Mashed Potatoes

Firing people who are on fixed term contracts does not cut costs because the club will have to pay up what is due to them until the end of that term.

And yet he delivered Adam Armstrong and Bradley Dack who if sold would both fetch fees well in excess of their purchase price.

There are 3 and a half weeks to the first league game so we are hardly on the eve of the new season. Tim Flowers made his debut for us 2 days after signing. The owners create the circumstances in which the manager - whoever it is - is required to operate. In my opinion they make it more difficult for the manager.

His success is to represent his country at three different levels, to be employed by a club in arguably the best league in the world and already to have made over 150 appearances as a professional. "Talentless" is for those scrambling around in the parks.

It's not just Mowbray, it's every manager ; we have yet to win the opening game of the season under Venky's and have usually made poor starts generally with just the 2 exceptions being Kean in 2012 and Mowbray in 2017(you conveniently stopped after 2 games thereby ignoring the next 4 which were all won). In my view the operating structure at the club with decisions constantly having to be referred back to India makes it very difficult for those at Ewood Park to get things done; I do pin it on the owners.

It may well be the first time ever !

I suspect somebody will come in eventually - although it may well be on loan rather than as a signing. But the way the owners seem to think they may well consider that saving 3 weeks wages or so shows how clever they are.

Walton was described as "talentless" which in my opinion is way over the top for someone in their chosen profession who has achieved some level of success.

He wasn't the greatest, I agree, but I don't hold with criticism that is abusive.

If one of the likes of Fisher/Hilton/Eastham come good then they don't have to worry about offloading Marshall.

If you think you will have to give a large chunk of the season ticket money back how can you spend it ?

You need to look back on the board . At least one poster has described Christian Walton as "talentless" - a completely over the top description of a player on the books of a Premier League club with 156 appearances in professional club football and 12 for England at under 19,20 and 21 levels.

Which might make clear the absurdity of people criticising our keeper from not meeting the standards of the likes of Friedel and Flowers.

As Wigan have gone bust maybe they couldn't afford to sign him ?

In addition to the wages won't there be a signing on fee and agent's fees as well ?

Yes - that's how I feel.

Thanks. A complicated situation and the sort of thing that it is difficult to devise rules to counter.

I did read it - the article states that he contacted a firm of advisors. How were the EFL supposed to know about that ?

What do you think those questions should be ? Personally I can't see how officials at the EFL could have known what Kay was up to, especially as I am still unable to understand why he continued with the purchase given that he seems to have already realised that he would be unable to finance the club.

I doubt he would have won 59 caps for Northern Ireland in an era when they are doing pretty well if he really was "absolute garbage".

Yes - better than Warnock.

A season when we with Marcus Bent got promoted and Warnock's Sheffield United finished 10th.

Cellino is a convicted criminal. He was convicted in 1996 for deceiving the Italian Ministry of Agriculture out of £7.5m and in 2001 for false accounting. Paul Mani was not defending me but rather the right of all posters to express opinions - and quite right too.

Rubbish. Go on to the Champions League thread as evidence.

Yes I am qualified to discuss grounds. Why do you want Venkys thrown out of football ?