[Archived] A WARM SUMMER?

[TBTF]

So in all probability its Championship football again next August. So between now and then what is to be expected?

On the one hand the general feeling is progress but with disappointment that we couldn't get into the Play off frame at any stage in a pretty average division despite having the biggest budget bar QPR. Will that be good enough to persuade the loons to back this for another year in an attempt to get up next May?

A few things worth remembering.......The common belief is that our losses will have been reduced from £36million last year to maybe £25million this year so in other words it will have cost Venkys £60million over 2 seasons in the Championship plus whatever they paid in cash for the Club-was that around £25million. Whether that is debt, cash or whatever its a total outlay of £83million for a Club they have taken from mid table in The Prem to upper mid table in the league below and they have alienated a lot of fans in the bargain.

It looks like only Olsson and Dunn are out of contract this summer according to the LT so not much to suggest that we wont lose another £25million next season without further cost cutting. Oh and then there's a drop of £8million in parachute money to consider which means we have £8million of cuts to make to even ''only'' lose £25million again. There could well be 3 or 4 that they manage to get out the door and at least save some wages on but the big earners remain the big problem. Best, Etuhu,Robinson, Rhodes .Jordan we wouldn't want to lose ,the keeper we could replace if we had to but the other 2 will have cigars on for a long time yet as nobody will come close to paying them what they earn at Ewood. They only way they go will be with a big pay off which makes the potential losses even worse.

Are we about to become a selling Club? Only time will tell but who will command a fee big enough to make real inroads into the losses? And who would be the likely buyers?

Its not right to drop this on GB because he has largely inherited the situation but the wisdom of spending even some of our cash this season on Marrow, Judge, Taylor, Eastwood , Songo, Dabo, Varney, Feeney who were hardly likely to fire us to the promised land does look a bit dubious. As for the raft of Portugeezers and the crap that went on the year before ...... .the less said the better. Thanks Shebby.

So many questions to answer and the end of season love in in Pune will be interesting to say the least.

On the one hand.... dear madam D with just a little bit of cash we can get up next season .......yes but we already losing much money..

maybe we need to sell players now...... no because if we do that we will go down the league not up it.....what is that FFP thing everyone is talking about? Oh yes forgot about that..... we are not allowed to put more cash in are we?

So where to from here? If 2014/15 is last throw of the dice, is GB the experienced man to deliver it? If not, who is and then its more upheaval. New manager possibly being asked to halve costs and get us promoted at the same time ? Calling all magicians.

So this looks like being a Summer of intense heat....under several collars at least.

[IbizaRover]

keep GB, get rid of more dross, get in the players required in the summer pending a transfer embargo in Jan and carry on where we will leave this season which will be a win against Wigan on Saturday.

[den]

Good post TBTF.

Very soon things are going to drastically change if we don't get out of this league. We only need to look at our potential income once Venky's decide they've had enough. What does massive debt combined with a very, very low income equal? I do think a lot of our fans really don't grasp the seriousness of the situation.

[koi]

Next year has to be the one. The FFP rules should they be implemented will hit us hard and the BT money tap will be turned on for PL clubs in 15/16 I think so we really need a bite at that.

Think we've always been a selling club, even when Jack was running things though we were in a much better financial position and could haggle harder still didn't stop out title winning team dismantled in a relatively short period.

It's hard not to be disappointed with this season, a bit more positivity from GB and we would be firmly in the PO places HOWEVER for many this season would be about survival so from that point of view it's not been a bad season. I'm pleased we are finishing on a good run, I firmly believe how you finish the last quarter of the season is a good indication how you start the next. GB has had a full season of managing a club, he knows the players and no doubt knows where improvements are needed. His problem will be the Indian purse strings and what the Pune possie want to do. If he manages to keep the majority of the squad together and ship out the dross then I'm pretty confident we can really have a good go next season.

Anyway, when will we get the first 'new kit thread' that kicks off when the season finishes?

[gumboots]

Good post TBTF.

