JHRover

I'm inclined to agree. The sad thing is such a conspiracy actually makes more sense than us offering Wigan nearly a million quid for a centre half, which simply doesn't happen at Venky Rovers. Deliberate leak to Sharpe told he can run with it on his back page. He wouldn't have done that without Rovers approval. And it has worked because for nothing most of the fanbase have spent weeks believing that we are after good players armed with a proper budget. Nothing to show for it though.

I suspect that is our defensive recruitment policy in a nutshell. Sit tight, wait and hope City do another heavily subsidised loan late on if nobody else has offered more. Harrison Reed part II.

Perhaps the plan is to allow all these players off on free transfers. Then nobody will expect any money to be spent because we don't receive any. At a normal club the owners would be extremely concerned at the above and be instructing staff at Ewood to get it sorted. Here though we stand to lose millions on these lads and the owners seemingly couldn't care less. and we are supposed to be reassured because the club has an extra year's option on Dack. Forget about that and give him a proper extension. Can't afford to do it? How about can't afford not to. Mowbray has extensions on his mind. Needs a bit more than being on his mind. Needs to be in black and white and rubber stamped. No evidence any talks are even taking place and looking at the inertia and lack of communication around the place and the disrespect they show to paying customers does anyone reckon they are on the ball in communications with players?

How do you reach that conclusion when a bigger squad with all the same players as now was mid table all last season? We havent improved other than potentially in goal which remains to be seen. We are undoubtedly weaker in defence which was a problem area last year and have lost depth further up the pitch e.g Graham and Downing. Vast experience and in game know how. Wycombe, QPR, Rotherham, Luton probably the only clubs that I would have any sort of bet on us finishing above.

That's what I was told. Offered a deal but going to Saudi or somewhere Middle East.

Half the problem here is that Mowbray appears to be very relaxed about the situation as he has been since promotion. If we get who we want great but if not then oh well better luck next time. Does not give the impression of a man under any pressure or expectation, nor a man desperate to drag the club kicking into the promotion picture. Frustrating to say the least.

We did it on Brereton who had a fraction of Reed's experience. Plus we had the bonus of Reed already having had a year with us on loan, settling into the squad, knew how we played, we knew how he played and knew he was a good un. I very much doubt that he would have cost £8 million last summer. Of course after a good season at Fulham and promotion a premium goes on top.

I think the one Sharp is referring to is Ayala. He's been training with us but he has decided to go aabroad instead

Only two ways of sorting defensive issues out. Either bring in better players, or make changes to the coaching staff. If you can't or won't sign better players, then we have to start looking at Plan B to address it which is new coaches/manager. What isnt acceptable under any circumstances is just sticking with the same old on and off the pitch and hoping it changes. But that's exactly what we look like doing.

Do you not think it looks poor when we are turning up at numerous games wearing either something we've picked from a catalogue or even wearing last seasons kit with a different sponsor stuck on? I think it looks awful and unprofessional I want the club to look smart, professional and full of class. We should wear our World famous blue and white wherever and whenever we can. Those halves are Blackburn Rovers and we didn't even need a crest until the 70s such is the importance of it. Turning up wearing some generic rubbish from a catalogue that fans can't even buy or a new sponsor stuck on an old kit just looks naff. Like we haven't any idea.

This will go one of two ways Either they will put us to the sword, highlighting a gulf in class and running us ragged. Or we will catch them out as can sometimes happen early in the season as they adjust to new conditions and new manager. We will concede as we always do away.

Mid table at best. Get stuck in a rut after a poor start and a probable relegation scrap. I can only count perhaps 5 clubs right now that I would be confident in us finishing above. There will likely be a few surprise packages up the top end especially with no club spending massively and the short turnaround. We could have been one but so far have failed to address our problems and are weaker in depth than last year.

the more time that passes the more I believe that Kipre was never realistic and we leaked his name to the Telegraph when we knew WBA were in to get some free positive PR. Predictably nothing else has happened and the season is upon us but at least we 'tried' to get Kipre. Wasn't our fault WBA came in.

I agree. So why is my season ticket so much more expensive than one for the ladies? Isn't that sexist?

My predicted top 6 in no particular order: Derby, Norwich, Stoke, Forest, Millwall, Brentford Bottom 3: Wycombe, Rotherham, QPR Rovers somewhere between 14th and 20th.

Not going to happen Chaddy. Id be surprised if we got one in before Bournemouth and he won't go straight into the side in only a few days.

He's done it every window. He's either having us on or there's something wrong with our recruitment department

If you are putting commercial interests first then fine. Release a 3rd kit. Put some effort into it. Market it and get it on sale in the club shop. Last year our 3rd kit was released the week before the first game, was a standard Umbro catalogue shirt with a Rovers badge stuck on and we received very limited stock to sell and didn't get more in. Funny way of trying to sell as many as possible

Let's see what we have on when we turn up at Forest, Middlesbrough, Barnsley and Rotherham. Should be our famous blue and white. Bet it isn't.

Hopefully one day we will be rid of Umbro and actually have some thought go into our kits. A blue and white home shirt so what colours should be avoided on the away shirt? This is the 9th away shirt in the last 17 since Umbro/Nike took over to either be blue or white dominated or need us to turn up repeatedly in a rushed out generic 3rd kit.

Oh yes after couple of promising cameos in friendlies against League One sides and it is like Christmas has come early. Also expect more interviews with Dack, Brereton and Chapman as they are dressed up as being 'like new signings'

If Hanley is a serious target then it sounds like the plan is just to wait and hope that Norwich eventually back down and agree to send him here whilst paying most of his wages. Trouble is with a policy like that we won't get a decision until the 11th hour and as with Harrison Reed someone else could come in. Quite reckless really. I'd actually be quite happy with Hanley back but not on loan and not the day before the window closes in October. We need additions now and we need permanents.

Good question. Was it ever worth bidding if West Brom made their move weeks ago or was it just a hit and hope job?

I'd love to know the reason there is such an obsession with us having blue on the away shirt. It happens every other year. Why not have black, orange, yellow, gold or any other colour than blue, which is already the majority of our home strip and on many other clubs to create a clash

Norwich run a tight ship on wages. Delia and hubby won't allow them to chuck millions down the drain on non contributing wages. If Farke doesn't want Hanley he will be under pressure to get the wages off so it wouldn't surprise me if a loan was on the cards. Becoming clear that it is going to be loans only unless someone takes Williams or Mulgrew off us which might free up the cash for a fee.