Bites... go on...

It is the question that should be painted in 10ft high letters around the walls of Ewood Park. We just need to get some of those shady arseholes who ride around pulling wheelies and being antisocial wankers to take a few quid, a few beers and a few lines of Bolivian Marching Powder to do the leg work.. I'm sure a few cans of luminous graffiti paint can be left judiciously around the stadium to facilitate the operation... Sorta like...

And I'm happy to weild the axe - Torgs, don't you get it, there is not an ice-cube in hell's chance that ANY money generated from player sales (Trav or anyone else) will be 're-invested' in replacement playing staff. It simply doesn't happen at this club anymore. The money from player sales goes into a black hole, never to be seen again. End of. Meanwhile, on the pitch, we get closer and closer to a return to training on Pleasington with the rest of the Sunday league crowd and dog shit, with players of the capability and outlook that fit that model. Cop on, mate 😉 VENIAL VACANT VEXATIOUS VACUOUS VENKYS OUT!

So, the plan is to continue to try to raise working capital to fund the day to day running of the club, by selling off practically anyone who can attract a transfer fee. Hmm.. can anyone else see the folly of such a plan, whereby the bottom of the barrel is all we are taking forward into the new campaign. All the media talk appears to be focused on the likelihood of Rovers losing practically every player who contributed anything meaningful during the last campaign, without any mention of how the club (or manager) intends to replace their contribution. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a technical term for this, in business parlance. It is called a 'Fire Sale', and not meaning to be facetious or adversarial in any way, the Oxford Dictionary definition of this is: a sale of goods remaining after the destruction of commercial premises by fire. a sale of goods or assets at a very low price, typically when the seller is facing bankruptcy. So, I'm just asking, why is Blackburn Rovers holding a fire sale, and what is the plan to rebuild from the resulting ashes? Travis, Brittain, Dolan, Hyam, Tronstadt... Oh deary me. What a mess..

Finishing 7th and avoiding the playoffs by 10 minutes is destined to become a highlight in the history of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, once that history is brought into context and perspective by the utter shite we are to be abused with in the coming months. Let's face it, the minor miracle that was conjured up at the end of last season was very pleasant at the time, and served to paper over the very obvious cracks that had opened during the turbulent and bemusing campaign we had endured up to that point. But the reality is that the cracks remain, indeed they are showing signs of becoming dangerous rifts in the fabric of the club. There is nothing to suggest we will go into the new campaign even at parity, squad strength wise, to how we finished the last, with clear indications that some of our more saleable assets and those able to leave for free will be allowed to move on. I challenge anyone to set out any clear logic that says losing Brittain, Dolan, Tronstadt, Travis and Hyam makes us any stronger, but those are the names that appear to be on the 'available for transfer' notes doing the rounds. The best we can hope for is that actually, Valerian Ismael is actually a minor miracle worker who is able to get the best from whatever ragbag of journeymen players he is presented with (in mid August), and that we beat some teams in the league simply by having a better looking kit that at least conjures some deep memory of substance and success. The writing is on the wall. The walls are closing in. The walls, ladies and gentlemen, are about to tumble... Feck the Venkys and their cronies. Long live the memories and achievements of the 150 year tradition of Blackburn Rovers. And remember, it is always darkest before the dawn. VENKYS OUT!

Eureka! I've found the answer - SALT! Oh yeah.. what was the Question? (How do we get Venkys OUT?)

End point is a full stop. No more Rovers. Why the morons in Pune continue to scratch the irritating arse itch that we appear to have become is anyone's guess. Sadly, guesswork, speculation, hope, blind optimism and faith in fellow human beings' good intentions have so far proven capable of nothing but disaster for our club. I have already predicted the script for this close season (no meaningful comms, players leaving, no players incoming up to a few days before the end of the transfer window) and I stand by my prediction, hoping beyond rationality that I am proven wrong. VENKYS OUT! TAKE YOUR TRASH BACK TO YOUR CHICKEN SHIT HOLE TOO... As Clint says, "Who's the feller who owns this shit hole.."

Wandered on to the Blackburn End when the gates were opened after half time (20 mins from the end I seem to remember) just in time to see Rovers equalise against Aston Villa in their 3rd Division clash in Feb 1972, I was 9 at the time. The roar of the Blackburn End when Terry Garbutt scored scared the bejaysus out of me, and I remember feeling disorientated in the crowd streaming back up Livesey Branch Road. Not sure when I went to my first paid game, but the family got season tickets the year after, I think, as we were there for the Centenary season and it felt like we were part of the club by that time.. Glorious days, just round the corner of the mind..

