JHRover

Good performance and victory to get us up and running. 3 points were essential. 5 goals and a clean sheet should get the confidence flowing. Some tough games coming up which will be more difficult than Wycombe but good stuff all around today. Time for a few beers in celebration.

A couple of weeks ago it was claimed that we were after another GK, two CBs, another LB and hopefully also another CM and RB. That's 4 additions hopefully up to 6. Since then we've signed Ayala. An admittedly impressive signing i didn't expect us to manage to pull off. But nobody else. Now Mowbray is talking about choosing between 1 permanent signing or a couple of loans. Quite a way off the 4-6 incomings mentioned. Also making one more permanent signing with the budget doesn't quite stack up with the 'dominoes' talk after the Tuesday Ayala announcement. So either Mowbray is being very canny with his comments and there's more up his sleeve, or he's been having us on with his earlier comments, or he's blown nearly all the budget on one good CB at the expense of other positions. We will find out but there's something that doesn't add up.

Evans is one of those who many would be quite happy to get shut of yet I fully expect when he does leave here he will go to another Championship club and perform well under a different manager and backroom staff. I suspected since O'Neill got the Stoke job that he would end up there sooner or later. His bad injury last season likely put paid to that for a while. Perhaps a nominal fee or free transfer when his contract is up. I believe the attitude from many will be one of celebration to be shut of someone with his injury record and hefty wages. If we could do better on a permanent deal fair enough. I'm not sure we will though and I'm reluctant to lose more experience. This 'bring through the youth' thing is fine but it can be dangerous if done too quickly in too many positions.

My belief is that Mowbray and Waggott thought Christmas had come early when Brentford came along with multi millions for Raya. Mowbray probably couldn't believe his luck and was more than happy to take the money and run. Earn brownie points in India for generating funds and vindicate his approach to transfers. Also enabled last summer to pass by with little or no need for Venkys to put any funds into the transfer pot as the Raya cash covered the Gallagher down-payment. Just 12 months on and it shows Mowbray got it wrong. Whilst I agree Raya wasn't perfect and has improved im of the view that it is a result of improved coaching more than anything else. At a normal club we would have owners or a chairman asking Mowbray about this and explain why this has happened. Not here though. No pressure or accountability it's just 'one of those things'

You can put prices up to bring us into line with others. But an increase of close to 20% each summer is steep, given the product hasn't improved very much if at all. Doing so in the middle of a pandemic and recession without being able to guarantee entry? Well I'd say that's bordering on mental and I'm sure the sales figures (the real ones not the fudged ones) will confirm that. Extorting the most loyal fans to the tune of an additional £200 for this diamond club thing is disturbing. Basically the only way of ensuring that you can get into the pilot fixtures is to buy your way in. Good news for those with a spare £200 to chuck into the pot. Not good for those struggling yet have backed the club at every home and away game for decades. The morons in India are not committed. They are up to their necks financially and so keep the lights on. Whatever Waggott's job is it is something of a paradox. It appears he is employed to squeeze more out of the existing fanbase, yet his attempts to do so are likely to see 3 years of falling sales despite promotion and it will require around 750 paid adult season tickets just to cover his extravagant salary. He clearly isn't tasked with getting more bums on seats or making Ewood a nicer more enjoyable venue to visit given the non existent efforts there. The club can win in this. Just be honest and fair. Don't hold people to ransom by giving diamond club members priority. Don't suggest discounts are coming in May and then put prices up in September. Don't plead poverty whilst taking home £300,000 per year and issuing contracts to players who can't or won't play.

Deeply concerning yet will Waggott and co. learn anything from it? I doubt it. As it stands two of my three are unlikely to renew at this stage. This leaves me in a difficult position firstly because I don't want to go on my own and sit away from others and more importantly because I am very uncomfortable handing over £400 to fund Waggott's obscene salary with no guarantee of entry and have to pay an extra £200 to ensure I can go to the trial fixtures. I've paid enough over the years and my database is close to 100% since 2010. I'm not being held to ransom.

Wycombe should be a side we are dispatching at home. If we aren't then forget about the top 6 and think about the bottom 6. I am not confident given our history in these sort of fixtures since League One. Mowbray will not adapt or change his approach. He will, perhaps arrogantly, expect the team to go and outscore Wycombe and get all the plaudits for possession and passes. This will be exactly what Wycombe want and are used to. I hope lessons have been learned and we don't end up with egg on our faces come 5pm because any result other than a win would be difficult to take given the Bournemouth result and upcoming fixtures.

Pleased with that. Should be a much needed experienced addition. LB now please.

My prediction is that Evans is on his way to Stoke. This impending sale is the reason he isnt in the squad tonight and we've miraculously revived the Ayala deal seemingly persuading him to join us over other clubs. I've no evidence for this suspicion just putting a few things together and if it's nonsense fine but I can't believe his injury record.

Would they want a pilot at this short notice even if they could? I doubt it. Sales only starting on Tuesday. By Friday would need to assess sales, determine who can go and who can't and determine a seating plan Nah too much to do in 3 days.

