PB is as welcome to his opinion as you are, and in the same way I am. Nobody has convinced me that this signing is a complete "blunder" (Mercer Jan 2019) or has ended up costing us an "obscene" (Blueboy Jan 2019) amount of money. Without going over this AGAIN in detail, I am still firmly in the camp that his wages mean more was available for the fee (Waggott September 2018), it is highly structured, appearance and performance related (many news reports since). I actually said "I think HE WILL" which I don't think you could compare to trying to get people to vote for something that is the equivalent of trying to take an egg out of an omelette (Brexit). Whilst you talk a lot of sense about politics, the notion you saw the impact travis would've had on our midfield before his inclusion is ridiculous 47er. If you listened to Mulgrews interview on RL other day, he couldn't quite believe it either - and he has trained with him for how long? I also think its fairly ignorant to forget Travis benefitted from being used in his preferred position and given consistent starts. When has Ben had this? Your fear about him being a waste of money (5 months into his Rovers career, 1 league start) is related to the fee and not the player in my view. Hence Grabbi and Davies get a mention. I shudder to think what either of them would've cost now - you're talking in the top transfer fees for the Era - particularly with Davies. You know, that season (98/99) - I could only find Dwight Yorke and Jaap Stam who cost a lot more than Davies deal, yet a (future England and current Premier league) manager at that time saw fit to give Southampton that figure AND James Beattie... A fantastic example of poor business. Comparing that to now - the expectation should decrease with what you get for the fee. Of course it was bit of a surprise for us to outlay so much on returning to the championship, but look at the cost of an average championship player these days. Quotes from Mowbray yesterday are prime examples of what is going on, however why not use the other striker we signed last summer? Question marks against Armstrong's ("lazy little tosser" Blue Boy Oct 2018) ability to cope in the championship made him 1.5m rising to 3m - looking at him now, if he sustains his form... Would you accept 7m for him? No thanks OH and I forgot to answer the question about needing a backup striker, I agree we need another hold up/wily style forward like Graham as he is getting on a bit. That said, I think we have shown recently we can play 442, and even if Graham is injured for a long time - we've got a mixture of Dack, Armstrong, Nuttall, and Brereton who can play up top. Obviously, none of them can do the job that Danny can do, but that is probably why it would be a very expensive signing to get someone else who can, to sit on the bench. I have no qualms with waiting till the summer to find a better fit, and I guess it comes down to trusting the managers judgement too - he hasn't got much wrong in my book.

Amen to that at least. It won’t be though because it’s the perfect reason to up expectation with him. Its even more ridiculous when people are comparing 7m signings in the late 90s and early 2000s with now. I think a few u23s games would do him good too - but I also think he needs to keep training and learning with the first team squad, I was against loaning him out for that reason.

Travis would’ve never been seen as an undroppable centre midfielder at the end of December. 5 games later people are suggesting he is undroppable. You’ve suggested what we’ve got so far is what we will get with Ben and I can’t agree. I think he wil improve with time, patience and support.

I have the same doubts but it’s not time to say “he’s garbage” or “a waste of money”. I also don’t recall PB saying he doesn’t think he will make the grade either. I also watched the same game. You couldn’t single him out as someone not showing effort or desire from what I saw. He doesn’t look confident or exactly sure his role, but that’s a bit different to the lazy/attitude problem you just suggested. Im not sure why you’d pick that to disagree with either? Am I to assume that you think we should’ve completely blown the wage budget and the fact we aren’t spending any more is “unambitious?”

Travis has had a fantastic 6 weeks and moved his stock forward greatly. I don’t think that’s beyond any of our young players yet you and others will gladly write someone off who hasn’t! Not for me.

No, but I’m not the one suggesting it’s wasted when the 19 year lad hasn’t even started two games in a row yet. The only thing ridiculous is that!

You’re judging a 19 player by a handful of starts/sub appearances. When you’ve stopped doing that I will be waiting to have a more sensible discussion. Inferiority complex much? Social media society is as fickle as it gets, why would football fans be any different; Case in point. 47er expects and thinks a 7m signing is entitled to be a world beater. If he doesn’t do it right away, he’s a shyte/obscene waste of money.

All that would be great JHR if he hadn’t actually said we couldn’t afford the players we wanted!

You’ve seen him come off the bench for a handful of appearances and that’s it? 19 year old not worth it, sack him? Thank Christ you aren’t involved in our academy. I know that figure is the perfect excuse to expect another Rhodes - but the reality is completely different. Football has moved on even in that time. I actually thought you talked a lot of sense about football but your take on Brereton and our transfer business is so transparent that I am embarrassed for you. (@Paul Mellelieu will be ripping his own hair out)

Different gamble between a structured deal for a 19 year old and trying to take Boro’s record signing and fitting him into our wage structure. You know that, I know that. Try again. We also both know there would be no Brereton if the club or recruitment showed (as many are saying) no ambition at all. I personally think writing BB off at this point is almost as stupid as Revidges anti-Graham tirades, but that’s just me.

