Personal preference is a tie home or away against Salford, Exeter, Orient, Tamworth, Bromley, Harrogate, Morecambe or Wycombe. A change to the usual routine, either a new ground or an interesting/easy trip, or at least a game we should win. I can see the appeal of a Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Liverpool, City away but personally not that interested. A final visit to Goodison would be nice I suppose. Definitely don't want a Championship side away, nor anyone like Brighton, Fulham, Bournemouth, Southampton, Palace etc.

January 2024 we signed Ben Chrisene and Yasin Ayari on loan and McFadzean and Fleck on short term deals. January 2023 we signed Sorba Thomas on loan January 2022 we signed Ryan Hedges, Ryan Giles and Zeefuik on loan On each of these occasions we were either sat comfortably in the top 6 or very close to it. Yet we made 3 permanent signings, two of which were 6 month deals running until the summer, and 5 were loans. Where or why anyone thinks that Eustace is suddenly going to get backing from these owners or board I really don't know but it never ceases to amaze me that people think things will suddenly change whilst the same old regime runs the show.

Yeah it was an investigation by a newspaper or journalist that drew public attention to Ali Syed AFTER his entourage had turned up at Ewood and were filmed walking into the offices. Really does make you wonder, if that work hadn't been done or if it hadn't been circulated in the national press just how far would the Walker Trust have allowed them to go? My bet is that by that stage they'd have allowed ANYONE to take the club as long as they got their cash, and thanks to that we've ended up with possibly the worst owners to ever get hold of a club in this country.

Times like this that nobody from the club or support base has any right to reference FFP rules. If you can't even get sufficient stock in the month before Christmas you cannot complain about income or restrictive rules.

It's obvious that Sigurdsson is on his way, whether that's because he isn't interested or whether that is because the 'powers that be' have identified him as too expensive and disposable and are determined to get shut we will probably never know, but expect him to be gone sooner rather than later. Now what a club with a semblance of plan, sense, long term strategy would do is then divide Sigurdsson's wage up between 3-4 remaining players - your people like Carter, Travis, Hyam - and offer them pay rises and an extra couple of years on their deals. None will be on big money by Championship standards. Net result is that we lose Sigurdsson (no big loss on this season's contributions, though I do think he's capable of much more) but protect the situations with a few of our remaining senior players, and it doesn't cost us much, if anything. This won't happen because the money off in wages will be put towards saving the owners money and into Eustace's meagre transfer (loan) kitty, they will kick the contract situation down the road until the 11th hour hoping that the players cave in and accept whatever dismal terms Waggott has planned, then realise when it is too late that 7-8 rival clubs would happily take them off our hands for nothing and pay them more. All of course completely unforgivable and unacceptable at the best of times, but when it is only a few years after the Rothwell, Lenihan debacles and even less time after bringing in a staggering sum of cash from Wharton, Szmodics and others then it is disgusting.

None of the players mentioned will get new deals. One glance at the lack of new deals for established players over the last 5 years tells us all we need to know. If you are a proven experienced Championship standard player you will want and expect a wage and package in keeping with that status. The 'new regime' at Ewood will not allow this and so those players will go elsewhere. Broughton did indeed oversee a raft of new contracts but actually when you scratch beneath the surface most of those were younger up and coming players from our academy or from League One and not in a position to command more. They will pretend that this is just the way of it, that poor little Rovers are trying their best but simply cannot compete. Some will believe this. Myself and others won't believe it and will instead see it simply as the next phase of Waggott's downgrade, saving thousands more on the wage bill, allowing assets to walk for nothing/knock down fees but he doesn't care because their wages are off the balance sheet come the end of the year and that will justify it. He will think that replacements can be sourced for lower cost and will be happy with a couple of seasons of relegation risk as part of that equation.

Who is benefiting from the extra cash (several million pounds) the club has got from the new media deal in exchange for all sorts of chaos to the fixtures and kick off times? I don't think the fans have. The team? Don't think so. Looks like the owners. So the fans and team are mucked around by Sky and the extra money to soften the blow goes to make Venkys life easier. Tossers who haven't summoned up the interest or energy to visit a single game in over 10 years. Fans suffer, Venkys benefit.

'Until an entire reconstruction of the pitch can be signed off, which of course would require significant investment' Good job we've billionaires owning us who never refuse to sign a cheque and facilities investment isn't restricted by FFP rules then.

Middlesbrough recently lost 3-0 at home to Coventry, 2-0 to Bristol City, drew 1-1 with Preston and 2-2 with Portsmouth, so I'm not having it that they are some unstoppable juggernaut that Rovers cannot expect a result against. Having said that as others have rightly pointed out our away record in midweek fixtures is dismal, often finding a way to lose, sometimes heavily, even in games or against teams where we really shouldn't (Coventry a few weeks ago, Birmingham and Cardiff last season). So how good Middlesbrough are is probably irrelevant, its how poor we are in these games that will determine things.

