He’s gone to FC United on loan.

There's no way they'll go straight from Bruce to someone like Conte. They'll probably have a stage like City did where they had Hughes as manager, and signed players like Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott, Shay Given etc - good, reliable PL players that'll get you up the table a few places, but no established top players yet. I know he probably wouldn't be an option any time soon but somebody of the ilk of Brendan Rodgers I'm picturing. Maybe establish them in the top 6 or so over a couple/few seasons. At that point they may be able to attract a Conte or similar.

Looking at the standings there’s barely any chance of them qualifying. They seem in a bad way compared to the team of a few years ago. The South American qualifiers are extremely well balanced compared to Europe, with no Andorras or San Marinos for an easy 3 points, so hard to see them going on a good run. Still got Brazil and Argentina to play too.

The last two games have had a very strong ‘team managed by Tony Mowbray had a whiff of the top 6’ feel to them.

Let's be honest Chaddy, whenever you've commented on TMBWA being sung at games this season, it's been you leading the chant. Decent runs of form under Mowbray are nothing new - last season is correctly thought of as being a shocker, but we were in 7th as late as February, and around late November/early December we registered another thumping (PNE away) and we were grinding out results that people said we would have lost the season before (which is what people are saying right now about recent games....) such as Millwall and Barnsley at home, and Brentford away. Shows how things can change quickly when you see the stinking run we went on second half of the season. Unfortunately the past few years suggest that a) this league position is probably as good as it'll get this season and we'll never enter the top 6 again once we drop out, and b) a bad run of form probably isn't too far away.

I don't get it when people say that! We're not going to carry on doing that for the rest of the season are we? That literally only covers our last two games. We'd go up automatically if we go unbeaten for the rest of the season......so that won't be the bigger picture at all. Either way, there's no chance of a playoff place with Mowbray here.

I like Buckley and, as well as being good on the ball, think he gets through a good amount of work too, getting stuck in more than I ever noticed previously. If he is to reach his potential however he needs to be played in his position every game and not messed about like last night. He should always be ahead of Clarkson for a midfield spot, one because he's our own player but also Clarkson has been almost invisible in the two games I've seen him.

Why would anybody prefer Mowbray (absolutely zero chance of doing anything of note under him - we can all agree on that) to Hughton (who's track record over a number of years at different clubs suggests there's a pretty decent chance he'd be a success)?

Next season! We’ve only just started this one. But it doesn’t matter what season it is, or who’s on the pitch - we’ll never do anything under Mid-table Mowbray. That was obvious well before last season but let’s not forget we came 15th with 29 goal Armstrong and a player now starting for Liverpool as part of our front three. Just on Harwood-Bellis, I agree he’s decent, but he played pretty much all the games of our 2 wins in 17 run second half of last season. Cunningham is just a Championship standard LB. The squad has some gaping holes but the main place we’re short is in the dugout.

Me neither probably, but Patrick Bamford made his debut yesterday aged 28. Four years ago (the age Armstrong is now) not many would have seen that coming. Ollie Watkins has 3 caps too, though I'd be surprised if Armstrong does as well as Watkins did last season in terms of this overall game. Behind Kane it's hardly the 90s in terms of the amount of quality strikers that England have so, while I'd be surprised, it's not out of the question if he can bag 15 or so goals this season (easier said than done!).

He's only just signed for Salernitana on loan with, according to transfermarkt, obligation to buy. Had been at Crotone for years before that. Either way, I don't see how a bottom half Championship team would have been offered somebody who banged in 20 goals for a relegated Serie A side for less than £700k. And if so, to then turn it down.

Still can’t believe Preston appointed that McAvoy. Never managed before but got a few wins in end of season dead rubbers. It was obvious it was going to end up like this. Hope they give him the season.

Beyond clueless he is, every time I've seen him in the comments on Twitter he's coming out with some absolute garbage. Calling us 'Blackburn' always says a lot too. Like you say, it could be a grand per game and you'd still get people like him and others who think that if you support a football club it means you have to back every decision they make.

He's 25 in a few months! Don't think 45 senior appearances is anything to shout about.

Best and I'm assuming Rhodes. No idea why but I watched the 'highlights' of that game not too long ago and was amazed to see Best had one cleared off the line after some decent play from him, didn't remember it at all. To be fair I like to try and forget that game, it's always what springs to mind when I think of the worst game I've ever seen.

Our record in the cups under Mowbray is absolutely honking. Another reason to bin him ASAP.

Considering how bright Butterworth looked on Saturday I’d have liked to see him given a start, hopefully he’ll come on for a solid half hour or so.

Well done Rovers! No idea what Swansea were trying to do with their playing out from the back - know your limits - and that definitely helped us. Despite that still needed a couple of decent saves from Kaminski, but I never felt we were hanging on or in any real danger of conceding a second. Ignoring Mowbray still being here, how much easier is it to ‘get behind the lads’ when it’s Buckley, Butterworth etc rather than the likes of Evans and Bennett? Enjoyed that today and good to be back. And nice to have an opening day win after 11 years.

Do you dislike Ince? I'd completely forgotten about him if I'm honest. He was so far out of his depth and couldn't string a sentence together but, from memory, nothing more than that - I wouldn't say I dislike him. No opinion of him at all really apart from him being desperately poor here as manager.

Not much left on BT Sport then apart from the Champions League and some Premier League games, though Sky Sports always get the main PL games. Personally waiting for someone to pick Serie A up - be good if that was BT to justify me having it. Would definitely feel like I'm getting my money's worth then.

Don't be so hard on yourself Chaddy.....

There are people on social media asking Rovers to answer the phone as they’re unable to get through, another one saying he’s been on hold for 95 (!) minutes. What’s going on? Just how many obstacles are we prepared to put in front of people who might want to renew or buy a season ticket? Some would just say ‘forget it’ being made to wait that long. Club shop shut yesterday with the first home game on Saturday, taking an age to get through on the phone to I’m guessing an understaffed ticket office.……“We’ve done all we can.” And all this with our lowest ST sales for decades. Imagine if there was an actual demand for STs.

Quite sure that's the case, when I rang to renew last week I mentioned I had my 19/20 card and she said that'd be reactivated, or words to that effect. And yep that was for the same seat.

Doubt it's true (if there's somebody who'd actually be prepared to sack him, how on earth did it not happen last season?) but even if it is, you know that even if we got a good points return from the six games there's still zero chance of us finishing higher than mid-table under Mowbray and the next death spiral is never far away. So just fire him right now and get it over with.

1. Unfortunately yes. Despite unsuccessfully begging Mowbray to stay (see below), Waggott stays as he knows he'll never have a cushier number than this. He'll cling on as long as he can. 2. No. We've seen that he doesn't react well to criticism - he can't even handle questions that could be construed as being mildly critical from the local press, and that was while stadiums were empty. Barnsley at home the year before too. He just wants us to plod along with no questions being asked of him at all. With us in a full on relegation scrap in about November and rumblings of discontent among the fans inside Ewood, I predict he'll decide he can't be bothered with it all anymore and quit. 3. Kaminski will be busy. But will go for Brereton (possibly based on his two goals just now). Just hope it's not a season like the last relegation season when Williams won it by not being awful. 4. 17th 5. Sheff Utd or West Brom