What i'm saying is if they really wanted a decent player they'd find that 5k pwk on a 3 year contract no problems whatsoever especially if the player in question had sell on value. Paying good wages under Venkys has never been a problem here and neither has contributing heftily to loan players from Prem clubs or making room on the wage bill until now apparently. It's the desire to actually stick the neck out on these type of players of pay a big fee for them I think is in question. Lets get some bang for our bucks for once instead of being nice to squaddies and old men who contribute nowt we've plenty of our own youth to bluff out the squad now.

A fair assumption but if it really did come down to that we are totally buggered as what happens when you sign a Downing on 20k pwk short term or not ? Like I said it's a fair assumption but not one I particularly think is at play here at all, personally I already think Dack is on quite big money that's how they are keeping him here at the min. The other large earners will be the more experienced Senior gang like DG, Mulgrew and Evans who have al had the new contracts they were promised and in the first twos case they are in the twilight of their careers and are unlikey to get another gig on similar money at a club like this. As for the rest no one is really in a position to be demanding parity or more with any new signings and if they are it's down to some very weak management agreeing to such things just to keep mostly average players here. End of the day it isn't the Premier league and you just can't run an average Championship club in such a manner so i'd be amazed if stuff like that is written into contracts otherwise your recruitment is virtually stuffed. Players in general will understand that better ones or more experienced ones command a bit more wedge than others in fact i'd wager most at Ewood are very aware they are on a good number here and very grateful.

If you want a good player it stands to reason you might have to pay a bit more wages to lure them. Mowbray talks about 5 grand per week extra elsewhere but how many do we carry on double that ? Make some room on the god damn wage bill then man instead of inviting everyone to stay and bleed the club if they feel like it but contribute nothing. Really boils my piss this blaze" attitude I said as soon as the retained list was published and he said what he did that we'd end up getting fed the wages line as to why no first team ready players wouldn't end up coming. They can push the boat out for one or two decent ones and they know they can but they can't be arsed because they are behind closed doors preferring to go with what they have, cautious to the last. Nobodies on about panic buying or over paying but 5k more per week ? COME ON !

He's obviously looking for a ball playing creative mid who can play other areas as well in the tombola. It seems to have to be an old guy delivered through the old boys network. I think it's simple really these lot won't pay fees for experienced players although they might sanction short term high wages, that's why we are looking in the bargain bin again, the oap bargain bin this time. Seems they'll only pay good or big fees for U23s with potential which leaves us a bit hamstrung yet again unless the recruitment is A1 !!! Not sure where all that will leave Travis seeing as Evans is a shoe in and if Richie is still here well, ya know.....

OR .. he's gone over there and re presented his slow build plan and told them it's better investing in young potential and getting a few old heads on big wages short term this time to help that process..... He might have been buying himself time again and lining up some more jobs for the boys, oh don't forget all the new scouting he's allegedly setting up that will obviously take time to deliver. I'm not one to defend that lot but this seems very much TMs plan and way he prefers to work keeping pressure off himself and the team plus the perfect storm for his rotating methods whilst growing the squad value. He seems very very relaxed about everything, too relaxed for my liking although could it e he's a little miffed at not getting another contract extension himself so has got his chief PR man Paul to start drumming up the old 'fear factor'.. ??? ?

He's basically saying Craig's 10k pwk will be useful to put towards Downings 20k..... ?

I thought Kane was ok in spells and to be fair some of those interesting signings under both Bowyer and Mowbray have fallen down because both manager quite clearly either had no idea how to use them properly or were very reluctant too. Begs the question did they really want them or just grabbed them for bodies sake puffing out the squad cheaply or did they even sign them ! Be nice to actually spend a summer recruiting for positions properly.

How many clubs are actually self sufficient in any of the top two divisions though ? Even the huge ones have unsustainable wage bills these days. Nothing Venkys & co have done whilst they've been here has been anything remotely like making a self sufficient club they wanted something to syphon their extra cash through so I actually think if it was self sufficient and profitable it wouldn't be much use to them. It's always been an odd arrangement. Losing ten to twenty mill per year seems to suit it's just a pity the club has never actually benefited much from it but many arseholes, spivs and dollopers have !

If we don't sign many good oven ready players this window as I expect we won't then I will expect a lot of rotating next season between youth and the old favs. That'll be frustrating and probably detrimental at times so be prepared but the season after it might pay dividends with a few of the established players being phased out and a few off the wage bill. The aim might be a vibrant young side on a more sustainable wage bill so there'll be plenty book value for trading purposes and FFP. I think that might just be the plan even though it's being dressed up as something else. For me though again you really need that built on rock solid foundations and a good core style of football, I think this manager and coaching staff will be good at the former but not sure about the latter but will the owners care if the team is worth money and costing less ? If we could actually have a good stab at the play offs somewhere in there it would make it all the more exciting for the fans and help this growing a team/club again no end so I really hope that is the real aim not just old heads to try to hold together a water treading low investment young side.

He's a sound investment because he's only 19... He's been shit...because he's only 19.... He might come good, he's only 19... Rinse and repeat, what they going to chuck in to suit their argument when he turns 20 and he's still doing 10 min cameos every week on the right I wonder ? ?

Defenders are coming...... Whether they can actually defend or not or they'll even play there is another thing altogether ?

