It seems the TM way is to make early enquries to decent players but just half hearted ones. Then sit back and see if that player doesn't get any better offers and we are able we'll jump in late on and do something.  9 times out of ten they do or we just outright can't afford it anyway so that leaves us scrabbling around from list c or d.

The same kind of non urgent laid back plodding approach we see and hear week in week out. If we can do it we'll do it, if we can't then fine no big deal.

This might be way off the mark but i think we've been through enough windows now to gauge how they work. Horses for courses first and foremost is definitely not in the script.

To go backwards like that so quickly no i wouldn't tough him with a barge pole now. It was another experiment, its failed. Next.

2 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

That one was beyond nepotism and they weren't the sons of or related to a fecking shithead.

Maybe they even had some talent, I don't know, which that one most certainly did not.

Dalglish carved himself out a lower league career i think.

Miles kickaball isn't even non league standard.

Where does that leave the Lee Williamsons of the world and the other dross we signed on thousands per week under embargo ?

Guys way down the food chain earning 6 - 8k per week at the likes of Salford is nearly as bad as the top guys earning 50k pwk.  Some realism needed all the way through the pyramid.  They aren't all going to fit onto the Chelseas of the worlds books nor will they get poached by Dutch and Belgian second tier clubs.

32 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I avoid the comments section of the Venkys mouthpiece, saves on sick buckets and tissues

There's someone sat in a PR office somewhere being paid to post in there and other places. 

23 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Hiring a bank robber to collect the shop takings. He’d been such a trustworthy paragon of virtue until then too...! The amount of time Willians had been in the game dealing with agents, including Anderson, and he had no idea the man couldn’t be trusted??

I guess it just shows you how desperate the then owners were to get rid. I'm sure the wheels were well greased all along the chain.

Often wondered if Williams reluctance to get involved after he'd gone and it was all going to shit was down to a bit of a guilt trip. His fingerprints were on it if he hired Anderson and ok'd the Venkys although in truth the big decisions then were higher up the food chain.

Just now, Richard Oakley said:

Yes, Johnson can take pre-season training.

He can take all the training and pick the team for me, Tony can sit upstairs and watch ?

They hired Anderson to find a buyer not run the club himself but essentially that's what happened.

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He was one very limited player. I remember Jansen getting away down the right wing in one game. He put the full back on his arse and turned back onto his left foot. Looking up he saw Ward moving un marked into the centre of goal about 10 yards out. Matty picked him out with a perfect pass, right onto his foot. Ward managed to volley the ball half way up the Darwen end stand.

Oh he was limited alright but surprisingly a 110 goals in 388 appearances.

Just a B side Kevin Davies really, Allardyce would've loved him.

3 minutes ago, 47er said:

But there is a clear conflict of interest unless both sides knew.

They probably did, Trust/Walkers really really wanted rid and they or rather one of them really wanted a football club. He was the ultimate middleman it seems but we are just dealing with it on face value.

How it all came about may be far more interesting yet it seems the twohat stayed one step ahead of any potential recourse.

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Good target man ? So's my dartboard.

He put himself about, was quite physical and tried to get on the end of stuff. Not much more you can ask of a limited forward.

The fact he barely resembled an actual footballer with the ball not withstanding.

3 minutes ago, 47er said:

The key point is---did either side know that the intermediaries were working on behalf of the other side as well? I'm assuming they didn't but I don't  actually know.

If they didn't surely that's very dodgy?

Seems to me it was the perfect storm.

The Trust were getting desperate after nearly allowing themselves to be conned the first time round. Then he digs up a firm and family that checks out financially on the face of it.  From the Indian side he presents them a club whose saleable assets on the books match the asking price and whose wage bill is all but covered by Prem income.

The nitty gritty will be far more interesting but he certainly did a snake oil job on both sides so iv'e no doubt they were happy to tip up their million quid each.

The fact he manages to stay in office drawing millions per year says to me he knows too much. 

There was absolutely crystal clear conflict of interest going on at Ewood but the snake seemed to have it stitched up legally.

I'm sure a real investigation would have thrown up enough evidence to undermine that but they didn't want to know.  Who knows who he had in his pockets and also once you do that with one club then several others come forward demanding the same. That shouldn't be a problem it's what the authorities are there for.

Sadly they just set a few guidelines that allow a multitude of grey areas in between. That it seems then allows those running the game to remain absolved of any real responsibility. 

