Well he's here and paid to lead recruitment. And we haven't recruited. We are in desperate need of recruitment and have been all summer. Season starts in 12 days, not September.

Actions speak louder than words. I'm sick of hearing things from jokers like Waggott that then don't happen and probably never were going to. As it stands Broughton has failed, dress it up with whatever excuses you like but 0 signings to a squad that needs several less than 2 weeks before kick off is failure. He can still turn it around and recruit well this window but that's ifs or buts. We all hoped his arrival was the start of a bright new era but looks like another false dawn as it stands. Another one who talks a good game but can't do the job properly, either because he's not up to it or because his bosses won't let him.

"Bids were in for players who were exciting names but we couldn't make the numbers work / the financials changed at the last minute and we weren't willing to break our structure or be held to ransom" Everything they say and claim is cheap and easy - it costs nothing to tell people what you are planning on doing, it costs nothing to bid for a player. Actually getting deals over the line, committing to wages and paying out a transfer fee are the tricky parts - and we fall short on that.

This is precisely what they are up to. Keeps the fanbase quiet for a few months as people believe there is a serious plan and intent to attract good quality players. There's no such intention, in my opinion. Come the end of the window I predict we'll have brought in 2-3 young loans and all the talk will be about how we tried and failed to spend money and how the new Head of Recruitment and Director of Football need more time. Jam tomorrow.

On what evidence are you so confident that James Brown is the answer at RB? He's 24 and has played 1 Championship game. I hope he is good. But to go into a 46 game Championship season expecting to rely on him? Nothing short of lunacy motivated purely by the low cost. As we've seen before, focus on doing the cheap way (Warnock-Coyle) it ends in disaster You might think it is true support of the Club but I'd like to avoid a return to League One and won't sit in silence or blind support as we charter a course back there. I demand better.

I think you are only saying that because it is what you expect will happen, not because you want it or really believe in it. If Rovers signed 10 in the next 2 weeks you'd be in full support of that too, even though it would push those young players out of contention. Whatever the club serves up you will support.

The shadow man and Maggott are the two most likely contenders for the role of playing us for fools. Who knows what Venkys' plan, if any, is, but I think it is safe to assume in the absence of an India jolly for the last 3 years that whatever the plan is it is being projected back to Ewood via the man in the shadows. Too many cooks spoiling an already unpleasant broth here, as much as I don't want an unsackable manager at least when we had India trips he could go straight to source and get answers and action. Instead now whilst we have a more conventional structure in place it seems there are about 6 or 7 people involved and hurdles to overcome before anything happens. Probably installed with the right intentions but how many times have we heard that and it struggles to work. I agree I don't think JDT or Broughton are remotely involved in any conspiracy or stringing along but they are probably now realising the reality of Venky poisoned Rovers. What might appear on the outside to be a good club, in a good state, backed by rich owners, I think once you scratch away at the surface there is a very different situation that the goons in the national press don't see. I think what gets offered or promised is very different to what actually materialises with this lot as Lambert and probably Mowbray found out. Mowbray put up with it and got 5 years work from it whereas Lambert wouldn't put up with it. Lets see which one Tomasson follows.

I feel very aggrieved that loyal, regular season ticket holders are being 'done out' of what they should get You have people at Rovers who have been season ticket holders through 10 years of hell, some with 20, 30, 40, 50 years of unbroken or almost unbroken dedication. Yet these people will have to sit second in the queue for away tickets if they won't buy this 1875 membership. You have season ticket holders who might go to all, most or a large portion of away games each and every year, driving up and down the motorways, years of purchasing history - all to sit second in the queue if they don't buy 1875 membership You have shareholders, 100 club members, corporates and others who it seems will also be in a similar position despite years and years of commitment to the cause. Then you might have someone who has never bought a season ticket before in his life until this summer, who gets 1875 membership and immediately gets priority over the above because they've paid £15 extra? It just doesn't sit right at all with me. I would have hoped Rovers would recognise the importance of loyalty and commitment but it seems they value £15 more.

I understand all this but would raise a clear difference between us and Ipswich. McCarthy resigned before the end of the season and his contract because he'd had enough of getting abuse and stick from the fans at games. Mowbray didn't resign, he hung on until the very end when his contract lapsed. He certainly didn't get any stick or abuse from fans at games. Irrespective of what the fans wanted - and from what I've heard over 90% of people felt the time was right for a change - we need to remember that Venkys nor Waggott have any interest at all in what we want, and had it been to their convenience Mowbray would still be here. The fact that they couldn't even be arsed to confirm his departure until after he'd cleared his belongings and had weeks of a protracted departure tells me that they would have even kept Mowbray but it seems he had made up his mind by that point and couldn't be 'persuaded' to stay. The fiasco with Tomasson's appointment tells us they had no plan for his replacement.

