Can't even get Batth or Weimann to sign despite both playing big parts last season and having decent seasons. It really is tragic.

Agreed, though Rovers' approach has basically taken any decision out of Travis' hands anyway. All of what you say is probably true, but assumes there is a decision to be made between Rovers and Wrexham as both want him. Both don't want him - Rovers have made it quite clear by their conduct that they have no interest in keeping Travis, Tronstad, Brittain etc. So there's not really a choice to be made. If Rovers don't want him then he'll have to go elsewhere.

Cook left Birmingham in January

Ribeiro cannot be treated as a contract extension in the normal sense of the word. He came into the club in January, bizarrely on a 6 months permanent deal, and then given his good contributions to the team deservedly had that extended. It was a very strange and almost unheard of situation to join a club on a permanent 6 month contract. I've never seen such a thing before. Most normal organisations would have simply given him a multi-year deal at the point of joining, so we can't really then claim credit for 'extending' it when through our own strange approach an extension became necessary after only a few months of him being here. Therefore no senior player has had a contract extension in 18 months. Invoking a 12 month option in the club's favour is not a contract extension, it is triggering a clause in an existing deal.

2015 Cairney 2025 Travis Both totally illogical and stupid concepts to most people but at Venky Rovers we need a quick injection of cash so there we go. A decade on and nothing has changed.

We've seen this before. First up he will be assured that he will get a good chunk of cash from sales to reinvest. Then it won't appear due to admin errors etc. Textbook Venky Rovers.

Remember that the real headline here is that Rovers want to sell their captain (and indeed anyone else they can get money for). If they didn't want to sell them they would have tried to keep them beyond next summer. They haven't tried, so they want them to go. Who they go to and how much we get are secondary.

I remain convinced that even though they aren't looking for a CEO (they are looking for a public face and a box-ticker) they still won't even be able to get that over the line and instead will muddle on with Pasha-Sufi-Gestede-Talbot basically managing between them, and a charade that they are actively seeking a CEO. They will only actually get one if the heat on Venkys and Pasha gets too high or if that gang can't cope with the demands of the job between them. Truly frightening stuff considering where this club has been and should be. I wouldn't trust any one of them to run a bath. I keep on saying it but this is a club in complete and utter crisis, once again imposed by unfit wretched owners, and the only thing covering for that up to press has been the remnants of a solid squad and good management from JDT and Eustace. The party is inevitably going to come to a shuddering and horrific end, that is an inevitable consequence of choices made by these owners and their minions. Unfortunately too many supporters are deluded that because results have kept on coming things are fine, or because the local media won't report on the very serious issues in India (because they can't be arsed and don't understand it) people can just ignore it and pretend these owners are necessary to our future. A ridiculous opinion in my view but hey ho I think they call it stockholm syndrome. Bring it on I say. Appoint a complete buffoon as CEO or even better let the stooges already in place pick up the slack. All it will do is bring the shambles into clearer focus and wake a few up.

Given what is going on in India right now with the owners, even if strictly it isn't the Club under investigation, I'd think you'd be brave to suggest that nothing at all untoward has gone on during the last 15 years. It is so suspicious that I wouldn't rule anything in or out. I am struggling to think of a comparable regime whereby the ownership have zero interest in football, zero interest in the town, zero interest in getting bigger or better, haven't so much as attended in well over a decade, yet appear no closer to wanting to leave than the day they darkened our doors. Just about every other rotten regime in English football, and there have been a few, have either come and gone quickly, or been people who at least enjoy the game or the involvement of running a club, or have given up when the money has run out. None of it with this lot. Which inevitably leads to suspicions of other motives.

Chalk and cheese - a 'can do' attitude compared to an endless stream of excuses under successive executives at Rovers. These owners are the main reason we can't do very much, never have and never will, and will be left behind by any club with even a modicum of ambition.

March 2025 - https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25026507.travis-contract-latest-blackburn-landscape-new-deals/ 'Travis nor his agent has not held any discussions with the Blackburn Rovers board about extending his stay. He is relaxed about the situation though and remains focused on the final eight games of the campaign' "Yeah, of course I would like to stay. I've been here most of my footballing career. But yeah, like I said, no one's said anything to me. "That's football. It is what it is. I think football is football and if it's not here, it'll be elsewhere but I'm not focused on that. April 2025 - https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25098586.sondre-tronstad-makes-blackburn-rovers-contract-admission/ Sondre Tronstad has not held talks over extending his stay at Blackburn Rovers but would be happy to sign a new contract. Tronstad is focused on finishing the season strongly but reiterated that he would be happy to renew his terms at Ewood Park. "Yes, I'd really like to be here. I'd really like to play here in the future and years to come," Tronstad said. "I like the players and fans, the club in general and the league. I would like to stay. I haven't had any talks about a new deal. I'm open for it, really. Can't find the Brittain one, maybe I've imagined that but suspect he's in the same boat despite certain claims suggesting he's close to a new deal here.

