I'm in two minds to be honest. I'd be very pleased with a signing of Assombalonga's calibre provided the deal was reasonable and if it was a loan that there was provision in place to make it permanent come the summer. I'd be less supportive or keen on the idea if it were merely a stopgap loan until the summer and a permanent arrangement is out of the question financially. Why? Because I quite like the idea of building something that will last not a few months but a few years and whilst it would be nice to push the boat out now to try and sneak into the top 6 the probability is we won't get there this season and need to keep one eye on the longer term. So by all means invest in quality but make sure there is something to build on whatever happens. Signing Assombalonga or Gallagher purely on a loan until the summer might do a job but would then need re-visiting in a few months when we'd have to go through it all over again. In some ways I'd be more comfortable with Gallagher on loan with an agreement to make permanent come June, though I completely accept Assombalonga is currently in a different ball park to Gallagher and would be a statement of intent.

I suppose that could be the case. I would however be alarmed/concerned if our CEO and presumably the central component of any transfer business at the club was spending 3 days off at the back end of January to visit friends and family just as the transfer window is closing.

Thing is that's happened by design, not by accident. The way they play is the Dyche way and I doubt he's going to try and change a 'style' that has worked for him so far.

Just noticed that Sky Sports are including Dack in their 'Deadline Day' circus act with their countdown clock and touchscreen thing. Apparently there's 'interest' from Leicester and dingles and an 'enquiry' from Southampton. They really are an embarrassment. Not that we should entertain anything like that but if interest did materialise from Southampton it would be Dack in exchange for £10 million, Reed and Gallagher.

Perhaps surprising that the nationals including trouble maker Nixon are avoiding the gossip with him. I'd have expected more by now, though I suppose there's still time. Hasn't stopped one or two local people trying it on though. Only the other day I think it was Bayes asking him about his future. Why would you do such a thing when there's no evidence of anything happening on that front?

Yeah, so of which I'd see only Forest as a major threat (if they were interested) as he's played for them before. Bristol and Swansea are not bigger or more attractive clubs. I doubt Swansea are in the business of paying big wages. Something along those lines yes. Rather than destroying the team spirit and upsetting existing players going out and signing top drawer quality could actually have a positive impact. If someone like Dack is contemplating whether to stick around for another season or move on elsewhere is he more likely to stay at a club recruiting for a promotion push by signing and spending accordingly? Good players want to play with other good players, if a good player can see the club is ambitious and is 'going for it' I'd hope he is more likely to fancy hanging around than if we turn around and ask him to wait for 3-4 years for the 'slow build' development that has been mentioned.

Which bigger clubs are you referring to? Villa and Derby don't need him, they're already well equipped. WBA and Stoke probably have more cash but aren't bigger clubs and again probably don't need to waste their time with a 4 month loan. Norwich and Leeds on their way to promotion with what they've got. Sheff Utd doing well and aren't a rich enough club to be able to throw £20,000+ a week at a loan. Birmingham and Sheff Weds are heavily restricted on signings. Not sure who else there is who are richer than us who are more attractive at this moment in time.

No he didn't. But you were throwing Ipswich out there as a potential destination shortly after saying we had no chance due to the cost. If those figures are correct and Graham is on 20k a week then a loan at 50% of his wage is more or less on that figure for Assombalonga. Again I'm not saying it is likely to happen but it wouldn't surprise me if that is the sort of deal we're looking at and Middlesbrough might fancy saving themselves 16 weeks at £20,000 = £320,000 to allow him to come here for the next 17 games rather than sit on their bench if Pulis doesn't like him. If he comes here and notches 10 goals his value will increase and they'll have a better chance of selling him come the summer. That's the incentive for Boro.

