All Activity

We know!

Transfer history over the past five seasons: Summer transfer window 25/26 Net profit: £ 3.4 million Winter transfer window 24/25 Net expenditure: £ 1 million Summer transfer window 24/25 Net profit: £ 8 million Winter transfer window 23/24 Net profit: £ 17.6 million Summer transfer window 23/24 Net profit: £ 3.5 million Winter transfer window 22/23 Net profit/expenditure: £ 0 Summer transfer window 22/23 Net expenditure: £ 5 million Winter transfer window 21/22 Net expenditure: £ 650 K Summer transfer window 21/22 Net profit: £ 14.2 million Winter transfer window 20/21 Net expenditure: £ 600 K Summer transfer window 20/21 Net expenditure: £ 900 K Net profit over the past five seasons (including this year's summer transfer window): £ 38.55 million Biggest signing during this period: Sammie Szmodics (£ 2.5 million) Biggest sale during this period: Adam Wharton (£ 17.5 million) Total transfer expenditure during this period (year over year): 1.5 + 1.1 + 5 + 1.7 + 4.5 + 8.5 = £ 22.3 million Total transfer income during this period (year over year): 0 + 14.65 + 0 + 22.8 + 11.5 + 11.9 = £ 60.85 million Percentage of player sales reinvested back into the squad during this period: 36,6 % Reported player wage bill for season 2024-25: £ 12 million (17th in the Championship) Some important notes to make from all of this: - We seem to have been cutting wages for some time now, making it harder to attract good players. - We no longer have any 'high-profile' players in the club that the team can rely on for goalscoring purposes (Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Szmodics etc.). - We seem to have 'burnt bridges' (i.e. damaged our reputation) among domestic players (including some of our own) after the Eustace debacle last season. I see this as one of the main reasons as to why players like Brittain, Hyam, Batth, Travis and Dolan never extended their contracts (apart from any salary demands). Could also be a reason as to why our recruitment focus has shifted lately to mainly look at foreign players. We also seem to no longer be able to attract high-quality loans from PL clubs (the likes of van Hecke, Adarabioyo, Elliott etc.) even though the club will never admit it. - Club will always be in a 'transition' mode if we're not able to renew contracts or convincing key players to stay. Natural consequences of not being able to renew contracts will be high player turnover every other season, lack of consistency in terms of performances on the pitch and lack of team cohesion. - We don't make any statements on the transfer market by spending 'big money' on a single player. Nine other clubs in the Championship have spent more than £ 5 million on a single player this summer transfer window alone. Thirteen clubs have outspent us this summer as well despite our income from player sales. - We've been relegated on the last two occasions when our centerback pairing has been sold (Jones/Samba back in season 11/12, Hanley/Duffy back in season 16/17). During this summer, we've lost Hyam/Batth. Hopefully, history won't repeat itself for a third time...

Bloody hell that’s a new low, so that’s 3 games in the league with 0 points and 0 goals scored and then an 8-0 loss in the cup against Chorley!

If it was obvious it wasn’t going to happen, is that it then? Or should we maybe try the going rate? Players of ours don’t even need to go to teams at the top of the league to earn their dues, teams finishing below us last season pay more. Doesn’t that indicate a problem above?

Again, I am saying what the decision IMO should have been. You are just taking everything literally and assuming that if the club did it, then its probably correct. Equally, replacing Travis with an injured loanee doesnt make sense.

They were always signing Baradji, and Travis, by his own admission, wasn't offered a contract. That sorts that out. Hyam, I agree with you regarding the timing , but if it wasn't too good to turn down, why didn't they turn it down ?

That is exactly the MO here at rovers buy cheap hope they play well sell on for profit ideally put money back into “running costs” and give a new coach (after previous one leaves due to lack of ambition after 1 &1/2 transfer windows) a nominal sum to spend in their first window rinse repeat

Aye, good point. I'm guessing that is where they'd use the selling option.

