Wow, stunned at that. It's like he's not watching his own team. How Morton, shite for ages, keeps his place and Wharton, continually class, still doesn't get in, I've no idea. Why we have changed back to the 4-2-3-1 when, aside from two soft goals that were down to individual errors not tactics, the 4-3-3 dominated Huddersfield, I don't know. Why Gallagher gets a start when he hasn't shown enough and wasn't fit enough to come off the bench, not to mention Leonard's excellent cameo, I've no idea. Why Pears keeps his spot ahead of Kaminski after being shite for those two soft goals, I've no idea. I could have expected or lived with any one of these changes, but all of them...is a bit of a fucking joke. Experience as a Rovers fan over many years tells me one of two things happens when the lineup is this inexplicable and most of us are confused as hell. Either we spring a surprisingly excellent win out of our arse and the manager is vindicated, or we're all totally right and the lineup was imbecilic dogshit. Here's hoping it's the former tonight, because we can't afford the latter and there's usually no middle ground (which we also can't afford).

I don't buy that at all. It certainly didn't mean more to them when they absolutely didn't turn up and got trounced 5-0 after their first chance to play us for decades. It might mean more to their fans in a way, because they've lived under our shadow so much, but the reason they've beaten us in recent years is purely because they've had a better team. Yes, we've had a few bottle-job players in that time too, and Mowbray's holiday camp mentality, but the main factor has been they've been a better side. JDT doesn't seem to operate in the same lackadaisical, 'I'm not bothered about results' manner, and this team seem to have more bottle than TM's, even if many of the players are the same. Except for when we go behind of course, but I think that's more a tactical shortcoming.

It's big, but I wouldn't say it will surely see us stay up. We are 5 points ahead of Tottenham, with 2 games left for us - 1st placed Man City (H) and 3rd placed Crystal Palace (A). I'm not really expecting us to get anything from those. Spurs have 3 games left - 2nd placed Chelsea (H), 9th placed Manure (A) and 12th placed West Ham (H). They've more chance of picking up a couple of wins there than we probably do of picking up another point. A point would probably see us finish above them even if they get two wins though, as our GD is 5 better, but a defeat for us and a couple of wins for them could make the GD tight. There are two other teams between us, Wolves (1 game in hand, 1 point behind) and West Ham (2 games in hand, 2 points behind), so we'd also be relying on them not really picking up any points. One of West Ham's remaining games is at home to rock bottom Leicester, utterly adrift with just 12 points all season, and 9 points behind the nearest team. Hopefully today was enough, but personally I think we need one more win from two very tough fixtures to more or less guarantee safety.

I'm not gonna get greedy. Whilst it would be nice to hammer a team, as I can't even remember the last time we did and our goal difference sucks, I'll be happy with any form of win (unless it involves injuries for us). Edit - just checked, the last time we beat a team by more than two (apart from friendlies) was Rotherham at Ewood, 8th October, 3-0. Even one of those was a penalty. Conversely, since then we've lost by more than 2 on 4 occasions...the last of which was, ironically, Rotherham away, 4-0, 14th January.

Two Ethan Walker penalties to bring us level, 49th minute and 52nd minute, wtf are Spurs' defence playing at? Lol Stats suggest a fairly even game so far.

Agree with all of that. Butterworth did look class in flashes early doors tbf, but proved to be a lazy git. I've also heard that Burns will be released, don't think there's been an official announcement on it yet though. If they think that's affecting his mentality then fair enough, but if he's on the bench purely because we won't be continuing to develop him next year, that's a mistake given how crucial this game is to the U21s. Some might not think much of it, but I think there's definite harm done by being relegated from the top U21 league. It just gives us that bit less prestige that will make it a little harder to recruit at all youth levels. It means the players won't be tested against as good players, which could harm their development (and if they excel at the lower level they could be in for a bigger shock when they get a first team callup...plus managers might be more reluctant to call them up because the level they've been tested at is even further from first team). It means when first team players drop down for match sharpness, they're also getting a weaker standard. Just has lots of little knock on effects, and whilst it's not an absolute disaster and could be remedied in a season potentially, I'll certainly be unhappy about it if we go down. Wow, whilst I've been writing, we've got it back to 2-2!!!

Looking a bit closer, not so sure about those selection choices...I don't actually watch many of the U21 games at all, but seems odd that the likes of Burns, Gilsenan and Weston sit the bench given some of the starters. Purely based on what I hear about these players, and how little I've heard about some of the lads starting, though. And Burns isn't long back from an injury I think?

U18s beat Stoke 3-2 away. Two from Biniek, one from Nsangou. They sit 8th in the 13-team PL North. All the teams below them have at least 2 and as many as 4 games in hand, not sure how that has happened but still, there's no relegation in that league. Sadly, the U21s are losing 2-0 at home to Tottenham in their vital fixture. We're only 38 minutes in. Not looking good, lose this and relegation seems likely to me. The only players with senior experience fielded are Phillips, Edun and Mola, so Sparks Rover will be happy.

