Would that be the same Lewandowski who was afterwards quoted as saying there was zero chance he would’ve come to Blackburn? And perhaps the same Allardyce who was, with no budget, was reduced to signing Benjani on a free and thence was throwing himself at an Arab club, having been quoted as saying we were a but temporary stepping stone for him to rehabilitate his CV after the Newcastle fiasco?

The only way to understand what happens at the club is to see things from the perspective of the people at the top. We are owned by Indian multi-billionaires who, despite Mercer’s endless predictions of financial meltdown, are still here 12 years and £250 million later. Why are they still here - and probably richer now than they were then? It must only be pride. If you are driven by pride, and most likely wouldn’t even get out of bed for £80million, then a few years as a yo-yo club with more relegations isn’t going to be their goal. Time and money are completely irrelevant to these people.

Good listen. In that role trying to get the whole club pulling in the same direction, you need to be a clear communicator, which I think he is. The key phrase in everything he says to me is sustainable premier league club. But sustainable doesn’t mean what it did when Jack said it. It’s not financially sustainable - they all are thanks to obscene TV money - it’s staying there when we get there and not being a Norwich/West Brom/Fulham. So that doesn’t mean throwing $10 million in the next week at a squad that will undoubtedly get trounced every game should we squeak through the playoffs. As to the objection you can’t plan more than one season ahead, well Brentford did, plus the one thing you can say about Venky’s is they have never had a player sale forced on them. To summarize: Objective: stay there when we get there Strategy: Leverage Academy via a manager who believes in it, long contracts plus PDPs and pathways for Academy starlets, head toward a playing style that can stay up, buy better to plug remaining gaps. Tactics: Junk the donkeys over next two windows, sign up A. Wharton etc etc. One interesting omission: in a long list of name checks, no mention of the inherited coaching staff, especially D Johnson.

Exactly how I see it. It could be argued a principled manager doesn’t junk his way of playing just to make Sam Gallagher look a bit less shit.

One positive: I thought the 6-2-1 formation after losing Ayala had been well practised on the training pitch. Everyone knew their jobs.

Best and worst of Morton in both goals: great run, awareness and pass for our, piss poor foot wave when defending the box for theirs. Not sure Ayala should’ve gone but very sure Wharton should’ve. Two howlers from Brereton and Kaminski cost us two points.

Not sure I understand the focus on Vale; Dack and Diaz have been equally useless.

Miss of the season.

As an aside, I’d forgotten what an excellent first touch Cole had. All sublime passes to him but Gallagher wouldn’t have one touched any of them, even if he had made the runs in the first place.

Given we have previously had a dodgy agent, a Malaysian TV pundit, the programme editor, a shelf salesman and a chicken factory manager in charge of transfers, I’m not sure why you are surprised this wasn’t handled superbly.

Ok, so the correct decision 2.5 years ago would’ve been either to offer a long improved contract to what was then a 5 goals a year striker - just like we did our other 5 goals a year striker - or sell said hotshot for, say, £2 million and watch him bang in 20 by Xmas for someone else?

And who would provide the accountability to get them off easy street? Surely those very owners you have spent the last decade using your accountancy qualifications and much trumpeted business expertise to annually predict they are broke / will sell up / will cut off funding / will put us in administration.

I’ve seen enough of Morton now. No doubt will have a good career but not as a battling ball winner who can protect our box that we so desperately need. I like Garrett and think he’ll make it but he shouldn’t be playing every week yet. Pickering is league one, Gallagher too can only be a signing away from oblivion. That’s Vale’s 3rd (?) league start and he’s been invisible in all of them - can’t be persevering with that. Subs bench at best. I still remain convinced that our manager is unbending for a reason: to convince everyone above him there’s far more deadwood than they thought, skill wise and heart wise.

The simple bit was the pass, the hard bit was the awareness he was there and not telegraphing the pass. Also, I would have had no faith in Gallagher a) being where Vale was, and b) not fluffing the shot.

Very impressive win. Pears - flawless Carter - I like him at right back. Plays some good forward balls and our only player who gives out more than he gets Phillips - his best game yet, very assured. Hyam - flawless Pickering - hung in against a tough opponent, has a bit more variety in his play now. Garrett - good, I like him. Travis’s successor Travis - not long for us I’m afraid Markandy - first full game I’ve seen from him. Reminds me of Dolan last year, hopefully will improve as much. Dack - a real leader now, and a lot fitter. I’m thinking he has finally bought in. Brereton - He’ll be lucky to move on a free if he keeps missing sitters.

A lot to like about that half.

Not unlike a lot of our wins this season: superb at the back, scab a goal up front. I liked Garrett, always showed for the ball from the centre halves. Dack has vision that the others don’t, execution is slowly getting back there. Hedges for me is the heartbeat of team. The front two leave me speechless. Gallagher has absolutely nothing, constantly loses possession, while Brereton either does a ludicrous dive or shoots and misses. It’s hard to defend a narrow lead high up the pitch when those two are the supposed outlet.

I interpreted sustainable as referring to staying in the Premier League after promotion rather than anything financial. Which, to me at least, explains his lack of interest in playing to the “strengths” of players like Gallagher and Travis, who aren’t good enough at this level, let alone the next one. I’ll be very interested to see who he ships out this window and the next. By talking about needing multiple windows, I think he’s basically told most of the senior players they’ll be on their way if they can’t do things like control and pass the ball.