Aye, but you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. It does make you wonder what on earth we ask these people to do, and whether they actually understand we are a professional football club and that perhaps it might be good to employ some players in the areas where the head coach acknowledges we have gaps...

Vicky Kiankaulua might as well be a gerbil, for all the impact he is likely to make on our present predicament AT THE BACK.

None of the above. It's more likely to be scenario 4: Don't bang yer arse with the door on the way out. GB is 'ahem' 'forced' to capitulate to the dark lairds' wishes to cut costs to the bone, and anyone with a pulse and drawing more than minimum wage is allowed to leave the club for whatever a willing bidder will offer. We wake on Feb 1st with a playing staff consisting of five thirteen year old wonderkids from Accy Stanley, the club cat and a picture of Noel Brotherstone. Waggott, conspicuous in his continued presence, appears before the local press bleating on about how the modern game is misunderstood by those on the Blackburn Omnibus, who would be well advised to read the same trade journal from which he has constructed his rise to riches (tea-cup rinsers weekly). Selling players at this stage of the season would be tantamount to throwing the towel in and opening the seacocks to scuttle the ship by design. Hands off cocks, on socks, I say.

A friend of mine darn sarf, who follows both Chelsea and Brentford, sent me this earlier on: It looks like the kind of blood and guts, committed and energetic, crowd-pleasing and entertaining spectacle that is only a distant memory for those, like me, who used to enjoy the same at the likes of Ewood Park and grounds around the country. Fair play to Brentford for actually building something worth supporting, and adopting a model that doesn't actively disenfranchise the supporters at the base of the stakeholder pyramid. Football at the lower levels is dying on it's arse, partly due to the cavalier attitude of those at the top, and partly due to the unbelievably cretinous approach of owners in the lower levels (witness Blackburn Rovers' steady decline to become a club known to be 'troubled' since the arrival of the Venkys chicken robber barons in 2011). I'm chuffed for you that you have the choice of clubs to follow in your neck of the woods - we aren't lacking in choices here in the North West, but as you know, the club you claim as your own is not a rational choice! I fear for the future of Blackburn Rovers, whose despicable pseudo owner's visible henchmen have previously claimed is being modelled on the Brentford / Brighton approach - my arse it is! I am coming to the view that the only way forward is to allow the club to decline into the third or fourth tier (or worse) so that the privileged and entitled brats who are nominally owners of the brand take a dislike to the medicine and bugger off. Perhaps then we will see a return to Arte et Labore (club motto) and the rebirth of the Rovers as a proper football club. Bring it on!

How far down the football pyramid do we think Rovers would need to go in order for the Venksters to finally admit defeat and shuffle off. It's one thing 'owning' a relatively prominent and recognised brand in the upper echelons of the game (even if it is at the absolute periphery), but what if Rovers were in the 3rd or 4th tier for any length of time? For one thing I think it would see the end of expensive chancers like Waggott, to be replaced by an honorary club chair drawn from the ranks of actual supporters rather than from the bottom of a very murky barrel of pseudo professional managers. It would also put the nail firmly in the coffin of the ineffective myth that we can develop assets through the academy, and force the football management to return to a more traditional approach of blending resources on the pitch whilst keeping an eye out for potential talent to bring in. Most of all it would make the prospect of spending £20 million or so of daddy's cash on a plaything seem extremely unappealling, especially in the context of sunk costs of a quarter of a billion (let that sink in for a minute and reflect on what have we actually got to show in return for approaching £250 million?). So, for me, I think the project should be to take Rovers down, and down again. Test the true mettle of these phoney owners and their stinking chicken money, and take the risk that all we will have left is our famous brand, some great memories (and some shite ones too 😞 ) and the potential (which is always there for all clubs) to rebuild, regroup and return. When you consider what I've just advocated, bear in mind that I have supported the club since the early 1970s, have been to the likes of Hereford away, and Grimsby on a wet Tuesday evening, have cried at the loss of those who love the club as I do, and will wear the Blue and White of Blackburn Rovers to my dying day. I am sick to my teeth of the club being held hostage to fortune by faceless, mindless idiots and now that we are routinely referred to as 'struggling Blackburn' by the media, I am ready to take any medicine that is needed to dislodge the cancerous regime that is killing our club. Arte et Labore! COYB! Venkys out FFS!

