There were claims that Eustace was at the end of his tether last summer and ready to walk, and the stooges buckled and allowed him to bring in Batth, Weimann and McFadzean to give him the experience he wanted and ensure he didn't quit. This time around we've heard Gestede's textbook talk about developing players and the younger end of the scale. I suspect Ismael has less interest in experience and is going to be less forceful when it comes to signings. We ain't giving them a pay rise when a year older and the stooges will fancy not paying them from June to August and then hope they renew at the last minute.

If it wasn't for Venky funding we'd go the same way as Derby you know

They're after more free credit by dripping Nixon stuff. Close to, aiming to, trying to, talking to, will be sorted soon honest, all meaningless. We've heard it dozens of times before. All that matters is actually getting pen to paper on a proper contract extension. Brittain, Travis, Tronstad, Hyam, Dolan, Carter and Batth needed them months ago. I suspect some are already too late now and the others we are rapidly running out of time on as agents and rivals get busy. Rovers will not be getting a shred of credit from me for claims of being close to something. I've seen this one before and it ends with 'admin errors' or 'changes of heart' or something unforeseen changing the situation. As I've said many a time. Feeding Nixon and the rest talk of trying is free, easy and meaningless. Actually getting stuff done, deals complete is tricky and costly. We're good at the former, and have totally failed on the latter.

So much for trampoline payments creating an impossible barrier to promotion That could have been us today rather than Sunderland but of course we preferred to sign Forshaw and Woodrow and force our manager out to Derby instead.

Waggott's season ticket deadlines and dates was a warning sign for me. Get the cash in early before people see what unfolds in the summer. Now that 90%+ of that cash is banked they can crack on with stripping the squad of saleable assets with minimal impact on ticket income.

Unfortunately I feel that even if the current administration was removed by way of Pasha and his chum Rudy getting the boot, and I think that is highly optimistic as unlike Waggott and others Pasha is and always has been a Venky man, and even if after that the owners decided to bring in a competent and trustworthy group of people to run the club, their track record suggests that at best this would be merely a temporary reprieve before they changed their minds, funding, budgets, whatever and the whole thing comes crashing down again due to their decisions and policies. It isn't ever going to work on a medium or long term basis. They just won't allow it.

We're going to face a full summer of this sort of thing, especially with a relatively new manager and Gestede in place. Most of it is self inflicted due to our recruitment and contract policies. But we all know from experience that little of it will come fruition and we will be scraping around at the 11th hour. The fact we seemingly want to keep both Batth and Weimann yet haven't got either over the line tells us where we are on summer business.

This guy has by most accounts been involved in various capacities since before the wretches even completed their takeover. Two relegations, three near misses, collapses in attendances and income, losses over £200 million, negative publicity, chaos, humiliation, yet it appears he has even more power now than ever before, the latest move being to oust Waggott leaving his little gang in control. It's going to take a lot more than a couple of dodgy interviews or banners at Ewood to shift this bloke unless he gives up of his own volition. The intriguing part will be if he is shifted who the wretches get to replace him because they ain't giving that job and the direct line to just anyone.

Expect PR overdrive in the next couple of weeks with stories of how Waggott was a problem and poor old Venkys have decided to address it. No mention that they employed him for 7.5 years . The operation now will be to shield the Indians from hassle or attention so looks like Rudy or AN Other are about to be thrown forward as the latest human shield. Broughton was doing that quite well until he actually wanted to do his job and build something which was no good at all to these people. Paul Senior another, skilled in talking and putting on a show to distract from the Venky shitshow, only lasted a few months however, then they hit the jackpot with Uncle Tony. Who's next...Rudy already starting off on the back foot after the laughably bad interviews a couple of months ago.

Leicester haven't yet rejoined the Football League so I can only assume the authorities will threaten them with rejection and expulsion into non league. Of course not, they'll be welcomed back into the Championship, allowed to use their parachute money to run a massive wage bill and be favourites for automatic promotion again, just like last time. The system is a joke and ripe for abuse.

It seems to be a new word that has sprung up in recent years. Fair enough communicate with supporters who ultimately pay people's wages and fund the club but not sure who counts as a stakeholder who isn't a supporter.

I think at best we are getting a Broughton type external appointment - someone relatively inexperienced who would love to add Blackburn Rovers and Championship to his CV who would probably have good intentions, come in and realise what a joke the club is and be gone again within 12 months More likely is they let the 'search' drag on for months, this will be an excuse for another botched summer, with ultimately the remaining trio filling the void and curtain twitcher consolidating his power.

