Dreams of 1995

He’s been tried up front but for whatever reason it doesn’t seem to suit TM him playing there. Hence why we bought Brereton and are now being linked with Gallagher. The tall striker seems to be his preferred option. I don’t doubt Armstrong sees himself as more of a striker but that’s a whole other issue! Im excited about Chapman next season and hope he stays fit. We need to nurture him and develop him physically though otherwise he’ll spend another season in the physio room.

I have. Under Tony Mowbray Armstrong plays on the wing - always. Therefore it would be safe to assume that his place in the squad is as a winger.

The Downing signing isn’t exactly “inspiring” but you can’t help but feel he has a lot to teach Armstrong, Chapman and Rothwell on how to be an effective winger. He’s played for England enough times, had good spells at Liverpool and Boro in the Prem, he obviously knows the game. I’ll reserve my judgement on the signing based on his contribution. He’s a far better player than Etuhu and Whittingham anyway so probably an unfair comparison. I can’t help but feel Rodwell signing is a priority now. He is so much better in centre mid than centre half so if Tony has a bit of guts about him that’s where he’ll play him - he’s head and shoulders above Evans and Smallwood and partnered with a Davenport or new addition he’ll be a solid choice. People are forgetting the amount of players in our squad under 25. Old heads like Mulgrew, Downing, Rodwell (although not that old in comparison) go a long way to maintaining a motivated dressing room.

Now now lads let's not let such trivia get in the way of a good moan. Our global profile has taken a huge hit because we haven't arranged a pre-season friendly with Marseille...........................yep.

I think if our interest in Bauer is real and he chooses to go to PNE I'd be starting to worry about the type of player we can attract. If we can't beat them to a league 1 defender then we really have fallen by the wayside in peoples opinions. PNE are in no way a more attractive club than us, or so you would assume. Can they pay more than us? I'd like to think not.

Oh wow. I genuinely believed all the hype about us "lagging behind" because I'd just assumed others had done research like this prior to repeating the same claim over and over again. Serves me right I suppose. Here's to hoping we don't move first in the window because that will make some people look silly.

I am still trying to find evidence of this celebrity lifestyle Dack has been leading during his time with us that has warranted the mediocre claims............................. I don't dare to suggest most are confusing his rich lifestyle with a celebrity lifestyle - of course he's got a plastic mrs, designer clothes and taste for good things....he's on more than 10k a week, so would you!

???? Yeah, you are right Dr X. Maybe attach your FM history to your CV the next time the job comes open...you may get it.

Yet he's excelled and formed a brilliant partnership with Danny Graham... I don't understand this whole celebrity lifestyle that he is leading? His Mrs is a reality star, whatever you think about her is irrelevant, what has Dack actually done in the press to constitute such criticism? He posts on instagram - so does everyone from his generation. He gets put in the paper - not exactly his fault. As far as I am concerned he turns up for training every day, has consistently performed over 2 successful seasons for us and has not once come out in the press of his own accord. What celeb lifestyle is he chasing? Orrrrrrrrrrrr, alternatively, and more likely, are you comparing apples with pears by basing this false opinion on him simply because he likes a girl that has become famous by being a reality star? ?

Honest and humble aren't the words I'd use to describe the owners. He wants to take a look at the promises to respect Jack's legacy coupled with the embarrassing fleet of cars they brought to their only trip to Ewood. Wankers.

Isn't he under contract until the end of June though? We are really left with little to no choice but to wait. I don't think Mowbray has any flex in this situation, sadly. It's the reason for my comparison with Conway - he had the respect to make the decision early and move on, Rodwell should do the same if he doesn't want to sign. We want players at this club that want to play football and play football for Rovers - I'm simply not getting that vibe from Rodwell because all we keep hearing is how "patient" the club is being whilst offers from Serie A are whispered about.

I think it's about time Jack Rodwell decides his future in truth. I think the reason why fans take to players like Conway is because they behave in an appropriate way. He hasn't lead us on, he made a decision early on and gave both us and him the opportunity to plan ahead. It kind of feels like Rodwell is now hanging on for a better offer and if he gets one at the 11th hour he will take that and leave us in the shit.

If you think we can get Harrison Reed for £3m then you are a dreamer!!! He's Premier League bound no doubt.

Ye. Maher falling through cos his old coach has signed him at his new club is definitely a pretty big indication that all of our option a targets are failing. I'm gunna get the noose. Time to hang the club.

