It's not money in this case unless we really have non the cold hard fact here is Mowbray seems to have been unable to attract a player to Rovers he's been tracking over a year and he's gone to Preston. Not a big club or a wealthy one or in a flash area so no of those excuses wash the underlying issues may well be you're behind the pecking order of Lenihen, Mulgrew and possibly Williams and Rodwell from the moment you come ffs OR they clearly demonstrated the ambition he didn't.

We've been after this guy for over a year but yet again in typical Rovers fashion it seems we've happily been linked to someone who was never likely to come but it looks like we are doing something. No doubt his agent was asking for daft wages but I think 40/50k pwk is a complete porkie from honest Tony who's bluff has now been called as he's signed for Preston who'll no way be paying half that free or no free. Think the fact is TM would've done it on the cheap because as Sharpe has said this morning he would likely have been Downings replacement, a good one no doubt but very very worrying as if that's the case TM is clearly yet again only interested in signing back ups and squaddies to his present first choices and that's not good enough imo particularly when it looks like he'll be happy to spew a lump of his budget on 20k + pwk Downing ( old boy network). Pissing money directly down the drain that will be because you could put Ronaldo and Messi up front in one of his teams and we'd still concede shite goals weekly. He better come up with something good pretty soo.

Hendy definitely better 2nd time around although he was very good first time but quite raw.

Two of the most successful returnees ? Has anyone mentioned Santa Cruz ? Mk 1 absolute class MK 2 a shocker.

He'll be a spectre on here until he signs for someone I think, pray he gets a 5 year deal somewhere then that's the end of it ! ?

Ok, J Lowe the defensive mid of the MB... ?

That would be an insult in no way is he better than Smallwood, Travis and Evans and compliments non of them nor the team. Bad bad move I don't think TM is that daft although no doubt he'd lap up bringing another cheapo squaddie in thats already been here if he could get away with it. Nice lad apparently.

Couldn't agree more on Linekar it wasn't that he turned us down it was the way he did it with the usual smug conceited arrogant deserves a punch in the mouth manner. A bit like the shite he spouts about Brexit, politics and everything else he knows nothing about but gets prompted (and probably paid) to comment on from his lofty old boys BBC 1.5 mill a year pedestal that he's plonked himself on. Plus he's in the closet I reckon ! Anyway obviously i'm not bitter at him after all these years ? but Don deserved some success and a really big signing and he and Rovers deserved a bit more respect from jug ears.

Which means if TM said that it's either him or the agent ripping the piss, one for greed or the other to throw us off the scent because he has lesser more underwhelming targets in mind or non at all.

23 games unbeaten in a season and mostly a team built on absolute peanuts with a sprinkle of quality and steel then a couple of shakes of serious ambition added. Play offs 3 seasons in a row despite losing that brief bit of big name edge. Such a good manager for his time plonk him here now and he'd do a similar approach again imo because he'd demand it.

Surely that's not a gym it's a posh Essex nightclub a 5 am you've all been had.

Yeah i'm pretty convinced Downing is a done deal...

Well there's no way they are paying the 40/50k pwk or even half of it so if he does end up going there it'll raise a few eyebrows. Wouldn't be surprised though we courted Assombalanga knowing already he'd command a huge fee and wages then after we signed no one we got told we were in for some good ones but they were too dear,... no shit !!!! Becoming a convenient get out of jail card when we end up with the expected young loans and lower level back ups ? How serious are we ? We know we aren't 30k pwk + serious but to get some decent players they'll have to pay some decent wedge, how much is Samuel, Gladwin, Smallwood on ? Be nice if that was freed up.

'Lamenting' That's a pretty good word to describe some of the recent transfer scenario, he seems to do a lot of closing the door after the horse has bolted. If we'd been proactive and a bit braver seeing as they seem to want him so much Bauer would've been here a good while ago, on a modest championship contract and maybe worth 3 or 4 times the million they should have shelled out on him.

