Optimistic point of view: VI's first half dozen games were absolutely appalling then they seem to get their shit together. Maybe it's the same sort of situation with a lot of new players in the squad? Yes - straws, clutching and all that.

Lol. I know you're disappointed with the result but when you're in a hole stop digging. It's exactly as roverandout said you're a really good poster most of the time but when it comes to referees you lose any and all perspective.

Think there are still a lot of fans who have not grasped how catastrophic this summer has been for us. The loss of Championship experience and leadership is going to really take its toll as the season goes on. Cheap replacements from foreign leagues will not be adequate. I truly believe we are in deep, deep trouble. Of course, I would love nothing more than to be wrong and hope that at the end of the season this post will be quoted as being totally ridiculous.

The biggest downgrade is the manager. Man for man I don't think there's much in it. Alebiosu offers something different to Brittain (not as good on the ball, but far better defensively). McLoughlin seems solid. Miller is going to become a cult hero. Tavares looks like he has something about him. The problem with the first XI is that we lost a poor RW and simply haven't replaced him.

Right winger, Trav replacement, and a centre forward are all desperately needed. Even then, the quality in squad depth is so poor. De Neve and Axel are not good enough options off the bench. If Alebiosu has a bad injury then we've only got one right back at the club, who's actually better as a right sided CB anyway. Shambolic.

Gonna be a tough,tough Season folks,we maybe played better but another loss...Hull away now feels like a must not lose. Sigh.

Yeah, it's not gonna look pretty, is it. Low tempo, boring stuff today, but of course a little excitement when Cantwell scored and then trying to see the game out. Thought the pen looked correct on TV, and the second was just a total shambles when we were pushing for the win. We did not deserve to lose, but can't say it was convincing either with 41/59 possession in their favour. How many more of this can I endure?

We've been in and around the Playoffs the last 3 or 4 seasons with literally EVERYTHING working against us. This is a mid table PL club with its head held underwater by wankers in India and the cunts they employ at Ewood.

Of course standards are through the floor - I used to watch Tugay, Jansen, McCarthy warm up and marvel at their skill. Now our players are barely able to trap a football.

That’s exactly what happens when you are a club in crisis. Things don’t go your way, often in the cruelest manner. The big concern for me is that I don’t think that group of players could’ve done much more today. They played to pretty much the best of their collective ability. Anyone denying we have significantly downgraded over the summer is deluded. The result of managed decline was on display today. I think today will be a pretty good indicator of what is to come all season. Lots of huffing and puffing. Not much quality. Plenty of disappointment.

On holiday so not had a phone to keep up with the score. Came back and saw the most Rovers result you could possibly imagine. The difference between investment and not right there. They take the points, whilst we bemoan our luck.

Three words...FUCK OFF VENKYS.

Why is the guy who’s not fit to play 60 min still on the pitch AND then tasked with the corner?

Yeah, expected him to impress like he did during midweek but he found it a lot harder against a standard Championship side.

It’s easy to criticise and I’m all for building up the pressure on the owners but I think everyone expected us to lose comfortably today (myself included) but we fought and were unlucky to lose. No points accrued but some hope restored and it gives us an outside chance of staying up this season if we play with that degree of fight. Despite the disappointment today I’m actually a lot less despondent than I was this morning.

Not sure I'd class WBA or Brum as the better teams in the division, neither looked like it playing against us, but even if we do put them at that level who are we expecting to be below us? Sheff Weds, probably - then...? Other than Cantwell, who's scoring the goals in this team? Who's creating the assists? It feels like blind optimism to think the likes of Yuki, Gueye or Kargbo are going to step up like that. Hedges certainly isn't. No evidence as of yet that the new signings are capable. I think to have any chance we need to scrape a win or two very quickly and hope momentum carries us for a while. It will be very difficult for such a technically barren team to reverse a downward spiral this early in this season.

There's a lot of dross in this division and crisis ridden clubs - that's our saving grace. Even at this stage of the season, Hull next week is a big "do not lose, should be winning" fixture.

but not a striker, because that wouldn't make any sense would it?

Buckley’s been a major disappointment but unless there’s an injury can see no justification having Montgomery on the bench over him.

Charlton have thrown millions at it too. They've come out the other side with rich, ambitious owners.

Heavy heart and desperately hope it’s the wrong call but it looks serious this time. Everything about the club doesn’t feel right. The team isn’t good enough. Today was a foretaste of what it’s going to be like this season. Lots of effort and application but the lack of quality and experience gets found out Grim.

I think it can be both. The team didn't deserve to lose, but you're completely right, this is exactly what happens when the core of solid championship team is removed and replaced with inexperience. Only McLoughlin has played at this level previously from all the new players, and it shows. Agreed - relegation battle it is. Hull away is already a big game next weekend.

Just got home, thought it was 2 poor sides today - but we should have won that. Couple of good chances after Cantwell's very well taken goal. Thought we defended well enough to restrict them to long shots, until we made the changes. Couldn't say we missed Travis at all today, Tavares offers at least what LT did in terms of ability. Toth is levels above Pears and I thought Hyam had a good game. It was even one of Hedges' better games for us also. But we absolutely need reinforcements at the top end, it goes without saying. If not, it's going to be a long season. Edit: just to add on B'ham. For the numbers they brought, their fans were pretty shit. And I'm sure the irony of Birmingham City chanting 'who the fucking hell are you' to Blackburn Rovers was lost on them.

Three shots on target over two league games but only one more player needed…

Wash your mouth out with soap.