Well, quite.

A few factors for me. It was never in a million years a straight red card. Bennett going in for the same ball along with the Sheff Utd player made it look worse. The reaction of player and his team mates immediately surrounding the referee put the ref under pressure. Having already shown he was card happy the ref gave Smallwood a massive incentive not to go diving in. Very silly but I’ll say it again, that was not a red card challenge. In fact, it’s about time there was an overhaul of the archaic red and yellow card system. Refereeing errors are far more common now and their game-changing decisions are now very costly - including financially. It’s going to be interesting to see how we play without him as he is fast becoming a tackling Jason Lowe in this division: first name on the manager’s team sheet despite not having what it takes.

I’d have Johnson as first team coach in a heartbeat but he needs to be on the same wavelength as Mowbray.

You seem like you’ve woken up on a mission today Dave. Whilst I also want Brereton to get more time (even if only to allow us any chance to get some of the £7m back) don’t you think it says something that he cost about as much as, if not more, than the rest of the team put together and has only started 2 “frigging” games?

There’s only one way that usually ends. Mourinho is out of work and may fancy a challenge? ? Seems like the kind of person Venkys would approach.

This is where I have been frustrated with Mowbray for some time. He doesn’t put any faith in certain players. Travis and Rothwell being two major examples. It would be a huge boost to others, like Butterworth, Mols, even Nuttall if they could see someone like Trav make it. Also, I was wrong earlier about Travis. I didn’t think he would play again. Very glad that he has but I fear he will still end up on loan. Hope not because he could become a good player for the first team and a fan favourite.

I’m inclined to put the run of four top 4 games together as mitigation [for a bad run]. Over half a season, everyone has played each other once and we were 14th. My concern is that we are Ona downward trajectory. Three losses in a row - from now - and that’s that.

I’d be happy for Bento start another game but he needs to lead the line again and not be put out wide.

As we find ourselves in our worst run of form under Mowbray, what is an acceptable return from the next 6 games (Max 18 pts)? From my perspective: West Brom (1pt) This game is all about the Rovers manager and the performance he can get from his team, following a hugely disappointing run of 9 games. Show us that the fight is still there, show some mental strength not to crumble and get turned over. In our current form, a draw would be a good result but ship another 3 goals and lose, and the knives will be out again. Target: 1 point is the realistic target going in, if we can keep it tight we could win by the odd goal. Last defeat was against Hull in early November but have also lost to Wigan in October. West Brom have been prone to wobbles away from home. Millwall (3pts) The fact they are playing Ipswich on NYD could make this a big six pointer for us. Target: Definite 3 points required as a practise for any relegation fight. If we can’t get the necessary win then there is little hope if/when the pressure is really on in April/May. Ipswich (3pts) Rock bottom, ex-Rovers manager, grudge match and a bogey team. Similar story to us with 1 win and 2 draws in the last 13 games. If we lose to Ipswich without a win in the previous two games then that will be the final straw for me as far as Mowbray is concerned. Play Millwall and Rotherham first - so will want 3 or 4 points out of those two which would still see them remain bottom. Target: Mandatory 3 points required. No excuses. Hull City (1pt) A resurgent Hull play Bolton, Sheff Wed, and Villa before us and could expect 6 maybe 7 points, and up to 40 by the time we play them Target: a much tougher game than it should have been based on our own circumstances and form. 1 point required as a minimum. They have been in excellent on form but not unbeatable. Could be outsiders for the play-offs if they can keep up their momentum. Brentford (3pts) Draw specialists - nearly as much as Rovers were in the first 4 months of this season. Play Norwich, Stoke, Rotherham, and Sheff Weds before us. So could be in similar form to Rovers going in. Target: 3 points, another game to try to keep us from getting sucked into the mire. Bristol City (1pt) Play Stoke, Bolton, Forest, Boro and Swansea. Boro looks their toughest game. WDWDDDW since their last defeat (to Leeds) including draws with Norwich and Derby. But only just scraped past 9-man Rotherham 1-0. Target: Need to get a draw but could well get better with the right approach. There needs to be some momentum building in these fixtures. For me, no points from the next 3 games and he need to step aside, the job of saving us would be too big for him. Get 6 points, even 4 out of those first 9, and we carry on. Ipswich is a key game though. The following three games becomes a 4 from the back 9, minimum, and so on. We need to get some consistency back so a good start is important, and a win against Ipswich is absolutely vital. 10pts minimum - 3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses (41pts total), and midtable security is well within reach. Any less than that and it could be a very uncomfortable couple of months for Mowbray - and Rovers fans.

