“What happens in both boxes is what matters, what happens inbetween is just propaganda”.

The wordsmith to be credited for such a quote is PNE manager Paul Heckingbottom, and it struck a chord having watched Rovers’ defeat to Stoke City.

Rovers were masters of their own downfall, failing to convert any of their 25 shots, or 62 per cent possession, at one end, while looking a yard off at the pace at the back to offer up two opportunities that the Potters took.

The propaganda part it may be, but there were still plenty of aspects of Rovers’ play that I was encouraged by.

The way they opened up the pitch to get at the Stoke backline, got Cantwell on the ball in promising positions, the switches of play, Callum Brittain’s advanced positioning on the right, were all things to pick out as positives.

Yet in the final third, whether it be lack of quality, confidence, a combination of the two, or simply decision-making, they were found badly lacking.

I have been calling for Rovers to greater utilise the №10 position, and felt Cantwell did just that in a way that previous incumbents hadn’t.

That helped greater utilise the width and exploiting the flanks looked akin to the way Rovers’ beat the Potters back in March.

Stoke looked there for the taking, particularly in the first half, but Rovers failed to take advantage.

When they weren’t profligate infront of goal, and managed to find the target, they were met by Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, for me the best goalkeeper in the division, in inspired form.

Stops from Tyrhys Dolan and Andi Weimann, twice, in the second half, were superb, but there were other chances from which Rovers shouldn’t have given him a chance.

The collective groan around Ewood came as substitute Makhtar Gueye headed down into the ground, but over the bar, the chance that many have been crying out for him to receive, framed as ‘playing to his strength’.

Gueye’s strength to me has been just that, holding up the ball and occupying defenders, but from the tame shot straight at the keeper from a promising position on the opening game win over Derby County, to the missed header, there hasn’t been much to suggest there is a natural goalscorer in there.

Yuki Ohashi looked to be that out-and-out finisher in his early appearances, and to his credit keeps putting himself in the firing line, but appears to be trying too hard on occasion, and taking too many touches on others.

I can’t see Eustace playing them together, likely feeling he will be giving up too much from a team perspective should he do that.

For the last six matches they have replaced each other, rather than being used as a pairing, and that would seem unlikely to change.

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When I opened up Soccerbase to search for Rovers’ previous four-game run without a goal, I was surprised that I only had to go back to early 2022.

Then, as promotion hopes began to evaporate, Rovers went five games without a goal, netting only twice during an 11-game spell that included a cameo appearance up front from Daniel Ayala.

Game 12 in that sequence was the 3–1 win over Derby County, the first 45 minutes of which saw Bradley Johnson utilised as a false nine.

I can’t quite see Eustace thinking quite so much outside the box to cure the current scoring issues, though it may well take something on current form.

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As for where it leaves Rovers, it is 19 points from 14 games, five wins, four draws, five defeats, 16 goals scored and the same conceded. At the same stage last season, Rovers also had 19 points, with one more win and two more defeats. They had scored four more, but conceded seven more too.

At the current points per game, Rovers would finish on 62, well safe of any trouble.

But as last season showed, and the current projection, there is a feeling that Rovers will be very grateful of those picked up in the early weeks when it comes to the final calculations.

Downward spirals are too familiar for Rovers fans, and even at this stage of a poor run, there will be concern about the same happening again.

With Hayden Carter out for the remainder of the 2024, and with it any mobility in the defensive line, and issues at the other end, I can understand why some would consider it panic stations.

I’m not there, certainly not yet, even with recent history.

However, I do fear my concern at the start of the season that at some point the lack of investment in the team would ultimately catch up with Rovers, may be coming true, even if they don’t pay the ultimate price this season.

Previously, Rovers have relied on others to step up and fill the void of an outgoing talisman, but in the forward areas, I didn’t think anyone under contract had the ability, or was ready, to do that this time around. It was always going to take reinvestment, and having not done that in the summer, trying to do so in January will cost, though not doing so could prove more costly.