At the end of the day Preston are a small club at this level with a restricted budget. Despite Hemmings being a 'billionaire' and subsidising their losses every year he will not splurge millions on players or allow huge losses to mount up. But Preston do have a transparent structure and everyone pulling in the same direction to try and get promoted, and their transfer business reflects that. Balanced, sensible, methodical. Each signing made to do a job in the team and to try to improve the team on an immediate basis. We far eclipse them in finances, facilities and pulling power, and supposedly have very rich owners always willing to write cheques out, and yet as you point out they are in the relatively comfortable position of having the essentials in place under contract. Even if they don't sign anyone this summer they will still be able to field a competitive established side. Compare to the farcical situation whereby despite losses of more than double what PNE have and a wage bill significantly higher we are sat here with pre season upon us with no GK and 1 CB and seemingly yet again going down the old favourite loan route to plug gaps for a few months. Just what the plan is here i don't know but with each passing window I become less of the opinion that the aim is promotion asap and more of the opinion that there are ulterior agendas taking place here. Just how hard it can be to sign a proper proven keeper and a CB i do not know. Already we've seen Marshall, Phillips, Hall, Chester doing the rounds - all would be good bets for a couple of decent seasons yet they'll all go elsewhere whilst we fiddle.

See i don't think he would. He certainly wouldn't be headhunted. If he was unemployed and keen to return and applied for jobs he might impress in interviews but I don't think many would put him top of their list or pay for his release. Can forget the likes of Swansea, Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich, Brentford, Barnsley and Huddersfield because they use fancy head coach systems. No chance Stoke, Derby or Forest would be interested. Middlesbrough he's already tried. He might at best get a struggling Sheff Wed or Birmingham to guide them through a sticky spell if struggling.

Maybe Rotherham, Coventry (if he hadn't already been there) or at best an Ipswich if they were to get up again. Other than that I can't see it. He's done an admirable job which most would respect but nothing sensational that will get clubs queuing up.

All true but if we are discounting or diluting seasons or achievements pre WW2 then we must do so across the board. We can also apply similar approaches to so-called Big clubs outside the top division at the moment. Such as Forest. We can say that they had a golden era during the late 70s and 80s but apart from that nothing since way back when. The point I suppose is whilst I agree we aren't entitled to a place in the top division, we should certainly not feel any less deserving or worthy than anyone else because from what I can see our pedigree both pre WW2 and post WW2 is as impressive as anyone else's around this division. Sheff Wed similar in having the majority of their success way back. I dont think it is any more or less relevant than say Wolves being good in the 50s or Leeds in the 60s. Even if it were true that we spent most of our time in the 2nd division that still puts us in a bracket above most at this level who have been regulars in the 3rd and 4th divisions. So even if we accept that we are a regular 2nd tier club that still puts us top end in this league.

Not correct. 73 seasons in the top division, 44 seasons in the second division and only 6 in the third division.

Not if they aren't good enough or ready for it. Then you start sacrificing results for the sake of individual progress and development. Heard that before?

Thought it wouldn't be long before this started. Williams hasn't kicked a ball this year with injury unknown and isn't particularly good at the best of times. The other 3 have virtually no Championship experience and Mowbray has shown little serious desire to use any of them. Suspect he might be forced to though.

1 - not an issue for us. We aren't going to sell more than 7000 or so and with no away fans we will only need 20% of our capacity. 2 - people would have to be realistic and reasonable and accept they might not be able to sit in their usual seat. I'd sit anywhere rather than not go. 3 - all hypothetical 'what ifs'. You have to get on with business. Should pubs and restaurants not reopen because areas 'might' go into lockdown in future? 4 - facilities? Aside from the toilets are there any facilities that you require that would prevent you from attending if they were closed? 5 - not sure why face masks prevent tickets being sold.

Any other clubs you know that have no goalkeeper and only 1 CB?

