Angry_Pirate

The annoying thing is that not all loans need to be players to grow - or to put it in real terms, not ready! Fed up loaning the likes of Cozier-Duberry, Billy Koumetio, Clinton Mola and George Hirst who (may become good, but) were woefully under prepared for Championship football, when other teams seem to loan more "proven" and championship battle tested youngsters. Derby signing Owen Beck this year is a much better loan than us signing him 12 months ago. Louie Barry another example to Sheffield United. When was the last time Rovers loaned a player (who was successful) that was already proven at Championship level. I use this example often but why is it Rovers loan Jack Byrne, whereas Huddersfield loan Aaron Mooy? Both CM from Man City reserves, yet we get the absolute dud vs the star. Rovers don't get relegated if you swap that one loan.

Sadly also seems that the proud streak of Academy players in the XI will end fairly soon. Might even get our first ever non-english XI. Travis, Wharton, Carter, Montgomery and Tyjon (not counting Buckley) are the only ones with that classification, and between potential sales and injuries, it's very possible we see a team of; Toth, Ribiero, McLaughlin, Hyam, Miller, Sondre, Tavares, Kargbo, Hendrickson, Hedges, Ohashi. Zero English, Zero Academy. Minor problem in 2025? maybe. But sad.

Anders Andersson: bought for £1m back in 1997. I think he played a half-dozen games and scored once vs Preston in the cup. 🇸🇪 Speaking of Scandinavian players. Per Pedersen 🇩🇰 for £2.5m was one of those signings that really were part of the catalyst to the fall from grace. Donis, Davidson, Dahlin, Valery and (Tore & Per) Pedersen were all pretty woeful arrivals in the 12 months following Alan Shearer's departure... only Stéphane Henchoz was a successful signing in 2 years. No wonder we quickly fell off a cliff.

Not at all what I imagined him to look like. It looks like he's spent too long north of the border on the Iron Bru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (I say that as ⅔ Scottish myself).

Callum Brittain is easily a top 6 right back in this league, lets hope Miller is at least a top 12. Wonder what we'll do with the net £2.5m profit...

It's pretty inexcusable that any Football League club would sign an ESC player on a 3yr deal, and be over a year without even a legitimate sniff of the first team (Pre-season, EFL/FA cup squads etc), and now be in a position where that players slot is a hindering factor. Feel sorry for the lad as it isn't his fault. But he needs moved.

Losing Brittain is less than ideal, but I do like the idea of adding an Australian (and Americans) to the squad, brings back comforting memories of better days with the likes of Neill, Emerton, Filan, and Friedel. Partly whely I've always been on the Gabriel Slonina bandwagon from Chelsea as a GK option. Seems like a nice option to replace Pears, but let's see. What this team would do with a Jermaine Jones type CM, absolute tease of a loan back in the day.

I did this on FM23, worked fine. Didn't work out as well when he triggered a 2yr extension on promotion (😂) and a hefty pay rise... 1st world problems and all that.

Any predictions or ITK on where Buckley and Pears are off to, and what kind of price? Personally, anything above L1 and £750,000 each would be a success for all involved. Add ons wouldn't be a terrible idea due to nationality, "potential" and age. If JRC could go for £1m it might not be as crazy to hope for similar. Pears is useless, but look at the career Steele has had since we cheered his departure. 30+ EPL appearances for a 26yr old GK at £500k. All this assuming money even matters at this football club. With our 15% reinvestment since V*nkys took over. With Dolan, Brittain, Buckley, JRC and Pears all departing, our squad all of a sudden is going to be fairly thin on 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 players. Travis, Cantwell, Pickering, Wharton, Carter, Alebiosu, Forshaw and Tyjon are the only ones in the whole squad. 8/25.

Pape Gueye off to Kasimpasa in Tukiye for £864,000

Speaking of "YouTube" players. I wonder how (2009) Carlos Villanueva would fare in the 2025-2026 Championship? I bet 2009 Aaron Mokoena would be the best player in the division. Wonder how many other of our "bang average" players of Pre-Venky (Premier League) years would be absolute studs for us now... Jason Roberts, Zurab Khizanishvilli, Alan Fettis (🤣), Shefki Kuqi, Vince Grella (💀), Keith Andrews (👈).

Wouldn't mind having Arnor Sigurdsson still on this team!

£270,000 for Dolan. We could get Waggott back on a six-month deal.