Middlesbrough just sacked Carrick, no big surprise I wonder if Steve Cooper or Rob Edwards are the most likely options there. That leaves Boro, Bristol City and QPR(?) on the look out for new managers.

He'll likely leave this window because the club want rid of him. He's at an age we don't want to be giving contracts out, he's on a wage that we are looking to cut, we have allowed his contract to run down without renewing it and we want to get our hands on the hard cash that only he and a few others will be able to command from other clubs. The fact he has had a good season merely means even more of a desire to cash in from Rovers and potentially more interest from rivals. We don't want to renew his contract, or anyone else's, hence no talks, as confirmed by Travis, Tronstad and Brittain in recent interviews. In a normal world he would be under contract for another 3 years already, that's what a normal football club would have done by now and there's absolutely no reason why we couldn't have done that and he would have signed, had we really wanted to.

Yep they're playing the textbook 'player wants away' strategy and as correctly pointed out above phase 1 of that is to try and convince as many people as possible that the club has been hard at work trying to tie said player down to a bumper new long term contract. Immediately shifts the attention away from Rovers and on to the player. Next up it will be talk about the player wanting to play in the Premier League, or having family ties down South, or being offered highest paid player status but refusing to sign. Again cleverly shifting blame away from the club and onto the player or circumstances outside of our control. Seen it all before. Its such a shame that some still can't see what they are up to. The problem they will face is they are going to have to repeat this game 3-4 times this summer with Travis, Dolan, Brittain and Tronstad. They already came with the 'family ties on the continent' rubbish with Tronstad which he swiftly silenced with his interview soon after declaring he would be happy to stay.

It's just totally ridiculous stuff now. Parody level. I appreciate that a bloke like Gestede has to come out with stuff like this to justify his employment and 'project' but it really is as though the last 4-5 years just haven't happened and we are all supposed to forget about it. They employed Broughton and JDT under this precise remit. It worked. JDT brought through a huge number of academy players and integrated them into the first XI. Broughton got them all under proper contracts. Adam Wharton being the big one but also Carter, Garrett, Vale, Leonard, and others, all elevated from the academy to the first XI whilst many managers wouldn't have even considered doing so. He managed this whilst also sustaining good results and should have got us in the play-offs. If there had been a little less obsession with the academy players and more focus on immediate results we might have recruited differently in January 2023 and perhaps got the extra point needed to secure a play-off position. But despite that they - the owners and board - quickly took a wrecking ball to that project, forcing out the manager and Director of Football due to appalling conduct and then handed the job to Eustace who clearly has a strong preference for experience - and allowed him to top the squad up with senior players - McFadzean, Batth, Weimann, Cantwell. Fair enough, it worked, its a means to an end - it should and probably would have got us a play-off position had the same owners and board then not took a wrecking ball to that process and forced that manager out to Derby County. And now we have Gestede sat there telling us we need to use the academy more. Total and utter clown show, but ultimately they know this stuff is music to the ears of the owners and certain fans, it justifies a total lack of investment and recruitment in ready made quality players and it provides for 'jam tomorrow' as we can float around going nowhere for another couple of years whilst the 'project' progresses, players develop whilst we sacrifice results in return and then to add the icing to the cake we let them run their contracts down so rival clubs can snap them up, once ready, for next to nothing (Dolan). Micky mouse outfit operated by complete chancers.

Yes it should stop us trying. If the players aren't good enough or ready then we look elsewhere. The only focus of time and effort for the first team should be assembling a squad good enough to get promoted. The academy side of things should be run separately and should be organic - i.e. when a player in the academy is good enough he will inevitably force himself into contention for the first team. The academy exists ancillary to the first team and to support it when needed, whereas the 'modern' thinking seems to be that the first team exists to support the academy and build value into academy players, so that a profit can be made and points earned by people employed down there.