Erm, it's probably something to do with having no money in the budget to employ someone else. It isn't just transfers where the taps are off. The whole set up at the club stinks of rank amateurism, neglect and a pure hit and hope attitude. Chancers. The lot of them, and what's worse, not even very plausible chancers. Gallagher needs to go to another club whilst he still has a chance, because he doesn't stand a chance at Rovers.

What marks this game out for me is the way that the media now refers to us as 'Struggling Blackburn'. The writing is now not only on the wall, its wrapped around your flaming fish and chips too. What has happened to the crisp passing, penetrating runs and ability to hold onto the ball? We look miles off the mark these past 8 games, and there is no cutting edge to our forward play, just endless tippy tappy short pass/ shoulder shrugging lack of taking responsibility. Somethings gotta change.

Not impressed with Chrisene. Slow and ponderous. No vision, and not able to cross.

Yet more set piece woes. Poor defending and an easy finish for the Huddersfield man. 😞

At last, a bit of luck goes our way. Well finished young Mr Wharton.

Except for the Siri bit, which is techno bollux

Might as well be Duncan Donuts given the financial situation we appear to be in. If I was JDT I'd be absolutely livid to have been put into such an invidious position. Remember the fresh-faced cheeky chappie who strode positively through the place on arrival, talking about 'the project'? Contrast that with the irritable and stressed looking individual chucking barbs at those who have his hands tied, blindfold on and sensory blackout on the comms front.. Not pretty and not looking like someone who is enjoying the cleft stick that has become reality. Get this. JDT has to wait to be told who is in his squad, and has to accept that players can be shipped out whether he likes it or not. There's only one thing worse than that position, and that is to be like us, a mere supporter of the club. Transfer Rumours thread. My arse.

Agreed. We need a keeper to boss his area, feel confident in handling the ball, be on the top of his game when working with the players in front of him. At the moment, we have none of that, and the longer it goes on, the worse the nightmare becomes for everyone. Pears coming back in might relieve the pressure on Leo, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem facing the team and our defence in particular.

Kevin Moran was 103 when he joined us. Brad Friedel was 92. Duncan McKenzie had been cremated when he first pulled on the famous Rovers jersey, and player-manager Howard Kendall had to be exhumed from his crypt in Tranmeresylvania. If a player still has legs, can do a job that we need doing that isn't being done at the moment, is willing to come and will add value to the team without killing the budget, then he will do for me, if it means we don't sleepwalk like zombies into oblivion. Obviously the gaffer will have his own views, as will the bright eyed baldy guy. At the end of the day we, as fans, have about as much influence as the proverbial insect hitting the car windscreen on the motorway.. Que sera.

And some deluded knob heads expect us to better last season's finish.

Erm, we'd have to have someone putting crosses in - not something we've been blessed with in recent years (Cambridge cup game excepted).

The other thing to bear in mind is that even if the Waggot was an honourable person with a backbone, he's on a very cushy number at Rovers, and taking a large salary that is unlikely to come his way anywhere else if he was suddenly unemployed. Hence the phrase, "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas" comes to mind, which means that in this case, three out of four 'directors' are never going to sanction the administration card being played.

I dunno. We are all slaves to a certain degree. The silence of previous managers / coaches is quite telling. I mean, surely the likes of Coyle, Mowbray and Bowyer could shed light upon the realities behind the scenes at their former employers? But no, we hear nothing and they say nothing. I know that gagging orders 'settlement agreements' are common these days (a form of corporate slavery without a doubt) but didn't the gurning chump's contract simply fizzle out without being renewed? He'd be a good person to go for a pint (of tea) and lemon drizzle with, to get the skinny on the set up and its impact on the club. Surely an investigative journalist could wheedle something that would help to make sense of our current invidious position, from one of the trio? But we hear nothing. Nada. Niet. Of course, it might mean there is nothing to see (unlikely I think) or it isn't very interesting (again unlikely) or there is something stopping the light of day being shone on the cockroaches infesting the place as they scuttle about, stinking and gradually sinking the club with their odious weight.

