JHRover

So just trying to 'catch up' on things having not taken much of an interest since yesterday lunchtime. My last few posts around mid-day yesterday were confidently predicting that we would do no business, that nobody of repute would actually arrive, that no money would be spent. Must admit that by tea time even I was starting - starting - to doubt that and almost started to predict they had, for once, delivered. This confidence was increased after the win at Birmingham with Richard 'play it safe' Sharpe stating that business was 'far from over' for Rovers. But it seems my confidence was actually well placed. That everything that was predicted was in fact true. That we've been taken for a ride yet again. A long list forming of parties let down, embarrassed and mucked around by the powers running Rovers: the fans the existing group of players the potential new signings the manager the people trying to get deals done the local media And to tell you the truth, even though I would be pleasantly surprised if we managed to get a couple of deals over the line and for some inexplicable reason haven't been able to announce it yet, I don't think it would make any difference. I don't think the rumoured 2 signings are enough, and the events of the last 24 hours just confirm my fears - that despite the arrival of Broughton nothing has changed. I don't blame him. But the same cowboys are still dragging the Club and its reputation through the mud. We won't be hearing from Waggott for a while - the idea is that Broughton takes all the flak and then our 6 figure salary CEO can turn up to the next Fans Forum and talk about completely trivial matters.

"Genuine and confirmed interest" Just for the record I can confirm that I have a genuine interest in buying a superyacht. If the vendor is willing to sell it to me for what I can afford I'll buy it.

I thought Sheff Utd were under a transfer embargo? Or is it one of those embargoes that still enables you to sign players and spend more money than compliant Rovers? We know how this goes. Only a few weeks until Waggott turns up at the next Fans Forum meeting telling everyone that a couple of quality players were sat in the office at Brockhall ready to sign, everything agreed but we just ran out of time or the goalposts moved at the 11th hour. Standard bullshit from the king of bullshit, yet carries us through to the summer with fans convincing themselves we did all we could.

As predicted they are 'linking' us to a quality signing on deadline day. Call it the Assombalonga Project - no chance of it happening even if the player was happy to come but we con supporters into thinking we are trying to get serious business done. Then when the window slams shut we get all the free credit for trying and failing.

I see little evidence of a longer term plan, despite the claims of those at the Club. Come the summer we lose mainstays of the team this year in Ayala, Brereton Diaz and Morton. The Dack situation will need resolving one way or another. I also think there's a decent chance 3-4 other regulars will be looking to move elsewhere either because they are fed up here or because they know they can get better deals elsewhere. I'd expect interest in Kaminski. Before you know it half the team needs rebuilding again. So it is back to square one. The only potential consolation being that Phillips, A Wharton and a few others will be another year along with their development so might be better placed to fill that gap. This season and last we have gone into January and the second half of the season comfortably on track to get into the play-offs in terms of point returns, and we won't 'achieve' it either way, in part because the Club has failed to recruit. The sad thing is that you'd hope lessons would be learned or that the owners would discover how close we have been these last 2 years and change their approach. Sadly I doubt they will know, at best it will be a cursory review in May as to where we finished before setting another similar budget again next year, right after Waggott has told them how well he has done on ST revenues.

I think all it represents is another 'kicking the can down the road' 'jam tomorrow' stunt. We can't afford it now but we might be able to in a few months if we sell someone, the owners decide to chuck some more money in or it can fall into the next yearly budget not this one.

We've seen it time and again though where a manager starts off the transfer window with relatively ambitious talk and expectations for the window. Then as the days go by the number expected falls until we reach the last day and here we are where nobody else wouldn't surprise me and we'll probably have jubilation on here if we get one in. The dreaded Richard Sharpe tweet to drop at some point tomorrow "That will be that" for Rovers this month followed by the excuse book about how hard it is. I don't want to hear it, it makes no difference. No prizes for excuses in this game. JDT will have to face the press soon and he won't like being made a fool of, which is exactly what has happened. They've taken us all for fools and it's been going on for far too long. Broughton and JDT are the latest to fall foul of it. Won't be the last. Yet they will have to deal with the consequences of it, managing the inadequate squad, dealing with the fans and press whilst the pondlife who are ultimately responsible hide upstairs, another layer of protection between them and scrutiny/accountability.

I agree. The football hasn't been great, and the inability to turn a game around is worrying. But fundamentally there's almost no chance that an alternative would have us higher or better off points wise than we are now. Make no mistake, despite Broughton we are one step away from another Coyle style appointment. Desperados offering to do the job for low wage and low demands will be all over Brockhall if that job comes up.

