You have to offer a new deal on at least the same money or the option to extend and kick the can down the road for another 12 months isn't valid I dont think I used to joke with the likes of Dolan that any new contract offer would probably be whatever he was previously on plus a fiver. With this news about Hyam, maybe it wasn't even that!

Finneran did the right thing getting away from this club at the first opportunity. He's not even 18 yet so no huge surprise that he isn't with the under 21's there yet.

I'm seeing comments on X " no player is bigger than the club"...Pasha is pissing himself - What a fanbase we have.

Laughable. I love Big Mak's personality but more often than not he looks totally out of his depth in this league. Yuki has done OK but he's not an Arma, Szmodics, or even BBD.

Great post. It's heartbreaking to see numerous longstanding supporters sadly reach this conclusion. In recent years I keep saying that you think you've seen it all but they somehow manage to surpass themselves time and time again. First of all going back a few years the proposed scam about converting part of Brockhall into housing with detailed housing plans and a vague promise of replacement with some new all singing all dancing facility about which there was no detail whatsoever. Then the failure to tie down our better players at the time Lenihan/Rothwell/ Nyambe/ Brereton etc Then the successive January transfer window debacle with high value incoming deals being scuppered at the last minute by alleged administrative errors or "a failure to press send". Outgoing deals meanwhile completely unaffected. On the Mcguire deal Broughton renegotiates a loan with a view on horrendously bad terms we'd never meet after the original permanent deal is pulled. Once that loan deal collapses as well we issue a promise to go back in the following window to rectify the situation and of course that's the last we hear of that. Surely nothing could get more embarrassing than that could it? Buckle up! Two successive head Coaches who have done really well force their way out of the Club the second taking the absolutely unprecedented step of leaving a Club in the play off positions for one in the relegation zone because he felt the long term prospects were better there. Then it seems we're set to lose at least six of that side that did so well last season plus a useful squad member because we won't meet their financial demands. The Head Coach seemingly attempting to throw said outgoing players under the bus shortly after apparently wrongly claiming another coach at the Club was leaving when it was not the case. It's like watching a car crash unfurl in front of you which escalates and causes untold additional collateral damage and there's nothing whatsoever you can do about it. Apologies if on wrong thread.

So hang on.... If I'm reading this right. They've offered one of our senior players exactly the same money, for what is essentially an extra 12-months on his current deal. I bet him and his agent were flabbergasted. Who in their right mind would sign that, when in 12 months time he'll very comfortably get a move to another championship club, probably on improved terms as there would be no transfer fee. That's not a contract offer, that's just idiocy, and an insult.

Unwillingness, not inability.

Long contracts on decent wages were also given to Adam Wharton, Szmodics, Travis, Hyam, Brittain.. before Venkys pulled the plug You win some, you lose some, and if we look on a purely cost/benefit basis, I think overall, they are well up

150th year and it appears our Club is falling apart.

The Venky’s fire sale is well and truly started. Admittedly only small scraps of wood left to throw on now but looks to me like they’re cashing in on all remaining assets…

This Idea is better than boycotting completely.

Can you bulk up?

Mid you the two of you look like someone had mischievously just told you that Venky's were selling up!!

They will be at least a couple of goals up before we even look like creating a chance.

Honestly, I do see a relegation team. Even more so if Travis and Hyam leave. There just isn't enough reliable Championship experience. Aside from that I think we massively lack in creativity, have no real goalscoring threat and no squad depth whatsoever. If we stay up then fair enough, Ismael will have done well.

Be more there defending them than getting angry at them anyway.

Even if those 2 cretins do show up at the Jack Walker memorial it is vital that they are ignored and nothing said to them. if the memorial turns nasty it will give them the perfect opportunity to blame the fans again

Axel Henriksson got 4 years if my memory serves me correcly. In hindsight giving out those contract deals was a big mistake and I can understand owners/management being reluctant and trying to learn by past mistakes and try to avoid the same hapening. The problem is that it is NO WHERE IN BETWEEEN! Either its Ronaldinho coming, splashing cash, giving out new contracts like drunken sailors or complete misery and full stop Mismanaged and poorly run football club.

Agreed, we all have a decision to make at some point along this winding road which ends with a cliff-edge as to whether we can in good conscience continue to throw our money, time and energy into such an organisation. A limited, honest poor, struggling club, poor standard of football, lower leagues I can accept. What I cannot accept is a lack of effort, pride, lies, disgraceful mismanagement and conduct. Some continue to live in la la land but for me the way this regime has treated the fans, its staff, players, the women's team, Eustace, JDT, the signings that we pulled the plug on at the 11th hour - all abhorrent shameful episodes presided over by charlatans of the highest order

It’s been the case for years that we have always opened negotiations with our established players by offering them the exact same money for an extended period. Was the case with Lenihan and Nyambe, both of which were declined but further negotiations didn’t happen “because of covid”. Then it became too late. It improved under Broughton as Suhail was too far removed from the process, which he won’t have liked. It went Broughton - Waggott - Babu. Broughton actually got some deals done (although one of the main reasons he was dispatched with was he was seen to be too generous with contracts. Wahlstead was nearly our highest paid player, Jake Batty was on several times more than all other youngsters, JRC got a huge pay hike). Reckless spending, or bringing our wage structure up to the going rate? With Broughton gone things initially went Waggott - Babu - Suhail, then simply Gestede + Suhail. Last summer there were attempts to get Szmodics to stay by treating him as an exceptional circumstance and obliterating the fairly loose wage structure. He was certainly open to discussing it, but too much dithering from Venky’s end meant the Ipswich move became inevitable. Before the end of last season there was an idea to offer Dolan a hefty loyalty payment - basically a big (million plus) signing on fee to incentivise him to sign on lower wages than he could get elsewhere. Dolan and his Dad were open to this - the offer was never put in writing. Travis and Hyam will all have been given contact offers a while ago - extensions on the same money. No follow up will have taken place after the initial rejections so Rovers can say “we offered them a deal”. This is Suhail 101. Gestede was always a Suhail man, but he further ingratiated himself with the signings of Ohashi and Gueye. Yuki took a pay cut to come to England. Gueye came from the notoriously poorly paid Belgian League. Between Suhail and Gestede they have now decided that there is no need to pay more than 10k a week for a player with those two as their proof. 11 “A” players on a max of 10k. 11 “B” Players on a max of 6k. And 11 Young players on a max of 1k. Any exceptions will be phased out.

I understand Rooney being upset with Brady's words and his portrayal in the Birmingham promotional series. It was a bit cowardly to do that without giving Rooney any chance to put his side across. From the "documentary" we have no idea why Rooney was hired or what he was attempting to implement, nor do the owners show any real understanding of their culpability beyond Brady's brief remark on changing too much too soon (and then proceeding to blame the players anyway). Rooney saying he inherited a mess is baffling, though, considering they were 6th and had won Eustace's last match there comfortably.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

Was more geared towards, we might have a shit start but our season will turn eventually it has to. I don't think out team will send us to relegation? I think there's enough there to keep us afloat but can't see us going for a playoff spot either

That looks more in line with what Lutons accounts indicate, but will again, like all of these sort of sites, be an educated guess (at best)