Mike E

Indeed, the superfluous utilisation of unnecessarily extravagant verbiage is disgruntling.

You've had a pie at half time then?

By not giving contracts to a multitude of non-players in recent years. By getting our money's worth when selling players (even Armstrong was sold short by around £5m on false pretences). £3m for Raya? £3.5m for NZonzi? Cairney? Hanley? Duffy? Even the outgoing Nyambe and Rothwell are worth much more than we will get for them out of contract. By investing in solid young players instead of persisting with older players (we actually do this to an extent, in fairness, but there's no need for Johnson to still be here at the expense of an academy player or a more mobile purchased player). By being better at negotiating contracts. By being more astute with ticket pricing, which generates more income via tickets AND kiosks AND club shop. Actual marketing! I think the £14.60 is the first good marketing initiative the club has had in years! The Oxford promotion game would've had a semi-competent CEO raking in the money for the club. Equally, we should be raking in literally millions in Chilean pesos currently. Sell Chile shirts in the club shop. Sell Rovers streaming to Chilean fans. Sell Rovers shirts (even old ones) to Chilean fans. By finding a sponsor for the Riverside. By maintaining the ground regularly at a low level, instead of paying out for full repairs a year or two later. By making sure a £300k CEO earns his money. Basically if they run the club competently and with a bit of foresight, this club could and should either be more competitive in this league, OR be more profitable/sustainable, and probably both.

Their ineptitude is WHY they have to put up the cash. This club at this level could so easily be run at a profit AND challenge playoff spots given decent commercial nous.

In which case, you could try making a similar post with the same point without slagging off significant portions of the fanbase, then? Such a post wouldn't get removed. The original one did look a bit bait-y tbf. Especially the 'f***ing whinge whinge and moan' bit, on the back of yet another drab loss.

How Mowbray makes it so complicated, I don't know. My coach at school used a Cloughism when we played: You head the ball. You kick the ball. If you have time with the ball, give it to someone who can play.

Hands up who's paying £14.60 to watch this shit?

You're a poster I've genuinely missed and occasionally wondered about over a glass of whisky! Glad you're back on!

Even live subs are better than nothing. I literally can't watch it without subs unless we have it loud enough for the whole street.

Been unable to watch Ch4 for a full 3 weeks now (4 on Friday) due to subtitling issues 😞

Just a theory I have, mentioned in another thread. I feel like we might be dealing with stupid clauses in players' contracts again. Purely a hunch based on why we aren't playing Butterworth despite Mowbray repeatedly bigging him up (not injured either).

Paying whatever we owe Butterworth's agent so that we can play him.

I'm struggling, racking my brains, trying to work out why Butterworth has disappeared from the first team because it certainly isn't injury or lack of talent. I reckon he's either slagged of Mrs Mowbray's lemon drizzle or he's got some stupid clause in his contract. Do we still do those extra fees to agents or former clubs 'after X appearances'?

I reckon James Norton, myself.

It was never the money that was the problem, it was that we were spending it on two unproven strikers when we needed defenders.

Sounds right, I've probably misheard it 🙂

Fair enough actually. Maybe I've misheard and the £3m was some sort of clause, or maybe what a purchase 'would' cost.

It was to do with what our insurance covers, I think. Something a bit obscure.

Hmmm not what I was told. Also believe the purchase will be revisited in January.

How were we about to spend £3m+ on Josh Maja on deadline day if we couldn't spend the Armstrong money?

Looks like the clock needs tapping down into the right place.

Jesus! That's a flavour of match I haven't seen in a while! Probably closest is something like Walter Vs Druganov?

Noticed a few times today, Mowbray barked instructions at players and then turned away when some of them replied. Did it to Kaminski and Travis, at least.

Van Hecke reminds me of a defender. Remember them?

I've always liked that Gallagher...