I'd probably go FA Cup. Promotion would be huge and so important, but winning the FA Cup is a lifelong dream. I sadly couldn't make the final in 2002 - bar another league win or a European cup win, the FA Cup is the pinnacle.

No worries at all 🙂 I too am dreading the Burnley game, hopefully it's pushed back so there's no prospect of them securing promotion at Ewood.

I was talking about the Leicester game. I am not remotely relaxed about Burnley!

There were plenty of excuses and downplaying of the defeat at Turf Moor in the aftermath as well. At home vs Burnley is madness - we'll likely go in as underdogs, but it's a huge game and we have some pride to regain after the debacle in November. I'm not sure if it's because we've been so downtrodden for the last decade, or whether TM's constant talking us down has convinced some, but some people are happy to accept absolute shite. As a poster alluded to above, JDT does appear to have a bit more ambition about him, which I hope will translate to the fanbase.

There has been a lot of that. Remember the collective shrug of the shoulder from some when we shipped 7 at home to Fulham - 'they're top of the league' etc was trotted out by many.

No chance! When I say 'free hit' in this context, I mean more it's a game we aren't expected to win and we can play with a bit of freedom. Probably the wrong choice of words, but it's the most relaxed I've been about a game in a while. The pressure is on the home side. By no means am I suggesting we should write it off or be happy having our bellies tickled!

Any news on ticket sales for this one? I can't wait - a new ground for me to tick off, half day at work and a free hit in the last 16 of the cup.

Exactly! 1 in every 16-17 games, and he's one of the greatest to lace up his boots. Ultimately though, our centre midfielders haven't been up to scratch. We've too often been overrun, and we've been far too soft in the centre of the park. Buckley is showing some green shoots lately, so hopefully the penny is starting to drop. On the flipside, Wharton has bene much easier on the eyes. He's a rough diamond, but he's got an assertiveness and confidence about him. That performance at Blackpool was one of the best centre midfield performances we've seen in many a year. Funnily enough, he also eclipses the others on goals/assists too, so he's winning in every department.

Assists is a flawed measure when looking at centre midfield performance. As DMTP says above, often they 'assist' the player who is credited with the assist. Tugay probably ranked pretty little in assists for us, but how often did he control a game? The best example I can think of is the goal vs Liverpool on Boxing Day - Tugay made Gerrard look silly, played a wonderful pass to MGP who set up McCarthy. Now, I'm not even remotely insinuating our centre midfields have 'ran games' or even played well, as that hasn't been true. I think they've been poor at times, and Morton has regressed considerably since Christmas. Buckley and Travis seem to be coming to, at least.

I was a few pints heavy, and turned around to my Dingle mate (sorry!) and had a £20 bet we wouldn't make the play offs.

Agreed! We were 6 points off last year - realistically (in the unlikely event the points totals matched last year), we'd need 7 more to take goal difference out of the equation. I am nevertheless positive. I must admit there have been times this year I've been despondent, as some of the bad performances have been bad to the point of having no redeeming features or glimmer of positivity. However, unlike previous years, we've generally bounced back. It's been a strange one - we're either a pub team or incredibly well drilled and organised.

Coventry was a sickener, but in the second half of the season alone: Hull (a) - a tepid, lifeless performance when in a good position in the league Peterborough (a) - nothing needs to be said Reading (a) - another lifeless display vs a poor side Swansea (a) - vs 10 men we had Giles whipping in crosses, however inexplicitly spent most of the game playing Buckley as a false 9 Bristol City (h) - the penalty miss summed it all up The fact we aren't far off last season's points tally (and could level it this weekend) is encouraging. Last year we were currently in the midst of a meltdown that never really subsided, so confident we will better last year's points haul.

The Derby goal was Coyle funnily enough! I don't mind passing from the back, but eventually there has to be a bit of purpose to it (which the goal evidenced). Too often this season it has been slow, predictable and purposeless, allowing the opposition to take advantage.

They aren't half dragging it out. I appreciate it's our appeal that has lengthened the saga (or their unnecessary requests for additional documentation), but that's another week away, meaning he misses 2 more games. If we win, there's all sorts of questions raised - do we pay pro-rata wages/fees, is anything compensated by EFL? I'd assume not but there's no precedent for it either.

