S-Clarke

He can buddy up with Viafara.

I know what you mean, but I genuinely believe we're a really good side and full of leaders. They couldn't have gone on the run they'd been on had that not been the case. I reckon by the end of this month after Leicester have beaten Leeds (yes, that's been given up on now) and we've won our game in hand, things will look better than they have at any point this season in terms of a gap to third. Just my positive hunch.

Which it has been for 25 or so games, we just had a slow night last night where we just didn't click. That doesn't equate to our style of football being all wrong and us needing to reinvent the wheel. That's not a dig at you, but I've seen some idiots on social media proclaiming that possession football will not get you results in this league and that we need to reset our approach and bypass the midfield. I must have imagined all the results we've got playing possession football then!

He let in 3 at Gillingham

To be fair we weren't anywhere near as good as the table suggested at that point, that form did roll between two seasons as well (the lockdown games skewed things massively, even Sheffield United finished 9th in that year). We've got better players for this league, whereas under Ralph we were punching during that run in my opinion. That's why I never understood the cries to dump Ralph when we inevitably struggled to maintain that 20 game form.

We beat Leeds at home, Hull away, drew with Coventry away, beat WBA at home. Still to play Leicester away, Cov at home, Hull at home etc. Not particularly fair to say we've not been consistent after we've just gone unbeaten in 25, the clear definition of consistent. That run did include 'top teams' as well, the run seems to have been belittled quite a bit as just us facing relegation teams since September - not the case in any stretch.

We'll find out how good we really are in this one. We can't go 25 unbeaten and straight into 2 defeats on a bounce, it would be ludicrous. Then we'd have Hull at home who will cause us problem's, going into that game in hand with 2 defeats on the bounce would be a disaster. The team can't let that happen. This spell up to the end of this month will define the season more than the 25 unbeaten games did. It's frustrating really, as in any normal season going 25 games without a defeat will give you a bit of breathing space and a nice gap at the top - but we just couldn't ever get that, a really freak season. The top 3 just win every week.

They're all coming out tonight aren't they! Just like they've been waiting....must have been frustrating having to wait as long as they have.

I do, yes. I think we've got a small squad, but if they are all available then we are amongst the best 3 in this league. Going unbeaten for 25 games is as much confirmation as you can get that we're good enough to finish Top 2. What I liked with Adkins side was our midfield, Cork, Chaplow, Morgan, Hammond - lots of bite and aggression there, this year we only really have one player who can provide that role. In attack (wide area's etc), we are stocked and the options we have are a step up on what we had available under Adkins. Defeats will happen, Leicester lost a couple of games, Leeds had a wobble during December - it happens. Just like our unbeaten run wasn't going to go on forever, neither is Leeds winning every week. Lots of twists and turns, but we've pulled ourselves into a position to be in there until the end. My feeling is that there will be a gap between the Top 3 and the rest come the end of the season, just need to make sure it's in the right order for us.

We've just gone 25 games unbeaten though, it wasn't going to last forever. It's a bit daft to assume that Leeds are going to win every single game up until May, they're not - there will be twists and turns all the way. This is just a bump in the road. Success will be born out of how we react to these sort of set backs - we certainly reacted well to the last one.

Not sure how you can say this and give up on this group on the back of one game. They just went 25 games without losing, the way we played got us into that run - so talking about ripping it up and going gung ho (''just kick it long") isn't really going to aid us. Stick with what you believe in, success comes from consistency in everything you do and not blinking and resetting at the slightest set back.

There's a lot of this tonight sadly. As I said above, I hope our players can deal with defeat better than some of our fans.

Yeah that's exactly it - automatically everyone looks bad, you've got THB/KWP giving the ball away because the midfield aren't in the right positions to receive the ball. They've not given the ball away from carelessness as such, it's just that the midfield is full of gaps and structure without Downes. I think that was Charles worst game for us though, whilst he's not set the house on fire since signing, he's never been as bad as that. It's harsh to single out one player, but he was probably the catalyst for how bad we were in that opening period of the game - and it's hard to recover when you start that slow.

What's with these matter of fact ''that's the season done'' posts tonight? Seems that people are not able to deal with a defeat. I hope the players can deal with defeat better than a lot of our fans, if they can't we're fucked.

I think we need to bear in mind that this is Charles first season of professional football, he's not at all the finished product. I felt a bit sorry for him in the first half. Like with all young players, you have to give them time and a platform - but he was a bit out on his own today I felt. We have always needed a bit more cover with him and Downes though in that DM type role imo.

I wouldn't read too much into Leeds beating Swansea, I'm sure a Sunday league team could beat Swansea - they're that bad. They'll have much tougher tests and for sure they will face defeat again at some point.

Yeah those two were decent, but like you say the balls through the middle to find them were too slow/too late. The problem tonight was that central area, just not strong enough. There were a couple of occasions where THB gave the ball away, and ditto KWP - but that was only because Charles wasn't where he was meant to be. He killed us dead in that first half with his on the ball and off the ball work.

I find it hard to pick many good players from that rabble tonight, it was so disjointed. KWP tried, but himself was guilty of giving up the ball too much. The pick of the worst is certainly the two CM's though - Smallbone and Charles in that first half were a disaster. The midfield is certainly a bit of a conundrum without Downes, we don't seem to have one.

Critical player in how we play, the holes throughout midfield tonight have been glaring and they wouldn't have been there if Downes was available. I felt a bit sorry for Charles in the first half, it was like seeing a kid thrown into the lions den - so out of his depth trying to play the Downes role it was untrue.

It really is the worst way to end our run, but let's not forget how we've put ourselves in this position to start with. Tonight in isolation is bad, so, so, so bad - inept in all area's, not one good player out there - but they have credit in the bank and it's important they bounce back on Friday. We cannot end 25 games unbeaten and then lose two on the bounce, it simply cannot be allowed to happen and I can assure you the players will be focused on making sure that's not the case. Tonight has been bad, make no bones about it, as bad as we were at Sunderland - but the key to our season will be how we react to this setback. We had set backs just like this in our promotion seasons previously, I remember a 3-0 drumming at Brighton and we didn't let that impact us. All teams will lose games, no one is invincible - the fact we've gone on as long as we have is pretty incredible really. The chinks were showing in the armour on Saturday it has to be said. To coin an old phrase, not too down when you lose, not too up when you win. We've still put ourselves in a good situation.

How odd that we get that run of 4 again, certainly an opportunity to put right our wrongs there.

Where are you hearing that? He's done wonders to get them anywhere near the Top 6 in my opinion. If he does get chopped then the fan reaction to their ownership would be so toxic and would totally end their season over night.

I keep thinking we'll have a wobble or do something odd, but we keep turning out results - different sort of results too. You've got the really comfortable and professional jobs against the likes of Swansea, Blackburn, Wednesday etc, then you've got the 'dig in' until the last min against Millwall, Hull City etc. Then you've got another way we've won - 2-0 down, 3-2 down and still win the game. It's something we haven't associated with our team for many years, but we seem to be mentality monsters. They've got the sort of relentless momentum which can be hard to shake.

Sounds like Downes is nowhere near as bad as first feared, will certainly miss tomorrow but should be back thereafter. Still checking Che, touch and go for tomorrow - but still nothing long term.

Great story for Haller though. Weird tournament really, I remember watching Ivory Coast get trashed by Guinea, everyone despondent, their coach sacked etc. Strange game is football!