Lewis Holtby, damn that would have been nice. Even with our 15 midfielders. He is more of an attacking midfielder? Are we actually actively trying to sell, release, loan out any of the deadwood? Smallwood is close to dropping to record breaking pecking order depth.

Gallagher, Johnson and Downing are enough to claim a slight improvement on last seasons squad, however without a Raya replacement and a central defender we will be nowhere near the top six, and this summer will be a C- grade at best. A few years ago Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes scored 42 league goals between them, and we still missed out on the top six, despite one scenario with us needing to win 7-0 (with other results) on the last day - because of our defending. Scoring goals keeps you mid table, not conceding goals gets you promoted. To quote the USA saying:

Gallagher is not a bad signing, but we would really need to look at moving out Samuel and Nuttall (even on loan), as I can't see them getting anywhere near the team. Graham, Gallagher, Brereton and Armstrong should be enough options in the 18 and with the other two out on loan with a January recall in case we have injuries. Rothwell, Chapman, Armstrong, Bennett, Dack, Butterworth and Gallagher as wide /CAM options is plenty too. Likewise Travis, Johnson, Davenport, Downing, Evans, Buckley (Adam, Butterfield), Smallwood and Bennett are crazy numbers for CM. That's 20 players, TWENTY, for 6 positions. Yet we have 1 (poor) GK and 5 (actual) defenders. Insanity.

It's quite regrettable thinking that during those early to mid 90's, Blackburn Rovers could have (financially and even reputationally) signed almost any player in world football... the fact it "fell apart" so quickly after 1995 was a catastrophe and over loyalty to the 1994/1995 team... sounds familiar ?. Zidane (£3.5m) obviously being the famous example, but the fact we signed the likes of (no disrespect) Holmes, Coleman, Gudmundsson, McKinlay and Croft, when we could have been bidding for Dennis Bergkamp (£11m), Lilian Thuram (Free), Rivaldo (£10m) and Clarence Seedorf (£3m) who all moved within 1 year of winning the Prem. Anyway, back to 2019 and Jacob Buttefield and Tom White... Signing tomorrow, I can feel it!

Too soon! ?

I see what you're saying but Preston are not desperate for a CB and GK. What might be a fantastic move for one team might not be for another. If we signed Gally as the final day "BB" money player after the GK and CB, I'm sure people will be a lot happier than currently... and ironically more annoyed if we wait that long and then miss out to a PNE... So perhaps TM can't win on this one UNLESS Gallagher is finally accompanied by the GK and CB. But that's not the fault of Sam Gallagher.

You know, I think you've uncovered the secret behind Tony Mowbrays transfer policy. Chat promises for 3 months, blame the market, chat more excuses, sell your only quality player at that postion... wait a full week until button AZ-5 has been pressed... then bring in the players who the fans were dreading all along, yet nicely polished now as some heroic big signing... it's the classic "keep drinking until the 2 becomes a 10" mentality. Reminds me of John Williams, circa 2008... "I think Big Sam is our man to replace Mark Hughes, but the fans don't want him... I know, I'll hire Paul Ince for 12 games, sack him (he's crap bar a solid eyebrow dance), and then Allardyce will seem like the hero!" Joe Hart (If that is what happens), imagine telling us that 4 years ago. When he was # for Man City and England.

Ashley Williams, correct age and free agent so fits for this window - but actually a CB... I'll give Nixon 48 hours.

I think we're at the pessimistic stage of thinking: Will missing out on Sam Gallagher for £5m plus wages be a disaster? No. Would not bringing in a quality GK and CB be a disaster? Yes Do you trust TM to spend £5m on Sam Gallagher and still bring in a quality GK and CB? Also no. Rationally, buying Gallagher shouldn't and probably isn't being done at the expense of the GK and CB, and I'm sure (?) it's simply another piece of the managers puzzle. However, it's natural to be worried that he is spunking all our funds on Sam Gallagher because he actually has no clue how to actually spend his budget properly... (BB, August 2018).

I think (know) what's getting the majority of fans on edge currently is because TM felt the need to bloat the squad full of players of the same position and decent wages before he signed the keeper and defender (we desperately need). Come deadline day we might have our upgraded David Raya and Lenihan partner as well as Bradley Johnson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Sam Gallagher and others... However the way he has structured and prioritised his (perceived) signings so far (whilst decent players move for very competitive fees to rivals) are leaving fans questioning if he actually has a clue. I would scream patience is needed... however missing pre-season is very important and will be TM's first excuse for why our shiny new toys are still on the bench in October behind Bennett, Williams etc.

You're correct. If not slightly pedantic. I was aware he started the game, as did Rothwell, Palmer and Brereton... ergo a rotated 11 (for that time of the season) The red card meant that Travis went from starting his first game of the season(?) in a token fixture where the manager (presumably) hadn't given us a chance, to being given a run of 4 straight starts... in 4 straight wins. The rest (thankfully) is history and Smallwood has fallen down the pecking order where he should have been in August. However due to the ridiculous new contract, he is still clinging on at probably 8th choice CM in Mid July.

