Oh dear. Got a dud.

With 7 first team regulars out, Pompey were there to be beaten. All Ismael had to do was pick the regular stand in right back and regular centre forward. Instead Carter and Woodrow gave season worst performances. Huge shame for Beck. Before he went off it had looked like he and Ribeiro were going to prosper on the left flank. Somehow we are still only 5 points of 6th with a current form which is by far the worst in the Championship. With the bottom clubs winning regularly it is a good job we have got to 52 points.

If I were deliberately trying to lose today, I would pick a team with Woodrow up front and no right side.

Watched Sweden 5 Northern Ireland 1. After apparently a horrendously bad performance against Luxembourg, Sweden played some really sweet stuff and of course have an excellent keeper as we know all too well and a world class striker in Isak. Certainly could see JDT hallmark style in the way they play. I was left wondering how we managed to have Ayari on loan and not have him play every possible second he was with us. Kid has potential to be one of the best.

England are so boring. Pass backwards more often than Forshaw.

My profound thanks to Mr Ismael for delivering the coup de grace today and avoiding any prolonged agony.

OK, I can forget about football for two weeks

Phillips og

well my forecast of 0-0 lasted all of 4 minutes

Crikey, the Academy results had been recovering! The whole club is disintegrating.

Huge for both sides. Fully expecting a listless clueless performance from us. It might be enough to get 3 points, it might be not. That said I don't think Cardiff are currently good enough to take their opportunity so a 0-0 draw is what it will be.

Eustace did us a big favour last night but put Stoke right back in the relegation mix. It is back in our own hands again to chase a play off place. Over to big bad Val...

Realistic? Grim.

Pears at United? A partnership made in heaven.

Stoke move the ball crisply and accurately and of course have a fantastic keeper. They are much better now than the side we played off the park in our 2-0 loss at Ewood. And of course in Gally, Ennis and Moran have three players with big points to prove against us. Moran is a much better player now than he was for Rovers. The one hope we have is they tend to switch off in defence.

We need to see at Stoke.

This and Cardiff are absolute must win to stay in play-off contention.

The side I would have picked from.players available

Irrespective of our generosity at Derby and Luton, the bottom three look done at this stage. Top two could easily go to the last day of the season. 6th almost certainly will do with a chance whoever is in 5th will pull away.

My goodness, a Blackburn Rovers thread getting wound up about not being able to recruit Eastbourne's manager. Are we in the Blackburn Combination now?

You don't spend £400k a year to get a clapped out septuagenarian so so football agent.

Reading the local Derby rag, they have an insane amount of injuries going into this game.

Derby 7 points adrift now so two desperate sides facing off on Saturday with a side helping of angst. Recipe for a 0-0 bore draw or a stupid amount of drama and bathos. Probably more red cards than goals...

If the players have any professional pride, they will be totally up for this. Eustace is a good manager but doesn't have the players. I expect them to be highly motivated but if both sides play to their maximum, Rovers have this. Dennis being suspended and Buckley out till the break makes team selection a bit more straightforward for Ismael.

A goal difference of 9 behind the club we beat 2-0 on their ground just three games ago...