JHRover

There's a good reason many clubs do it. Not for the sake of it but because they are advised by the physio people that it is better for their players. Here such concerns are immaterial whilst run by parasites only concerned with meeting their own financial targets and bollocks to the football.

All going to plan really. A small, inexperienced group of nice lads playing the game the 'right way'. Plenty of stats to circulate about 'average age' and 'number of academy graduates' and 'nice football' but fundamentally the name of the game is winning matches, especially at home in circumstances like tonight. The 'powers that be' will probably be quite happy with tonight, telling themselves we were unfortunate or hard done to but in reality the main reason we lost was down to inexperience and a lack of depth. Two issues that have plagued us for a while and were exacerbated by the abysmal summer delivered by the owners. One look at tonights bench tells me we have a serious problem. One look at the subs being made by the two teams with 10-15 minutes remaining at 1-1 tells me we have serious problems. PNE make changes bringing on journeymen players who turn the game in their favour. We make changes bringing on teenagers with no experience and lose the game from a dominant position. This isn't due to freak circumstances, it is due to budget cuts imposed upstairs. I don't blame JDT at all. The bloke is working miracles with what he has been given. Waggott will be tucked up in bed happy at the night's work coining in 15000 matchday tickets without a care in the world.

Yeah I agree that to any sane people now is the time to be getting out of this. Even if they have done nothing seriously wrong it is clear that there is a potentially drawn out and thorough investigation getting underway and whilst that goes on the club is going to suffer (even more) than is normal under their awful ownership. If we are now at the point that they are having to go to Court to get authorisation each and every time they need to meet 'obligations' at Ewood then this is going to get silly, whilst it might be a positive that permission has been given for an injection to meet wage and cost liabilities I assume we are going to have to repeat this in the New Year when the next bit is due and assume it doesn't cover non-essential expenditure e.g. funds for transfers or any other spending. Some might be happy or comfortable with the club limping along in such a paralysed and zombie like state but I'm not. If they can't fund the club or at best can keep the lights on whilst they deal with whatever issues they have in India then we are just drifting to nowhere

So £1.8 million, over 10% of the total cash being sent over from India, coming in as 'agent fee (commission)' Seems excessive to me.

JDT has operated at an elite level throughout his career and wants to be successful. If he thinks flying to some of these long distance away games would help him and his small squad recover and deal better with a busy fixture list then I back his judgement and think the club should too. Winners look for these sort of marginal gains. Unfortunately he's employed by losers and people with remits at odds with having footballing ambition, so they'd rather save the money and send out a crippled squad and derail our season / momentum. Perhaps they could fund some of this travel from the extra cash JDT has brought the club by taking the cups seriously. His predecessor didn't but was still able to fly the team to away games even when there was nothing left to play for.

I'd be surprised unless they can do some shuffling on the finances or unless Sheffield Wednesday want to send him back. I remain convinced that the decision to send Buckley out was as much if not more financially motivated than anything else and was a prerequisite to us signing Hill and Telalovic on deadline day. So unless someone is leaving in January or some extra cash gets released from somewhere I can't see it. They'd rather Sheff Wed covered his wage from January to June. JRC news is very disappointing but in no way surprising. This is why having depth is essential and why I warned in the summer that it would be foolish to make plans around him being available for more than half the season.

Really sad news. I didn't know him too well but would always say hello and crossed paths many times at games especially friendlies and u21 fixtures when there would be smaller numbers of Rovers fans in attendance. He was just Rovers through and through. Will be strange not seeing him around any more. It's an odd feeling, as despite not going to games with him you just knew that if Rovers were playing somewhere then he was going to be there. Hong Kong, Austria, Portugal, Spain etc. Last December we joined groups for the trip to Marbella to watch the games v Hearts and Ajax. Always remember going out to Portugal about 10 years ago. As we got off the bus and walked into the hotel the first thing we saw was Birdy walking around with his cap on. Only this summer we turned up in Hartberg and within minutes found him sat in a bar on the square. Such a familiar face and constant feature of going to games, it was almost like an element of going to games itself, seeing him around meant Rovers were in town. Rovers have lost an immense supporter and someone who put god knows how much time and effort into not just games but meetings, events, fans forums, arranging travel away. My thoughts are with Annette, a constant by his side at games, and his family and friends.

I'd say this is possible at every other club in the league. Only last week Rotherham signed Ayala on a free transfer to aid their defensive troubles, I don't believe there is any scope or possibility for us to bring in a 30-something experienced head even on a free transfer, even to solve a defensive crisis. I think we are the only club following this 'academy' policy whereby any new signing needs to follow strict parameters both on wage demands but also on age and 'potential'. I could accept / understand such a policy if it took us to a place where in a few years we had developed a very valuable or deep capable squad, but we've learned from experience that this won't be possible here, they'll keep numbers down, keep on cutting back and keep on failing to deal with the contract situations.

