We can't re-invest because of the latest mess the ownership has created or concocted. If they were willing and able to fund as they were then over the last few years there would have been no excuse not to use any sale proceeds or at least a nice big chunk of them towards investing in building a promotion seeking team. It is the only way to do it without parachute money and of course the better the team the more the players are worth anyway so it ticks that box as well. Conveniently though there is the excuse that somehow manifested itself a few years so they've even managed to balls up the best opportunity we've had since we actually had parachute money.

The model that this club has to run on now you simply cannot keep letting it happen then shrugging the shoulders. You also cannot keep telling fans one thing about the 'project' grow/buy low increase value then sell, whilst doing the complete opposite in several cases every year.

Being linked to everyone under the sun as usual but the actual strike rate of one, if any, actually dropping ?

And yet again it's 2 of last seasons best players going and the back up player most likely to score. So the replacements brought in for little or no money will have big holes to fill.

But we need to remember why we were desperate for a Danny Batth in the first place. Ideally we'd keep him AND get this lad in but people thinking it's a good idea to lose one and get the other i don't think are looking at the bigger picture. The 'project' line is being swallowed again a bit too much for my liking.

You'll only truly know that this time next year whereas we know Batth is a good solid reliable player. Why gamble a fee and longer contract on something we don't know when it's easier and cheaper to get another season out of Batth and see where we are next summer, ie a whole 12 months to plan.

I'd call it playing Russian roulette with those running the club risking relegation just to try and squeeze some value out of project signings. See the season before last and all that was what lead to recruiting Eustace and his more experience model in the first place. Now it's a couple of new characters maybe about to repeat history still under the stewardship of the long standing shadow ruler.

If you could make a million quid a year wheeling and dealing at a mid sized mid table championship club whilst also playing the big i am and benefiting from hospitality and perks etc why would you risk that in pursuit of a golden ticket. I am and always have been utterly convinced there are other irons in the fire at this club and those irons have been more than happy with the last decade.

I'd much prefer it and it'd be much better if 15k home fans turned up every home game so we'd average 18k over a season then it would remove a lot of ready made excuses by those inside the club.

At 20k per week Cantwell has been a luxury signing and a lot more is needed from him. On a 2 year contract that sadly isn't low expense and i'd get rid immediately if it meant that money could go to keeping Dolan and Batth.

You might well be right there and if Ismael could chose he'd probably want a bit more pace in that position but as it stands the squad without Batth would be significantly weaker.

Yep and i fully expect they'll try and replace him with someone less experienced on cheaper wages but a potential sell on value. False economy is a speciality at Ewood but selling an Armstrong, Szmodics or especially a Wharton covers over for the waste created elsewhere.

No we don't all we have to go on is what players say and the evidence before our eyes of players not re-signing. I'd say it doesn't paint a great picture. Also Gestedes title is a farce he's head of nothing he is just carrying out instructions given to him from above and how many Heads of Football operations have the catering staff reporting to them ? 🤣

He went on the razz though and gave Hoddle the excuse he was looking for.

Mahonney, Bennett to name 2, Lenihen off the record. Gives a clear idea of how the approach things whilst Pasha has been in charge. Rudy Gestede by the way started on work experience then was given the title of Head of Depts but now i presume he's called Sporting Director but he hasn't got the DoF title. The guy is in charge of catering and everything else judging by his No Tippy Tappy podcast so i'm not sure what use he'll be negotiating contracts.

Exactly. Numerous players have spoke about the negotiating process here.

I doubt they are offering wages that reflect the potential though and given they are academy products the starting point won't be very high to begin with. Plus you are talking about having DoF whose job it was to do the contracts, we didn't have one before and haven't had one since.

I think here all the focus is getting them into the first team whilst they are still on youth wages. Then just hoping the odd one is worth big wonga before they have to be paid a big enough wage to keep them here.

Derby who will no doubt surpass us next season on a similar budget just like Sunderland did. Meanwhile we have billionaire owners and have sold 40 million quids worth of talent whilst letting around half that walk for nothing in recent years. But yeah we get low gates so it's always that to blame obviously.

Batth is worth an extra 5 grand a week because he brings the best out of Hyam that's a good partnership and shouldn't be broken up.

Yet the previous talk also mentioned a policy of higher wage short term contracts for experience being Eustaces preferred method ? Seems Jackson has done a bit of a 360 on that now. I think Weimann will have been on a decent wedge at Bristol and i'm sure there'd have been other interest in him so i'm not sure he'll have signed for peanuts to come all the way up here from down there. Batth maybe a bit different given his career trajectory was on its way down - something i hope he remembers when Rovers rescued him - but similarly he'll have been on good wages at Norwich previously.

Look Danny we want you to stay you are one of our main men and will play every week as long as fit and in form. Here's the same wage for another year and we'll give an option for another year on top for you as a bonus if you hit x number of starts. Nothing simpler as that but you can bet your backside there is some low balling going on or talks have stalled altogether due to the Indian court situation. If Derby are offering thousands more then we'd have to swallow it but i really can't see them taking that risk so football wise hes no need to leave here but he has to be made to feel wanted obviously.

Their lawyers will be awaiting instruction from their clients and as we know that never happens quickly.

His contract will probably run to the end of June so nowt will probably happen until then but i wouldn't be surprised if he's the first loss of the summer.

Yeah and he looked it when falling backwards into the net. Should have been dropped after '86, people can say what they want about the hand of god but that was awful goalkeeping.