I meant never in the context of this summer, which is what your original post referred to. I’m sure he would have signed prior to the summer of 2021 but to be fair I don’t think anyone expected the journey BBD has been on since. Doesn’t absolve the club from blame but it’s important not to lose context. As for the ambition of the club - the signing of JDT would signal that ambition is there but it’s clearly been a disappointing window so far. Ultimately there’s still time left in the window so I’m reserving judgement but there needs to be a lot of movement in the next week to turn it around.

Your argument was that our winning start to this season was the best opportunity to get him to sign, which is what I contest. He wasn’t signing a new deal this summer regardless.

There was never an opportunity to get BBD to sign. Regardless of our start or signings, he had no incentive to sign given the clubs interested in him, but don’t let that hold you back.

This must be the first southern based cup tie we’ve had for several years.

Let’s be fair here. JDT is using the academy lads because he has no choice. Unless we want to go full strength and risk injuries to big players. You get beneath the first XI and this is what you’re left with.

I’m not getting carried away with the JPvH talk. Did well last season but was part of the same clown show that became the second half of our season. Think it said a lot about BBD’s loss of form that JPvH won POY. Would be a good addition but won’t lose sleep if it doesn’t happen, esp if we’re talking big money.

You’ll be first in line slamming the owners if he leaves for nothing next year. If we want to be less reliant on Venky’s, this is the model we have to live with. Dont want him to go but it seems inevitable, as it was with Armstrong. If it gets north of £15-17m then we can’t turn that down.

You think he’s that desperate to join Nice? We rejected a similar bid in Jan and he’s played a few games since then.

Aaron Ramsey has gone there too. Can’t let this drag on for too long. Hopefully will tempt others to get involved. Big loss but can’t let him go for nothing.

Can potentially sell for millions. Potentially. All based on an hour against West Brom.

Be interested to see the crowd for this. As positive a feeling around the club as there has been in years, top of the league, not on TV, school holidays, not unreasonably high ticket prices.

Got no time for Butterworth. Didn’t lift a finger in any of his cameos last season. I think it was the Boro game at home when he jogged around the centre circle for 15 mins whilst the team desperately held out for the win. Pathetic display, don’t want to see him in the first team for some time.

You break it for him, you break it for everyone. Besides which, he still wouldn’t sign, why would he if he’s confident of getting top flight interest in England or abroad. All he’s doing is limiting his options in the long term.

He signed a contract last year (didn’t he?) so can’t see him going anywhere. BBD is slightly different.

Who’s paying £15m for him at the moment? No one has been seriously linked. We sold Armstrong last season under very similar (almost identical) circumstances so I’m sure he’ll be gone if a serious offer is submitted.

Huge blow? He’s not played a competitive game for us. Shame for him but doesn’t massively change anything.

Or the money might be better spent elsewhere..?

Chance it hasn’t been updated from last season..? They’re not wearing the 22/23 kit.

Exactly. The suggestions given are to cut ticket prices, scrap the wage cap, pay any player looking to leave what they want, criticise loan signings for limiting youth development, get angry when we don’t permanently sign the loans who do well, sack the board, sack Benson, paint Ewood, abuse Nicko and post VENKYS OUT in caps at the end of each message. Problem solved.

Because surely there is a need, at some point, to maximise the financial profit? It is relevant, particularly given the impact of Covid. I’m disappointed with the lack of imagination regarding ticketing, particularly given last season’s acknowledgement that they got ticket prices wrong. But it’s a balancing act, if people want this club to be self-sufficient and have less reliance on Venky’s, it needs to become more profitable. I don’t think they’ve got the balance right, but reducing the argument to ‘how dare Waggott think about maximising profits’ is a cheap shot. I’d be judging him if that wasn’t one of the key drivers behind ticketing initiatives.

So naive to think that BBD would sign a new deal with us if we just offered him a better wage. He’ll be eyeing up a move to a PL side, why on earth would he limit his opportunities by signing a new contract? In his shoes, no one on here would re-sign. Identical to Armstrong. We could offer him anything we liked, it won’t be enough.

As if any salary we offer Brereton would be enough. Why on earth would he sign a contract with us under any circumstances when a PL club might come in for him this summer?

Because that’s how simple it is? He’s been linked with clubs in the champions league, what on earth can we offer him to compete with that?

Stop refs having to watch a pitch side monitor at the request of VAR on the pretence that he will objectively review the footage despite being told he’s made a mistake. I’ve never seen a ref uphold his previous decision when asked to view the monitor, so what’s the point.

He answered the questions he was asked. Mowbray doesn’t deserve abuse. Some of the rhetoric on here is sad to see. We’ve faded badly this season and the buck stops with him but it would have been a remarkable achievement to get this squad of players promoted. We should have made the play offs and I’m glad Mowbray is going but ultimately, he’s leaving us in a better position than when he joined. Wind the clock forward 12 months and I wouldn’t be surprised if we are dreaming of days like today..