I don't think Venkys want or even feel a need to have a CEO. They didn't bother with one for the first 7 years of their ownership, instead there was a revolving door of people with other inferior job titles. I believe they eventually agreed to appoint one - Waggott - because it was sold to them on the basis that he would get a grip on their costs and reduce these, saving them money and justifying his cost. Even then his background of running clubs was patchy to say the least - Coventry, Charlton and advising at Southend and Gillingham - hardly an impressive or desirable collection of clubs given their fortunes in the last 10 years. The only thing he has made any effort at since arriving at the club has been cutting costs and saving the owners money, which suggests that is what he is measured on and is what will determine his future. When he leaves my expectation is that they will try and fudge it - perhaps see if they can get away without a replacement or perhaps promote someone from within which is the popular lazy approach. The chances of them actually going into the big wide world and sourcing a proven competent experienced candidate is about as close to zero as imaginable.

It may have been beyond the control of anyone today, but I'm firmly of the belief that this situation is, at least in some part, a consequence of years of bare-minimum cost cutting operation. I'd be surprised if the drainage was any different to the rest of the stadium - lighting, sound system, pitch, seats, steps, jumbo screen - all of which have deteriorated over the years Enjoy your weekend

I don't think any of us know for certain one way or the other. Unless you're a civil engineer and have been lucky enough to have been down in the River Darwen inspecting the drainage pipes recently. It might just be bad fortune of being next to a river that is flooding during intense rainfall. It might be down to a sustained lack of investment in facilities stretching back decades. It is probably a combination of the two creating a dismal situation.

I think today was the fifth game at Ewood since we left the PL to be called off due to the weather: 1) Portsmouth November 2024 2) Millwall February 2022 3) Swansea January 2021 4) Middlesbrough December 2015 5) Brighton December 2012 It's obviously correct that the ground is next to a river and drains into the river and always had. So logic would suggest that postponements due to rain will have been a frequent occurrence going back decades. Maybe its me but I cannot remember many at all before these people turned up and started cutting budgets left right and centre. It is clear that Ewood is suffering from a lack of investment. It's filthy, crumbling in places, and hasn't had any substantial investment beyond routine essential maintenance in pushing 20 years. I think it is fairly likely on balance that drainage and ability to cope with difficult weather conditions have been impacted by these cuts. It might not be the only reason but it is probably one. The outcome is that we get the indignity of being the only top 2 division side to be incapable of hosting a match in heavy rain and along with Fleetwood, Bradford and Salford of League Two and Fylde, Halifax and Rochdale of the Conference the only seven clubs in the top 5 leagues to be off. They must be very proud of themselves.

I think there is some pressure building on the people upstairs at Rovers. So far today we've had interviews with Eustace, JRC and Buckley all talking about how much the fans are needed and encouraging people to turn up tomorrow, they've given 500 tickets away to kids They've announced half season tickets at being on sale (£249 per adult), I think people are asking questions about the drop in numbers turning up.

I heard the other day that Plymouth are running some sort of 'fly on the wall' documentary with Rooney as manager. Similar to the disneyland nonsense at Wrexham or 'Class of 92' at Salford. I did wonder when they appointed him what their game was and why they would gamble their Championship status on such a poor manager. Now it comes into focus, it's the publicity and profile it gives them. They'll inevitably get loads of viewers watching their documentary in the UK and abroad, people will take an interest, you'll probably get foreign investors interested off the back of it.

I don't know. Are you asking me or telling me that's what you think/expect? It would be something even by this club's dismal standards to employ someone as CEO who has all of about 5 minutes' experience of doing anything even remotely close to that job. Could we not just have an open and fair recruitment process when (if) the current one finally clears off? Why does it have to be some dodgy arrangement behind the scenes?

I just look forward to the day someone puts an ounce of pressure on Waggott to explain why he has continued to preside over a revolving door of backroom staff, whether he takes any responsibility for it and whether he thinks it is remotely acceptable to keep going round in these cycles. As above it is indicative of a crisis situation and yet all we seem to get from the CEO and media is a shrug and 'oh well, let's look for another one' I doubt Gestede will last more than a year or two and then he'll be off too. And through it all the bloke at the top of the tree, the one in theory in control of it all, the one who should be responsible for direction and performance, just carries on going. No chance of him getting the boot or walking away from his cushy number. No sir.