There are two equally important sides to FFP. One is outgoings, the other is incomings. So of course stemming outgoings is probably the easier and quicker way to deal with FFP, but then that causes problems as we witnessing right now. I see precious little evidence of any serious sustained effort being made to increase incomings. Whether that be no commercial director, plummeting home attendances, a sponsorship operation that ends at the M65 or no replica shirts available to buy in the shop, it all points to one thing. Not enough effort. If FFP is the boogeyman so many seem to believe it is, then every £1 we make should enable an extra £1 to be spent. Make more money, spend more money. The quickest way to deal with the above is to rake in huge sums from occasionally selling good players, like Brentford did to great effect, which enabled them to reinvest, build and get promoted with miniscule crowds and income. Yet here those player sales seem to be of no benefit whatsoever. Strange. It's almost as though the lack of effort comes from the top, that they aren't really bothered about spending or FFP and they make it up as they go along.

You might not have that luxury. What happens if we get stuck in relegation trouble early doors? Will you be willing to accept relegation to allow for your "at least a season and a couple of windows" approach or is it dependent on a minimum level of results?

So what do we do about that? Sit and bemoan our place in the world as we miss out to goliaths like Sheff Utd and Middlesbrough? Or do we do something about it? Increase turnover and revenues for starters? Or reinvest some of the vast amounts made from player sales in the last couple of years?

Still can't believe the 'Blackburn Rovers reporter' is referring to Venkys as 'The Venkys' in his headline.

Bringing in a new head of recruitment on a 12 month deal far easier and cheaper than signing decent players. Job done - fanbase see things happening and believe foundations are being put in place. Let's focus on January and next summer one the new regime is settled in and up to speed and we've the Brereton money available. Let me guess. By then things will also be easier with FFP as we enter a new phase. Heard it all before. We need players, good players, and quickly. Window dressing going on here

It's not a question of being dazzled by them. I didn't embark on analysing those players because I don't know enough to judge them, certainly not at this early stage. Quite right though some I would have been happy to see here, some not. The point I was making was more that the recent appointment of a new manager is not an excuse for not being able to complete transfers - other clubs in similar circumstances have managed it. Of course we can debate the quality of those signings, only time will tell, but they've got business done.

We're being played Chaddy. Don't you see it? Bring in another bloke who is supposedly going to aid recruitment 2 weeks before the start of the season, people calm down for a few weeks expecting big things, sees them through to January with the promise of jam tomorrow from the new setup. What matters is here and now. Beyond the ludicrous situation of appointing a head of recruitment 2 weeks before the season having waited all summer, they're just buying themselves time again. It will be another Park - 12 month deal and brought in too late to influence the summer business - what's the point other than to appear to be doing something?

QPR, Birmingham, Dingles, Blackpool, Watford, Huddersfield all changed manager this summer with less time to plan for it yet all or nearly all have cracked on with recruitment. Then there's the clubs that got relegated or promoted yet have got on with it. Ultimately when there's the will and the cash stuff gets done. There's neither here.

If I had £1 for every time I had heard that I'd be a rich man. Truth is it won't be PL or bust at all. We all know that deep down, just like they will never be put under an embargo or given a points deduction. They might have to sell someone if there is interest, they might have a quieter summer with less expenditure than this, but they will go again as a competitive outfit. They certainly won't sell off £20 million of players and invest nothing, and won't slash their squad back to the bone like we have, and we won't be picking up their main players on free transfers.

Because FFP isn't the problem that Rovers would have us believe. Rovers want us to believe that the looming spectre of FFP means we cannot spend anything for fear of being slapped with a points deduction and it is a constant issue to tip toe around. Of course there are limits to it - you can't go and spend £20-30 million in a transfer window and will have to sell an asset or two if you don't get promoted - not that anyone on here has suggested anything remotely close to those levels - but if you have the will to spend and determination to do it you will find a way to make it work. The same applies at Stoke and Bristol City - staggering levels of losses yet no fire sales, no sanctions and sensible level investment in the squad. No doubt we will get the 'but Reading' comments them being the only example of a club actually sanctioned in recent times after years of massive spending including big fees on Joao and Puscas - yet for all that Reading have got business done this summer whilst we make excuses. Djed Spence hasn't yet been sold, sounds like that could happen imminently but even if it does isn't it intriguing how there are two big differences compared to us when we sold Rhodes/Armstrong: One is that they are doing business AHEAD of a POTENTIAL sale - so strengthening in advance and getting straight for the season knowing there is a risk that deal might fall through. Compare to talk here that we need to see Brereton off before we know what we have to work with. The other is that they are reinvesting the proceeds of a potential sale - compare to us where we don't see much at all of the vast proceeds and instead it goes into "running costs" or "FFP compliance" with next to nothing appearing in the transfer kitty.

Its annoying but end of the day they back up their bark with bite. They actually go out and get stuff done including taking players away from here because our setup is inadequate or insufficient, whereas for all the talk we hear at Rovers there is precious little by way of result to show for it. What we are witnessing right now is pretty much bang on what I predicted was going to happen this summer, although I must admit even I would have expected at least a signing or two by now, but to be sat here in mid-July 2 weeks from the start of the season having made 0 signings is simply inexcusable. Yet the excuses coming through to the surface; a new manager, a new Director of Football, last regime leaving a mess behind, FFP, limited income, kids doing alright in friendlies v Accy, Dundee, Hartlepool. None of it really matters, what matters is what shape we are in come kick off and barring a rapid change we are going to be substantially weaker. I suppose where I and others disagree is I don't think it was ever going to pan out much differently to this. The budget cuts imposed clearly make it difficult or impossible for us to get the signings we want and this has been a problem for years, all the talk around the time Tomasson turned up was about the slow build and using the academy. Its a dangerous game in the ruthless Championship and also quite pointless if we are just going to let them walk away in 2-3 years to rivals as we did this summer. Others seem confident in the belief that Tomasson wouldn't have come here without assurances on funds. I don't agree. I think he will have been very attracted by a big club, big job, big league from a position of unemployment and would be happy to give it a whirl and see what happens.

