No questions asked of him here his chief exec works for him. Everything at Rovers is upside down.

That's obviously why we keep getting halfway to signing these decent players ! Half a job club sounds about right.

Didn't that Roving Rover account say he doesn't have a budget number as such he just has to present a player he likes to the owners people and they say yes or no ? Really sounds far more like the Venky way of doing things than just telling him yes you have 3 million in the pot.

Often wonder if some of the names we are supposed to be hotly pursuing are more down to the local media running with it as long as they can rather than the club just window dressing ? They need stories, they need stuff to print they need to sell papers and get clicks online. Name pops up and club confirm hes one they have on their list. Next thing is we are in talks then they sign for someone else and it becomes 'we've just missed out', club happy to let them go with it as it looks like they are doing something and it provides cover for other more realistic targets. Often when we do sign someone the journos know nothing until it's being done but in the meantime they have to drag the life out of anything they get a sniff of.

A few sticking to their guns though. To be fair there's a handful of ex Rovers forwards who didn't set the place alight in later Prem years we'd be happy to give another go now.

8th Then it might be 5th the season after without having to spend a ton again. 15 million on 3 fwds and million pound loan & short contract signings gets us midtable. A bit of solid investment on top of that should get us in the top 5, one big sale gets a wad back, 1 season in the Prem covers the lot.

He did similar with Downing also so those 2 will have cost maybe 2 mill for one season. Yet it never leads us to anything other than midtable. And here we are again looking for sticking plaster signings for defence and quality again. Surely a decent manager can do something a bit more solid with that kind of money I think that's the point a few are trying to drum home. Not to you but one or two others. Fact that he has to get in those signings just to get us to midtable brings questions itself.

At least we haven't been blown out in favour of Preston this time !

We need and have done all along is a Blackburn Rovers at heart football director. Independent of the owners and their agencies. Not working for the manager either. Somebody who sees things for what they are with no other agenda other than the club itself. Sadly even if one existed they'd never get past the myriad of self serving advisors and go betweens.

All the raw ingredients are there and at least we'd be growing our own instead of grooming one for someone else. Mulgrews contract extension, Tosin loan fee, another loan this time. How much has been spent then over 3 seasons in that one position with little return on the pitch and did all off it. Surely that doesn't appeal to these so called great business people.

Worth it, why aren't we all over it ? Oh yeah, he isn't a forward.

He's been very fortunate in past windows when these alleged A, B list targets don't materialize. They've usually tipped the nod with their finance men to allow the Tosins, Reids etc and dug money out for Brereton & Gallagher. How he's used them is down to him but it looks this season as if nothing like that will be ok'd. Could be a really testing season.

Nailed on from the get go that one I reckon.

The Assombalongo saga sort of pointed to that a while back. They knew he'd cost a whopping fee and huge unsustainable wages yet apparently we made an 'enquiry'. Once it became official it was at least 10 million and about 30 grand a week just to get a foot in the door it should have been put to bed. It wasn't it was left to rumble on as if we were in there hoping the cost would drop at the last min. Was never going to happen and we were never serious anyway.

When one of the directors at the time tells you directly, unprompted then i think it's safe to say the general feeling around the place was he was. Only really he, the off shore appointees and Venkys (maybe) will know the cold hard truth though.

Correct and i don't blame him but just another example of how naive these lot are they also gave him permission to spew 7 mill on a kid, or gave him the kid depending on what you believe. By the way we'd also gone down to that level whilst he was manager for the first time in nearly 40 years. Not that they'd be aware of that of course.

And TM & Co struck whilst the iron was hot and got himself protection in the way of a nice long contract extension. Before doffing out extra years to the players. That affords him whatever places we finish until it's up or he gets another extension which wouldn't surprise anyone.

He brought some good bad and indifferent in including some of his pals etc as they all do these days. The two best ones on paper one worked well and the other didn't but that was more down to the ex Wigan geezer himself i think. There was good word that he had a couple more nice ones lined up after being told to get who he wanted. Only for the door to swing shut after he'd got the first lot in hence his dummy coming out. Whatever the feelings on Lambert it's clear to a certain degree he was sold something that was only half delivered.

The owners agents being ?

Don't come all evidence gatherer it's the classic line on here reserved for those with no serious answer themselves. I was merely saying he might be hoping to get the clubs attention to a player who might fancy coming back. As far as conspiracies go it's hardly the Da Vinci code is it ? Bunn would probably be decent back up so get back in your little box there's nothing to see here.

I don't think anybody is questioning that. . Maybe just maybe he's a pal of Bennetts and he's giving him a heads up to get him noticed.

Agent Benno at work ? He knows TM loves this kind of thing.

A 12th placed finish will bring the same soundbites but the lack of bums on seats when normality returns will tell its own story.

Part of the reason i reckon he changed style of play last season was to compensate for the weak defense. Cheaper than trying to solve it so just switch styles to try and keep possession more and keep the ball off the opposition to limit their chances etc. Great when you have the players to do it and it works but really for us it didn't over the full course of the season. Sticking with that when you've got all these bright bold but young and inexperienced players transitioning into the squad will imo not get the best out of them. Make the most of their youth and energy and get a higher tempo style rather than trying to get them sitting back tip tapping sideways and being caught out.

This is what we have to focus on now but i just hope he gives them a style of football designed to get the best out of their bold youthfulness.