Not sure on that. If he's on £40-50k then even half of his wage would be £20-25k per week. I think it's safe to assume that the majority of Championship clubs couldn't pay that for a player on loan. No chance that Ipswich, Bolton, Rotherham, Brentford, QPR, Millwall, Birmingham, Sheff Wed, Sheff Utd, Hull, Wigan, PNE would be able to cough up those sort of wages at this point. Then we've WBA, Villa, Stoke, Derby who probably could afford him but already have plenty of other options already at their clubs. Norwich and Leeds doing fine as it is. I'd say we're in a small group of clubs there along with others like Bristol City and Forest of not only needing reinforcements up top but also being in a position to pay decent wages should our owners allow us to do so.

When Wolves were sold by Steve Morgan to Fosun they very quickly decided to invest very heavily into assembling a squad to get promotion as soon as possible. They had a plan and it has worked very well but they must have blown their wage structure to smithereens when bringing in the likes of Ruben Neves to the Championship whilst already having people like Connor Coady already on their books. Point being that if you are serious about progressing there comes a stage where you have to push the boat out and bring in one or two top drawer players, and that in itself doesn't necessary have to upset the applecart with those already here. I'm not saying I'm keen for us to start paying silly money out or going back to the bad old days but steadfastly refusing to go beyond an existing wage structure whilst noble and financially sensible may result in us not progressing. To attract quality and keep quality you have to be able to raise the levels on wages and spending.

There isn't anything 'official' anywhere until the club or manager announces it. The rest is gossip or third party information with varying degrees of reliability.

Lets suppose Assombalonga is on £40-50,000 a week at Middlesbrough. I don't know, just guessing. Pulis doesn't rate him or want him and wants to bring in someone else but given their wage bill has to get rid of some not in his plans first. Rovers offer to take him on loan until May whilst paying 50% of his salary. Pulis is happy - gets shut of a player he doesn't want until the summer, Assombalonga gets to play more football and still gets his wage, Middlesbrough save £20k a week on the wage bill to put towards someone else. Assombalonga does well here then his transfer fee rises for the summer. We get a player for a few months that 'makes a statement' and gives us a better chance of making the play-offs. Fans happy at us making a big signing. Low risk to Rovers as we're only committed to an extra salary for 5 months, the majority of which will be covered by letting Palmer go. That's the way it will work, IF it happens.

To be fair Chaddy you were saying Gestede was an unattainable player for us due to his wages and our budgets, yet subsequently linked him to Ipswich Town. Simple fact is none of us know what money players are on, what our budget is or indeed if Venkys have authorised an increase to the budget. They are perfectly capable and entitled to increase the funding to the manager should they wish and to be honest I'd be alarmed if they weren't prepared to at this stage with the top 6 tantalisingly close and us on an impressive run of form. They should be knocking Mowbray's office door down asking him what more he needs to continue our upward momentum. I wouldn't go as far to say it is a 'pipedream' signing. It would be an impressive and unexpected piece of business were we to land him and potentially a 'difference making' signing mid-season, but I agree it is unlikely to happen, as we seem to be extremely cautious in our recruitment and would be reluctant to add someone who might upset the balance we have. Richard Sharpe is doing his usual routine of playing it safe from all angles. I don't get why people even bother asking him. Even if he knew something he would likely be sworn to secrecy by the club until it was done. His only sources are employed by Rovers so he is only going to know what they feed him and is only going to go public with it as and when they want him to. Waste of time worrying about what he says. The usual is 'not sure, will look into it' or 'he's one we've looked at but not first choice' or 'wages might be an issue there'. Covers all bases.

Again I think it comes back to Venkys and their ever moving goalposts and budgets. It seems to be a running theme under their ownership that spending is restricted in the early days of transfer windows and any significant outlay only takes place at the back end. Cast our minds right back to the deadline day signings of Yakubu and Dann in 2011 when prior to that we'd barely spent anything. Rhodes was deadline day. Brereton deadline day and had to wait until the loan window opened. Under Coyle we spent nothing until a sudden late splurge with Williams, Mulgrew, Gallagher and Emnes late on. IF we do anything major this window it is going to be close to deadline day. If we look at yesterday's signing of Chapman I noticed that the club website referred to it as our 3rd January signing after Brereton and Lyons. Trouble is both Brereton and Lyons were here before January, one has been a benchwarmer, the other a kid in the u23s, and now our '3rd' signing we're told isn't physically ready to play for us. It would be nice if we signed someone to come in and immediately strengthen us, though I accept it isn't necessarily easy nor an urgent requirement given recent results.

