Plan B of sell Evans to Stoke might now be in doubt?

12 months ago we were supposed to be following Sheffield United. Now Brentford. Even though both have very different structures and recruitment policies. We aren't close to either.

Never really felt we would win the game after we conceded the equaliser. Truth be told in the second half we didn't do enough in front of goal to deserve a win. Yes we had the better of it but nowhere near enough to force the issue against a side happy with the point. Preston a poor side but we knew that already. Another opportunity for revenge and 3 points after an awful Christmas passes by. 6 without a win and an away game next at a decent side. I warned about Preston's cheating ways and true to form they delivered. Tried the dive for a penalty but thankfully the referee wasnt having it. One of the few positives I can attribute to the officials today. Absolutely appalling performance from the referee who should be embarrassed to collect a wage after that. The worst of the lot was when Johnson was clattered by Stockley and went to ground holding his face. Not only did the referee bizarrely decide not to give a foul but also ignored the head injury, allowing Preston to attack and only stopping the game when we had come in to possession. To come out of that game with 2 yellows to their 0 has to be one of the most ludicrous things I have ever seen. The lineman in front of me succeeded in getting through the whole game without putting his flag up and spent half the game explaining decisions to their manager in the dugout. Sadly we don't seem to be a win at all costs team. We'll huff and puff and keep going to the end but we won't turn to dark arts or cynical play or be ruthless enough to snatch wins from these sort of games.

Bit late for that having spent 2 weeks advertising that tickets wouldn't be available on the day and that a purchasing history would be required. Seems Waggott has misjudged it again and has had to back down in an attempt to get more through the turnstiles. Who decided/agreed to such strict rules in the first place?

Expect a penalty to go their way. This lot are well trained in going down and winning penalties, got it down to a fine art. Hope we are prepared and don't play right into their hands. Likewise if we go behind they'll be wasting time like it's going out of fashion.

Because they literally have nothing else to talk about. You'd have to be at state pension age to remember them even playing in the top league nevermind being any good. Dingles were the same until they got up to the Premier League and the myth is being busted. Bit like Leeds who as soon as they became rubbish spent all their time talking about crowds.

Its obvious that there's no money in the kitty for players. That's been the case virtually every January since Venkys turned up. Has to wait until the May annual review unless funds can be generated internally. So what we will have is some shuffling around to try and move a few out to raise a few quid off the wage bill in the hope we do enough to bring in a couple of loans the other way until the summer. Make do and mend. Doesn't take much to set rumours in motion about big names like Assombalonga and Darlow even though its obvious they weren't coming here unless their clubs agreed to an insane loan deal. We tried it on with Harrison Reed and Southampton again last summer only came up short because Fulham entered the race. Good policy if your concern is keeping the owners happy and saving them a few quid along the way but it won't work as far as promotion is concerned. This summer again will require a substantial turnover in personnel.

There's more than a touch of irony to it that a club that makes no effort to extend its reach beyond town boundaries, makes no serious efforts to tap into foreign markets for players or income and cuts corners in virtually every aspect of its operation simultaneously has the brass neck to complain about the price of new players, small crowds and all the rest of it, without any acknowledgement that the first part above directly causes the second part. Aim low, get low.

Those clubs you mention- Huddersfield and Forest, have made a deliberate sustained effort to improve the atmosphere at their grounds. Let's not make out that they have always been good atmospheres. In 2012-13 as we came out of the Premier League Forest were barely getting 20,000 on. We played there on a Tuesday night 0-0 draw and that entire lower tier was empty other than 500 or so Rovers fans. Only in the last few years have Forest boosted numbers by good pricing and also placing the noisy fans right next to the away end. Huddersfield were getting 10,000 on not long ago. Ground half empty and a poor atmosphere. Pioneering pricing, a bold and exciting appointment and the creation of a singing and flag waving section next to the away end at the expense of away numbers. Look what happens No reason why we can't attempt similar but that's clearly not on the agenda here.

Holtby has spent the majority of his career in England and is half scouse. Not exactly unearthed him from nowhere. I'm not interested in missed targets or what games our scouts watch. All that matters is who signs on the dotted line. I suspect most clubs in the Championship have numerous scouts who travel to many games over the course of a season. Last summer we had Downing (Mowbray's mate from Middlesbrough), Johnson (Bennett's best mate), Gallagher (here last time under Mowbray) whilst he had encountered Cunningham and Tosin directly. That's fine if it works but for me there's far better value to be found abroad and nowhere near enough of us using those markets, still, some 3 years after his arrival. It doesn't take 3 years to sign players from abroad. Even if we (bizarrely) ignore the first 18 months before promotion back to the Championship we've had 18 months since then. Look at the impact and speed with which Bielsa has revolutionised Leeds for comparison.

Trouble is that Mowbray has been here nearly 3 years and run the club as he wants and yet even in his most recent transfer window he spent all his budget on players he knew from his past or Bennett's best mate. Other than this random German kid we've just been linked with no evidence of any progress or serious desire to tap into foreign markets. I suggest you look who Norwich and Brentford employ alongside and above the manager as to the reason why they are able to recruit so effectively. Modern structures whereas we are stuck in the dark ages with the manager running everything.

My fear/expectation is that whatever cash we get for selling Evans will disappear into the ether and will not be reinvested into improving the squad. So it is a no brainer. Dont sell unless it is a big offer or we get freedom to bring in new players in his place. Telling though isnt it. Another player Mowbray inherited who has been an important part of the squad particularly these last 12-18 months attracts interest from rival club whilst those Mowbray has brought in attract no serious interest and have no serious value. Sell Evans fine but it wont overcome being lumbered with Smallwood, Samuel, Davenport, Hart, Brereton and co. What do we do when those Mowbray inherited are all gone/sold and those he signed aren't remotely good enough?