I said it when JDT took over but I think he 'took a punt' on the Rovers job and things fell into place nicely for all concerned just as time had run out and pre-season was approaching. They mucked up the recruitment process when Lambert walked, even though we all knew he was going in March, eventually plumping for the cheapest desperado going which relegated us to League One. With JDT it is quite obvious he came from nowhere after Broughton arrived after we'd spent weeks failing to close a deal for alternatives. So those who point to external factors for a lack of transfer business - convincing yourselves that this is all completely normal, not Rovers' fault, down to the way the world is or those pesky FFP rules (whilst not affecting other clubs) just remember the glacial speed with which we dealt with a managerial appointment with candidates who were unemployed and ready to start immediately - is it any wonder we are incapable of getting players out of rival clubs? JDTs name had done the rounds with a few others - QPR, Hibs - so he was obviously on the look out for a move having been out of management for 6 months after leaving Malmo. The difference between JDT and the Keans, Bowyers and Mowbrays of this world is he doesn't need to be here. He isn't from the local area or based nearby, he has a reputation in foreign leagues, he can go elsewhere and for the time being has a pretty respectable win % behind him. Looks to me like he and Broughton have been let down by the owners and their dogsbody once again. As have the players who for the second year in succession have got us onto a good platform to push on in the second half of the season and haven't been supported to try and get the job done in the second half of the season. This is what happens when you have owners who won't have the first idea where we are in the league, what results we have had this season and won't even discuss Rovers before May. Some people peddled the myth last January that Mowbray was given funds and opted (for no reason) not to spend. Presumably the same people at the Club who try to convince people that Venkys are wonderful and all our problems are created by external factors out of their control. I think we can see that wasn't the case, that even if funds are available for transfer fees it is pointless with a wage structure that doesn't allow for decent players to come in and where were are comfortably swatted aside by rival clubs willing to spend. It's the same old bullsh1t every January. I don't blame Broughton or JDT - the one constant hides in the shadows.

I see Macron have today announced they will supply Accy Stanley with their shirts from next season. In view of the Rovers' experience with Macron I'm sure their shelves will be empty by October and they will no longer be able to hand out free shirts to kids as they are hamstrung by the same 'global' issues that have plagued us recently. Or maybe not.

The wage bill hasn't just been reduced. It has been demolished. This process has been running now for 3-4 years through a failure to renew contracts, exodus of experienced players, influx of younger end players and failure to bring in established or experienced quality. Rather than it all being down to FFP, which other clubs are showing doesn't stop recruitment, perhaps it is at least in part down to the owners turning the money taps off again? Do you accept this is at least a possibility to be considered?

Meanwhile the Clubs 'hunting' us down in the chase for the playoffs consist of Luton, Millwall, muddled Mowbray's recently League One Sunderland, QPR, Swansea, Reading and Preston. Why are people still talking about parachute money when none of that lot get any yet are able to complete January business?

If that's the sort of transfer business they are into with promotion virtually secured and preparing for life in the PL that's fine by me.

Not sure why having a game on Tuesday affects things. If Broughton and his team are in charge of recruitment they can stay in Lancashire to complete deals and JDT and team go to Birmingham for the match. Hope this won't be the latest excuse for a failed transfer window.

The only evidence anyone can rely on is what has happened elsewhere. It is a fact that in our time out of the PL many other Clubs have been taken over and got rid of awful owners. All have survived and many improved. Some have stayed largely the same. None have gone bankrupt. Forest (x2), Derby (x2), Wigan (x2), Blackpool, Bolton, Birmingham, Reading, Charlton (x2), Bournemouth, Sunderland, Hull, Leeds, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Sheff Wed, Sheff Utd, Ipswich, Portsmouth - there are others but those sort of clubs are most comparable to us. Bury is a special case and should in no way be comparable to Rovers. Far smaller club, in a much lower league, and all sorts of dodgy goings on there which prevented any takeover being completed. Of course I, as a mere fan, do not have 'evidence' of potential buyers. Partly because no prospective buyer of a club is going to contact me or anyone else on here and inform us of that interest, secondly because until the Club is for sale nobody is going to take any serious steps to do anything about it. But just because there aren't people publicly stating interest in a Club that isn't for sale doesn't mean there is no alternative to Venkys. It's like having a house, never putting it up for sale with an estate agent, then saying there's nobody in the world who would buy it on the basis nobody has knocked at the door and made an offer to buy it. Until it is available and people know about it they won't come forward. It's like groundhog day. Years ago I was being told that Bolton, Wigan and Blackpool were the prime examples of similar Clubs to ourselves, all were in financial strife from previous ownership and people were telling me we should be grateful to have Venkys or we'd go a similar way. Fast forward all those clubs survived, all bounced back, 2 are in our league and the other may well join us next season, all are getting better crowds than us, are carrying much less debt than us. So that myth has been busted. And yes I'm aware that at this moment in time we are higher than them all in the league table. But I am referring to the bigger picture of ownership not recent results.

