JHRover

Exactly what will happen. The story of pretty much all his transfer windows. Big talk in the last few weeks, followed by a few cheap frees or loans and sob stories about trying our best, unfair conditions and keeping powder dry until next window. Always tomorrow, never today with the resident excuse makers at Ewood.

The people running the club would be insane not to replace Armstrong with a permanent addition. If you aren't going to invest having just turned a 7-8 fold profit on one of your last investments then you never will. True I would prioritise termination of Mowbray and Venus' contracts and then give funds to a new manager but that clearly isn't going to happen. No use moaning about FFP if you aren't going to invest funds received into new investments and assets.

No new season ticket through yet. I suppose we have 3-4 days left but I would have expected it by now. I certainly won't be happy if they ask us to go and queue up for a paper ticket before the game on Saturday. I went to the u23s game at Ewood last night. Fair play to the club they made it free admission to all (although I wonder how much of that was down to the issues above with no new season tickets produced yet). There were loads of kids and youths, some with parents, some on their own. Now I would have expected Rovers to use the opportunity of having a healthy crowd on to push season tickets, match tickets or memberships. Perhaps put adverts up on the big screen during the game, announcements at half time as to prices. The new kits being advertised. I'd have put the stewards to use and instead of having them stood around staring at people give them leaflets to hand out to everyone there with prices and promotions for tickets. Get the game on Saturday advertised (yes the prices are outrageous but at least try to sell some tickets). Yet (unless I'm deaf and blind) the big screen was switched off and the tannoy barely audible with a few songs playing at half time. Complete amateur hour. Someone there just for the free game last night wouldn't even know there was a match at Ewood this Saturday.

I think they are made in the Far East then shipped to Europe

You really believe there are 5 or 6 strikers in our sights? I think they are having us on. Con men. Roll up roll up buy your tickets, we're busy working away trying to get some quality in. Away the weeks go to the start of September and then we get a few loans if lucky and the cash disappears along with the substantial wage savings being made. Excuse, after excuse, after excuse. One thing Mowbray is good at. Every summer transfer window is the same yet still people think business will get done and we've cards up our sleeves.

That was a shocker too. But at least that was the League Cup so we had to get through a 2 legged semi before getting to Wembley. Cardiff went on to the final and lost narrowly to Liverpool. The Millwall one we had done the hard part - been to Arsenal and knocked them out at the Emirates, drawn a mid table Championship club in the Quarters, went to a packed Den, were played off the park yet held on for a 0-0 to take them back to Ewood and then put in an even worse display and the tactical approach was to launch it long and try to beat Danny Shittu in the air. We'd have been off to Wembley playing Wigan in the Semis.

Yes we drew 0-0 at their place then lost 1-0 at home. Best chance ever of getting to Wembley in the Cup and squandered.

Take the positives from losing at home to Morecambe. Try to imagine Souness, Hughes, Allardyce or even rivals such as Warnock coming along with such an attitude and comments. Sums Mowbray up. A loser.

I suppose the question is whether a third kit was always the plan (seems unnecessary to me especially using a landmark such as the 30th anniversary of 1991-92 promotion. Or whether we've been forced to get a third kit because of supply issues with the home and away kits and Macron had some spare to put in the club shop.

The Ayala one had all the markings of a classic Mowbray/Rovers transfer saga. He was linked early doors last summer. Free agent after leaving Boro. Rumours we were letting him use Brockhall for keeping fit. Should be an easy one to get done if you really want him. Goes quiet for weeks, rumours it isn't happening and he's picked a move to Saudi/Spain instead. Then right at the back end of the window it all goes through, multi-year expensive contract and no doubt a signing on fee to go with it. Hmmmm.

I think my memories of the Souness era eclipse those of the Hughes days. I think there's an argument that in terms of backing and finances Hughes did as good as if not better job in results on what Souness did. By the time Hughes was in charge the last of the Walker cash was drying up whereas Souness did get some decent backing for people coming in. But I think the memories of winning promotion, winning a cup at Cardiff, and then on the final day the following year smashing Spurs away to move into the top 6, take some beating. It was always fun and entertaining and felt like we could beat anyone on our day. It is quite depressing thinking about it and then facing up to the reality of where we are now with this sham outfit incharge. The days of having a proper and quality manager, strong team behind him, proper board of directors. Just listening to him talking about John Williams meeting up 3 or 4 times a week to have it out with him. Great stuff and how a proper club should operate. Not the slippery charlatans we have now.

A great watch. Great memories of that era and what a job Souness did. I've so many memories of that time and sometimes it is hard to believe that it all happened in the space of 4 seasons - promotion, cup success, top 6 and European campaigns. Someone who should be considered a legendary figure of the club yet the last 6 months or so of his tenure seems to have eroded that status somewhat. There was a bitter taste in the mouth when he upped and left for Newcastle with us struggling but in hindsight it was what he wanted and probably the right thing for him and Rovers to go their separate ways at that point. If only the current incumbent had an ounce of the same rather than holding on beyond his shelf life. Loved his comments about the City game when they came to Ewood at the end of the season and partied and how he wasn't happy about it. A warrior who is the polar opposite of the clowns we have now. Can imagine Souness raging at another club coming to our ground and celebrating, whereas Mowbray and Waggott would just see it as an opportunity to remind everyone of 'where we are' in the scheme of things.