Maybe this is the year we get a few exciting and stud loans in - after the dreadful bunch last year (excl. Beck). Some players who could move for the right opportunity to maybe look out for (at positions of need) are Tyrique George (Winger, Chelsea), Ben Doak (Winger, Liverpool) Ayden Heaven (CB, Man Utd), Vitor Reis (CB, Man City), Joe Gelhardt (CF, Leeds) and Chido Odi (CF, Man Utd). Plus whatever else Brighton and Liverpool have on the reduced isle. Some of course will push on at their clubs, get loan to other Prem teams, others will certainly come down. Besides Harvey Elliott, I'm struggling to name a loan we were genuinely excited for in 13 years... Van Hecke, Tosin, Reed, Cairney, Armstrong (etc.) did excellent once here, but none were met with delight on arrival. Rovers seem to loan at a 20% success rate (at best) nowadays. In this league, 3 Quality loans are very likely literally the difference between 18th and 5th.

If we are discussing which one of Trav and Sondre to keep (because apparently resigning both is impossible at this football club), my vote would be Travis. Travis is 27¾, which is 2+ years younger than Sondre (who turns 30 in August). Travis is our captain, academy graduate, and possibly the heartbeat of this football club. He's also English which given the way our recruitment is going might actually be more important for these Work Permits. I'm a big fan of Sondre (who can be overrated by some), but Travis on a 3+ year extension (between the two) would be my core. They'll both leave. Also, SSN is now reporting the Brittain to Derby, Wrexham, and Boro story. Rovers apparently want Drameh from Hull to replace him 😶... It sounds like it's going to happen. Shambles FC.

We're talking comfortably over £350,000 (low end) wages on those named positions, plus "several" unnamed others (assuming full time wages). Current WSL2 players apparently average about £20k annually (according to quick research), and squad sizes of around 25 are common (£500k total). So you imagine wages will also have to go up a decent whack as a part of the re-branding (£30k - £35k per player) This is not a defense (obviously) of the owners, but we all agree that Venkyscum don't know how to run one professional football team... so expecting them to "voluntarily" fund another in the women's team on an almost certainly annual £1m - £2m deficit is hardly surprising. This of course is not the plan, but hypothetically - What if "Blackburn Rovers" cancelled the women's team, but then had an extra £30k per week on the men's wage budget, or an extra £1.5m transfer budget each year... how many would rather that outcome? *edit* Counter point: What if the club announced they were fully invested in Women's football and would happily fund the £2m a year womens programme, but from the same pot of money as the mens team - and therefore had to shave £1.5m off that budget. There would be outcry! Either way, news which is more nails in the coffin, I hope...

On the one hand you can be disappointed by how lacklustre we've looked in the final third. On the other hand, I'd still take 0-0 after 70 minutes before going gung-ho for the final 20+. Would be "tactical" to go show a bit more aggression on one of the "Star" United players. Let them know that if we aren't making the playoffs, then neither are you - via injury. 45 minutes in and the scenario remains the same.... win, and in.

Today, I am angry. Angry that I'm finally broken... Tomorrow I will not care. My first Rovers game was watching Alan Shearer score a hattrick at a modern and beautiful Ewood Park in 1995, in front of a packed and rocking BBE. I've seen Blackburn Rovers win the Premier League, win the Worthington Cup, play in a half dozen semifinals, compete in Europe, beat the best teams in England - consistently. I've watch amazing players - Shearer, Friedel, Tugay, Duff, Pedersen, McCarthy, Salgado, Roque, Samba, Hendry, Dunn - and hundreds others - wear our Blue and White shirt with pride. I loved this football club, I worked for 5 years at this football club. I've given my heart to Blackburn Rovers for 30 years... today - after almost 15 years on life support - that heart has finally stopped beating. Venkys, Kean, Anderson, Shebby, Waggott, Suhail, dozens others - all parasites that have taken root, and they have won. I will go to the final 4 games this season - with apathy, and a sense of diminished nostalgia - but that will be where my journey ends with Blackburn Rovers Football Club until the poison is removed once and for all from this shell of a proud football club. 🔵⚪️

If you conducted a poll for all 24 teams with the question: "Who were the worst, most pathetic team, to play at your stadium this season?" - I genuinely wonder if Rovers would get into double figures in the voting? Certainly get votes from Coventry, Oxford, Derby, Stoke, Bristol City, Millwall, QPR, Swansea, Preston, and Watford this season, with guaranteed Portsmouth and Luton no shows still to come. Maybe half the league? Pathetic.

Relying on overlapping CBs to assist you getting any type of attack going says pretty much everything you need to know.

Maybe the worst half of "football" I've ever seen. Ref giving everything, Stoke playing for everything, and Rovers not even knowing how to play football.

We can't drop Pears when he is on the cusp of a £50m move to "New Trafford".

What a truly transcendent and inspirational starting XI. Can't wait for the 90 minutes to begin.

Pathetic, most predictable result of the season (since the obvious change in situation) That's 11 straight defeats to promoted L1 teams away from home.