Heard all this before with Derby, Bolton, Wigan, Forest etc. We lose so much money BECAUSE of Venkys. And all the evidence suggests there are other people out there willing to fund a football club.

Markandy out wouldn't surprise me. But I think the important issue there is the money aspect. Quite clear to me that they won't increase the wage bill. So we are at max. We got shut of Hirst which freed up some cash for Thomas and now they'll try and get another off the books till the summer to free up space for another incoming. It's Accy Stanley or more like non league style stuff for a Club supposedly trying to get a place in the PL. Jokers the lot of them. I don't blame Broughton or JDT for this - it was the same under Mowbray. Same people at the top...need rid of them for change.

The police need to investigate the ALLEGATIONS, then prosecute if necessary. Until then the Club should provide the police with whatever evidence they have and let them get on with it.

Birmingham have been in free fall the last few weeks. Won 2 of their last 10 and that includes the Cup game against lowly Forest Green.

It doesn't require magic. Just requires the replacement of Waggott with a decent CEO who is going to be allowed to do the job properly. Oh and a Commercial Director for the first time in 7 years might come in useful. Once again the problems we have on turnover and commercial aspects are at least in part created by our own negligent approach. So the Club cannot use that as an excuse on the old turnover/wages calculation. Take it seriously, do something about it, appoint competent people, then you can use it as an excuse.

I suspect by the time kick off comes round we will be looking at similar to the Forest fixture. I would hope with it being a Saturday 3pm game and well priced that there is a healthy number buying on the day.

Thinking a bit more about this. As a season ticket holder and 1875 member, I should have indisputable priority on away tickets. This scheme appears to circumvent that, as there no reference, and given the target audience I suspect no expectation, that anyone buying will be existing ST or 1875 members. So problem number 1 is why random people, who have made no commitment to Rovers previously, are able to jump to the front of the queue. It seems they will have priority for this over say London branch people who don't have STs or for whatever reason didn't buy 1875 membership. That simply cannot be right. Now of course it is one coach, so a relatively small number, and I don't expect we will sell out (albeit the club should be looking at this as a play off 6 pointer and expecting a big following as we usually get in London fixtures, and the tickets are well priced). You seemingly have the possibility here that 50+ non ST holders / non 1875 members can buy their tickets now to the exclusion of ST holders if we reach full allocation, Problem number 2 is the price. If I wanted conventional official away travel and a ticket it would set me back £57. This scheme costs £55, and includes a detour, more mileage, longer travelling and food. So I think I would be asking why it is cheaper to get more. Are the official away travel people being over charged? Or is this scheme being subsidised? If so by whom? Everyone else? The Club? Or external organisations? I think as someone shovelling thousands of pounds a year into the Club and match tickets this information should be made public.

Did they intervene or did they just fail to authorise it? I think the difference is important. An intervention suggests that for right or wrong someone at the top table keeps tabs on performances, positions, results, form, key players and whilst it might not make a lot of sense financially would suggest at least some interest and ambition from the top table. The alternative, and the one which I believe, is simply that the top table are just too far detatched and so completely disinterested in the operation of the Club that nobody could get approval back from them in good enough time to make those deals happen. Of course the Waggotts, Broughtons, Mowbrays of this world will tell us it is the former. They are going to want the paying public to believe the owners are interested and keeping tabs on things. My belief is that short of approving an annual budget in the summer the top owners take no part in the running of the club and instead expect Pasha and Waggott to get on with it and not darken their doorway. But where the 'big' investment is still reserved for the top owners to approve - see purchases of Gallagher, Diaz, Armstrong - they have also reserved the power to sell assets. I don't think Waggott or similar have that authority.

So Blackpool and Wigan change managers just before they play us. We've seen this before. Nevertheless we should be confident at home against them. They are bottom of this rubbish league for a reason.

It's a strange on alright. I hope he provides much needed pace and delivery, two things we are sorely missing, but as others have pointed out, and as I've argued with various players in our squad at times, the issue is less to do with individual qualities/abilities and more to do with our system and tactics in my opinion. So unless that changes and quickly I struggle to see how this will go. I also think it is very strange that Huddersfield, in their precarious position, would be happy to send him here on loan. The only logical conclusion is either that they are in dire straits financially and need to save on his wages/he's had a falling out of sorts there and they don't want him around the place if he isn't going to feature. I can't really comment on the player as I can't remember seeing him play but he deserves the benefit of the doubt. More generally though this is once again at odds with our proclaimed policy of a 'project' and 'journey'. No problem personally with making 'impact' signings in the hope it makes a difference and gets us over the line. But it is the age old problem - a short term fix which come the summer (assuming we don't go up) we are going to need to address, in addition to dealing with the BBD void. This suggests there is little money or plan.