The lack of recent thrashings is a fair point but equally in the first half of the season, the team managed games so well and that is not an ability that has remained. You can go through any historical games and say if x and y happened but the results ultimately are what matters. Don't get me wrong, happy with Tomasson, want him to take us forward and there are certain recent developments to cling on. Rankin Costello playing as a marauding right back and Adam Wharton establishing himself being 2 stand outs. It is a strange one, we have clearly started implementing a style, but the question is whether it will suit us. We don't get battered as much, and when we are on it we look better. But equally, we don't have the same level of control when in the lead. I also don't think we create many chances still in the most part.

I am not making excuses, hypocrisy aside. I am giving out examples of how poorly we are run. Equally, you could argue with the focus on blaming Broughton and co for fucking up January is "making excuses." He has made mistakes since that are nothing to do with that but still, it is a valid excuse overall that handicapped him post Jan. Last season, a couple of players bought either with invested funds or with any Rothwell proceeds could have got us in the play offs. I will be convinced that the current style we are trying to implement is leading to success when it manifests in positive results. I don't think it is as black and white as about style, for example Tomasson reinstating and using Rankin Costello as a right back in the way he is used has been excellent.

I don't think it is about luck and I don't think in the main that our confidence has led to any more of an attacking threat. We have also gradually lost our earlier ability under Tomasson in which our game management was excellent, indeed that has become a weakness. We had collected 5 points in 9 games prior to yesterday so I couldn't justify an opinion that we are know one of the top 6 sides in the league. I think a lot of both seasons has coincided with Brereton and his form. Last season, he thrived in that 3 at the back formation and his injury really knocked us off stride and even when he returned he wasnt the same. This season his form has gone off the boil. The worry in both seasons is the inability of the supporting cast to step up. We need to not only replace him which will be impossible but also add more goalscorers and I fear aided with no money and a director of football with more questions than answers that the necessary attacking overhaul will not arrive.

Why does the attitude of a random Rovers fan posting on a messageboard need looking at?

We had a 16 goal striker and still didn't make it.

Next season, assume we have both. Who starts the opening game?

I would say Morton was an underwhelming loan signing who didn't improve us. Again, signing loans and cheap deals. He should have either been allowed some reasonable money, or the permission to sell Rothwell and reinvest. Do I think our possession game has improved, in what way? Our possession stat may have gone up, but it hasn't led to better results, which raises questions as to whether it suits us. We will do well to find a striker who gets us 16-21 goals next season on a free or a loan. He hasn't been there for the whole season there.

Hopefully Kaminski back as number 1 going forward.

Same as last season, B or a B- for me. 69 points is a very decent haul, but not good enough considering our position for the vast majority of the season. Certainly happy and hopeful that Tomasson continues, and doubtful in Broughton's competence. Well aware that the owners have this season and will continue to be that huge limitation factor on our ambitions.

Only £130k per game to be fair, decent value.

I still can't get around this idea that they are pumping in £20m a year as if they are doing so out of ambition, and all of it is going to the manager rather than to cover their own inefficiencies.

Very similar situations over both seasons, both managers deserve criticism for certain tactical choices in that time having done so well initially. But both have had limitations based on how the club is run above them.

If Tomasson did leave this summer, how would you feel? Angry at him for not seeing things through? Angry at the club for not showing the required ambition to keep him? Fearful? Wonder if he has to go to India.

We were shafted last January too, not only did we have no budget to push on but any scope for selling wantaway Rothwell and reinvesting was denied. I think both of the last 2 seasons have been pretty good from the manager and players, both just falling short over 46 games and really, how points are accumulated over those games is not that important. But the vast, vast majority of my doubts going forward come from above the manager. I am 100% in favour of Tomasson staying, if indeed he is willing to. But I can't see how much will change going into next season. No money from the owners mainly down to their stubbornness in blocking sales of players we now won't have anyway, and I don't have much faith in Broughton even to cover the goals we will lose from Brereton, and even with those, we haven't scored enough. Progress could be measured either compared to last season, in which our points tally and the way we ended the season are basically identical. That was quite a high bar because we did well last season, so have done this. You could also look at how our season has gone on and whether we have got progressively better. I am not convinced we have, the points accumulation would back that up, but like last season, with a small, young squad, it is difficult to objectively judge that without factoring in the limitations that have come from above the manager. The target has to be to get a top 6 finish next season. I am not convinced we will but that lack of faith isn't to do with Tomasson really.

