Sit there a Dingles second choice drawing his 30k pwk now go and do the same at Spurs and may even end up 3 rd choice. Sums up modern era top level players it's like Tyson said about HW boxers these days - they're businessmen the business side of it always comes first.

Yet when our lot get around to something it'll probably start with another price increase. Followed by 'we've done all we can' when hardly anybody buys them.

No rush for anything in the pressureless Ewood vacuum.

That Wigan lad deserves a pint.

And the difference in records between our present incumbent and Warnock between then and now ?

The legendary Plymouth game in 75 i think it was, just because iv'e heard so much about it. Would be nice to see if it lived up to its status. Other than that any wins over Manure or Liverpool or the 1970's Burnley derbies.

Categorically agree but that's not how it works here as we've seen although maybe him moving there at least made them pull their fingers out and sign a proper LB on loan. That didn't work out due to injuries but neither did Williams as a 1st choice good championship center half. A little bird on here was kind enough to share with me that he'd heard the penny had dropped with TM after the PNE match. Shouldn't have needed that but again that's what we are dealing with. If Mulgrew got a second bite of the cherry at the beginning of last season it's almost certain Williams will.

In an ideal world i'd certainly like to see him here as back up to Lenihen and a couple of other decent ones. Nothing against Williams but you really shouldn't be poncing around waiting to see if he really is any good at centre half over a season if you have any aspirations. Fair enough as 3rd choice back up.

We have the 1st team coach doubling up as that. Everybody at Ewood apart from the middleman and his pals work under Mowbray. That's why he's coasting it under no questioning apart from a yearly meeting by the looks of it. Best job in the Championship in that regard.

With the window not shutting till October we might very well be in see how it goes territory and the start of the season. Plenty players and clubs will probably be doing similar then there might be a mad/desperate flurry of activity at the last min all over. We need to dig a keeper up from somewhere but like it or not there's enough in the squad now to put out a competent team at the off. Can very much see Mulgrew sitting tight after observing the generosity to the likes of Smallwood and Williams being no 1 choice with Lenihen for now.

Sales on the Venkys ltd spreadsheet are currently almost 50% down on a similar time last year so obviously not immune. Although that's just Venkys Ltd so just another arm of the corporation although probably the core one. Didn't the Trust Fund 'donate' 3 million per season to Rovers post Jacks passing ? That being written down as an allowable one off gift ? Of course i suppose members of the Rao family might inject their own capital into the VH group if needed and that in turn could pass down to the club. Doubt they do that though i just think they have stunning lines of credit back in India, also there seems from time to time some moves in their shares which have flagged up strategic maneuvers by the top end.

If it is still written off as investing in another loss making arm of the company to keep it going so it can so called be built up again in the Prem then i'd agree. You can pacify your bank and shareholders by showing the pot of gold at the end as a season or two in the Prem or even 1 and the parachutes equates to that outlay. Once you get way north of 200 million it's going to take a lot more justifying although i don't think that's why it happens. I think it's just a money pit to them able to be propped up by their huge monthly turnover. In turn it serves some process as an accounting tool over within the group of companies that serves some kind of benefit. They may own allsorts and have allsorts of financial avenues but not many where you can hide or move around the amounts you can connected to a football club. Quite simply it's a family plaything stroke accounting vehicle probably still largely influenced by a 3rd party or 2.

Interesting stuff, cheers for that. Wonder what happened to that 3 million or whatever it was that went out of Vll to fund an Akon venture ? I think there's a few ways that could be cooked up to get a few quid back out again.

Always looked to me like the VH group pays the bills out of it's monthly turnover that's why i'm convinced it helps with their tax bill or something. Also been told by a few on here better placed that there have been whats looked like personal funds injected once or twice. Personally my hunch is the parent company guarantees the running costs and occasionally person funds might be injected to buy the odd 'investment' type player. That's why there aren't many of them and they have to fit certain critera so the 'investors' have a chance of getting it back with a cherry on top.

I just don't get why there'd be any surprise or shock at sell to buy if we want anything over a few hundred grand. The covid hole needs plugging as does the continuing zero income so if they aren't selling to cover that lets consider it a bonus for now. Never likely to be much spare for signings. One ray of light is Mowbray has done some of his best business when the constraints are on. When there's been big transfer money and the budget was increased to Championship level from league 1 looked what happened. Extra contracts for the whole squad virtually and the license to keep carrying other rubbish he was fond of. Then of course Brereton. Take that away from him and he'll have to pull his finger out.

Every successful partnership we've had since i started watching have been the ones that compliment each other in different ways. That's where the nous of the manager comes in again, oh and obviously a decent regular keeper.

Took Duffy a while to look ok, a lot of it is about who you are pared with and if you gel. I'd suggest Lyndsay is probably the best we'll get now and we need something so if he came in and found his niche alongside Lenihen he might be ok.

No they had digs down here where they stayed over. Fact.

Yeah iv'e heard he's a bit of a piss head i think his lack of fitness shows that. Sounds like another Ben Marshall constantly going back to his home town on the razz with his ex team mates and pals.

Mowbray makes such a fuss of getting to know the background of players he wants to sign so how come this didn't flag up ? Surely you'd be telling him he has to stay up here when he's training its as simple as that.

He still seems to have more drive in his 70's than your mate in his 50's. He's a brave manager, not everybody's cup of tea but he can't be accused of bottling things. Like i said live by the sword, doesn't always work out but neither does plodding although the latter keeps you in work longer.

They'll never ever pull Rovers up on the nitty gritty of these kind of things. Sharpe might pass comment on it on twitter or even in the paper. In front of Mowbray or Waggot then no chance, it would be a question with the easy answer already loaded or arse would drop completely and it would get skirted around. They'll be mighty relieved this time the going through the motions fans forums are cancelled.

Sounds perfectly acceptable to me as long as the keeper is decent and at least one of the defenders has a bit of quality suitable to decent championship level.

I think i have a clean slate on reporting as well, live and let live i prefer to scroll past or respond in kind. Live by the sword, die by it, a shame some don't have the minerals for that. Reporting posts that aren't racist, homophobic etc is pathetic really. Also i wish we had a manager who was more cavalier !

The keeper, build from the back now. He's tried building from the front and it hasn't worked out how it should yet but that's 2 pronged. Wrong players for what he's trying to do but undermined by still being weak at the back. A lot of the defensive howlers have actually been ironed out even if it's not perfect. However that's spoiled by having keepers who pull complete clangers out of nowhere. Time to concentrate on the back over the next 2 or 3 windows if there is any money get it 'invested' there. He'll carry on trying mix and match at the front whoever he signs because that's what he does. The back needs to be settled in front of a solid keeper.