A comparison; Swansea bought Celina - someone mentioned as a target for us. He cost 4m according to transfermarket. Signed a four year contract. Since Swansea are recently relegated, and have players like Bony with a rumoured wage of 125k a week. How much would you guess he is on? Premier league appearances, had a contract till 2020 at city, national team appearances, highly sought, parachute payments... 40/50k? A week? Including NI, (since you don’t pay NI on transfer cost continuously through a contract, only the wage) wouldn’t that make that deal well over 15m? Someone who’d probably cost us twice the amount per week, to sit on the same bench behind Graham? On Ben - 10m is a better approximate (minus your “fake news” 3m, not forgetting you said 15m earlier either) and I’d suggest we’d probably be in a position to get something back even if he takes a long time to really cut his teeth. It’s a risk, but I’m still not convinced there was ever an option to spend 7m on a load of league 1/2 players that would’ve gone straight into the first 11.

1,000,000 a year is 20k a week. I’m not convinced he will be on that. 12.5k a week starting wage would be my estimate, putting him in the Nyambe, Raya, Lenihan category in the club, behind the Mulgrew, Graham, Evans and Dack wages. Confirmed? All say slightly different things. 1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45334243 ”up to 7m” 2. https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/hopefully-ben-brereton-not-regretting-2142865 ”7m 3. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6108209/Blackburn-Rovers-complete-initial-loan-signing-Nottingham-Forest-striker-Ben-Brereton.html ”with a view to a permenant” 4. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/16984616.rovers-have-big-belief-in-brereton-says-ceo-waggott/ “region of 7m” and “budgeted” The main answer on financing, about why and how is below; (from Waggott) “I just asked whether we could flex it between transfer money and wages accordingly, but not breach it. “If someone came along that meant we had to diminish wages to get that player, or vice versa, could we flex it and they said yes.” So there it is. We could afford a bigger transfer fee, because Ben was a cheaper contract. Potentially due of age or no prem experience, or because he wasn’t courted by a team who are immediately able to offer the higher champ wages that went to Swansea’s, Stokes, Forests, Derby's and Leeds attacking signings.

He’s not been out of the first 18 - I accept I’d like to see more but the point of signing potential is giving time to break into that picture, isn’t it? Paying lower prem wages to someone to wait in the same way would be a far more confusing scenario. For instance, we could’ve spent 7m easily on wages, 7m divided by 52 is 132k approx a week, could’ve (very simplistically) got us; No fees, 4x top end champ wage 30k for 1 season. 3.5m in fees and 2x top end champ wage @ 30k a week for 1 season. 3.5m in fees, 4x lower champ/lower division/less experienced players @ 15k a week for one season. If we’ve spent 7m upfront and a high championship wage to sit someone on the bench, I’d agree. The thing is, I don’t think we’d even be able to do that, especially considering total turnover for last season was just above 10 million. Reasonable wage that fits into the structure and payments over time would be my view. So much is assumption till the finances come out. Let’s not forget though, the 7m+ add ons is also an assumption based on conflicting reports - the line from the BBC “The 19-year-old could make his switch to Ewood Park permanent in January for a fee worth up to £7m.” It certainly suits criticism for him to be on Big dollar and a “record” sum. 15m over 4 years:... 4 years wages another 7m? I don’t think he’s on 35k+ a week Blue boy. If he is, then I’d be more than confused/worried - I’d be convinced something dodgy is going on.

Yes it is their mess, but I don’t simply prescribe to the idea that we’d be in a better position now if they’d simply said enough is enough. It might be hard to accept, but like JHR - the only mild positive I can give for the Rao’s is their readiness to pay bills the club can’t cover on it own. Bolton sold their training ground, Portsmouth and Coventry ended up with changing or poor fixed owners and many others including huge city clubs like Manchester United are completely directed by businessmen and commercial income. As you say - the finance is all owed to the parent, not a bank so it’s ultimatley the owners responsibility since even selling our entire squad, capital land and facilities wouldn’t get near to their total loss.

Not sure what I’ve done to the quote function but the point I was making is you casually missed wages - the main reason why we ended up in so much debt, and continue to require funding. The irony of the last sentence, we’d be long since gone if it wasn’t for “share capital”!

They even had to sell their training facilities to pay a tax bill at that time if memory serves.

Any word on Rankin Costello’s return? Been out injured for a long time.

The bold part, in my view, is the biggest line of lies, rubbish, nonsense, that I’ve read on this website for some time. Congratulations

Aspiration and ambition I can understand but expectation isn’t going to change in 3 months, 2 transfers, even a run undefeated. I also cannot agree with, the notion we’ve played largely awful! I cant state that enough. We are marginally away from being a top 6 team. That’s with some limited players and difficult fixtures. Arguably only certain decisions and mistakes away from being in the play offs, as the drop points from winning positions suggests. The master plan for me seems obvious too. Build a young squad with room to improve, add the right players when they become available. Get an identity back, a team with spirit and fight that the town can be proud of. Tony has already largely achieved that - in 18 months. I’m quite sure the legend Bobby Robson would’ve seen the job TM has done and give him the credit you cannot afford him. Good football “people” like Gary and TM are the sole reason we aren’t languishing in the fourth tier or worse after the damage done by those “managers” who could never be described as “proper football men” messers Kean and Coyle. They aren’t dining out on an image, they’re dining out on our clubs money via contract pay outs.