Probably highlights that Mowbray is perhaps not the joke of a manager people perhaps thought on here last season, done a superb job to get them in the play offs with a very young squad and no fit striker off the back of a few years in League 1. Up there with the likes of Robins, Edwards and Carrick with as much of a genuine shout for manager of the year, with a shout for Warnock who did a superb job as a firefighter at Huddersfield despite being labelled a dinosaur. There was a great chance for a play off place there for us that we fucked up.

An absolute joke that our shoddy owners have allowed him to leave for free. We WILL miss him and his rubbish form has done as much to highlight how poor the supporting cast are as much as anything. Still goes into the summer as our top scorer with at least double anyone else. If our owners gave a shit, we could have already had a replacement for money in the building, but that's not how they work. Dickheads.

This season was almost identical to last season, same points total and both seasons were very decent totals (69 points) but not quite enough, undermined by collapses. 11 points from the last 10 and 6 from the last 5. So progress, considering the same points total and the way that we actually got progressively worse? Not too sure. The first question is whether Tomasson stays, I hope he does but am not convinced he will. I don't think the job he has done is remarkable and the likes of Edwards, Robins, Mowbray and Carrick have achieved what he just missed out on so come out with more good credit, but perhaps Tomasson has a mixture of doubt himself as to the running of the club off the back of January and with a summer of scrounging to come, and also more potential suitors abroad based on his prestige as a player. On the pitch, I do worry. The team hasn't had enough to build on what seemed to be sure fire top 6 positions and lacks experience. We will lose our only goalscorer, call him what you want, he has double the goals of our second best. We need experience and we need a totally new front line for starters, and that is hard with no money. And does anyone have faith in Broughton to make the best of a limited budget? I don't, recruitment has been poor especially in the loan market and soured by players we didn't get done and areas we failed to improve.

Brereton is still our top scorer and no one else has stepped up just like last season when his goals when fit earnt us many points and when he was out (or this season out of form/preparing to leave) none of our other attackers stepped up with a reasonable goal threat. We have never had a functioning, coherent strategy under Venkys. Begging isn't to be taken literally, but we are seemingly dealing in frees and loans, and likely will have a team with a very low average age again, ergo more talk of development, transitions, projects, journeys, whatever business speak is chosen. I wouldn't see a season in which we have been in the top 6 all season and then fell apart in the last quarter to fall out of contention to be successful, especially considering that we are supposed to be transitioning into a better side over time.

Presume you'd be the same if you got to Ewood with your season ticket and they'd miscalculated and wouldnt let you in due to over expected demand.

It's not very good if the club has again embarassed itself turning away customers with tickets! It takes really strong principles to not go to games despite clearly retaining a strong interest and passion.

You could say the exact same about expectations last season though. I suspect that next season will likely feel like a transitional one with our main goalscorer leaving for free, a reliance on begging and borrowing in the market and yet more kids breaking through. If we fail to make the play offs having been in there for most of the season, I wouldn't consider it a success really, just like I didn't last season.

Going to this having splashed out prior to seeing us fall apart as we did last season. No faith in a win to be honest, why would I when we have gone on such a long winless run, seldom even looking like scoring. And even if we do, I can't see the 2 other teams failing to win. So going down with little hope but hopefully I will witness a huge shock.

Why does buying one remove all scope to be able to criticise? Are we allowed to moan when we play shit considering we chose to support the club in the first place?

They aren't good enough to get people to overlook inconveniences. I would prefer 3pm on Saturday, half 5 is probably the best alternative. They should bring in limits. No more than one televised game per team per month.

We already know that ST prices aren't attractive which now limits scope for match day offers. But its beside the point, it isnt the cost that will stop people attending moved games.