Surprised we have spent money on a defender yes. Don't know much about the lad so hope he's alright. We will have to see if he is better than Wigan's new RB. Find it unbelievable that we've allowed Lenihan and Nyambe to walk for nothing and then seemingly spent decent money replacing them. I'd hold back on the willy-waving until we've got another 5-6 in and we see if they are any good. Still well short of where we need to be 1 week before the season starts. Even you must accept that.

That might well be true from the way things have gone. But I just find it bizarre. After all why wouldn't they trust him when his biggest deals - Dack, AA, Brereton and Gallagher have overrall been successful?? Of course he dropped some clangers and the Pears and Hedges ones were sackable in themselves, but it isn't as though he had a dire record with their investments is it? They knew him and worked with him for 5 years, wouldn't back him when in with a shot at promotion but now are going to throw money at Broughton and JDT who they don't know. Just seems odd but I hope they do.

One big problem addressed, in my opinion at least 5 more needed before we can consider ourselves as strong or stronger than last season. We will see whether he is an upgrade on Nyambe in time to come. I am pleased we have got some business done at last, pleased there is at least some willingness to invest and pleased that we are actually addressing things with proper contracts. I am baffled. Baffled that we are willing and able to pay a reported 7 figure transfer fee on this lad and hand him a 4 year deal yet not willing or able to retain Lenihan or Nyambe, the cost of both peanuts in comparison to this outlay. My interpretation is that a combination of Covid, Venkys going silent for a couple of years and a vacuum at the top of the club with Mowbray's power gone meant nobody was in a position to sort those contracts out, and by the time we were it was just too late - those players had had interest from elsewhere, bridges were burned and heads were turned. I am hoping that things are different now, but this is only a small start. Much more is needed and quite quickly, although the most pressing area has been dealt with. I think the most impressive element of the deal is the professionalism of it. To have an actual Director of Football talking about the background to the deal, the logic behind it and even thanking Barnsley for their part in it just suggests to me a lot more of a professional structure in place. Don't need to hear from JDT on this - Broughton can handle it

"Barring any unforseen complications"

Tend to agree. Only have to look at Giles. Utterly wasted here yet at Cardiff the Championship assist king and last night a hattrick of assists for Middlesbrough. Wilder knows what he is doing. We can't let anyone go. Besides Middlesbrough couldn't afford Gallagher. Unless FFP doesn't apply to them.

But it does mean a lot to so many. In the space of a couple of hours it has filled a few pages on here and my twitter feed is full this morning of what a good move it would be. So job done in that respect. No more anger about the Nyambe situation and lots of people feel better about the direction things are going if we are 'trying' to sign this lad. I don't think it is some elaborate conspiracy. Just that those running things at Rovers are quite happy for fans to believe things are happening and will do nothing to dispel the rumours, it suits them to the ground for people to believe they have money and ambition even when the evidence suggests they don't. Just like Assombalonga and Kipre did in windows past and the lad from Malmo did earlier this summer. None actually arrived and probably never were going to given the finances involves as they would have all been completely at odds with the business conducted by the Club over the last 3-4 years. But they served a purpose in convincing people stuff was happening and good signings were coming. Then they didn't and we turned to the loan market instead.

Yeah word will be getting back to those in charge that people are not happy with the lack of movement and business. Concern is setting in with 0 signings and the season a week away, especially with the news on Nyambe this week. Surprise surprise along comes a link to a decent player who would cost a decent fee. That will shut people up for a week. Of course it is very easy to leak it to the media crew that we are interested, quite another thing to go out, pay a 7 figure transfer fee and get it done. As I keep on saying - talk costs nothing - what matters is getting business done and I'm afraid there are a lot of hurdles with this sort of deal.

What we do is put a bid in of less than the asking price. It leaks to the press that we are interested. The seller wants more so then begins a long process of negotiation or the offer is refused and we are no further along. Then even if the offer gets accepted and we can speak to the player we have to be able to agree personal terms and wages. How we do that with a wage 'structure' like this I'm not sure. But all the while these names are circulating in the press when in practice we could be well away from actually getting anything done. Jam tomorrow.

