bluebruce

Oh that's surprising tbf. When he wasn't announced with the intake I thought that was done. Probably hasn't been able to secure the deal elsewhere he thought he could. Certainly a positive but given how he clearly wasn't all that keen to sign up, seems very likely he will be off at some point if he impresses the bigger fish enough. Perhaps more of an Ash Phillips than a Finneran.

We've had a bit of a rough time with promising youngsters being ruined by injuries. Whitehall, Gilsenan, I'd say JRC despite him being in the first team squad (had bad injuries at youth level and senior level, I think we've never seen the player he would have been without them), Butterworth had some bad ones whilst developing I recall. Can anyone think of any more?

Seems strange to me to release the third kit before the second...does that usually happen?

It's a hell of an if.

As long as you were bouncing between League One and the Championship. It causes a reset of the time period, presumably because of the gulf in finances involved.

Big statement of stupidity paying 12 mill for a 30 year old at this level.

I feel like the word is pointless.

The accounts (if they weren't doctored, which would be a bit surprising given how long has passed and how many fans on here have scrutinised them, but not entirely surprising given how dodgy these cunts are) demonstrate that for a long time we didn't have a lot of leeway on the spend most seasons, within the rules. If those accounts are true, then you were wrong (aside from ways we could have been creative whilst that was allowed, of course) at the time. Now, we have definitely pulled the purse strings shut relative to what has been coming in and what they could do with funding. We had a season where we showed a profit, and there has been minimal spend, so they're definitely holding the money back now. That's not the same as you being proven right on your previous posts about what was happening then, just saying.

I think a more honest couple of interviews would have had quotes like 'Blackburn was a shitshow behind the scenes, Eustace was the only competent person in the management team and he has moved here and wanted us...plus Blackburn offered shitter wages so we were off.' Chaddy won't be able to claim we only lost Batth because he's been offered a longer deal now, both players signed one year deals at Derby.

The losses have never been more than 20 mill in a season before, so that only makes sense if the owners haven't sent us any money at all in the past 2 seasons, which is demonstrably false. In fact there was also at least one recent season where we made a profit in the accounts. In which case, what losses?

Yeh it's much more likely the roles are just reprised.

Especially if you're pushing yourself to impress your new boss and teammates.

No it isn't. You're thinking of the last week of the window.

It's enough to turn 7 draws into 7 wins.

Yep, the main improvement that took us to 7th last season was we became more solid defensively. A lot of which was down to Batth.

I already said the eye test is more important. I was simply commenting on the data itself in isolation, since none of us have watched him live.

Exaggerations. Apart from Beck and ACD, your gone list aren't actually gone yet. They're in the 90% going category, which you've also exaggerated.

Got to say, given it's just the Portuguese league, the only stats that stand out are the passing (completion anyway, the progressive passes and passes attempted are very low) and interceptions. He has more shit stats there than good ones. The proof will be in the pudding of course, and the eye test will be more important. But if he has been signed because of the data, I don't see why. Not from this data anyway.

Interesting. I think a couple of years ago this would have been seen as a big positive (on here anyway), but now he has filled in and done a reasonable job as caretaker it probably isn't going to be as popular. He used to be widely considered untouchable. I wonder what changed, or if he ever was untouchable after all rather than just lucky and good enough at his job to be kept around.

I would think that those exact funds have to be spent on whatever is specified, and a money trail provided...but that it frees up other funds that would have had to go to that. We have spent a couple of undisclosed fees this window, and other fees during this shenanigans, so we clearly aren't banned from spending on players.

Thought they sent money about twice a year and thought I'd heard figures of about 8 mill previously

Is 4.58 million not less than they would usually send at this time of year?

I said many moons ago that we should have targeted him to replace Rhodes. Wish we had, but at 35 I think the ship has sailed.

Pick's missus and Mani's 9 yr old daughter, neither with any football knowledge and barely any interest. Yes, great judges of footballing ability, thanks for that, that's that debate settled then...

Yer mum has had more dongs than a church bell.