First things first; I didn’t speak to a single person at half-time at Preston who thought the home side would play anywhere nearly as bad in the second half, writes Simon Smith. 

I didn’t speak to a single person who thought we would still win the game if we conceded a goal.

I didn’t speak to a single person who wanted Tony Mowbray out.

And I spoke to a good few people.

Obviously we wanted, expected a challenge for the play-offs this season. Mowbray said that was the aim and only a few doubted him, but they always do. But we’ll come to that in a minute.

If TM had said we would finish 12th then he would have been castigated for a lack of ambition. And although we are currently lower that is what we are; a middling side.

There are those who seize their moment as soon as one bad result occurs, to always say that the incumbent boss should go, and ultimately they are never proved wrong. All managers go.

Jim Bentley was forced out of Morecambe by social media polls and a lack of support from the owners. Bentley was manager there for eight and a half years and never spent a penny on transfer fees.

If Tony Mowbray is to exit Ewood, or BRexit, in 2019 then it could be the rumoured £11million he spent on two players that hastened that departure.

I have to say that, although Mowbray has never got the defence working consistently, he still deserves our faith.

The loss of key players can’t be underestimated and nor can the fact that the first 45 minutes at Deepdale was exceptional as were long periods against Huddersfield.

Mowbray set up excellently on Saturday and we galloped to a 2-0 lead. Alex Neill slapped down his response with a brave substitution. Come half-time a proactive decision by TM was essential. He chose wrongly. He has done quite a few times of late.

The problem with managing football clubs is that the stress is incessant. A player can be jetted off to Dubai for a week’s respite. A manager can’t.

Tony Mowbray is a man in need of a short break, not a permanent one.