Can’t share direct from Sounds. The program on today at 11.30, skip through to about 20 mins in

Just listened back (FA Cup build-up program on BBC Sounds, from about 20 mins in) and it’s weird. Presenter made no mention of JDT leaving and he basically implied people are interested in JDT. Would honestly be very upset about him leaving, but I can’t say I’d blame him if a Premiership team came in. Money to spend, etc. We’ve not been working with much and we can’t seem to work with what we do get, anyway.

Strongly dislike him and think he’s constantly on the brink of getting a red but you’d love to have players with his passion, at a minimum. So strange to me that you spend your whole life to “make it” as a professional in something that simply could not be more difficult to do that in, with a narrow career window, and not basically destroy yourself to get a win every time you play. In the words of another Sheffield United figure, “you’ve got to fucking die to get three points.”

Entirely separate from my feelings in this moment, I always have and always will hate Sheff Utd. Classless fans (and they always have been) and their off-the-field behaviour is the exact indictment of why the parachute payments system is rotten. I hope they do go into administration and I hope that not only do they get the points deduction, but that they cease to exist. If they did, I can only think that Sheffield United fans would be devastated, not a single other fan would care. This was a mugging. Ref bottled it after the penalty, because he hadn’t seen it in the first place, was poor for the duration but especially when it came to disciplining Sheff Utd. Two big missteps on the tactical front; Gally shouldn’t have been on the pitch after the Szmodics goal, thoroughly ineffectual and actually technically harmful to us. Dolan needed to support Szmodics’ pressing efforts. Similarly, shifting to a back three with 12 left was naïve, far too naïve. We had them on the break. We looked tired in positions, but you just switch them like for like. A lot of good performances and a lot of players striving to meet the occasion, which I’m proud of them for. Gallagher is not a big occasion player, which this really highlights. It’s not about performing out of your skin and grabbing a game by the throat, but meeting the occasion and he looked hungover most of the time. Otherwise, some good performances across the field. Thoroughly undeserved trip to Wembley for a shit manager, shit club and shit fans. I hope they draw City, I hope Haaland gets eight and I hope to one day read about Bramall Lane being repossessed by creditors and having a fucking bypass built over it.

Clearly not done her homework, although Joni McAnuff watches us a lot through his work with Sky. Never been able to take ITV seriously as a football broadcaster since they lost the Champions League coverage. Seemed to be a real drop-off, even with World Cups and Euros.

Sod this, I’m gonna beat the traffic. Have a good night, if you’re able, everyone.

Yeah, the whole team is performing badly here. From Pears’ early fumble, we’ve looked way off it in every dept. Chalk it up to inexperience, maybe. Learn from it. Long way to go and we’re not ready for the Premiership on showings like this.

Absolutely minimum is that we win the second half. Coming back from two is always very difficult and this squad hasn’t displayed that mentality so far. JDT looked cross on the bench and commentator just said they were sent back out early, so we have to assume they’ve had a bollocking. We need to go to war in the middle and test the backline, we cannot let Stoke and Alex Neil coast to victory here, they should come back in knowing they’ve been in a fight.

I am physically buzzing, was jumping for every corner and free kick at the end. Feels massive with all the context. We are stretched and you can still see every player running themselves into the floor to get over the line. Would love to be rolling into the Burnley home game in this form, but for now, we just have to keep building on each performance, manage the squad and keeping looking up.

Audibly screamed that goal in in my living room, a neighbour has just knocked.

For me, this is the key bit. Everyone at Ewood took an hour off, it seems. I don’t think this is a recruitment-side issue, it’s absolutely an admin issue. Silvester and Waggott at fault, (directly and indirectly) Pasha somewhat, as the operational consultant. Our owners wouldn’t but I’d fire Silvester, reprimand Waggott/direct him to issue the apology and demote/remove responsibilities from Pasha, which is basically generous and lenient to the last two, based on the logic that you don’t fire a CEO when you’re pushing to promotion/playoffs and they’ve had Pasha working for them for many a long year.

Fucking hell, I’ve been keeping an eye on the result, while getting home from playing football tonight, knowing I’d be desperate to read the responses on here. What a result, delighted for those who travelled, those who watched at home and everyone on here that something really profound (and it is, don’t forget the relative wage bill, turnover and other infrastructural comparisons) has finally happened for us after the abject defeatism of Mowbray’s Championship years. FA Cup 6th round for a Championship team is a big do, but beating a team like Leicester, when we’re not close to full-strength and having already done it to West Ham this season, is a very, very big do. Whisper it, but it just might be clicking into a good year.

José Rankin-Casillas

Sign JRC to a new deal.

The Championship currently looks a league too far for Buckley. No idea how you return him to better form at the minute, the games just seem to pass him by.

We look bright, the press looks effective. Edit: nevermind.

Tasty, that‘s a satisfying “when it’s going for you, those end up in the net,” type of goal. Let’s put ‘em to the sword now.

Cannot take Gareth Ainsworth seriously on a visual level. Like the guy on a lot of levels but he needs a stylist or something.

I guess the point of difference here is me thinking we’ve set out with a game plan for the 90 minutes and you placing more emphasis on the fact that they’ve turned up very shit and we’ve responded to that. I don’t think your point of view is any less valid than mine, it could just be that.

I think the opening stages we weren’t playing as intended, hence that point where JDT shouted all the players over to bollock them, but we subsequently sat pretty tidily for the remainder of that half, so it looks to me like he wanted them to frustrate Swansea intentionally. We’ve also not come out of the traps at half-time like that for a good little while, by my memory. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t mind seeing this exact performance - with refinement - when I make it up to Ewood in March for the Burnley game. Exactly the same principles at play.

You’re absolutely entitled to think that, but I’m just describing what happened. We contained them in the first half and played with a low line of engagement. They came out more open in the second half and we pressed nearly a full third of the pitch higher. We battered them in the second half, although our final product wasn’t up to scratch. I might be influenced by the fact that I think Russell Martin is a dick, but I honestly think that’s how it panned out.

Contain a team that want to pass through you and can’t do much from out wide, to get the very arrogant coach to make his team tactically uncomfortable and then shift up a gear. You’ve just watched it happen.

This started because I asked how the “Dack not starting is criminal” brigade were feeling seeing him clearly overstretched. That extends beyond this board, to the fans booing JDT midweek and chanting his name while he’s on the bench. I’m not an expert in current sports science, but I can add 2+2. You started off by saying “that could happen any time 😂” or similar. You’re now implying the coaches have been irresponsible. He’s clearly an important player who needs a lot of management. Given the complainers got what they wanted, I was asking how they felt about it. I haven’t missed anything, you might just be getting obtuse in your old age.

Sorry, I’m still looking at where the goalposts were, where it was criminal he didn’t start. Where are you putting them now?

JDT and Remy deserve credit for the second half, tactically and the players for the effort. Very effective, totally nullified Swansea to playing on the break and hanging on at most points in that half. If we intentionally sat deep first half, to encourage Swansea to push/compromise in the second, all the more credit to the coaching team. A really good team performance in my book, even if individual performances were patchy. edit: Russell Martin is a pound shop Chris Hughton, criminal he’s in a job at all. Best placed at one of the oil money academies, teaching 8 year olds how to pass sideways.