ben_the_beast

Which is why the club statement makes your blood boil. It's a ploy as old as time itself. Divide and conquer. The only glimmer of hope I have is that those in the boardroom feel they still need to employ these tactics, suggesting they think their positions aren't completely bulletproof. Waggott panicked when JDT left, with meeting the fans. At least this season the threat of relegation isn't there. As we drop away from the playoffs I have some hope that a tipping point will be hit and the entire stadium will turn and it won't just be for one game. We do need to stay angry and not just accept defeat. It's hard to see an end to their reign, but a united fanbase, no season ticket sales etc. These things might make the owners wake up. Personally I liked WATR statement. Especially the part about Pasha. He should be advising the owners to sell the club. He controls all information in and out of India. We need to use him to achieve the bigger picture, rather than him leaving the club. He'd just be replaced by somebody else, equally as incompetent. As for Waggott. He's a wanker.

I noticed this. He's trying to cut out Pasha. JDT outed him just before leaving and now JE is playing his hand. The only way he'll stay is if he is given a direct audience with the owners. He knows the deal here. Unfortunately it won't happen. The only way it will, is if by some miracle that interview is seen by the Venkys and that initiate contact. It's also further evidence that Waggott and Pasha are feathering their own nests. They control all information going in and out of India and it's a power they refuse to relinquish, since it has them both on a cushy number. They know the first thing JE will do is throw them under the bus.

It is utterly atrocious the way he's been treated by Glasner and Palace this season. They saw poor form at the beginning due to them asking him to play through injury, which has ended up crocking him until February. Feels as though it was selfish from Glasner being worried about his job when he couldn't buy a win. But it's literally insane on the clubs part that nobody put their foot down and instructed him to go for surgery.

We are either confident of offloading him to a club who's window is still open or it's a move to try and force him out. Even a loan to another club with us paying a percentage of his wages will be beneficial for all parties at this point. Surely he'll want to get some minutes under his belt and show some form, considering he'll be on the lookout for a new contract in the summer.

At the end of the day, the players look knackered. QPR harried and pressed us off the park. All stems from a wafer thin squad, the inevitable injury crisis that comes with an inability to properly rotate the starting 11 and the hierarchies plan to not properly recruit until deadline day. We won't stop feeling the effects of that decision until late Feb/early March at the earliest. Not doing the basics and individual mistakes happen when we've no control of the game and tiredness sets in.

I'd rather he say he was eager to get his head down, work hard and give his all in chasing down a top 6 finish. It's just an interview and he'll be judged on the pitch, but when someone says they like the banter, doing tricks and having fun, but they don't like the weather it makes me a bit concerned. Especially when said player hasn't played a competitive minute for 9 months.

Sorry... a 2.5 year contract. If the fee is £1m he's our 2nd most expensive signing since the summer of 2023. What the eff is that contract all about?

Cissoko was brilliant when we played Plymouth earlier in the season. First half anyway. Slightly anonymous in the second. If it were a permanent deal I'd be delighted. On loan, had this deal been done at the beginning of the month I'd have been pleased.

The thing I'm least looking forward to is when the window slams shut, we've brought in a couple of no-marks / super cheap kids on loan and we hear Waggott crooning about how we've supported the manager. I'd almost rather us bring nobody in. It'd be a shot in the arm for all the Venky apologists. Even if we pulled a couple of big signings out the hat, it does feel too late after the January we've endured.

I don't think there are many clubs where a decent chunk of the fanbase accept the excuse "it's really hard". I'm sick to death of the club spinning the "January is a difficult month to make signings" line.

To be honest this is probably the main reason we're looking at Kargbo. He's both the quick winger and striker rolled into one. Efficiency (cheap).

Will Kargbo even be any better than Sigurðsson? Not that I rate Sigurðsson, but he's out of contract at the end of the season. Whether he particularly wants to be here or not, it's in his best interests to put some effort in to strengthen his hand for a good contract elsewhere. Kargbo really strikes me as a signing for the sake of it. Waggott can say we supported the manager. He's looking to spin than narrative on the cheap, however its pointless if he's poor quality. Waggots problem is Kargbo is turning out to be more expensive than anticipated. The clubs problems are endless.