The release clause is probably the be all and end all in some of these types of situations.

Ludicrous to expect a player to sign without insuring himself against his present club holding him hostage asking unreasonable money. 

Just like saying give a manager a 10 year contract after promotion from lge 1 with a Championship budget but that's the world we live in.

A finders fee went into his pockets from both sides.....

The gist of it Rovers were looking for a buyer, that lot were looking for a football club.

Just now, Amo said:

Bear in mind, Ashley Ward was our top goalscorer in 98/99

And that included a strikeforce of Sutton, Gallagher, Davies, Jansen, Blake...

He would be now as well, poor player but good target man. Likes of him will always plunder their fair share of goals at their level.

I'm going to say Stokes has to be one of if not THE worst signing although he didn't cost big money. He cost in wages, signing on fee and pay off and i'm 99.9% convinced that was a put up job.  Him coming here to get his much wanted move to HIbs, who's actually to blame i wouldn't be sure.

Rovers may just be the dumb side show as usual but if ever a move warranted an internal investigation it was that one, that b#st#rd had no intention of doing anything here.  Complete set up job he's a dodgy as they come.

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

 A girl I was seeing was watching The Real Housewives of Cheshire. The size of his gaff is absolutely sickening for how shite he was at football....

Just shows what they can achieve when they invest wisely.

About early 00's me and the gf at the time met him at an auction in Cheshire of all places, both of us had on some kind Rovers related gear. He clocked us and smiled and nodded then stopped for a chat when our paths crossed. Couldn't meet a nicer guy genuinely still interested in Rovers knew what was going on. 

I felt a bit guilty for some of the comments i'd no doubt said previously. End of the day though he was just out of his depth at top level, by some way. Never could it be said he didn't graft though or shirk a challenge, fair play to him for spending his money wisely.

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Correct.

Kean wanted Simon Cox instead.

That's the guy couldn't quite remember his name but i don't think he tore up many trees when he got his move.

Never understood the hatred of Quinn from what seemed to be the moment he turned up.

Perez was class you could see that a mile away, not sure Hodgson had any idea what he was doing with him. Also heard he didn't fit in with the clique in the dressing room at the time, a bit like Davies. If Sherwood didn't like you you'd no chance.

Just the way he operates, everybody starts as back up to those already here and his favs. Doesn't matter how good you might be in your position you'll get on where you are asked.

It's just assuming that a good player can slot in anywhere and the pecking order rules over ability, flawed logic.

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Not got a clue where you are getting your numbers from.

If you look at the accounts for VLL up to 31 March 2012 following the acquisition, they show an acquisition cost of £21million (which i think is widely recognised and understood) and bank debt of £4.5million (compared to £16.1million in the last football club accounts <June 2010>) prior to acquisition.

Financing for acquisition, reduction in bank debt and ongoing losses (think football club lost £50million in first 30 months under the Raos) came through issued share capital of £39.2million and a Capital contribution Reserve from PH PVT Limited of £12.5million (which was made interest free with no intention to repay) .

After losing about 5 mill per season we then lost ten times that in less than 3 the min the Raos, Anderson, Kean, Crescendo at the other twohats came through the door.

Stinks beyond the realms of normal cock ups that does, stinks all the way from here to Brunei via Switzerland, Barnet, Pune and Weybridge.

I think Mowbray did say the football budget for the lge 1 season was about 8 million.  The rest was probably still paying off outstanding monies owed to god knows how many other people.

Who knows who's actually on the payroll of BRFC.

There really is no need to be evaluating anything if he doesn't know what he needs by now he should pack it in.

More a case of seeing who's going, waiting to see if he can get the loanees back in and seeing what serious bids appear.  All standard stuff that will leave us floundering for scraps again at the last min if we aren't careful.

2 minutes ago, Richard Oakley said:

VLL had an influx of £33m to deal with the debt owed Barclays.Barclays had instigated liquidation proceedings. I've never seen a figure as low as £10m quoted. The most common figure I've seen quoted is £19m, but it was a private transaction. Venkys took us private from being a publicly quoted company. Samba did go soon after, but we still needed financing.

Was that the overdraft on take over ?  Transferred off the clubs books and onto VLL ?

I seem to remember the 19 million figure being 16 million overdraft and 3 million for an outstanding loan owed to the trust.  

Hadn't they then ran up another 1o million overdraft in quick style ?