JHRover

If we actually spend it I'll be happy. Lost count of the number of times someone employed by Rovers has said there is money but then little if any gets spent. Think it is a contractual requirement

https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/blackburn-rovers-transfer-stance-brittain-24570860 'The Venkys' claxon Deary me

Burnley is a false figure in many ways just like their finances, propped up by their PL days. Give it a couple of years of missing out and both will collapse. We need to be more worried about being so far behind PNE and Bolton, and neck and neck with Blackpool. No excuses for that and suggests big problems. But hey Steve's a nice bloke and thinks sales have been good so why would I cast doubt on that?

Risky business only going after League One players. They need to be good enough for the Championship otherwise we become another Peterborough, Barnsley or Rotherham.

I find it strange. 2 weeks ago I was reading all about how we can't really blame Lenihan for ditching us and moving to a Championship rival - Middlesbrough - because they are more likely to be in with a shot at promotion and he's thinking about his best career move etc. etc. Now rumours come along the same club are interested in Gallagher and people would entertain selling him, now, 1 week before the season despite our threadbare squad being down to the bare bones with what 8-9 departures and 1 arrival this summer. Doesn't that tell us something - if a rival supposedly in with a better chance of promotion wants one of our players it might not be the best idea right now to sell him to them. For all the talk over the last few days and 'excitement' on names LINKED with us reality is we've signed one. Work to do and quickly. We won't get points for trying and missing out.

Well yes that partly, but I was referring more to: “Achieving excellence in player trading is vital in our aim of establishing Blackburn Rovers as an aspiring and ambitious club, and Gus will be key in helping us to develop this area. “When we sat down to look at what we wanted from this role we targeted three criteria: · A proven track record of working within elite performance recruitment and scouting of players; · Excellence in creating structure and running processes; · Outstanding people skills with the ability to build relationships. “Gus has a track record of excelling in all three areas. During his 22 years working with the Welsh FA, he has played a big part in their journey, rising over 100 places in the FIFA rankings and now qualifying for the 2022 World Cup for the first time since 1958, with a squad of whom 90% have graduated through their talent identification programme. “More importantly, his values and emotional intelligence will allow him to develop the key part of any recruitment programme – relationships" I know it's easy to say but it just looks impressive and suggests we have people who know what they are doing

The most impressive element of this is the comments of Broughton on the website . A welcome sign of professionalism at the club. Of course as I keep on saying words mean little if not backed up with anything but I really like to see him explaining the logic behind the appointment and yesterday's signing. At the very least it looks like we are doing things properly.

Ah right I'm with you now. So I can only form a negative view of someone if I myself have done the exact same job as him and I have sat across a table and had a brew and chat with him? I actually rely on my own research, eyes and ears, experience in the world and most importantly track record in the job to form a view rather than simply listening to what he has to say and believing it verbatim as the reality of things.

It only dispels anything if you take Waggott's word for it. The problem I have is that frequently he has said things are happening or going to happen and they haven't. So I can't take Waggott's word for it.

Fair play to those who have gone to the effort of meeting with him and then reporting back on here as to the outcome. Personally I don't believe a word he comes out with. People like Waggott get into the jobs they are in through an ability to talk a good game. There's a lot of them in football and its half the reason they get employed in the first place by owners with no interest in doing the dirty work but keen to keep people quiet so they pay people big money to provide a facade for them. I'm focused on what actually happens. I think his policies and performance range from mediocre at best to self-destructive at worst and have caused significant damage in some places like season ticket sales. I can't imagine any situation whereby he would meet with fans and admit that it was Mowbray who got him the job, or admit the owners are cutting back, or admit there are major structural problems at the Club. If he did any of those things he'd be out of a job quickly.

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.