Couple of observations from me. It did seem as though Simon had decided he had had enough. I can totally understand why but it does come across as though he wanted to go out in a blaze of glory by blaming a very small minority of OTT personal comments. The response comments on Fb and even the LT to the news were almost all just wishing him well. I expected a lot more backlash against the ‘haters’. I think at this point both sides of the ‘divided loyalties’ are just completely jaded by events at the club. There is definitely a certain amount of helplessness as we all watch the latest aftershock of the Rovers-Venkys car crash. I really hope rumours of Rovers being almost breakeven are a prelude to Venkys tearing up the debt book and handing over to someone who cares about the club.

There is a danger that this kind of speculation can get out of hand. As per FA rules, we have to assume that Waggott has all of the required authority to carry out his duties as a director. The issue for me becomes whether his relationship with Mowbray would affect his judgement. I sincerely hope that he will do what is right by the club to ensure it’s long term success. Within that obligation there has to come a time when the decision has to be taken: is relegation to L1 with Mowbray in charge better for our long term success than sacking him to try to avoid it? As a director, he, along with Cheston and Babu have to decide. Anything else would be a very different discussion.

You need to keep up with the context, Chris. It was suggested that he has no authority and is merely an administrator. We don’t know if that’s true but if it is then, given the role itself should have that authority, I feel that anyone putting up with that is only in it for the money and is a CEO in title only. Nothing wrong with that per se but I wouldn't want that to be how my club is run. A chief exec powerless to sack the manager as necessary and only operating as directed from above? That’s not what I expect from the role. As a stakeholder in the club I think our money could be better spent. You really are going out of your way to defend this one. As a Rovers fan I’ve yet to see anything positive that he has brought to the club. And by that I don’t mean not negative, I mean actual positive growth. All I’ve seen is price increases.

Went to that one as well. It’s definitely a problem with this regime, and it has to be about cost of stewarding and policing. We are saving pennies and squandering millions. But it’s a false economy as they are ruining the spectacle and putting off spectators, and in the end it costs more anyway. The cost saved on not opening the JWL (DE side) on Friday was almost certainly wiped out with the cost of calling the police out post-match. Fans are now at best a secondary consideration and at worst an afterthought. We were family club of the year two years running until very recently!

This game is being turned into a big deal. The Lancs Cup Final went by without issue last season, despite being an evening ko.

??

A chief exec should have these powers, if he doesn’t, he should be looking for a new job sharpish. Of course, it’s only speculation that he doesn’t have the power to hire and fire. Every one in that role before him seemed to be able to. Singh/Agnew/Shaw, Hunt, Senior, etc.

Who is “the club” in this context?

Which was kind of my point. Waggott won’t or can’t pull the trigger so will need to go as well. How these people appear to have no professional pride bemuses me.

The Bauer thing didn’t seem to be about the money but that Neil valued him more than Mowbray did. There is a reason that most of our starting XI are the old boys and transition is taking so long. Every new player has to break into the clique that we now have. Paid up members currently: Dack, Bennett, Armstrong, Lenihan, Williams - most of whom have been here the longest. Transitioning out or in: Graham, Evans, Smallwood, Rothwell, Travis, Gallagher. Temporary/Who knows: Walton, Nyambe, Johnson, Holtby, Downing, Cunningham, Chapman, Samuel, Brereton, Davenport. How could Bauer not be a shoe-in (even back in the Summer without injuries and “hindsight”)? How can Bennett stand in the way of Nyambe? Why send out defenders on loan when we are short and seemingly have no budget for a transfer fee? (P Downing, Mulgrew, Magloire, Wharton)

It’s not just the succession but the timing of the succession. Another international break has come and gone and no sign of any appetite for change. We’ll likely need to be stranded in the bottom three before anyone with influence reacts. We have gone from Kean being untouchable to Mowbray and Waggott being untouchable. We are going to need both to leave and both to be replaced so start thinking of new chief execs who could come in. Alternatively we need a few inspired signings in January to turn things around. A keeper, two full backs, two centre backs, two wingers and a striker are all we need in Mowbray’s sixth window (but only his fourth in the a Championship to be fair ?). We have a well stocked centre midfield and several number 10s though.

I think it’s wishful thinking to think this season is over. There is a very real chance of a relegation battle to contend with yet.

Good spells in the first half but I don’t thing any of them played to their best and they didn’t play like a team. Butterworth was also quiet by his standards. I’m not a fan of Mols being played in the middle though. Presumably to accommodate Chapman in the side.

There would be League One takers for Chapman and I reckon Brereton would have enough of a reputation from Forest for someone to say “it’s not worked out at Blackburn” but it would likely need to be as part of an exit strategy. I suspect that would be a difficult sell from Mowbray to the owners so we’ll likely persevere like now to keep him on the fringes while his contract runs down. Great way to earn living if you can get it!

“Dammit Karl!” (for those who get the reference) Wonder why he subbed Mols rather than Chapman...? Because Mowbray was there? Young Chappers needs to go on loan along with Brereton, the latter with otherwise probably spend most of his time with us having treatment for regular short term injuries

Ok. That’s why I replied like I did. When he first got into the team we were playing in L1. I expect it’s pretty enthusing when you are up against inferior opposition at a lower level.

Sorry, I thought we were talking about the championship since his main injury came between him being with us on loan and going back to Boro. You think that he showed more enthusiasm for the U23s before his more recent injuries? I’m honestly not sure but I see a pattern here... It appears that Mowbray will dump players back into the U23s if he doesn’t like their attitude - regardless of their performances. Not many seem to recover. Travis did but Tomlinson, Nuttall and now Chapman seem to be going the other way.

This fella seems to have got an absolute free pass during these troubled times. Has he got the tools to work alongside Travis in the middle and get a young lad out wide? He certainly has the quality and should be contributing far more at least in terms of set pieces. He certainly isn’t a Murphy or Whittingham but we don’t seem to be getting the best out of him. He should expect to have young legs around him to do the running and should be able to ping balls around the place. No goals but four assists in 16 games. Is this good enough? Should he be contributing more? How on earth is he not captain and his experience being used to the fullest? The players must surely also be wondering the same. Bennett or a former England international? Doesn’t feel like he is really ‘our’ player and he hasn’t really been taken to heart like other former top flight greats who have graced Ewood. Right now he’s busy giving interviews in his native stomping ground.

Prior to his injuries he was playing in League One.

I did wonder where the police were going to escort them to...? The train station presumably?

Would love a Dominic Matteo at the club right now. Get well soon big guy.

Mowbray will be dining out on that Dack signing til he retires. We spent just shy of £13m on Dack, Gallagher and Brereton so it has kind of netted that one success. Chapman is his own worst enemy, yes, and Parson is tight here too. But once we signed Armstrong we should not have gone back in for Chapman anyway. He was a flair player before we signed him. Even at the time it seemed like a signing that was more about sentimental reasons than footballing ones.

And Rothwell’s and Bell’s and Nyambe’s and Brereton’s and and Nuttall’s and Gallagher’s and Armstrong’s and Johnson’s and Hart’s and Gladwin’s and and and... It’s never Tony’s fault.

It’s not about encouraging people to buy STs though, it’s consistently been about (implicitly) threatening people with the consequences of not doing. “If you don’t buy a bundle or a season ticket, you can pay on the day but it’ll cost you up to £43”. Trouble is, any offer now made to make pricing more attractive will be decried by those who have already saved up and bought season tickets in July: “that’s not fair”. Some fans genuinely think that everyone should buy their way and 10,000 empty seats is just an unfortunate consequence. A football club should be looking to maximise its seating and adjusting margins according to try to achieve that.