I know I've jumped in on it too but poor lad, put yourself in his shoes. Just relegated, dream England move comes up. Fly to Manchester, new terminal, global city. Jump into the car at the airport and steadily and steadily you leave it all behind you. You arrive in Blackburn, it's drizzly. Rudy Gestede of all people welcomes you. Weird. Wasn't he just about known for being a decent header of the ball? Anyway, it's English football how exciting. You get sat down, introduced to the staff. There's a man lurking in the background, no one really wants to talk about him or what he does. You bump into him once and he immediately talks about your cost and value to the club. He says next year we need to cut another 20% because of some house in Manchester. Oh well, must just be a finance guy. I'm sure the fans will be more football focussed. You go onto twitter and the messageboard. The main thing they're taking about? Oh, how ugly I look, how I look half deceased and how I look a little bit stoned... How long did I sign for?

You'd have to be off your rocker In his own video does he acknowledge this is a big step for him... That's the quite part you're not meant to say that

If we'd have signed Batth initially when JDT wanted him, would we have gone up?

Is it Nixon story time yet? Which youth academy player is definitely out the door and which continental million plus pound player are we definitely in advanced super serious talks with

Out of left field this one, but for the joy of transfer window gossip I had a WhatsApp about Alvero from werder bremer being a loan option

Arguably 3

When does pre season begin? Gaffer wanted 6 in before then didn't he?

Batth was involved in 37 games for us this season. Would Wrexham pay more?

Don't worry Val, by the time pre season comes around we will have signed all the first team improving players we intend on signing Rub the lamp for your next 2 wishes

Not to be too much a Debby downer but we're not signing anyone till a fortnight from the start of the season, and even then it'll be a drawn out process till the window end. More than likely too that whatever incoming requires offsetting against a leaver. In years gone by we had assets departing with significant wages but the law of diminishing returns suggests we reach a final hurrah on that front too. For my own sanity, I remain in the 'unknown french signing' camp ahead of the 'veteran/lower league punt' for nothing more than the novelty of it all

Put your Waggot hat on

Have we had the inevitable Charlie Savage link yet? Somewhat like for like with Buckley, sacrifice the 'hes a local boy' narrative for 'his dad was a legend for little Blackburn, like Gestede' Decent season for Reading

Based on the quality of keepers in this league, you'd storm it if you signed 3 6ft5 players for corners given keepers don't command their box, and encouraged 3+ shots from outside the box per game!

Commentators always say how hard Hedges work. If he could control a ball in the first instance, he wouldn't have to work as hard.

Finishing the season with 4 (or 5) wins on the bounce is the frustrating suckerpunch in my view. If we had nicked a draw in the barren spell we'd all be a bit more reassured. Similarly, the players driving the performance (Cantwell, Dolan, Brittain) I half expect to be clawing at the door to leave setting us back to square one next year - despite anything Gestede says. All of that said, even as negative I am, I can't help but enjoy the games as of late. Not sure what happened at Sheff Weds nor how it happened but I'm very glad it did!

Hesitant to buy too much into the narrative that he wants huge money. However looking at the squad over the course of the year, comparing him to Cantwell - what would a good agent say? He's clearly a young ambitious lad who's pulled himself up the football pyramid. What he perhaps lacks in football intelligence at times he makes up for in work rate. What's the bet we've done little to identify an adequate replacement? We probably have a few punts lined up. As a note too, he's always (seemingly) done all the fan events thrown at him. Also saw a clip of him at 5 a side in Manchester. Wild speculation but he seems to want and appreciate being a footballer.

Toth is another who doesn't command his box. Routinely pinned to the goal line. He seems a decent reaction saved and so can maybe see the logic, especially when you have Batth to sweep up the first ball, but he's getting on a bit. Cautious about banking on him next year.

Bit nasty that from Anderson

Ah in which case, yes

Commanding the box more than he tells the keepers to do

Not sure that's a card for Forshaw if nothing for Rigg

Thought for sure we fluffed that, how many touches!

Keeper has a bit of the foosball about him. Horizontal across the line only

Sunderland commentary team have referred to our recent form as a bit of a dip. Unsurprising now that they deem themselves a big club if this is their frame of reference

Fuck it, keep the competition going