Whether Dolan was likely to go or not wasn't the question. Again, you're trying to isolate each player as a one-off, an anomaly. The truth of the matter is that the spine of our team has left and their contract status has had a part to play in all of them, to greater or lesser extents. Signing cheap players on comparatively low contracts does not disprove that. We HAD to sign players or we wouldn't have been able to fill the bench. The greater signifier is the amount of starters that over the next 12 months will have to be sold or will leave on a free. Because nothing has changed. No lessons have been learned. The king is dead, long live the king.

It wasnt too good to turn down for Hyam. Maybe you could argue earlier in the window. But his value to us massively increased so late in the window. Take Guehi as an example. £40m was a great offer for someone who will otherwise leave for free. But they couldnt get a replacement so had to keep him. That £2.7m taken will be offset by a much greater risk of relegation. There wasnt clearly any chance of getting any of them to sign because we cant sort the contracts of current players. Which is a massive problem that undermines any other plans we have, and any other decisions we make. He played Travis in every game and he remained as his captain. Theres no suggestion that he was happy to move him on as if he had fallen behind in the "plan."

8-0 defeat vs Chorley for the ladies today. To call their treatment a disgrace by the club is a huge understatement. The club can't even be arsed updating their page on X.

Cantwell and Toth will be difficult because both will have good seasons and have interest from clubs with ambition

For what it's worth,in my opinion , Dolan was never a chance, he was always going no matter what. He said he tried to keep Britain, that one upset him. Ismael was always replacing Travis, hence the "what contract?" comment. £2.7 million was simply too good to turn down for Hyam. But it isn't just those 4 that have left.

What is a loans manager judged on though? Genuine question by the way.

I'm trying to see it as they are. They're obviously not going to give everyone a 4 and 5 year deal. The players you mentioned, I'm guessing, will be on the lower scale and should be easier/cheaper to renew if they're still wanted. Some players are also just allowed to run out of contract at every club.

Sure, it's a possibility that VI was happy to let Hyam, Brittain, Trav and Dolan go. It's slimmer than a gnats pube, but it's a possibility.

Or they go and trot about in a Mickey mouse league overseas for a couple of years picking up a fortune. Fair play to them, make the most of it I say. Unfortunately this trend has had an immeasurably detrimental effect on the game as a whole. The skill and experience that was once spread about teams in the lower leagues by top level pros dropping down to keep playing is now all but gone.

Offer better terms and also offer deals earlier. I know it is obvious that its not happening. We clearly arent offering competitive Championship wages hence why only Ribeiro has signed a deal in 2 years from our first team. And believe it or not, thats my grievance.

The errors continue and they feel like they can blame previous coaches it’s ridiculous we all know the real issue at the club

By "sort out contracts", you mean give them better terms. It's obvious that wasn't going to happen. I've never claimed Ismael was happy to let any players go, I just said it's a possibility. You didn't even think to consider it an option.

🤣🤣

However, the injury is likely only anywhere near as bad as it is because the stupid bastards insisted on continuing to play him whilst he was carrying it last season. That's how you get a recurring injury.

You are making massive assumptions, including assuming massive wage demands, and are also trying to pull the debate off onto tangents about individual players. Again, the worry is that we havent got a new deal sorted for any key player in years. Its not one or two, its EVERYONE. So that suggests that even if its true that we would have to "break our wage structure" to get any to sign. Then our wage structure is too restrictive to begin with. And it wont help that we wait so long to offer deals in the first place. You are fixated by this Ismael throwing him under the bus situation. Yes, I still think the same but its not very important in the grand scheme of things, its not the problem. Ismael had question marks over man management at previous clubs and with incidents like that and also the Pears one, I can see why. Obviously you after a blip are fully in defence of everything he does, but in this case as I said its not a big deal and not the problem so dont fixate over it.

When me and Sonny leave in January this is what you'll be left with.

Im sure there'll be net savings on incidentals as well but Im not really bothered by that. I just can't get my head round anyone trying to spin a £2.5m trading surplus over the summer as a £4m - £5m overspend on a £5m transfer budget. To me that would mean purchases of £9m and sales of zero. Each to their own though.