I'm absolutely delighted with how things are going. I feared the worst after Christmas when we started slowly, but we just keep grinding out points. A tepid, passive first half performance vs Swansea was improved upon considerably in the 2nd half, and whilst I didn't make last night's game, it sounded encouraging. I still think our lack of striker will cost us, how many times in that second half vs Swansea did good crosses come in only for Gally to make himself look 5 foot 2? Sorba Thomas is a difference maker for me. A touchline-hugging, chalk on your boots winger who isn't afraid to put the ball in rather than slowly cutting in and passing it backwards. How we've longed for that. JDT deserves credit. Through some of the miserable performances this season I've criticised him and felt extremely negative, so only right I give him credit now. It is so often all or nothing with Rovers - when we lose the performances offer no glimmer of encouragement, but we just seem to bounce back and win afterwards. Good to see and a far cry from the famed death spirals we saw under TM. A win on Saturday and I'll start dreaming.

I think it was poor from Tillman, but I do hate how teams (especially when in the lead in added time) feign injuries, kick the ball out and expect the ball to be played back to them. If you have 2 minutes to equalise, it isn't fair that a team can kill half of that. I'd love to clamp down on it but not sure how. Also hate the faux outrage when a player goes down with an obviously fake/exaggerated injury and the opposition team doesn't kick it out. That being said, that didn't apply in the Rangers game. It was the Rangers player who had gone down, and it was clearly going to be returned.

We don't fully know the issue and where the fault lies, but he has taken responsibility. I actually admire that, good to see the buck stops with someone. JDT was very obviously angry about the lack of striker - that would lie much closer to GB and JDT's very public comments. I would put Szmodics and Morton in the 'alright' category - I think Szmodics was overpriced. Brittain has been good (when fit), Hyam a top buy and I am very optimistic about Thomas. I am cautiously optimistic about GB, and hope the failings in January (wherever the fault lies) are more than rectified in summer. Simple signing a striker will be insufficient as we also need to replace BBD and potentially Thomas if he returns to Huddersfield.

I guess we'll see. There's every chance he's been lied to, mind. The City wrap sheet is massive - maybe he just knows that any consequences will be a few years down the line and he'll be gone anyway? I wouldn't base City's innocence on Pep's press conference, his remit (if like any other manager) is self preservation.

Brereton manages to look absolutely knackered in every game at the moment, which I hoped the Christmas break would help with! He definitely deserves dropping/resting, however you want to put it, although we sadly have a complete lack of options to replace him. Hedges is one shout, but his lack of pace comparatively means we lose the out ball in behind. Dolan maybe? But then we are lumbered with Gally or Vale up top....

One thing I'll say is that JDT at least feels like he'll stand up to the board/powers that be a bit, even if slightly indirectly via interviews. You always sensed Mowbray was happy either way - lower expectations and all that. Don't get me wrong. JDT is also trying to dampen expectations, but it does at least feel like he expects a lot more.

This gave me PTSD. Some of those performances when in such a strong position were absolutely criminal.

You're largely right, but to me we just didn't create enough chances. Diaz should have scored his chance, but it was otherwise a series of half chances - Wigan will also point to a few half chances they had. Fully agree with the subs you suggested. Thomas was probably tired, but Diaz looked tired from the first kick and wasn't offering much. I'd have also personally kept Dack on - wasn't at his best but our best chance came from his pass and he looked more likely than most. The game was screaming out for Dolan last night, a few through balls eluded Gally but Dolan may have benefitted more.

Absolutely dire. Too many performances like that to suggest they are deviating in any way from the manager’s instructions. Slow, ponderous, predictable. Positives - Thomas, JRC, Travis, Pears. Negatives - Diaz absolutely pitiful. Ruined most good attacks and gave away silly free kicks. Vale is anonymous and Gallagher wasn’t much better sadly - we are dying for a striker. Subbing off Dack was absolutely nonsensical and seemed to ire the fans, Morton and Szmodics both had no impact. Killed the game that sub. Wouldn’t have minded seeing Dolan. The fans in the ground seemed restless and bored. This was a poor performance versus an absolutely garbage side who will be a league below us next year.

I was pissed off we hadn't selected a striker. Now I'm apoplectic. Where is the professional pride?

Utter circus. At a normal club you'd expect repercussions, but there'll be a shrug of the shoulders and confusion as to why half the fans can't be arsed with this utter shitshow anymore.