Exiled_Rover

It adds to the length of the 'slow build' if you don't own anyone. Crafty, Tony, craft.

As there's often a loan fee involved, and contract stipulations about the number of games / position a loanee plays, they're not great. I'm ok with a loan being used to push a team over the top. I'm not ok with a loan being used to cover up your mediocre reruitment.

Nothing gets past you does it?

We need an independent tribunal to investigate all Mowbray signings. Anyone who has a link with him shouldn't be allowed. He's clearly just setting his mate's son up with a nice living here.

In fairness, these players have had the best coaching money can buy since they were 6. He's out on loan to get game time. He's not going to listen to the coaches at Rovers et al.

I'm ok with expensive loanees (fee + wages) if they're going to put you over the top for a promotion challenge. We're sadly nowhere near that, so it seems an odd way to conduct business. If I was in charge I'd rather spend the same money (as I bet it wouldn't be much different) on the Keeper from Wigan or Charlton and the Doncaster CM.

Hodgson was a disaster for us.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. Should probably be based on turnover rather than a flat rate though. The only league (with excess money) I know it works in is the NFL. In RL it stifles the bigger teams and leads to a talent drain.

You don't begrudge Duffy after the way he conducted himself?

Not for ol' Tone. Can't lose that pillar of the dressing room.

It's for Bennett. 2020 strikes again.

Yeah he was one who you could tell was clearly a fantastic player, but didn't have a lot of luck, not suited our style of play at the time.

Ferguson holds a place in my heart for a) not being good enough and b) insulting the fans by saying he couldn't get up for a Lancashire derby like he could for the Old Firm game (in their third rate league). Up there with Murphy as just being an utter cunt.

For mine he's 22 and still all potential. Good on the ball, but his defending leaves a lot to be desired. Funnily enough City is probably the best place for him - gets to play with the ball much more than without it, which is his strong suit.

I'm already there.

I was going to say, I just had him down as an Ozzie. Emerton was v meek for an Ozzie.

Now cricket and RL have ingrained in me a hatred of Australians (especially their sportsmen), but I can't think of an arrogant Ozzy that's played for us?

Such as?

They've been had.

Obviously you're not just going to be any Tom, Dick or Harry if you're trying to buy a football club. Someone with a plan would be salivating at acquiring a club with the infrastructure Rovers have. The apathy of the fan base and the incompetence at Ewood has resulted in millions of £ in lost revenue every season.

There's nobody in this squad I'd be sad to lose.

Not gonna lie, I'd take a 12 point penalty and Rovers being bought by a local consortium right now.

If he was able to spin West Brom as a massive club, he'll spin Boro as a massive club.

Too obvious, won't happen.

I've just watched two bang average teams battle it out bore me to tears for 120 minutes for a £160m prize and all I could think of (after I'd stopped laughing at Calamity Raya) is "bloody hell, how bad must we be?!" Shite is the answer, unfortunately. Thanks Venkys.