What is a stakeholder?

Is this the excuse now for why we can't sort contracts and bring in new signings, because we are awaiting a new CEO? Sounds like a typical Venky Rovers excuse.

I see this as the age old Venky distraction tactics. We saw it in full effect last season after the January debacle. Attempts to blame Broughton, Cheston and Silvester for the shenanigans, so they left quickly under a short club statement and then they can claim to have learned lessons and that action is being taken. The latest chaos with the dismal interviews, then stooge 1 being forced out of the shadows and now the negative publicity with the ladies team and presumably dismal season ticket sales so another scapegoat needed. Only we are running short on options there so bring forward Waggott's retirement. They're playing games and sadly people will fall for it again. Nothing really changes until the owners and their main stooge are gone. Until then they'll just keep on shuffling and distracting.

Prospective CEO when realising that he will have no line to or communication with India, like Waggott will only be measured on how much he cuts and saves, has to employ work experience blokes in senior positions at the Club, oh and has to take orders from the curtain twitcher who sits below him in the club pecking order yet has contact with the owners. Yeah on second thoughts you can stick your job. They aren't looking for a CEO they are looking for a figurehead to provide legitimacy and act as a shield.

Prospective CEO when realising that he will have no line to or communication with India, like Waggott will only be measured on how much he cuts and saves, has to employ work experience blokes in senior positions at the Club, oh and has to take orders from the curtain twitcher who sits below him in the club pecking order yet has contact with the owners. Yeah on second thoughts you can stick your job. They aren't looking for a CEO they are looking for a figurehead to provide legitimacy and act as a shield.

Even if by some miracle they decided to replace Waggott with a competent external CEO rather than promote the work experience guy from within, ask yourselves who is going to come in and work at an organisation whereby Pasha is technically subordinate to the CEO but practically is the head honcho as he is the only one with a connection to India and has their ear. It's just a ridiculous and laughable situation. Unworkable even if they decided to recruit a proper CEO, which they won't because those cost and will need assurances. Easier and cheaper just to muddle on with the chuckle brothers and hope it works out ok. Unacceptable in professional football.

I always expected Waggott to bail when the shit was truly about to hit the fan and that until that day arrived he would hang on collecting his hefty salary. So hopefully the regimes collapse is imminent. Then again more likely in my opinion a convenient shuffle to cover for his retirement whilst putting out an impression of changes been made when we all know that won't really happen. It will still be business as usual upstairs and probably even more power for head stooge and his patsy Gestede. Give it a year or two and Gestede will be the sacrificial lamb when the pressure is building again.

Indeed he's gone. Confirmed by the club in a typically limited and vague manner with zero mention of who is - officially at least - running the show now. As far as I am concerned a positive but ultimately pointless whilst Venkys and their main stooge remains. We will just lurch from one incompetent to another under their ownership. I expected a fall guy this summer. Last year it was Broughton, they needed one this to keep the heat off India and head stooge which has been building. The women's team furore will have caused them grief so this announcement used to head off trouble there. They aren't daft. Of course it has long been rumoured that Waggott was preparing for retirement so it may simply be that and the head stooge attempting to collect some credit/points by making it appear as a removal. Venkys out, that's all that really matters.

Which is why there is a good argument to say that the chaos that unfolded at Bolton, Derby, Reading etc. is a preferable and better outcome than what we are enduring here. Yes fine Venkys have ensured that the bills have been paid and we've avoided administration and all that comes with it. I'm not sure I'd consider that a badge of honour on their part considering where we were when they rocked up but hey ho. But those other clubs have suffered short, sharp shocks, changed ownership and cleared the decks and rebuilt and renewed. Give me that and some future optimism and trust between ownership and fans over the hell they continue to subject us to here, nearly 15 years in.

Yep we are getting to that territory now. Flog Brittain, Travis or Tronstad to a Middlesbrough or West Brom for a couple of million to pay the lekky bills until August.

Is this the bit where "we can't compete" with what Derby are offering (ignoring our billionaire ownership and the fact they are skint and were in admin a few years ago, and we'd go the same way as them if Venkys ever left)?

If you are going to lie might as well go high especially when half the fanbase will swallow it whole.

Once they walk then a new owner comes along. Many, many, many owners have given up owning clubs and funding losses and have passed it over to someone else to take it on. League One Reading managed it only last week. The fans don't need a plan on that front. It isn't a job for the fans to concentrate on. All we can do is hope the new owners are better than this lot (highly likely). No club has ceased to exist because an outgoing owner hasn't found a replacement.