Different rules in League 1, which Birmingham are operating under this season (based on income rather than profit/loss) & taking full advantage. Gambling on promotion to the Prem next season before Championship profit & sustainability rules catch up with them, & if they fail, then they have some expensive young talent on long contracts to sell to balance the books

It is crazy money, but players who are good Championship performers (Travis, Tronstad, Brittan) or have high potential/sell on possibilities (such as Poku, and you could even argue Dolan to the extent that they are similar ages and Dolan has been around for longer at a higher level) can command over £20K/week from Championship clubs (at least the ones with the funds and ambition to do so)

I think we are safe in this case, the model of half a squad full of cheap academy lads doesn't leave space for aging players on high wages. The only older players we will get are those still scratching around for a club in August (and therefore with no pre season behind them), and willing to accept wages of under £10K/week

The video I linked should start at that particular question & answer Obviously its worth watching the whole thing to get your expectations fixed nice and low for next season

How many from the academy will be in the 25 man squad next season? 7 or 8 apparently, which includes 2 that have played in the past couple of weeks (Tyjon & Montgomery) So that would imply that the 7 or 8 includes only those who are currently part of the academy (ie not including Travis, Carter, Buckley, JRC, Wharton) Also 1 in each position, so by a process of deduction, the following players will be in the first team squad next season unless we are also counting Leonard, Garrett etc as "academy players"?) GK - Michalski CB - Atcheson or Litherland LB - Batty or Powell RB - Duru CM - Montgomery or Dunn W - Gilsenan maybe? S - Tyjon

U18s got demolished 7-2 by Sunderland this afternoon

The likelihood is that Markanday will be talked up as his replacement, being like a new signing etc. At least until Chesterfield make an "unbelievable" offer for him that they couldn't turn down in the final hours of the summer window, leaving no time to source a replacement

Ajayi, Swift & Diangana will be leaving West Brom on frees in the summer Before anyone gets excited, this is because West Brom cannot afford to pay them what they want, so Rovers certainly will not be signing any of them

If this is correct (I have no idea if it is), then the same agency also represents Weimann and Forshaw, so if the agents visit had anything to do with a contract, it could have just as easily been one of the others Also according to the same source, Brereton-Diaz also has the same agent, so Dolan quite possibly may be operating from the same playbook. Brereton never said he was definitely not signing, until he left, same as Dolan looks to be doing

It doesn't. The terms of the option are set in stone when the original contract is signed. I believe what you may be referencing was someone stating that a player in the past got a pay rise when his option was triggered. If this was true, it would have been a a case of either the player having an annual pay rise of x% stated in his contract, or having a pay rise of £X when he hit Y appearances. Again, all of which would have been set in stone with the signing of the contract, no negotiation necessary

Hyam's was an extension option (in his original contract) that was triggered, not a successful contract renegotiation This is exactly the same thing that happened last summer with Gallagher & Dolan, or a few years ago with Brereton, Rothwell, Nyambe & Armstrong. None of which ultimately signed a new contract, and were either sold on, or left on free transfers

Probably wanted to wipe his arse with Dolans contract offer in full view of Waggott 😉

It started working shortly before kick off

Starts today for Markanday - won 2-1 - replaced at half time whilst losing 1-0 O'Riordan - lost 1-0 Olson - won 3-0 - replaced in the 81st minute with the score at 3-0 Eastham - won 2-0 - result confirms that they will be in the play offs Wood - won 2-0 - replaced in the 88th minute with the score at 2-0 Honor - drew 2-2 On the bench Garrett - drew 0-0 Goddard - lost 4-0 Not involved in matchday squad Batty - drew 1-1 - currently injured Duru - drew 0-0 - currently injured Powell - won 3-0 Barrett - lost 1-0 No game today Vale - next play 26th April - currently injured Saadi - next play 28th April Mafoumbi - season looks to have finished

Is the no "match centre" for the game today on Rovers site for everyone else, or is it just me? https://www.rovers.co.uk/matches/

fixed it for you 😉 https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25102159.blackburn-given-sunderland-boost-honest-rotation-claim/

agree with that, although I would also add Tyjon & Litherland/Atcheson to the bench in place of Woodrow & Sanderson at this stage, there is no need to have any loanees in the squad, and perhaps not any players who have made it known to the management (or vice versa) that they will not be here next season (if this is the case with Dolan/Forshaw etc)

World Cup 2034... the search for more money!

Thanks for that, saved my sanity somewhat. I thought my confusion was the inevitable consequence of a season of staring at far too many team lineups and scores all at once every week 🙂

I believe from this article (quote below), that this season, it was ultimately Stuart Jones, who is leaving in the summer " “From a development perspective, we’ve identified that loan moves are really important for young players, so we’ll be looking to develop a loan strategy and really drive that process to ensure that our young players get out to develop in senior football. “I’ll then be managing those players whilst they’re out on loan, in terms of keeping in contact with them, going to watch them in games, reporting back and having a close relationship with the clubs, as well as managing the high-potential players within the top end of the Youth Development Phase (YDP) and across the 17-21 age group."

Starts today for Eastham - lost 2-1 Wood - lost 2-0 - replaced at half time with the score at 1-0 Honor - lost 1-0 Not involved in matchday squad Barrett - won 2-0 - no keeper named on their bench, not sure if injured/recalled/tactical decision/etc

Or it could just be that Brittain had earned/needed a rest after that performance on his first game back, and Pickering needed some minutes, somewhere/anywhere on the pitch with the game already won

The flaw in your thinking is that whilst it will indeed cost a lot more money to replace them adequately (rather than renew their contracts). The big brain move that the morons are making is to save money by replacing them with inadequate lesser players, who they will then cross their fingers and hope will do enough to keep Rovers in the Championship on a shoestring budget What can possibly go wrong?

Those in power at Rovers stating things that are far from the truth? Who would have dreamed that such things could happen?