2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂

[JHRover]

So there's evidence coming to light that Oxford United, Charlton and Wrexham are all comfortably outspending us in the transfer window, signing quality that we won't get close to this summer. 

Two newly promoted clubs and one that narrowly survived last season and wasn't long ago in non-league. 

Unfortunately this presents a problem for the Venky apologists as they can't lean back on parachute cash or '25000 a week' turning up at those places so they'll have to concoct some other nonsense as to why we are getting left behind by such clubs.

The problem this presents is then finding 3 clubs that we are confident of finishing above this season. Sheffield Wednesday might be one thanks to their plight but another two after them? I'm struggling. 

I get the distinct impression that our summer incomings are done for the foreseeable. The rest will be at the back end of the window once the usual Brighton / Liverpool / Everton loans are let out and a couple of free agents might cave in and accept our offers (Cauley Woodrow one).

All the focus will be on a sale or two to generate some cash and free up some more wages. Travis one of the few who will attract interest so they'll be beavering away on that one. Call me paranoid but I've seen nothing of him on the videos or photos released by the club since the first day back, suspect this is deliberate.

[TimmyJimmy]

27 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Maintained it all along that League One is the end goal.

Hence only a handful of players contracted past June 2027 as things stand.

They want a third division side run on 90% academy players on very low wages, complimented by the odd loan and foreign second/third division prospect topping the squad up.

Loads more redundancies at the club to cut costs more, less fans around to complain about things. Eventually we disappear even more out of the spotlight.

All depends for me when we actually get there, if they keep the lads out of contract next summer and just let them walk away for free I think we can be fairly competitive again at this level next season, sell them and replace with more cheap, young foreign imports and I think we could be in a lot of trouble this season.

 

Then why did we go balls out for promotion when we got there?

[MarkBRFC]

1 minute ago, TimmyJimmy said:

Then why did we go balls out for promotion when we got there?

That was in 2017, not far off a decade ago.

Surely you can see that a lot has changed since then?

[DutchRover]

Don't disagree with L1 comments, but I just do not see what value it brings them, even if we break even and they don't have to invest, they get no prestige from owning a L1 club and they'll never make profits in L1 to claw back the debt. It wouldn't even work as a tax write-off if we become self sufficient. 

Literally the only reason they won't sell us seems to be spite.

[TheRevAshton]

Jake Batty signs a 1 year deal, with the option of another year...

Horrific, sounds like something a normal Club would offer to a 36 year old.

Tight bastards, they really are skimping in every way possible. If you don't laugh you'll cry 😅

Edited July 1 by TheRevAshton

[lraC]

10 minutes ago, DutchRover said:

Don't disagree with L1 comments, but I just do not see what value it brings them, even if we break even and they don't have to invest, they get no prestige from owning a L1 club and they'll never make profits in L1 to claw back the debt. It wouldn't even work as a tax write-off if we become self sufficient. 

Literally the only reason they won't sell us seems to be spite.

You don't throw the amount of money away they have, out of spite.

It is pretty clear to me, that there is something being hidden, be it a third party owner (agents most likely) or some cover up dating back to the original take over that if outed, would create some even bigger investigation, than the one already taking place.

Was anyone shocked, when it came out that they are being investigated for illegal remittances?

There is no smoke, without fire. 

[davulsukur]

I wonder if the 1 year contract length was more Batty's preference than Rovers. I guess this is his last attempt at making it here, if he signed a 4 year contract, he'd just be loaned out again. 

If he doesn't make it, he should be able to get a free transfer to a league 1/2 team, based on his performances on loan last season.

[rob_of_the_rovers]

Doesn't seem like they have high hopes for him

[JHRover]

15 minutes ago, TimmyJimmy said:

Then why did we go balls out for promotion when we got there?

I think that there was a power struggle behind the scenes. Back in 2017 Mowbray was winning that struggle, Pasha was pushed to one side after he had overseen relegation and Mowbray got his feet under the table by going to India after relegation and selling them a project they agreed to back.

Since then Pasha has won the power struggle, and seen off Mowbray and Waggott. He did this by severing the direct communications between manager and India and stopping the annual jaunt to Pune. This means he can resume what he was doing 2015-17 after he got shut of Bowyer and then we had the familiar chaos with Lambert and Coyle - similar sort of managerial turnover and nonsense to we've seen recently under JDT and Eustace, with the club trying and failing to be self-sufficient by flogging everything of value and ultimately paying the ultimate price for that.

