Our big chance fell to Weimann.

I can't see us doing that tbh. Hoped the international break would freshen up some legs but it isn't looking like it.

We don't have a single attacker who can. Except Cantwell, who has frankly only played a few games.

That Furlong looks a good defender

Ridiculous the ref gave that freekick when we were about to pull the trigger on a goal chance.

Superb run from Dolan that

Not the lad on the right is it? He looks too hench to be 15!

Well, let's do a comparison with Hedges, a much older player who doesn't seem to get as much flak, but is another regular. Just league minutes for simplicity and fairer comparison. In the 22/23 season: Hedges: 4 goals, 4 assists in 2,490 minutes. A goal contribution every 311.25 minutes. Dolan: 4 goals, 6 assists in 1,969 minutes. A goal contribution every 196.9 minutes. In the 23/24 season: Hedges: 2 goals, 3 assists in 987 minutes. A goal contribution every 197.4 minutes. Dolan: 5 goals, 4 assists in 2,339 minutes. A goal contribution every 259.8 minutes. This season: Hedges: 1 goal, 1 assist in 680 minutes. A goal contribution every 340 minutes. Dolan: 2 goals, 2 assists in 748 minutes. A goal contribution every 187 minutes. So Dolan's figures are quite a lot better except for last season (which for Hedges was a pretty small sample size, though it did include that beautiful goal of the season). In the last 3 seasons, Dolan has 2 seasons whereby his figure is better than Hedges has achieved in any of the 3 seasons. Neither is setting the world on fire, but despite them having similar minutes this season, Hedges doesn't get much of a mention I feel when it comes to criticism despite having overall much worse stats. If I'd bothered with 21/22 it would have been even worse, as Hedges got 1 assist in 11 games, Ty got 3 goals and 2 assists in 37. Dolan is more productive than most players in that area of the pitch. Siggy's figures stack up similar, with a contribution every 208 minutes last season (1 in his 37 minutes this season but that's an extremely small sample). But you get a much poorer pressing game from him. The now departed Gally managed just 1 every 286 minutes last season, just for illustrative purposes. Weimann has 1 every 218 minutes so far btw. We've consistently no budget, and nobody else that produces as much overall from those areas of the pitch (thinking of Dolan as a wide player anyway, Cantwell is superior in the hole, though of course you need backups). Of course there are better players out there, but I'd rather not let him go for nothing with nothing to replace him (and Siggy will doubtless be off too). Even if we somehow could afford a better player there he'd be a good squad player with what he chips in. (Not all addressed at you, just my musings, and some is in response to the excessive criticism some posters give him)

I know I've criticised some of these loans, but I forgot to say I think the Charlie Olson one is a good one. 19 years old (well, about to be 20 this week) and despite the occasional positive mention he's certainly not one of our highest rated prospects, so I think the National League is a good level for him to be sent to. Seems to be doing very well too, MOTM in his debut and a goal in the next game (only a defender too). Extending the one month loan would probably make sense, if that can be done. Wonder if Altrincham might be interested in borrowing some of our other youngsters, having seen our U21s in action against them and holding their own. Better level than the National League North loans most seem to have been getting. Markanday has 4 goals and 2 assists in 10 games in League Two. If he continues that sort of form until January surely we'd have to consider recalling him if we can get a League One suitor.

Ah that's triggered some memories, I do remember the rectangle being uncomfortable to wear especially when playing in it. I'm a bit confused by, isn't the designs being finalised way in advance an advantage for manufacturers getting the details in time? I'd also expect modern advances to have made this easier than when the Time shirts were made.

I honestly can't remember what ever became of my McEwans and CIS shirts, I was thinking about this when I posted. I feel like I was determined I was going to keep my shirt from 95 forever though, so I can't imagine I threw it...maybe in some box somewhere. Those sponsors weren't transfers either were they? I honestly just can't recall, haven't seen them in person for many years.

I hope that training is entirely finishing training.

Ankle injury unfortunately. Shame, I'd have had him down to start if he was fit.

Northern Premier League West? Come on now that's a joke. A league below the Northern Premier, where the lad was already sent recently. We're virtually talking pub level at this point, that can't be any better than he will get here. The lad is an England u-18 international who was on our bench at times last season.

