Death sentence from the Blues

fixture list and assessing where the next three wins are coming from between now and May, never mind three on the bounce.

Owen Coyle is entirely predictably becoming a grotesque self-parody with each subsequent interview and fully living up to every fear we had when, once again, Venkys referred to the “What would Burnley fans most like us to do next?” manual for running a football club.

I was mercifully abroad for both the Wolves and Villa games and have seen only the briefest of goal highlights but Coyle’s rage at being “let down” by certain players he had placed trust in (Jason Lowe surely the main suspect – not many telling me “right back is his best position” these days) had somehow transmogrified within a week to claims that we are in actual fact playing very well and results are only unfavourable due to ill luck, decisions, injuries etc. Make your mind up, you clown.

We’re second bottom of the table in severe danger of being cut a fair distance adrift within a few weeks.

All the talk of how we’ve improved since the unspeakably abysmal first three league games is spin. We’ve improved to the extent that we still haven’t performed well enough to get out of the bottom three which is where we will end up at the end of the season if we carry on like we are.

There’s clearly a problem in lasting the pace in matches with leads squandered, late goals conceded, injuries mounting up...that’s probably more to do with preparation, or lack of it, than adverse fortune.

That’s why I still firmly believe it’s imperative to get rid of Coyle and give a new man at least a window to juggle the personnel – who knows if any funds will be made available? – even if, as I suspect, by Christmas we are going to need a Warnockesque Rotherham type escape act involving the kind of run of form we’ve barely hinted at in five accursed campaigns in this division.

Of course the last week has taught us it’s entirely possible for unqualified, unsuited, inept men to secure the highest of office without any hint of aptitude for, or even knowledge of, what discharging such duties entails.

If Mike Cheston and Suhail Pasha can’t see that a change is necessary and aren’t on the phone to India demanding same, they’re stealing a living, playing fast and loose with the club’s proud record of spending only five seasons out of the top two divisions in almost a century and a half.

With all the respect I can muster, signing Giles Barnes, who was freed by Doncaster four years ago, in January ain’t going to fix this.

I detest the phrase “must-win” game, but really fear that anything other than victory at home to Brentford on Saturday followed by a sequence of tough fixtures will see us virtually doomed to life in League One under the current manager.

Stephen Hendry, never mind Stephen Hendrie, would have his work cut out to save us with the deficit I envisage.

It would be remiss of me not to thank Old Blackburnian and Riversider23 who deputised for me in providing this column over the last fortnight. I thought they both presented well-argued slants on the different ways we choose to continue our life sentence as Rovers supporters.

In the words of an idol of mine who passed away this week, “We’ve been sentenced to death by the Blues.”

We thought the past would last us – but the darkness got that too!