Let me guess....John Park's sudden departure and search for his replacement makes the January window a difficult one and it wouldn't be fair to expect to see business done then. We would be better waiting until the summer by which time the new Chief Scout or whatever he's called has had time to settle in and find what we need. Tomorrow never comes.

We will only make it back when we try. January 2022, January 2023 and January 2024 we had strong opportunities to get into the top 6 and they did whatever they could to ensure we weren't equipped to sustain it.

Sweden finish group winners with 5 wins and 1 draw from 6 matches, scoring 19 goals (more than anyone else in the competition) and are promoted.

And that's my firm preference too, always has been, always will be. Responsible owners would ensure that happened and would do their utmost to avoid putting it into administration by handing it over to new people and giving up their debts. But I also firmly believe that under these owners the club is on a terminal trajectory that will eventually lead to at best a long spell in the bottom 2 divisions. The status quo is not sustainable or acceptable. Too many people are influenced by the fact we are surviving in the Championship and have a facade of normality but look beyond that and it is a crisis situation. With that in mind we need rid of them. That, in my view, is clear. The only debate surrounds how that comes about. Let's also remember that if Waggott's scheme had come to fruition we'd have already sold the training ground and there would be a great big housing estate being built there right now. We know about that because he couldn't keep it hidden from the public. Lord only knows what other plans he's had in secret to cut and reduce the club further that he would have followed had he been able.

In an administration scenario the club would still need to function. It would still need to 'maintain' Ewood Park and Brockhall, it would still have an academy, football team, club shop, matches to host and everything else. When Derby, Portsmouth, Bolton, etc. etc. etc. went into admin they continued to play their matches, and presumably weren't run by volunteers during that time. Liquidation is another matter entirely as the whole lot goes but given that fate hasn't yet fallen on any club comparable to Rovers I'd be reasonably confident that wouldn't happen here (unless something very dodgy goes on). So I'm struggling to understand which people Venkys and Mr Cutback Waggott are currently employing at this scaled back, downgraded operation would suddenly be made redundant in the event of administration. Is the suggestion that there are legions of non-essential staff currently on the payroll? If so I would ask why. Or is the suggestion that administrators would get rid of essential staff? If so who and how would we continue to operate as a football club in those circumstances? I think it is unlikely given Waggott and Venkys have orchestrated cutbacks, downgrading and downsizing at just about every opportunity they can find over the last 6-7 years at least. It seems logical that they are by and large only employing people now that they have to employ to ensure that the operation keeps on functioning. Of course a change of ownership MIGHT see job losses. It also MIGHT see job growth. Nobody knows until it happens. Had Eustace not pulled a couple of surprise wins out the bag at the end of last season we'd be in League One now and I'm pretty sure with that there would have been quite a few job losses. That's the danger in being employed at a football club, especially one run by cowboys. Sooner or later there's a pretty good chance of relegation and financial difficulties and with that a risk of job losses. Not nice but nothing new in the world of football or indeed many other forms of entertainment.

Further evidence of this being a club in crisis, despite Waggott and Gestede's claims to the contrary. It isn't normal or in keeping with a stable club to have such a high turnover in staff behind the scenes. It points towards there being very significant strategic or financial problems (probably both). Further evidence, if anyone needed it, of Venkys complete and utter indifference to what is happening, as any responsible, fit and proper owners, would be holding Silent Suhail and Waggott to task on this. Who appointed Broughton? Why did his tenure last under 2 years? Who brought Park back? Why has he gone so quickly? Why has there been a revolving door of staff, yet those at the top of the tree and raking in the most cash take absolutely no responsibility for this and get to keep going with this nonsense?

I'd actually rather they just ignored the 150th, or admitted that they can't be arsed with it and therefore won't be doing anything, than embarrass themselves and the Club with more of this sort of thing. We know it will involve next to no planning, spending, organisation or effort, so will be limited to tacky stuff like a run of t-shirts and a few twitter interviews with 'legends' a.k.a former players they can persuade to get involved at no cost. It's already shameful enough that this is going to occur under Venky ownership, with a shyster at the helm of it, with the club in a zombie like state sleepwalking towards oblivion. They've no right to profit from former glories.

I think that they probably brought Park in on a short term 'consultancy' basis to navigate the summer window. We were in a bit of a mess having just survived relegation, no money and all of Broughton's gang heading out the exit door. Waggott needed someone familiar with the operation to come in quickly and identify a few players. Now that things have 'settled down' by which I mean we are looking good for mid-table again and no squad reconstruction required, as well as having the latest public face to it in Gestede settled into his role, they've decided Park has served his purpose and isn't worth the wage. Forget about January's window, we've seen first hand several times that there will be no serious recruitment done then other than a loan or two, so that buys them another 7 months to coast through to May and the Indian review meeting/budget setting and repeat again.