I'd like to think that as much as the regime has a passive approach to management and wants to do things on the cheap, Boateng would be a step too far for them? It has to pass the court of public opinion and basic competency for the role, otherwise it will draw unwanted attention. I'd like to think they wouldn't appoint him unless they genuinely saw something in his abilities. That said, the regime are the same people who appointed Kean and passed on Warnock for Coyle. However, with the exception of Coyle (who at least was a proven manager with a promotion on his record), every appointment since Lambert actually seems to have been decent. Not saying Boateng won't happen, but we have to hope that pattern continues.

I think when they took over they were very naive and didn't realise what they'd walked into. As has been pointed out, the club's financials won't move the dial in Pune and with the new laws it's a pain to put money in anyway. The club represents a small part of their portfolio, they're either keeping hold incase they can recoup £100m+ from promotion or out of pride. Otherwise, they don't care and are happy to keep the club simmering on the back burner. They're not breaking their backs trying to build the club. I don't accept the argument "big names sit in the Championship for years" - most of the division has some level of financial constraint, mismanagement or whatever. The fact Rovers are fifth shows how poor the standard of club management is. If you have a plan and a reasonable fanbase, most clubs can do well in this division (eg Barnsley in the POs and Luton). Leeds struggled for years because they didn't have a plan and the financials weren't right. With a plan and a modicum of investment, Rovers should have made the play offs *ONCE* after 13 years in the division and given the positions we've been in come the new year over the years. The owners simply don't care enough to go that extra mile, spend a few extra million here and there, sweet talk a top manager, upgrade the club off the pitch etc. 'The plan' (if there is one) is to do the bare minimum and just hope the club stumbles into the POs one day by weight of numbers.

Doesn't pass the sniff test of how a celebrity would behave in this day and age imo. I don't think it would be possible for one of the most famous footballers of his generation to attend a football game unnoticed. I mean, it's plausible if he wore a big coat and hat, but one pic and the cat's out the bag. Risk > reward surely? But, then again, I'm not a celebrity and a few probably have very funny stories about going undercover. Rooney did do Derby when they were down the bottom of the Championship so not unheard of - if Gerrard was to just go for a six month contract so he could wash his hands of everything if worst came to the worst.

What is it in for them to keep pumping money into the club? Are they deluded enough to think they'll get their money back in the Premier League? The reason why they've failed to sell after 15 years needs to be understood. Even most good football club owners don't hold on to equity for this long!

You don't have to be an accountant to see that's ruinous for the balance sheet. Why on Earth let an 'asset' depreciate to zero when you could recoup some of the value? 🙃 We do have a good academy and have done some good recruitment. We're reliant on selling a few players for big money every couple of years (e.g. Szmodics) who've appreciated in value to partially reinvest at the beginning of the cycle. The majority of that money goes to (fruitlessly) try and plug the haemorrhaging of money. Evidently a flawed model - where's marketing and growing the BRFC brand? Where's other sources of income, investment in new revenue generating facilities? It would take a few years to do, but couldn't the area surrounding Ewood be bought up by the club and developed into a social hub (cinema, restaurants, flats, fan zone, refurbished BRIC etc)? Instead the matchday offering has been unchanged in 30 years!

Especially given it's hard to smooth talk a candidate now the dirty laundry is very much in the open - the job lends itself to the desperate. If I were a decent manager the only reason I'd take the job now is if it were until May. That way I could say "Well, it'll be over by May at the worst, I'm getting paid and there's good mitigating factors if it all goes t*ts up. Best case scenario is a promotion on my record." A good manager, long term now isn't realistic.

From our, fans, perspective we'd like to see the club roll the dice, spend a few million on a 14-game "impact" manager to give the play offs a good go. In reality, I think Waggot and co will be looking more "pragmatically" - yes, maybe someone to bide us over to the summer and go for the POs, but also someone who won't cost the Earth. Chances are, I don't think there's enough for me to say we won't drop out of the top 6. Sunderland (A) and Sheffield Utd (A) in the last three could very easily be six points dropped - that's on top of any points dropped between now and then. Tbf, if we're serious all fixtures except those two could and should see results, with respect to our opponents. Ergo, we probably finish 8th regardless and the summer fire sale begins, the search for a manager wanting to join the club or stay on beyond the summer looks like an uphill battle. In many ways it's vital the 10-20% chance we go up does happen otherwise next season looks a challenge.

