56 minutes ago, JHRover said:

And if it results in relegation will you still think the same?

Other clubs sell players and then are ready to reinvest and go again. That's what we used to do. It doesn't happen under this regime, we just get weaker and weaker and waste what little cash is spent on loans.

But that’s simply not true. Look at the last 3 seasons, we’ve strengthened each year with no significant outgoings. Even last year, we kept hold of almost everyone and brought in Kaminski and Elliott with others. The whole reason why Mowbray should be sacked is that the squad has got STRONGER over recent times and yet the results haven’t improved.

The Armstrong sale in isolation is necessary given the figures involved. We can’t afford another Dack situation. It’s disappointing to hear that the money won’t go back into the squad but given the financial picture at the club, we can’t be surprised.

2 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Almost seems to be excitement from Rovers fans on social media about who we’ll get included within the Arma deal. Do they know we’re losing the only bloke who knows how to score goals at the club? 

The club are hundreds of millions in debt and continue to haemorrhage cash. I take no joy in seeing Armstrong go but we need this to at offset some of the losses. Clubs at this level rely on the occasional big sale to keep things ticking over and we haven’t had one in years. 

It’s a shame that very little/if any will get reinvested in the squad but that just shows how grim things are looking financially. This needs to happen.

12 minutes ago, Darrenbot said:

Depends if he believes in himself or not,that's a lot of ifs that might happen you suggest if he stays.If he's half the player he thinks he is he'll run his contract down and pick his team.

Who will he have to pick from in a year? No guarantee he’s getting offers from bigger teams than Norwich or Southampton. 

Those ifs are hardly unlikely, look at Dack, that’s all it takes. You take PL football when you can get it. He’ll start for both Norwich/Southampton and get exposure in the PL for a season which could lead to better things. You don’t wait around to see what might come in 12 months.

7 minutes ago, Darrenbot said:

Go to Norwich or wait 12 months and get to pick the team you join with a big signing on fee because youre a free transfer,i know which i'd choose if i was him.

Or start playing PL football now and not wait a year for injury to strike, form to dip or clubs to lose interest…

The Armstrong saga needs to be resolved. For the good of the club as much as anything. We haven’t sold a major asset in years (haven’t had many mind you). I don’t want him to go in many ways but the club is clearly desperate for cash and this is one of the few ways of generating funds. Let’s get it over with.

3 hours ago, Ulrich said:

TMs blue and white army was sung in the Leeds match, indicating some fans may still support him. Very worrying.

Is it? At least they’re turning up and trying to support the team. Reading this thread is so depressing. Fans criticising other fans for chanting and in the same breath criticising the club for low attendances.
 

We’re all aware of the problems, no one is trying to excuse what’s happened over the last 10 years but wallowing in it isn’t going to make a difference. At some point you just need to get behind the team on the pitch and not criticise fans who just want to turn up and support their club on a weekend.
 

Life is too short. 

3 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Unfortunately it seems the majority that still bother going are the "club, Mowbray and venkys can do no wrong types"

Thoroughly depressing.

So what, they’re still fans? Does it matter if they’re more optimistic than you or would it be better if no one went? Can’t stand this attitude. I’m fed up with what’s happening at the club as well but criticising those who are actually trying to cheer the team on is hardly helping.

5 hours ago, Trinidad Rover said:

Exactly.

Any relatively commercially savvy organization would be thinking about how to make inroads into a potential new market of 19m people. Wasn't this the whole reason Venky's bought us....to get the Rovers brand into the Indian market. 

Sadly, we are run by Steve Waggott who counts Coventry and Southend as his previous experience. 

Another, in my view fairly obvious point, throw money at a new contract for Brereton - it would pay for itself if the club could actually work out how to create an income stream from 'Brereton Mania'.

It really isn't Harvard level business economics. Venky's if you're listening.......I'll come and run the commercial organization, for double Waggott's salary and a season ticket.

