Only Venkys could STILL be stupid enough to fall for that, they continue to have their pants pulled down in full view of everyone.

At some point we are facing austerity again unless they offload some for big fees to re-invest. Otherwise like before the taps will have to be turned down in order to comply with FFP. And lets not blame it all on that, whilst Vs can clearly afford to fund it and obviously don't really care about the numbers there still needs to be a sensible balance. Throwing huge money on certain players and big wages on others whilst we flounder around isn't really the way forward. Might as well have a shit or bust approach for a season or two if you are going to end up embargoed anyway.

A change at the end of the season needs to be a definite upgrade not more of the same. I don't think there's any point in change for changes sake at the min. Been a fan of Grayson in the past but i wouldn't swap him for Mowbray i don't think he seems pretty identikit. It would needs to be someone with at least a bit of pedigree.

Summer gives TM chance to re-sign any of his favs or signings that are out of contract.

I'll refer you back to your mention of agents on that one.

Nixon did a small piece years ago when GB was here about them being frustrated at FFP and wanting to spend. Just before they potted him then sold everyone who was worth anything which in the long run ended in relegation. Personally i reckon they did want to spend big after promotion and go for the double bounce. However they were advised they would be better spending it bit by bit over a few years on the like of Brereton, Gallagher etc and the slow build. Part sound advice part in someone else's interests as always but definitely the wrong players at this juncture.

That's the same that was coming out 6 years ago. As you were.

That's something iv'e asked about on here a few times it would make more sense if so as to why they'd gamble that amount. Still think if they'd shaped themselves a bit more they might just have signed a player then for a few million. One maybe a bit more in the Armstrong mould who might be worth a bit more to sell now without damaging the team too much. Surely that's a better way to go about things rather than be caught inbetween multimillion pound punts or scrabbling around for old age frees on big wages.

Just can't help but think yet again in light of possible FFP restricting spending next season the signing of Brereton is an unmitagated disaster. If they'd paid his true worth of a couple of million or if we could get a few million back for him right now it wouldn't be so bad. But the spectre of that money spent and nothing to show for it contributing to the team yet is very hard to take. Whoever was really responsible for that needs their balls nailing to a fence outside Ewood. Terrible use of our limited funds.

Reminds me a lot of Rovers going there to be honest, shell of a big club coating over a very standard average championship centre. Bigger crowds but similar feeling in the ground of nervousness need the team at it to get them going. On their day it all lives up to its tag, like us but mostly a bland experience on and off the pitch when it ought to be so much better. Think playing at grounds like this suites Rovers it has a familiar feel to it.

I was going all Mercer on this one and seeing a surprise 4-1 away win. That was last night though and then i woke up and realised we've no Jordan Rhodes. So just the 2-1 win instead then ?

We should expect comfortable upper mid upper half of the table i think that's fair enough. However the demands and aims should be as high as possible and you finish where you finish. That really doesn't appear the case at times yet the manager and players frequently say it is but we seem to prefer to be stuck in experimental mode. Then they just shrug their shoulders and so 'oh well never mind'.

Hadn't Tosin gone back home for Christmas to rest his niggle ? When they aren't our players i doubt we have much say what they do and TM doesn't strike me as the type to kick up a fuss.

A demanding but simple game being way over complicated at this level both on the field and behind the scenes. Drones, ipads and their operators don't win you football matches good players being coached and deployed correctly actually do. No conspiracy in that.

Poor selections and tactics you just will not get any real consistency swapping and changing players and positions all the time. If anything the little run we had proved that as do numerous other teams.

No no it's all conspiracy i tell you !!!!

It's no conspiracy theory it happened and we've seen him chop and change all the time before i'm commenting on what we see. That kind of arrogant response doesn't help matters does it every time someone scratches their head as to why these things happen some gobshite tries to pan it off as an attempt at conspiracy. All iv'e said is he's reverted to type.

Lets be honest we could easily have turned in yesterdays display and result with Dack in the side. The flaws extend way beyond his absence, after finally getting to grips with what it takes to get a bit of consistency in this tough evenly matched but wide open league we/he has quite simply reverted to type. And done so in spectacular fashion, 24 changes in 3 or 4 league games is it ? Come on in any situation or club that's quite ridiculous especially one that wasn't contending with a big list of serious injuries/illnesses or losing every game. Something tells me he's tried to prove a point again after Bristol that his way works, its backfired....again.

Gallagher - I don't mind him but like Brereton for that amount of money at this moment in time he just doesn't fit what we really need = verdict, find a system that suits his strengths after paying that fee. Johnson - Solid, clearly has ability but clearly has fitness issues and legs on the way out. Worth a punt if he's on modest wages which is very doubtful = Verdict, get him fit or he's Whittingham mk2 Downing - I was highly sceptical but proved a good signing although again for what its cost it's not one i'd have done. = Verdict, decent signing. Holtby - Good player who again the manager hasn't got a scooby what to do with him or is just to reluctant to use him ahead of his favs. = verdict, good player who'll probably be a wasted signing. Chapman - Sympathy signing, send him out on loan and forget about him, a contract for him and his agent, a mistake by the manager. Walton - Settling down now but nothing more than Steelesqe imo.

We've been tactically killed off in the last 3 games when you go on a run in this league that's what can happen. Other sides go out to stop you so you either meet fire with fire, step up another gear if you can or come up with plan b. Our plan b is just try and catch them out by swapping a load of players and deploying them in odd positions. It just adds to our problems though as we are so disjointed, unbalanced and not gelled. We caught Hudds cold early just like we started bright v Wigan but once both sides got to grips after about 10 mins that was it. Then we entering the muddled zone of switch formation, make a sub switch again, concede switch again, another sub switch again. Sick and tired of seeing this to be honest, god knows what the players think although a lot won't bother if they get a run and an appearance bonus. That's part of the reason he does it i'm convinced. It's only our resolve saves us from some spankings late on i games, thankfully.

That's why he ended up at Coventry bottom of the league then here. Really how many championship clubs would have taken a punt on him then ? Especially one in a relegation fight. Desperate meets desperate although after a while we were a good match up but that was in league one and bottom half championship. That's clearly where his football management methods are most suited. As he's shown in flashes it's not to late to change but he's too set in his muddled ways to stick at it.

It's simple really a striker like Gallagher needs to have balls swung or squared in front of him frequently then he might get a 1 in 10 chance strike rate. Meanwhile you have him running the line or channels dragging defenders around making a nuisance of himself, use his athletic ability and work rate. You do not spend 5 million quid and thousands per week on a forward like him to replace Graham. Or play as a winger, quite ridiculous as was the Brereton signing for that amount of money. You find a system that suits him not just think he's a great signing because he's another you can shuffle around game in game out.

I always thought if you get a good player you encourage his good traits all you can and work on the others second. If he wants a development squad he should shuffle off to one. Imagine asking Damien Duff to come inside every time he got the ball and not use his pace to take them on in case he lost it ? Let the lad do what he is best at, that goes for 4 or 5 of the others as well, you know like we saw a few weeks ago before he pulled it to bits again.

Waggot said we don't want players just for numbers a few weeks ago. Yet that is exactly how his manager likes to operate. He seems to see all his signings as back ups until he decides to use them regularly. Then they mostly get rotated. So basically they are just squaddies.

All this blagging the owners with what they are doing behind the scenes, drones etc. They'll be convincing them it'll turn average or young players into great ones worth money but it'll take a few years It won't, it might help the analytics and stats but unless you recruit good players and coaches you'll still get nowhere. Another 2 or 3 year contract in the bank will do him no harm though on the back of it covering over the first team stuff.