I firmly believe that he is paid, or bonused, based on how much he 'saves' the owners each year by ensuring they don't need to transfer as much cash from India to the UK. He also enjoys the power that he has with absent owners leaving him to it whilst it costs them less and there's no hassle at their end.

I don't think League One is necessarily the aim, I think they'd be quite content to float around the Championship permanently, but unfortunately due to a combination of factors, ultimately all going back to Pune and the owners, relegation back to League One is inevitable.

You can't combine all the elements we have here - relentless cost cutting, futile attempts to be self-sufficient, failings on contracts and keeping important players, lies, deceit, cluelessness, constant chopping and changing, outrageously high turnover on staff, promoting work experience people to head of positions, prioritising financial concerns over everything - and not pay the price for it.

You might be able to survive with no money if you are well managed. We certainly aren't that. 

Once we get back to League One unless the owners change course and quickly - and the only way that is going to happen is by someone getting to fly out there and sit around a table with the top dogs - then there isn't any coming back. Again not necessarily the aim but might as well be because it is the inevitable outcome. 

[Forever Blue]

21 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

I wonder if the 1 year contract length was more Batty's preference than Rovers. I guess this is his last attempt at making it here, if he signed a 4 year contract, he'd just be loaned out again. 

If he doesn't make it, he should be able to get a free transfer to a league 1/2 team, based on his performances on loan last season.

Nobody is signing a 1 year contract if there’s 4 years on the table, especially someone who’s young and untested.

[Mercer]

6 minutes ago, lraC said:

You don't throw the amount of money away they have, out of spite.

It is pretty clear to me, that there is something being hidden, be it a third party owner (agents most likely) or some cover up dating back to the original take over that if outed, would create some even bigger investigation, than the one already taking place.

Was anyone shocked, when it came out that they are being investigated for illegal remittances?

There is no smoke, without fire. 

I would not disagree.

I remember Dave Whelan's words when the Raos bought Rovers "The Blackburn deal doesn't sound right, and it doesn't look right"  - Dave was no mug!!!

[TommyRovers]

Our owners are disgustingly wealthy. Their wealth outshines most if not all of the other teams in our league.

But Rovers are well and truly barrel scraping paycheck to paycheck skint.

The money they spend to keep us afloat is down to their own incompetence. All you have to do is compare where we were as a club the day before they took over and where we are today. 
 

We have been lucky in who we have employed down at Rovers. Mowbray, Bowyer, JDT, Eustace, Broughton. And the fantastic players we have been able to pick up.

We have massively overachieved over the past few years where as other clubs with poor ownership have floundered. 

This is both a blessing and a curse. Rovers still exists playing at a decent level but the venkys are still here and those who don’t follow closely don’t realize their damage.

 

[lraC]

7 minutes ago, Mercer said:

I would not disagree.

I remember Dave Whelan's words when the Raos bought Rovers "The Blackburn deal doesn't sound right, and it doesn't look right"  - Dave was no mug!!!

there was more than him saying it, as you probably recall.

People in the game, will be aware, just as Dave Whelan was, that people like Anderson, are a step away form trouble, most of the time. If I am not mistaken I think Sir Alex referred to him, not being able to pick his nose and like Dave Whelan, he is no mug and will have known some of what was happening, if not all of it.

Sadly so far, no one has been brave enough to completely spill the beans, but as already stated, there is no some, without fire. 

[TimmyJimmy]

Hey I totally agree with the observations about the danger of a L1 destination, I just feel that's not the likeliest intent.  Inevitable, yes if they keep deciding to twist instead of sticking so totally agree its a very real danger given the punts they are taking.

Whelan spoke wise words. We know there was something rotten in that sale deal, the behavioural evidence since then supports that, it's an inescapable conclusion.

My point is that the data all supports the theory that there is something special to them about the Championship. 

My take is that they may stumble and we end up in L1 or even fluke a promotion but that's not the intent.

They play a risky game at our expense. They get free spins we get Purgatory.

[lraC]

22 minutes ago, JHRover said:

I think that there was a power struggle behind the scenes. Back in 2017 Mowbray was winning that struggle, Pasha was pushed to one side after he had overseen relegation and Mowbray got his feet under the table by going to India after relegation and selling them a project they agreed to back.

Since then Pasha has won the power struggle, and seen off Mowbray and Waggott. He did this by severing the direct communications between manager and India and stopping the annual jaunt to Pune. This means he can resume what he was doing 2015-17 after he got shut of Bowyer and then we had the familiar chaos with Lambert and Coyle - similar sort of managerial turnover and nonsense to we've seen recently under JDT and Eustace, with the club trying and failing to be self-sufficient by flogging everything of value and ultimately paying the ultimate price for that.

