I remember when Rangers had an embargo. They had a number of players lined up for the day it was lifted. Funny how we are incapable of similar. Also how can TM sound surprised that 10 players left? I mean he knew contracts were winding down and loans returned. It's not like that was sprung upon us...

Some good points, well actually some terrible points (from Rovers pov) that are well made. Experience is pretty limited. And as you say this is a best case scenario. There are other problems as well as the ones you point out. Firstly Gally on the wing - a terrible waste of his attributes and hasn't worked for years. Johnson is just as likely to have a bad game as a good one, if not more so. In fact he is an utter liability for a third of the games he plays. Bereton for all his international exploits has still looked poor in a fair number of Rovers games, as well as menacing in others. We can't be certain Pickering will make the step up. And at centre half there's huge questions as to what ability a player will come back with after a serious injury, even assuming they have returned to fitness (Greako and Thompson spring to mind.) And to reiterate your point - this is the best case scenario. Losing that many players is going to kill the team and arguably our Championship status. I'm sure some of them will run down their contracts - it's the way these days. How do we replace them when even when we sell them we'll get a fraction of their value? And this is on top of any others who need replacing. Johnson won't last more than a year too. So we potentially are looking at 5 players needing replacing from the first 11. And it's not beyond the realms of possibility that cover for Ayala will be needed. In short half a team. It's a very worrying sign. Have to say it's the only building project I have seen that goes backwards. We have to get the close season transfers totally right. And that's a huge ask even for a competent one much less TM

Swag will be loving all these embargos flying around. If we are in it it's a great excuse not to spend and there will be lots of "we really want to sign X and Y". If we aren't in it we urge caution as we are looking to avoid embargo. Got to make sure we don't cross over the line so need to hold off signings. Cue lots of "we need to be careful" comments. Either way no signings will be coming.

I was just about the post the same. We gave our second choice keeper a longer deal than the first. We gave an injury prone over 30 a 3 year contract. And yet we struggle to get more than one year extensions done for other players and have lost out to Preston and the like to players too. Quite the contrast.

See my issue is Everyone and their dog knew Ayala was injury prone. Every Boro fan said he is decent but has glass ankles/goes missing in January etc. So he clearly had injury issues before hand. Given the rest of our centre backs bar Warton were injury prone that was a stupid risk to take. It also meant that if we got any unexpected long term injuries - and we did - then we were always likely to struggle. Given we knew about all the defensive issues we knew it would be a risk and one we needlessly imo took. Had we gambled on Ayala and brought in a less injury prone CB to replace Williams and moved him on it would have been less of a risk. As it was it was a stupid gamble - the odds of were in favour of this situation developing. What are we supposed to do? Make sure we don't only have crocks in the centre of defence? As for the youngsters people would love to have - firstly CB is a key position which requires experience. So we were adding extra risk by using so many youngsters. secondly Elliott got played in a rediculous number of positions which can only have harmed his impact for Rovers. Especially when he was false 9. Getting them in is only the start. Using them properly matters too.

Great post. What gets me with fans and the manager who have this position is that it observably cannot work. Ignoring the basic premise that if it were that easy to just chuck in a load of youngsters then every team would do it. And they don't for a reason, all the other assumptions are observably untrue as well. Injuries. We have seen how much our centre backs get injured. Fans and managers have witnessed how much time it takes for players to get up to speed after serious injuries. Why are we suddenly not going to have these injuries? Why are suddenly our serious injuries going to buck the recovery time needed? Or look at experience. We have seen how well JRC, Buckley and Chapman have done. And whilst there is a debate as to how well they have done, none would say they have performed strongly. Promising, imo yea, but consistent to be relied upon players? That's asking a lot and doesn't seem to line up with where they are with their progress. Or all the untested players coming in. If you have supported a football team for any length of time you know that not every youth player makes it. That's a fact. So why suddenly do all of ours beat the odds and make it? Then there's the development argument - look at the time it's taken some of our players to progress. Young players very often take time to develop. And yet suddenly it's as if that process is to be ignored/sped up. Why? How? Then there's relying on Bereton and Gally for goals. Haven't people seen the stinkers they have had or how the manager has mismanaged them? Why is that going to change? Am all for a bit of optimism but let's not ignore reality. Sadly the manager and some fans seem to be doing this.

All this talk of changing the system, which system are we talking about? We played 2 versions of 4-3-3 last season, one with Armstrong and one with a false 9. We also played 4-2-3-1 as well as some wing back monstrosity and a 4-2-2-2 at times. Other than the first dozen games we haven't had a consistent plan all of last season. One of the reasons we keep struggling so much.