Given the budget and ownership we ain't a club that can offer a manager a project. It's a matter of chuck a manager in there for 14 games and see where it takes us. The club's been teetering on the edge for years - taking the fair assumption we finish 8th, the summer is going to be chaos.

Yep, slim chance of promotion (Sunderland and Burnley are clearly a cut above). Then once the summer comes, the squad gets broken up, no money, odds on to get relegated. 🙃

Exactly: a little known stat is that 75% of Play Off campaigns end in failure 😂

Let's run through the list of candidates everyone keeps knocking about: Allardyce: I think there's too much politically from his departure in 2010 to stop him returning. Warnock: "One last job" sounds tempting and you'd just see how it went til the summer and enjoy his personality. Edwards/Dyche: Would any of them want to come to Rovers in this mess? You may convince them on a six month contract but surely they'd want a viable long term project - which Rovers isn't. O'Neil: Seemed to do a good job at Bournemouth but stock low after Wolves. Carsley: Decent record with the FA but limited experience at club management. The other names I am just not sure about. We do need someone with some "oomph" just to give it a go for 14 games (probably 13 now) and motivate the players. I am seriously doubtful the Play Off dream won't be done within a month - regardless of who is appointed. I just don't think the squad has enough in the tank. Remember, we're on a high rn after WBA, the narrative can *very* easily change.

Obviously an excellent result given the current situation but let's just keep calm. Big few weeks for the club coming up - choice of manager is vital, how the squad sticks together etc. Even if everything goes right, I still think there's just too much behind the scenes nonsense for us to get top 6 and other clubs are coming strong with a small gap between 5th and 12th.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves! Plenty of football between now and then. Plymouth game is big potential banana skin.

I think that's been evident from Rovers for a few years. In spite of all the chaos and mismanagement, the team spirit and the fact we've got a decent set of honest lads has seen us through.

Anyone any ideas where this performance has come from?

Why do Rovers win when expected to lose and lose when expected to win? 🤔

Finally been motivated to sign up for BRFCs after the news of Eustace's departure. The anger on here is palpable - not seen the fans like this for a while. Maybe this is the catalyst that starts the fall of the regime? Lifelong Rovers fan, used to have a season ticket but gave it up due to Venkys - have attended sporadically since then. A few games I've enjoyed lately but some games it's flat atmosphere, hollow shell of what was and I realise why I boycotted and didn't go on every week like I used to. Unless the regime pulls something out the hat I will NOT be attending for the rest of the season. Play offs are done now - let's not delude ourselves. The players deserve support as they're honest lads doing a sterling job, but the Play offs have probably been shot since the start of January - to argue anything else is cope. The blame here is 80% regime, 20% Eustace. Although given mitigating factors of naivety and putting up with the behind the scenes nonsense can you blame him? The club has a track record of scaring managers away - it's a pattern! Sure, apportion some of the blame to him to be balanced and fair, but the regime forced him to do this, the regime creates these circumstances time after time. I don't think Cooper, Edwards, Dyche or O'Neil would want the job. It's whoever we can cobble together. The HappyClappers need to wake up and the fanbase needs to unify around getting rid of Venkys. Nothing more nothing less. The club's future will not be in the hands of the fans. A serious social media campaign to raise awareness of 15 years of shocking mismanagement needs to be launched - it's free and something *we* can do. Rovers fans are relatively tame compared to the likes of Newcastle or Leeds. We need to use our voice on social media to get the word out there the shocking things that have gone on over the last 15 years. The silence has made the club an easy target. I do care about this club and want to see it succeed - it's a pipe dream and unlikely ever come about beyond a Johnstone's Paint Trophy. However, the fans deserve this and football fans deserve better!