JHRover

No club can or will be FFP compliant with no matchday income in 14 months and counting. We are releasing 15 players and likely to sell our biggest asset for millions. Why are we worried about FFP?

I agree that PL interest in Armstrong will be relatively low. I think there are only 3-4 clubs up there that might be interested in him - Newcastle, Brighton, West Ham - the rest I just can't see it I think to date there has been zero serious interest in him. I think Mowbray is well aware of this hence his shameless attempts in the media to drive up interest. The problem we are going to have is that when the penny drops that PL interest isn't really there, Rovers want/need money and Armstrong wants out because he doesn't want to waste his career away going nowhere - then you will end up with all sorts of clubs making cheeky enquiries and testing the water - the likes of Stoke, Forest, Fulham - Championship sides with a few quid behind them - then it becomes even worse than losing him to a top flight club because he'll go to someone who we should be finishing above and do the business.

I wouldn't go as far as to say the season has been disastrous, although I think over the next few months we may reassess that (when the horror of the inevitable cutbacks unfolds and we seriously regret not making progress this season). Disastrous would have been us ending up getting relegated, which up until a few weeks ago was a possibility. So that's the positive out of the way - we didn't get sucked into League One again. Mowbray has been shamelessly touting Armstrong in the media - his last opportunity with a microphone under his nose to issue a 'come and get him' plea to clubs. Quite embarrassing and sickening to see such a thing plastered on the BBC website but then again this is a desperate man with no excuses left so for him a mega money sale of Armstrong to the PL will be the best thing that could happen - this will vindicate his 'approach' and cover the criminal waste of money over the last few summers, all the while getting him some sort of money to spend on new players which he won't get otherwise. It's cringeworthy. Other than that it has been regression of varying degrees in just about every department. We end the season once again looking up at Preston, which alone for me sums up just how poor it has been. Preston who would consider themselves to have had a poor season including having to sack their manager and having a caretaker for the final third fixtures. Such has been the success of Mowbray and Waggott in diluting ambition and expectation that the brainwashed sheep think that is acceptable. Other heavyweights such as Millwall, Luton and Barnsley outperforming us considerably with much lesser resources and smaller losses shows that we have and are getting appalling value for money from the investment made. Normal reaction to such a waste is to employ management that can make more of it but not in Venky world - their reaction is to keep that manager but make it impossible by slashing costs and selling assets, inevitably leading to struggle/relegation next year costing much more than a managerial change now. The football has been for the large part dire. Interspersed with rare hammerings of garbage opposition along the way but a tragic record of results against those in the top 10 shows the manager just doesn't have the nous to change approach and overcome the better sides. A shrewd manager would find a balance to be able to use our obvious quality to outplay the dross (of which there is a lot) in this league and yet also instill doggedness and organisation to grind out results against the better sides who have similar/more quality than us. Mowbray can't or won't do this, instead sticking to his same old routine and watching the same errors unfold every week. I won't get on to the off the pitch stuff which is another story of concern. There may be parallels between ourselves and Bristol City in that both got off to a decent start yet over the season have gradually fallen down to the bottom end of the table and have been on dire runs of form. Difference is that Bristol City will ring the changes and rebuild under Pearson and I fully expect them to be a different beast next season. Rovers will be the same old and struggle.

The club still owes me from 2019-20 for games they didn't let me in to watch which i paid for up front. I think Waggott has still had £300,000 out of the club during the last 12 months, and has spent that time trying to sell our training ground. Everyone has their limit. Mine was reached with the above. That's before we get on to an unsackable manager and them expecting us to pay for it to continue.

Good question. I know what I think the answer is. Same for everyone else

Agreed. I wonder why he hasn't signed a contract extension?

Player of the Season award should bring more attention to Kaminski and probably put a bit more on his price tag. Lets remember that we need to sell him this summer unless we can sort a new contract. Why the hell did he get a shorter deal than Pears?

