ianofcleveleys

Bournemouth were great, good luck to them, but painful viewing when we are taken apart on live TV by a team who wouldn't even have registered with most of us three years or so ago. The extent of our decline and the size of Lennon's job laid bare.

If any of these defenders start the first game next season i'll be lobbing my ST back. Dervite is truly abysmal

If we are going to improve to any extent next season we need half a dozen big strong fuckers. Yet again we look physically weak, a team of lightweights and soft arses

That's why 352 is shit if your wing backs can't defend. Once Feeney is isolated there, curtains

They don't like it up 'em!

Good chance for ALF, bit unlucky it didn't drop right. Still don't like 352, but can understand when we've hardly any fit defenders anyway

Ream. Showed there exactly why he's not suited to this league. Wet fart

There's not been much to cheer this season but the emergence of these young lads has been something. Walker's probably a bit more raw than Vela and Clough but, given the extended run of games NL's been prepared to give him says he thinks there's something decent in him to develop. He needs to build a bit of strength to resist challenges and put tackles in of his own but he does have a bit of something. We should be giving him and any other of the youngsters NL bloods every chance and every encouragement

Getting across from Royton for night games is hard work with the works on the M62/60 and 50mph limit that's going to be on for ages. Got back from Rotherham the other month as quick as I can get back from Macron some days, even with these crowds. Meant another early dart from work, stop-start plod till on M61/A666 bit, not so bad after that. Was in time to treat Princess to her tea at Blundell Arms on way though. Easier than usual getting off Middlebrook and back home before North West Tonight had finished. The train situation is shocking mind, every sympathy with those who have to put up with it. How it's beyond the wit of the operators to be able to schedule in some sort of reasonably timed service on midweek match nights god only knows.

That miss at the end was a shocker. He does deserve a bit of slack though as he's been asked to do all sorts of jobs that aren't part of his limited repertoire. Play him as a winger in a 4-4-2 and he'll do a simple, reliable job, he's not a wing back, full back or support striker, all of which he's been asked to do at sometime or another. Alright he wasn't great tonight, not many were but some on that ground tonight want to have a look at themselves. We all have those who get under our skin or try our patience a bit but the stick Feeney's getting is over the top and I also heard one bloke screaming to get Walker off, really helpful to a young kid learning in a hard school.

Much of it been said already, was like a friendly, they were bang average but we played into their hands by tossing them a cheap goal early on. Rochina's too lightweight for this league but has talent, far too clever for his team mates, only Alf had any idea where he wanted to put it. Three at the back just doesn't work if the wing backs can't defend. Ours most certainly can't. and all it does is expose Mills and Dervite's chronic lack of pace. Together those two as a pair are as bad as any in the Division and no better In a three when Ream's having a half arsed night alongside them. Bannan and Davies gave a glimpse of what could be very good next season if they could be put together, with the likes of Danns and Pratley doing the donkey work. Shredded them late on to set up that horrendous miss by Feeney. We need to get Alf definitely on the books ASAP with some robust support. With him on the pitch you've always a chance, and he did the business again tonight. Not at last home game so that's it for this season, glad to be honest, it's been drudgery for weeks. Some promising signs to hang onto over Summer but a lot to do to get us into shape even for a shot at the play-offs.

Pretty much what was far too lightweight against Blackpool but who knows, may do better tonight

It certainly would, and is what we need as a club going forward, whether to be the nucleus of an exciting young team or bringing in major money that helps us strengthen in areas where we're lacking for a promotion push. The paper that published the list of the top seven young players outside the Prem (was on here somewhere last week)didn't have Clough and Vela much apart, 1 and 2 in that list from memory. Clough does exciting things but his lack of size is an issue in this League and he'll be as much of a marked man when he's back as he was that night against Reading. Vela hasn't 'been around the first team scene' for very much of the last couple of seasons at all, was long-term injured then farmed out to League 1 by that great judge of talent D Freedman Considering he's been asked to learn a new role, played far more games on the run than at any time in his career and in a team that hasn't been any great shakes, Vela's progress has been pretty good in my eyes. He's got better at the defending as the weeks have gone by and when he does come forward can find one of our men short or long pretty regularly. He's had his not so good moments but Clough's highlights have also been tempered by occasions where his lack of experience has cost us possession in bad areas and goals as a result. As you say though Mounts, hope they both do really well for us, and young Walker, and many more besides, would be great to see, it's already been the bright spot of this season for me

Mills was injured, as was C Davies so not many unforced changes really. Feeney is just not a wing back though, and wasn't helped by Dervite's lack of pace as the nearest of the back three. They homed in on that and filled their boots quick-style. A sports psychologist ought to be Lenny's next signing, to see if he can get to the bottom of the late goals issue and work on some strategies to eradicate it. The galling aspect is that we're not letting them in as a result of dropping deep into our own half, inviting pressure and lumping it anywhere, people are just switching off at throw ins, corners and punts down the field.