Unfortunately, if we see Sammie at all again next season, it will be him getting in behind our defence and scoring against us, rather than leading the line for his beloved Blue and White army. Small matter of the decent fee Ipswich stumped up for the lad, for which they will want to recoup a fair chunk from whoever takes him on. Then there's the possibility that a club in the Championship with far deeper pockets than us (i.e. practically any team you'd care to mention) looking to add his proven goalscoring boots to their ranks. Not withstanding Ipswich actually start to deploy the Smodster in their own battle to boing boing back to the Prem - after all, he has already shown he can more than cut it at this level. Let's face it - Sammie Smodicz - thanks for the memories, and we salute you for your contribution. But it's ancient history now, and a return of the Smodz is not on the cards at BRFC.

And we know how that is likely to turn out... You'll need to turn up the heat with your media savvy and way with words, Ian, if we are to break the repeating pattern that has held our club under water in the Venk-toilet for so many years.. Not that it is exclusively your job, or your purview to take on that role. You do have some social capital built up though, so perhaps there is an opportunity to show thought leadership as we enter what is likely to be a fallow period of news about the Rovers.

Now we get to see what plan A looks like (plan B was some horse-shite back of fag-packet nonsense in the unlikely event we made the playoffs despite the staged nose-dive). I'd wager it involves further rationalisation of the playing staff (cheaper, lower quality, less experienced) and further cost cutting (as if this was possible) to render the match day experience at non-league standard or below. There will be a barrage of communications from the club towards the end of the summer, to the effect that 'our glorious but ultimately disappointing charge to premier league glory cost more than we anticipated, so cuts are needed' but almost complete radio-silence from all concerned until that point. Players who are out of contract will be quietly let go, and no replacements recruited until very late in the day. Any player whose stock has risen during this season, or who might realise some kind of cash flow windfall, will be allowed to find another club (as long as a fee is generated in our favour). We will start pre-season with a worse than threadbare playing staff, with some key players no longer part of the set up - so a complete overhaul of approach and (crucially) expectations will be the main aim for the manager. To misquote / paraphrase Scott of the Antartic, " "Had we lived (i.e. got to the playoffs), we should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of our companions which would have stirred the heart of every Rovers Fan," Instead, we are left with the almost certain conviction that 'not quite good enough' is the true motto of those whose greedy, grubby and despicable hands are at the helm of our once proud club, rather than a true and heartfelt adherence to Arte et Labore, in the tradition we would all prefer to see brought back to life. Simples. VENKYS OUT! AND TAKE YOUR (EXPENSIVE AND INEFFECTIVE) TRASH WITH YOU!

In the end, the DNA level connection to this wonderful old club of ours just does that to you - it's physical, emotional, spiritual and (a lot of the time) simply mystical. I hope your nerves are calmed by the professionalism of a decent Rovers performance this lunchtime. Mine too 🙂 COYB!

Why would you change a winning formula? Pears has been supplanted IMO, and Kargbo hasn't had enough time to be other than an impact option from the bench. Start with a consistent approach. Build on that.

You've got to be in it, to win it. We are in it. All we can ask is that nothing is left in the changing room, and the players give it their all for the travelling fans and those biting their nails back home. If the Blades are on form, their steel may puncture our form. If the Rovers are on form, there should be a helluva game of football to enjoy. If history follows form, all bets are off. Sheffield United are far better placed to take the prize than Rovers, but who cares? Let battle commence, Arte et Labore indeed! COYB! Steel City Slickers 2 Small Town Prem Winners 1 Blades cut down to size 0 Rovers roar for more 2 Sheffield's other team 1 Blackburn's only team 1 Lap of the gods.. c'mon ye gods!

Let's face it, the prize here is getting into the playoffs under unexpected circumstances, versus where we were in the doldrums with Valerien looking clueless and taciturn. I don't for one nanosecond think any consideration has been given to what to do should the even more unthinkable (i.e. winning a place back in the Prem) should happen - whilst it is nice for a change to have a season finish with something positive to play for, imagine the carnage if this squad (earmarked by many for relegation to L1 this season!) should find itself anywhere near the cauldron of pounce and kill that is Premier League status these days. But hey ho... where there is a game of football, there is room for optimism 🙂 VENKYS OUT! AND TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU 😞

Dennis is dogpooh, does nothing, but gets booked and gives away silly fouls. A liability that should be sent packing back to Forest.

And Preston's form has fallen off a cliff...

And breaaaattthhh!

They might get a points deduction for that 😉

Unbelievable! Who'd a thewt it!?

He's a nice lad, but his shit stinks.

He said in the Lancs Raggagraph that consistency was key, and gave praise to the 'settled' team he'd been able to select for the past three triumpant outings.. So, this being Blackburn Rovers, of course we should expect changes to be rung in at 2pm...

The stars are aligning, the pattern is emerging, the opportunity is coming into focus, the energies appear to be flowing our way... And yet, the words, "so near, and yet so far" are poised to flutter disdainfully up the warming airs of Livesey Branch and Bolton roads this afternoon. Only words that really matter are: VENKYS OUT! TAKE YOUR TRASH OUT WITH YOU.. BE GONE

Ah, the old sucker punch..