There seems to be an attitude around the place that increasing crowds is simply a question of price and that by putting a few offers on from time to time the club has done all it possibly can. There's another aspect to it all. You have to encourage people to come and come back. Make it cheaper or easier to get to Ewood and get away afterwards. Put buses on to areas where large portions of our support live like Preston do. Charlton have club run buses all over Kent and Sussex where many of their fans live. We do nothing. Inside the ground - make Ewood a better place to be. Improve the atmosphere by developing a singing section. Generate more of an atmosphere by using music and the big screen better. The atmosphere is so flat and dull it is untrue. Go to Bristol City they have a carnival like range of stalls, bars, music etc. around their ground pre and post match with all sorts for families and kids. People who come for a one off match are unlikely to go home with pulses racing either with the football served or the Ewood experience. Unfortunately the way of it seems to be bare minimum expense which directly equates to bare minimum effort, because all the above require imagination or expense to get up and running.

A very good performance, result and enjoyable day out. Thought our performance was excellent and really pleasing to see us see the game through keeping the clean sheet Still think the play offs are going to be a step too far for us. Probably need minimum 25 points from 39 remaining, whilst Fulham, Forest and Brentford probably only need 20 points. Nevertheless good to see us performing well, good form and good habits of managing games and clean sheets. Keeps things interesting. Despite concerns about the weather, trains and problems at Euston station thankfully everything went smoothly. Went into their supporters lounge pre match behind the goals. Packed with fans, warm meals on, beer, relaxed atmosphere. Feel Rovers are missing a trick not opening up the Darwen End and doing similar on matchday. No entry fee or membership required. Just first come first served.

Think he's made 3 poor steps in his career Walking out of a secure job at PNE where his stock was high to join crisis club Sunderland - can understand the logic behind it but Sunderland a complete basket case. Joining Bradford when they were being run by the German nutter who sacked McCall and appointed the youth team manager so he could run the team. Joining Blackpool - in theory a sensible move to an ex club just after being taken over but it seems their fans weren't overly keen and they appear to have ideas beyond their station. As I said last week I'm not sure where Blackpool think they should be but I think mid-table League One is about right.

Very surprised at that. If this season wasnt a transition season for Blackpool I don't know what is. New owner, McPhillips walking at short notice, first full season Oyston free. I'd have expected him to be given the summer and the start of next season at the very least given his CV in that division. If Heckingbottom is the alternative Blackpool might wish they'd kept Grayson.

Quite looking forward to the day out provided the weather doesn't cause any problems. Think we will struggle here. It will be a big day for Charlton with a full house and a chance to take a big step to survival after last night. They'll see this one as a golden opportunity. I worry about our resilience in these part of games against the poorer sides in the division.

A good win in tough circumstances. The game looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw but then after we got ahead confidence flowed and Hull collapsed. Felt we had the better of the first half without really creating any good opportunities. Second half they started brighter than us but again didn't really test Walton at any stage. Happy with the win and our position. But as ever if we are serious about getting anywhere we are going to need 3-4 points from these away games. I actually feel more confident now Charlton have surprisingly won at Forest but still think it will be a tough game. Happy to get within reach of 50 points.

Brentford was a very good win and a good performance insofar as we nullified them and kept a very good clean sheet. But I wouldn't describe it as a game where we played really good stuff and had people on the edge of seats creating plenty of chances. I loved the performance and win, don't get me wrong I'd take those every week, but I wouldn't say it was swashbuckling exciting football.

Personally I can count on one hand the number of home games that I've come off in the last 2-3 seasons thinking 'what a good performance' - Leeds, WBA, Hull last season, none this season. Obviously there have been plenty of occasions we've won games and that's the most important thing but I do think the quality of football over 90 minutes has been poor. Certainly worse than anything Bowyer or Lambert served up.

Yes we do need to go over it. I'm not satisfied with the explanation provided and I am anxious about similar happening again. I simply cannot accept that with a full summer transfer window we were unable to sign a permanent goalkeeper of an adequate standard, especially when in receipt of £3 million+ for our own keeper. It once again highlights the bizarre way of operating that we have here. A summer where Leutwiler was given an extension simply because he is cheap and will sit on the bench and Walton brought in on a loan despite not impressing at Wigan. All the while no money finds its way into defence or goalkeeper positions.

Mowbray is the second longest serving manager in the division. 3 years at the helm of a Championship club is rare in itself. The fact that come the summer we will have no senior keeper, no left back, one CB, no wingers and no strikers capable of scoring, is horrific. I've long warned against relying on the loan market because this is what happens. The way we operate we aren't ever going to have the squad required, because rather than build we save cash by relying on kind loan deals from Premier League clubs. You can't plan or build on such an approach because it hinges upon favourable conditions and generosity from elsewhere as and when it suits them. The longest serving manager is Lee Johnson at Bristol. They've gradually evolved a squad and invested in quality despite having to sell a few along the way. Lost Brownhill to the dingles on deadline day but brought a couple in the other way.

Anyone know how Waggott's 'looking into' putting coaches on from South Ribble is going?

So all but one of the options that I've just come up with in my head in 30 seconds are within the rules as ways of getting around FFP. Yet we've not done any of them, instead just hiding behind the rules when it suits.

Sponsor the stadium, stands or training ground, either with third parties or in the cases of Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday by the owners directly. 'Sell' the stadium or training ground to another company under the owner's control, knowing full well it can be transferred back for nothing in future. Bring in sponsorship from companies linked to the owners e.g. Visit Malaysia at Cardiff. Invent fake companies to sponsor us e.g. D Taxis at Hillsborough Get a third party to pay the wages of players e.g. Derby and Rooney.

