Typical early pre-season stuff. Best player on the pitch by a country mile was Charlie Adam - wonderful range of passing and superb vision.

I thought it was a very positive meeting. It confirmed my view that Steve Waggott is the right man in terms of taking us forward off the field and seems to have to right ideas for taking us forward in terms of finance. Whether we agree with it or not, it is a business and the bottom line is it needs to increase the daily income - Waggott certainly has plans for it becoming a seven-day-a-week operation. It's clear that FFP is something that we are having to deal with on a day to day basis and is impacting on financial planning. As Miller11 said above, it's clear that the owners are here for the long term and are happy to keep ploughing money in on a monthly basis - something which Mowbray, Waggott and Cheston all agreed on. It was good to see that the feeling of the meeting wanted the owners to return to Ewood and there was an acceptance that they had been poorly advised in the past and that it would be a step forward if they could publicly acknowledge that poor advice had led them to making poor decisions. From the names of the financial companies now monitoring the club it's clear that they are paying for very expensive financial audits of the club on a regular basis. I think the real positive is that there seems to be a very good relationship between Mowbray, Waggott, Cheston and the owners. Both Mowbray and Waggott both acknowledged the important role that Suhail has played and both went out of their way to praise his work on behalf of the club with the owners. Again, both Mowbray and Waggott underlined just how closely the owners follow results and progress and want to take the club forward in the future. Whilst I accept not every supporter will agree but I suspect the majority who came away from the meeting last night felt rather more positive than on some previous occasions.

Very disappointing performance tonight against an exceptionally good Everton side. Too many players simply had an off night and didn't really turn up until the last 20 minutes. Doyle made an uncharacteristic mistake early on to gift them a penalty and we never really got back in the game after that. In fairness, Everton were excellent - which they have been all season to lift the title. Davenport was probably our best player over 90 minutes in terms of keeping possession. Nuttall was very disappointing up front and Chapman was very hot and cold - scored a good goal, had a decent effort saved but was otherwise largely anonymous. Buckley couldn't make an impact in midfield, Tyler and Charly Doyle had indifferent games by their standards and Danny Butterworth couldn't really make things happen. We livened up a bit when Stefan Mols came on and we went to a 4-4-2 formation. However, Everton were worthy winners and look good to win this trophy.

That brought back memories Paul. I remember Luke Staton playing for our youth and reserves - must be nearly twenty years ago, frightening how quickly times passes. If I remember rightly he had a brief spell with Bolton after we released him and then ended up playing in Wales.

I reckon you need to get out more if you think anyone takes social media seriously! It's a forum, it's meant to be a bit of fun!

Totally agree. Let' be honest, BRFCS is just a small group of folk talking about football - as we did in the pub in years gone by. Nobody's opinion really matters in the great scheme of things, particularly as there are a wide variety of opinions on most subjects. The forum is simply a medium for discussing football but nobody would seriously suggest that anyone actually takes any real notice of it or allows the forum to colour their own views and opinions. Football is a game of opinions and that's part of its attraction. We all think we can run it better than those who do but in truth I doubt we could come anywhere close to making a decent stab at it. The overwhelming majority of clubs are run by professionals for whom football is their day job and in general most clubs cope with the ever increasing difficulties that the modern game presents them. At the moment I would put the Rovers in that class of clubs who, for the most part, are now back on track and fairly well run - although I know many would disagree but ultimately none of us have any real say in how clubs are run. Those employed to make decisions about the running of the club make decisions in what they feel are the best interests of the club and the team and the ultimate judge of those decisions are the owners of a particular club not those on forums. There are differing views on the manager but he certainly hasn't come anywhere close to losing the support of the fans outside this forum - I certainly haven't heard anyone at games shouting for a change of manager, far from it the fans seem right behind him. Of course we all have differing views on players, style of play etc, but supporters have always had those debates - I go back to the early days of Jack Marshall and nothing has changed in that regard. The forum is just a bit of fun but one or two seem to treat it rather more seriously for some reason.

An enjoyable trip to London and a fairly routine win in glorious sunshine - a perfect day! Lenihan and Williams continue to impress as a defensive partnership and Travis had another excellent game in midfield. The disappointment was Leutwiler who totally failed to impress on the one occasion he was called to do something. Raya is a young 'keeper with huge potential but he needs better than Leutwiler to challenge him for the number one spot. I think today also underlined the fact that we need another striker to support Danny Graham because when he goes off we really are lacking in terms of someone who can hold the ball up. He's still our best out and out front man by a country mile. We are on course for a comfortable mid-table finish which is surely what most would have settled for at the start of the season. It's been a season of ups and downs but we've never really been in any serious trouble which underlines, for me, what a good job the manager and players have done this season. I didn't expect any of the youngsters to play today or on Monday with such a tough game at Goodison Park on Tuesday. We haven't beaten Everton Under-23's in four meetings thus far this season so I can fully understand why those players were left out today to give them time to prepare for Tuesday's cup-tie which will be a very difficult game - Everton, like ourselves, have a cracking Under-23 team .

