Or...these loan decisions-like the poor transfer window-are all about cost cutting. Not for the first time, putting our league status at risk...again!

Yep...and Tony is doing the "company man" thing by being supportive of the policy in public...despite, the club's simultaneous refusal to address glaring deficiencies elsewhere in this mess of a squad. If you are correct- and I have no reason to doubt it- then the club is still well and truly infected!

Perhaps, because they just cannot believe we even considered letting these defenders go out on loan-half way through a season- with the injury records of Rodwell and Mulgrew, not to mention Lenihan, Just another cheap, Venky make do and mend gamble like with Coyle the last season we went down. To misquote Szell in Marathon Man.." Are we safe?" ....No!

I remember it was a series of unlikely results for their rivals -one after the other- right at the end of the season..

My relationship with Rovers has changed forever. No longer an automatic decision. The recent decision over the PNE kick off is my latest grudge. My decision depends on the transfer window.

Well done to everyone. What a good listen. Great memories. That Full Members Cup! I still remember the players on the coach, realising that so many of the travelling fans didn't recognise them. And to think I saw Dylan at Wembley before I ever saw my own team there!

Frustrating mediocrity= supporter apathy= low gates= further decline...( but I know you know that lol)

A balanced analysis, amidst all the gloom. However, your points about the positive development squad versus the first team reflect a deep worry for me. Perhaps, the Venky's business model is to concentrate on developing younger players to sell on, whilst creating and maintaining a reality of a first team, merely bobbing around mid to lower end of the Championship. We have never remotely been in contention for promotion from the Championship, ever since the self induced relegation from the premier league.... Managed decline!

Pattern of neglect, associated with "the others"....

Me too. It is not real or authentic.... ...but people call me a football fascist!

Truth hurts, but punctuation doesn't...

Ouch...

Agreed. His comment re the poll bringing "piranhas to the fore" does not equate to the reality of a near 95% poll in support of TM remaining. But there is a pattern here and his essential script is always "I thank, thee, Lord, that I am not like other Rovers fans!" Rovers fans have already suffered the abuse of their club and themselves by the likes of Anderson and all his media tossers, but that was for obvious dodgy financial ends. It irks me that someone, who calls himself Rovers fan, just cannot resist cheap jibes and seeking attention by pursuing his Titus Oates agenda on twitter.

Exactly! The much vaunted and over-hyped team spirit seems to go missing at key times. Right now, I don't give a monkey's about players saying all the right things on social media, if there is no heart out on the pitch, where it matters. The PNE and Wigan games were embarrassing for Rovers fans. A trouncing by North End with their previously jealous fans celebrating in the Darwen End would remind many that we have not progressed as far as we hoped from the sorry rabble that went down at Brentford. Let's face it. Both the last two transfer windows have been very disappointing...and we are seeing the cost now. FOV...

Welcome back! Agreed. Be afraid, be very afraid about whom the owners might put in place of TM. I also agree that loyalty seems to have become a weakness for TM. Perhaps, it is even a sign of player power. If the lunatics aren't quite running the asylum, maybe they have junior managers' roles. It has started to irk me, when I hear TM still saying he is happy with his current squad etc. Ruthlessness is certainly required in the summer. I do get your point about gradualism, but I worry about standing still, stagnation, regression and...... another relegation. I think the manner in which the owners p***d away our premier league status still rankles with many and, let's face it, we haven't been anywhere near competitive at the top end of the championship, ever since we came down...and that is 7 long years ago! I am not even convinced the owners do want to take us to the next level.

Not forgetting Eamonn Rogers, Andy McEvoy....

Ah, good old Titus Oates at it again?

So does denial...

Glaring! Lack of fitness and not much pattern or method. On top of that, my guess is that something else might be wrong. Does it coincide with the obvious message at the end of the window that the club weren't really going for it this season? However, we have seen some horrendous performances before that e.g. Wigan. I am damned sure the club is relegation- bound, unless some serious alterations/additions are made in the summer... Certainly, though, I would be unhappy, If Venky's potted TM now.

But you know the answer to that!

What evidence is there that the Venky's actually do want to take us to the next level? The whole pattern, choice of managers, transfer behaviour and league positions etc, since the take over certainly do not point in the direction of "next level".

I thought it was a nod to the Bowyer parallel...( as opposed to the Rodwell incident)

We were right!

Was that deliberate irony? If so, I take my hat off to you. Seriously, though, I hope you are right about the summer recruitment, but we are almost certainly going to need to manage key departures, as well, so we will probably be starting from further back. I do wonder how a manager, who was a good defender can preside over such a shambles at the back

Well, I would certainly have chosen consolidation before relegation, but I do feel some fans' expectations have been merely dumbed down. With the momentum and the nucleus of good players, I am very frustrated that we have chosen not to build on that. I also sense Tony is covering for the owners, saying the money was there, but that is only an educated guess. I just hope that we don't see a slump like the second half of 69-70 or 97-98 seasons because that would set a negative downward momentum.