SHA Small Heath Alliance

There was some great football on display tonight and it will only get better. You can absolutely see where we're heading.

To be honest I'd go as far as saying that the performance I just watched convinced me that (if we stay up!!) this can be considered a successful season.

It's been much more up and down than any of us wanted but the way we controlled the game tonight was superb. The league's top scorer barely had a kick against us. We should have scored several. Our new approach to scouting came good as Paik shone. Tyler Roberts a threat.

We're by no means the finished article but what a lot of us wanted to see was green shoots this season, and we're seeing them now. It's been a learning curve for the fans and the board but seems to be turning out ok.

Also, the game management in the last 15 was fantastic. Slowing the play down & drawing fouls when needed.

Such a refreshing change to parking the bus when in front.

Barmy trying to judge Eustace's Blackburn on tonight. It was effectively his first day in the job and he was up against Real Madrid.

Is everyone now of the opinion that Cook sacking Villa John was the right thing to do?

Petebaldwin

It was exactly what you'd imagine you'd watch if you were told it was a Mowbray team at home to a Eustace team.

Said the same

People have forgotten JE's awful game management as well. Thank god we've got a decent manager now

The two defensive Blackburn subs at 70 minutes made me chuckle.

It’s worked out well in the end with us getting Mowbray, who is clear as day better than Eustace, but we didn’t need the 3 months of Rooney 😂. Who cares anyway. Rooney and Eustace are a thing of the past, so in Mowbray we trust.

Those 15 games were worth suffering through to have TM now.

Rooney’s tenure feels like a bad dream.

Petebaldwin

It's still a work in progress and because of Rooney's stint, patience is lacking from some. I think it almost "proved" to them that passing it around the back doesn't work. Once people see that we're not just passing it around the back for no reason anymore and are winning more matches because of it, they'll get on board.

The football for Tyler Robert's gilt edged chance was fantastic, a perfect example of how to play out from the back and why when it works well it works really well.

Nikola Zigic

Petebaldwin

It's still a work in progress and because of Rooney's stint, patience is lacking from some. I think it almost "proved" to them that passing it around the back doesn't work. Once people see that we're not just passing it around the back for no reason anymore and are winning more matches because of it, they'll get on board.

The football for Tyler Robert's gilt edged chance was fantastic, a perfect example of how to play out from the back and why when it works well it works really well.

Was superb. And some bastards who were moaning at Roberts to gerrit forward applauded when we broke the press. Hate them. Piss off and don’t come back

Rab C Nesbitt

Nikola Zigic

Petebaldwin

It's still a work in progress and because of Rooney's stint, patience is lacking from some. I think it almost "proved" to them that passing it around the back doesn't work. Once people see that we're not just passing it around the back for no reason anymore and are winning more matches because of it, they'll get on board.

The football for Tyler Robert's gilt edged chance was fantastic, a perfect example of how to play out from the back and why when it works well it works really well.

Was superb. And some bastards who were moaning at Roberts to gerrit forward applauded when we broke the press. Hate them. Piss off and don’t come back

So it werent just me that heard the grumbles then? I genuinely couldn't believe what I was hearing. The same fans who shout get rid, then moan when he gets rid of it and gives away possession. Seriously, wtf do they want him to do?

Moments after one of the 'gerrit forward' shouts, we played it round at the back and managed to draw three Blackburn players out to Roberts, from there we got it out to Laird (I think) who then had acres of space in the centre of the pitch to drive forward.

Both Dozzell and Paik are a huge upgrade on Beilik and Sunjic in those deep lying midfield roles, they're constantly seeking out the ball and looking to turn and play it forward. Creating these opportunities takes time and needs us to draw out the opposition to create the space. The last three games I've been surprised at how the opposition haven't been too keen to press us high, preferring to sit off and pick their moments. Under Eustace I felt we got closed down quickly and not given too much time to search out the runners for a quick counter, which is exactly what our forwards were doing to Blackburn.

I do think people are getting a bit too giddy tonight, it was a decent performance against a terrible Blackburn side, let's carry this onto subderland and we will beat them too.

I agree with this, it's so so nice to have midfielders who are good in possession, watching Sunjic is like watching my dog do his business - sick of it.

Long love dozzell and Paik.