Pleased with the result even if it got a bit fraught towards the end. There were times when we played some good football and others when panic set in. I agree with arbitro that Lenihan and Williams looked a good partnership in defence. I think Williams looks much better in the centre and seems to combine very well with Lenihan. Bell was a mixture of mistakes and some excellent tackling and blocking, but really doesn't convince as an out and out left back. I think there is a player in there but whether it's a question of confidence or not I'm not sure but he needs to improve defensively if he is to be retained as first choice. Travis was a workhorse in midfield and Graham an absolute rock up front. Dack had his moments but really ought to have scored. I thought Rothwell was much better defensively and whenever he ran at the Forest defence they looked all over the place. He's not the finished article but he looks a much better player than earlier in the season and should be one of our key men next season. On the whole, as the season comes to an end, I think we've basically done what I expected which was to consolidate in this League. We could easily have gone the way of Wigan or Rotherham but, in fairness, have never really looked like getting dragged into a real relegation battle thanks to our early season form.

I don't think there is any doubt now that Mowbray will start next season as manager. The fans are still behind him, particularly at away games - which is where they usually start to turn if a manager is in trouble. Ultimately he task this season was to keep up away from the relegation zone and this he has done with relative ease - you only have to look at Wigan and Rotherham to see what could have happened. I believe the last two games have shown that he can take us forward with the right players on the pitch. Rothwell, although not the finished article, has finally come good at the right time and the partnership between Lenihan and Williams has given the defence a solid platform. Williams has looked far better in the centre than at left-back which remains an area that needs to be strengthened. The manager knows what he needs and I fully expect him to make those signings in the summer with one or two who served us well in League One finally leaving. With what we have coming through from the Under-23's and with some astute additions there is no reason why next season shouldn't be a better one for all concerned.

Couldn't agree more with this. Every manager I've seen since Jack Marshall has made mistakes, I've yet to find a manager who doesn't because like all of us they are human and not every decision will be the right one. All managers have their own opinions on players and how a team plays and quite often that differs from supporters. As you say, the summer will be vital for Mowbray but if he can add some experience in the right positions to what we already have - and with a glut of youngsters ready to be promoted to the senior squad - there is no reason why the future can't be extremely bright under Mowbray. He will also know that if he can't get the right players in or money is not available then it will be difficult going forward. This is going to be a very important summer but Mowbray has provided a platform on which to build and hopefully the owners will support him in taking it forward.

Danny Graham for me.

It must have really ruined your night not having something to moan about?

An excellent team performance tonight. Everyone put in a shift and the football was a joy to watch. Pleased for the manager and players who showed what we can do when we are on our game. With the youngsters in the under-23's and the ones on show tonight, Mowbray has a firm base on which to build in the summer.

Fortunately we don't need to wait - we already have a good manager.

Yes.

I totally agree. Dack is too high maintenance - which is fine if you are producing on the pitch but he's been poor for the past few months and seems totally distracted from his day job. Sadly, I suspect any plans to use money from his sale to rebuild are well and truly shot to pieces. If we got £5 million for him, on his present form, we'd be doing well.

Very sad news indeed coming on back of the loss of Mike Harrison, Fred Pickering and Kit Napier. Barrie was a real favourite of mine and a wonderfully skilful midfield player who used to ghost into the penalty area to score goals. As others have said there are so many wonderful memories of Barrie but that game at Deepdale is one of those games that will always stick in the memory bank. RIP Barrie.

The Final, since the Competition was reintroduced, has always been played as a pre-season game. Talking to folk at Leyland the other week they said it was planned for August.

The summer will be the turning point in terms of who he brings in. If he can get the players we need, provided money is made available to sign half-a-dozen genuine starters, then I still believe he can take us forward. As I've said before, he's made the same mistake as Bob Saxton did towards the end of his time at Ewood - being too loyal to players who have served the club well in the past. I think this season, particularly since Christmas, has shown that a number of players are really struggling at this level and others who we thought might thrive at this level simply haven't been able to sustain early season form. Hopes of selling Dack for £20m to finance a rebuilding operation are long gone so once again it will come down to the owners finding the funds. At the moment I'm more than happy for Mowbray to take us into next season and I honestly believe that sacking him now would be a serious mistake.

