Two massive goals. First fifteen we were not on this really, but it’s been all us for the next 20. Clinical from Sammie in both instances but excellent play from Dolan in each, as well.

He’s not been here long enough to be a true Rovers legend, but his performance this season on the whole will live in the memory. Completely stepped up to be the main man and - as you rightly say - carry us through the season. If we stay up, it’s exclusively due to him, in the dressing room. Nobody near him in there currently.

Pears had nothing to do all game and couldn’t even do that. level of performance in the final 15-20 was the absolute minimum I expect from a Rovers team, but nothing special. This manager will - as a few of us have been saying for a while now - take us down.

If we weren’t as shit in general as we are, these lot would be well behind. No skin off their noses, though, they’re about to go too for half an hour.

Absolutely staggering that they’ve not seen that.

Still, the previous manager had managed to lose this dressing room, full as it is of players capable of putting on displays such as this. Just needed the shackles taken off!

Ah, Andy Moran is here to see this loss out for us.

Dolan for Ayari, Sammie as a false 9, Gilsenan for Chrisene. Nowt much else doing.

Don’t think we’ve been too bad, but a poor mistake and a more diligent ref and we could be 2 down. Doesn’t look like a team, though. Looks like 11 individuals struggling under pressure.

He’s had nearly two weeks on the grass with the majority of the squad and if the manager wants the credit for the Newcastle performance, he should take the credit for some of the more insipid displays, but I digress. Two weeks basically uninterrupted, with some R&R included. We’re in a relegation fight and this is a home game. If the manager can’t get this team motivated against a high-flying team that has shown defensive vulnerabilities away from home against “lesser” sides recently, then he’s not going to produce the necessary to keep us up. I think he takes us down, but a win today gives me pause on that thought and I hope to Christ that we do.

I actually think the possibility of league titles and domestic cup wins (even if it’s in Scotland) plus the chance to play in the Champions League for the next couple of years, considering where he has been in his football journey, would be a huge motivator for that move. Celtic don’t really have form for deploying the kind of money that I think makes the move worth it for us, but if their heart is set on it and a few English Premiership sides throw in cursory glances, they may have to. Wouldn’t begrudge him the move at all. I cannot recall a game where I could question his work ethic or desire and he’s been excellent for us in his short time here.

I’ll never stop saying it. Though wealthy, the people in charge of Venky’s - our owners - are talentless brats. They physically cannot achieve anything of their own making. A legacy of failure. Venky’s is only where it is because their father was extremely switched on and capable. He built an infrastructure that should be able to be run by competent senior management. The trio of siblings are essentially glory hounds. When challenged even slightly to achieve something (this club) they’ve never made the right choice, not even once.

I have given stick for a lack of victories, but that’s a good point and arguably the most fluent performance in the league since Eustace joined. We rode our luck a bit, but they weren’t at all dominant, apart from the opening 15. Encouraging, though nothing to write home about.

Pickering getting exposed on the left.

Movement a lot better this half. Looked like we didn’t really know what we wanted to do early in the first, but this looks a lot more coherent.

I’d like to see Dolan on the press, agreed.

Much brighter start to this half than the last. Some more fluency to the attack, but still got nothing happening out wide. Middlesbrough haven’t got going yet.

Szmodics uncharacteristically poor with the ball in the key moment there. Notable purely for how rare it is.

Hedges is rusty, Gally’s just perplexing.

Honestly don’t think he’s been bad. He’s floating inside too much, but there are worse out there.

Always, ALWAYS lack decisiveness. The main negative attribute that has prevented him from progressing.

We look shit, again. This team hasn’t needed an international break quite as much as it does now, but I’ve still no confidence that Eustace does much with the extra time he has with the team. Middlesbrough have enough about them (that Latte Lath looks a nuisance again) to put us away, but seem a bit vulnerable on the break. Perhaps overcommitting, perhaps poor organisation/maintaining the press unnecessarily. Hoping they don’t find their shooting boots any time soon and we can nick one or two on the break.

It is extremely “Blackburn Rovers under Venkys” that the postponed hearing has been postponed. It’s almost funny. It also makes me think that it might be a little bit personal on the Indian judiciary system’s end. They're not shifting unless they’re made to, we’ve been down this road before. I personally believe they’ll slowly continue to strip off saleable assets to fund the club, as an exercise in vanity, until the club is taken from them by the administrators (whenever that is - we have a fair chunk of change kicking about, as well as saleable assets in the summer and costs that can and will be cut). I fully expect to see some f*ckery around trying to buy it out of administration, as well. Dodgy desktop valuation and a quiet pre-pack, mark my words. I’ve planned a trip up for the Sheff Weds game, but that might be it from me spending money with The Blackburn Rovers Football & Athletic Limited, so long as it’s owned by VLL or another subsidiary of its rotten parent company. I would absolutely love it if the fanbase came together and ousted them. In the meantime, those of us that want them gone should try to just starve them out. Give them hell at Ewood for the remainder of the season, but BYO refreshments, buy from the local stalls outside the ground, dodge the Rovers Return, cancel your subscriptions and make them feel it financially. It’s the only instrument to force them out that we have left and we’ll all continue to support this club, whether Premier League or Regional Premier Division.

This manager is basically the opposite of what you need in our position. Soft-touch, defensive-minded, zero personality. So far, the only attacking plan appears to be “let’s hope Sammie scores.” His defensive game plan is “5 at the back is better than 4,” and he can’t even make that work. He’s got a week with the team to get something working before Middlesbrough, so it has to be a point, minimum. After that, an international break with the players, so Ipswich at home should be a victory, if we’re genuinely playing as well as he says we are and the only thing holding us back is the lack of time on the training ground. He won’t deliver either of those. We’ve been made to look incredibly ordinary in the league games and he cannot find a way to win with us against the poorest teams you could ask for (after Rotherham) at home. It would be viewed as madness to bin him off at this stage, but how many do we let him have without a victory? Ten? That leaves 6 games for a replacement, which would have to be Warnock or Big Sam, if you wanted to stay up, but you waste the international break between them. He should be gone, he won’t be and there’s every chance he is at the helm come first day of next season, in League 1.

Some woeful performances today, players need a frank conversation about effort and desire, so many seem devoid of it. Sammie heroic once again, Ayari very impressive. Siggy better but still not seeing enough from him, currently. The rest need a slap, a proper slap, in the chops.