Flagon

Hmmmm. Only Rotherham, Wigan and Blackburn currently have potentially more losses than us and look where they currently are - bottom 3.

We have a serious lack of focus up front to take opportunities and lack of focus to keep them out at the moment. Johnson really has get into their mindsets as it feels all our undoing at the moment

I wasn't there and it always comes across differently on radio but sounded like we really should have taken some of the chances created 2nd half. Bit of a conundrum because I still feel we need to work another striker into the starting line up but it did sound like we created enough good chances to have scored a couple.

I realise Johnson must know more than any of us about Engval but he played majority of game  against Hull and looked pretty lively and when subbed didn't look shattered after playing against some big solid centre backs. I don't really get how he couldn't start featuring. Could it be his injury is pretty dodgy, but then why bother starting against Hull if that risky or even  having him on bench?

Such a disappointment. So many of the team played well below standard. Don't think we can use that as a marker as we played nowhere near what we are capable of and it makes it even more annoying when I think Brighton's only 2 shots on target were the mistakes we made which ended up as goals. They didn't even have to try for that result. 

But that is the difference I guess. They were pretty solid and disciplined in their approach and knew their game plan so whether or not we had played well we would have found them difficult to beat. 

Johnson really needs to work out a consistent formation. So far it feels like every game we have to change tactics and players during the game to get something out of it - like we got it wrong from outset - only this time there were just too many players not on their game. 

Frustrating game today, particularly the way it got run by the referee. Our biggest problem at the moment is supporting Abraham fast enough. We can play it out well from the back but last few games it's just breaking down around that final third. We seem to become more dangerous once a second out and out striker comes on. I'm sure Johnson believes the initial formation should work and often it has but they need to work on why they can't seem to support Abraham quicker. 

Really chuffed we kept going and ground out the result. Important to just keep things ticking over after some disjointed performances and I'm sure it will click fine again.

Fantastic result. I felt problem 1st half was that O'Dowda, Reid and Paterson seemed to be trying to play the same free role, even though it was meant to be Reid I think. When Tomlin is there he seems to command that role. 

Fairplay to Johnson for switching it around with the players available to him. He appears to have a great knack for changing things if it's not going to plan. His learning I guess is how he gets it right from the off but for now it's great to know we have a manager and squad willing and able to change things around during the game and apply it.

Some really great performances from the players tonight. Leeds pressed hard but we really held firm. My moment of the match, aside from the goal, had to be Pack chasing back on a yellow card and timing a perfect tackle to break their play up. 

We score as a team and concede as a team. Unfortunately along the way someone will hack it more than someone else along the way though occasionally. 

Johnson's comments on radio appear to point more towards keeper. Saying it was interesting who didn't seem to handle the pressure and followed shortly up by referring to kicking out of play at that last moment. 

End of the day though, some bad errors again. Bad defending for the first - why is Abraham having to do defense job there, Tomlin opportunity to possibly kill game missed, a risky challenge by O'Neil on a yellow and back to even numbers on pitch instantly, bad keeping for second followed by bad defending for third - Flint turned way too easy but pass wasn't closed off before and then failed to close that last moment out by kicking out of play and straight back to Wednesday.

They need to keep their heads up. We are well placed in table, could easily have more points too just from these last two games. They have to learn from this. 

Mark Little. Really seemed to struggle 1st half and made some bad positioning decisions. However, whilst seemingly alot of people's whipping boy for this season he did markedly improve in that 2nd half along with the rest of the team. Easy to single him out as a weakness in the team at the moment but it is a team out there that deserves encouragement and support. While he is there and currently our main option he gets my support as much as the person smashing it in the back of the net. 

11 minutes ago, P'head Red said:

Fair play to the young rovers fan on the radio who congratulated us staying up

Yep heard that too. Fair play. 

Also fair play to my wife who's had a terrible season washing my pants. 