Looking at that draw with no Liverpool, Arsenal or Spurs or even West Ham, Everton or Leicester and either United or Chelsea going out in the next round there is a glorious opportunity for an unexpected club to reach the final, perhaps even win it. Wouldn't be surprised now to see Wolves or Watford get to the final, though looks to be City's to lose.

Yes, the demographics of those going to football games has shifted more and more in the last 10-15 years. These days it seems to be more of a family event than it ever was previously. As a Championship club we need to be realistic. About 15,000 home fans a week is the most we're ever going to get in the remotely near future unless miracles are worked. Figures suggest we're currently between 12,000 and 13,000 so the aim should be to get another couple of thousand home fans in, by doing what every other club seems to do - shuttle buses to areas where Rovers fans live - Hyndburn, Clitheroe, Leyland, Chorley, Bamber Bridge. Encourage/set up supporter branches in each of those areas. Promote the club beyond the confines of BwDBC - if that means upsetting counterparts at Accy or PNE then hey, it's a dog eat dog world. Unless and until we do the basics to promote attendance and the club in the REGION and not the TOWN then we can't say we've done everything we can.

The Assombalonga one is so random and goes against the norm in terms of the player and finances under Mowbray that it is very hard to see happening. Gallagher on the other hand ticks every box going in the Mowbray transfer checklist. Young, English, past working relationship, plenty of time and scope to grow in value. That one I can see happening and to be honest I'd be quite happy with that.

If he's on as much cash at Middlesbrough as some are claiming and Pulis doesn't like him then it is obvious why they would be looking to get rid. If Pulis wants to make signings himself it's only logical he'll have to move some out to free up space and wages. Assombalonga isn't going to get a Premier League club, which leaves half a dozen or so Championship clubs who might need him and could afford him without causing major Ffp problems. If it were to happen my money would be on us loaning him until the summer whilst paying a large chunk of his wages. Gets him out of Pulis way for 6 months, gets him playing games and retaining his value more than sitting on his backside at Middlesbrough, frees up a space for them to fill along with a wage and puts him in the shop window. Everyone happy. Think it was a similar arrangement when Graham initially joined under Lambert. Venkys tend to be content to stack another few quid on the wage bill now and again, it's the lump sum cash they tend to avoid.

I'm one of the most pessimistic around when it comes to Venkys and their intentions/behaviour, but one thing that never ceases to irritate me is the constant 'how can we afford it?'line that gets thrown out every time we are linked with a big move in the transfer market. It seems plenty are happy to sit back and watch as rivals all around us spend tens of millions of pounds a year on proven players yet the moment that gets mentioned at Rovers it's question marks and alarm bells. Fact is we're in the same boat as we've always been. If Venkys want to spend millions on players there is nothing stopping them from doing that. Ffp rules haven't stopped others from doing it. We're currently in arguably our best shape on and off the pitch since 2011 so there's no time like the present to splash out. Whilst a player of Assombalonga's level would cost it would almost certainly be a multi year payment plan as with Brereton so it can be spread out for Ffp purposes and also offset by a sale or two. Wages would be considerable but again, if Venkys want to add to the payroll that is entirely up to them. Assombalonga has spent his career outside the top division so I'd be surprised if he was on mega money. All this talk about a slow build or not bringing in any big earners. Nonsense. If you want to go places you act swiftly to evolve and improve. You don't improve by never paying bigger wages out or waiting months or years down the line. Imagine how the 90s would have gone if Jack Walker and Kenny had refused to buy new quality or increase the wage bill... I still doubt this one will happen as he doesn't seem to me to fit the Mowbray mould and we've had all this sort of thing before with rumours of big signings that don't materialise. One thing that does stack up is of course the Middlesbrough connection with Mowbray which may well work in our favour, but whether it does happen or not I wish people would accept that if we wanted it to then it could happen. Comes down to what mood Venkys are in, as ever.