Powder puff defending starts with a powder puff keeper. Even if your goalie is young and somewhat stick thin, you need him to demonstrate some flair, capability and self-confidence when between the sticks. Problem for Leo is he doesn't appear to have it in him to be a bit crazy and come barging through his own players to claim the ball. Your goalie needs to be a ball magnet and a beast, not timid, tepid and teflon. As with all players, confidence plays a big part, and no doubt Leo's confidence is shot to pieces at the moment. But we cannot afford to continue with the same suicidal approach to defending, and whilst a large share of the responsibility for getting the basics right rests on Leo's shoulders, I am worried that he hasn't got the experience or self-confidence to deal with it. Back to basics for me, folks. Bring on the brass knee-caps and knuckle-dusters and let's start fighting for a change, starting with no-nonsense row z clearances and desperate lunges to be first to the ball anywhere in our 18 yard area. If no-one is coming in, we will be needing JDT and the current crop to cop on and do the necessary. Starting on Saturday. Feck the tippy tappy look at me in the shop window fancy dan football. Give me hoof ball and a clean sheet for the next 10 games, and the other end will take care of itself.

Step forward any successful suitors I say, and watch as even more Rovers stalwarts (including me) turn their back on the club for treating them like simpletons. We have been very lucky to enjoy the windfall of Szmodic's goals this season, and his workrate is a testament to his quality. Take his goals and workrate away though, and the remainder of this season suddenly looks less than positive, especially as everyone including JDT knows that any money coming in ain't being spent on qualty replacements (or much else than the Wassock's salary). Sing along folks...

Erm, JDT doesn't sign the players. He is dealt a hand by those in the shadows and the bright eyed baldy guy. There is an old saying that you can't make a silk purse with a sow's ear, which appears apposite to JDT's position. It's also known as a shit sandwich, and a situation that is unpalatable for anyone asked to chow down, like us fans, like the bright eyed baldy guy, like JDT. It's probably not a box of chocolates for the playing staff either. Yes, our keeper is a liability. Yes, our defence is a hapless shambles, Yes, there appears to be a fire sale in the offing, Yes, we as fans have no influence whatsoever on what happens on or off the pitch. But we still care. Is there a magic solution? It seems unlikely, with us so balls-deep in the mire. But as I said in an earlier post, a couple of wins would put a whole different slant on the situation and outlook. What a pity we seem incapable of delivering even that miniscule feat at the moment.

A couple of wins on the trot and all will be well, on the surface at least. Behind the scenes, dark shadows continue to beleaguer our once proud club. Oh I know that it isn't all champagne and caviar at other clubs, but most fans haven't had the weirdness we've had to endure since the absent ones took leave of their senses and signed their sense away. You have to laugh - most hostages subjected to this level of abuse for 13 plus years would probably have developed Stockholm syndrome by now, and gone over to the dark side... Oh, hang on... Invasion of the body snatchers I tell you.

And I never said anything about agents. The owners pay their wedge regardless of whether agents take a cut of transfer fees or not. Only, in recent times, the owners seem to have reduced their financial commitment, which again begs the question of why they continue to be owners, if there is nothing in it for them other than losses. It's a conundrum for sure, but not one in favour of keeping hold of the club.

Of course there is a slight glaring flaw in the argument that they want us following along in the 2nd tier, developing players for resale. That is they appear to be completely pants at making the model work. Whatever it is 'supposed to do' like make money for instance, hasn't happened yet and isn't happening any time soon. Even the most cryptic of business minds would be hard pressed to come up with any compelling logic to explain why the Venksters continue to 'own' Blackburn Rovers. All I can conclude is that the spoilt bastards are still sore about the snowball reception and chickens on the pitch things. Dumb as fook. But rich, spoilt, inept and vindictive too. Nightmare goes on..and on...and on. Venkys out.

It's fairly obvious if you join the dots up - no pressure to get results, other than to stay in this league, gaffer training players to adopt a style that is prevalent at most higher ranked clubs (and many below us too), stark refusal to fix the clear gaps that need filling but rely upon makeweights or no-one to get by, management team (haha) committed to cost cutting rather than the customer experience, and horse-shit nonsense spouted to draw a veil over the role of the ownership. Yes, we are the Marie Celeste of the footballing world. It would be interesting to see what would happen under JDT's stewardship if he was given decent resources, but let's get real - that is not happening under the current regime. So, suck it up, boys and girls. The shit show is here to stay - the only upside is we aren't supposed to get relegated (hmmm, have heard that one before..)