Sunday, October 06, 2013

A proud performance at Wigan today - and Grant Hanley won't do that again


Grant Hanley Grant Hanley of Blackburn looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County and Blackburn Rovers at Pride Park Stadium on August 04, 2013 in Derby, England,So there we were, 30 minutes in to the game at Wigan. Rovers were 1-0 up. I said to my lads - "this is the best we've seen them for years isn't it?" So in control, so positive and there's Grant Hanley, so strong and confident playing the ball out of defence. Then, bang! A Wigan player is down, the referee was better placed to see it than us. It's a red card.

I don't want to dwell on what he did, but that raised arm probably cost Rovers the game. I don't for a minute think that with 11 men on the pitch we'd have been going into injury time at 1-1. This young team is playing with purpose and style. They will be rightly gutted about leaving empty handed, but will have learned a lot about each other today. Hanley will be gutted and disappointed with himself if he's half the character he appears to be. The fact that the team were applauded off at the end - and that every one of them lined up to take that applause and gave it back to a magnificent away following - says a lot for a club that has suffered such recent trauma.

Let's wipe our mouths and start again.

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