Lets be honest if it comes down to playing and wage budgets he'd have more to work with virtually everywhere except maybe at the current bottom 3 clubs. The budget wasn't exactly great to start with and then inexplicably and completely unprofessionally was slashed further mid transfer window. It's one thing having little-no money to back an ambitious manager, quite another to make life even more difficult for him by leading him to believe it was one thing and then drastically cutting that half way through the summer. To follow the calamity of January and O'Brien with these shananigans must really have annoyed him. So I suspect even a move to a skint club albeit one that is honest as to the reasons why and one that doesn't muck him around mid-transfer window, and doesn't pull the plug on deals and mess people around on deadline day would be a step up. Especially one that doesn't have a charlatan masquerading as CEO, whilst really run by a bloke in the shadows with no footballing background. I suspect he'll be off the minute any reasonable offer is made but agree that unless he hauls us right into the promotion mix that might not come mid-season. Still expect a move to Germany, Holland or Italy more likely than sideways in the Championship but you never know.

When do Man City come in for him as Pep's replacement?

He probably walked into this club seeing from the outside a big old traditional club a few good decisions away from promotion to the PL. It seems things were already teed up before his arrival in terms of budgets allocated to Broughton to sign a few. Although in the end we missed out by a hairs breadth he was probably enthusiastic about making a few changes this summer and going one better. But now he will know without any doubt that the plan here is not, was not and will never be to get promoted asap. The plan here is to limp along from one year to the next with whatever funds our infallible owners decide they are going to send our way whilst the middle men get paid hefty salaries to keep things ticking over on the road to nowhere. They don't even try to hide it. Waggott quite brazen and unapologetic about his agenda and that he's quite content to see us survive each season. Not one decision made at this club by the owners or their CEO in the last 5 years suggests promotion is the aim, ambition or expectation. So I think JDT and Broughton have learned this lesson the hard way, coming in expecting to arrive at a club with ambition to go up and grow/improve then learning that this is a nonsense and that there is no plan except to keep people in well paid jobs and collecting their bonuses whilst not rocking the boat with India. That is incompatible with footballing ambition which JDT has, so I think he long ago reasoned that his career prospects are better served sticking at it and waiting for someone to come in for him than walking away and becoming unemployed.

Norwich's troubles see them 17th in the table and 5 places below us. It seems the heat is increasing on an unconvincing David Wagner. Having said that a look at their home results paints a different picture: Lost 2-1 to Middlesbrough Lost 3-2 to Leeds Won 2-0 v Birmingham Lost 2-0 to Leicester Won 1-0 v Stoke Won 3-1 v Millwall Won 2-1 v Hull Their 3 home defeats have been relatively tight on the scorelines and have all been against top / in form teams. Those against mid-table opposition they have won. Tough game but I'll never accept an inferiority complex when travelling to a side below us in this rubbish league.

The Sheffield Wednesday owner is a bit of an idiot and seems to enjoy acting like a petulant child with his outbursts on their website. On one side very embarrassing but on the other at least it shows some degree of emotional engagement with them and some degree of reaction to their results and fans. But fundamentally he's no worse than Venkys. He bought a Championship club and they are more or less where they were when he started, having had 2 near misses with promotion to the PL whilst spending silly money. Venkys bought a top 10 PL club and dragged it down to League One. This club is vastly inferior in virtually every department to the one they bought. They do have a lot in common with each other though. Both from backgrounds in Asian food production (Chickens, Seafood), both seem to have inherited their wealth from established family businesses that dominate their respective markets. Both seem to enjoy or at least content to absorb significant multi-million annual losses. Both have had suspect links to shadowy advisors and agents. Both have overseen seemingly endless FFP problems whilst smaller clubs navigate their way around any issues. Together with the Reading owner they all have quite a lot in common, and suspect ourselves and Wednesday are both nearer to Reading than the current tables would suggest.

Surprised at the timing with Pearson. They've spent the last 2 years under him floating around mid-table and the bottom half and never really threatened so to get rid now claiming to want promotion seems odd. Suspect they've got someone lined up - perhaps now that Rowett or Beale have recently come available - and are moving in response.

I find it interesting how Ipswich have got up from League One and there's no mention of them 'taking it steady' or 'building' or development projects or multi-year plans or 'not being ready' to go up or talk about 'how difficult' the Championship is. No losers mentality there, just building on the momentum of last season in impressive fashion. Compare and contrast to what we've witnessed here since 2018...

It's the only defence to Venkys there is left - the baseless and illogical claim that there is no alternative. Nobody can argue that they have been in any way good for the club at any stage in the last 13 years, nobody can argue they have the club's best interests at heart, nobody can claim they are doing their utmost to improve the club, nobody can claim they have an interest in the club, and it appears now that their financial input is ending for one reason or another, so the last and only defence to Venkys continued existence here is that there is no alternative and no buyers out there. It is baseless and illogical because dozens of clubs in a similar or worse position to Rovers have been taken over in the last decade. Of course there is no guarantee that new owners would be better than Venkys, they somehow might be worse, but that is a bridge we are likely to have to cross at some stage or another regardless. Last time around we got rid of disinterested invisible owners who weren't putting money in and got Venkys, so hopefully next time around we get people with an ounce of interest in the Club, which will go a long way towards improving things IMO.

