The Championship is a slog and clog from the outset, and what tends to determine altitude is attitude, and as we know, football players' attitude is determined by confidence and confidence itself comes from results. So, following that logic, we desperately need to get some decent results on the board early on in the season, and build from there. As others have eloquently (and empirically) pointed out above, we are certainly somewhat diminished in terms of personnel (numbers, proven quality, experience etc) and are therefore approaching the new season as something of an unknown. Except, of course, we know that some sides have taken steps to strengthen their playing staff (Derby for one will be an interesting watch this coming campaign). Your attitude determines your altitude. Buckle up, and buckle in. But don't Buckle!! Bottle!! VENKYS OUT

Of course we are weaker than last year - in attacking areas. The loss of Dolan/Weimann and the loanees Dennis and Woodrow (who granted were shit but potentially should have been better than they were) means we are 4 established championship players lighter up top than last May. How is that not weaker? You certainly can't argue that DeNeve is an adequate attacking replacement for any of them.

I think we'll do ok pre-xmas and then the usual post xmas collapse. We'll be no where near the play offs this time around though, 15th - 20th with the club narrative that we are in a "transitional phase" pushed out constantly.

I think most might say we've over achieved and reality will bite at some point it only takes one bad start to a season and it'll be hard to recover. However to be fair to the squads and past 3 gaffers we always seem well prepared to get stuck in from the off before it all catches up with us again. No reason that should be any different this time although a word of caution good pre season results might lead to a bit of dawdling in recruitment.

I agree, the only real push back is that we thought we had a terrible squad last year and ended up having quite a good season. On the whole as a supporter base we have not been very good at judging how competitive our squad is. Its tended to perform abetter than we anticipate. So we live in hope of this trend continuing.

Got a link?

In my watching years and trying for a balanced team: Friedel Berg Hendry Nelsen Le Saux Ripley Dunn Flitcroft Duff Shearer Bellamy Bit worried about the defensive abilities on the left flank - that's one of the reasons Flitty is in there. Almost went for Batty as he was brilliant at covering Le Saux - at least until they started fighting each other 😉 Feel a bit guilty about no pre-92 (other than Big Col) in there. Just think nowadays Duff would probably play on the right!! Maybe another theme is best pre-Walkers team and best post-Walkers team. Although the second of those might makes some of us almost suicidal!!

The JDT version of JRC is a miss - alas we haven't seen that player for a few years. He also couldn't play CM - they tried to play him there a few times and he was poor.

Indeed. They are just very lucky to be situated where they are. As a reminder there’s as many league clubs between a handful of junctions of the M65 as there is in the whole north east of England.

I mentioned we needed to replace Weimann and Dolan in my original post that you quoted. Not sure why you’re repeating that here, that’s already factored in. Wharton and McLoughlin have effectively replaced Batth. We have no idea how that will pan out so to say we’re weaker is wrong as it’s unknowable. In every other position we are at least as strong, but in no way are we obviously weaker. Please list the exact positions we are weaker and explain why?

We're weaker in attack - lost Dolan and Weimann (14 goals and 8 assists in the league between the two of them - do you think we've replaced that?) We're weaker at CB - we lost our best one from last season, we have a replacement granted, but it will be a huge ask to replicate Batth's presence for us. We've lost JRC - perhaps not a first-teamer, but regardless he is a utility player who can fit in RB, CM, RW - crucial in the Championship as we see every year with our relentless injuries Besides, I said at a stretch we could say we're on a par. Try and tell me where we're stronger than last season, CM perhaps is the only answer. Again, we've lost 20+ goal/assists from last season, and not even had a sniff at replacing them.

What you on about? They've always been a bunch of entitled insufferable twats. Just another small club pretending to be something important.

No offence but you’re one of the ‘everything’s shit’ guys so the context would be lost on you.

The Kinks - You Really Got Me

Where is this from?

Sorry tell me where we've improved our squad? Not one player has been upgraded?

I don’t think it’s a stretch at all. Go position for position and tell me where we are weaker both in terms of first team and squad?

Last season proved you don’t need a 20+ goal striker to have a good season. Did anyone even reach double figures in league goals?

£250,000,000 would feed the gaza strip and Africa. Sports gone out the game money talks.

I think at a stretch we could say the squad is on a par with last season, IF we replace Dolan (7 goals and 6 assists last season, impressive for non-set piece taker), AND we keep Brittain (unlikely) BUT, we are then just 1 year away from Travis, Hyam, Brittain and Tronstad (lets add Hedges too given he starts more than he doesn't) all leaving on a free transfer - and if that doesn't change soon, then you can bet your bottom dollar the first 4 will all be off next summer - and by god that squad will look like League 1 standard then.

Derby have agreed with the £3,000,000 asking price for Brittain, how many is that now gone to Derby Weiman, Batt, Brittain and if you count Owen Beck who was at Ewood last season we will be playing Rovers away at pride park.

Looks like we aren't making a big marquee signing this year, so once again I think we are pinning some hope on one of the players stepping up a gear and becoming the main man. Last season Cantwell was disappointing, but he's got the ability if we can get him playing/find a system that suits him a little better. Ohashi did astonishingly well last season when you consider that he had played a more or less full (?) J league season and then immediately went straight into our team without a break, let alone the cultural shift playing outside of Japan, language barrier etc. - but hopefully after a well earned break and now he's settled in he should be able to kick on. At the moment I don't think we have significantly weakened our first 11 (squad is debatable) - so if either of them can step it up this season and give us an attacking talisman we could be in a stronger position than last season. We need someone to have that one season ala Szmodics, BBD, Armstrong etc. We've got very lucky with this approach since promotion from league 1, the wheels will fall off at some point. If it isn't one of those two I'm not sure who our wild card is, Kargbo maybe?

Blackburn isn't Manchester, and we are certainly not England's 10th city! Friend of mine (Chelsea fan) says Man City have offered £149 million for one player (Palmer), which they have rejected, but they will take £250 million. The game is corrupted beyond any semblance of decency or morality. So I suppose a player moving from a well supported team in the relative backwaters of the Polish leagues to a second tier shambles for a few Zlotys more is easily explained... And it will, of course, only be a few Zlotys. But as you rightly point out, there is the opportunity to join a far more lucrative gravy train as a result of being in a better shop window. Money. Its a gas.

Is the delay because FF can’t decide on the exact profanities used when Pasha was excoriated? Or is it more mundane than that?

Little Richard - I Don’t Know What You’ve Got ( But It’s Got Me ).