If we cast our minds back Kean didn't want Rhodes him and his little crew were trying to get another SEM guy through the door. Forget his name now but he certainly wasn't a patch on Rhodes. Good old Shebby got that over the line with the help of Preston Derek who was well in with Hudds chairman.

Then spent years trying to prise nephew Jordan away from Ewood to wherever he was at. To be fair i think without the bad luck he'd have turned out to be a decent signing.

Of course you are in terms of age if nothing else he's a young pacy forward, anything can happen in the next 4 years. There's zero chance of him signing a contract with no release clause unless you are going to set him up for life financially. You should know by now nothing is guaranteed in football he's a decent championship forward in a mid table team at the moment. That's the be all and end all at the moment. I'd love to keep him but at the same time don't want to over commit.

Chances are he wouldn't sign it and also he's on 15 grand per week now, so what's he going to want to commit for 4 years without a release clause and the chance of bigger bucks ? Think about it for a min, it's never that straightforwards you're asking him to commit his best years there.

The great football finance reset could finally be about to get underway and not before time. Those at the top end will be unscathed though i bet, in fact they'll be allowed to keep throwing obscene money around that increases every year. An 8 team Super League will be on the cards again before long.

Could well be undisclosed initial fee and a deal rumored to up to 10 million if it's him. Nobody is committing that much without covering themselves. Remember similar with Scott Dann coming here, 7 million figure put out to pacify Brum fans. Facts were about 1.5 mill up front and an enormous set of add on's because he wasn't fit when we signed him but they needed rid.

I'd prefer Norman at LB

It really is enough to make you cry - again ! Go now to a steady midtable Prem club and say we are investing 200 million over the next ten years and you'd be staggered if that didn't mean a few Euro jaunts. Say now to a similar midtable Championship club we are here to invest 10 million per year over the next 5 years and you'd expect at least one genuine promotion tilt. Not here it's just going down a black hole propping things up and providing a safe haven for some of footballs regular under achievers. What an absolute waste.

As much as i take issue with them i'm not one who just expects 20 million to be chucked in every 6 months we have to be realistic. They run the club the way they do so yes keep making cock ups then keep paying for the mistakes but this is a bit different. It's a nightmare because post audit they seemed to have got it to a more comfortable level, like iv'e said before i think they are happy writing off 8-10 mill per season through the books for whatever reason. My main issue is how it's used and what happens to it between India and here. I also think the intention was or is to grow and invest in another team to start selling. Done properly though it could become a trading club again selling 1 for decent money every now and then as opposed to a selling club. Cashing in an asset every time there's bills outstanding and fire selling when the chips are really down. Sadly this situation might force the issue into the latter and not a lot anyone can do, unless they are chucking similar levels in as to the post Kean black hole. That would be difficult for even the harshest critic to complain about.

Always got the impression they are comfortable pouring around 10 million in per season. Surely even for them though when you are doubling or even trebling it again it'll cause problems. 1 season alone in the Prem would reset the finances for about 5 years as long as they didn't go crazy and kept the Andersons & Kean types away. No urgency for that though.

Back to the crazy days finance wise in terms of what is needed. I'm truly amazed we've any kind of budget without a big sale or two and i'll be surprised if there's been no emergency borrowing going on. It's a big big call to expect them to chuck in that much.

Only saw him once as i can recall when i was a kid and that was away at Newcastle and the infamous og in a dead rubber game. Always seemed though that he was held in high esteem by Rovers fans from his era so that was no big deal. In fact i think he'd made a comeback just to help the club out. RIP

He certainly isn't looking to come back here. No doubt old Tone will wait falornly behind the door like an old lab waiting for it's master. Only to see him going elsewhere at the last min leaving him to sign option D. Rodwell springs to mind.

A thing of the past the likes of Flirty although I don't know why. He managed to be a nice guy and good pro behind the scenes alongside being a no nonsense operator.

