Difference between the two sides is they can pass it about quickly to feet, we can't. Our passing has been atrocious over the last month, regardless of who's in the dugout. Positives: nice to see us being a bit more physical, we're also mixing it up and we've been unlucky not to score. Negatives: we can't seem to get our top scorer involved in the game, with zero midfield he's just not seeing the ball, and we're not winning those second balls from knockdowns. As above, our passing and general touch is so off, it's alarming - it must be a confidence thing. A terrible challenge by Buckley to concede the free kick, but the guy had beaten him, if he didn't make it, he would get slated for not doing anything, something to stop a clear chance at goal. Seeing so many comments over the last few days of "not watching any more" etc (pathetic view in my opinion) and general negativity regarding the manager, give him a chance FFS, this is such a disjointed squad who seem to need telling how to play the game. Tough job for anyone. COYB.

Rotherham away, Reading etc and Turf Moor, the 4-1 at home to Preston - there was just something about those defeats that will always stick with me, the fact that after the first goal goes in you know you have zero chance of getting back in it, sat there for the rest of the game just taking it... I also said recent worst memories, and it's all relative for each of us, without giving away my age. Yes the 7-0 at home was a disgrace, but we went down to 10 men against a top side in the division, a freak result, not a steady familiar pattern. I agree injuries etc but we have to pick up points somehow and build, JDT wasn't doing anything about that.

Definitely can't read too much in Szmodics looking angry and fed up etc, he's seems like one of those rare players that is as close as you're going to get to watching an actual normal "fan" playing football - stick any of us on the pitch and we'd be moaning and screaming at our team mates to pass the thing to feet. I think he just feels it like the rest of us. He'll definitely be off at the first chance though, but to be honest, if we'd had a striker all season do you think he'd have scored as many? He's scored goals in spite of the team's issues, forced into that role, of which we're all grateful.

Exactly. Well put.

But that was in the cup, with the pressure off and two changed sides...can't compare them. I admit teams with quality would have put us to the sword, but the side is shot of confidence. We actually had a decent chance to snatch it, and we defended well on the whole, the offside trap working. They need to get together as a squad, find some confidence that they ain't going to ship 2 goals a game, and build from there. There is no recency bias at all - look at Sheff Utd, Rotherham, Reading, Dingles away last season as three examples off the top of my head. One flowing attack in those games doesn't not make me feel any better about those memories, some of the worst moments as a Rovers fan in recent years. I loved the way we played under JDT, it was the hope and the ambition and it was nice to see that happening at our club, but I didn't like the way we committed men forward and I didn't like getting hammered week in week out with zero fight. People critiquing the style of play and the manager after 3 games really need to take a deep breath. Judge it next season.

Prior to Deepdale we'd lost 6 on the trot away from home. There's a lot of romanticising JDT's style of play going on here, we'd have lost that 3-0 a couple of months ago. Let's become hard to beat, and build from there, it's what Hughes did, and he did alright in the end. I know it's hard to watch, but what do people want? Follow it up with a win at home, and isn't this what "normal" sides do? Eustace is not making these lads suddenly unable to pass a ball 5 yards is he? This squad is an absolute mess, a proper rag tag bunch, good to luck to anyone coming in trying to fashion a side out of this lot - I'll take a point away on a Tuesday night with a clean sheet any day.

I don't think so at all, maybe the first 20, but he grew into the game, didn't have many touches as Chelsea had all the possession, on the rare chance he did get it, he played a few of his trademark positive first time forward passes. He does like that high looping one that bends inside the full back. But yes, as @simongarnerisgod said, he should have been racing back to close down Gallagher, shame that... I do think as someone else has said, the game is a lot quicker than what he's used to. Neville on comms was impressed, is that good or bad?!!??

I suppose we may have an actual plan b now, go more direct, or pass it around and play possession as before, why we couldn't ease the pressure in previous games when we clearly under the cosh, the mind boggles. How many times have teams come to Ewood and got it forward with a few passes, played it into the channels, bypassing our entire midfield who are half-way up the pitch. Been frightening to watch.

I've always thought that we got a lot of injuries, a lot of muscle strains, hamstrings - I know JDT blamed sitting on the coach, but I just wonder if the demands he set were too high, not only tactically but fitness wise. This desire to press with his famous "intensity" meant that we were burnt out after the first 30mins, and after 65mins just totally not in the game especially when the opposition making subs that we couldn't dream of. It' goes back to a manager using the strengths of his squad. Someone mentioned Hedges come straight back in, maybe he wasn't "JDT fit", but he's fit enough to do a role for Johnson and/or Eustace? I'm not bashing JDT after the event, there's just so many unknowns with this squad. On Gallagher, I'll admit I was one of them fans getting frustrated with him, now he's had a run out of the team I'm eating my words - we've seen how much we miss him. It's just more for opposition defences to think about, one big guy and a little guy tirelessly moving and harrying. I'm not sure it's fair to judge him either, under JDT and Mowbray I feel like he's been played everywhere other than the role of big lad up front - let's see what happens if he gets a run in a more typical role. The guy works dam hard.