He'd do for me. Personal fortune of over $70 billion

Tony doesn't like making excuses. Except that's what he has done since the day he arrived, especially since we returned to the Championship. Infact him and his mate Waggott are the excuse makers in chief. Every time they speak they can't help but cover their own failures with a catalogue of excuses for why. Coronavirus has been a godsend for him on and off the pitch. He's going to spend the rest of his days blaming the pandemic for our diabolical season, of course anyone with an ounce of common sense would question how the pandemic has affected us any more than any other club and point out that everyone has had to deal with these issues. Off the pitch the empty stadia have enabled him to plod along for months on end with virtually zero hassle or aggravation from anyone, as the only people he sees at the club are those who think he is god's gift or who owe their positions to him. So those excuses keep on coming thick and fast. No money/we can't compete/parachute money clubs/well supported clubs - yet £20 million a year and no sales says we can compete, and Derby/Sheff Wed going down shows the old crowds argument to be pointless. Pandemic - nonsense Pitch problems - so get it sorted like everyone else does Injury issues - don't sign crocks Wage bill too high - don't give multi-year big deals to crocks Not many fans - how about putting tickets on sale FFP - everyone has it and manages Players demanding too much money - nonsense as the Bauer and Ayala fiascos prove the money is there when the boxes are ticked Hard luck sob stories and excuses. I want a manager with a 'can do' attitude here who doesn't see obstacles everywhere he turns.

I've no doubt with what is coming that survival will be seen as an achievement next season. All for the princely sum of £20 million per year. Doesn't take long for things to unravel does it? Failed manager kept in place, clueless owners and drastic budget cuts can turn even a promotion capable side into relegation contenders.

I'd love to believe this was the case but I just can't see it. For starters, with so many out of contract, would it not make much more sense to make the manager change now so that the new guy could decide on who he wanted to stay? Rather than clearing the decks then bringing a new manager in? No. I think we are at the limbo stage here, where they have given up on Mowbray but won't do the job of sacking him so we end up in this middle ground where he does what he is told whilst funding is cut and Suhail runs it. The club suffers because neither party is happy with things but they tolerate it to keep themselves in work. I think Bowyer fell out with Pasha and his involvement in 2015 which is why he was replaced. Not sure if he has the clout to do that these days with Mowbray and his henchmen.

We can but hope. Sadly I don't think this will be happening. They won't be so proactive and won't relinquish control. Any billionaire pumping money in will expect a say in the running of the club which Venkys won't allow. We're just back to paralysis stage as per summer 2012 and summer 2015.

So naive aren't they? I know 'going with the kids' is the cool or modern thing to do but it is suicide in this division. To survive or get out of it you need hardened experience in your ranks. Especially when here the motive is financial rather than football. Mowbray failed miserably at Coventry when he went with youth and his epitaph was regretting not bringing in experience.

What isn't good enough is this manager and his coaching staff. Everything else flows from that. Doesn't matter who we sign or play if the dugout stays the same.

Think we can see this is going to go bad. Not because of Evans leaving, but because it is abundantly clear that Mowbray wanted to keep him and yet hasn't even been able to offer him terms. I think Venkys have, quite rightly, given up on Mowbray (probably at least 12 months later than the rest of us but they got there in the end). Unfortunately for us their response to that is to pull up the drawbridge, go silent, no more money and no approval to do anything so instead the club is left washing its own face and skint. They did this when Bowyer failed to get us up and so they went quiet and he was left with no money signing Bengali Fode Koita and Nathan Delfouneso whilst Gestede and Cairney were sold from underneath him. They'll do it again now - no more money - no contract extensions. Promote from within and work to whatever pitiful budget they cobble together down there. Expect Armstrong, Lenihan, Nyambe and Kaminski to be sold as a minimum. I'm not playing this game any more. Not going through a summer of this and listening to Mowbray and Waggott telling us their sob stories. I'll save my season ticket money and spend it on a much needed holiday.

An absolutely bizarre interview from Mowbray that is as clear an indication that you could ever ask for that this isn't a decision he particularly likes or has wanted to make but has been forced into. His comment about Evans having plenty of options and takers is probably correct. Expect him to tip up at Stoke, PNE or similar and will finish above us next season whilst we get relegated. There is nothing more predictable. He won't get a mega deal but will be seen as a decent squad player with valuable experience. If the rumours about Nyambe joining PNE are correct then I think we can see where this is going. Brace yourselves folks. We've been here and through this before. This is summer 2015 all over again. Faith lost in Mowbray but too tight/confused to fire him off. This club is going to hell in a handcart under these charlatans. There is nothing to be optimistic or positive about here.