£70k a week for ROSS MCCORMACK? It just shows what we are up against really. Even paying somebody 40k a week to not play a single game is outrageous. Couple this with the big money players they already have at the club. Their wage bill must be staggering but their turnover to wage ratio has to look a lot better than ours. We are a poor club now, like it or lump it, even in this league. I'm starting to really consider my doubts about Brereton costing us £7m because, in todays market, is that even a significant figure when you have lumps like that sat in the stands earning that? Eye watering

I don't get this either. What are goalkeepers taught in these multi-million pound academies? Every single one of them wants to play football but none of them want to jump through a crowd of players and catch a ball. With their arms extended a goalkeeper should get a glove (palm, punch or catch) to ball every single time. If he has to go through a crowd then so what? You are quick enough off your line if there's a chance to cruyff turn an attacker so get off your line to do your bloody job and catch the ball.

It's not nice to see it done in the way it has, on the back of oil money. The truth is if their sheikh got bored of Man City and bought Leyton Orient in 6 years time we'll be discussing Leyton Orient at the top of the Premier League. Their success isn't built around Pep, David Silva or Aguero it's built around Sheikh Monsour and our love for oil.

There we have it. If we reach 300 pages it's time to protest.

97 pages and the season isn't yet over with the European cup games still to go. We are getting bloody good at this lads. If there's anything Venky's have given us it's ridiculously big threads before anything is actually done. They must have a right giggle at it. I reckon an easy 200 page target before we make a signing.

Coventry won the Southern League so is this to see who gets promoted to the "Championship" of the Super League? I'm confused how it all works, really. I don't know how we never got into the new Super League...aren't we one of the better of the womens football teams?? Also, if we win this game vs Coventry, do we get promoted? Can we get promoted?

Mowbray has also said he is looking for a 'keeper, defender, midfielder, right back and attacker. He's told Sharpe 6-7 signings in the same Q&A he's spoke about Gladwin. So if people can take the information about Gladwin on board - and use that to come up a million reasons to why our summer is going to be quiet - why can't they then comprehend the next snippet of info? If Mowbray had come out and said "expect a quiet summer...oh and Gladwin is staying even though he isn't fit" then fair enough. He hasn't. He's set his stall out with regards to what players he wants.

I agree he hasn't been the best player and I've been very vocal in my criticism of him. I wouldn't have even been bothered if they had released him. I certainly don't think him staying merits the reaction it has got though. You could be forgiven in thinking our transfer window is effectively over reading these past few pages. It's as if we have forgotten the power of context.

Fucking hell. If Gladwin's wage genuinely holds us up from signing players/has the costs associated with it to dip us into breaking FFP then I will eat my hat. Such an overreaction it is unbelievable. Citing man power spent, time and resources, is laughable. What on earth are you lot talking about that it could be symptomatic of other problems at the club? He probably hasn't earned his spot here but the manager sees a player in there that has been hampered by horrific injuries, so feels as if another short-term deal may benefit us and him. Who in gods name do you lot think will be negotiating this SHORT TERM DEAL? The UN? To put it another way we spent weeks upon weeks chasing Harry Chapman. He's had hamstring injury after hamstring injury. We pursued him for months and months and then finally signed him. Where was the furore then? We got an injury plagued lad and have given him a chance and most of the people here now shooting down our entire transfer window hopes based on this contract were happy to see him signed. What about the huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge sums of money we must have spent chasing him, acting as an intermediary between him, his agent and another club.......................... Most of us did expect Gladwin to go but he hasn't. So what? He definitely isn't on big bucks and I don't for one instance believe the time and resources being spent on this is in any way going to affect our transfer potential this summer. In fact, I dare say more cost has been occurred to companies other than BRFC in the time spent discussing this as opposed to working efficiently in the day jobs. Wow.

Technicalities? No. Facts. You've criticised new deals for Conway and Gladwin but the fact remains they haven't got new deals. I don't like Gladwin as a player or, if the rumours of his pissed up rants are true, a person either. His attitude annoyed me in the few performances he had for us. I'm not into buying the whole compassion thing either. Yet the fact remains that he hasn't got a new deal, so I have nothing to criticise TM for really. If he's using our facilities to get fit so what? We have a duty to him really and if him getting fit means he can move on then so be it. I just don't get the overreaction. The only decision actually made is the release of Downing yet no one seems to care about that one - all of this is just conjecture. The day Gladwin gets a deal, the day you can make the claim he's had one and that TM has gone, seemingly, against his word of a overhaul. Until then the bloke is keeping three players on the hook.

Rich Sharpe doing a Q&A at the moment on the retained list. States we are still after a new 'keeper, the Gladwin situation is different to Conway/Rodwell and TM goes to India on Saturday.