To some people, being wrong is something they would never accept, willing to near points of delusion than ever admit their viewpoint could even be slightly off. I’d like to think I’ve always been pretty consistent in holding my hands up, owning any erroneous results or predictions (of which there have been several), particularly if in the end, there’s a positive outcome.

And I think I’m nearing that point with John Eustace.

I still have reservations over the direction of the club, but at this juncture, those don’t land at the door of the head coach. Maybe the safe pair of hands I always felt Eustace would be could prove exactly what’s required, rather than my fear that it may hold the team back.

He could well be right man, right time. Maybe I could still be proved right, but with the current landscape the former is the more likely scenario.

Most likely due to the fact I’d been in the privileged position of developing personal relationships, and getting to know the characters of, Rovers’ previous two managers that I had struggled to feel a connection with the new head coach in his early months.

His interviews, the only real opportunity I now had to glean anything about the man at the helm, offered little, and the football felt uninspiring.

The end of last season felt very short-termism, and maybe reflecting on hindsight it had to be that way, but it was akin to previous Rovers regimes where players would come and go in and instant without ever making a lasting impression.

Though this team is starting to feel like Eustace’s, and we’re seeing shoots of positivity.

He’s overseen a start of seven points from a possible nine, ended a 17 month wait for back-to-back home wins, collected three points after conceding first at Ewood for the first time since March 2021, and seen his subs score more goals already than in any of the previous three seasons.

The mood around the team, if not the club, feels settled, though with an acceptance Rovers are still a way off possessing a squad which would expect to be competing at the top end of the division.

If the court hearing wasn’t the pivotal moment many thought it would be, the final days of August will likely be a mood definer, with matters to address in the transfer window, and scores to settle at Turf Moor.

Touching on the former, there’s a real feeling that Rovers are holding fire on pressing the button on certain targets, and I can’t help but feel that’s down to not everyone behind-the-scenes signing from the same song sheet.

It’s hard not to split the five signings so far into three that fit Eustace’s brief of Championship experience (Batth, McFadzean, Weimann) and two that are more of a club model and pushed for by the recruitment team (Gueye, Ohashi).

We’ve seen previously that if the two don’t align it can cause issues, and one side may well have to relent in the coming days if Rovers are to get done the business that’s not only wanted, but required. That’s without discussing finances.

And on the latter, given the ongoing fire sale at Turf Moor, which could see Scott Parker have to sell his luxury touchline jacket to help chip in, could now be a good time to play them? Is there even such a thing?

As for matters on the pitch, things have stayed consistent, 10 players have started all three games thus far, and only 17 used in all (the joint-fewest in the division).

A few players could well extend their starting runs for some time, particularly given the lack of competition in certain areas, and it is that depth which will be of concern to Eustace.

Yet his changes have impacted the game in all three matches, with his trio of subs netting in the opening night win over Derby County, while goals from replacements in the last two matches have rescued three points.

I’m still not sold on the balance of the side from an attacking perspective, with Joe Rankin-Costello and Ryan Hedges on the right and left flanks respectively with Tyrhys Dolan operating centrally, but working out life after Sam Szmodics was never going to be straightforward.

Gueye and Ohashi’s strengths appear to be at opposing end of the attacking attributes scale, so using them as a strike partnership could prove to be a good balance.

There is still plenty to iron out in terms of how the team will look stylistically and personnel wise, but as a collective, they do seem to be working for their head coach.

I was going to offer the caveat that Rovers’ start has been a relatively gentle one, but will stop short of making that point given Rovers’ record against newly-promoted sides. They have six from six against Derby County and now Oxford, only two fewer than they had picked up from the 12 matches against newly-promoted sides in the previous two seasons.

And ahead of the next game, worth a mention that Eustace picked up seven points out of nine in the three games he managed against recently relegated Premier League sides.

Apologies in advance if my apology ruins everything.