Very much think that TM is still blinkered enough to regard Mulgrew as one of our marquee players rather than the luxury he appeared to become and on that plus the goals he contributes and the contract they are paying him it'll be his place to lose again from the start of next season.

Yet again there's stuff out about Mulgrew, last season it was he should be a left back and this season he should be a midfielder. Pointless he's said himself he only wants to play centre half as that's where he plays for the national team and that is important to him. He gets in that team because he starts regularly in that position and captains Rovers he also really doesn't strike me as the type who likes being told what to do. Plus his legs really are that far gone that no way can he even 'sit' in midfield. The thought of it is interesting but the cold hard reality of it is it isn't happening now or anytime soon so enough of this converting players lark lets just hope Mowbray sees sense finally and is able to bring in people who play in their natural positions and who are good enough at it to grab a place and keep it.

AA was on over 20k at Newcastle I think it was reported at the time, Rovers couldn't stretch to that but got him for around 15k pwk and an extra year on the original offer to compensate. Something along those lines anyway.

Under pressure he tried to clear his lines on the deck or in the air without pausing to think or wait for it to bounce, something we need but yep his first instinct not under pressure tended to be hoof !

Maybe because Mulgrew is more suited to the cultured side of things whereas Hanley is a bread and butter Championship lump.....just what we need we aren't playing international football at Ewood ? Plus one is a more or less guaranteed starter for his average side but the other lost his place in a good one partly down to injury I believe.

2+2 = 75 ... The world according to Nixon, he must've been awake all night thinking of that one. In other news i'd take Hanley on loan in a heartbeat to fight for a place not replace Lenihen, replacing Mulgrew would strengthen the defence imo. Hanley is a left sided CH after all isn't he ?

Cracking player Matt and the boy could jump as well excellent header of the ball it was amazing to watch his progress at Ewood that ended being cruelly cut short when he was only half way there.

.....Burnley fans ....

I'm wondering if Bauer is the one TM is hinting at when he keeps mentioning the demands coming down as time goes on agents don't get them fixed up by mid July ? He's waited a long time on this one so it'd be a shame if we missed target A yet again but I do actually back him here I wouldn't be throwing an extra 5k per week or more at him. Risky business keep waiting on players though that's how we allegedly ended up splashing on BB and getting nothing in jan. Also mentions they've been tracking a more experienced centre half and a young quick one as back up ? I'll be perfectly honest i'd get all bloody 3 in, find a good striker on loan then loan out Samuel etc and I think that would be solid business for now in terms of strengthening what urgently needs strengthening.

Rovers and in some ways the championship remind me a bit of Serie A back when that programme was on Gazzette Football Italia or something and you used to see a lot of the stadiums half empty or worse despite the profile of the clubs/players or league because the grounds of some big big clubs were just too damn big for them at that time. This % of ground being full means bugger all really because a town like Blackburn should have a 25k stadium really. Bolton. Reading etc all far bigger populations according to boundaries but smaller grounds built for them than Ewood. It's a great ground not knocking it but even if we got a few more thousand in the home sections which would be good for us we'd still get stick and the % full would still be amongst the lowest it, was in the Prem at times. Not something i'd take much notice of i'd rather focus on getting the 2 thousand or so regulars back or replaced who've jacked it in since Coyle was thrust upon us. Never ever forgive Venkys and their pals for that in the wake of Kean, it was a C#nt# trick make no mistake, no way were they not aware or made aware of the feeling around such a potential appointment but they did it anyway.

But as bluebruce says TM is very big on the happy camp stuff and being seen as a nice fair manager to all so all those you mentioned will remain about the younger lads in the pecking order he's created. As we've discussed above they've been handed new deals and Vs will expect them to earn them I reckon otherwise they might question it and Tony won't want that. Therefore play your big earners to justify them and mix and match with the kids whilst telling the owners you are giving them mins when you can to get their experience up and increase their value. They'll buy into that all day every day regardless of performances, mixed results or what fans think as long as we are in a reasonable league position, probably even if we aren't. Book value are the words they like to hear I think.