I was under the impression they had to give those standard guarantees in order to get the accounts signed off ? Might be wrong although even if not it wouldn't stop them pulling the plug if they had to. I think in order for them to pull the plug the issue would have to be forced somehow so that had something to blame it on. Otherwise it's odds on it would be a long slow squeeze then a quiet backdoor exit.

Defensively he's a liability all it needs is a watch back of his games. More often that not a player taking him on goes past him easily or crosses don't get cut out or he gives a foul away. Worst bit is when they stroll past him he just stands their hands on hips instead of trying to get back. Long way to go before i'll even consider him competent cover he's only in because he offers something a bit different going forwards, i.e he's quite quick. Maybe he'll just put it all together all of a sudden and look the part but i think it's unlikely. He was signed for lge 1 as an attacking full back, thats been and gone.

This is the kind of thing they coach out of them these days though sadly they prefer defensive crablike midfielders. Travis has a host of qualities that should be being enhanced but the emphasis seems to be turn him into Evans. Evans himself has spent years here playing below he true capabilities but managers have just wanted him sat quietly in front of the back 4.

As long as Bell is around he'll get games whoever we sign as it's clear TM sees in him some kind of attacking left back. So he'll plonk him in when he thinks the opposition will suit it. Williams told Mowbray he wanted only to be considered for CH from last summer not left back anymore. At most clubs that would have seen him consigned to 4th or 5th choice or sent through the door. Not here though, here he gets his wish then after an ok start he begins to get found out, gets allegedly injured and disappears to pick up his pay from the shadows. He's one that needs trading off the payroll straight away imo but no doubt he's good for moral or something. Probably start this season as 3rd choice CH again and round and round we go. Like the Samuel, Smallwood situation if you want to improve you must try and trade up from these guys somehow if possible. It's difficult to get good creative players or goalscorers in unless you are bold but LB and one or two others are doable because the present bar isn't set very high.

The club in many ways is geared for success and always has been compared to a lot of others. It just needs the right people in there pressing the right buttons. Even the funding is in place to do better but sadly the people aren't it's all about maintaining the status quo. Relegation from midtable championship growing players to sell, promotion and put right back there. Job done.

Not sure it's a losing culture but it seems 'Ah, ok it doesn't matter there's always next time' kind of mentality. I'm on about game to game and season to season. Everyone is fine to bob along because they keep getting well paid and presumably never have to stand up and answer to anyone on a football level outside of one annual foreign meeting. Doesn't take people long to get into a comfort zone its human nature for most. When you are allowed to actually create your own then even better. It all starts right at the very top they set the targets and demands but even if they do there's no proper administration in between to apply it. Just a messenger boy middleman, god knows what his real agenda is and another wideboy who's authority is less than the first team manager.

The downfall of any sympathy that may have gathered was of course the appointment of Coyle. Coupled with the continuing affiliates of said agency providing ALL our managers. Probably quite a few players and other staff throughout the club as well. Whilst that kind of thing remains suspicion remains that vulchers are still waiting in the wings making a quick buck, with what you can only assume is the blessing of the owners. Or one of them at least. Those gobshites continually looking to blame the fans need to take a step back or just do one altogether to be honest. Don't bite, some of them are turning it on its head on purpose to deflect the questioning of the manager etc, you're being played.

It's ok they pay the bills so they can play russian roulette with the club, as long as they leave the lights on ?

One is reading the others tweets and both have been here reading Sparks ?

This is the championship with bread and butter players not class internationals. No need for it half the time especially when it's clear some are uncomfortable with it. Buy players to fit your system and/or play to the strengths of what you have. We have a mix and match selection policy and a sign them then try and fit them in transfer policy.

It needs the right mentality and the right style to suit the team and real will to drive if forwards not shrug shoulders every time we don't win in 6 games or whatever. Without that you can sign whoever you want we'll still go nowhere there needs to be an attitude change from top to bottom. Cruising it isn't good enough to go for the top 6.