See this is a really good point, up the food and drink on the concourses. Crap Fosters and one bitter option, we always have gone in the WMC because the price/choice/atmosphere is better prematch. Its all a bit plastic and expensive - you also mentioned about small outfit having an advantage but it’s been done at Ewood before. Anyone remember the Wainwright cask/barrels in the gaps behind riverside? £3 a pint. When was that?

As for Evans.... I genuinely would’ve been annoyed 9 months ago, but he has grown on me recently especially because of the sheer persistence in his game. That said, I’m not exactly convinced he will keep it up. For me, it’s not because of a new contract or the NI call up, something we’ve all joked about at some point. I just think he has that unfortunate injury streak in him. Another good sign from the club though all in all, it’s quite easy to see the benefit of keeping him his perceived “peak”. Even if Reed is the best box to box midfielder we have. Rodwell certainly hasnt shown the fitness to go up and down the pitch like the others, although he’s hardly been tried at CM so he’s behind the rest on the basis he’s seemingly seen as a central defender by Tony. Smallwood has the best attitude, effort, and heart of all of them. Probably the most limited at times though on the ball. I love Elliot Bennett but I just think he’s not quite up to a more central defensive role, prefer him to be out wide with pace and energy. He did well when he deputised last season but that ultimatley was curtailed by Evans return and he’s hardly been out the team since.

Googled “classless stunt” to get some idea of context, and I found a story about Janet Jackson showing her breast at a super bowl half time show. So, I think we’d agree, that’s if Waggott did the same at Ewood, at half time trying to sell HST’s. Not an image I really needed tbh.

I agree he is an excellent man manager but I think “poor” is a gross overstatement of minor criticisms on transfers; Exhibit A; The cost of our main business last season - Was it Bell, Dack and Samuel that cost money? (about 1.25m?) Free; Smallwood, Downing, Whittingham, Gladwin, Hart, Leutwiler etc.. Id suggest the target of promotion was achieved because of excellent man management, and a good level of business. Ofcourse a couple have been no shows, but even the Downings, the loans like Chapman, Armstrong and Payne, played at least some part. Without Dack, we’d probably still be languishing in the third tier potentially, and since that where most of our kitty went - good transfer business complimenting a revival of Graham/Mulgrew/Bennett. I will be measuring this seasons transfer business against success - and so far we aren’t doing to badly, even if that’s with most of last years team. Lots of season left, if Brereton is still hardly touched by April/May, Rothwell is in the u23s and others like Palmer - recalled, Davenport no impact - I’d start to fall more into the belief we’ve cocked up this years kitty!

Don’t remind me, still haunted by loads of idiots in the Riverside, and some fat Manc in a Rosie and Jim mask taunting us from behind the nets.

Cannot agree, and I simply cannot accept the “it’s happened to us before” argument. The climate is different these days at the club and signing (to quote the manager) a “19 year old boy” but not thrusting him into the team is not “bizarre” Even if you suggest the “huge” fee makes this more concerning, I personally don’t think 7m will go very far for young championship experienced players. For example; How much would you sell Nyambe, Lenihan and Raya for? Finally - if there is any loan deal that we’ve signed that includes some sort of fee for the way he’s used - I’d suggest the most likely one of those is Palmer. I’d also suggest Chelsea have been on the blower a few times saying “why is he not playing”? There is an interview with the Peterborough chairman from earlier in the year (could’nt find) that talks about Liverpool including a sanction for NOT playing Ben Woodburn when he went to Sheff United. The reason for that was the demand for the player and Liverpool’s concern about stifling a talent.

I might be getting old but I don’t think we’ve varied the setup or formation for 12 months. He hasn’t played as well this season - that’s something we can agree on

Not expecting loads? Every match thread has a prediction for him to score. How about he starts first? You argue as if he is a stalwart proven championship striker. He isn’t. He’s played a few games, in the squad as third choice to Assombolonga and others. Injury thrust him into it, not readiness to usurp those around him. You might gloss over it - but our system is more important to any “usage of our forwards debate” than any condescending “This “Mowbray doesn’t consider him a striker”... I mean you truly have to be arrogant to think you know what the detailed thoughts of the manager are on a player- what he sees him as, his strengths, his weaknesses. Might be key element to you in this, but to me seems irrelevant what position he wants to use B.B. in, long term. I personally don’t think 3 months of being in the squad, on the bench and then coming on as a wide forward means TM thinks he’s no striker. That’s just me. By the same idea, you must think TM rates AA as a winger then? Even though he’s said on numerous occasions he sees Armstrong leading the line, and it’s his best position. Finally - I’m not defending TM. I’m saying what I think, my opinion. I think the idea that the appearances are reduced due to finance is laughable, or the idea that he is a “marquee” “clanger” already, basically just trolling. The idea that TM didn’t choose the signing is also a joke in my eyes, not least because I’ve listened to the man explain why he wanted him. To conclude - many, not sure if you included, say Palmer has been wasted because he hasn’t been used as a number 10. Well, on the occasion we had no Graham- we went with Palmer behind an un-droppable Dack. The same Palmer who played in that role for a promoted Huddersfield? Whilst a failed experiment it might be, painted as “indefensible” is way OTTIMO

Good for you, I’m proud of you. I’d expect you to disagree with everything I’ve ever said if you genuinely believe the only two possible plausible reasons for Brererton not starting yet are; 1. Dodgy finance on loan AKA team impacted by financial choice not just manager or 2. Brererton forced on manager and he’s binning him off to make a point... In reply to your reasoning; Assumption he is on low wages though, I would call any figure an assumption since it’s not published. Doesn’t take a genius to understand why players with premier league experience or higher get paid more though does it? Armstrong is being given the same chance as last season, just because you’d play a different setup means little to the facts. The last point to make is you seemingly think it’s a simple! As if, we needed to replace Graham or at least have good quality cover... It’s not simple as googling the necessities.. it’s not ordering through CPC!