Forgive me if I haven't picked up on this in the club literature but if I decide to not buy one, as they can't guarantee me my seat or even stand, what happens for the 2021-22 season (assuming we are back to normality then)? Firstly are they going to have to charge a flat rate moving forward for all the lower tiers? Secondly I've seen a suggestion that I would 'lose' my seat if I don't pay this year? How do they know that? If my seat is unavailable due to distancing then nobody is sitting in it next season. Who gets it the year after if not me? Some random person who has never sat there before?

Do we take the clubs word for it that we will get pro rata refunds for games we can't go to? Only the last time i listened to bullsh1t Billy in the boardroom he said prices would come down this season as recompense for missed games last year. Then a few months later he's done the opposite. So when the time comes for money to be transferred into accounts I'd be concerned as to ensuring that happens. I can live with a reasonable price hike if the club needs the money. It doesn't, because our unaccountable manager only recently dished out contract extensions for no reason and is currently working on getting Mulgrew out for the last year of his deal (the one Mowbray and Waggott signed off and now expect fans to cover). So enough of the rubbish about us being hard up. I don't have a problem with being asked to move seats or not getting into all the games. I do have a problem with being at a disadvantage to any johnny come lately who may decide to spend £600 on this diamond club ticket and thus get immediate priority over decade long season ticket holders, away day regulars and 1875 members who get nothing but a ballot. Of all Mowbray's signings I think Waggott is the worst. £300,000 per year! You could round 4 or 5 up off here, put them all on £40,000 and you'd have more idea.

I get the impression from Mowbray's comments, the local press and players comments that they are quite content with how things went yesterday and that there isn't much to be concerned about. I'm worried that Mowbray genuinely thinks that and will be telling the players the same. If he does then we aren't going to make progress.

At no stage during Mowbray's tenure has our defence been solid. Even in League One with by far the strongest squad in the league we still conceded with alarming regularity. I don't believe personnel is the full story. The manager must also be questioned. Sadly at his age and with his track record he isnt going to change his approach..

We don't win ugly and we are the ideal opposition to come up against for sides in need of a boost. Turn up and try to outplay sides with little else in the locker. It might look nice and see chances but id have enjoyed today far more if we had just turned up and ground out a dull 0-0. Mowbray isn't capable of doing that so we'll have a defeat and 0 points but all the usual and now boring platitudes about good performances with nothing to show for it.

Mowbray's latest game is to spend the entire 90 minutes sat down in the dugout. Is he trying to make some sort of point by not standing up? I don't think he stood up all day. What's he up to?

Depends on who to, how much for and how much was reinvested. If selling Armstrong to a Premier League club for a good fee saw us spread the proceeds properly around 4-5 positions and we invested in permanent signings then I'd accept that as part of life and potentially worthwhile. That doesn't happen here though. We sell assets and sign loans as replacements. So no. Look what happened with Raya.

Yes, and we have weakened whilst they have recruited smartly for 2-3 years in a balanced manner, not neglecting positions. Without rose tinted spectacles the bookies apply logic. I'd say 15th is probably the height of our ambitions this season as it stands. Didn't have to be this way.

Why were we 'in' for Mawson if we couldn't afford his wages? Isnt that just a waste of time? If you are correct with Tosin on £10k then we can add £15k each for Graham and Downing, £10k each for Samuel, Smallwood and Walton, and £5k for Hart. So that's £75k per week on a conservative estimate. Also Leutwiler and Cunningham from January. You ain't far off it. Some clubs and people want to talk about what we tried to do but failed to do. Others just go out and get deals done. For us it seems to take weeks to even get a loan deal over the line. Our recruitment isn't quick enough and ultimately it will prevent us being successful. This season a glorious opportunity for promotion. Now we start the season with the same old problems.

And I think your point was that we couldn't compete with most teams in the Championship, which was proven to be incorrect as we are mid range on wages and can blow bottom end clubs like Preston away. I'm not bothered how much we spend. Sadly this summer has so far gone exactly as expected and whilst rivals strengthen or stand still we now have a smaller and weaker squad than that we finished with. Why is that the case? We've had every excuse and reason known to man. As I say, it matters not because the season is here, points are to be won and lost and we haven't done what we needed to. No bonus points for trying and failing or for other clubs snatching players from us.

doesn't actually matter. All that matters is we haven't got business done or new players in the building. Whatever the reason for it. The outcome is the same.

no problem with that, it happens. Just hope for all our sakes that we actually get them in. If the last few transfer windows are anything to go by I won't hold my breath

No club has has income. That is why FFP will be scrapped. Hasn't stopped clubs signing players. As above, we have made substantial wage savings. I didn't say we were close to Ayala. I was told he was training with us and accepted an offer from the Middle East. Maybe we offered him a deal, maybe we didn't, but always unlikely given what he was on at Middlesbrough. Venkys like 'leasing' players. They don't like permanent signings. Who knows what logic they have.

How much per week do you think those players were on? On the basis Downing, Tosin and Graham were three of the biggest earners they were likely on £50k per week between them. I'm still not sure what income streams has to do with what I am saying. Have other clubs making signings with bigger overheads than us had income? Why are we special?

Have other clubs been receiving revenue which helps them comply? I suppose many have because they've been selling season tickets, but other than that no. My beef is I'd like a signing or two and quickly and I'm sick of the excuse playbook coming out to justify our repeated failures in the market. Nowt to do with Covid, FFP, third parties or the weather. Responsibility lies at home.