Given expenditure is clearly very tight, what are you expecting the club to do? Open a branch of the Roverstore in Chile? Honestly, beyond boosting our social media profile I’m not sure what we could do given the circumstances. A preseason tour of Chile is hardly on the cards. Getting him to sign a new contract is easier said than done I’d imagine.

Impressed with Cirino. Looked really composed and a threat going forward. Thought Buckley did alright. Sad to see Ewood so empty after 18 months away. I don’t care what the reasons are, it’s just sad to see.

On 27/07/2021 at 15:33, toogs said:

Which could well be why he hasn't succeeded here due to terrible management by his manager.

I'm wondering who we can afford that are better.

 

I don’t dispute that we may struggle to afford much better but that almost goes for every position. Rothwell has had enough game time to impress and hasn’t. Mowbray can be faulted for many things but Rothwell is responsible for producing on the pitch and he goes missing too often.

 I’m not desperate to see him gone but I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

Won’t miss Rothwell if he goes. Too inconsistent. He’s had enough chances in various positions. 
 

Armstrong would be a shame but we can’t turn down that kind of money. As a club in the Championship, buying low and selling high is the only sustainable model to operate under. Look at how Dack’s value changed with one injury. £15m+ is reasonable. 

The imprint of a rose is a nice touch. Otherwise, I’m a bit underwhelmed. Expected a bit more imagination. Might look better in person.

6 hours ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Was it Harrison Barnes who needed to learn to play midfield from Richie Smallwood?

The same Barnes who held his own against the big boys in a poor Fulham side.

Harrison Reed…?

Can’t criticise the club for the Brereton stuff. They’d be criticised for not making the most of it if they did nothing. 

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Nonsense.

All the cards are stacked against Rovers.

Armstrong walks for nothing in 12 months if that is what he wants.

All boils down to Armstrong.  

Think least likely option is he signs a new contract with Rovers and condemns himself to Championship mediocrity at best - think he and his agent will have a bit more sense than that.

Think Rovers will be lucky to net £7/8million after Newcastle's 40% share of any profit.

We are not in the driving seat - Armstrong and his agent know that and so do other clubs.

I think the incompetence of Waggott and Mowbray have screwed us again.

Not quite sure what Waggott and Mowbray could do differently with this. Other than offer Armstrong a new deal, what else can they do? We got him for a decent price from Newcastle and we’ve had 18 months where he’s been one of the best strikers in the league. If anything this is an example of good business rather than bad. The contract situation isn’t ideal but I can understand why Armstrong would be reluctant to sign again.

4 minutes ago, Ghost7 said:

Probably linked to why the squad's never quite ready for the first game of each season either and why revenue is down. Bad planning, bad foresight and an inability to get things done throughout the club. We seem to have a kit released when there's no choice other than to release a kit i.e. the season is starting. Right now a shirt isn't absolutely necessary so we don't have one. A bit like a squad of permanent players, we will scrape one together on deadline day if allowed to do so.

It’s clearly not our decision, it’s the manufacturers.

I assume our shirt release dates correlate quite closely with sales. Why would Umbro/Macron get ours out ahead of other clubs if we’ll only shift a couple of thousand at best. Most prem clubs have theirs out in May and I doubt that’s a coincidence.

On 30/06/2021 at 14:58, only2garners said:

What a day for British sport yesterday and nothing to do with the football.

This year’s Tour de France has had an eventful first 4 days with lots of crashes, one caused by a stupid “spectator” but most of the others rider error caused by the pressure of needing to at the front of the peloton. G has got his customary crash out of the way early but maybe he won’t be fit enough now to be competitive. I think I would struggle with a three week bike ride after dislocating my shoulder even if I had someone to push it back into place straightaway.

Then yesterday the seemingly impossible happened. A week ago Mark Cavendish wasn’t planning to ride with his team and no one believed he could now add to his 30 tour stage wins. Then Sam Bennett got injured and a place in the team opened up. Then he won his 31st stage yesterday and cue buckets of tears. I think even Christian Prudhomme was struggling to hold them back. Cavendish himself could hardly speak on the podium.

