The tale Merson tells sums it up when he said to Arry he fancied playing but didn't want to move down there. Redknapp said something like train on your own and just turn up the day before games and stay over. Don't care what you do rest of the time as long as you do it in a match and we'll pay you X amount plus bonuses. Probably worked out quite well but just shows how some of these guys work with other peoples money. No long term thinking for the club whatsoever.

They will but they'll have to ask the paymasters for permission first. They'll probably end up choosing their favourite shade, along with a nice donation to the council christmas party fund.

How many clubs have later fallen foul of Harry Redknapps overspending ? One of the most overblown dodgy managers in the English game that barrow boy.

I'd wouldn't be surprised if they are arguing it out with the council who's responsible for tidying that bit up.

Most chairmen, owners, CEO's or MDs in the EFL want as easy a life as possible and aren't in a lot of cases emotionally connected to their clubs. They are just doing a job and drawing a wage so when money comes on the table that helps this they'll be inclined to just want to grab it quickly with both hands. They know the top clubs in cahoots with the tv companies run the game anyway and already have all the power. It's just crumbs from the top table that rarely fall their way and nothing else really changes in terms of their day to day stuff. There isn't really a bigger picture footballs problem is and always has been short termism, this will work out no different in the long run it'll be another cock up that only benefits the usual.

I don't think these days most of Rovers youngsters will be on a whole lot more than some average lge 1 and 2 clubs pay. Probably less in a few instances so i don't see that being a problem to be honest unless they can't pay anything and want them for free. Even so if they can pay the insurance at least to cover and injuries then it's still worth getting out youngsters game time and experience elsewhere. We are paying them anyway and i'm sure that kind of thing happens anyway.

He should be the nailed on 10+ per season man now so if he left it would be a big blow. We'd probably muster enough for another mid table finish but i wouldn't bank on it and we could kiss goodbye to any ambitions this season. Unless they pulled a rabbit out the hat very cheap to step in.

They aren't football clubs anymore they are corporations and that's where any squeeze should be applied. Sadly a lot of the games power brokers - mainly media & corporate - support these clubs or have fingers in their pies. Sickening but they'll only ever get more and more power and money fed in no small part by their legions of plastic and armchair fans.

Similar to how the English play offs started and i think Rovers v Chelsea was the first but again it'll be heavily weighted towards the Prem club in a lot of cases. Just imagine us swapping places with Burnley in such a scenario though ! Heaven !

It sounds like they made him one that was less than last year just going off whats been said and he decided to sit on it for a bit. Fair enough i'm not having a pop at him he's got to look after himself. I'm only concerned with Rovers though and i think chucking another million or half million at him is a bit pointless when it can be put towards something a bit more urgent. Agree it's pointless having yet another expensive squad man around the place his form could disappear overnight as we've seen with Mulgrew and Whittingham god bless him. I know Mowbrays rates him highly but he should be learning from past mistakes now and i don't think this season Downing would be the difference between top 6 and mid table. Those wages could go a long way towards something younger.

We don't need Downing back if he wasn't interested in the first offer he's obviously been holding out for money. Put it elsewhere otherwise it's down the drain again. How can we moan about money for stadium maintanence then condone filling the pockets of another of Tony's pals ?

A decent clean would be a drop in the pond compared to what they pour down the drain at football level.

We had the same last season then he got found out although injury more or less ended it for him. He's doing well but isn't the long term answer and both he and Lenihen are likely to miss long spells through injury. We have Ayala which is good but need another experienced one in there imo. Then the kids can be brought on bit by bit instead of being thrown in, hitting a bad patch then being replaced with another kid to repeat the action. We've a couple of good young defenders but probably not ready yet for anything more than token appearances it's a long old season.

Anywhere in the Champ can be intimidating when it's full or near and the fans are up for it. Those who only go to the odd away games when Rovers are doing well and maybe the opposition are might find it intimidating. When you go round regularly to run of the mill games/crowds nowhere really stands out. Even Millwall although a handful of crowds are always more vocal than others. Derby, Boro and the like are only remotely up for it when they are doing well. Rest of the time it's quiet and sometimes sparse.

Should never have got in the state that it may cost people jobs in order to maintain it, its been on the slide since this lot walked through the door. Trouble is those running it are too spineless to step up and tell them it needs doing, probably because they fear any cost cutting in order to put towards it might be at their expense. How much is the pointless middleman messenger boy on ? How much did they waste moving the tv gantry across to the riverside just to appease the viewers in Pune ? How much did Waggot spend on the lounges etc ? Venkys own the building it should come straight out of their pockets.

Dread to think of the agents fee on that one !

Yep when he got a good one over it usually resulted in a goal. On the pitch purely to hit the touchline and swing em over every time they gave him the ball. To be fair some of his best crosses whizzed straight over the other side because he was so quick the others didn't keep up.

From the one's iv'e seen Duff was outstanding, pace and trickery also was probably not even at his peak when he left Rovers. Sellars had more skill in his toenail at this level than the likes of Rothwell he just lacked a bit in the physical and pace sides of it. He beat men with ease coming inside and outside though and his end product was good although not so much an eye for goal. He also took it up to top level comfortably enough later in his career. For out and out basic wingers Ripley and Gillespie were as good as you'd find outside of 'world class'. I like Rothwell but for me he's more in the Rochina type mould than anywhere near the likes of Sellars etc. Looks to be trying to bat a league above his true ability in terms of being creative.

Yet iv'e always thought it a bit strange that you are the only one who's ever pushed this. I also know that some on here had assumptions about an outfit from that region coming over to the UK to sign off a big corporate deal that turned out to be 2+2= 67. Some more meat needed on those bones i'm afraid. There did however seem to be a few consortiums publicly trying to get involved a few years ago although it looked more like they were preparing rescue packages than actually buying out.

If Rothwell is world class at running with the ball then Rochina was out of this world.

Terrific natural talent but like many others the upstairs looked like it needed a lot of keeping in check and would probably have been an issue.

The line in the sand if there actually is one was drawn after relegation as it seemed someone somewhere finally sat up and took some notice. The audits followed and since then it's been only buy young British potential for real money, loan or freebies for the rest whilst the youth is filtered in. A bit of speculate to accumulate big money buys then grow the book value again as high as possible. That'll help convince the bank etc to keep the thing going but without promotion at some point soon there'll need to be another big clawback you'd have thought. That's before covid of FFP have been brought into the equation. There does seem to be some sort of plan in place but exactly what it is and where it will end up is very much open to debate.

I'd assume non owner debt i'e bank overdraft is smaller because the borrowing limit is now smaller, borrowing against income of 10 million instead of 20/30. If they could've run up a 30 million limit i'm pretty sure they would have at some point.

That's a major sticking point with the way Vs do things putting all their eggs in one set of peoples basket. The whole interior of the club relies on one person who they let basically stitch it up to suit. Works well with the more trustworthy like we have now but fraught with possible awkward consequences that's why there should be a proper board of directors in place independant of the manager and his crew. Changes are inevitable for a multitude of reasons.

We sold the right back to sign a goalie ? ?