Very soon things are going to drastically change if we don't get out of this league. We only need to look at our potential income once Venky's decide they've had enough. What does massive debt combined with a very, very low income equal? I do think a lot of our fans really don't grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Well I do but since I can do absolutely nowt to change it there is no point banging on about it. If the worst happens it happens and it won't be our fault or anything we had one jot of influence over. It will be especially hard on those for whom rovers has been a huge part of their lives, who go there because their dad or grandad took them , but mothering on about it won't change it so were at the enjoy it while it lasts stage

[Jimmy612]

Good post TBTF.

Very soon things are going to drastically change if we don't get out of this league. We only need to look at our potential income once Venky's decide they've had enough. What does massive debt combined with a very, very low income equal? I do think a lot of our fans really don't grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Would you 'twist' then Den?

This is my worry about Bowyer: Whilst he's done a generally decent job in under 12months, I do still question whether he is the man to lead us up. Imagine next season if we are comfortably in the play-offs and suffer a couple of defeats in a row.... Is he the man to lead us through difficulties and inspire the lads to scrape out a monumental victory from somewhere just to put us back on track?

I've enjoyed the last 11 games (except Yeovil), and I think we have a decent squad. But ultimately every season is a long old slog, and I wonder whether Bowyer would be the main to lead us through when the pressure really is on.

[AggyBlue]

Well I do but since I can do absolutely nowt to change it there is no point banging on about it. If the worst happens it happens and it won't be our fault or anything we had one jot of influence over. It will be especially hard on those for whom rovers has been a huge part of their lives, who go there because their dad or grandad took them , but mothering on about it won't change it so were at the enjoy it while it lasts stage

Spot on.

When will the Venky's decide they've had enough. Who knows? Den might have just as easily put 'when the world ends'

[den]

Spot on.

When will the Venky's decide they've had enough. Who knows? Den might have just as easily put 'when the world ends'

😀

Getting boring on here now. It was good for the first ten years, think I'll have to leave.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I think, if we get a decent offer, we have to sell Rhodes - it just makes economic sense - not only could his fee make up the shortfall in parachute payments - but his wages are excessive for the Championship (e.g. £10m sale would cover parachute payments and give GB just under £2m for a replacement - but also we would probably realise a £1m saving on the wage bill even with a replacement). Obviously replacing his goals will be the difficult bit - but a player with pace would provide us with a different dimension.

Beyond that - Judge may realise a fee if we sold him, we would be lucky just to get Robinson off the books (wages wise), Morris and Marrow may bring small fees. Then the thorny problem of Etuhu and Best - a fully fit Etuhu may be an asset providing cover for centre mid and back - Best may provide an alternative replacement for Rhodes (but IMO wages too high for what he brings),

We just have to hope that the Venky's either sell up - or are prepared to partly bank roll us and keep the majority of the squad together. There has to be genuine optimism for next season given our end of season run - though Bolton fans probably thought the same at the end of last season !

[ABBEY]

😀

Getting boring on here now. It was good for the first ten years, think I'll have to leave.

You can't leave it's the smell that draws you back .

[47er]

Getting boring on here now. It was good for the first ten years, think I'll have to leave.

That would be a great shame.

[West Yorks Rover]

I think, if we get a decent offer, we have to sell Rhodes - it just makes economic sense - not only could his fee make up the shortfall in parachute payments - but his wages are excessive for the Championship (e.g. £10m sale would cover parachute payments and give GB just under £2m for a replacement - but also we would probably realise a £1m saving on the wage bill even with a replacement). Obviously replacing his goals will be the difficult bit - but a player with pace would provide us with a different dimension.

Beyond that - Judge may realise a fee if we sold him, we would be lucky just to get Robinson off the books (wages wise), Morris and Marrow may bring small fees. Then the thorny problem of Etuhu and Best - a fully fit Etuhu may be an asset providing cover for centre mid and back - Best may provide an alternative replacement for Rhodes (but IMO wages too high for what he brings),

We just have to hope that the Venky's either sell up - or are prepared to partly bank roll us and keep the majority of the squad together. There has to be genuine optimism for next season given our end of season run - though Bolton fans probably thought the same at the end of last season !