No. 32 today. One of the greatest comebacks in sporting history. He has been out of it for so long. He’s 36 and performing like he was in 2010. This just doesn’t happen in elite sport.
 

I thought the days of watching Cav winning sprints were way in the past. I’m loving every minute. Doubt he’ll make it to Paris but it doesn’t matter. His legacy is made.

39 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

He's not fit as admitted by Mowbray and he's played him 3 times in a week. I'm pretty angry about it to be fair. 

Not going to go around in circles but it wasn’t a fatigue injury. He’s at risk of an impact injury just by being on the pitch. Playing 2 games before tonight didn’t have anything to do with it. 

No need to blame anyone for the injury. Dack has been back for 3 months not 3 weeks. This is the first run of starts he’s had in that time and he’s been getting back to his best recently. Was anyone saying before the injury that Dack should have been taken off as a precaution..?

Awful season, almost worse than the relegation years given the expectations. 

Highlight was easily Trybull. When substituted, he went off on the far side and proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the pitch to the dug outs, throwing all the available spare footballs into the stand. World class.

23 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

This whole “outdated facilities” thing...three quarters of Ewood Park is the same age as Brockhall...should we knock that down ? 

I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of the STC a couple of years ago, unless they’ve gone downhill bloody quickly, they were pretty impressive to the untrained eye I can assure you. 

I’d suggest Ewood is slightly different given the purpose of the buildings, historical significance, fans emotional attachment and lack of viable alternatives but it’s certainly showing it’s age and, as mentioned, the riverside (built circa 1990/91?) certainly should be replaced.

Always wanted to visit the STC so will defer to your knowledge. But in fairness this isn’t about impressing the untrained eye, it’s improving the facilities to modern standards.

To be clear, I remain to be convinced that this is the right approach and the club will need to go to some lengths to convince me that this is in our best interests. But equally, I’m not going to dismiss the idea out of hand.

1 minute ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

You can’t use “could” as a pro. Sorry. Nothing they have done has ever been as good as something Jack has done *30 YEARS AGO*

It isn’t financially beneficial to the club either. 
 

Again, I’m struggling to see any pro to this. Look at the facilities we have, look at the facilities they now propose and tell me again what are we gaining from this? We being Blackburn Rovers btw. 

You can use ‘could’ because we’re all speculating over the benefits and drawbacks. You don’t know that it won’t be financially profitable for example. Your final question is what we all need the club to clearly answer and until then, it’s hard to make a definitive judgement.

2 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Pro's:
- Financially beneficial to the club
- Brand new building which *could* be state-of-the-art facility
- May allow club to adopt different ideas on youth development, housing juniors teams within same location as senior teams as seen at other top European clubs
- Moving 1 minute from current location, not a drastic change unlike some clubs

Cons/Questions:
- No room for further development in the future due to a decisive and final move which would be irreversible
- Less building space per player (unless the most junior of our teams are relocated)
- Selling the land technically is financially beneficial but does it not technically devalue the club? Might need some more well knowledged opinion on that.

I’m on the fence. Need to learn more about the proposed new STC. I have no doubt that our facilities are getting outdated but it doesn’t sound like the replacement will be significantly better, at least on paper. If the club benefits financially and we end up with a better facility then it’s obviously a no brainier but we need to see the finer details. 

In terms of Jack’s legacy, I think we need to be philosophical. Preserving Jack’s legacy shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to improve the facilities, similar to any suggestion to replace the riverside stand. They key is to fully understand how the club will benefit and right now, it’s not particularly clear. 

Obviously with this being Venkys, I don’t blame any supporters from fearing the worst. Right now, we need to establish the facts.

Just now, tomphil said:

Great timing, good diversion from the manager issue....

To tuck it away in a planning application?

Need to stick to the facts on this. Certainly concerning on paper. Need to know more before jumping the gun.

Dire. Overcomplicated and no plan B. Desperate.

This was the final nail.