Just to make the regression more stark. At the beginning of this month, Hull were in the bottom three (22nd - 17 points - 19 games) and Rovers were 11th (26 points - 18 games). Hull had played a game more. Hull are now in 14th on 33 points, taking 16 from a possible 18, while Rovers are 15th on 31, having taken 5 from a possible 21. Grim.

Desperate is exactly how he sounded. And a little frantic. If Neal’s dad is knocking about near the team bus he might get a few choice sound bites. As a bloke, I like Mowbray. He’s passionate and will be very angry and disappointed this evening. Hopefully he’ll take some responsibility too. But my concern is for BRFC and I’m not convinced that he will be able to turn it around if we suffer another heavy defeat on Tuesday. He simply has to get a draw in that fixture. How he does that, and what genuine positives he takes from today’s game will be telling. Today’s positives were that when you play Rothwell and an energetic Travis and Reed, and take the game to the opposition with a target ahead of him we can cause problems. They had both centre backs booked and one got a second yellow for handball. That is pressure, and it worked. By all accounts Reed was on the receiving end of a red card tackle which also got a yellow. The negative was that he then went back over his decision and made a deadly double substitution and change in approach, taking off our only striker who could hold the ball up. Subsequently when Smallwood has a rush of blood he has no options open to himself and now had the wrong personnel on the pitch. He didn’t even think, once that first goal had gone in to bring off Armstrong for either Evans or Graham. Will he take that positive philosophy into the game against West Brom or will be go back to an ultra defensive set up? The other “positive” today was that we now have to play without Smallwood for three games (I’m assuming three, certainly one) so Evans will likely get the nod. Mowbray must stick with what worked today and not regress to what has failed so often recently. I’m not convinced that Mowbray has it in him to turn things around when things go sour as his past record attests to. The difference here is that he will likely get the owners’ backing, time and probably the whole of January to change things. The next board meeting will probably be just after the window closes so that any new manager was required. Mowbray needs to take some points in these next five league games and halt the slide

Mowbray on Radio Lancs just now. Blaming the ref, “he was making random decisions” “Referee needed any excuse to make the game even” “Only going to be one winner” “Ridiculous decisions from the referee” “Not blaming the referee for the three goals” “The result is the result - we have to accept it and move on” “Tough run of games against top four clubs” [already fearing West Brom] “Tight game - except for the three goal which don’t make it seem tight” How do you go about stopping shipping goals at the rate we are? “Didn't look like we were going to ship any goals today” “Wasn't a three nil game, should have won” “Won’t ship three goals every game - won’t happen every week” “If we keep working hard we’ll turn it around” He honestly sounds like he is losing the plot. I really hope he didn’t talk to the players like he just spoke to the radio. Tonight he sounded like a man on the edge.

There are so-called fans of this club who have already written off that game and have their excuses lined up.

Want to try again? Glad to see where your priorities lie though. I was hoping for far better today, weren’t you?

Yep. And Millwall beat Forest today! We are the only team with manager and fans who will defend an embarrassing defeat and slag off fellow fans who simply want better. After the next game we could be getting sucked into a real fight. With some very angry fans too.

In a game where 0-0 would have been a huge stop-the-rot-success it was a daft move but yes, at a pinch, Graham on for Brereton to keep the bal in their half at least. Making two changes at that time was not necessary.

Which made it 10 v 10. Keep up.

Hull were below us in the table before today’s games. We are too happy to accept failure because “teams are higher than us in the league”. Some folk need to grow a pair.

He went with a brave team who took the game to Sheffield United and then made unnecessary changes. You would think we were at man down at some point in that game such was the capitulation. We went from being in control to an absolute hammering and it was the result of the changes. You certainly don’t bring off our main striker to bring on two number 10s. Mowbray went from brave to foolish in a very short space of time today.

Well if I was Mowbray I’d certainly be blaming myself...

Go on then. Defend what he has done during this match.

This is what we are up against though. Our own fans. The kind of people who can’t even spell ‘queue’ let alone ‘cue’.

Mowbray made the unnecessary changes and it’s been an implosion ever since. He’s lost the plot.

Absolutely disgraceful. Disgraceful Mowbray.

Rovers goalkeeping coach booked