Waggott is here to "handle" the fans. At the same time justifying his salary by screwing the same fans for every penny he can dream up. He turns up to fans meetings, appears in the Telegraph from time to time and will have a brew with people and tell them what they want to hear. Before Waggott rocked up there was only Mike Cheston left to handle the media and fans, and despite trying their best to persevere with that it started to attract unwanted attention, especially when he publicly admitted the Coyle appointment had been made by someone else and presided over a series of comical meetings. They even wheeled Bob Coar out to make the numbers up. But the important part is that the cowards in India and their lacky on the ground stay silent. Nothing Waggott says is of any use to anyone. It probably isn't true and even if it is he can't promise or guarantee anything. He's a puppet for the real culprits.

'Money is available but we can't get deals done' Heard that one before.

Agents are there to get the best deal for their client. If they didn't or if they focused on getting the best deal for themselves instead of their client then they wouldn't last long in the business. So Nyambe's agent will have advised him not to sign whatever 'offer' Rovers have come up with and if he joins Wigan will have negotiated whatever deal he gets there. It really does amuse me the lengths some will go to ignore the obvious warning signs and very concerning indicators of this and instead try to convince themselves that all is well with the world, that Rovers have been entirely right and proper in their approach to this and that the only problem here is Nyambe's choice in agent. The uncomfortable yet most likely scenario is that whatever offer Rovers have made is woefully inadequate for a proven Championship RB, and that even recently bankrupt and League One Wigan Athletic are now offering far better deals and packages for players than Venky Rovers. Extrapolate that across a squad and several years and it only ends one way - a repeated exodus of key personnel to rivals, little money generated and eventually relegation to a division more suitable for penny pinching and corner shop operators more interested in individual player development and value than in assembling a team and club to progress. When your first choice players are opting for Wigan instead it is time to be concerned, very concerned. I and some others have been concerned for the last 12-18 months having seen the warning signs yet were shot down for being negative or conspiracy theorists, yet horrendous developments like these are the direct result of what has been predicted for some time.

I'm so glad that Steve Waggott says season ticket sales have been good. Of course the actual figures will show we are 5000ish behind PNE, Burnley and Bolton, but if he says our figures are good then never mind about that. Who are we to worry about such things? My amateur cricket club has bought grass seed this week and bought a new mower at the start of the season. That means money has been spent on the pitch. I'd hope there was more to it than that though. Only earlier today another one of Waggott's false statements was exposed when an article from last September where he claimed the Ash Phillips situation was sorted has turned out not to be the case. He's doing exactly what he is paid to do - talk supporters into believing all is well and under control whilst his bosses and their enforcer hide away in the shadows, silent, unaccountable, uncontactable but responsible for gross negligence.

Doesn't that make it even worse? It's one thing losing players through some self-enforced wage ceiling or (unlikely as Wigan are showing) FFP constraints, but to lose them through not offering more than Wigan even though we could? I mean Broughton said his first job was to speak to Nyambe - looks like he's failed on that front - and now we are losing a valuable asset through deciding not to offer him a wage he wants to accept? And now have no RB on the eve of the new season.

You reckon we are offering players £8k a week? I'd be very surprised. I think if we'd offered Nyambe that 12 months ago he'd still be here. Venky cuts are on and JDT and Broughton are the fall guys who will be blamed when it goes pear shaped.

You know these things how? Last season they spent heavily in League One to get promoted. Of course neither of us have the figures needed one way or the other but what we do know is that our only senior RB, academy graduate, has elected to join them rather than remain with us. I think most Rovers fans will be at least privately very concerned by this. I understand some will put their rose tinted glasses on and try to convince themselves otherwise but Wigan are getting a decent RB, Nyambe a financial package we weren't willing/able to offer and we are short 11 days before the season. Can't get around those facts. And bollocks to waiting until September for the window to close. Season starts Saturday week, points will be won and lost whether we are ready for it or not.

