We'll never be near a finished article because collectively they aren't capable of getting anywhere near putting that together finance or no finance. Post lockdown highlighted that more than anything. Best job in the Championship they have lurking in the Pune - Blackburn vacuum.

Great question. From the way they do things here and the lack of real investment in defense over the last 4 years or so you'd have to assume if they have the option they'll plump for a rookie in the sticks and keep the rest. Personally i'd hope they could cut some more chaff away and find a taker for Mulgrew then use that to take a decentish loan keeper with Fisher no 2.

I'm really at a loss at those trying to give the management - all of them - a free pass on the keeper situation. There's plenty about this current situation that isn't altogether their fault. However the keeper situation which was manifesting itself before Raya left really is. No excuses it's about time some hands were held up ! It can still be rectified but it's the very worst time to be trying do it however a set up like ours with the money it costs and has had should not be in that situation. It's the kind of thing that you'd expect to happen just pre Jack Walker when we really didn't have an egg cup to piss in and injuries and age had decimated the tiny squad we had. It's nothing short of pathetic in this era they really need a rabbit out of a hat.

He's had a very easy ride in that respect so far but that could disappear overnight. His efforts at 'building football clubs' seems to be from within but on the grass it's a hotch potch of signings and selections. As for the share issues isn't that just an accounting process squaring off the books every now and again whilst they pay the shortfall on bills and wages every month ?

It's an odd time this though and some clubs are known to borrow against Season ticket money in advance. Possibly to get them through lean summer months or sign a few players. If the likes of Bolton etc have borrowed in advance they'll be under pressure to get them on sale to get something back in to meet their repayments. We are never on the ball here anyway though so no surprise nothing has been mentioned. Owners probably on their annual summer leave so everything stops then.

Cunningham - A known steady left back played at left back = looked a good signing in glimpses for a few games. Tosin - A tall gangly center half played at center half after circumstances dictated and decent for at least half the games he played. There's a moral in there somewhere and i think its called horses for courses.

That's his mentality though, arse cover first and foremost.

A cheaper midtable championship version of what we are now.

That's the problem and the lack of strikers our academy produces is at the heart of it as i'm sure that played a part in spending big on those two. Nobody at all knocking on the door at youth level and there never seems to be although out and out strikers and target men are becoming a thing of the past. Sooner the game gets some basics back the better otherwise it's 5 feet tall false 9's and attacking mids along with 6 ft tall wide forwards replacing wingers. It's as complicated as gender identity out in the real world !

Neither. All part of the grow to sell plan put in place after the audits. Covid has forced the issue somewhat but to be fair they are looking at a season costing about 25 million to run with possibly little or no income at all. It's going beyond just underwriting the loses it's carrying the entire thing and they won't be alone in that in football. We are going to have to lump it. Still doesn't alter the fact we shouldn't be in a position of having no proper keepers and 12 million of non scoring strikers. All that lays at one door only.

Never mind a profit just the money back for one of them would really help right about now and wouldn't make the slightest difference to this seasons aspirations. Factor in between them they'll be costing the thick end of 30 grand per week.

It was always going to happen anyway they threw in some money up top for Brereton after promotion. Along with an increase in revenue and the squad growing in value that was just about covered anyway. Gallagher isn't all it seems as the Raya money enabled that one. So it was like a 3 year plan or something of growing another team to sell off and recoup as much running costs again as possible. All the while building with youth and lower wage signings. Promotion or a genuine crack at the top 6 has NEVER really been on the agenda outside of just hoping we get a run together at the right time. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see this it's all there in the general attitude of everybody and the approach to games in general. No urgency, plenty complacency and in Mowbray and co they have the perfect people running the show for this. They seem perfectly happy with the way things are and i think they'll hold firm on sales until next summer when prices might be more normal again unless and good bids come in of course. After all who would let their manager sell a rated young keeper on the cheap and put that towards a striker. One who he then plays wide and we face a situation of having NO senior keeper 12 months later ??? Just wouldn't happen if they gave the slightest f### !!