Think this one could end up any score. We could hammer them - pressure is off, back to back home wins, smashed Huddersfield last time out, Mowbray loves these sort of low-pressure dead rubbers to send everyone on their way for the summer pressure off. I expect his strategy for the game will be to throw in 4-5 youngsters thus winning plaudits and respect from all sides for trusting the youth and ushering in a bright new future. It is nonsense but that's exactly the type of message he will be trying to get out there - that only he could integrate younger players into his squad and he deserves more time to deliver it. He's still relying on Bennett, Evans, Johnson etc. Saw someone earlier refer to Davenport as one of the youngsters who might get a chance. For heaven's sake. The guy is 23 this year and has been here for 3 years now, yet there's still this myth that he's a bright young prospect set to make the grade. He should be at the peak of his career now and a central part of the team a la Travis who is similar age. Keeps Mowbray in work though.

Always tomorrow, never today with this lot. Guarantee we will be one of the last to release information and get tickets or shirts on sale. As is normal. They've already tried claiming that the pandemic is preventing season tickets from being sold which is cobblers as many other clubs with smaller stadia and higher demand than us are proving. Excuse after excuse.

At a normal club the funding tap would be turned off for Mowbray after numerous transfer duds and a dire season, but would swiftly be turned back on again to support the next manager who would be given a full summer to work away and construct a squad. We work back to front in Venky land - everywhere else in football the manager has become less and less powerful and his remit narrowed down to coaching and game management with a hand in recruitment. Here the manager is uber powerful and has influence and power over every department of the club, including the owners themselves, and can basically tell them what the target is and appoint his own CEO. Backwards. So when Mowbray does depart I don't expect an appetite from India to back the next man, just like they didn't really back Lambert or Coyle because neither of them 'earned' backing. The only way managers 'earn' backing from Venkys in terms of cold hard cash is by getting on a plane to India and sitting around in their compound waiting for a meeting to persuade them to do it. So I'm not particularly convinced that whoever comes next is going to have an easy ride here. Even without Venky cash for transfers I still think on wages alone we will be in a decent position with savings to be able to offer loans and free agents good terms and certainly better than many in the Championship.

The same Cardiff that has only lost 3 in 21 under McCarthy and are 8th. Stranger things have happened and final day can be crazy time but I just don't think it will happen for Rotherham. I hope it does though.

Derby and Sheff Wed are both FFP fiddlers and Rotherham are not. If there's justice in the world the Millers will survive but think Wednesday will sneak it.

Think Rotherham are finished. Our draw was an abysmal result against a side full of heart but short on quality and knackered after a long hard run of games. Shows up Mowbray's drivel about us being 'jaded' at Sheffield Wednesday. Can't see Rotherham winning at Cardiff. Hope they do and send the two 'MASSIVE' clubs down. Two less examples of clubs we can't compete with for the two clowns at Rovers on their next excuse giving exercise.

Yes, and I think Mowbray and his crew know this, which is why I expect to see the rumour mill in overdrive early doors. Already we are seeing it- distraction tactics and sadly it is as easy as that for a lot of people- flood the Telegraph with talk about rebuilds and recruitment and what is going to be done and it takes care of itself. Mowbray's position not even an issue for discussion. Then get a few bodies in early and it becomes a question of why get rid of the manager, surely he deserves chance to see how his recruitment gets on and how the season starts? Then it is the busy run to Xmas before we know it.

The stuff in Forest's club shop still significantly cheaper than Rovers' even after reductions on both sides. Why? Food and drink significantly more expensive at Rovers than other clubs. Why? Ticket prices go up and up at Ewood whilst being frozen or cut elsewhere. Why? Three starter questions for the next time Waggott emerges from his bunker. Probably after the dust has settled and the clock is reset in the summer.

So after a 3 day social media boycott the first tweet and so far only one of two that Rovers have posted is to wish Louie Annesley a belated happy birthday. Kind of sums up where the club is at these days. Twitter admin gets reminder in diary of player past or present who had a birthday recently. No mention of the game on Saturday, nothing about season tickets, nothing about anything important but yay happy birthday.