Was chatting to my Dad this weekend after the Stoke game, who has witnessed far more football in his 74 years than I have, we're both delighted with the win but almost a deep frustration who it can take a change in manager to totally shift the players as a group. To him, having watched some of the most famous successful sides down the years, he finds it almost unbelievable that a team can be so wedded to a set of tactics even though it clearly ain't working, with players just doing what they are told. I'd like to know from people who have played to a decent level, how is t possible for teams to continue with systems that clearly aren't working, following them to the letter. What's it like in the dressing room? Is it just a case of the players with their heads down, shrugging their shoulders, "it's what the gaffer wants"... Is it case of the game now being so professional that players carry out tactics regardless, or is coupled with the fact that we haven't had any real leaders or experience on the pitch to help manage certain situations - i.e at Turf Moor last season, "put your foot through it Clinton!" I've been guilty of being jobsworth at times when certain bosses, managers and clients treat you in certain ways or tell you what to do even though you disagree - I suppose you just coast through, get it done and go home. It's so hard to imagine this happens in football, but it must like any job. If anything the game on Saturday made me more and more angry at the last 6 months of JDT's reign if I'm honest, that through this blind commitment to this style of play we're risking a dalliance with relegation. I find Brittain's comments pretty revealing: "As a group, we have spoken in the last week about using Gally's strengths. Hedgey coming in at the back post, we don't do it enough." "I think we turn down crosses and we come out too much. We want to put the ball in dangerous areas and we did, it caused problems. "I think it is a strength for me, crossing. It wasn't something the last gaffer wanted, it was a different style," he explained. "The manager (Eustace) told us to take the shackles off, I think we did that today. I'm very excited to work under him." They obviously know what they want, but under the previous regime couldn't do anything about it. I find it really frustrating.

People are gonna rip that statement apart, so much to talk about

According to Elliot Jackson: "Head coach title retained but no comments from the Director of Football, as of yet." Crazy that there's been no mention from GB, disorganised or intentional? Anyway, welcome John Lentil Dahl Eustasson, we're all behind you.

Fuck me I can't take this, first AW, now JDT, as my mate Nick said "it's like being dumped twice"

Can't deny it, the man has class. Thanks Jon. Certain members of the Ewood hierachy: take note. I'm not crying, you are...

Do you think there's any truth in the rumour that the deadline day issues arose from the curry order and the McGuire deal being placed at the same time? Duncan was sent back to Shad House for "not being hot enough" and the EFL queried why they had received a 6 month loan request totalling £58.99 for a 2x chicken biryani, 1x vindaloo and a lamb dansak (plus them little dip things, ta, Steve)?

Turns out they've got the names switched on the paperwork, I've heard we've sacked Eustace before he's even started and signed JDT on a deal to the end of the season. After a quick scramble in the office, things have been fixed - Eustace is now the new manager of Sweden! Sorted!

They're probably going through the shredder pile looking for Berg's contract, tipex-ing out the bits that Derek fucked up, and photocopying it.

Nah he'll be at big Stevie's house, eating the leftovers from that fateful night in January "let's not waste a good biryani John"

Jon: "Hey I like you John, I enjoy these chats, well for sure I drove the car with intensity, with passion, I think that's what we all want don't we?"

I never held JDT solely responsible, he did a lot of things right, he was hamstrung by the owners, he could have done things differently in hindsight, it's a combination of factors like I said, the perfect storm.

Against Forest, out of all our cup games, Forest were the most beatable: newly promoted, struggling and at Ewood - decent crowd due to cheaper tickets if I remember correctly (that never goes well). All other cup games either away, free hits, or against lower league opposition - we played really well in those games. I admit this natural game saying is a load of shit, typical football rhetoric - I just mean what has been repeated ad-infinitum on here, stop expecting wonders from kids and players worth £500k (and I agree with the frustrations to the owners of why that is). Play to your strengths and keep it simple. How many teams have we seen do that against us at Ewood?

Regardless of our manager, there's something happening with this team even stretching back to previous seasons. We never come from behind. It's one of the weirdests stat in our recent history. We did it notably when we came from behind against Millwall, but crucially only when the pressure was off. Why do we do well in the cups under JDT? It's because the pressure is off in those games. The one we struggled with, losing to Forest 4-1, was at home and ironically we were under pressure, as the expectation was on us to beat them at Ewood. Football is all about confidence and dealing with pressure. There's definitely a recurring pattern. I think if you are asking Champ level players in a weakened squad to take the ball on the half turn out from defence, and then heaping the pressure on them to make an inch perfect slide-rule through ball each time (JDT always talked about moving the ball forward withing 3 passes and the "3-second rule"), then the pressure mounts when it goes wrong, plus having no real experience on the pitch to keep a level head, you can see why we've struggled. It came off against Sheff Utd at home, Swansea away etc. It nearly come off in the first 20mins at Sunderland at home, but after that our heads dropped - can't keep playing at that level for 90mins with the players we have. We need to let this team play to their strengths, play a natural game, stop with this inverted nonsense, stop Brittain having to cut inside each time taking an extra touch for example.

Last season was incredibly painful, mainly down to all those sliding doors moments mentioned earlier. But it was a mix of hope and frustration, as you could see green shoots, but then the off-field stuff just trampled on it.

No one is denying that are they? Look at other teams who have sold players, doesn't make you immediately the defence in the league etc. Just purely looking at the games on their own, we've seen us compete with this team, and then throw things away due to bizarre "in-game management" (hate that term but you know what I mean'. We've also seen us compete and then get blown away in the 2nd half due to the opposition actually have a bench, which is down to the ownership and the leadership. It isn't black and white, it's combination of a few factors. i'd say every fan was in agreement of the following: We all admire JDT and his ambition, his charisma and his honesty. We all wished at times JDT would park his frustrations, and deflect and take pressure off the squad. If you asset strip the squad of creativity and leadership, you reap what you sow. You treat the manager and fans without care, you disrupt the dressing room and create a toxic atmosphere. You try and play football not suited to the players you have at your disposal, you get what you deserve. All these things contribute to the perfect storm.

Just discussing the footballing side, everyone is agreement that the Venky's are the root cause. But they didn't tell Hedges to chip it to the North End keeper in this context.