Don't take it personally. He might have had a drink.

Good luck with Barry Douglas, hope he does well for you lot!

Can we stop with the ‘we will be Bury’ bollocks. For one thing, and absolutely no disrespect to Bury, we are a completely different proposition. They have been kicking around the lower leagues for a century, our grounds aren’t comparable... no need to labour the point, but the outcomes of the two clubs in the same position would be massively different. The fact we are bleeding money like we are is down to Venky’s mismanagement. The fact we lost our premier league status and income is down to Venky’s mismanagement. The fact our fanbase has been decimated is down to Venky’s mismanagement. You are right, we are where we are. And that is down to Venky’s mismanagement. You acknowledge the damage they have inflicted, but because they haven’t liquidated us we should be grateful? What the hell is there to thank them for?

Really useful attribute. Getting to Brockhall can be a nightmare if there's a problem on the A59

But we don't have the money for that though. Kaminski, Ayala, Douglas (if he signs) improves our first 11 from last season imo. Bradley Johnson looks a much better player this year.Rankin Costello integrated into the squad. Buckley seems to be coming into it a bit more.Holtby seems to have found his place in the side.Better signs from Rothwell also.Been a lot of improvement in Armstrong since he moved up front. Dolan keeps playing the way he is another improvement on our first 11.Brereton looks improved. Pears or the Greek guy are surely better than Leutwiler? Our best player in Dack still to come back. With the addition of Douglas we have a better first 11 and squad than last year imo. Another established midfielder would be nice but if we don't have the money what can we do,other than take a chance on a premier league loan? An awful lot to be positive about imo

I heard he's an absolute Munster.

An interesting Norwich fans view on Trybull and how he views Rovers as a team

Said all along that history would attempt to be re written at some point in time in regards to the takeover and their funding. It's amazing how myth gets turned into popular myth on social media it's like politics. There are people out there now indoctrinating younger fans into believing half truths and lies. Then they in turn have a pop at those who lived through it, were actually there and have seen it in all its gory detail. It's as bad as 'but Kean had us 2nd before fans drove him out'. The Walkers & Trust ended up being villians of the peace yes but they'd been pretty bang on before that. The club itself might have been squeezed but it was in fantastic shape compared to were it is now. The Vs didn't swoop in and stop us going bust but that's getting to become the bullshit go to line now.

I'd move Evans on if any interest.Sick of him always being fit for international duty but hardly ever for us.

Trybull had 14 starts in the premier League last season.Ever present from January in their promotion season.Travis out for a considerable time.Evans never fit.The midfield will need to be rotated with the way we play. We do need a centre mid.Priority for me was left back and that's all but done.

Barry Douglas undergoing his medical.

Surely Stergiakis hasn't agreed to join us as a 3rd choice goalkeeper, and I highly doubt Pears would want to join as 3rd choice either! Very strange!

To summarize your summer’s input: this washed-up manager, who has been clueless in the transfer market and has no idea how to develop young talent has, in a summer where the scouting network was a flop, he had no pot to piss in and had to sell our Crown Jewels to cover Venkys pulling the plug, assembled a squad so brimming in talent the only thing that will stop us getting promotion is his tactical ineptitude?

We don't need Downing.

Well that's me getting no work done today.

Trybull looks a good bit of business. Loaning a player in his prime rather than an up and comer says to me we are giving it a real go this season. A good replacement for Travis while he’s out. Debates about starting 11s are beginning to have a bit of a different feel already. We’re spoilt for choice in some areas when everyone is fit. With games coming thick and fast, and the potential issues with testing, squad depth is more important than ever.

Class window.... Dolan - Inspired Ayala - Literally in top 5% champ cb’s Douglas - Great signing And experience Kaminski - Very solid and commanding stergiakis / Pears - means we have a top 6 Champ gk department. Mcbride - great potential Trybull - On others reports seems like fantastic option until Trav gets back and some cover for Johnson. Doesn’t block Buckley. 16 games in the PL last term ??

Good luck Tommy Trybull ,enjoy guys he will never give the ball away awsome player and person .I will keeping an eye on Rovers now watching my friend

I have, not sure about him.