Now after all the “straw-men” of BRFCS - the first paragraph is a pearler. Ofcourse judgement of transfers is fair cop - it should be accompanied with some level of scope though. For instance - it may escape people’s gaze, we are a recently promoted from league 1 team. How many in your list went to teams in the playoffs or just outside from last season? Or how many went to teams recently relegated with bigger wages to play with? I’m not suggesting our business is perfect but I would say many of the preferred options had suitors before us in the pecking order. WBA, Villa, Stoke, Forest, Derby, Swansea, Norwich, Leeds, Bristol City - all arguably better positioned squad wise to be premier league and therefore wages doubled in 12 months. We should know what agents have done to transfers. The simplicity of which a name and a price is given, belies the facts I’ve mentioned about the transfer market also adding in the extreme level of competition to get into the top flight. .

You call me close minded and say I’m only looking at the bad parts of Souness, what are you doing with Mowbray? What is “being successful” in your eyes? Promotion and consolidation at first attempt is a reasonable target isn’t it? Doesnt have faith in youth? Why have Lenihan, Nyambe and Raya all been in his team then? Also - someone with such lack of confidence in young players surely wouldn’t spend their entire budget on Brererton, Armstrong, Davenport etc. Just because you think Travis and Nuttall are ready! Close minded much? Duff was a top level premier league player and Dunn was on his day. Even Brian Laws would’ve had us sweeping teams aside, Berkovic another “top level” player. Souness did a good job but his approach is archaic, Football has well and truly moved on. Google “Souness Dwight Yorke Training”. Chances of Mowbray signing someone then doing that? What you actually want from that promotion season is to be one of the top budgets in the league again, and I’m with you on that.

You said “record signing” which is neither true or relevant hence the point about comparing the cost to other records; Cole (15 years) or Rhodes (5 years). I think it’s stupid to suggest players are poor without giving them more than a handful of appearances, or poor on the basis they’re 19 and behind two others in a squad like Graham and Armstrong - but you’re welcome to your opinion.

Comparing 7m spent now and 15 years, or even 5 years ago is silly. There’s also little chance the club would destroy a wage budget on a 19 year old. Since we are both assuming, isn’t it common sense to think we might’ve paid a bit more on the fee because the wages are reasonable? Shhh, don’t you know we should be top because that 7m could’ve bought a whole new team?

Ha!

It plays a part that we don’t have anyone else of his ilk, but the team overall has to cut out silly mistakes. Villa at home for example. 1-0, not sure if Graham went off or not but a needless freekick and a dodgy wall later - 2 points dropped.

I don’t think it’s that easy B.B. For example, did Britt Assombalonga sign for a championship team because they offered more wages than Burnley offered him? I don’t think we are in a position to offer huge wages AND 7m for someone, and the Bamford’s/Assombolonga’s who are proven at this level cost that and the weekly wage. Gestede would be a shout for me as that target man— but realistically he’s probably too highly paid after stints in the prem with villa and Boro.

I’d rather judge a scenario on its own merits. It’s obvious that Graham helps us keep the ball up the pitch, that we agree on - however there’s certainly method in bringing a faster player to find gaps as the opposition pushes to get back into the game. Brum never looked a danger until we actively encouraged them through a daft mistake by Raya. In the ensuing panic, we are caught out because of bad defending, not Brererton or anyone else.

I have to say, I thought football had moved on from Souness in 2003 so to hear him or his style suggested as “what this club needs” in 2018 is hilarious. If I was asked “what this club needs” right now, my answers wouldn’t include a change of manager. The priorities for me; the return of fans, patience in the younger players, manager and staff, and more investment from the owners in the team and academy.

Doesn’t matter who is upfront if you’re keeper drops a clanger and your defence falls asleep. I’m amazed you and Ewood Ace seemingly can’t see that. Oh wait, course I know why - it’s perfect excuse to criticise Brererton/Mowbray! Doh silly me.

You know what’s equally as frustrating and leads to me getting fed up? The idea that buying players is akin to a supermarket... How much would you sell Lenihan or Nyambe for? Take that figure and double it for any similar aged but prem experienced players. Then look at someone like Graham, and find an effective similar replacement on reasonable wages under 25. What would be the cost of a lightning quick and quality final ball winger to be established in this division? All those “glaring” weaknesses aren’t going to be covered by 7m. Hopegully, if we do sign more players, particularly younger- they’ll be given more time than Brererton has been, before they’re labelled a “baffling clanger”

Young players make more mistakes and I’d suggest Raya/Nyambe made the most significant errors yesterday. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth persevering with though. Gutted really because for 70 minutes or whatever it was, we looked comfortable, effective and well organised.

The Rovers ones are brewed in Uk and 3 quid, the WMC is £1.45 and it’s imported...! I hate to think I’m a lager snob but I’m sure they can do better than plastic fosters and some overpriced 330ml plastic bottle! Had three pints of Munich Paulaner hell 4.9 imported tonight, and I’d happy pay the 4 quid a pop for that kind of quality drink! Take note Waggo!

If you’re buying, I’ll be there.l!!

5/10 transfers over all though right? I mean surely we should’ve signed more than one player from the third tier who is seen as top level ready...!

More like nightlife in Oswaldtwistle but just a quick shout out for the Tap Select bar in Oswaldtwistle. Really cool beers, good food, cool atmosphere. On the site of the old TSB. Also an old mate of mine running it! Oswaldtwistle is developing a real route once again too so I’d advise you have a go!