If i had to take a punt on it i'd wager its been indicated to them the owners are ok with a similar wage budget to last season. So spending wise at the moment he's looking at whatever headroom there was in that last time plus the room created from those that left recently. So he's being very careful and no doubt waiting on Downing and maybe another enquiry or two. We know he plays the waiting game plus as pointed out by someone else the owners finance men like to see a few weeks wages saved were possible. Stupid on both counts when you need players but that's were we are at. Then of course there is always the chance that suddenly a bit extra becomes available at the last min if some of the 'investors' decide to take a punt. Although that rarely gets put to good use in a panic situation.

For those advocating just diving into the season and installing one of the kids between the sticks just think back to the season Bowyer started Raya for 4 or 5 games. Think back to Jake Kean as well, both of those were highly thought of and neither worked out properly being thrown straight in. The lads we are talking about now have sod all experience compared to even those two like for like. It's asking for trouble but clearly shows they are not bothered where this season ends if they take that risk, it's all about the pennies.

As long as they don't get pelters in the ground then it doesn't matter what's on here they'll get worse on twitter by people following them. I think some have to accept it goes with the turf these days , so if you're daft enough to put yourself out there to take the praise and pandering you've got to learn to take stick. Even when it's ott or unwarranted, half those doing it are anonymous WUMS or fans of other club playing at being dickheads. Solution is simple, stay off or learn to use the mute/block button as like i said it's all part of modern football. As mentioned Lenihen, Nyambe, Travis and several others seem to have done ok over the last couple of seasons despite the so called ogres on here waiting to bash them. As for the 500 to 1 million journeymen well sadly our team needs propping up with them. We'd absolutely love a million pound goalkeeper and centre halves as that might be the difference between going down and staying up !

Find a way to blame the fans even before any young player is selected or a ball has been kicked ?

I read somewhere that Downing isn't training, might have been from Sharpe can't remember.

Fine lines It was post lockdown that swung the tide against him before that it was a bit up and down. Most inconsistent young keepers will get some level of stick on SM when they are making basic errors. The Walton of pre lockdown might given the unique circumstances have been tolerated to stay or come back even it might not have been with open arms by everybody. Sadly we may be looking at worse now or should i say lesser experienced although talk of Steele again is horrific.

You have top go back quite a way for that number of home regulars. 7 thousand is more likely and that should be doable, dread to think what Waggot will charge though.

I pray he has enough in the pot to be bold and get a decent loan in iv'e no issue if Fisher is no 2. Not happy at all its come to this but if that's the way its got to be so be it. We really really need a championship experienced no 1 though imo.

There isn't really any although i'm looking forward to just seeing some football regularly. Think for quite a few clubs of our ilk with our type of fanbase this is the crossroads between a lot transitioning to TV season tickets in the future. The whole landscape could change the longer it goes one once people get used to every game from their armchairs. As for the team i'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised with the management giving a vibrant youthful look to it and a higher tempo approach to every game. Due to the cut backs and lack of crowds they might gamble with getting a season into as many youngsters as poss and hoping for the best. Otherwise it's favourite city, rotating and mid table boring tip tap.

You mean an outright gamble hoping one these lads hacks it at the expense of throwing the season down the pan if it doesn't ? Hopefully at least one will in the long run but that's the long run and we do a lot of hoping at this club and not much cast iron 'doing'. Great management idea.... How about getting in a proper keeper as insurance ? Or is that far too normal for our lot ?

Agree with some of the stuff about Marshalls wages etc. However how much loan fee did we pay for Walton ? How much for Tosin, how much for a loan keeper this time ? They are still throwing money down the pan. So another short term loan then another next season how much is that compared to getting a few years out of someone like Marshall ? Our penny pinching is proven time and again to cost more in the long run.

If he doesn't sign that'll be the one million left in the pot Mowbray will pretend he's going to spend in January.

It's pathetic it really is there is no planning at all they just grabbed the 3 mill for Raya because they'd all fallen out. Chucked that at Gallagher then re-signed the Canadian for a year. All that because it's the easiest thing to do nothing more nothing less. They know the 2 they signed they'll know the agents so it is just easy street. Then the same agent offers Walton, his refs for a season at Wigan check out ok so yeah grab him for a year. Low risk, no hassle, no planning easy street just plod on. Sick of it now they need an absolute rocket up them down there.