Why might funds need to be paid back? You really think the likes of Burnley are going to be writing cheques out to the tune of millions of pounds to refund all those who have bought season tickets? Of course they won't. All they will do is defer the benefit until such a time as people are allowed in to watch. If Rovers decided to put them on sale it could be marketed as a 23 game pass. Those who decided to buy one would do so at a discounted rate of say £200-250 knowing there was a fair chance that they wouldn't be able to go to all the games for next season but also with the option for games to be knocked off the following year. An incentive scheme to get cash of people now. People would understand the club cannot guarantee a date for fans return but would know that assuming the club doesn't go bankrupt in the next 12 months that eventually they will get their monies worth. You seem to have misunderstood by issue with the club's approach to refunds for those games last season. I never said I wanted or would demand a refund. I am in a fortunate position that I haven't needed that money back because I have managed to keep working. Some people not so fortunate who perhaps might need £70 in their back pocket. I thought the club's approach to the situation was appalling and that remains my view. Classless, insulting and completely out of touch, going as far as to suggest those seeking refunds were putting the club at risk of oblivion whilst a few days later the manager splurges thousands more out on players he had no intention of ever using. That was my criticism and I feel it was entirely justified. We decided to take a position as one of only three clubs out of 24 in the Championship not to offer any form of compensation, refund or future discount to those fans struggling or out of pocket. Everyone else offered it, whilst discouraging it but at least doing the right thing by loyal fans. After taking such a poor position in respect of missed games last season, one of a small group to do so, we then also join a very small group of clubs who have failed to sell a single ticket for next season. Bizarrely the suggestion now seems to be that Covid 19 is preventing any season tickets being sold due to uncertainty that clubs face. The reason I am continuing to post updates from the likes of Luton Town is that they are proving that tickets can and will be sold by the thousand at clubs that get their act together and come up with a scheme to do so. They are just one rival club well ahead now. It will take us weeks to reach that number, if we get there at all. It can be done. We are electing not to. Luton have a dilapidated ground not fit for social distancing measures and a capacity of just 10,000 yet have still kept on selling, and will be ahead of us in the game. It won't be long before Waggott is labeling them as a big club due to having more fans than us. I wonder why. Bizarrely yesterday or today someone was suggesting that the population of Luton is different to that of North West England which justifies the difference in approach. I couldn't work that out myself but it seems some will come up with any excuse. Again if you think Luton are going to be ring fencing that money and happily refunding all those people you'll be mistaken. That is all Rovers/Venkys choice, in my opinion it is the wrong choice and i expect it will ultimately result in a significant decline in the number of people committing to the club. I am not comfortable with that, I will not support that policy and I will voice my concerns with it whenever i am able. I am 100% certain that people would buy now if they were on sale and as far as I am concerned if that number was only 1000 it is better than 0. If people don't want to put their money up yet and want to wait and see then that is up to them. But what makes me sick is when the likes of Waggott on his mindboggling salary pleads poverty and has the brass neck to portray supporters as not doing their bit whilst he does nothing. Things can be done. Just like we could get a shirt manufacturer that enables us to sell kits before September.

Maybe the idiots are those who don't seize the opportunity to make much needed funds.

Its a non starter because we haven't paid a fee for a goalkeeper in a very long time. Pretty sure even Steele was a freebie as Boro were desperate to get shut. I would be very, very surprised if we paid a fee for a keeper this summer. We are back in Bauer territory. Remember when he was supposedly demanding £40k a week to join. That was a load of baloney as is the suggestion now that Charlton want more than £1 million for this Phillips lad. They're in League One, skint and potentially won't even be allowed to start the season unless they find a new owner. The player himself has just had one failed Championship season and only has 12 months to run. They are in no position to make excessive demands and that deal is there to be done for a club in urgent need for a new number 1. Just like Marshall at Wigan. Vast experience, Wigan need rid, lives down the road, ticks pretty much every box needed, deal there to be done. But it won't because we want projects. Its all window dressing. Like Karl Darlow and Joe Hart were last year. This Middlesbrough lad is exactly the sort of signing we will make, presumably because he will be free and his wages will be low and can be absorbed by the savings made on Smallwood etc. without the need for Indian approval.

Burnley have sold thousands as they put them on sale back in February. I'm not sure what Luton has going for it that means they are willing and able to shift them for a dump like Kenilworth Road whilst we sit by and do nothing Still it should help with the self pity routine when Mowbray and Waggott can paint us as minnows pointing at small gates compared with everyone else.

Luton Town shifted another 200 or so season tickets since last week. Now up to 6700 from 6500. So glad we are being sensible.

The difference is that here we have the Middlesbrough local reporter directly linking him with a move here. This is a fringe goalkeeper that they will get no money for. There will be no ulterior motive in reporting it and we all know this is exactly the sort of cheap and cheerful corner cutting that would suit Mowbray and Rovers to the ground. Bit different to Richard Sharpe 'linking' our best player with a move to clubs that he can't even name where people could stand to make a lot of money out of it.

We got shut of Raya to go signing reserves from Brighton and Middlesbrough? Good grief.

Phillips is a keeper and would cost a fee. A non starter here.

Our structure is like something from the 1960's or 70's. The manager runs the club, handles all football activity including organising fixtures, scouting, transfers, media and then coaching and matchday. As you say it is decades behind what other clubs have put into place. Football has moved on and you need a structure and backroom team in place that continues alongside and independently of the manager.