A little off topic, but Poland wasn't part of the British Empire. Alliance is a stretch too (Hitler wanted one but never got it), but perhaps you meant the policy of appeasement, which was more about avoiding a war and the sense that we had gone too far in punishing Germany in the Treaty of Versailles (probably true tbf) and that once they'd more or less regained their losses they'd stop. They were also seen as a buffer against the 'communists' of the Soviet Union, which was seen as a bigger threat, especially amongst the ruling upper classes. It was only the invasion of Poland, in cahoots with the Soviets, that proved once and for all how naive all of this was. I've studied the war at school, college and uni and I can't recall any meddling with the Empire's lands until war broke out. There may have been some little disputes I've forgotten? I don't know how accurate it is to say 'all' the royal family were supportive of Hitler. It's well documented about Edward, but beyond that I'm not sure. Due to the rise of the Soviet Union and the red scare, along with Hitler holding back the worst parts of his nature and actually rejuvenating what had been a broken Germany, it's true that in many circles he was initially seen in a positive light. The antisemitism shit wasn't limited to Germany either. Anyway none of it matters towards this appointment one jot. Tuchel wasn't even alive, and to think the rise of fascism and genocide is some inherently German thing is dangerously naive (and in fact falls into the same kind of thinking that the Nazis had). It can happen in any country if they aren't vigilant enough.

Highlights of the Benfica game.

How much costlier is that as a process though? I'd imagine the markup on shirts is enormous and could stand the added cost. I have Firetrap t-shirts from Sports Direct that must use that kind of printing and only cost me a tenner (albeit that's not the RRP). Good as new is right. Even the club badge is in much better nick than some of the newer ones, some of which have started to shrink and crinkle in on themselves, so you're right about the manufacturing quality being higher.

In fairness, and this is in no way a defence of our inept regime, it's not really fair to compare Jack's day to now in that regard. We had practically infinite money as long as Jack was comfortable spending it, and FFP wasn't a thing. Jack would have resisted the world record fee for Shearer with barely a second thought if Al hadn't wanted to go.

Does anybody else think it's shit that sponsors are stuck on (I can't think of the proper term for it) rather than stitched in or woven into the pattern as part of the shirt? I keep old shirts for as long as I can. There's only one shirt I have that has stood the test of Time (pun intended), the Kappa kit with Time as the main sponsor, which I believe was used in the 2000/2001 season and the 2001/2002 season in the days before the kit had to change every season. The sponsor is woven in as part of the pattern, it can't peel off or get damaged in the washing machine. Meanwhile I have a Dafabet shirt which I believe is from the 2015/16 season that looks in much worse condition simply because the sponsor has become patchy, with white flecks all over the black material from where it has deteriorated in the wash. I also have the Recoverite sponsored shirt from 2020/21, which I think is a really nice home kit. However after the latest wash I've just noticed that whilst the main sponsor is fine for now, the Watson Ramsbottom back of shirt sponsor was peeled off to the point there was hardly anything left except the black box it's on. I suspect it's been glued on in a different way and the washing machine heat has killed the glue off. I had to peel off what was left, leaving a gross black substance on my fingers. Honestly, all kits should have to be made the same way as that Time one was. I get that clubs probably want your shirt to deterioriate so they can flog you the next one, but these shirts aren't cheap these days. They're massively overpriced for what they are and what they'll cost to make, they should at least have a long lifespan. The shirts themselves hold up fine to wash after wash but it's all ruined by the sponsors. You'd think the sponsors themselves would appreciate them being made like those Time shirts too, as their company can continue getting advertising benefits for many years later. (and yes I know names and numbers on shirts would have to still be made as they are and can peel off, but I don't think most fans get those on a shirt...I haven't since I was a kid)

Ended 1-1. Don't think the stream came back.

The commentator did say he thought it was the wifi at the stadium. Since it's not our stadium, I'm not embarassed if that's the case. But it is a shame. Tbf I have something productive I'm supposed to be doing this evening anyway.

Leonard equalises. I think it was a good goal, but hard to tell with this stream tbf. From what I can see (I only have it on in the background tbh because it's unwatchable mostly) we are probably fortunate to be level. Benfica have hit the bar and about a minute before Leonard's goal they nearly caught the keeper off his line from long distance (centre circle ish I think). Stream seems to have gone off completely now.

Benfica 1 up. Could barely see the goal, the stream is utterly dreadful. I'm guessing the wifi at Stanley's stadium is trash.

Very promising, but seems strange he already has a sponsorship deal with Puma. For one thing, most Rovers fans haven't even heard of him yet, but it's also just very young for something like that. Hope it doesn't mess with his ego and he stays grounded. Most of all, hope we can keep him long enough to see the benefit of producing him.

What definitely didn't happen though is Thomas Tuchel (this one, anyway) fighting in World War 1 or 2. Being bothered about what someone's ancestors or compatriots did is asinine at best.