The reasons Rovers find themselves in the position they do are plentiful, most of which filter down from the very top. As for on the pitch, taking seven points from a possible 30 against the sides directly below them in the table, winning just one of those 10 corresponding fixtures, tells its own ugly story.

The latest episode came in the 3–1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, a desperately poor game decided by some even poorer mistakes.

There was plenty of chat when Rovers opted to give the entirety of the Darwen End to Sheffield Wednesday supporters. My main thought, as it was when the offer of ‘away fan hospitality’ was forthcoming in the week, is wishing there was as much of a push to fill the other three stands at Ewood Park as there seemingly is the Darwen End.

I’d also like Rovers to be at a point whereby having a sold-out away end against them didn’t have to be viewed as the terrifying disadvantage that it is.

One of the reasons I was a believer in Jon Dahl Tomasson was not only the free-flowing football or the Danish charm, but that I felt there was an ambition burning away inside him wanting to lift the standards of those around him if they didn’t match his own, and a willingness to make decisions that might not always be the most popular in search of it.

I thought that would help Rovers overcome their mental barriers, and while 18 months in charge wasn’t enough to bring about a sea of change, I felt in time he would build a squad of players that would.

Why I believed the win at Leeds was so pivotal was because of the lack of faith I had of getting what was required in the crunch six-pointer that was to follow. If the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday wasn’t entirely predictable then you haven’t been following closely enough.

A point may well have been enough to secure Rovers’ Championship status for another season, and from start to finish it felt like that was the aim.

The performance was every bit of a concern as the result, and yet again leaves them in the position whereby the outcome of other results may well matter as much as their own if they do not take care of their own business.

Should Rovers preserve their Championship status then it will need to be an almighty effort, some creative marketing, positive messaging and affordability, when it comes to season tickets that are still to go on sale, and not simply relying on people’s loyalty.

The finances associated with being a Championship club in 2024/25 will be more lucrative than ever, but ticketing will still likely equate to at least 20 per cent of Rovers’ income, and I worry about the lasting impact of the way this season has tailed off.

Only three teams in the division have won fewer home games than Rovers’ six, and with two of those coming in the first three Ewood fixtures, it’s 18 points collected from the last 19 games on home soil. Only two sets of supporters have seen their side concede more at home. Right now, there’s not much to be excited about. Fortress Ewood has long been forgotten.

Rovers supporters don’t suffer fools, they can cut through the bullshit easily. While social media has changed the ‘judging the fanbase mood landscape’, look beyond that and I still find the Rovers regulars to be a loyal and supportive bunch.

Yet the Eustace era has got off to a tricky start.

Maybe I value their worth more than most, but press conferences are a great, you could say only, way of a manager connecting with supporters, and putting their personality across.

Tony Mowbray and Jon Dahl Tomasson were emotive characters, there wasn’t much reading between the lines required, and their personalities often shone through with their answers.

That same connection hasn’t been felt with Eustace, and maybe that’s his personality trait too.

He’s certainly not looked to rock the boat at any point, at least publicly, and while that will be appreciated in the dressing room, there leaves a nagging doubt about being a lack of responsibility and accountability.

Mistakes do happen, you’ll likely have come across plenty if you’ve reached this point, no-one means for them, and being vilified as a result is obviously wrong. But at some point, from someone, somewhere, there has to be an acceptance of responsibility, or potentially a consequence at the end of it, not to just allow the same mistakes to be repeated time and again.

How has a team, coached for 18 months to play out from the back at every potential opportunity, now looking so uncomfortable and nervy when in possession in their own defensive third?

Any semblance of patterns of play seems to have gone, and while the creative force of Ryan Hedges has been a loss, the team looks devoid of ideas when asked to come up with anything meaningful as an attacking force.

Where I have sympathy with Eustace is the options available to him. Rovers have signed 14 players this season, nine permanently five on loan. James Hill returned to Bournemouth in January, Niall Ennis was sold to Stoke City in the same window, taking us to 12, two of which (Arnor Sigurdsson and John Fleck) are out injured.

Of the remaining 10, only one, Sondre Tronstad, started against the Owls, with three more (Andy Moran, Ben Chrisene, Yasin Ayari) getting the final five minutes.

Leo Wahlstedt, Kyle McFadzean, Billy Koumetio and Semir Telalovic were unused substitutes, while Conor O’Riordan, a £500,000 January addition, didn’t make the squad.

This season, a combined 124 Championship starts (a quarter of which have been made by Tronstad), with eight league goals and 13 assists between them.

The failure to address the longstanding striker issue meant turning down an offer for Sam Gallagher in the final six months of his contract (one which will now be triggered for a further year on his current wage at a time when finances are precious). Meanwhile, 24-year-old Semir Telalovic, with only a handful of senior appearances to his name, being unused in such a pivotal fixture when Rovers’ need was desperate isn’t the greatest show of faith.

Let’s hope the need for lessons to be learned will be done so without the consequence being the most avoidable of relegations.