JHRover

Excellent work, many thanks

Another 5/6 to do what Chaddy? Survive? Mid-table? Top half? Play-offs?

Whatever people say about JDT he had the ability to get us firing in the 'cup' style fixtures. West Ham away, Leicester away, Norwich away, Sheff Utd away. On each occasion we were comfortably second favourites yet overcame the odds (or very nearly did and should have done at Sheff Utd). I'm pretty confident that if we'd have got into the top 6 that season he'd have found a way to navigate us past Coventry, Luton, Sunderland etc. But there was never any intention of getting promoted. They got JDT by accident, one of those once in a decade right decision right time moves stumbling across someone who had what it took to haul us into contention. But as others have said this was an accident, never part of the plan, and events since then have proved what the agenda at this club is and it has nothing to do with being successful or getting better.

That isn't what I'm doing. I'm expressing what I feel to be reasonable concerns at selling proven Championship level performers and replacing them with unproven foreign players. If we were keeping Szmodics I'd be fine with losing Gallagher, but to lose both in a couple of weeks before the season starts and replace with nobody of any pedigree I think is one almighty gamble, motivated by finances rather than a focus being on what is best for squad stability and depth

Didn't answer my question. If we go down and Stoke and Gallagher stay up will you consider his sale to have been good business? Or might you accept keeping him in our predicament, about to lose Szmodics too, and suffering some loss on him would be preferable if it meant ensuring Championship status was preserved? All of what you have said is true. 174 appearances at Championship level and selected every week by Mowbray, JDT and Eustace. Replaced with unheard of lads who have never kicked a ball in this country. A huge gamble IMO but they've been gambling with our future for years so nothing new.

Hopefully. I'd like our Championship future to be based on a bit more than hope. Another one departs to a rival and we take a leap into the unknown with these foreign lads. Dangerous game.

If we get relegated is it good business to have sold our established proven Championship players?

The exclamation mark would suggest you think these signings are something to be getting excited about whilst sneaking out the back door are more proven Championship performers. The club is in a totally desperate position and will have to do far, far more than this to convince me we are in for anything other than a long hard season. Impressive that they have now taken us to a point where many would take Championship survival as a good season after spending all of JDT's season in the top 6. Some effort by the powers that be to ruthlessly and systematically dismantle the good thing we had and take us to a point where unheard of signings and another season of Kyle McFadzean are seen as a step forwards.

Well if we see off Szmodics and Gallagher then Sigurdsson to follow that would be just about all our goals from last season taken out of a team that just survived. Quite the gamble with our Championship status but then again this has never ever been about league status, it's all about costs. If they put half as much effort into bettering our league status as they do into getting rid of our bigger earners and cutting costs we might have been in the PL by now.

Covers the spending of this week or the majority of it I suspect.

The added Sky TV money will comfortably offset a few thousand difference on adult season ticket sales. The numbers add up for Waggott, not that he'd be in any danger if they didn't, so nothing to worry about. It's those of us bothered about the future of the football club and its support that are (rightly) concerned. The CEO need not worry as he's passing through and just has his bonus to worry about.

I think people are getting way ahead of themselves with some comments. Of course it is a relief to finally, a week before the season starts, to be getting some signings over the line and bodies in the building. Scandalous that it has taken so long, but better late than never. Big gambles all of these signings. They could be masterstrokes, they could be utter disasters (Fode Koita etc). Certainly too early to be getting giddy. I am absolutely convinced that the only reason these have suddenly been sanctioned is because we are sufficiently far down the road of selling Gallagher for a 7 figure sum that the powers-that-be are allowing a portion of that to be paid out on these cheap deals. These 3 will be on substantially less than Gallagher. CB situation - a tricky one because in isolation both McFadzean and Batth provide the experience we are in need of. But returning to both after the events of the last 12 months really does just highlight what a mess the club and its' recruitment is. The Batth one in particular. JDT wanted him all last summer. It rumbled on for months and never got done. Now a full year on, a year where he has played little football, we are going back in for him - why? McFadzean - if we really wanted to keep him we should have had that deal done weeks ago to give him a pre-season. All this just suggests that nothing could be done - not even these relatively cheap easy deals - until guaranteed funds were coming in from Raya / Gallagher. I suspect there is also merit in the suggestion that we have wasted June and July to avoid paying wages for 2 months with no games.

I expect he will stay for us for a few weeks to get fit and then come deadline day or shortly afterwards he will be unveiled signing for someone like Preston, Sheff Wed or Derby. He will still want a Championship wage and I don't think we are paying them. Rovers' aim will be to keep him around the place and hope he eventually drops his demands because he likes it.

Why, if Gestede has such an extensive network across France and Belgium and he was 'brought in' as Head of Football operations has he spent many months prior to getting the job shadowing Waggott, turning up at Fans Forum meetings and whatever else and hanging around Brockhall? Surely he'd have been getting well paid employment somewhere putting those skills to use?

Thanks to those who attended for producing the breakdown of events in India. Sadly Waggott's response not particularly helpful. Less than 4000 adult season tickets sold. It's worse than I thought.

As it stands we've got 10 minutes of highlights from the Tranmere friendly and absolutely nothing, not even the goals, from the Nuremberg, Morecambe or Wigan friendlies on the website. So suspect if they can't even be arsed to put those on then minutes from the fans Forum way down the list of priorities.

Are you talking about Callum Wright who went to Leicester and on loan at Cheltenham for a while?

I don't blame Finneran for getting out now. I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting out of this place asap. If the shoe was on the other foot and Venkys / Maggott wanted some quick cash to pay the bills they'd happily sell him off like a piece of meat irrespective of his wishes or feelings. A vile group of people, he's better off well away from here. If I wasn't emotionally and financially invested I'd like to do the same, unfortunately not so easy when it has been such a big part of your life. But when you're a professional with a short career you need to do what you feel is best for your career.

I have zero interest in 'blocking pathways to progression' The only thing that needs to progress is the Club. All that matters is ensuring the Club doesn't slide into League One, which is going to happen soon if we keep up our current trajectory. It very nearly happened last year. If that means suffering a loss on a couple of players or annoying a couple so be it.

If it is correct that Szmodics is being sold, and I'm 100% convinced he will be one way or the other this summer, then I don't think many serious clubs would also at the same time entertain selling their only remaining established forward. This organisation long ago gave up any pretence of being a serious club so of course it stacks up that we'd actively seek a sale of Gallagher simultaneous with selling Szmodics, get both out the door the week before a new season kicks off and then act confused when we are struggling at the bottom of the league. Pats on the back all around for another £10 million + in the bank and another £25k a week off the wages. I wonder at what point someone will draw a link between this and a £10 million overnight loss for relegation to the third division. Probably never because they are very good at pretending things happen totally beyond our control and through bad luck etc.

Nobody with an established reputation is going to be coming here. So it will be young loans, League One players or foreign gambles. James Hill fits into none of them. So if we are looking at him we are probably wasting everyone's time.

Bang on. The owners can't or won't pay the going rate for a Championship club any more, so their solution is to reduce the club to a size/stature that they are comfortable with, even if that means chopping it down to a League One outfit so they can leave it on the shelf without the hassle they've been getting the last 12-18 months.

Two days ago we had 13 days until the big kick off with no new signings to call upon. Today we have 11 soon to be 10 days until the big kick off with no new signings to call upon. Nothing changed as of yet other than less time to prepare.

I tend to agree, I think his presence in the team is more significant than people give him credit for and other teams/managers know this. He isn't going to ever score 20+ a season but he brings a lot of other things to the party, when fit.

Waiting to be sure the Szmodics one is going through before they allow 5% of the cash back into the kitty.