We are different because Venkys are still here. Sunderland and Sheff Wed didn't sell off training grounds, Sunderland still have the Academy of Light which is Category A and one of the best facilities around. Sheff Wednesday have an old training ground near Hillsborough, nothing like the standard of Brockhall. Bolton and Wigan both sold their Euxton training ground when going through administration and a change in ownership. We may well have to do the same when Venkys finally clear off. But to sell it now, and keep Venkys as owners? The worst possible outcome. I'm sure most would accept a downscale as necessary if it meant ridding ourselves of this regime and starting again with new ownership. Bolton and Wigan also had second sites that could be adapted and used as replacement facilities. Bolton at Lostock and Wigan at Robin Park. Preston have since acquired the Euxton ground and use it together with their old one over in Lea.

Normal club that loses a home game to lower league opposition there are powers above the manager that start asking questions or having doubts about the manager. Here? The owners probably won't have known we were even playing and if they did won't know what the League Cup is or who Morecambe are. The 'CEO' in the managers back pocket. Won't say a word that might upset or annoy St Tony and instead will ring him up for instructions rather than answers.

Seems like a convenient time to remind people that talking about, trying to and making offers to players isn't the same as making signings. You can talk to hundreds of players, make bids for them, but if they all turn you down or other clubs beat us to it then it matters not. In windows gone by Mowbray has made excuses for a lack of action by convincing people we were in for the right people but just couldn't get the deals done. Good at making excuses this lot. Action is in much shorter supply.

They've got nothing else to talk about. As long as the rest of the world don't take it seriously. Mind you in the London centric/obsessed world of Sky expect them to start hailing them as the 'oldest' club. Fulham have been marketing themselves on similar lines - branding themselves as 'London's Originals' as they are older than anyone else. I have an issue with Stoke City claiming to have been founded in 1863 making them the oldest or second oldest side around. Firstly there was no mention of Stoke City back then, but Stoke Ramblers, and there's significant uncertainty as to when they were actually formed. It wasn't until 1878 that they became known as Stoke FC which is how they joined the Football League. They also went bankrupt at the start of the 1900s which raises a question as to whether the same club then rejoined the league later or a new one.

You'd think for a club supposedly skint, desperate for extra cash and income and unable to afford to clean Ewood or replace the pitch that the opportunity of a lucrative cup run would be too much to miss out on. Get an away game at United, Liverpool or Arsenal or a home game against one of the 'big 6' and get 30,000 on Ewood. 45% of income to each club. Seems once again all the talk about no cash doesn't actually marry up with what happens. We've no money - yet can give out generous deals to Smallwood, Samuel and Leutwiler to do nothing. We've no money - yet can hire a private jet to Cardiff. We've no money - yet an opportunity for cup progression at home against Morecambe gets squandered with nothing but a shoulder shrug from our glorious leader.

I expect a valiant defeat. Probably 1-0 or 2-1 to Millwall. No shortage of effort from the lads which will resonate well with many but a shortage of quality and depth is our downfall. I really think we are in trouble this season if we fall behind in games, particularly against the likes of Millwall who will be solid, organised and physical. I think our best and possibly only chance of winning will be a fast early start, which seems to be what we are good at, get at them early and get ourselves ahead. If we can do that we might be in business. I'd take a 0-0 right now to be honest but I don't think this manager has any intention or idea how to go away and secure such a result.

No other club owners act in such a way though. They invest, and if the manager doesn't deliver they bin him off and employ someone better. Here it seems to be the opposite. Only invest if the manager can persuade them to, then if it doesn't reap rewards after a couple of years then slash right back but keep the same manager who has failed. Mental. But they've learned lessons.

None, other than Raya. You'll note that things have changed significantly in the course of the last few months. The Venky taps are off again. This is how they work. Release some cash for a couple of years then slash it back. This was the cycle we had in 2013-15 with investment and 2015-17 with extreme cost cutting.

Well back down to earth and predictably so after the enjoyment of Saturday. I say predictable because we've carved out a knack over the last 6-7 years of exiting this competition in the early stages to lower league sides. Off the top of my head Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe, Carlisle and now Morecambe just some of the illustrious names to have dumped us out. Those who bizarrely claim they 'aren't bothered' or are 'glad' we are out of a competition we've 'no chance' of winning anyway are at odds with everything that professional football is all about. It is their job to win games, they have the weight of expectation and history on their shoulders and as a supporter I don't understand the suggestion that it is good to be dumped out of the cup at home in embarrassing fashion. I thought we were short of money? Well a good cup run and playing a PL side down the line could bring in tens or hundreds of thousands. I shouldn't pay too much attention to the dugout but once again we have the Morecambe manager barking instructions, gesticulating, kicking every ball and changing the course of the game with his decisions in it. Then a few yards away we have Mowbray, saying very little, looking fed up, head in hands, watching the seagulls flying around. And his assistants were nowhere to be seen again. Was Venus asleep for this one? If we go to Millwall and win then we will all soon consign this one to the history books but really if anyone watching that tonight isn't extremely concerned about the state of this club both on and off the pitch then I wonder what it will take before people wake up and smell the coffee. Poor, weak squad coached by a poor manager and staff. Humbled by county rivals just out of League Two. Not long ago the very suggestion of losing a competitive match to Morecambe would have been inconceivable. Now it is reality and I'm not in the slightest bit surprised. Just how much further can these people sink us?

Believe what you want. I think Venkys are fed up, cutting everything they can and will sell anyone they can. 12 out 0 in is not the sign of a club astutely dealing with the market. Its the sign of a club desperate to cut costs.

12 out 0 in. The Venky cutbacks continue.

When did I say I would take £15 million for Armstrong? I might have said that was what we were going to get for him given his contract situation, I didn't say I'd be Happy with it or that it was a Good price for him.

We haven't saved money if the asking price for Obafemi is excessive or inflated. I just think it is quite extreme that for a club supposedly in dire straits financially, one that is unable to even issue new contracts or sign free agents, that we are now 'paying' £5 or £6 million for this guy and however much wages he is on.