LondonBristolian

Sure - but am I right in thinking only the Baker injury is new? We knew we had Wright injured, were losing Flint, and I think that we had Hegeler injured, and that we suffered with injuries last season and still let Vyner go on loan. We also have known since Tuesday we needed a centre back on loan and failed to get that over the line in time for the game, which I would forgive if we had got the additional keeper LJ openly stated we needed and the replacement for Djuric sorted in time for the transfer deadline. I know it is not easy to get players in but, if you let them go, you have to replace them...

Fine. Don’t care who we are playing in this division then...

We should not be this bloody makeshift in August...

I don’t care who we are playing. There is never an excuse for being 2 down at home before half time.

It makes sense - especially if we do play 3 across the middle - but we will see if it works in practice. My worry is whether we have enough pace and creatively. That and of course the defence...

I fear you are right. Would prefer 4-3-3 though.

Line-up is in. Bit perplexed but we will see how it works. Guessing Pisano centre back. ?

Not there admittedly but don't know what to think. It's great we managed to get back into the game from 2-0 down but it sounds like we should never have been 2 down in the first place. I know it is early days and can't say I'm brimming with optimism but I suppose the jury is out...

Boro losing is a big deal. It gives us - and admittedly everyone else - a window of opportunity, especially given Millwall’s fixture list. We have made it extremely hard for ourselves. I do not think we will get into the playoffs. Think it needs a win at Boro, which is a huge ask. But at least we are still in it.

Nah - Matty’s goal will get us to the final but it will be the Diony hat trick that gets us into the Premier League...

This is my first visit to Elland Road. I think my Dad went in the 70s. From the looks of it, they was the last time the carpet in the away bar was given a clean...

The team I would have picked.

I hope he is if it means Bailey is back at right back. Can only be a minute or so until we find out...

Wanted to get there early so I did not get lost and - whilst I admittedly have not quite reached the stadium yet - it appears from where I am right now that I have 90 minutes to kill in a barren wasteland. What is there to do near Elland Road?

I don't generally take any interest in what Rovers are up to. Yes, they were rivals of ours back in the day but we've not been in the same division for years and I'm not sure a team classes as a "rival" if a) you never play them. b) it's pretty evident you're a better team. It's a bit like Salford United presenting themselves as rivals to Man United. It doesn't really make sense and I'm sure most Man United fans pay little attention to Salford do. However a Rovers fan who I went to school with, and who seems to have added me as a Facebook friend at some pointm, keeps sharing posts from the amazingly named "Bristol Rovers Banter page". Take a look at this top quality "banter". Can't decide if it reminds me more of a seven year old in a playground or Gareth from the Office. Can't be arsed scrolling through their posts but I can only assume there is one suggesting we smell of wee as well...

Players are going to be shattered today but it is the same for Villa too, although I think they have rotated a bit more than we have. Hopefully the results today will give enough of an adrenaline boost to get the players through to half seven. A draw would not be a disaster but I want a win.

If it was clear cut then people would not be arguing about it. I respect your view a d you make good arguments but application of any rules will always be subjective. Some refs would have given a penalty for that. Today’s Ref didn’t. I probably phrased it badly saying he “got it wrong” as it comes down to interpretation but it certainly is not clear cut...

Phew! For a minute there I thought someone was going to massively overreact...

I can see that argument and am a bit in two minds but I would still say his hand was not in a natural position. Can see why the Ref didn’t give it but think it should have been a pen...

To be fair to the Ref, I think the handball in the penalty area straight after the goal is the only decision he has got wrong all night. Frustrating but we need to learn from this and we need to beat Villa.

They flew up too. It was mentioned on the Sky Sports coverage earlier...

On a less positive note - sorry if anyone has shared already: Let's hope "bad" is relative here or things are not as bad as they appear. COD has looked immense in recent weeks and it would be a real blow to miss him. Hopefully, if the worst comes to worst, Eliasson is ready to step up...

I know injuries are no excuse, hence why I'm glad I'm posting this now we've won, but I think - with some posts earlier in the thread - people forget we were missing five players at the start of the game and six at the time of the comeback, with two more playing but nowhere near fully fit. Those eight include both first-choice full-backs, both first choice wingers, our first-choice target man and his natural replacement. You can talk about depth but that is a significant level of injury. It's bound to affect our performances.

Personally I'd say it could be a lot weaker...

Even on Tuesday night v Preston, poor as we were, the players were really going for it in the second half. The quality was poor for sure but there was nonetheless a level of fight and spirit that was not there last year. Obviously Brentford away too. There is real character in the team, which is fantastic.