looked at positively? JRC - if fit - should replace Brittain on the right. Brittain doesn’t have the defensive attributes necessary for our current position and JRC hasn’t impressed in his preferred position. I would switch Chrisene for O’Riordan, with McFadz on the left of a three. If Fleck is looking at all useful, I’d have him in ahead of Garrett for this game. Gut says a loss by two clear goals, sad as that is.

I usually caution against reflexive opinions, but if that same performance is offered up on Saturday, I will genuinely be “Eustace Out.”

Well, I’m glad the players got what they wanted, in the end. Fortunate with the weekend, as Stoke were drilled on a high press that found them out early, but by the end we were clinging on. We didn’t create anything here to cling onto here and couldn’t maintain whatever grip on a point we had. If Birmingham were marginally better, this could’ve been a hammering. Eustace has barely been in the building for ten minutes, so there’s not a lot you can immediately level at him, except the same stuff that has been levelled at the previous manager, which is that “he sets the team up.” He quite simply fucked it today. We’re as high as 20/1 for relegation at the minute and while I really cannot bring myself to make a bet like that against Rovers, those of a stronger constitution might be wise to. Given the Senior Players’ Council™ were able to instigate a meeting with fans to complain about the atmosphere hindering them, I wonder would they be so forthcoming as to sit down with me so I can explain how fucking pathetic they are?

Been thinking this for the last ten mins or so. Haven’t won a single battle. Everyone has looked limp. Saturday 3pm at Deepdale and they’ll be up for it. Could be an embarrassing scoreline. This one would have been, if Birmingham had their shooting boots.

Fair, though worth mentioning that my tongue was so far into my cheek it had fused into it.