Unsurprising. The days of us luring people away from other clubs, even Plymouth Argyle in League One, are gone. I still expect that we will end up with an internal appointment or the remaining stooges stepping up and making do with no CEO. Cost and obedience are the two most important considerations. They will however need a box ticker to ensure the League requirements are all complied with and I have my doubts as to whether the remaining triumvirate have the necessary capabilities to even do that. A bit more to it than wearing a fancy suit, waving your arms around on camera and posting on twitter.

Hoping to, planning to, wanting to. Actions speak louder than words. Whoever gets it will last 18 months tops before they give up or jump ship due to ridiculous ways of these owners. I see Nixon is also suggesting the tax case could be resolved within the next month HOPEFULLY allowing the owners to invest. Heard all this before but at least it keeps the transfer tittle tattle flowing for the summer.

"We want you to be our new CEO, but you won't be able to speak to the owners, the only person who can is the COO who should be subordinate to you yet actually runs the club" Only the daft, desperate or grateful for a job would take that, not a CEO worth the name.

Brittain, Travis, Tronstad, Carter I reckon this lot would snap someone's hand off for £1 million guaranteed immediate cash for any of them, and plenty will test the water now that it is public knowledge the club is still embroiled in a financial/legal crisis, despite the best efforts of the stooges and local media to pretend it isn't happening.

We will find out in time to come, if anyone ever bothers asking Dolan, that what is reported and claimed in the media and what actually happens at Rovers' end are two very different things. As I keep pointing out - it is free and easy to put it out in the twittersphere or feed tid bits to Jackson/Bayes that the club are working hard, trying everything, making offers. That costs nothing and in return you get lots of fans swallowing it as the truth and believing a certain version of things. All the evidence in terms of what actually happens however shows that the club's approach - not just with Dolan but with pretty much every senior player going back 5 years - is failing and nobody should overlook that or forget it. Already I am seeing too much of a focus on Dolan and his supposed desire to play in the PL as though this is the issue and it is his desire to play at a higher level that is the issue here. I call BS on that, the issue here is that Rovers have failed to sort out an appropriate extension in a timely manner, just like they have with everyone else and the excuses will follow in time to come with those as well.

Prior to Waggott's stint we didn't have a CEO or Chairman for 7 years. These awful owners have never seen any need for one, and I believe only agreed to bring Waggott in after Mowbray pushed hard for it and they were persuaded that it would pay for itself by way of cost cuts. Now we are in a new era of Venky cutbacks I'd say all the signs point towards another period of having no CEO and basically the staff down there 'making do'. Of course at a normal functioning organisation they would have prepared for Waggott's departure and have got someone new lined up ready to start work now whilst the demands and responsibilities of matchdays aren't there. I'm sure it won't be long before some people are saying that these are all reasons why we should have kept Waggott and 'be careful what you wish for' because the alternative to him is likely to be worse. I'm personally past that point - all I wish for is an end to this ownership regime and nothing less will do.

Absolutely. It will be like Christmas came early for Venkys and their stooges if Wharton goes for mega money. The sell on cash will sort their problems out for another 6 months and to add an extra layer of cringeworthiness to it they'll probably plaster the social media accounts with 'one of our own' stuff expecting more free credit for it. Surely even the most 'head in sand' supporters can accept that this situation, running for over 2 years and counting, is utterly unacceptable, unsustainable and intolerable? It baffles me that so many seem convinced that the current regime represents safety and stability despite clear evidence before us that the clubs continuing existence remains dependent on the outcome of court hearings on the other side of the world. The ease with which some have been able to close their minds to and ignore this crisis and then make out as though the current situation is better than the alternative is very strange. Get rid of this. Our football club should not be getting dragged through the Indian courts and the sooner it ends the better. The lack of media coverage about this crisis is a disgrace and should never be forgotten.

We are 5 months away from the big day yet our head of commercial is still talking about ideas, committees and projects. That time has passed. They're quite cute with this involving fans stuff. They can pretend that they are doing it to be inclusive and give the supporters a voice but really it is just a way of cutting corners, passing the work on to fans and absolving themselves of criticism if it's a damp squib. Anything that requires significant planning or expense - new club crest, prestigious friendlies, major events - already too late

Agreed, again their choice to use the money to prop up their disgraceful regime, they could have used it to improve the club/squad if they wanted to, but have made a conscious choice to try and avoid that. Nothing to do with: a) Low crowds, small town b) Covid c) FFP rules d) Admin errors e) The weather f) Rogue secretaries It has always been a choice for the owners and they have always been the issue