Won’t be us and that’s the problem. Terrible ownership often ends just like we are seeing at Sheff Wed (see also Reading in recent times), but the apt word is ‘ends’. Here, I only forsee us limping on, zombie style, but with ‘the lights on’ for ever and a day.

I have never gotten this footballers career is short. They work about a third of what an average person works, but in that time they earn ten times as much.

What an absolute mess. Gotta feel for those that are involved and of course, the long suffering fans as well. Feels like this could easily be us, Venky's just turn off the taps and let the club to implode. Once again though, you've gotta be asking serious questions of the Footballing authorities, another club that has been a disaster for long enough and now it's finally reached the tipping point, how have they allowed it to get to this state?

The Housemartins - There’s Always Something There To Remind Me

Thanks Matty! But that doesn’t fit Chaddy’s agenda

My understanding was that all deals including loans run until the end of June as per contracted players but I can't find anything to substantiate it.

The main thing is Derby have ambition , we don't !

A break in play for adverts obviously would impact match day supporters.

I remember talking to John Williams about financing a squad. He pointed out that there were two options. You either limit the wages paid individually to all players (in effect a wage cap) meaning you could have a bigger squad, or you paid the going rate and brought in a number of potentially better players but had to survive with a smaller squad. He opted for the second option. I agree with that. I guess the point is that there are different ways of managing player salaries within the same budget. Implementing a wage cap is just a choice. In my opinion a wrong choice.

Not a chance. He didn't even want it. He's comfortable at the level he's at and it paid off.

At a normal Club, Dolan and Batth would have been re-signed without as much as a second thought. It would just have been a by line in passing in the local rag that they'd penned new deals.

But still more attractive than we are apparently. Bit of a worry eh?

And having some mates with him helps.

No--they live on what they earned, partly at least.

The big unknown is what Dolan is asking for. He probably doesn’t feel valued by Rovers based on what they’ve offered, but he/his agent might have miscalculated what he’s capable of getting elsewhere. I can’t imagine Derby are big payers even by Championship standards, but are probably a level up from Rovers, who must now be in the bottom 2 or 3 clubs in terms of salaries.

Can only quote what you said, which was "no contact". Quite plausible that you're scenario has happened.

I’d assume that’s exactly the what’s happening. He (his agent) will have ‘tested the market’, to coin that hoary old phrase, and realised he can get better than the shite Rovers are offering.

Go and read about their finances. Their owner is not wealthy in footballing terms and he has been desperately searching for new investment for the last 12 months to help them. He's been putting in circa £13 million a year for 3 years to keep them ticking over (oh look, another club that loses an 8 figure sum every year even when they get better gates than we do and have managed to find a new owner prepared to fund it - one for the negative Venkys in people to keep in mind). You've answered half of your own question - they are going around trying to sign free agents - a clear sign of a club working to a limited budget yet still able to sign up our players. How are we skint when we've brought in £40 million from sales and spent very little of it?

‘No contact’ read ‘recent contact’. They could have offered him a £5k a week contract 2 years ago, the agent goes back and says he wants £15k ( for example) and then no contact since.

Assume we've just chucked a poor contract offer on the table, knowing he won't sign it, in order to get the compo but we won't have made any serious bid to keep him

I was talking about his time at Luton not Rovers RF99. Thought that was clear. Yes I do think he should be getting a better move than Charlton

which is does for a number of minutes, lack of communication to fans in the stadium over the decisions, etc. The changes coming in this upcoming seasons won't affect the game on the pitch

So much for move to higher level of football. If he is joining Derby then that is for Eustace who he has always been close to and help him massively with mental health problems. Since Eustace joined Derby, people including myself have always though Dolan would go there to join Eustace, Gardiner and Downing at Derby How are Derby skint when they signings players for fees and offering contracts to free agents If Derby is the only offer he has had then maybe it tell you that either his terms are too higher or other clubs don't rate him that highly. I do rate him and I would have like him to stay here long term. I have the feeling that Dolan for the 18 months he wants to move on from us. Don't we have to offer him a new contract in order to receive a compensation fee from his next club?

I'm a little unsure how to feel about the Sheffield Wednesday mess. Of course at its most basic there should be sympathy for their employees/suppliers and genuine supporters who must be deeply concerned about the state they are in, and you hope their situations are resolved. It seems some want to use it as a 'be careful what you wish for' tool as to why things are actually ok at Rovers under Venkys because, look, it could easily be worse. Personally however there's an element of jealously. That might sound crazy / ridiculous but at least with them there's an end to their misery in sight. Light at the end of the tunnel. Their situation cannot continue, it is only a matter of time before they either change ownership or the authorities intervene like they did with Reading. It might not be quick, easy or smooth but ultimately they'll break the grip of Chansiri whereas we will just continue to rot under Venkys for years more. They'll have a new future to look forward to. What have we got to look forward to under this regime?

You would certainly hope so! They'd have to be long enough to cover the play offs though. Not that we ever make them.