I liked the look of him too. Personally, I'd probably go Leonard in the middle with BBD and Dolan either side of him. It's tricky though because Thomas does give us that width. I don't really know anything about how Hull defend, maybe that would alter my thinking if I did.

Leonard is surely in the squad today - not been named in the U21s for their crunch game with Tottenham. The only 'first teamers' in the U21 squad are Phillips, Edun and Mola. Good luck to the youngsters, lose this and they're probably getting relegated, but of course the promotion chase has to come first.

I think it's 16 goals and 10 assists from those two. I'd consider benching one, but not both.

I was just looking at the Championship fixtures on livescore.com, expecting it would just show the next round of games, but yeh it immediately showed the next ones too with no break, so yeh I missed it. Oops! I assume it's a sky thing then if it's just us. Looks like our next 5 games can all be seen on Sky in one way or another! One only on Sky Arena though, no idea what that is, don't have Sky. Insane. I'm sure we had a whole season not long ago where we only had about that many on Sky through the whole season! I can only conclude Sky know how bad we are in front of the cameras and want to ensure we don't go up with our small fanbase 😉

Sorry if it's already been covered, but why is half the Championship playing in the evening tomorrow?

League goals from that side (to do with what you will): Pickering - 1 Hyam - 1 JRC - 1 Travis - 2 A. Wharton - 1 Dolan - 4 (in 34, also 6 assists) Szmodics - 4 (in 28, with 1 assist) Thomas - 0 (in 11 for us, 23 for Hudds, with 7 assists in total for both) So 14 goals (anyone not included hasn't scored, and I only put appearances and assists for the front line as you don't expect goals often from elsewhere so the ratio is less relevant). Brereton has 12 on his own, plus 4 assists. So personally I'd have to agree, not enough goals in the suggested lineup. Even though a lot of Dolan's were sub appearances and he has a reasonable total for direct goals contributions (10 to BBD's 16), we need to be including our player with the best record of putting the ball in the net. He's done it nearly as much as that whole team combined.

The other day Sharpe said that something like 67 different players have been used in the U21s this year. From U18 players, through the U21s themselves, trialists, up to senior players dropping down for game time and sharpness. That's an awful lot of disruption, it's harder to gain results and become a cohesive unit when the personnel keeps shifting. I'm not criticising the strategy, I'm just saying we shouldn't read too much into the fact the U21s are struggling in the league. It doesn't mean they're a worse crop than previous ones.

Probably a better title is 'will we do it?' rather than can. The poll is clear though.

Most of what you, and the rest of us, had seen of him in that time was a player who was unfit and clearly off the pace, who was often wedged into the team when he very obviously shouldn't have been. He kept breaking down as a result and never got to show us his best. Now, he's managed to get fit and keep going for an extended result, and the result has been he's been our best player for much of the last 4 months. That's not really flash in the pan stuff. He might not always maintain that form, there's never a guarantee of that with any player beyond maybe the very best in the world, but the question mark is no longer over his ability. It's whether he can stay injury-free most of the time going forward. That's why we shouldn't be held to ransom on his new contract, but he absolutely should be offered one. You're right though that he's not particularly fast, now he's fully fit he has about average pace, like most of our squad. But determination, technique and game intelligence can make up for that. I don't necessarily see him as a RB long term, although it's good he can play there as our other RB is a tad injury prone too. I believe central midfield is a position he has played in youth football, might even be where he started, but someone more knowledgeable may correct me. If he had a free roaming role like he does at the mo from RB, I don't see an issue. It would just be what he already does, but with less defensive onus. He's intelligent enough with the ball to make an impact there, in a 3 man midfield. And nobody is saying everything hangs on him.

It's just Sparks that seems upset. Granted he has posted about it repeatedly, but it's still just one guy.

I guess we really wanted to win those behind closed door friendlies too. And that we weren't too arsed about the quarter final of this very same competition where we didn't field senior players.

Pretty sure it wasn't done 'just to win', but to keep players match sharp. JDT has been doing it all season, including in meaningless behind closed doors friendlies.

Finished 6-1, another Weston goal. Super-sub.

5-1, Charlie Weston, 87th minute. 1 minute of normal time now remaining.

It's 3-1 at the moment btw. Goals for us from Edun, S. Wharton and O'Grady-Macken.

We also have players needing to gain fitness for the first team. And Phillips, Garrett and Leonard might be 'first team' players now, but they're all under 21.

Cool? Good for you. What's not so good for you of course, is your inability to understand a basic point about your flawed little mantra there. Nor your strange notion that when somebody replies to you they can only use the words and concepts in your own post in order to debunk its merits. I'm sad for you that 1995 isn't in your head though, that was a great time. Assumed you were old enough to remember it.