I can’t really say I know much about trybull however if he does come on loan I hope the club have installed a buy fee. Sick of Fulham taking all our loans that come good

I can’t believe people on here don’t think we need another CM. Travis is out...Evans never fit...Holtby injury prone...Johnson i doubt will keep up his form...then you left with Buckley and Davenport and Rothwell...i think this CM lad will be a good addition

Cmon Sparks mate - have a little bit of optimism about the season.

Mowbray hopefully.

Only ones that would of laughed is the ones that can’t get over Brereton fee, and ignore the same manager signed Dack and Armstrong for under 2 million. Great business from us with a difficult budget.

It's all right, one of our 8 keepers would save the penalty. ?

Start as I mean to go on. To think I've still no issues with typing Khizanishvili after all these years.

To "build a club" you dont necessarily have to stick to a manager indefinitely. If Mowbray was to go at the end of the season, it would be following 4 and a half years as manager, he is already I think the longest serving manager in the division, so it wouldnt be a rash, impatient decision should this be his final season. Ultimately, the target has to be top 6. Of course, that leaves scope for still not getting promoted but it would be tangible progress even if we made the play offs and didnt win them. If he can get us in the top 6 this season, that would be the sign of progression. Another mid table finish (or worse) would for me be the time to signal a change, accepting that Mowbray very much has left us in a capable position, has maybe hit a wall, and we might have to sell one or two dependant on their willingness to commit long term, and then that would potentially be the time for some fresh ideas. I think that is a fair and realistic target for a manager entrusted with time and resources to date.

I dont think theres any chance of Wilson, seems a rumour that has snowballed from little, but Wilson has got history of goals and assists and a major impact across a season at this level. Dolan has only a handful of senior appearances, there would be nothing wrong with signing a more readymade player and having Dolan bubbling along capable of either impacting from the bench or equally playing off the opposite side.

As I understand it the financial picture at Bury FC was completely different to that at Rovers. At Bury their former owner Stuart Day spent years piling up millions in external High interest debts secured against club assets and property. With League Two income, crowds and no profile the only chance they had was to bounce into the Championship where the media money would cover it. Predictably Day ran out of time and sold them on to someone dodgy for nothing who had a history of liquidating businesses and with proper governance would never have been allowed to take control. Compare to Rovers where almost all the 'debt' is to our owners, interest free, with repayment requirement and hopefully a realisation in India that the money has gone. If Venkys turn off the taps then we need someone else to bankroll the club. No different to the majority of Championship clubs in that respect. Would we find someone suitable? Nobody knows. But we wouldn't be vulnerable to winding up orders and debt demands like Bury unless Venkys broke the club up to try and recover some funds. I accept and realise that Venkys are funding the club. Without them if nobody else came forward we would be in difficulties. But a stretch to suggest that we'd be Bury without them. Their approach of funding the club with debt is the same as Davies used at Bolton, as did Fayed at Fulham and Abramovich at Chelsea.

So true Andy. In 1969 the big FA Cup match against Man City was called off several times. Before one of the postponements Rovers put a call out for volunteers to help clear the snow off the pitch. Along with a few mates I went down, was given a broom and shovel and pointed to an area of the pitch to start clearing. There were wheelbarrows being filled and emptied at the side of the pitch. The problem was it was solid underneath and unplayable. To recognise the huge effort it was announced that the players were coming down and putting on a training session as a way of thanking us. We were allowed to stand pitch side and almost touch the players. To be so close to your heroes and hear them was something I never forgot. Quid pro quo and lots of happy schoolkids.

That'll serve him well with all the temporary lights in the area at the moment.

The great thing with both him and Douglas, they are out of contract next summer. It's possible to pick them up on a free if they impress, while we're not stuck with they don't

To be fair, the window could turn into a very shrewd one, fingers crossed. Not perfect but some clever additions for sure. The main dampner of optimism for me is something that is certainly not a fault of anyone at Rovers, it is that we cant go and see them play!

Not sure that is Covid compliant.

If you think beating Panama, Tunisia, Sweden and Colombia (on pens), whilst losing twice to Belgium and once to Croatia is a success story then you must have very low standards. 2002 under Sven as much as a success story as 2018. We may have only got to the quarters but we lost a close game by one freak goal to an outstanding Brazil team, in 2018 we lost 3 games and didn't even play a team near the standard of that Brazil team.