Given the high turnover of our recruitment team, there's every chance he was scouted by Greg's lot at the same time as Telalovic.

Last season Pears became one of our most important players. Not because he was any good, but his replacement in Wahlstedt was doubly abysmal. We'd have been relegated if he was our number 1 all season. This season Pears has come on leaps and bounds. He still makes me nervous, but he is a Championship level goalkeeper these days. It'd be a huge risk selling him, unless people at the club were supremely confident Toth was ready to step up, and I've no trust in those making the decisions. The only opinion I'd trust is Eustice, and he's picked Pears every time this season, which says all you need to know.

Imagine if we still had Szmodics. There should have been no reason to sell unless an exceptional bid came in, after the Wharton sale in January. We did not sell him for exceptional money. Once again, it was just to keep the lights on because Venkys don't want a penny of their money going into the club if it can be avoided. Sure he'd have been a bit disgruntled, but another £5m ontop of what we got wasn't unreasonable. The price we sold him for was only appropriate for a 'selling club'.

I'd go for Damien Duff

Agreed his actual words say nothing at all. But we all know Waggott. The only reason he's released this statement is prepping us that we'll spend naff all. The clues: 1. John wants to keep the squad intact. - Waggott is spinning a success narrative (even though nobody wants any of our players). 2. Other positions/options that can cover our players whilst they return from injury. - Excuse for bringing in loans with no long term financial commitment. 3. January is difficult. - Just making the excuse in advance of the backlash. Waggottout / Suhailout / and most of all VENKYSOUT

Worth keeping in mind that wages demanded by Kargbo will likely be low and offset any fee paid. Everything is pointing to no money. I suspect the cost of Sanderson's and Forshaw's wages are roughly equivalent to that saved on Baker. We're also seeing zero contract renewals. Other recruitment will be deadline day loans, negotiating the lowest possible financial outlay by pointing out any Prem youngsters coming in are likely to see plenty of game time. Not a pot to piss in.

I'd say 500k is on the high end. I'd be expecting more like 200k with certain clauses taking it towards the 500k figure, which as you say, he likely won't.

Exactly. Almost strikes me as a political signing. "See John, we did back you. The recruitment team worked hard to find a diamond in the rough for you." For the likes of Waggott, the tiny outlay someone like Kargbo would cost, would be worth it, just as an attempt to pacify people for a short period.

Unlikely, but it would be very typical Venkys to release some funds on the last day of the window, catching everybody out and the first time in years, the inexperienced Gestede spaffs it up the wall on total dross.

Watched a video of Kargbo. I usually don't put much stock in them, but it did appear he was often playing centrally, rather than out wide. Looking at his stats, if he really does play as a support striker or centre forward, the fact he's not scored since October is very worrying. As is the fact he's not an automatic starter for a middling Serie B side. The fact he undoubtedly cost absolutely peanuts will go in his favour. Always willing to give a player a chance, but if he is one of our main targets it looks like pure desperation. Telalovic style gamble, based on some underlying stats, conveniently ignoring that he's playing in a shite league.

The remainder of the recruitment team will be compiling lists of players with pretty looking stats. Maybe attach a YouTube compilation for good measure. On the off chance we get the okay from Waggott nobody will have a clue how to make it happen, until Rudy pops up with the genius idea off popping said target a DM on Instagram to see if he fancies it.

It's always an early symptom of the current state of play at Rovers. No contract renewals equals no money. Joining those dots is a far more reliable source than any 'journalists' like Nixon.

We're hitting a point whereby deadline day loans will be a complete waste of money. We'll likely be out of touch by then. Would rather see the money invested in transfers or contract renewals. Sham of a window thus far. Zero faith in those negotiating deals, that they've the expertise to get anything substantial over the line.