For some reason we completely lost all composure 2nd half. Derby looked a threat most of the game but we worked very hard 1st half and didn't panic. 2nd half Derby pressed extremely well. They continually forced us into hospital passes or not even 50/50 punts. No one could get a grip on the game from our team although I did feel Pack did his best to. We got overun through really bad reading of the game whenever we were defending or breaking. 

Can't we just organise a good old fashioned kick around with Blackburn Saturday and play out a draw. 

Really bad 1st half. We had no shape and a few players seemed to have no idea what position they were meant to be playing. 

Thankfully made it to half time only a goal down and came out much more composed for 2nd half. Nice finish from Pack and players actually sticking to the positions they must have been told to play. 

Superb save and block near the end and then a great free kick just after from Tomlin.

I thought Reid got the ball moving quicker when he came on which definitely helped the midfield. 

Fans were great. Stuck with the team all the way. Massive result. 

Players will be hurting after that and then seeing the teams just ahead of us all winning makes if even worse. Puts a fair but of pressure on the Fulham game now, but Fulham have proved that even with two of the best strikers in this division if your team isn't set up and balanced right in this division you can still struggle. Just got to hang in there and dig deep. 

Really annoyed today at the opportunities that failed to materialise through over playing it. So many times they beat a player or even two for it to open up and then nothing as they either spotted the wrong pass or continued to try and beat either another player or beat the same one again! 

Brilliant response after Tuesday night. Most of other results went for us too. 

5 minutes ago, havanatopia said:

Well in all Carey fairness it was not a one off was it and I think it will not be the last time we get tonked this season. Thats just being realistic not negative. We will stay up; i have always said we would but there is a bit of a gulf between most teams and the top half a dozen apart from the odd freaky result.

Yeah we have taken a few beatings but we've been in most games. Looking at remaining fixtures I don't see another one like this. Uh oh. Watch that come back to haunt me.

No excuses can be made for that. We were poor positionally and in movement on and off the ball. I do however think it will be a one off and luckily everyone by us slipped up too. 

19 minutes ago, Shtanley said:

Little was absolutely immense today mind, wasn't sure about him at RB but he was perfect. Won loads of 50/50s and put in some great challenges. I thought Reid actually popped up in many dangerous positions. Should've been awarded a stonewall penalty and got the deflected pass that led to Tomlin being fouled. Smart passing as always and helped out the defence every now and then. 

Glad to read Little had a good game. He had a terrible injury towards end of last season and I felt he was unfairly written off by a lot of fans before he had a chance to play a run of games. Sometimes his positioning is out but he always looks a handful going forward and is always committed to the cause. So great to read defensively he was on it today too.

Massive result. So pleased. Amazing how different table can look with just one set of results like that. Can target teams just ahead now

I'm pretty sure we need someone who can finish

Other than their goal i don't think they had a shot on target. Considering we dropped players, were playing different formation and were playing off the back of a hard fought victory against our league leaders I thought we did pretty well. 

It also showed that had Cotts maybe utilised what he had a little more we would probably have a few more points now. Burns and Reid are easily up to being in this squad as is Little and Wagstaff who plays literally anywhere and gives his all. Yes there are better players out there but at least what we have do not look out of place. 

We've got a long way to go but these last two games have eased my nerves a bit.

Thank God it was us for a change at the end. Man tears at the end!

1 minute ago, Cider_boy said:

It's OK - we keep oppositions guessing until the last minute as to what our team and formation will be...err

Haha yeah true. Would love to see that Garita steaming into their back line though. He looked massive when he was warming up.

1 hour ago, cidercity1987 said:

West Brom were bang average.

Good job no one told Pulis we have 2 beasty CBs otherwise they wouldn't have kept plonking it on Flints head. 

Wonder if he will realise runners down the side are the way past us in time for the replay? 

Shhhhhhhhh

Fans are doing our part by continuing to turn up in good numbers. Over to the players now to do their part today. For all those able to go today, let's get right behind them from the start and not let up. Come on you reds!!!!!!!!