Absolutely. Only 4 or 5 signings needed assuming... 1) none of our injury prone players are out long term or get injured at the same time. 2) every youth player makes the step up to championship level and rapidly. 3) Bereton and Gally start performing on a more regular basis. 4) The current youngsters with a bit of championship experience all progress as expected. Put simply, this is not going to happen. Pure fantasy. This squad would struggle even if the four or five players we bring in are world beaters. Oh, that's another thing, we are assuming all the signings will work out. Can see this happening though. It's not hope for the best plan for the worst at Ewood, it's plan for the best and ignore the worst even when it's bleeding obvious.

The other problem is in 12 months time we will need a replacement for the swapped in player yet with no influx of cash to do so. Every time we keep pushing problems down the road so all the crap can hit the fan at the same time. We are such an ill thought out, shoddy organisation with sod all planning. It drives me nuts. Especially coming from a bloke who always talks about building. Building? more like a demolition job one season at a time. Next time we go down we won't have as strong a squad and will stay there. Bloody charlatans.

Well I think there's one area which is shaping up to be an intriguing battle next season. That is what will win out TM's pride or greed? We all know next season we are going to get canned. With one of our strongest squads last year we limped to mid table. No Dack and cutbacks means we must be certs to be in the relegation mix. And that's where it gets intriguing (as well as terrifying.) Because on one hand TM has a huge ego. He cannot stand any criticism and thin skinned is an understatement. And the prospect of us being in a relegation scrap and pundits/papers questioning him, as well as fan dissatisfaction in the ground. He won't like that in the slightest. He has shown he can't cope with the mildest of criticism (which I should add is very justified criticism at that.) Will he stick it out when the criticism inevitably comes his way? With his paper thin ego it's doubtful. But on the flip side the guy is hugely into self preservation. He's stuck around despite the worst two runs in my time of supporting Rovers. There's been cringe worthy articles where he kisses the owners' behinds saying how honourable they are. There's the litany of lies and excuses - fans expecting a recreation of 95, fans responsible for Nayambe's fake injury (is he bollocks a nice guy). The guy has no shame or depth when it comes to self-preservation making you think he is here no matter what. So which will win out - pride or self preservation? Put it this way, it's the biggest battle we are going to see at Ewood anytime soon.

Reminds me of the Dunn - Lampard debate. At one time it was Dunn who was England U21 captain and perhaps looked the better bet. It didn't quite pan out that way mind...

Well given how injury prone our defence is we would need a heck of a lot of cards to make this happen! We'd need to permanently play with 10 men. Fulham got the better of this deal. Parker is overrated as a coach who had been bailed out by a very strong squad (for this level). Mind you Bournemouth have made some poor managerial decisions since Howe. Appointing the number 2 never works, and then the guy who took Boro to near relegation. And I think they are continuing this trend with the appointment of Parker.

And the more I think about it, the crazier it seems. I can't recall any manager being so clueless about the team and formation. We've had plenty of bad managers and their plans didn't work, but a manager with seemingly no plan? It's unprecedented. Thinking to some of the turgid Rovers teams I have seen, all have had a plan, albeit a not very good one. Ince, Coyle, Souness in the latter half of his last full season. All had a plan and a team who you knew mostly who would be playing. And whilst none of those plans worked great, there was something to fix and build upon by the new manager. Whereas we are just heading along blind with no idea of what we are trying to achieve. If we don't know that, it's very hard to fix it to achieve success.

The biggest problem we have, beyond even embargoes and Venkys dithering problematic as those are, is we have no idea of our best team or formation. We aren't looking for the final pieces of a jigsaw, we don't even know what jigsaw we are doing. We've no idea if the plan is 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 (of some kind) wingbacks or any of the other formations that have had an airing over the last year or so. And as for personnel other than Armstrong, who may be off, there's very few guaranteed a start. And even when players play they shift positions. Rothwell and Elliott I lost track of how many positions they played in. Gally and Buckley played right back. Even when players are selected where they play is a lottery. So how the heck are we or those recruiting supposed to know what we need? With the right formation and plan even mediocre signings can be very good as they are utilised to their full potential. The converse is also true - good players in the wrong system or position will perform much worse. Since we have no idea of a plan signings are much more likely to struggle. Incidentally I'm not saying the other issues don't matter. Just we are hamstrung before we even get to them.

Who covers right back in those cases? I know TM thinks Gally and Buckley can do it but really neither should even be considered there

Well if we can't afford to buy or loan anyone in then that's a different matter! Of course in those situations you have to make do with what you have got. But if there is any budget whatsoever for players, loans or permanents, then strengthening our defence would be one of my main priorities. Currently we are woefully under strength there.