I'm told we still owe Hudds a very large slice of the fee, and someone did say on here that if we sell him for a profit, it will have to be paid in one chunk.

Maybe someone else knows whether the last part is true ?

[Bucksrover]

I think, if we get a decent offer, we have to sell Rhodes - it just makes economic sense - not only could his fee make up the shortfall in parachute payments - but his wages are excessive for the Championship (e.g. £10m sale would cover parachute payments and give GB just under £2m for a replacement - but also we would probably realise a £1m saving on the wage bill even with a replacement). Obviously replacing his goals will be the difficult bit - but a player with pace would provide us with a different dimension.

Beyond that - Judge may realise a fee if we sold him, we would be lucky just to get Robinson off the books (wages wise), Morris and Marrow may bring small fees. Then the thorny problem of Etuhu and Best - a fully fit Etuhu may be an asset providing cover for centre mid and back - Best may provide an alternative replacement for Rhodes (but IMO wages too high for what he brings),

We just have to hope that the Venky's either sell up - or are prepared to partly bank roll us and keep the majority of the squad together. There has to be genuine optimism for next season given our end of season run - though Bolton fans probably thought the same at the end of last season !

I count wide men as attackers - so with King, Conway, Gestede and Rhodes - with Marshall covering King and Conway, I think we have a really good mix in our attack for next season. I agree that there is some short-term economic sense in selling Rhodes for the right offer, but the Leicester and Burnley examples suggest we really need to be going into next season with a settled side if we are to have a chance of going up.

In terms of player trading we may get a fee from Judge and Rochina, and someone may take Robbo because of his reputation. If Bowyer and co can ditch Best, DJ or Etuhu they will have done well. I think they will work on getting at least one of them out.

Regarding Venkys selling - again, I think we need a settled summer to have the best chance of going up.

[47er]

A settled summer with Venkys! Um!

[Bucksrover]

A settled summer with Venkys! Um!

I agree it is a hope rather than an expectation.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I agree it is a hope rather than an expectation.

We have actually now had almost a full season without too much turbulence. The club has regained some limited stability - and hopefully we can now kick on.

[RevidgeBlue]

Nothing that has happened recently has been indicative that this season is the promotion or bust scenario that was envisaged by many fans. If it was you'd have thought we'd have thrown the kitchen sink at it in January with a few final signings in one last desperate attempt to secure promotion, and certainly wouldn't have sold our captain and one half of the established central defensive pairing in Dann, a move which cost us several crucial points in the immediate aftermath of his departure.

Whilst everything COULD change overnight, everything that has happened has been indicative of trying to build gradually with a young squad, and that there is no imminent financial disaster pending. Certainly GB's comments have been given the impression that it is a gradual rebuilding process and that the owners are in it for the long haul. Certainly imo we have to hope they are in it for the long haul as there is clearly no white knight about ready to ride in and take on our current level of indebtedness.

Still quite a lot of rebuilding work to be done probably within the squad if we're to secure automatic promotion next year, I think it was Scotty who pointed out we would need a 15-18 point improvement. Imo we need a reliable keeper RB, CB, and top quality defensive midfielder. More importantly perhaps the squad needs to acquire a winning mentality, a "thou shalt not pass attitude" when we are defending a lead for example. The team has had a losing mentality for three or four years now, and we haven't fully shaken that off. Even under Allardyce the ethos was to do the bare minimum over the course of the season and in certain matches to ensure survival then after that it was job done. Whether GB is the man to install that winning mentality remains to be seen imo, the over-riding impression this season has been one of no great urgency imo, whenever we had a chance to do something we didn't look bothered about seizing the opportunity, and when the chance was gone we started winning and scoring for fun.

[ABBEY]

I hope it's a hot summer and venky towers burns down

[thenodrog]

How different things might be now if we'd have purchased more than just Matty Holmes.

How different if the new man in had been Zinedine Zidane rather than Matty Holmes.

[Husky]

I think It'll be like that time when experts predicted a BBQ summer.