That tells us something then doesn't it? Wigan not signing many yet able to do what we couldn't where Nyambe is concerned. Derby are offering more money than us and will be above us within the next 2-3 years and in far better financial health.

Actually I think most people in football would see them as a better prospect these days. Just promoted, new owner who likes football and has invested. Wants them to improve. Don't think the same can be said of anyone in power at Rovers. That's the fruit of Venkys labour, making players want to leave us for rivals and yet amazingly some think we can't ask for better. His agent has done fine. Got him a better deal than we were offering, same division, plus a signing on fee, plus no longer dealing with unprofessional wasters as at Rovers.

Anyone else remember the good old days when we were told to be grateful for Venkys as without them we'd end up in a state like Wigan or Blackpool?

Think some of us are in for a surprise on that front. This new 'wage structure' that they wax lyrical about looks like it puts us in League One on wages paid. This is why Nyambe and Lenihan went and many more will follow. We are probably now struggling to even compete with Rotherham, Wigan or Blackpool on wages. Venkys out, Waggott out ASAP

You are of course bang on with highlighting the false economy of it. Waggott can trot out his fancy terminology but it doesn't take much to blow holes in it. The problem however is that I don't think there is any plan or intention to sign any proven experienced players, so talk of people like Brittain or Byrne is a non-starter. I genuinely think we will be going down the road of hoping JRC, James Brown and Hayden Carter can cover the RB spot and then if the worst comes to the worst they will dip into the usual academy loan market hoping that Everton, Liverpool, City have someone on their books they are willing to send here for 20-30 Championship appearances and we can contribute £5k a week maximum to. Then the money men will think they've done well - avoided a new contract for Nyambe, avoided issuing a permanent deal as a replacement, avoided a transfer fee and hope that one of the existing lads can make the spot his own.

Who said anything about 'over paying' on wages? Just because we are unable or unwilling to pay the going rate doesn't mean it is a case of overpaying. I'm baffled with how you seem to be so comfortable with the Lenihan situation, just like the club, shrug shoulders, move on and forget all about it. I don't wish him good luck because he's playing for a direct rival. It is unacceptable. I don't have to accept anything. I can recognise the situation without accepting it is good or right. The money saved through this 'wage structure' has just been wiped out overnight by losing Lenihan and Nyambe for nothing. So no I don't accept it. I don't know what Nyambe's circumstances are. But to suggest the lack of an announcement on his next move as being indicative of him not being in demand I think is wrong. I think most of the Championship would take him on a free in a heartbeat.

"Ash Phillips agreement and Blackburn Rovers contract latest as negotiations take focus - LancsLive" https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-rovers-phillips-contract-latest-21594468?fr=operanews Once again we've been taken for fools by Waggott and co. Why tell the local press his future is agreed and secured if it isn't?

£3 million per year is the total cost for the academy Couple of points to keep in mind. One is that we recieve grants of over £1 million a year towards the total cost. Waggott himself claimed these grants came to approximately £1.1 million per year. Another is that assuming we have any academy, B team or development squad there will be a cost so whilst it is higher with the demands of Category 1 status it is still substantial even if you only have Category 2 or even 3. So rather than consider it a generous donation of £3 million per year from Venkys take away grants and the costs there would be anyway even if we downgraded the difference is nowhere near £3 million. It is £1.9 million minus the costs of having an inferior academy, which would obviously be 6 figures if not 7 per year. So yes, it is a no-brainer, but the shame is it is being ruined by the no-brainers at ownership and board level - it is a waste of time if we are losing players for nothing.

So let me get this right then, we can't spend money or pay the wages to sign established players, can't pay our existing academy graduates enough to keep them here and out of Championship rivals' hands, and can't tie down the next crop of academy products to contracts. Can't Do FC in full flow. Is there anything we CAN do other than make excuses?

If that's correct just think for a moment how absolutely ludicrous that is.