Unfortunately for Reed if he wants to make a successful career for himself in either the Premier League or Championship he needs to realise he might need to move away from 'Down South' at some stage. If he turns down potential transfers because he's reluctant to move around the country he's never going to get very far. In this day and age players move where they need to in order to thrive on the pitch and get contracts, it's part of the game. Hundreds of players have moved from around the world to the NW of England. If a potential deal makes footballing and financial sense he would be foolish to turn that down so he could remain living somewhere in the South.

Rotherham completely dependent on their home form. It has kept them out of the bottom 3 so far and if they manage to sustain it will probably keep their heads above water. Bit like Wigan but not as effective at getting those wins. If the home form goes however, with awful away form, they could easily drop into it. Bolton are expected to be one of the three given their form and lack of quality yet they scraped through last season and have the experience. Reading a bit of an unknown quality but on paper they have the strongest squad down there. Looks to me like 3 from the bottom 4 unless Wigan drop into the mix, but I think their home record will be enough for them.

Spot on. If the budget hinges upon our league position going into January then we'll never get anywhere. Waggott said in the Fans Forum that money was left over in the budget for signings should the right ones crop up.

Easy to say that now in January whilst there's still a chance of survival and he seems to be well liked there. Might be a different story come May/June once the dust has settled post-relegation and he discovers his budget.

These are the sort of games that could mark a turning point in our season. We're on the borderline at present - an ever so slim chance of gatecrashing the top 6 push and could realistically finish anywhere between top six and bottom six (assuming we don't embark on a disastrous run and get sucked into trouble). With our run of fixtures over January and February we should smell a glorious chance to put serious points on the board and put ourselves into a good position, at the very least getting ourselves to effective safety by the end of Feb so we can (in theory at least) begin to prepare for the summer and next season to hit the ground running. Win this one, preferably well, and it marks an excellent start to 2019, 9 points from 9 and gives us that optimism that we might, just might, have an exciting end to the season looking upwards. Fail to win this and it would be a big disappointment and undo the good work of WBA and Millwall wins. Ipswich's only 3 wins this season have been Swansea away (fluke) and Wigan/Rotherham 1-0 at home (narrow wins against awful away sides). They're entering last chance saloon and need to string a few wins together to give themselves hope of surviving. I agree that whilst we should be looking at a relatively comfortable win we just don't do those sort of things here and at best I feel it will be a narrow ground out single scoreline victory, more likely a drab 0-0 or 1-1 after the exploits of midweek. I suppose whatever happens it is nice to be going into these games not under immense pressure as we have been the last two seasons.

How many independent supporters groups are still in existence? Ewood Blues who run a coach to away games, BRAG who only came about in protest against the club, London Rovers (or whatever their official name is) which seems to be quite successful and well supported and meets with the club. I know there's a few based overseas such as the New York Rovers, but in terms of those in the UK there really aren't many for a club of Rovers' size. I notice that Wolves embarked last season on a programme of encouraging Wolves supporter groups to set up and become affiliated to the club. They offered them all sorts of perks if they created new branches and groups. As you say - comes down to complacency. Only now have we got anything that vaguely resembles a proper structure after 7-8 years without one. We're in an extremely competitive region and industry here and you need to be on the ball, proactive and ambitious to get ahead of rivals. As I said yesterday, PNE who have nothing that we don't have, run club operated shuttle buses into Leyland etc. to try and bring in supporters from those areas to their home games. Those are just as much Rovers areas as Preston yet at the last update Waggott was 'looking into it'. A club of our size/stature/history should have well established successful shuttle arrangements into surrounding areas like Hyndburn, South Ribble and the Ribble Valley but it seems to me we're falling well short. Too much focus on our literal backyard - BwD - and not enough on the surrounding regions where a huge - and probably increasing - element of our support lives.