They replaced Whittaker with another defender, Bennett, straight swap.

They looked it at first but our lads should get some credit for giving them a much harder game than they seemed to expect. Compliment to young Walker that they took Whittaker (who'd like to think he's a Prem standard full back) off second half

Forgot to mention the ref, what a pedantic little twat! If you're going to be pedantic though, you've at least got to be consistently that way, he wasn't even that. Nearly as bad as the bloke v Reading

Was instrumental in those teams getting promoted from this Division. Yes not the most mobile, but a great leader and experienced head to have round some younger more athletic types. Think I'd sooner have him than Trotter. Only concern would be too many oldies if NL already signs up Heskey and Gudjohnsen

I thought we competed well, considering what our resources were and theirs. Looked like a long afternoon first 15 but after our goal was more even, and second half they only started to dominate last 15 when they'd thrown all the artillery on and a few of our lighterweights started to fade (thought Lenny might have had Danns on a bit sooner) Looked like we were going to get a deserved point I hadn't expected before kick off, so galling again to toss it in that manner. The thing with all the late goals conceded is hardly any have been the result of us caving in under a load of late pressure on our box, the majority have been when there's not really been any danger and we've switched off from a throw in or kick down the pitch from their end. No doubt some of it's a mentality thing, as I think Lenny's alluded to, but I wonder of it's also something that will be corrected next season with a different pre-season and fitness regime from the off; if you're physically up to the rigours of the Division, you'll be more likely to be mentally up to seeing games out. Although we got away with murder in defence at times, especially on the right side where Feeney and Dervite were (they played on it most of the game), still some real positives and plenty to enjoy, young Walker mostly did really well till he faded, Bannan was excellent again and Heskey / LeFondre were a handful for their supposedly Premier League defence.

Baptiste outstanding so far at centre back. Should be brought back and be a central figure in our defence for next season

I can't say that I saw many out there who didn't look up for it, maybe apart from Feeney, who was a bit airy fairy all afternoon, what I did see was a lack of confidence and composure, the product of too many recent games of missed chances and late goals tossed in, and maybe pressure to beat the bottom team handsomely. Lenny did say though that he thought the application was poor first half, better after the break.

I don't mind a short corner now and then if it's just a way of getting a different angle on a cross, it's when they then get flummoxed, take an extra pass or touch and don't end up putting it in at all that it looks shit

Once Bannan missed, I was tempted to bail out as it was one of those classic scripts where the team expected to roll over the opponents chucks one in early, misses a sackload, their keeper saves everything and they kick everything else off the line. As some others have aaid, no celebration when we did score, glossed over nothing of what was a dismal afternoon's fare. Bannan deserved something to come from his great run and cross at the end, although his miss was a howler he was our best player by a mile. He would do a job for us with some solid support round him and the licence to probe and run in their third of the pitch. Not been in the Feeney bashing camp up to now but he was gash today, closely followed by Mills, who NL probably put a line through for next season when he didn't see a simple pass up the wing to Vela late on and instead launched one of his aimless balls up to (and over) the head of Gudjohnsen. Vela had a mixed day, couldn't keep up with their lad for the goal, then a couple of great saving tackles and two superb balls forward late on. Their lad Jacobs by the way was a pretty decent player. Was thinking during an idle period second half what a job NL will have once last game is finished. Once he sends back all the loans, gets a prognosis on which of the crocks will be fit to start pre-season and bins off all the current dross he doesn't like, he'll have about as many names written down as Blackpool had last Summer. He'll be a busy lad to say the least, and it'll be a big ask to get in as many as he needs and get them moulded into a team that will be competitive from the first whistle. Good Luck Lenny!

Our one chance taker wasn't playing. Davies isn't one for sure. Hall will be out in Summer, clearly not rated by NL Another rag bag assortment of a team necessarily turned out, should have got a result away against a top six team, as frustrating a period of watching us as I can remember for many a day. Despite all the chopping and changing and square pegs in round holes, we're not getting panned and should have got at least six more points than we have over recent weeks. Will be glad when it's over to be honest, so we can see how NL gets to shape things over Summer.

May be a bit quick to say after two games but if we could get McCarthy we should make every effort. Immense at Blackburn and rock solid again today, would be ideal experienced foundation for next season. Mills looked better with him beside him. Same with Alf hope something can be done there, will score the volume of goals you need to be top-six in this Division with any sort of support and service We needed a team as bad as them to roll up today, to give a scruffy win and ease those lingering doubts a bit. We'll win a couple more and draw a couple of those last nine games, and no doubt play with a bit more freedom as each one gets chalked off It might have been through desperate straits, but great to see another young product get a start and do OK, most uplifting aspect of the season has been to see we do have some promising talent coming through.