I'm less worried by our start. Hull were poor last year and Norwich and West Brom have under achieved the last few years. Whilst bigger names in this division and historically they've challenged well thru haven't pulled up any trees the last couple of years. It's the finish that worries me. Can't see us getting much out of it and they're teams that likely will be around the top.

That was my initial reaction too. It looks a rough ending.

What annoys me about Buckley is that what he can do and bring can't really be taught. Some of his vision stuff is fantadtoc. But the stuff which is basic and can be taught he doesn't do. That three different managers haven't drummed it into him doesn't auger well but there's definitely a case of what could have been with the lad.

Interestingly I watched it with the wife who has no interest in football. She enjoyed it too and had no idea prior to watching that they got relegated again. I think seeing her incredulity of the situation helped reinforce how nuts the whole thing was.

Having watched the documentaries- which really are excellent- I can't say I'm excited to have him here. Not sure Grayson was a bad shout, with 4 promotions for few failures at that point, but the contracts and the way the season went showed he was plenty culpable. The moment that stands out was Bain overseeing a machine that was brought to aid revoerely that none of the team used but that he did. Sunderland were a basket case club. So are we, so it's a good fit in that respect. The solution to some problems however - I'm far less confident of.

One thing people overlook when it comes to cheap punts and clever work in the transfer market is that under the previous competent regime it was always combined with spending proper money on players too. Nelson and Mokoena came in on the cheap - at the same time we paid good money for Savage. We had punts on whether strikers like Fowler & Jeffers had anything in them - at the same time as paying for the likes of McCarthy and Santa Cruz. Nothing wrong with punts so long as they are combined with proper investment. That never happens with this lot.

Any thoughts on the difference between then and now, those doing the spotting? Maybe, just maybe, that might have a y'know influence on the liklihood of these signings being successful.

Well unless you ignore facts most if not all clubs in the championship are better than us if we are going off any useful metric like professionalism or ambition. I think the word educated guess rather than assumption is a good way of putting we haven't offered enough wages. Whilst no pme knows for sure - although that uncertainty can't be used as a defence of the club - all the evidence suggests that they won't have. You have to ignore a lot of facts and history to imply the club is not messing up on this one.

Delighted hehas gone. Someone who has done untold damage to the club imo both deliberately and through incompetence. Glad he's had enough of the pressure of been scapegoated or whatever. Still feel he has escaped far too lightly for his abuse of Rovers as have many before. Problem is the bigger issue still own us. Until they go malice and negligence will reign at Ewood.

Well it was better than I thought but once again the spotlight was on the off field activities as the owners and upper management screwed us once again. Going into the season I really didn't rate Eustace and thought his vastly underfunded team shorn of Sammi would struggle. Shows what I know! Eustace impressed me getting this lot to perform and our position in January given the team.and investment was the most impressive during Venkys reign of terror. Of course the owners and upper management screwed it up all over again. Losing a manager to a near relegation certs is one of the most damning illustrations of the crapfest and unprofessional sickness that grips Rovers these days. The transfer window was laughable. The interviews cringe worthy and the selection process of a new manager - heaven forfend we actually plan in advance for this stuff - agonising. As an aside two managers having the hump in successive Januarys? When will peoples critical faculties kick in and think "you know there might be some issues with this club..." How good is the new chap? Hard to tell from this season. I liked his previous work and felt he'd had a rough deal but I've am awful feeling things only got better when the pressure was off. He might not be that good. Which means on top of the usual circus of embarrassment mean it was another missed opportunity. I genuinely can't see there being many more opportunities too. How many good manages will our lot get in? Is there any family silver left to sell? Not every year will the youth team bail us out (everyone in football knows not all kids make the grade - apart from Gestede who is determined to give 3,000,000,000 minutes to our youngsters next season.) All in all it makes it a pretty awful season again. As it will always be until this cancer - and I use this word in a considered manner but it feels the most apt in the situation - is removed from our club.

In fairness there's not been a footballing insight in 15 years so I imagine little experience was needed. He'll fit right in with the rest of the incompetent no-marks running the joint.

See this is the issue of selectively of stats. Basically what is posted here is an admission of neglect and an utter downgrade on what we have. It's like me saying that people have a 95% of being safe with me not mugging them or I did 2 years without committing a crime (whilst in prison) - it's damning by what it doesn't say! Neither of the above are true they are illustrative only. So 4.5 on millions and increased wage budget. Let's say 3 on fees 1.5 in wages. Now given the last 2 years the wage budget has been cut by 20% that means this year alone the wage budget has decreased by about 5 mill. So what he's saying is we are paying 3 million plus less wages. Hardly a sign of generosity! These might not be the exact figures but the point still stands. Same with transfer fees. We've brought in what? 24 mill from Wharton and Sammi alone. So at best we've paid out 12.5% of fees. How generous! But then when. Raya money, Gally fee etc are taken into account that drops below 10%. Do you think that's acceptable levels of investment. It is what it is isn't an answer. So either you are saying you expect us to invest about 10% of what we make in transfer fees on players - implausible as we don't have that much talent waiting to be sold- or you think somewhere from something they are going to give us an extra 3 million? There is zero evidence they will do this.

I would suggest that someone who dies on the hill of one manager being in charge for a victory against Stoke despite all the evidence otherwise but then changes his mind when said manager skedaddles is not to be taken that seriously... As for the team shocking but hardly surprising. Everything is stacked against us performing from their collective ability to the moral crushing losses of managers through to a threadbare squad. No surprise when the sticky tape holding it together is removed we fall apart. The responsibility of course lies with the owners.

Yes I think that for me too the West Brom failure wasn't so worrying, as they did worse without him. That said if his stint there is not a negative it's not a plus either! Wasn't my first choice but I would have had a look at him based on his Barnsley achievement and other experiences in England. Seen if he was a dark horse or not, something I suspected he might have been. Problem is it's looking like he's a one legged donkey...

A couple of thoughts. Firstly we've lost two good managers because of behind the scenes issues and working environment. All of which makes it pretty meaningless as to who is appointed. They'll ultimately fail or get hacked off in the adverse conditions - it won't end well. Secondly I've thought Ismael a decent candidate for a while. Not great but decent. West Brom did worse without him and the 5 subs rule should help him do with us what he did with Barnsley. Would have taken a look at him, albeit not as preferred candidate if we were a normal club. In fact the fact Venkys/Swag has chosen him is probably one of my biggest gripes against him, since they get most things wrong! Regardless of ranging from could have been worse to a dark horse ultimately we know how it ends with us. The saga continues.