I think it’s been pretty much played down, the implications of the court case. That is the one regarding the misuse of funds, not the owners going to court to get the need for a bond removed. I have to admit, that I have been in the dark about the implications on this and wonder if you are able to expand on it, in particular if they are likely to face fraud charges.

Not sure if it was posted elsewhere but I saw this last week. If this goes in the direction the players want I expect a lot of clubs are going to be completely unable to compete. Of course for now it is very much up in the air. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy5prnpy142o

On the bench this evening - according to comments its their reserve side O'Riordan - score/update

Hedges much too important to risk in a cup game. If he were to get injured we’d have no right wingers…oh, what’s that you say?

Venky’s and Pasha want him, but the agents don’t. It makes perfect sense. I will be surprised if he doesn’t reappear, but how will that then go down with Ismael, after his comments that are in the public domain?

In addition to weaker relegated sides, the promoted sides are likely going to be much stronger than recent years too. Will likely be an exciting promotion race but we'll be nowhere near this time.

Or Hanlon’s?

Even against a League One team that line-up terrifies me.

I normally like to see the youngsters get a run out, but realistically we need to get the new signings up to speed and bedded in. Wouldn't be surprised to see something like Michalski Alebiosu Miller Wharton Pickering Tavares (idk, maybe Forshaw) Hedges Henriksson Kargbo Gueye And then plan to bring Tyjon, Montgomery etc. off the bench for some minutes

7.45pm

kickoff time ?

I think that might be what it is. The rumour was that somebody removed him way back, maybe 10 years ago, to trim down the coaching staff. Only for him to be reinstated by Pasha, with both of them going to Pune to get it sealed. He has since been promoted and has become the eyes and ears of Pasha around the place and also appears to be part of a coaching package that new managers have to accept. He has connections to the old agency crew, but I think that might just be coincidence. The logical explanation has to be that Pasha and Co rate him as a coach and want to keep him around for as long as possible. We know how loyal they are to those they like. Take Kean for example. The issue here for me is, if he has been sacked/released, as mentioned a few weeks back in the LT...who has made this decision and why does Pasha not know about it? He's the head honcho here and a trusted Venky employee. Why is the news a surprise to him? (as suggested in the latest minutes). If he wasn't pretending to be surprised before the forum and he genuinely didn't know, it could add weight to the theory that he is just a face here and that the real string pullers are elsewhere. Another poster shared an opinion that there might be two opposing camps in the building and that this is why there are often tales of 'power struggles'. I'm of the same view. In my opinion, it feels as if we have a 'normal' camp and a 'numbers' camp. The 'normal' camp is the one the public sees and hears from. This camp consists of 'normal' footballing people operating under 'normal' football principles i.e ambition, trying to win, strategy, having plans in place, a desire for promotion etc. I think the likes of JDT, Broughton, Eustace, Ismael and Rudy are in this camp. The people in this camp come here thinking we are a 'normal club' and expect to find normality, but they are always left disappointed in the end. Then there's the 'numbers' camp which remains largely in the background and are seemingly headed by one individual. The same individual with the old agency links that never seem to go away, hence why, even if it's just theory and there's nothing to it, the coincidences appear to keep on leading back towards this direction. It's been a theme for many years...that things run 'normally' for a short while, everybody's aligned, fans, manager and players, optimism is in the air, then boom. Camp two strikes, whether that be because the 'numbers' can't be met for new signings, can't increase wages, can't push for promotion due to funds, can't meet what the manager is demanding or expecting etc and we always end up going back to square one. Cue the infighting between the "positive v negative" divide in the fanbase. A new 'project', a new 'journey'. More ins and outs. Who wins here? It has been like this for a very long time. So who exactly is winning out of the constant churns and resets?

Is he fully fit though? Played ten minutes last Saturday after recovering from injury. Wouldn't start him but rather have him play final half hour or something. Same goes for Miller.

There is a potential criminal case about tax fraud lurking if they don't fight in the Civil Courts. What they have apparently been tripped up on- mischaracterising a domestic property purchase and a lavish party to get more favourable tax treatment is incredibly petty for such a wealthy family. I am certain their tax advisors in India would never have sanctioned this.

It's been that long since I bought a physical ticket, I genuinely forgot that they exist - it's just more convenient (for me) to buy online and have the electronic ticket on my phone. Anyway, I'm hopeful of an entertaining game tonight, seeing players like Kargbo and Gueye. Would be nice to see Michalski and Tyjon in particular, being probably the 2 highest rated kids from the Academy (in the first team squad). Looking at the online ticket thing earlier, the JW looked fairly decent in terms of sales, as of about 4pm tonight.

Surely Tavares starts in the middle?

I really can’t accept it’s a pride thing. Going to the trouble of a court hearing, having all the negative press and alerting the authorities, must be a worry. If it was a pride thing, surely they would turn up at Ewood too and show the people how proud they are of the ownership, but nothing in all these years.

Guess some of the youngsters will start tonight. Predicted XI: Michalski Montgomery Hyam Wharton Pickering Travis Tronstad Hedges Tyjon Kargbo Gueye Of course, they might decide not to play Travis if there's a pending transfer going on.

No but on Exiled's and Andy's obviously! 🙂

And every one of those events will have earned agents a nice fee. So it might not have been multiple ownership but more a case of absent careless owners and agent Pasha haymaking. If Lowe has the owners' ear then it would appear Pasha has tried to further increase his grip on the club by removing a mole as he would see him and has at least half-failed. This would suggest Pasha is not entirely trusted to run Rovers by whichever member(s) of the quartet still takes any notice of their Blackburn subsidiary.

Richard Anthony - Too Late To worry

5-0 Rovers, big Mak to open the scoring with his left arse cheek I may have had a cocktail or 2 in the sun this afternoon

I don't think that'll be up on KentExile's wall somehow 😂😉

I always get a bit anxious playing lower league sides in the cups. We've had plenty of embarrassing scalpings before.