A sense of entitlement - if you don’t get what you want you complain. The problem is the expectancy is ridiculous too - just read through the thread. There are an embarrassing amount of short sighted comments - many in frustration to not signing a player who cost twice what our record signing was, and probably earns more than Dack and Mulgrew combined. I find someone who constantly complains about Graham/Bennett extremely odd since we are at it. As pointless as ever. Precisely - I mean such a lack of ambition to go spend a big chunk of our turnover and invest money on our squad eh? Reality is though Blueboy - if you’ve decided already that money is wasted, bloated or as you call it “obscene” ( a few rising to 7m in 2019!!), then I suggest your expectations of a 19 year old lad with 1 league start are misguided. Bit different for you though, because Brereton is the stone you grind your “I never rated Tony” axe with. Flex round that. See that makes little sense Tom. You’re talking about this being our main way into new ownership, yet the only way we could spend such figures is by borrowing our current incumbents money! That’s more reason for them to keep us from certain perspectives. To give some scope too, playing staff total wages at the minute (approx) are less than 250k a week. Villa, Stoke, and WBA are nearer to 1m a week. Youre advocating an attempt this season via gambling transfer fees and wages but then suggesting if we stay in this league we lose our better players. What do you think stacking up wages will do to that process if you aren’t one of the 3 promoted (from how many challenging)? Accelerate it. If you can only see the pro’s of that, and not the potential cons - May I suggest you look at rovers business post relegation and then the eye watering figures we ended up losing (or owe the owners). Being FORCED to sell really does change your options!

I harbour plenty of hope for promotion, the difference is I don’t think gambling is necessary at this point. As others will point out - a large group of posters seem completely oblivious to the other side of the coin. Only 3 teams go up, no need to go over the result of parachute payments running out in this league, we should all remember that. The irony is, many of these posters are advocating the club drops its prices, or takes a hit to get more fans in the ground. “Give me more, and charge me less”. Nah, not even a slight bit over entitled.

I agree. Others won’t though, your narrative doesn’t suit a vision of an unambitous club and manager who cannot recruit. How others can say that in the face of us reportedly spending 10m+ in our return to the championship and developing a competitive squad that’s not doing to badly in the league.. beyond me. Sorry @K-Hod - I’m not quoting them all, but this thread is an embarrassing example of the over entitlement of modern football support!

Out means out!

You’ve never made sense.

You mean like clubs did to us for Cairney, Hanley, Duffy etc....! Spot on.

I’ve no qualms with the idea about momentum and striking whilst we’ve got a good squad - but you’re mistaking (what I would describe as) a more realistic ambition for accepting mediocrity! Where have I heard that before? As I said to Miller, most competive league in the world potentially, 12 teams minimum all still in a position to strike top six, all ambition to get the big money of the prem. That drives cost, wages, fees up. If we broke the wage bill for someone and failed to go up - then you see the assets sold off to pay bills. Remember before? For me, develop and add potential each window and improve the ones we have. On that, I’m not getting out my pram if we don’t buy anyone. You can though, it’s quite hilarious. As for Norwich and Southampton - What point does that make? Norwich hardly spent a penny and went up second in the league under Lambert and with Grant Holt upfront... I seem to recall Henri Lansbury (a loan) was key. Southampton sold Bale, Oxlade Chamberlain and a host of others at that time - players they developed and sold for big profits funded their improvements and kept them in the prem.

... you just said it’s either A or B if we don’t sign someone, which is exactly what you’re criticising Chaddy for!

Nope, he’s right up our street. Already knows many of the squad, young, a position we want and has had some level of unfound potential to develop. I wouldn’t be very happy to sign Gallagher, ecstatic on a permanent.

I personally don’t think going from league 1 to the premier league in 2 seasons is “ambitious” I think it’s flipping hopeful at best, and downright ridiculous at worst. By the same token, some fans said Dack would be gone last summer too, and a few of those who are looking to stick the oar in “a lack of ambition” for only adding Chapman wanted rid of Mowbray a month ago.. It’s up to you if you want to complain and moan if we don’t sign a striker or get promoted though. Have a blast.

Without Prem revenue, reductions in season and walk on tickets might attract more fans but it certainly won’t improve turnover. Im not saying that there is no better options to the current schemes either. It’s just not as simple as you say. The wage boom in the championship + 9 years of stagnant public wages and austerity from the government play into this.

Any of them on 6 month loan would be a decent addition to the squad, who do you think Tony’s target is?

Jeez it’s not even 8am and the sulking starts.

Everybody would've loved to see more already, but can I remind you that my point is he hasn't been given the time or the chance to be judged yet? Do you genuinely think that its fair to say his transfer is a "Massive blunder " (Mercer, Jan 19)? By the way, just to be clear - three assumptions on your point; 1. The money we "spent" on Brereton could've been used for other players the manager wanted, and has caused a huge hole in our playing budget - IE there is plenty of discussion about more money being available for young players as opposed to more developed and higher wage/experienced players and there is also plenty about structure of deals with his protracted wage compared to say, Assombalonga. 2. We had targets for other positions we required, who came available for the right deal/wage at the right time. I remember the manager lambasting Bamford being out of our range because of the fee AND wage, and I have referenced Waggot's "flex" more time than you've had a glass of wine with wee Dougie and C o yley - again, his suggestion that we could spend more fee for a 19 year old with less wages is constantly ignored by the "Bash Ben Brigade"... and that was from the acting chairman! Who better to ask? 3. We knew he wouldn't hit the ground running or would take longer than necessary. Hindsight is 20/20 or whatever the saying is. You talk as if all business is simple, maybe if you spent more time crafting a more balanced view about the recent goings on at the club, more of us would take you seriously.

Your personal views are only ever scenarios that suggest the worst outcome. I should know I imagine like many fans with Ben, the club expected more from what they got so far. That doesn't mean, like you @47er and many other assume - he will never come good, he will never improve and he will never be worth his fee. Skepticism, and criticism of his impact so far is absolutely fine from my point of view, and I am sure you can accept that my personal opinion is that he has at least 12 months and needs at least a few starts in a row to even be considered as given a chance. Needlessly bringing everything else in our transfer business, back to his suggested fee, wage and now I see more an assumed signing on fee rumour - it (as at least 5 people have pointed out today) achieves absolutely nothing.