One leads to the other.

They'll be paying the vast majority of that out in wages. I've also heard that every Board member who's lent them money over the years to keep them going has been paid back with interest.

Cunningham won't be cheap though. There's a difference between an upgrade over Bell (which should be easy to find) and a cost effective upgrade over Bell.

We were playing a L2 player at LB and an attacking midfielder at RB. Not to mention our GK was playing his first professional game. We're fucked if we don't recruit more defenders, but Wharton isn't the problem.

He started the League Cup game and looked our best defender.

Nice of you to write Wharton off after one game.

There's a common theme in that list.

I'd welcome Duffy, Orr and Murphy back on £45k a week if it guaranteed promotion.

We were a better team under Bowyer. Whether it was him or his dad, we brought in talented players. Like Mowbray he brought in players that didn't fit the system we wanted to employ simply because they were available, but at least we sold them for a profit.

The season doesn't start on 16 October though, does it.

Then why hasn't honourable Tony walked?

There's pretty much only Waggot and Mowbray with any sort of power at Ewood. That's the structure we're operating with.

I've never understood having a blue away kit when our home colours are blue and white.

If he's the honourable man he claims to be he'd walk away from the club if, during every transfer window, the Venky's are withholding funds until the last minute. Either he knows the budget and has it to spend, or he has a very small contacts book and is poor at convincing people to join Blackburn Rovers. No manager worth his salt (unless he's just here to top up his pension) sits there transfer window after transfer window being made to look a mug by the owners.

Besides JoeH, who says Wharton has to play in a back 5? Looked alright at the weekend besides Lenihan - better than the Irish international if anything.

It's odd, isn't it? So I'm pretty clued up on the behind the scenes at Wigan Warriors, but I don't go on their message boards and do this whole song and dance routine. Each to their own though - either share the information or don't, but don't tease that something is happening then walk away.

Rodriguez is off to Everton, so it must be Messi. Don't fancy he's displace Dack though.

Oh absolutely - we need two CBs if Williams leaves. Mulgrew isn't even a factor for me - he's just a drain on resources. I've said for a while: Lenihan, A.N. Other, Wharton and Williams is a pretty decent group of CBs for this level, if A.N. Other is quality. Let Carter go out on loan for the year. We desperately need a LB above anything else though.

Which is interesting because Wharton looked far more composed than Lenihan in the Cup game.

Depends if you're ambitious or not I guess. I suspect he backs himself to go to WBA and win a starting role - at 23 going there to just be a backup is a baffling decision.

There's a saying in College Football recruiting (where 17/18 year olds commit to a college during their senior year of high school - but can only make it 'official' in December / February [there are two signing periods] - in the meantime they get recruited by everyone and their brother) "if you're looking, we're looking". I'd keep the offer on the table for Kipre, but I'd be pursuing other options too. If we find someone else and that eats into / uses the Kipre transfer money - fine, he's left without a place at Ewood. Can't be left holding our dicks hoping WBA find someone better.

I'm of the impression that he's very much a backup option for them. I'm sure he is in for a medical now - they want the transfer good to go at a moment's notice IF their first target(s) aren't available. Kipre is clearly willing to hang on for WBA to make a decision.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get some money for Williams, but right now he's our #2 / #3 CB and the season is less than a fortnight away. I've no confidence that Mowbray is going to get someone in at CB. You can let Williams do all of the due diligence with this MLS club, but you can't cross the t's and dot the i's on the transfer until you bring someone else in.

Simply can't sell him at this point.

I'd argue 'in his best spell' he's scored two cracking goals in a friendly and created two goals in the League Cup.