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.

I can't help feeling uneasy. Momentum appears to have been frittered away. I just hope we are not going to see a repeat of the previous Venky pattern with Bowyer...hope, frustration, stagnation (with the manager covering for them until his inevitable departure) Maybe, I should not have binge- watched Sunderland till I die!

Agree...I would go further and say we have wasted a good opportunity this season.

The powers that be clearly decided not to invest in a realistic push this year. I guess they have much more confidence than I do that the all the building blocks will still be in place come next August. Standing still usually means going backwards in football.

Maybe, he is doing a poor man's Arsene Wenger, putting the money aside for a new...er Riverside!

Let's face it, have we ever been competitive, since the takeover? With the exception of last year in Div 1, we have spent most seasons flirting with relegation. Even with the squad at Bowyer's disposal, we weren't really in the mix.

For me, the transfer window demonstrated that we weren't going for the play offs...

No point!

Quite. But what would you expect him to say on an occasion like this?

Tony doesn't regret the transfer window though lol

I remember that feeling well. I started off genuinely wanting Rovers to lose to Villa that night, just to spike Man U, but, as soon as the team ran out in those famous blue and white shirts, I reverted to type...

I have met the playwright, Julian, a few times. A really good bloke, who worked in Blackburn for a while in his younger days. He has been a writer for Emmerdale, Eastenders, Byker Grove etc..He has won awards for a play too. He really gets what happened to Rovers, but he wants to use the play to highlight the importance of all local clubs and their vulnerability to ownership issues....not to mention the useless FA etc. Even if Rovers somehow got to the premier league with Tony, we should still support this. The donation button is on the 2nd link above.

Not according to David Mellor!

Were Venky's told? Did they listen?

I saw that challenge, but it was hard to see from through the actual nets down the pitch. I worry we are a bit ...well soft/ easily intimidated..

Here's a good one... The Jack Walker takeover enabled the Venky's nightmare to take place.

There is something in that, I think. I haven't been able to bring myself to read much after my weekend in London, but did anyone else feel Brentford knew how to put it about and that our injuries possibly reflect that? We need a John Mc Namee!

Who knows? The point is we have to give it a right good go (apologies GB) this season because no-one can say how many of this team will be here next season, if we delay.

Unlike me, of course, who was absolutely certain from the moment he walked through the door that Rodwell would prove invaluable.....NOT!

Venky's stung by Julius Caesar Consultants.." I came, I saw..I invoiced"

Maybe, he can use some of the winnings from that previous bet lol

The finger having writ.....

This was how everyone in our group felt on the day. We knew the main job was done by the time we travelled to London, but we still wanted the championship. We were very disappointed with the team that was chosen for the day. Caddis OMG! Even injuries couldn't adequately explain that... In that context, it matters not a jot that Wigan are lower in the table today either. Anyway, the Third Division title was the only thing Rovers ever won in my first 25 years as a fan...and I still remember it with warmth!

Welcome back!