5 minutes ago, LeftWinger said:

According to Google:

How much is Chris Martin worth?

Chris Martin has a net worth of $120 million.

 

Probably found the wrong one again here.

Is that all ?   Rovers would bankrupt him in about 5 years ?

Look at the difference that extra million makes - = Andrew Cole & Jordan Rhodes - 8 million.

1 hour ago, Amo said:

What's the Ladies goalkeeper like? 

Well if she's from Boro and a nice lass it might have legs.

9 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Coronavirus has plenty to do with it. why take any risk of any players getting the virus and having to quarantine for number of days

Clubs can't go to their normal places for pre season like us going to Austria. 

Why go to Scotland that might not be covid safe? 

 

That's like saying they can't train at Brockhal because it isn't safe being in Blackburn....

3 minutes ago, LeftWinger said:

I heard a story earlier in the season that he went from being all matey with the players to being quite disciplined and the players didn't like it. Stories about suddenly announcing an extra training session in the afternoon after the morning session. I know you're all thinking that an extra training session shouldn't be an issue for players on the wages they are on, but they still have families, childcare, school collections to consider etc.

Souness did something along those lines i remember players complaining he'd altered parking spaces at the training ground. Also he brought out a little black book of new do's and don'ts that went down badly.

This was when he clearly lost his grip on things so it's not usually a good sign if your trying it with players you've let rule the roost for a few years.

Part of the pre season is the craic and bonding for team spirit plus maybe initiating the odd new signings and those stepping up.  They go away somewhere to graft during the day and relax at night in a neutral setting before spending most of their time on their training grounds concentrating on the job.

Can fully understand the use of camps in other countries and it shouldn't be such a big deal to go off somewhere a bit closer like Scotland. 

The club ---  We can't do anything on big decisions without the owners approving/signing off, we are waiting to hear from them. They pay our wages we don't pick up a phone and rock their boat.

Owners reps - They are aware of everything on a daily basis and will get back to you soon as.

Owners - We are busy people we'll get around to it when we are ready.

The club - Ok, no problem at all we look forward to hearing from you in good time. Thanks for continuing to fund us.

Meanwhile we have an assistant CEO or whatever his real title sat on his arse on 200k per year waiting for the first team manager to find him something to do.  That's when they've all finished their holidays of course.

The perfect storm for midtable mediocrity.

Evans is just your stereotypical upper mid level championship player who's runs of form usually coincide with the rest of the team hitting a purple patch. Doesn't drag the team up a level or drive it on when it's floundering he just flows up and down with it.

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.

8 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Christ, I was just reading that article about what next for our sponsorship options and a series of thoughts occurred to me.

The pre-season match schedule starts on Saturday and we have...

No sponsor

No shirt

No season tickets

No signings

No senior goalkeeper

No budget yet (it appears)

It makes you want to add 'no hope' at the end, but it's early for that call. Has to be said though that even by the standards of the last few seasons, and even with the shadow of covid over us, this is particularly precarious. It's been a long time since we had this sort of shambles when the pre-season was getting underway, even under Venkys. Things need to start happening.

No rush for anything in the pressureless Ewood vacuum.

1 minute ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

My favourite Nixon reply of the day.

 

That Wigan lad deserves a pint.

1 hour ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Yes - better than Warnock.

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.

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

i can categorically tell you now that williams is useless as a centre back and even worse as a left back,iv`e watched him enough through his tenure here to realise he`s about as much use as an artex canoe,he`s a nice lad though and good in the dressing room,which is a mowbray prerequisite

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.

32 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

i say give the lad a chance,he can obviously cope with the physical side,having spent time in the lower divisions and excelled by all reports,he should certainly get some game time here,if he`s not up to it then offload him,tosin is`nt coming back and williams is weedy at centre back,give the lad a chance and see how it goes

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.

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

You don't need to defend everything the club does.

Mowbray has been here 3 seasons and has signed 1 player from abroad in Holtby, it's not good enough really.Covid will just be used as a coveniant excuse whilst other clubs bring in foreign players.

Recruitment needs to be taken away from Mowbray,we need a DOF

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.

27 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

They certainly COULD fund the club personally but they don’t as no individual loans/gifts/donations are shown in the accounts. If a director wants to gift money to the club, that money would have to flow through the company accounts somewhere & I see no evidence of it.

@northernrover ‘s point on the podcast was that Venky’s core business isn’t immune from Covid impacts and so that might result in an across the board tightening of belts,,.which would include Rovers.

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. 

8 hours ago, Mercer said:

Their Rovers' 'project' is now most likely pushing £200million factoring in acquisition costs and loans.

There will come a 'tipping point' - it's almost inevitable as I very much doubt they will continue to throw in some £20million every year (throwing good money after bad).  In the past, we've seen the likes of Hayward, Davies and Whelan all call time on their clubs - it happens.

IMO, and I've said this for a number of weeks now, the noose is tightening. 

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.

2 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

The trading debts accrue in the BRFC company & BRFC's parent VLL converts a large portion of the debt into shares every year. It is pretty much what happened when JW owned Rovers. Ultimately, funds come from the group companies but arguably, the directors of the parent (i.e. the Raos) could take out lower dividends to allow funds to trickle down thus indirectly funding the group.

If BRFC makes profit on an "investment" player, it needs a smaller handout from the parent.

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.

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Aren't we funded by the personal wealth of the Rao family rather than company funds? Aren't they billionaires?

If so why does a temporary decline in company performance result in an inability to make funds available for Rovers?

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.

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Working out a partnership with the other centre halve is the key as you say. Maybe the other lad he was playing with at Barnsley covered for the weaker points of Linsay's game. I never saw them play so I wouldn't like to comment. For instance Bobby Moore never looked as dominant playing in the old Div 1 alongside Ken Brown at West Ham as he did when he was next to Jack Charlton for England and the class of opponent was much better.

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.