bluebruce

Fairly sure the grant only covers part of the player costs. The reason it's cost neutral in a sense is because academy costs don't contribute to FFP considerations.

Something weird about this. That would mean a 24-man squad, for example, earning an average of 20k per week each. Which I have had the impression is roughly the maximum anyone is on. I understand that we probably had a 25-man squad, without looking it up, and that the wages figure probably includes all staff at the club - including youth players -but in relative terms they're on peanuts, probably only accounting for another couple of players to adjust the average by. Presumably some of our first team squad are only on a few k too. It must be including bonuses too, but damn. Even with all that included it seems high.

I thought him, Nyambe and Dack were an odd trio to put forward. Probably going, possibly going (but very likely next year if not this) and injured for the first half of the coming season.

It's not even just tradition for me with those features - I simply think they all look better.

Those were mock ups, not the real kit. The home one looks better than the real home one. Away one probably will too (big fan of red and black halves) but interested to see what the away offering looks like.

It's... ok. The roses on the blue I like, but I'm not a fan of: no collar, no reversed back, no reversed sleeves.

Doesn't his contract end in 12 months anyway? Please for the love of god tell me it ends in 12 months... (Not that Maggott won't get him a new one of course)

Doesn't the cycle only 'reset' if you change leagues? Otherwise it's a rolling 3 year period?

With the current management I'm afraid a squad that can survive in this league is about the best we can realistically expect for next season. Promotion isn't even a consideration anymore in my eyes until he is gone.

Ok, still going to be relevant to our transfer dealings though. Hopefully we can get things moving a bit now...supposedly has a rep for finding hidden gems, which we are going to need with our bullshit budget.

Doesn't sound like it is, no.

Not sure why nobody is talking about it (in here anyway) but we are meant to be close to appointing John Park as head of recruitment. Actually sounds like a good appointment for a change. Discovered Virgil Van Dijk.

Well, there are a lot overall, but in relative terms very few.

Frankly, I think they should. Yes his contract is running down but that's not much use to a club if a different club doesn't buy him. For me he is comfortably worth 25 million fully contracted. I'm surprised the interested parties haven't put bids in except Southampton not even offering 10. If there isn't enough solid interest he will probably have to go for in the region of 15, which frankly is an absolute bargain these days. Only a bit more than Gally and BB cost us. Bit of a joke really.

Dunno if already mentioned, but Doncaster supposedly interested in Pears and McBride. As loans presumably.

Armstrong was already our main striker and producing lots of goals in December 2020. Did you mean 2019?

That's not what the deal for Davies was. It was 7 or 7.5 million, Beattie went the other way but as part of that 7.5m. I think he was valued at 1 mill in the trade, so we will have paid 6 or 6.5 million, plus Beattie. Ripley was an entirely separate deal the same year for about 2 million apparently. He was nearly 31 at the time so that probably wasn't a bad sale. The Davies deal was a shocker though and always goes down as the worst ever for me. Amplified by the fact that even that same season Beattie had a much better season than Davies, who we sold back for a significant loss whilst bringing the even worse Egil Ostenstad over as part of the deal. And made worse again by the fact that eventually those bastards Bolton got him for free, at which point he went on to be excellent for them. Scored more against us than for us I'm sure, despite all the money wasted.

Your powers are formidable, @Fraserkirky!!

I'm very, very far from a Venkys fan or apologist, but that last part is simply not true.

Well that's exactly the problem, and could be glaringly so once crowds return.

I don't know what you base that optimism on?

It begins... https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19422711.blackburn-rovers-turn-opening-southampton-bid-adam-armstrong/

I appreciate the very specific scenario you're describing, but someone saying in all earnest that Brereton should have been in the starting lineup for Chile instead of Sanchez feels like the most concrete evidence that we are all living in a simulation 🤣 Hell, even on my Football Manager game (a simulation) - where I sold him to Everton for 11 million, which seemed far-fetched - he has ended up signing for Vancouver for just under 1 million, aged 23 now.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lancs.live/sport/football/transfer-news/blackburn-rovers-leshabela-leicester-profile-20955280.amp

I would hope you're glad Douglas has left too.