No and moreover its' a ticking time bomb before Graham is sidelined through injury: he's over weight and nursing dodgy knees. I was amazed he lasted yesterday. Then what?.........Rudi Gestede on loan anybody?

Wharton needs competitive games under his belt to develop further, he's not going to get that warming the bench.

I and many others don't need the Everton friendly to gauge a view: without some fire power up top and creativity and pace down the flanks and through midfield in general, we're in the sh1t. That's a fact. How the likes of Caddis, Whittingham, Gladwin and to a lesser degree, Conway and Evans are allowed to seriously deplete our salary budget is totally beyond me.

Whittingham didn't do anything period and is the stand out candidate for criticism (IMO of course!)

Anybody know when Tony Mowbray and the first team squad are back at Brockhall after Austria?

To set the record straight, Dunny has left to concentrate on his property development interests with Gary Flitcroft. That is fact. I wish him well, he'll always be a Rover, just like us. I can't believe some of the nonsense I read on here.

That's a decent shout. He needs to dispense with the need to wear gloves (can you ever imagine Shearer wearing a pair?). A small thing but if I were a centre half marking him, I'd stick one on him early on because you'd suspect he was a soft touch. It would also be handy to have another French man in the team to keep him company!

I agree Biz, a bit like a 'poor man's Dalglish'. I feel we haven't seen the best of Dack yet by a long chalk. If only we had a central midfielder who could play a bit and a bit of flair and pace down the flanks. Under those circumstances, I think Dack would be deadly playing either in the '10' role or as half of a front 2, if we were to play 442.

....And get our season tickets bought!!!

...but twenty to thirty million quid cash per season in making up the working capital defficiency! That's not now the case JHR is it? Let's see what the close season brings but count no chickens, I agree!

I agree bob, I wouldn't go all out in the first year either. I feel that rather than fill the squad out with the likes of Gladwin, Whittingham, Caddis and co. (who should all be gone btw IMO) we should sign a few majors in key positions (centre half, midfield playmaker and a tried and tested pacy, tricky winger (Harry Chapman type) and a younger 'Danny Graham' type centre forward, who are all going to prominently feature in our starting eleven. The remainder of the squad should be made up of members of this season's U23s. I've only seen them play a couple of times but think there are some potential gems amongst their numbers. Next season, some of them should be given the opportunity to develop as part of the first team squad. I'm absolutely convinced that if early season ticket sales are good, Mowbray will be backed.

I'm pleased they're being frugal Stuart and cutting our cloth accordingly. It's about time and a shame it didn't happen 7 years ago when they readily handed over the keys to the safe when it was awash with cash! If I were Venkys, I'd throw a gauntlet down to our supporters, 'potential supporters' and/or boycotters and state that the level of backing would be based on season ticket sales. Stick a disclosed, substantial amount in an escrow account, where incremental withdrawals could be made by the club subject to predetermined targets, starting at say 8,000 season tickets sold, with a massive bonus should 15,000 be achieved. I accept that this could potentially affect summer transfer targets, so hopefully there will be 12 to 15,000 plus 'early birds'!!

It's their name over the door, so whichever way you'd like to cut it, allowing the parasitical sharks to run riot, is always going to be their fault. (Guilty as charged, no question) However, retribution is also in their hands and they may have made a start. This close season will speak volumes but we as supporters also have a role to play (as have the missing 'hoards').

Hey Leonard, I'm as wary as anybody but I'm also a realist and have considered the alternatives or lack of them! I agree with everything you've said but you know that already. It's an hour later over here and I've worked my proverbial knackers off for 14 hours a day for the past 3 days after driving 920 miles the day before, so my mind's a tad slower than normal, please do tell, wtf has Henry Fonda got to do with owt? I really do hope people think about the situation sensibly, 'park the bus' for now and go out and buy a season ticket.