Why can we not compete with Brentford on wages?

We all know what happens if Evans is sold. It will be wages off the books, a few quid to pay the bills and then make do and mend either by signing an inferior replacement or patching up with what we already have. I've no doubt Stoke will be after him and expect O'Neill has already had a word. He'll get a pay rise and another couple of years on top. Last time we gave him a new deal it dragged and we tried lowering his wage. Reality is that Evans has been one of our better performers this season and when rival clubs come in for players and we let them go it doesn't tend to end well. Those suggesting Smallwood or Davenport could cover for his absence need to get real. Two more of Mowbray's signings not good enough. What a mess we've made of recruitment. To think we are 15 million net down on it too.

Posh areas of Teeside from Brockhall straight up the A59 and A19 - 1 hour 50 minutes on Google Maps. Get your foot down and push the speed limit and time your journeys right and you could do it in 1 hour 30 or 40. Stockton and Durham way further on than where Mowbray lives which i recall is somewhere this side of Middlesbrough. Either way it is a pleasant drive through nice countryside avoiding motorways. If i were my own boss on Mowbray's sort of salary with the added benefit of a place in Brockhall thrown in for added convenience I think the Rovers job is just about as good as he could ask for other than Middlesbrough and perhaps Leeds. If i had to be in Middlesbrough for 9am for work from home in Ossy I reckon i could get there in less time in my car than i could to Manchester for 9am on the train.

It would take some folk longer to get from Blackburn to Manchester Centre to work in a morning, especially if relying on trains and buses, than it does to get from Brockhall to Middlesbrough in a car. I don't really see what relevance it has where Mowbray's family are living. He's not exactly old by managerial standards at 56 and surely working in West Brom, Coventry and Glasgow were all more difficult for him. In the scheme of things driving up to Teesside from the Ribble Valley is a lovely and not exactly taxing journey to do 3-4 times a week when on his sort of salary.

If you still believe that the arrival of Waggott had nothing to do with Mowbray then good for you. I wasn't born yesterday and don't believe in coincidences of that level. Prior to that we had no CEO, so of course it was a step forward of sorts to bring one in. But it is quite clear these owners felt there was no need for one prior to getting to know Mowbray. What do these owners know about sacking or appointing managers? Why would they make such a decision and not entrust it to their well paid CEO?

If I or any reasonable person owned the club but wanted to live on the opposite side of the world we would employ experienced people either to run the club or at least advise on major decisions and therefore the CEO would be on the phone on a regular basis and would not be a mate of the manager who got him the job. Stop trying to normalise the structure here. It isnt normal and is the biggest reason we won't ever succeed.

Suits to lower expectations and pressure by convincing everyone that we are skint and can't afford to sign anyone/sack a failing manager so might as well cart on with what we have and hope for the best.

Yes I saw the finances. Entirely predictable - will be similar every year we are in this league. I suspect none of the figures were surprising for the money men at the club. Mowbray has exhausted his funds and arguably doesn't deserve any more money.

Who has said we are cutting the budget? Looking overseas for players with the 'new scouting network' is another disappointment of Mowbray's management. It just hasn't happened with any noticeable benefit to the squad. You want to operate to a budget fine, McCarthy is one of the best at it.

The process for Rovers is to sit around and wait and see who applies for the job, or alternatively go through lists put forward by popular agents, ex-players or people from the local area and decide on the basis of who is going to be cheapest or most grateful for the opportunity. Completely the wrong way to go about appointing a manager. You have to either pay the bucks to get a top proven manager, or if you can't and have limited cash, then you have to go out and headhunt the right man. Barnsley spent ages looking for their new manager, unearthed him from relative obscurity yet appears to be doing well. Same goes for Wagner, Farke, Cowley. You have to be proactive - sell the club - have a vision and get the man to fit that rather than sit waiting for applications to come in and then draw one out of the hat. I've said this before but I would be opening negotiations with Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor to come in after the Euros this summer. Until then either leave Mowbray in place or appoint a caretaker.

It was always going to be the case that Raya went on to be a good keeper. When Brentford, with their spending levels and track record of player development, come along and offer millions for our keeper you can be sure that they know their stuff. The fact that we sold him for millions, attempted to blame him for our awful defensive record, replaced him with an inferior loan signing and are now expected to accept that there's no money for signings I think is a disgrace and a dereliction of duty.

This has been coming. When we consider Mowbray's transfer business it has been almost entirely either temporary loans or when money has been spent it has been with a view to resale in the near future. They did the same when Bowyer was manager. Gave it a couple of seasons and then cut it down and cleared the assets for cash. That's why talk of a multiyear build wasnt going to be sustainable, because barring an unlikely promotion it was always going to see Venkys cash in on their chips. It's what they do. They dont want to invest and have only.been persuaded to do so on the basis they can get it back soon after. I dont accept that it is essential to do this. I look around the division and plenty of clubs dont adopt this approach.

Waggott will back down. He will panic by Monday if sales haven't gone well. Likewise plenty of these Preston lot who only go to one away game a year will relent and buy where they are told. Still expect 4000+ easy but it will be another opportunity missed for Waggott who will have had this down since the summer as a 7500 job. As ever with this lot the family day out novelty of going to Ewood wears off after 2-3 visits.