Unless we've agreed to buy them...

I read the article in the LT. Given that Sharpe is having a day off. I suspect that was written prior to the window closing - so TM comments would possibly be alluding to the players he expected to sign yesterday. Surprised they still ran with it.

Looking forward to this magical unicorn loan window; where all the players we couldn't buy in 3 months, come and play for us till January - when we buy them with all the money we haven't spent. Sit back, relax with your beer and let the magic unfold before your eyes. I'm as chilled as Chaddy for this one.

?

There's a loan window??

There was a cash injection from Venkys of circa £4 million about 2 weeks ago. You would assume now that is the budget money. Any £5mil bids would have to be structured over X years as there is no way we have that cash up front. Probably another sticking point with our offers to clubs tbh.

Think the Chapman ship may have sailed tbh. Look at it from his point of view. He's now on the bench for his 'hone club'. A club far more likely to get promoted than us. He's highly thought of by the Boro fans who want to see him given a run and his family are in the area. He's been told he is on our manager's D list somewhere and would only be a bench player here. Not sure why he would leave tbh. Maybe in Jan if he's been bombed out the side but I will be pleasantly surprised if he turns up in the next 3 weeks.

Perhaps not Mowbray ...but would you put it past Cheston, Waggott and Suhail?

I think that what is clear from this last window is transfer fees/wages have hit a tipping point. Clubs are going to seriously have to review their recruitment strategy and become more realistic with valuations. Players are also going to have to become more realistic with wage expectations in the next few years. The valuation of average Premier players is just too high for anyone outside of the European elite. Take Man U. Wouldn't buy Alderweireld (sp) aged 30 as no value in the deal (no sell on) deal over 3 years including wages would be £75 million.. or Maguire at £70 mil plus wages but would have taken Varane for over £100 mil plus wages due to young age and 'class' of player. On that basis, Maguire will have to run down his contract, if he has any ambition to leave, as he is priced out of a move. It seems nobody wants to invest in players aged 30 and above (Ronaldo being a unique situation) as the buying club has to write off a large transfer fee. These players will undoubtedly sit with their clubs until their contracts expire. There will be a saturation of good players -aged over 30 - on the market within 2 years. You would imagine then, that these older players would have to take a significant drop in wage to secure a new deal. Potenialally, the age bracket that is being shunned now, will become the 'value' in a couple of years time.

I would say optimistically that is as good as we can possibly get now.

No, I really don't think that. Got to be honest and I like TM but he is not some sort of psychology/mind games evil genius.

Lot of people happy to use the loan market. So it would be interesting to know: How many signings would make this a successful window? What quality of player do people expect now with our seemingly decent budget? Finally, would you still be happy if we signed 4-5 players but none with an agreed fee? I

Been a strange 48 hrs Mani. LT expecting us to go for a premier league attacker. Everyone expecting somebody in permanently. Random bids for midfielders. Left field last minute bid for a pretty obscure (if promising) striker. Sounds a complete shambles. What's your take on the two reported bids today? There can't have been a sensible recruitment plan in place surely? My gut feeling is that TM will regret this window of opportunity. As you say, he needs some rabbits out the hat now. Also very noticeable that Rovers media department fell off the face of the earth today. Be interesting to see how they try and spin things in the next 24 hours.

Sorry that post was second guessing the rhetoric from Ewood at the end of the January window!

Yeah I agree. Will be interesting to see if Hurst knits them as tightly as he did with the Shrews.

Reassuring you that there are/were better players in league one than several of our current first team. On which basis, we could still have strengthened from league one. Would have been great to add champ quality - but we failed miserably at that. Ironic that our most experienced championship player was signed in league one and can't get a game. Will be interesting to see where Ipswich finish in relation to us.

The last part rings true. I really think that they were too over confident with what seems a good budget. We want to get players from this list rather than that list. Proven players with champ experience. Exciting footballers etc. They probably turned their nose up at some decent signings and tried to go for a marquee style signing, failed, then realised the other players had signed elsewhere. Anyway enough is enough. Must admit to being absolutely fuming this evening. Lol Done enough wallowing now - nowt can be done now. Time for a beer, and hopefully a great loan window and 3 points on Sat. COYB

Edwards and Nolan would get in our first 11.

I can understand that as they won't have seen much of them - but having seen how decent Edwards, Nsiala, Nolan etc were last year, there are clearly several players who could easily step up a level.

I am very surprised we didn't do more business from league one tbh.

Yup. The fact that we offered £4 mil for a midfielder, then suddenly chucked £5 mil at a striker suggests we completely panicked. It just seemed scattergun. Ipswich got 6 or 7 through the door comfortably.

Lol aye until it's time to actually pay for them!

That's the bit that worries me. We had the chance to make an unexpected big purchase and failed miserably. Now everyone is aware we aren't as skint as we cracked on, so prices will rise accordingly.

Agree with all of that Rev. It was the hyperbole from the club about incomings/budgets/quality transfers etc. I think TM and Waggott were a little overconfident. If we had a plan, it didn't come off. We had a great opportunity to push on and really build on promotion. A couple of marquee signings would have done wonders for our season. Certainly pushed us towards the top half. Feels like that opportunity/momentum has been lost. I wonder if TM is one of these managers who is better operating on a shoe string?

So would you have been happy with a £5 million last minute signing from Forest? Or is that Recklessly endangering the stability of the club?