Ask @K-Hod hahaha

Only plausible explanations? I accept you may see with only two options, so black and white but I do not. There is plenty of things I’d suggest impact his usage on the field that don’t include his price or a pay by you play loan deal.... Just a selection since I’m waiting for a lift and the bar stool is late; 1. The manager himself just after signing said “Let's forget about the price now and concentrate on the player. He's a 19-year-old boy.” 2. We play one centreforward 3. We have Armstrong who is arguably deserved of a priority due to last season (like a few others, another comment from manager about giving them a chance is available) 4. Brererton has spent 99% of his entire career at one club, certain style, people, training, team mates, etc - not all players acclimatise instantly. 5. We attempted to sign other forwards prior to B.B. and thus one would predict wasn’t first choice or expected to be as good instantly. Plenty of others related to style of play, attitude, fitness, Danny Graham’s impact, Kasey Palmer being used as a number 10 - arguably his best position but can you drop Dack? Etc etc The price may be seen as more as a long term investment, and like AA, never played premier league football = softer wages = more to pay on transfer cost. Whilst this is a financial aspect - I believe it might be worth considering that 7m (even if it does get to that) in 2018, regardless of past records - is paltry to adding the monthly cost that teams such as Forest, added to their bills this previous summer, through wages. 7m upfront from us (unlikely) would only pay for 5 new players on 30k a week in wages for one season! Arrogance to suggest no plausible reason in your own mind means = it must be implausible. As I said earlier - the Brererton deal offers a potential “axe to grind” and there is absolutely no coincidence those most willing to wield it have been 5/10 on Mowbray for some time.

See the problem is you can’t trust Mowbray, and suggest his reason for starting KP and Dack upfront in one game was “for no reason”. He had his reasons, right or wrong. Im not arrogant enough to think I know better, thus I can quite happily say “I don’t get that” without needing some far flung or nefarious rationale. Id also suggest that any 19 or 20 year old we sign is allowed time to bed into a new club before he is seen as a “poorly judged” acquisition. The reason for that, much like signing some players from the continent - they may need time to develop roots, routines and blend with the social group. Whilst I can understand many would expect an “expensive” signing to have more impact immediately, I don’t think the overreaction to this is warranted in the slightest.

Apologies, I’ll reply instead; The idea we are limiting his appearances for financial reasons is laughable.

https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/a-club-by-club-breakdown-of-wages-in-the-premier-league-championship/ Bit out of date but we went down to league one with the 14th highest wage bill in the league with 22m. Does anyone believe we are spending more this season on wages?

I dunno.. I mean is it that bad? After considering most of the business we are seeing as poor - the gladwins, The harts - all done in the third tier. All free signings, all after a mass exodus of playing staff. For me it’s once again the mixing up of expectation/aspiration. Ofcourse, it would be nice to see Bell improve, a Big centre half and a wide player recruited but that is more the “aspiration” as opposed to what I’d simply “expect”

Extremely disingenuous to go on about net transfer cost without including estimated wage costs. For example - the article I read about Paddy Bamford at leeds suggested he’s on 30+k a week. I’d estimate that even the combined wage of A.A. and B.B. falls below that figure, so suggesting we “blew” Norwich and co “out of the water” when they are signing loans and covering players on 50k a week like Rhodes, is quite frankly- Wrong!

Not necessarily as straight forward as that though is it? We don’t know if the money was available for older players, or whether we had the wages for the Bamford’s of this division - yet the assumption is we’ve plumped all the funds in one basket. Even if that is true, surely we give the basket more than 3 months to prove his worth? I mean I’d be more shocked if we played two forwards every week and he wasn’t even in the squad. Those who complain the most regularly and vociferously about TM are the same using the terms “dropped a clanger” with Brererton and calling his overall transfer business 5/10. That’s not a coincidence JHR!

True and I think GB signed a fair few cock ups, including players we’d previously released. But with the small amount of money he had to spend, Duffy, Gestede, Cairney, Evans and Marshall stood out as good signings. Give Mowbray same amount of time in this division, I think he’d leave a squad better than the one he inherited.

Also had about 8 windows didn’t he? And not one of them in the third tier.

Just to add further - even GB signed Varney and Brown, he even let Judge go for absolutely nothing too. Would we suggest GB was a 5/10 for transfers? Nope. We’d probably say it was one of his main strengths. The Brererton deal is a potential cock up, a potential weakness or glint in the armour of a the manager. No wonder those with an axe to wield are aiming for that spot!

But is it realistic expecting him to turn 750k into a 20m every summer Boris? The answer is a resounding NO!

Bit of step, hoping he is on realistic wages, from suggesting he’s not playing for financial reasons or previously referred too; “dark forces”...! Also - I must point out, even if Brererton turns out to be (to quote merc) a “clanger” - in the game against Boro, recently relegated from the prem - the best player on the Park was our 750k number 10. 5/10 recruitment indeed!

Yea I don’t believe we paid 7m in one “net” payment. Hardly a huge issue is it, Boris?

I’ve said from the beginning I felt the was staggered and inclusive of add ins, percentage and wages... im not sure what point you are trying to make?

I still think that we’ve agreed to a staggered deal even if it’s suggested that the ultimate price is expensive. Not sure why you struggle to accept that really! Secondly - you seek out my opinion all the time hence your reminding us about previous comments - why on earth would you be suprised that I still say what I think, as you’d say it “fake news”... You do realise that Trump says “fake news” to stories he personally disagrees with? Not necessarily things that are actually “fake”? The irony of that intended insult is almost overbearing, Boris.. (Boris Johnson a well known public troll and moron)..