I'm far from a Venky apologist but I'm getting increasingly sick and tired of the debate of 'put us back where they found us' or 'I'm not setting foot in Ewood again'. It's @#/? but I accept everyone is entitled to their opinion. Yes Venkys name is over the door and yes there has been one monumental feck up after another for 5 years or so BUT they've stuck with it and poured cash into the club to both keep it afloat as the natural revenue streams have significantly reduced. Ah but it's increased 'the debt' was the cry. It's about time folk took a step back and think where the CASH has come from? It's Venkys cash and 'the loan' is merely an accounting function on the balance sheet, it's not a millstone around Blackburn Rovers neck as is frequently bandied about. If we were sold for £200 million, if we were lucky enough to get promoted to the PL, 'the loan' would be repaid as part of the sale consideration and would be offset against any Capital gain as a consequence of the sale, versus the original financial consideration when they bought the club almost 8 years ago. That is a fact. Who's to blame for Stoke going down this season and probably West Brom and one other? It's what happens every season and would inevitably have happened to us sooner or later under The Walker Trust. I then read about a multitude of people being up in arms about increases in season ticket prices for next season (they're still extremely competitive in The Championship). How the hell are Rovers to become competitive in The Championship next season, Mowbray get a decent transfer budget, pay decent enough wages, without increased income through the turnstiles, season tickets and commercial support or more hand outs from Venkys, which further increases 'the debt'?? It then also begs the question of where does the working capital come from to meet the expectations (see above!)? I stopped going for a period when Coyle was appointed, I took that as the ultimate insult and where the decision to appoint him came from, I'm fecked if I know. I can only assume it was a final swansong from 'those who can't be named' and I have it on decent authority that they've since departed the scene. I realised that it was only me that was suffering by not attending for the first time for 51 years and relented after 6 months. I'll never forget Venkys initial 6 years tenure but I'm prepared to cut them some slack for now and let's see what they do over this summer. In the meantime, I'd ask those that are 'boycotting' to think about what I've said and perhaps reappraise and rethink their viewpoints. Perhaps at the same time, if they remain steadfast in their view, I would love to know what the realistic, alternative solutions are? It might have only been the 'third division' but it's been the most enjoyable season for a decade and a half. Tony Mowbray may have his faults but his qualities far outweigh them in my view. The way that he has galvanised the club in the past 18 months, he deserves every Rovers' support and the more the merrier. Get your bloody season tickets bought! WE ARE The Rovers!!!

I jacked in trying O2G, so we're all now just enjoying the wine and reliant on mates texting updates and keeping tabs on here. I was more interested in being able to savour the atmosphere tbh, so a radio link would have done but no such luck. We're just tucking into Saturday tea time's staple diet: Home made spud pie with red cabbage and pickled beetroot!

I'm bloody devastated!! There's no ifollow for tonight's match, not even commentary. Does anybody have a solution? I'm in France. I know posting streams isn't permitted but I've a posee of French Rovers that have come round to watch. Please PM me if necessary. Pleaaassssse!!

I hope TM is thinking, how he'd like us to play next season and what his desired formations would be. You'd guess he'd then look at what we've got and be totally cold and calculating in getting rid of what's not required because it doesn't fit. NO sentiment. Then with a budget in place, recruit accordingly with round pegs that fit snugly into round holes, with a bit of pace as an added bonus. In Tony we trust.

I'm clearly out of my mind then, the lucy in the sky with diamonds don't help admittedly! I accept Dack is a good 'un but he started the season slowly and has dipped in and out of form of late. He will probably be most fans' choice for player of the season but how would Bradley have reacted if he'd been asked to play full back or in defensive midfield for the good of the team? Bennett for me exudes everything we would wish for in a Rovers player in the current era and shows total empathy for us as fans. He's been asked to play all over the shop in the cause and yes, he may have scuffed a cross or 2 but in general, his energy, commitment, drive, determination and willingness to play where asked for the good of the team and the fact that he has generally excelled wherever he's been asked to play with vigour, is why he'd be my nomination.

Bob: 'Sunrise, wrong side of another day, Sky high and 6,000 miles away, Don't know how long I've been awake, Wound up in an amazing state, Can't get enough and you know it's the righteous stuff, Dack's value goes up like prices at Christmas WE're THE Rovers, you can call US THE Rovers, alright!' Hopefully you'll be cheerleader at Donny and Charlton pal. It should be 2 great occasions to be a Rover.

I would normally have sympathy but NO-ONE, I repeat NO-ONE ever had any sympathy or understanding for us and our plight of being raped and pillaged by cockney spivs and their compadres. So Mackems best of luck. Hopefully we're rid and Thankfully, WE ARE BLACKBURN ROVERS and WE are on our way back!

Hopefully not 49 to re bury the bugger!!

That photo captures Benno's spirit and strength of feeling for the club perfectly IMO.

That Dele Alli was also a bargain!

You've kind of answered your own question Oldgregg. That was the point I was eluding to regarding Dack.