Most managers meet with the owners to sign off the budget after the season has finished.

You do know they’re able to take their mobile phones on holiday right?

If we do buy two CB’s then I expect us to play three. This would allow us to play three midfielders in front of them and two strikers or Dack in a free role off the main striker. Lenihan Mulgrew Bauer/? Nyambe / ? Bell Travis ? Rothwell Dack Graham / ?

To me, you were implying that Downing was being pursued purely as a role model. My point was that managers don’t pay footballers to do that. Granted, the ability to be a role model is attractive but it’s always about what they can add on the pitch first, surely?

No manager pays a player ‘simply to act as a role model’. Downing is a player first and foremost. He’ll be signed to play and then to guide young players. Q - How do you know Chapman isn’t the one championing this signing because Downing has been an amazing role model to him?

This would be dreamy!

I reckon it’s Bauer and Ajayi he wants.

I don’t think many have gone up on ‘tight’ budgets Kamy. Most in the last decade have had top 10 budgets allied with parachute payments following relegation. But I do accept that promotion is as much about clear playing philosophy’. This is one area that is very much up in the air. Mowbray publicly stating that he wanted to change ours last year leaves a question mark on how this will develop this season. Rightly or wrongly, Mowbray likes a healthy budget. I suppose it increases the chance of promotion whichever way you cut it. But I think this stance by the club has increased the chances of Mowbray going in the next 12 months (his choice or the clubs) exponentially.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17705450.ambition-against-finance-the-balancing-act-for-rovers/ This is the biggest hint yet as to how the meetings in Pune went. It seems that TM went over believing he might get backed to buy some better, established players ready for a promotion push and was informed that he would need to continue buying young and developing them to increase their potential re-sale value. Utilising a mid table budget he is now hoping to emulate the likes of Sheff United and Norwich. But he knows they are the exception to the rule. I certainly read this article as a dampening down of expectation. It explains why he came back from there and didn’t do any media stuff until after his holiday. Based on his previous comments and ambition to manage in the Premier League, he won’t be happy with this stance. For those who want TM out, it wouldn’t surprise me if he jumps at the first chance of a club showing more immediate ambition. So you may just get your wish...

19.....he was 19!!! ????

Exactly.

I remember a lot being outraged at the time. Once they knew it was happening it turned to apathy. Im not saying B.B. has been a great signing. I think he’s been poor in most of the games I’ve watched and didn’t begin to look like a player until the end of the season when we played a more possession based game.

I can’t comment on if it’s justifiable or not because I haven’t read umpteen scout reports on him, watched him play youth games, spoken to several top coaches about his potential, or had to make the decision to sign a player for now or as a prospect. If I had all of that information I could do that. What I do know is that when we initially tried to get him the Forest fans were outraged and insistent on social media and their forums that they didn’t want to lose him. I also recall Mowbray stating fairly early on that B.B. was one for the future. Premier league teams spend that type of money on prospects all the time. They don’t do that because they have more money to lose. No one sets out to buy a bad player or lose money. They do it because they see the potential for that player to become amazing. To be worth 10 times the fee... And I haven’t predicted a single thing. The point about his value, goals and future achievements was made as a rationale as to why these players are signed. It would be baseless if I or you made any assumption on his potential. The people who have made that judgement and risk assessment on the potential rewards are in informed positions. It is absolutely ok to question the clubs decision if you feel we would have been better served by an Assombalonga right now. But they chose another route to take... My primary point here is that to judge a 19yr Old on his ability to be a top level player based purely on a cost you have not even had to pay is basically, brainless.

Kenny, come on! Our transfer record was set in 2001 when we signed Andy Cole mate. That’s 18yrs ago! The fact that his (B.B.) total fee is going to cost or equal what we paid for someone 18yrs ago in a market where Championship players are regularly bought and sold for 8 figure sums is barely worth a mention. He does need to come good. But realistically at 19yrs old he wasn’t bought to make an impact right now. He was bought because they REALLY rated him and the opportunity arose because Karanka didn’t like playing young lads. Whether you agree with the decision the club agreed to make on him or not, judging a 19yr old (or writing him off) is wrong. Regardless of what we’ve paid for him. This is like any other risk / reward investment. With B.B. they believe the potential is HUGE and are willing to invest X to get it. But they knew that the timeframe to receiving that reward (Goals / promotion / £30m) needed to be longer term. Of course it’s a risk but they decided that wanted this over paying for example £10m plus £70k per week wages on Assimbalonga. Either way, there’d be no expectation that B.B. would replace DG ‘sooner rather than later’

This isn’t difficult. BB was 19 when he signed for Rovers. He is an England u17 and 19 international and has won some youth honours. He is very highly rated as a future top level prospect. He has no real first team pedigree and so was obviously bought for the future. He’s two years younger than Joe Nuttall and Armstrong. People are SO fixated on the money but when you buy a 19yr old what do you expect? He will be expected to kick on this season and be the main man the season after. If there’s no progression then absolutely begin to worry. But I feel the people who are determined to judge him now will end up feeling pretty stupid at some point. If this guy becomes the player they expect in the next two years he will be the one who fires us to promotion, worth anything in the region of £25m+

Just trying to keep things balanced in here pal. No point just picking all the negatives out of everything. Ying and yang! (? vs ?)

There’s a fine balance, but I’m positive we will recruit well. “We will sign some young ones that will bubble under and burst through and become first-team players. “We have to sign some experienced players to get the job done” - Mowbray. TM has just told Myers that Dack isn’t going either.... WOW! This sounds amazing! He’s come back from Pune absolutely buzzing and ready to deliver on his plan. Fans have to be made up with this...right?

Has Bony been linked? I’m not sure on him...

“To say they are the hardest working side since the Prem winners is pure spin“ Direct quote....?

No change in my view...and in relation to the point highlighted - WOW! ?

Nope, as per my actual comments (be better if you read them before replying). The players we have aren’t great. And Mowbray is no God. But his team DO work hard. I’m glad you are judging the manager on his recruitment and approach. This makes much more sense than calling for his head before a ball has been kicked.

??? How can it be spin? I don’t work for the club or have any vested interest in Mowbray. I’ve openly said the team aren’t brilliant players. I’ve also said that if he fails to sign the right players and cannot get near the top 6 then he’s completely at fault. BUT, I watched the Hughes, Souness and Allardyce teams and I genuinely haven’t seen a harder working team than this one in 24 years. I don’t care whether anyone agrees with me... My feeling is, we’ve got a good honest manager and a hard working set of players. So, regardless of who we sign I’ll pay my money and support my team. If you aren’t willing to do that then that’s upto you.

The fact you’re so personally affronted by my opinion says more about you than it does me. I haven’t called any one person out. If you can justify not going to the match then that’s fine by me. ?? Moreover, I don’t need to justify myself to any of you. I don’t constantly ask for justification on all the ridiculously emotional rants on here. This is about opinions.

Thanks ??

The irony in the tone of this post is sensational - Literally the epitome of trolling?