I thought we did OK today, particularly in the second half after the substitutions had been made. From where I was sat the first goal looked offside in the build up but the linesman was yards behind play and missed it. Lenihan got better as the game went on and Rothwell did well running at people when he came on but, once again, there was no end product from him. Brereton didn't do too badly when he came on but Dack's decline continues and he had little impact on the game. Villa looked good going forward but, like so many teams in this League, were suspect at the back and were hanging on at the end. However, going forward they looked a class act, attacking with pace and skill to create openings. McGinn ran things in midfield and Abraham and Green proved a handful. I would expect Villa to certainly hold down a play-off place and it will be interesting to see if they make it this year. A gate of just under 40,000 again illustrated just what we are up against in terms of matchday income.

You are right Stuart we do differ drastically on this point and always will. For me Blackburn Rovers is part and parcel of the town's heritage in that it has been around since 1875. It's history is intertwined with that of the town. For me THAT HISTORY is it's soul. But, like every other aspect of life, football clubs evolve and they have evolved into businesses that are attractive to wealthy individuals from outside of a particular town or city who, whilst maintaining the links with local communities, also see them as businesses to be run on business lines. Our history is what it is because of the financial input of several wealthy benefactors over several generations. Our history is why we are regarded as one of the more successful town clubs in the country. The difference today is that our owners are not local, but then the owners of so many of our clubs have no links to the town or city within which the club sits. That's the continued evolvement of football and I doubt it will change anytime soon. I suspect that the majority of supporters who go to Ewood on a regular basis still see the club as one that represents the town - I know I do, as do my friends. In continuing to support the club we are simply following the footprints of generations of supporters that go back to 1875 - that's not something I would wish to see easily dismissed.

Actually it's not our business Stuart and that's what supporters don't seem to understand. Football has changed. Clubs are no longer run by the local butcher, baker etc. They are owned, largely, by big business who run them on business lines. The old system for the Rovers ended when Jack took over. It was run how Jack wanted it to be run - the advantage being that he was also a supporter of the club - but he ran it how he wanted to run it - when Kenny wanted new players after the title win Jack took a different view and it was his view that counted. Jack wanted to get the business to be self-sufficient so that it didn't rely on him pumping money in all the time. It was one of the reasons he was so keen to set up the Academy. Steve Waggott has also talked about getting away from the 'owner dependency' model but I'm not convinced that we can ever do that, even with Premier League football. We can complain all we like, and I often do, but the old system has gone for good. A look at any Indian financial website will show you how many businesses that Mrs. Desai, her husband and brothers, either own or are the largest shareholders in. The last time I looked it was something over 50. The only one making a loss seemed to be Rovers which is why I suspect that the new administrative structure has been brought in. Football is big business and it's what attracts wealthy individuals to adding a sporting franchise to their portfolio and sadly, that is what football clubs have become - another addition to a business portfolio. You only need look at American football and baseball to see the way the wind is blowing. The expansion of the European Champions League tells you everything you need to know about the long term future of football. Apologies mod, just noticed that in replying to Stuart it has nothing to do with Sheff. Wed.

No - fans were singing as usual. I would say the majority of fans are still behind him. I suspect the summer transfers and the early months of next season will be the make or break point. I think most fans realise that he tried to be loyal to last season's players - perhaps too loyal in some cases - but that he realises that changes are needed and are prepared to see what he does. He is saying the right things in terms of what we need but it is now up to him to go out and get them - provided the owners give him the required budget.

It will be a big summer for Mowbray and much will depend on the budget he is given. There are a number who helped us out of League One who now need to move on and be replaced with more experienced players to add to our youngsters. Personally, I still think the manager deserves the opportunity to rebuild in the summer. His brief this season was to make sure we retained our place in the Championship - which I'm sure we will. I don't think the crowd have turned on the manager and seem prepared to give him more time than some on here. Ultimately, it will be the owners who, as always, will make the decision about when and if to replace him.

Agree with arbitro in that I thought we actually played quite well today. No excuse for Raya and the last goal and the lad could do with a break. I thought young Tyler worked hard but it was a big ask for a young lad to try and hold the line when those around him were all over the place defensively. I've listened to Mowbray's interview on Rothwell and, to a certain extent, can see where he is coming from. He did some great stuff and some stuff that was a bit like a youngster in trying to beat one too many instead of making a simple pass. Mowbray describes him as a work in progress and I think that's probably right. He has the potential to be a major player for this club if he develops the weaker points of his game. Pleased to see Buckley play today - particularly after another impressive performance last night. I thought he did very well and certainly didn't look out of place at this level. Hopefully, we'll see one or two more youngsters being brought in - surely Charley Doyle and Danny Butterworth can't be too far away. It will be a big summer for Mowbray to get rid of some of those surplus to requirements and bring in some new blood. Much will depend on the budget he is given.