I believe you are correct that Mowbray will be given more time. The problem I have with that is I believe that is the case regardless of results and performances over the coming months. It isn't April with only a couple of dead rubbers remaining. It is early February with months to go. Surely performance over these coming months should be assessed by someone before a decision is made? If we were to go on and push for the top 6 I'd be more than happy and would agree Mowbray deserved a crack at next season. If we were to repeat the collapse of last February and March then that would indicate no progress. Sadly I don't think our owners monitor such things and they place more importance on things like trust and good relationships than they do on performance and targets. That's their choice of course but in the cut throat world of football I don't think there is that much room for sentiment and emotion. A manager should live or die by his results, not on how nice a man he is.

That alone is a concern. At a normal club Mowbray's performance over the next 3 months would feed into whether he remains at the club into the summer. Nothing wrong with wanting him to be and planning on the basis he will be but there's a lot of games to play yet and if we go on a repeat of last year and collapse over February and March I would expect that to be factored in rather than just completely ignored because we have injuries or have given up on promotion in January. I look at Preston who we were almost at the point of overtaking not long ago who are now back in the play-off picture. I don't think their manager told their players that their season was over and to look to next season.

We aren't a small club. Our average crowds are mid range in this division. Leeds are an exception to the norm because they have a catchment area of millions of people behind them. It hasn't helped them because they've been outside the top division for 15 years. Similar can be said of Forest and Sheffield Wednesday. It proves fanbases are a secondary issue.

This is exactly the issue. If I could see a really good squad being progressively assembled with a couple of steps forward each window then I'd be more comfortable with the 'work in progress' theory. But I look at the current state of our squad and our transfer dealings and have little faith in us doing the necessary. I look at this summer with trepidation. I see a major overhaul required with a number of key positions needing attention just to replace those we know are unlikely to be here next year. We've already got the excuses lined up with Ffp concerns, and a manager/structure that struggles to get business done. All well and good talking about developing youngsters but that carries immense risk of backfiring. I'd rather not gamble with our League status to do it. Unless we radically change our approach I foresee difficulties in the summer and beyond. Will the manager have any idea as to his budget or otherwise at this stage? Unlikely. Which makes me wonder how much of a plan there can be.

Predictable and dull. We offered nothing until behind, I believe Mowbray set out purely to nullify Fulham, keep it at 0-0 and nick a goal if possible. Fulham aren't that good despite the hysteria. Their fans singing 'how sh** must you be, we're winning away' sums up their away record. We showed them too much respect. Lack of options a concern but that situation has been building for weeks and we've just wasted a transfer window so hard luck stories are completely unacceptable. I'm looking at our remaining fixtures and am not expecting many wins. We won't have the bottle at places like Charlton or Wigan whilst home games v the better sides will likely see a repeat of today. I'll be glad when we reach 50 points but won't be relishing the summer window

Waste of time doing that. 99% of fans won't see it and nobody names pitches after players. If he doesn't want to rename the Riverside then commission a statue or gateway outside the ground. That requires effort/money so I won't expect that to happen.

Not this nonsense again. How do all the other clubs in the Championship and below sign players if it is so difficult? Our wage bill is mid-table. Our CEO has said the same. Our losses indicate that to be the case. Without sales we have, allegedly, spent £15 million since 2018. The 'woe is us' attitude that we are poor victims of clubs, players and managers moving goalposts and taking the mick out of us i just don't accept. As above - other clubs at this level, including ones with inferior resources to us, are able to get their targets in the building. Two years running now we have failed. Once you could put down to bad luck or misfortune, but twice in a row suggests there is a structural failure with our recruitment department.

No, Senior brought in as a troubleshooter, advises to get shut of Coyle and eventually they heed that advice and act after months of doing nothing.

Yes but the point is clear. Venkys take no interest in results, performances or the fans. They'll only make a change when someone has the guts to recommend it to them and even then it takes an age to happen.

Fake news that Shaw was taken to court for acting without authorisation from upstairs? Fake news that Kean and Lambert resigned so there was no 'bullet' to speak of? Fake news that Bowyer and Coyle left the club very soon after the emergence of third parties Pasha and Senior after the owners had done nothing for months? Maybe Venkys did 'authorise' the sackings but the push for it came from people they brought in.

Funny one but Venkys don't sack managers. They didn't sack Kean even though he was loathed and wrecked the club. He walked after they brought Shebby in. They didn't sack Berg. Shaw did. They didn't sack Appleton. Shebby did. They didn't sack Bowyer. Pasha did. They didn't sack Lambert. He walked. They didn't sack Coyle. They brought Senior in who got shut or recommended Pasha to get shut. Either way nothing happened for months and then within weeks of Senior arriving he was gone. Venkys just want someone in place who will tell them what they want to hear, stick up for them, fly to India a couple of times a year. Not particularly bothered about results, performances or league position.

The problem we have here, which is going to only get bigger as more time passes, is that we have allowed Mowbray the manager to build the club and direct the club on and off the pitch exactly how he wants it, in his image and with his close input. This goes beyond appointing the coaching staff, scouts, CEO, Venus as Head of Football, it also reaches every corner of recruitment. Now all that is fine as long as the results keep coming along and we keep making positive progress. I think the vast majority of fans would agree that our trajectory has been overall positive under Mowbray and that we are in better health football wise now than we were under the wretched Coyle. Clearly the central component of this was getting promoted back at the first opportunity. But the flip side is that there will now be a reluctance to make a managerial change moving forward even when it might be necessary for the benefit of the club. Why? Because Mowbray's departure would leave a gaping chasm at the club and probably see things unravel on and off the pitch. Because of that people at the club and in the fanbase treat such a notion as something horrific and to be avoided. It shouldn't be like this. Changing a manager, whilst not ideal or enjoyable, is necessary at all levels in football. Yet we have hamstrung ourselves by building a Championship football club on the manager's shoulders.