Not sure when you are having him on, but if There is any truth in Rovers slashing the asking price for Szmodics to £6M this week, after previously apparently quoting much higher (especially when numerous players who were playing in the Championship have been sold in the past week for £15M+ such as Greaves, Delap, Hutchinson, soon to be Philogene etc) Then what has changed at Rovers? Please note I am not saying that Szmodics should be sold at £15M-£20M, I understand that despite his goal scoring exploits last season, the other players I mentioned are younger, with high potential for growth etc, but £6M for a Premiership team to pay is a nonsense (Coventry paid over £5M for Jack Rudoni from relegated Huddersfield), and indicates a club in real financial trouble if anywhere near true.

So top secret that they have been published on the Clubs site most of this week 😉 https://www.rovers.co.uk/matches 2pm and 3:30pm V Tranmere U21s also playing away at Macclesfield, KO 3pm https://macclesfieldfc.com/latest-news/preview-blackburn-rovers-xi/

Hope is a long way away from expectation

Lets all hope that Saadi turns out to be the second coming of N'Zonzi 🙂

Gamble is 21 withinin 3 months so will not qualify for U21s after this coming season (same applies to Pratt), Saadi is already 22, and is more of a holding midfielder than a defender for me

Whilst I definitely agree with the point that I highlighted in bold, He is 19, so his deal basically covers his time with the U21s, probably whilst those in a younger age group who may have a higher ceiling (Atchison, Davies, Litherland and Rhys Doherty) are promoted over him to challenge for the first team (in years to come). I see it as a deal that gives him security and does not leave the U21s short in a year or 2 if some players progress as is anticipated. Or maybe he is seen as someone who may be able to take up a squad place at league 1 level when operation managed decline takes us there, and those with higher aspirations have moved on?

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/goncalo-franco-seals-swansea-city-move Just Rovers now

It does seem strange how the participants of an U21 pre season game is such a closely guarded secret by the club, lol

I'm sure they are..... until Cooper makes it known that he wants more than minimum wage.

Just out of interest, did you find this info online (I couldn't find any details barring the score and goal scorers) or did you go to Hyde? If it is online somewhere, I would appreciate if you could post a link please 🙂

Pretty sure those comments were made about a month ago.... and radio silence ever since Story from 14th June - https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24388667.gestede-makes-coummincation-vow-blackburn-rovers-fans/ Hopefully he makes me eat my words on the podcast and going forwards

Fair enough, thanks for that 🙂 I did wonder if it was an attitude thing or similar, but couldn't find anything that said why he wasn't playing and didn't want to jump to conclusions.

I wonder what went wrong for him at Millwall on loan for him to only feature about 10 times despite not being injured? Quite often not even named on the bench. Always struck me as a hard working, Travis type.

If we are looking at worst feelings when starting a season, then this still comes behind those we started with Kean and Coyle as managers for me. But after those, this is right up there

Fixed it for you 😉

Just in time for his value to soar this season so that Rovers cant afford to offer him a wage reflective of his ability, take out the option on his contract next summer, and lose him at the end of his contract the year after

Gestede makes communication vow to Blackburn Rovers fans Genuinely not heard anything from him since this quote a month ago, Waggot has taught him very well

And after Park, they have 736 other "heads of....." ready to fall on their swords

Not sure a 26 year old who got 5 goals in the SPL could be our saviour, but it shows what a sorry state the club is in that they cant even get these sort of deals done

I assume you mean this rule about signing players who would not qualify for a work permit? Pretty sure Wahlstedt and Telalovic were brought in on this rule. Not sure about Sigurdsson, but Tronstad did qualify for a work permit as he had played enough games at a good enough level (Eredivisie). Which means we have either 3 or 4 of those spots left depending upon if Sigurdsson takes up a spot, IF Rovers are still looking abroad after the change of the guard in the scouting dept

Yep Just Rovers and Swansea (from the Championship) yet to sign a player for their first team squads now

I can only assume that someone is advising them that they are only one fluke season away from being able to sell a Premier League team for profit (given the money that is now involved at the top level) and be hailed as hero's for returning Rovers to the promised land. Its the only thing that makes even the slightest bit of sense as to why they keep hold of the club no matter how far fetched it may seem to any of us with any common sense Or maybe I am just trying to make sense of the senseless

Are we now just waiting to see who 2024s versions of Wes Brown, Gordon Greer, Tommie Hoban, Jack Byrne and Martin Samuelson are? I can hardly contain my excitement

All 3 were on the football scrapheap and signed for Rovers on free transfers No matter how well Graham did for Rovers (especially alongside Dack), he was a free transfer because Sunderland no longer wanted him

Yes, Not saying this is a good idea, just that this is what seems to be happening. I think, in time, this might work, (Garrett to play attacking midfield) but alongside all the other downsizing, is not a good sign