I said as soon as the final whistle went at Bramall Lane that the moment he got the red card would prove to be the best moment of the season, for it allowed us to be rid of that plodder for 3 games and allow Travis his opportunity. Hopefully Bennett does something similar early on next season. I dread to think what would have happened if Smallwood had stayed on his feet and started the full 46. ?

The whole "guaranteed start" at PNE being why he chose them has probably originated out of Brockhall and is another one of the fabled tales we get spun weekly by our manager and the LT. I'd love to think that this would be a good year for the likes of Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Mols, Lyons and Butterworth... but the signings and trialings of Downing, Johnson, Adam and Butterfield probably tell us all we need to about 'Tombola T's' aims for out youngsters this season. Tomorrow marks 6 days since Raya was having his medical, and besides a flat denial of Darlow... Nada. Tick tock.

We are in a "1 team bidding war" for Sam Gallagher... if we back out, in sure the fee will reduce 25% in a few weeks. Spend the next 2 weeks focused on a quality GK and a quality CB. But that would be the logical approach. We are 3 weeks away from lining up Luitwiler - Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams. If the window closes with no improvements =?

Looks like we beat out stiff competition from Hartlepool for the signing... quite the promoter is our Tony. ?

List of CB's to have moved to other Championship Clubs on either frees or low fee (excluding Tomas Kalas) as we slept through the first month. Tommy Elphick: Huddersfield (Free) Pontus Janssen: Brentford (£5.5m) Yoann Barbet: QPR (Free) Patrick Bauer: PNE (Free) Liam Lindsay: Stoke (£2m) Ethan Pinnock: Brentford (£3m) Not saying we could compete or have signed them all... but all 6 moved for a combined fee of £10.5m (Our supposed budget!) Not sure where our fingers have been the past 3 months, but they need pulled out weeks ago.

Okay, "considerably weaker" was a poor phrase. But reduced in numbers, depth, height and experience. Unquestioned. The season ended over 2 months ago, we have been mathematically safe for 3. We have signed two free agent mids (I'm actually pleased with Johnson) to replace Conway, Rodwell and Smallwood/Evans - who we haven't even managed to "sell" yet ? Let's see what the next few days/weeks bring. My gut is a new manager by Xmas.

The worrying question is "How hard can it actually be to improve our back 4 and GK?" 25 days until Charlton and all our "manager" has done is made the unit considerably weaker be selling Raya and releasing Downing and Rodwell. When is this "competitive budget" (+ the Raya £3m) going to play a role in our summer? Boring and worrying summer so far. SSN just rehashed the Karl Darlow story as a non starter.

Or maybe he keeps saying that they'll be in a fierce battle with Richie Smallwood, Elliott Bennett, Derrick Williams, Dominic Samuel or Jayson Luitwiler for game time! ? I'm genuinely beginning to feel that anything above a 22nd placed finish come May, and a new manager, is the best case scenario for the next 10 months. We (most likely) have 12 months (max) left with Dack and Lenihan, (not to mention Danny Graham, Stewart Downing, Bradley Johnson, Charlie Adam), plus we don't have a starting quality GK and STILL have a gaping hole at CB as it is, and it terrifies me shitless thinking what TM would do with that sort of money and that type of rebuild. Maybe that's why we aren't shipping out the deadwood, planning for next summer! ???

Failsworth.

Agree. All the more stupid then the way Mowbray chose to treat him and scapegoat him in the last few months of the season. What did he expect the fallout to be? Raya was almost certainly happy to stay until Mowbray acted the way he did last spring. It's also telling how much credit the GK coach at Brenford has been awarded in the move. Tells you all you need to know about Benson (from Raya's perspective too). BIG few weeks now Tony. Prove to the fan base you're not the dithering fool I fear you've become. Sell Travis and you might as well book a fortnite away with the Mrs for November as the fans will not give you an inch if we flounder around in the first month or two with "Dads Army!" Prove your worth.

If true, we need rid of Tony Mowbray asap. He wont last the season as it is... don't let him rip apart our youth

I would learn to do a cartwheel just so i could show my true joy if that happened. Him and Smallwood need to go.

If this mystery player departure is either Travis or Nyambe then Mowbray should be sacked before it's allowed to happen. Beyond them two, Dack, Lenihan and Rothwell, we don't really have any more "assets" - but mowbray needs to make sure Bennett's position is safe somehow. Another day goes boy... even more disillusioned with our manager. Really wish he had been binned off back in April.

The goalkeeper Mowbray signs could be my final straw with him. If and only IF the replacement is of a decent (better) quality to Raya, and not spunked our entire budget (profit) in the process - will I deem the decision to let Raya leave be not a complete mistake (though time will prove us it will be I'm sure). Gut says I'm not going to be happy. I'll honestly be hoping otherwise.