Why would Macron only deliver a small batch and themselves miss out on precious revenue? We are told the new designs get approved a year in advance by the club. So if a year after that we are being provided with limited stock then we need to be terminating our deal with Macron. Of course the less palatable option is that pound shop operators at Ewood only get round to ordering limited numbers as they are badly organised and want to see how sales go rather than commit to a large volume of stock in one go. Hardly the behaviour of a club worried about income though is it?

Quite right, but the evidence of the last few years is that we are in a phase where they don't spend. They also don't spend on defenders bar a few hundred grand here and there. The big buys have all been at the top end of the pitch and never at the back. So whilst I don't know for sure there is no or minimal money to be spent the mirror of that is nobody else knows if there is good money to be spent. All we have to go off is actions, words cost nothing, and actions so far suggest I'm right. Happy to be proven wrong, I need to be for our sakes.

Doubt we will get him anyway. Only if its a loan and for some reason Liverpool elect to send him here on a heavily subsidised deal. Can't see why they would do that if others are interested. We won't be spending cash or at least not at the level needed for permanents of that nature.

I'm unsure on the 'overheads' part. To my knowledge all Clubs have stadia to maintain, and most spend more on upkeep and maintenance than we do on Ewood, which is evidenced by the state of the place. All clubs have reserves or U23s, all clubs have training grounds. Granted we have two sites at Brockhall which most clubs won't but I'm not having it that the running costs of that put us so far off the scale compared to rivals. I don't think I've ever suggested that we should try to 'force' players to stay, and of course I realise that once a player is free to talk to other clubs it will come down to what the player wants to do. The issue here isn't 'forcing' them to stay. The issues are a) whether we dealt with the contract situations professionally and expeditiously, I don't believe we did, b) whether we offered remotely what players of their calibre can expect, I don't believe we did, certainly not early on in negotiations, and c) why these players see the likes of Middlesbrough as a step up, better option or advancement, I don't believe they should. Forcing doesn't come into it - get your house in order on the above 3 options and those players stay Of course covid caused issues, but it seems to me that Rovers basically did nothing during that time, whereas other clubs continued to deal with issues such as tying key players down to deals and ensuring their squads were recycled and filled with sufficient personell. It looks to me as though, with a couple of exceptions, we have just ignored the iceberg, allowed an exodus of players and now are struggling to 'get back on the horse' through a self-imposed wage limit Of course last year - and credit to Mowbray - it wasn't a problem as due to that purple patch through November and December we outperformed expectations. But the downside to that is I think a few have deluded themselves as to how easy it is going to be - I think we could be in for a shock.

Any money on a fee in the last few years? Without trawling through the record books of the 'last few years' I'd put money on it that pretty much every club, including ourselves, has paid some money on at least one transfer fee in recent seasons. We did it with Hedges in January, inexplicably. The important part of course is what the money is spent on and how it compares to other clubs and how it compares to incomings. For example, I'm sure you are aware that in the 'last few years' we've sold David Raya and Adam Armstrong for pushing £20 million and will be forced to sell BBD hopefully for at least £10 million. Together that money comfortably wipes out whatever fees have been paid out, meaning the owners have covered their outlay on fees and instead pick up the tab on the wage bill, which they have always been ok with. I'm pretty sure that not many Championship clubs other than Rovers have had such a net profit on trading in the last 2-3 years. You reference the £10 million + on two strikers but those signings were made 3-4 years ago before the latest round of cost cutting came along, and they've made their money back comfortably on that with AA and BBD. I'm well aware of football finances, I'm well aware that we lose more than we bring in. I'm also aware that the same applies to 75% of Championship clubs who don't have large crowds, parachute money and I'm also aware that in the last few windows we have been outspent by smaller clubs, who don't have billionaire owners, who haven't brought in tens of millions in fees and who haven't demolished their wage bills in the last 12 months. Any guesses where we are on wages right now compared to 18 months ago? In my view the training ground stunt was just another desperate move by a Club ill equipped to manage the situation. Meanwhile we see rival clubs managing their finances, investing whilst offering cheaper tickets and not having to sell off infrastructure. You mention we were forced to sell the training ground to avoid a 'registration ban' - would we be any worse off now if we hadn't sold the training ground and had been put under a ban? We would still have been able to bring in loans and cheap signings just like we did when Bowyer was working under an embargo. We might disagree on most of the above but surely we can agree that whatever the situation we are poor at managing the situation, as evidenced by the latest contract fiasco which if avoided could have meant a £10 million difference to the Club finances?