I firmly believe that he is paid, or bonused, based on how much he 'saves' the owners each year by ensuring they don't need to transfer as much cash from India to the UK. He also enjoys the power that he has with absent owners leaving him to it whilst it costs them less and there's no hassle at their end.

I don't think League One is necessarily the aim, I think they'd be quite content to float around the Championship permanently, but unfortunately due to a combination of factors, ultimately all going back to Pune and the owners, relegation back to League One is inevitable.

You can't combine all the elements we have here - relentless cost cutting, futile attempts to be self-sufficient, failings on contracts and keeping important players, lies, deceit, cluelessness, constant chopping and changing, outrageously high turnover on staff, promoting work experience people to head of positions, prioritising financial concerns over everything - and not pay the price for it.

You might be able to survive with no money if you are well managed. We certainly aren't that. 

Once we get back to League One unless the owners change course and quickly - and the only way that is going to happen is by someone getting to fly out there and sit around a table with the top dogs - then there isn't any coming back. Again not necessarily the aim but might as well be because it is the inevitable outcome. 

Someone said the other day, on the anniversary thread, that we survived in the 70's and 80's on a meagre budget and got into the play offs, plenty of times.

We always had hope and we always had good honest people involved, who slogged and grafted for the club, we all loved.

If only we have 10% of that right now, this is nothing but a shell and I can't way for the day, these people are ousted. 

[davulsukur]

33 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

Nobody is signing a 1 year contract if there’s 4 years on the table, especially someone who’s young and untested.

Yeah, that's fair.

Feels like off the back of his loan, he probably could have gotten a move elsewhere, especially on a free, so maybe indicated he'd only be willing to sign a short term deal, so he's not tied to Rovers for 4 years and is essentially loaned out for all 4 years.

He'll be earning jack shit here, so he probably would have been better off moving on and establishing himself at a lower level.

It's all pure speculation on my part. Just an odd deal all round.

[rigger]

11 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

"Exciting summer" = all our senior players walking out for nothing or being sold for a relative pittance due to their contractual situation.

The cricket has been exciting.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

The only positive to this window is that Pasha, by default, is now known by the wider base to be the man in control.  

If this window goes how we expect, (no deals for Trav/Sonny/Britain), cheap European punts, third rate loans, Tyjon leaving and outspent by smaller clubs, then even the most head-in-the-sand fan must see who is responsible.  

Edited July 1 by Wing Wizard Windy Miller

[Ghost7]

Personally think Rovers did well to get 90% of the business done before pre-season with 90% of the budget spent. Good luck Val....... you'll need it!

[Leonard Venkhater]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

That was in 2017, not far off a decade ago.

Surely you can see that a lot has changed since then?

But in the Coyle pre-season, it did look like we had been hell bent on getting to Division 1..

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, TommyRovers said:

Our owners are disgustingly wealthy. Their wealth outshines most if not all of the other teams in our league.

But Rovers are well and truly barrel scraping paycheck to paycheck skint.

The money they spend to keep us afloat is down to their own incompetence. All you have to do is compare where we were as a club the day before they took over and where we are today. 
 

We have been lucky in who we have employed down at Rovers. Mowbray, Bowyer, JDT, Eustace, Broughton. And the fantastic players we have been able to pick up.

We have massively overachieved over the past few years where as other clubs with poor ownership have floundered. 

This is both a blessing and a curse. Rovers still exists playing at a decent level but the venkys are still here and those who don’t follow closely don’t realize their damage.

 

The Academy is the only reason we exist.

Travis, Nyambe, Lenihan, A. Wharton, S. Wharton, Carter etc etc...

Without the Academy pumping out quality Championship players over the last decade we'd have sunk without a trace.

[davulsukur]

Batth to Derby confirmed. 1 year contract

[JHRover]

That's one excuse gone then. What next? Will have to be Batth's wife wanting to go and live in Derby.

[MarkBRFC]

2 minutes ago, JHRover said:

That's one excuse gone then. What next? Will have to be Batth's wife wanting to go and live in Derby.

I have seen the "closer to home" argument already on social media since the announcement.

Usually when a player leaves a club at the end of there contract, both the club who he is leaving and the club they are joining release confirmation at the same time to announce the move.

Nothing from Rovers side.

Be interesting to see what they do when Dolan signs for someone.

[TugaysMarlboro]

The spin from some on that is going to make them dizzy.