Unfortunately even if JDT and his team manage to haul us into promotion contention by mid-season the chances of staying in contention until the summer are remote. As these owners have proven in the last two January's they have no intention of backing the club mid-season to try and get us up and over the line. Their negligence in the last two January's has directly led to poor runs of form through February-April and with it cost us a play-off position. If they are unwilling or unable to back the manager when sat in the top 2 or top 6 in a transfer window then we are going to struggle to ever get promoted. Rivals will do business to strengthen, our lot will undermine us.

1 Hillside and 2 Hillside are a couple of large houses that directly overlook the academy site. They used to house academy players and had resident staff there to look after them. Last I heard they no longer had players staying there and might have been occupied by staff members. Not sure what Ribbleview is but assume it is another house they own down there.

I'm not too sure of impending armaggedon myself. Whilst it clearly cannot be in any way a positive development I don't think it is the first time we've had to resort to this sort of thing. I suppose the key question is whether this is a temporary stopgap whilst issues are resolved or whether it is a desperate step along a new road where the owners can't or more likely won't put any more cash in. I remember stories previously about short term loans being taken out to meet overheads, but we came through it. I've long suspected that the owners have effectively separated 'the club' e.g. the day to day operation of Ewood and Brockhall, from other funding e.g. the wage bill and playing squad. One thing they've always seemed fine doing is paying wages on time and that includes carrying a hefty playing wage bill together with all the club staff. You're talking millions and millions a year. I seem to recall, not sure if it has changed, that people were paid from the Bank of India. There have never been any rumours or suggestions of people not being paid on full or on time. Yet at the same time I've heard countless stories of no money in the kitty to do anything, even relatively minor tasks down at Ewood and Brockhall, even down to very minor and inexpensive things. The lack of investment in Ewood Park is testament to that. It appears to me that the owners won't or can't put in the cash for things such as maintenance, infrastructure, routine outgoings but have always been fine to carry their wage commitments. It's an odd situation but I don't think anything new. In the midst of all this you've the likes of Waggott and Cheston having to find the cash from elsewhere to keep the lights on and the show on the road and then stunts like this. Clearly we need new owners and soon but I'm not convinced this suggests a major issue. I expect a year from now it will be the same old story.

Not to worry, I'm sure the 'great communicator' honest Steve will be along shortly to explain what this is all about and allay any fears or concerns among the fanbase. After all, this is the Club that claims to value communication with its supporters and the CEO who was being hailed by many fans for his 'honesty' in sitting down for a comfortable interview with in-house media a couple of months ago.

The conclusion to reach is that they don't want a big crowd. It has been clear for some time that Waggott would rather have 15,000 on paying £30 a head than 30,000 on paying £15 a head. In his little world it's the same financial return for much less work and stress. I don't think this is entirely Rovers created. I do think that if they put on a proper offer - say £15 per adult - they'd get complaints from the police and local 'authorities' who would be concerned about every Tom, Dick and Harry turning up running riot, but of course a proper club CEO would dismiss such and remind those people that it is our business what we charge. We've seen their attitude and mentality - the level of panic and inability to cope when a crowd even approaching 20,000 is expected. Anything beyond that or getting towards 25,000 would show them up as they are simply incapable and frankly lazy. No, Waggott's policy since Day 1 has been to squeeze smaller numbers for more, not increase numbers for less. So a Friday night TV game, £30 a head, there will be about 17,000 on. 5000 or so from Preston and a couple of thousand walk ons for Rovers. Waggott will be delighted with that at those prices, plus the 'event' passes by with minimal issue or hassle.

Looks like Rovers have got it wrong again on the tickets. Could have had more, yet took the low allocation, promptly sold out and now leave fans disappointed. Of course it is always a gamble, could have taken a bigger allocation and not sold out but it just reflects to me the 'play it safe' mentality of those making these decisions, rather than aim high and try to sell a big allocation instead they aim low and then leave people disappointed at missing out. Sold out with nearly 2 weeks to go before the game tells me there will be a lot of people missing out here.

I'm amazed that Sky Sports haven't selected it for live broadcast but lets be honest if they did and they wanted it on a Saturday tea time it would be on then. They have no issue in making it a lunchtime kick off to the detriment of most supporters when it makes life easier for them but when Sky come along with their wedge of cash they find a way to move it to fit Sky's requirements. We've been there and seen that with their antics with the Preston game. The Club were caught lying about this issue pretending that they had no option on this when it transpired the game could take place at other times.

Surprised to see that Millwall have got rid of Gary Rowett, especially at the back end of the international break. Don't think he'll ever win awards for his style of play but think it works in the Championship especially at sides like Millwall and Birmingham where resources are limited.

Never ceases to amaze me how as a business we keep on finding new ways to make it hard / impossible for people to hand their money over to the club. We've already gone 'cashless' and refuse to take money from people on matchdays unless it is via card. We've had the fiasco with the Cardiff game, shutting the home end and then having no website for 48 hours. We've had the fiasco with replica kits not being available or running out before Xmas every year. You'd think for a club so hard up we'd unearth every possible option to enable people to pay their money over, yet it seems to happen with alarming regularity that we have IT issues or some other problem supposedly out of our control that stops us.