Why do we have to take that risk? In fact it is guaranteed to go wrong. Warton definitely won't be fit for the start of the season so that already leaves us short. What season has Ayala not had injury problems? It's not a risk it's near suicidal. Also Rovers don't cross bridges when issues come up. Cunningham (I think, the left back from Cardiff), Dack, we didn't address either of those problems when they came up. We wouldn't do this time either. All good managers build from a solid defence. Ours doesn't and doing so with 3 centre backs, 2 of whom won't be properly fit, is the opposite of building from the back.

The bit in bold I strongly disagree with. Firstly we only have three centre backs who are proven at this level - and even one of those is minimally proven (though I think Warton can hack it in the Championship.) So we are short before you even look at fitness issues. Then you factor in Ayala's record of injuries and the fact he didn't manage double figures for us last year and you think it is very risky. Add in Lenihen's injury problems and and the fact Warton won't be fit at the start of the season and we are far from covered - we are very thin on the ground. Unless I have missed us signing a centre back which renders this post moot, the centre back situation is hugely risky. Two of the three centre backs ate injury prone, two of the three are coming back from long term injuries, the youth players have minimal experience of this level. It's asking for trouble.

This is it for me. Think trouble is really brewing if w are resigning players the manager doesn't rate.

A few factors to consider on Ben. On one hand it is great he has done well on the international dtage. It shows there is some ability and it will do his confidence, reputation and price tag no end of good. All that said he hasn't done much for Rovers. Even if we do a TM and reset the clock at the start of last season (although again I am not sure we should ok this one either) he still has had a pretty indifferent season. He's looked ok at best im championship and not even a guaranteed starter. It might be Ben isn't really suited to English football. Maybe he would thrive, or at least do better, elsewhere. Not all players suit all leagues and teams. So whilst losing him for a small fee wouldn't be great and compound the terrible business, it's not going to be the same as losing Armstrong or any of our other key players. It's more of a what a muck up by TM rather than it something that will badly hurt the team. Especially since there is no guarantee or enough evidence that he is particularly good as yet.

I'm not quite sure how much he deserves any of those adjectives. I mean he didn't captain us in the sole successful season under TM or the first season back. He was injured most of last season. I think it's a stretch calling him captain. I struggle with leader too - I mean when did he show leadership skills. Commitment yes, but leading others? As for legend on what basis or planet? Neither the ability, longevity or part of enough success to get anywhere near this moniker. I mean people don't talk about Duff being a legend despite being utterly brilliant in his latter years for us, nor Berg despite him being part of our two most successful stints of recent times. Looking closer to the present Rhodes despite his ton of goals isn't classed as a legend either. And Evans certainly isn't despite being here for a very long time. So how come Bennet should get it. For trying hard? (Not championing all of these for legend status at all, just for comparisons sake.) I would struggle to find a single reason why you would call Bennett a legend. Some people are far too easily pleased.

Never in a million years did I think we'd be discussing Ben having an international debuts, much less a positive one. Don't get me wrong I am pleased for the lad but my main reaction is one of utter surprise.

Wow it's slow when we are arguing over the dubious merits of Fletcher. Got to say this seems like a Coyle mk 2 season on the cards. Maybe it's just me but I feel limited and late transfers only once we have sold Armstrong (and minimal amounts being reinvested.) There's the same lack of optimism around the place and a split fan base on the manager. All far too similar to be comfortable really.

Personally I don't think he is that good in the ring. He's not quite got the presence of a Vader - he lacks a certain menace. Of course this could be in part how badly he is booked, WWE is appalling at building characters up on the main roster. But he isn't that good in the ring compared to some big men, not amazing on the mic. Add in the booking and lack of threat and he's meh for me on all fronts. How many really good matches has he had for example? Yes that is bizzare on all levels. What are they thinking with their start stop pushes. No planning at all it seems. Indeed. That would be mental. If they can't work well with performers like that then they really will struggle. Interesting. Given how much they are struggling whilst holding the best hand of cards you could see why. Always thought giving it to Triple H would massively help them.

Hmm comes across as quite obtuse this. I'll ignore the last paragraph as it's already been answered. But you say teams won't spend much money - neither will we! And off the top of my head apart from the relegated three there are a number of clubs with bigger wage bills than us who can outbid us - Bournemouth, Forest and Swansea come to mind. And given we can't even extend existing contracts - the evidence suggests - even clubs with comparable wages can probably outbid us. Heck even before the taps were turned off we got outdone by Preston for Bauer. So all the evidence points to him having better options. To say otherwise is wishful thinking.