Agree that's where my mind immediately went for putting it. But so did the keeper's, and he sent his body that way too. It wasn't really the decision that made him miss, but the accuracy.

Hedges has 4 goals in 2,117 minutes. Dolan has 4 goals in 1,659 minutes. Add the cups and it's Hedges 4 in 2,438 and Dolan 6 in 2,190. I don't think Hedges is the clinical finisher you think he is.

Seconds left of the first half and we play a short corner...why? Put it in the bastarding box.

Tbf he's an average shooter overall, Gally. Occasionally he has a real rocket in him. It's almost every other aspect of his game that's the problem (apart from that he's a hard worker and slightly fast).

Oh Dolan...you're my boy, but we can't miss chances like that

Anyone else see Gallagher fall over for absolutely no reason while waiting for a cross?

Sure, but I stand by what I said. We are capable of it with this lineup. That's not the same as we will do it. So far we are the better side.

On the plus side, this team is still capable of turning Hull over. Very similar, maybe the same, lineups have won games this season. The frustration is that this really doesn't seem like the best lineup we could have fielded tonight, and given the importance of the match, that's concerning. If we don't win, we'll have shot ourselves in the foot here.

Seems like if you're not popping into the dugout to give JDT a quick pre-match blowie in gratitude for his sensational lineup, you're a bit crazy, yes.

I know, I was going to really go to town on it, but I figured some people might be having a late tea and didn't want to gross them out!

He earned every dollop of the shit he was getting. Every solid log, every smearing of diarrhoea.

Absolutely fine, are you? You seem to be getting jollies from making strange statements tonight, hope you've not had a mental break.

They're having a quick read of this thread just before the match are they?

Oh I'm glad his success as a player means he can't possibly make wrong tactical calls as a manager. That's cleared that right up, I'll relax now.

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.