A good win tonight but the game was closer than the 4-1 scoreline would suggest, particularly in the first half. Rovers started very well and were on top when they opened the scoring through Hayden Carter - who looks so much better at centre-back than as a wing-back or full-back. Then Stoke equalised and it became a very even game. In the second half we got on top and took our chances when they came. Joe's first goal was special - a really superb piece of individualism. Joe had an excellent game in his new attacking full-back role although I thought Charley Doyle was our best player on the night - really commanding at the back and a brilliant run to create the goal for Jack Vale. Chapman had a fairly quiet night, one or two moments but still looks off the pace over 90 minutes. He's getting there but still doesn't look ready for the first team. Interesting to see Tre Pemberton in the Stoke line-up - certainly hasn't lived up to the promise he showed as a youngster with the Rovers according to the Stoke fans we spoke to.

Cracking game at Leyland tonight between two sides playing very attractive, attacking football. The lads did exceptionally well to pull back from two goals down to gain a valuable point in the relegation battle. Brighton looked the better side in the first half but in the second half we got on top with some excellent attacking football with both Joe Rankin-Costello and Lewis Thompson doing some excellent work as attacking full-backs - plenty of dangerous crosses delivered some delightful link-up play with Danny Butterworth and Stefan Mols. Buckley was again impressive in midfield and looks a fine prospect for the future. Three games left and still all to play for with West Ham picking up three points tonight - still three points behind us but with a game in hand and a better goal difference. It's going to be a tight finish at the bottom but, hopefully, we can get the points to keep us out of the bottom two - the away game at Tottenham is now looking likely to be huge as we are both locked on the same number of points.

At one point this season we had won one in thirteen Premier League 2 and Premier Cup games so I'm not sure about winning games regularly. My point was that winning games is not Johnson's main task although, of course, winning does help build confidence. However, it's mainly about player development and player education and he does a fantastic job at that. If he can get a couple of players through to become first team regulars then he will have done a good job. To be honest the game plan changes dependent on the opposition and players available. We can field a back three one week then a back four the week after - indeed, rather like the first team it can change during the game. Players are encouraged to play in different positions as part of that development - thus Hayden Carter appears at centre-back, right-back or right-wing back. Johnson has done a fantastic job with the Under-23's but it is a totally different job from first team manager. On a different point, bringing the lad over from India to the Academy is a real positive. Obviously, if he has represented his country at youth level the lad must have something about him and hopefully a spell with our Academy will improve his game and give him valuable experience.

There is a world of difference between that level and senior level. Johnson himself will tell you that at Under-23 level winning is not as important as player development. This season it wasn't until October until we won our first League game, and we weren't playing particularly well, which would have meant Johnson would have got the same stick as Mowbray for the present run. I have no doubt that Johnson will make a decent manager one day if that is what he wants or he may see his career more as a coach of younger players and helping them to develop.

I think he's talking about the transfer window arbitro and how it stops you strengthening as and when rather than having to wait until the summer.

I watched the game at Doncaster last week and Brereton, although he scored a couple, didn't look anything special and at times was so easily knocked off the ball - and Doncaster were fielding a number of their Under-18's in that game. For me, he needs to spend time with the Under-23's and needs to build his upper body strength if he is going to be competitive in the Championship. We tend to forget that he is still very young and his game is still in its development stage and far from the finished article.

Not signing anyone who could go straight into the team and improve it. With ten players moving out on loan and two long term injuries, it meant we would be short if we suffered injuries or suspensions - which we have.

Personally, I believe the club in general is in a much better place than it was two years ago. The development squad looks strong and offers hope for the future. At senior level, despite this awful recent run, I believe we are better than two years ago. This season we only lost one of our opening ten games, but drew too many. Since then results have been erratic - which is understandable for a club coming up - but we are on course to consolidate in terms of staying in the division although there is still work to do to ensure that. Looking at the remaining fixtures of the club's below us I don't believe we need that many more points before we can start to give some of the younger players an opportunity. At the moment we have too many players who have totally lost form - Raya, Mulgrew, Dack etc. were mainstays and now look very indifferent. My main criticisms of the manager are in two areas. Firstly I think he should have added a couple of players to the squad in January, particularly as we have ten players out on loan and two long term injuries. Secondly, like Bob Saxton, I think he has been too loyal to one or two players. Ultimately that did for Saxton and it will for Mowbray if he doesn't make changes in the summer. I believe he knows that and I believe he will make changes. Only time will tell if they are good enough but that's the same with any transfer and any manager. But in general, I believe the club as a whole is in a much better place than it was two years ago and Mowbray has had a large part to play in that. I accept some will disagree but that's football - it's a game of opinions.

The problem is that the way Dack has been playing for the last few weeks we aren't going to raise much money by selling him. Clubs seem to have worked out that if he is marked closely he struggles to make an impact on the game. Initially there was talk of getting £25 million, then £15 million, I suspect we might end up with around £10 million if we are lucky.

My best eleven would be: Friedel Newton, Hendry, England, Le Saux Douglas, Clayton, Tugay, Duff Shearer, McEvoy. I feel guilty leaving out the likes of Pickering, Ferguson, Waggy, Hole, Berg etc. We really have had some wonderful players over the years.

For me he was playing as a shield in front of their back four. Whenever we put the ball in the box or at set-pieces he dropped back and cleared everything. He certainly wasn't a creative player in terms of creating chances or playing 50 yard passes which, in fairness, Rodwell did on more than one occasion, but that wasn't his role. With two centre-backs behind him he made a formidable defensive trio. When he defended he cleared everything which is what he was asked to do.