Dont get us signing another keeper to be honest.

In fairness, I'd mark that down as a very strong window given the circumstances.

Is Ronaldinho out of prison yet?

But thats the point, he doesnt offer competent cover. He is a liability at full back, diving in and giving penalties away and we now have Nyambe and Rankin Costello ahead of him on the right and soon to be Douglas, Bell and Williams on the left. He couldnt maintain a midfield position in League 1 whereas Smallwood could, and we now have Johnson, Evans, Travis, Holtby, Rothwell, maybe Dack, Davenport and Buckley in central midfield. The "two superstars in every position" like a PL club is a strawman argument, but I personally would suggest that IMO he would warrant a place in the second team. No shame in that, like a few before he played a key role in making effort a minimum and has been left behind in quality. You make it sound like Smallwood was tactically kept around to take part in 11 v 11 training. Ultimately a club in the Championship surely struggles to afford such a luxury, a senior wage for a player to make up the numbers in training. His personality again has never nor ever will be questioned. His passion is not a unique trait, I dont think that the current squad lacks that at all nor does it warrant a senior wage alone. Ultimately seemingly no one has shown interest in him and he seems happy playing a father figure and I am sure he will continue to be an exemplary professional who hopefully wont be needed on the pitch.

We have keepers dropping out of our arse now, especially young back-up ones. Has to be a load of bollocks. He must mean Mowbray has gone to buy some pears in Middlesbrough from his favourite market. And that he hogs the covers from Mrs M at night. Nicko must have been on the Buckfast.

Can't see anything wrong with what Mercer said at all. He did predict that there would be a firesale to cover gaps in the finances and none of us would have really been that surprised had that occurred. However, remarkably really in the current climate, the owners appear to have allowed him to retain the crown jewels, and stockpile yet more players despite the fact that seemingly no-one wants our overpaid dross like Evans and Bennett and we're still having to pay Mulgrew £1m p.a. to do nothing. So yes, I'd agree with Merce that there's no excuse whatsoever for the manager and a repeat of the last two dismal campaigns simply wouldn't be acceptable.

Best thing about this is the talk about us being "direct promotion rivals" all over twitter. Nice to hear at long last!

“For Championship level he's solid mate, picks up an injury a bit too often for my liking and won't offer much going forward (ironic with the goal in the post I know) but will do a good job for you” “Can't believe I'm reading reports that Blackburn could be signing Tom Trybull, why would we want to strengthen a promotion rival?! #ncfc” “Solid champ player. Just wasn’t good enough in the prem and fell out of favour. Don’t think we can give him the game time he wants. Good player at this level and will always give 100%.” A few Norwich fans takes there for you. Seems he’s a solid defensive mid. Him and Douglas will be two great additions??

Absolutely, Dolan has been great so far but he is still just a kid and cannot be expected to play every game. Wilson is a better player and Dolan could be the quick legs to come on from the bench. We are dreaming if we think we are getting Wilson anyway...

Are we sure this 6 million is not to cover the cost of fireworks, a live set by Akron and the cost of Barry and the gang to parachute onto the centre spot at Ewood in swathes of glitter, landing either side of the crowing glory of the 10th Anniversary party of the greatest success story* in modern football, the not quite as good as Wigan 3rd division trophy. *I'm just going off the smoke blowing on social media. p.s anybody know if the "Venky's" chicken on offer at the event will be from Aldi

Don’t sell the club so short.

Really surprised to see people wanting us to offer Downing a contract. He slows everything down needing 3+ touches before moving at all. Playing him CM last season meant less time for Rothwell who has shone in the few games we’ve had so far. There’s ongoing talk about where Dack fits into our team currently, when you add in Travis (when fit) as well as Buckley is there any need to add to our wage bill with Downing. As for the mocking of Brentford it’s a bit embarrassing, they’ve made £50m+ on 2 players and will still finish above us. Bizarre comments saying we’d hate their model etc... Ah yes, it would be dreadful in comparison to what Venkys and Waggot can serve us up!