Yes, the mantra of being fan/local owned after their troubles quickly disappeared when they realised that they needed a lot more money to climb back up the divisions so quickly sold out to a 70 odd year old American billionaire.

I've lost track of goings on at Charlton now. Pretty complex stuff. Very much doubt the EFL will boot them out like Bury though. Easy to get rid of a small northern club with 3000 fans than an ex Premier League London club. Would be very messy.

Why does that Portsmouth news article say we are reducing our wage bill? Are we? Says who? I thought the talk last week from the oracle Nixon was that we would have money to do business, not that we needed to cut wages. This is how misinformation spreads and people and clubs start getting ideas. Telegraph suggests we need to make cutbacks. Soon that becomes a fact and clubs come sniffing to see if we are ready to do business. Some clown on Twitter the other day suggesting Derby, Forest and Boro interested in Armstrong. This should of course be complete nonsense and those clubs shouldn't be able to afford him but when the Telegraph is saying clubs are looking at him you then get halfwits on Twitter taking it one step further. Before you know it a made up column figure has become fact.

Everyone, including Mowbray, knows that permanent deals are better than loans, especially in key positions where the players are likely to be needed to play for 90 minutes across 46 games. Mowbray has publicly admitted several times he would rather not loan these people. He also keeps droning on about building something. It is almost funny therefore to see the Telegraph listing the longest serving Championship managers, of which Mowbray is one, having been in the job now for 3.5 years, a long time by modern day standards, yet he is still going on about building something just like he was 2 years ago. Then to be sat here with the new season a month away with no goalkeeper and one CB. No other club has such a farcical situation. Mowbray has had time, money and complete control of transfer policy yet has delivered a dangerous situation whereby we are still completely ill equipped to even put a remotely competent defence out. I know what is coming next. Names will do the rounds and they will tease us by making us think some decent options are being lined up and then nothing will happen until a couple of last minute loans. Derrick Williams will be 'like a new signing' and Mowbray will use the pre season schedule to 'have a look' at some of the younger lads before deciding not to bother. He shouldn't need friendlies to have a look at them as he has already done this in the past and could watch their loan games last season. Ultimately either he is responsible for a botched recruitment policy or the owners won't allow signings in those important positions.

But all those other clubs, the vast majority in the League, now have all that money in the bank to play with, invest or cover losses. People can worry about logistics and seating arrangements down the line. To begin with the club has the benefit of their money and because of that those people are hooked in for another year and won't be lost. I expect the chances of hundreds if not thousands not renewing are significantly higher here than they are at those who have got people tied in. Easier for people to stay away if they haven't already handed over hundreds of pounds. More difficult to get money back out. Then Waggott expects sympathy when he moans about no income. Try making some.

Absolutely, he won't tie himself into something he can't get out of. But at the same time if he's happy here, is confident that we are going in the right direction and we make a suitable offer it could be done, with a massive release clause like Watkins has which effectively means that only Premier League clubs can get him. Sadly for us to do similar we would have to be proactive, pay the required salaries and show some ambition. There's no indication that any contract extensions have been discussed in months. Could the club be set to flush millions down the drain again by allowing assets to reach the last year of their deals without getting them tied down? Then it will be poor old Rovers time again.

I'll stick up for Chaddy a bit here. Ollie Watkins joined Brentford in 2017 on a 4 year deal with the option of a further year. After a phenomenal couple of seasons he signed a new and improved deal in 2019 taking him through to 2023. That new deal presumably increased his wage significantly and secured Brentford's investment. They are now in a position where he has 3 years still to run, is highly sought after and they are looking at the neck end of £20 million for him off an initial outlay of less than £2 million. He is rumoured to have a release clause of £18 million. In this case Brentford have once again done a good job. Now in similar circumstances we would be soon offering Armstrong a wage rise and another couple of years on his deal. We might have to put a release clause in there to persuade him to sign it but to do that we would put the clause up at £18 million knowing that if someone paid that it would be great money for Rovers. No doubt there will be the old 'we can't go around offering wage rises at a time like this' line. Fine, watch your prized assets run their contracts down and leave for a relative pittance (again). We should also be doing the same for Dack and Travis before the end of the year. In some ways these deals are more important to conclude than any incoming transfers, if nothing else to protect the club's investments and avoid another Marshall, Duffy, King scenario unfolding. The same will probably happen with Nyambe in the coming months and then the club will actively try to sell him for a low fee just to get some cash in. Now Brentford have shown that making the right offer to a player progressing well can result in that player committing his long term future to a Championship club. But it requires ambition and proper planning from the club, and more importantly for that player to feel the club is going somewhere and will challenge for promotion in the meantime. Might be a hard sell with our dubious business.