It's called having an opinion Mercer. I still believe he is the right man for the job. He said it would be a slow, gradual build. That is what the owners have bought into and personally he should be given the opportunity to see it through. You may find him uninspiring, that's your view, others have a different view. The summer will see a number of changes to the squad and I'll judge him this time next year. Personally, I think he has done enough to deserve longer to see his proposed changes through. Coyle over Mowbray? Really? That's a serious proposition? Ultimately it doesn't matter what you or I think. It's the owners who will make the final judgement.

In fairness, Mowbray has given these players every opportunity to prove they can cut it at this level. Sadly a number of them have found it a step too far in recent weeks. Two centre-halves will be brought in and rightly so. Mulgrew and Rodwell may well be nice footballers but defenders who will put their body on the line they are not. Rotherham's centre-half didn't have the footballing skills of Mulgrew or Rodwell but he headed and kicked everything away when he had to and then went up the other end to head home two goals. I like Raya but I think it's time he was taken out of the firing line and given a rest. I thought Dack was poor today - not for the first time - and I suspect his value is dropping by the week. It will be a big summer for both Mowbray and the club.

Fortunately, the owners have a different view and like many fans have faith in him, without being blind to his faults, but believe he is exactly the right man for this club at this point in our history.

Fully agree with you about Buckley. He looks so wonderfully balanced when on the ball he almost seems to glide past opponents and, of course, can pick out a pass to set his front men going. He's one we really need to get to sign a long term contract.

The only people who have the right to ask questions of any manager are the people who employ him and play his wages. Manager's certainly don't have to justify decisions they make to supporters but our present one is very good at explaining what he does and why although he has no need to. Supporters may offer a view on a manager but suggesting that they are accountable to complete strangers for decisions they make seems rather odd.

According to the receiver - on the Blackpool Gazette site - Ian has had a long association with Blackpool and is a former season ticket holder there. The article confirms that he acted as a non-executive director at Bolton.

Personally, I'd love to see him playing just behind Graham for a game or two towards the end of the season. Danny has that yard of pace to get away from defenders and he would be great picking up Graham's knock-downs. He's young and still raw but there is a certain something about him - very much in the Speedie style in terms of aggression and involvement in games.

If you'd seen the game Stuart you wouldn't be saying that. I would, however, love to see Danny Butterworth being given a chance to play just behind Graham - that would be interesting.

A fairly comfortable win tonight against a very weak Doncaster side. Having gone three-up in no time the players started to ease up and drop the pace which allowed Doncaster to pull a goal back. The second half followed a similar pattern with the Rovers over-elaborating at times and therefore missing opportunities to finish off Doncaster. When we upped the pace again we got another two goals. Brereton grabbed a couple of goals and missed a real sitter. Personally, I thought he had a mixed night. Showed one or two neat touches but lost the ball on numerous occasions and was easily knocked off the ball. Nuttall looked the sharper of the two - and he wasn't at his best tonight. Danny Butterworth and Harry Chapman did well on the flanks and Davenport had a better game tonight. He looks very much in the Corry Evans style - sitting in front of the defence, winning the ball and then moving it forward without ever really crossing the half-way line himself. This was his best performance so far and showed a great deal of promise. Tyler and Charley Doyle were very comfortable at the back and young Carter and Thompson did well at full-back. Doncaster were very poor though - they looked to be a young side and certainly were well below the level shown by Everton over the past couple of weeks. At the end of the day you can only beat what's in front of you and tonight we did that - with more care it could easily have reached double figures.

I remember some idiot going on the pitch to attack Adam Blacklaw the Burnley 'keeper - who later joined Rovers - in a game in 65-66 and then having to be rescued by the police when he realised Blacklaw was not a man to mess with. As you say, this idiotic fringe has been with us for some time but not in the numbers we see today.

After the first 20 minutes, when Birmingham looked like they would take us apart, I thought we came back well. Same old faults in terms of individual errors for which we were punished. The manager knows the changes that need to be made and I'm sure they will happen in the summer. The total collapse of Mulgrew as a defender has been startling over the past three games and again underlines the need for a tough, experienced centre-back who can organise those around him. A draw was probably a fair result but having gone 2-1 up so late we really ought to be able to hold onto it. I thought Travis had a much better game and Smallwood put in a decent shift in midfield. Graham was a real workhorse up front and deserved his goal even if there was a deflection. It was good to end the run of defeats. I agree with arbitro about a certain element of our support who are doing the club no favours.

But clearly the owners had the good sense to keep him on - probably the best decision they have made thus far.

I would certainly give him until the end of next season unless we completely go off the rails next year, which I don't expect. I certainly don't think his position should be questioned this season even if results are indifferent between now and the end of the campaign. We are only a couple of wins away from ensuring our place for next season - I'm not even sure the likes of Ipswich and Bolton will reach 40 points and Rotherham are struggling for wins whilst grinding out draws. The target which we were told at the consultation meeting last summer was consolidation and great if it was better. I certainly think we will have achieved the former come May and personally, I've never regarded promotion this season as a realistic possibility despite promising early results.

But you can't keep sacking managers every five minutes because of a poor run of form. All clubs have poor runs. This season was about consolidating a position in the Championship. We are well on the way to having done that. If we were in the bottom three I could understand your point but we aren't. As for Kenny, in many ways that was a worse situation. We were running away with the League when we hit that poor run and then ended up snatching a play-off place on the last day when we really looked like winning the League. That's football - it's unpredictable.