A manager and CEO can make or break a club. Invest in those two appointments to get the right quality and you've half a chance. IMO, employ third raters and you get what is happening, or not happening, at Rovers. It's crazy paying very average players big dosh at the expense of not investing in your two key positions (manager and CEO).

Desire is not enough. I very much doubt he or his staff have the ability to sort it out.

Think it's deeper than that. I think the evidence is, irrespective of personnel used, Mowbray and his staff have failed to show they can build a cohesive defensive unit in terms of selection, organisation or tactics. Good organisation and coaching goes a helluva long way.

Think it's lemon drizzle cake actually !

Ewood and Brockhall used to leak like sieves and though things have been tightened considerably they are not bone dry! I've been involved in all types of organisations over the years from small to multinational and I know from experience it is well nigh impossible to keep the lid on everything. You only need to look at government to see how things even leak from cabinet only minutes after meetings have ended! I think your assertion is wrong.

I picked a bit of gossip up at Saturday's match which kind of gelled with other bits I'd heard over recent weeks. It might be right, it might be wrong, it might fall somewhere in between - that's the nature of gossip, speculation whatever you want to call it. Transfer fee wise, I've been saying most of the summer I thought we barely had a pot to p1ss in (Gallagher financed in the main by Raya). I also think we are now at the stage where every £ spent on fees / wages has to be met by at least the same coming in. I think, barring injury, Gallagher will virtually start every match whether it be as lone striker or shunted out wide (likely Venky's deal caveat after Brereton). I also think there's a feeling Mowbray's been given more than a fair shot at it and Venky's are seeing their debt rack up and up. There comes a tipping point and words of 'steady build and evolution' may not prove enough should August's league fixtures prove to be disappointing for Rovers. Time will tell.

So by virtue of your logic, you want me to post every match that I think Rovers will lose badly so everyone on the forum will look at a Rovers' win and Rovers will indeed deliver!?!?

I think Mowbray is under more pressure now from our owners than he ever has been before. I think there is a points target for August and I also think the Gallagher signing was heavily caveated by the Venky's. It would be no surprise to me if was gone by the end of the month.

Think my comments on 28 July show just how bad we were yesterday. Were Charlton a good team: No Were Charlton organised: Yes Were Charlton motivated and spirited: Yes Did Charlton look dangerous: Yes because our defence was so disorganised and staffed by players nowhere near good enough. God only knows how many we would have conceded against a good team with a potent attack. Charlton's game management was also good seeing out the game comfortably and we didn't remotely look like scoring. I'll say it again, any half decent team that was well organised and drilled and with £15million of strikers either playing, or sat on the bench, would have seen Charlton off comfortably. There can be no excuses whatsoever for yesterday's shambles.

After 55+ years, I am well aware! I cringed when Mowbray was appointed and I've despaired ever since. I think the seemingly affable, bumbling Mowbray is not quite what he seems. I honestly struggle to see any managerial strengths. IMO - Fitness, no. Organisation, no. Tactically savvy, no. Player trading, no. Man management, no. Getting the best out of what we have, no. Bullsh1tting, YES. I did not see Mowbray try and influence the game from the touchline at all yesterday. All I saw was our manager with his arms folded across his chest. Perhaps I'd fallen asleep.

If that is a catalyst for the sacking of Mowbray, Venus, Lowe and Benson then I'll take it.

Perhaps the conversation with Venky's went something like this 'if we authorise the deal you are going to play him, Mr Mowbray, aren't you - unlike Brereton?' Cough, cough, splutter, splutter 'of course, Madam'. As a result, IMO, we will see Graham back at Fulham and Gallagher shunted out wide again. Yep, we need defenders but the role of Mowbray, Venus and Lowe is to feckin optimise what we have! Good organisation and tactics go a long, long way. They should be drilled, drilled and driiled time and again in training until their b@lls drop off. Even with what we have at the back, we look so disorganised and vulnerable and that, IMO, is down to a lack of quality coaching.

Thought Buckley looked, and played, like a frightened rabbit when he came on. These young players need to show some b@lls and seize the moment when an opportunity opens up for them

So Mowbray joined us in season 2016/17 (after we finished 15th in 2015/16) and failed to keep us up even though that was what he was brought in to do, has spent some £15million on strikers in last 12 months and you would be happy for a mid table finish 11th/12th !!! You are easily suited !!! I think he should have been bombed out some time ago. After today's shambles, I think his departure is long overdue.

Utter rubbish. Slow, laboured, off the pace, what more can you say. Charlton's savvy game management meant they saw out the game with ease. Defensively, they looked far better organised than we did and looked quicker all over the park. Mowbray must shoulder the blame. Wrong selections. Should have started with Nyambe, Rothwell and Graham to name but three. He said defenders were coming, well we need a premature ejaculation of them! Tone was set from kick off, 40 yards back to Lenihan and hoof! My views: Walton 6: saved a third at the end following another Bennett dropped b0ll0ck but there was little sign of cohesion with our goalie and back four Bennett 3: abysmal Mulgrew 4: finished Lenihan 6 steady Bell 5: one or two moments going forward but the lad can't defend Downing 5: flattered to deceive. Created little. Travis 5: quiet and disappointing. Not kicked on Johnson 7/8: head and shoulders above the rest. MASSIVE improvement on Evans and Smallwood Armstrong 4: a player without a brain Dack 6: not the impact we expected Gallagher 5: bang average just as I remembered him IMO, Mowbray has to go. We are going nowhere with him.

Nail on head. Been saying it for too long.

Defence nervous as kittens including goalie. Johnson the standout in midfield but blowing a bit already. Armstrong out of his depth. Gallagher very, very average. Has to bring Rothwell and Graham on NOW.

Same old shyte at the back.

Only Johnson looking effective.

Looking far from secure at the back.

You miss the point. We are playing a newly promoted team with injury problems and defensive problems as their friendlies demonstrated. Mowbray has spent close on £15million on strikers in 12 months. If we can't blow Charlton away then we really do have problems.

After seeing part of Luton / M'boro, to me, it's just a question of whether we put 4,5 or 6 past Charlton. No ifs, no buts, we should absolutely muller Charlton tomorrow - taking an abacus to make sure I don't lose track of the goals flying in!

Hope your break provides both time for contemplation and relaxation. I do hope you feel able to come back at some time in the future. Nil carborundum illegitimi !

Different leagues but I think Nuttall will score more goals for Blackpool this season than the combined efforts of Brereton and Gallagher for Rovers.

Nuttall not in betting yet. Norwood and Marquis are about 8/1. Out of the three, I'd normally go for Nuttall but think Ipswich and Pompey have better all round sides to help their strikers. I think Nuttall will get 15 to 20 goals for Blackpool this coming season. Out for dinner tonight with a Blackpool fan who uses the hospitality facilities there (asked me to Oxford match there later in month) and he reckons Sadler and Grayson are buzzing about the Nuttall signing.