Luca Toni bought Ray Wilkins house years ago.

It doesn't stack up unless he hits the grade in the next season or two but the simple fact is they shelled out there and then under the assumption he was a hot prospect ready to be let loose. Soon became apparent he wasn't hence the softly softly approach since then to spare everyone's blushes. Big season for BB coming up but he'll be a year older/wiser/stronger and will have a full pre season under his belt here. But for the money they've shelled out it was a huge gamble and it really doesn't stack up at this moment in time no matter how many times the spinmeisters try and move the goal posts.

He's talking up the young players again now which is no bad thing provided he actually puts faith in them in their real positions on a more consistent basis, let them ride out the bumps instead of hooking them out the team as an excuse to get the fav seniors back in. I think he's going to go old heads surrounded by young legs reading between the lines but i'd be a bit more comfortable with signing the likes of Downing and playing more youth if it was built on a rock solid foundation. If he doesn't invest what's available properly in that defence he'll soon be on a sticky wicket again imo and no one should be shouted down for moaning about it there's is ample opportunity now to properly strengthen that area.

He would've been a cracking signing for Arsenal or Liverpool back then but Wenger seemed terrified of big strapping centre halves who can actually defend (ring any bells !). Dalglish and that director of football they had at the time were regular visitors to Ewood and said to be watching him. Think it was also said they fell out over it. Big Chris seemed happy to ship his Bentley to the icy wastes for 70k pwk though. Strange lad.

3 to 4 million upfront is a hell of a whack. Agree on the 4-5 mill being more realistic for an actual spend budget and it's a decent figure that can make a difference if they pull their fingers out and go for the right players in the right positions. 2 coming in first 11 capable plus 2 good loans and the usual couple of squaddies would be a step in the right direction but they must be for the right areas on the pitch not scattergun for the sake of bodies or long odds gambles.

I can't remember which point it was at but possibly before Rush but the bit I read said they wanted someone taller which obviously Rush was.

The longer he's here the more he'll be a company man but at the end of the day to get the best out of them you have to be like that. I do though wonder just what kind of pitch they put to them in these meetings. My feeling is it's more of an investment model rather than promotion one.

Liverpool were keeping an eye on him for a while but in the end felt he was to small so size could have held Garner back a bit as well. More similarities to Dunn really for me but yes he could end up just being happy plodding at Rovers because it allows him the lifestyle he has and pays him enough to sustain it. That won't last long with this modern breed though so couldn't see him reaching Garner status , Simon was obviously very settled around here with the mates he made and the pubs he went in. Bradley will get bored before long he's more suited to the nightclubs of London and Essex I think.

Or a few busted flushes who swallow up the 'flex' in wages instead of fee. For the money they've tied up in him last season and whenever the rest is paid no way on earth couldn't you find a couple of good players under 30 to add something much needed straight to the team just using it in wages for a couple of seasons. Maybe no resale, maybe so but the ultimate aim is top 6 and promotion so it's money well spent in football terms if not investment. We are after all a football team not an investment fund surely ? I'm thinking along the lines of Graham and Mulgrew types who are pissed off sitting on benches higher up the scale but still have plenty in the legs.

A Championship modern era Dunn is as good a comparison as you can get I think. Not on his level but similar enigma with the same build, refuelling, ego and bird issues it seems. Dunny at least climbed to the top before he fell off his pedestal this lad will never get there unless he puts the graft in.

It's their time now so he can do what he wants although he probably needs to reel her in a bit, not that he dare i bet but hopefully he gets it all out of his system in the summer Bad publicity will probably serve to keep him at Ewood for now anyway and if he comes back in bad shape and a club comes in for him but he flunks the medical it's his own stupid fault. Something tells me he's on a large set of Wonga these days at Rovers his lifestyle reflects that of a top player not a Championship plodder and also Mowbray always seems very confident he'll stay for some reason. Could be he knows what he can get away with with this manager and it suits his z list activities so he's happy.

They should've stumped up for Diara that was a real boo boo and Hughes deserved that level of backing. However deep behind the scenes the intention was to off load the club not build it that's why we ended up like we are -- totally hamstrung.

Then get rid of some chuff, don't waste a wage on Downing and put it all towards someone who can come straight in, there you go ! He's right not spending for the sake of it nor wily nily but why would you be expected to do that anyway ? What you would be expected to do is have some good targets who you actually want for your team to make it better and go and try and get them before anyone else does. If you know what you are doing and are targeting the right players it usually turns out money well spent. It's amazing how other clubs do it and we used to do it in the past so do we lack so much confidence these days when it comes to recruiting well ? Do they actually know what they really need ?

Players are wanting more than we can afford when we enquire about them is now making its predictable appearance along with the no shit Sherlock if you want to sign good players early you pay top dollar and get good players.!!!! I did mention now was a really good time to make room on the wage bill so that a bit more might be chucked at a decent signing instead of carrying players who'll contribute very little if anything. We'll sign some young ones who'll bubble along underneath and break into the side also. Goal posts are moving away from the ready made champ players it looks like, i'll stick my hat on it now and say we won't sign one at all who fits that description. We simply won't or can't pay for them and won't clean broom the squad to make ample wage room for a marquee signing. The squad will just be bluffed out again imo. Lets hope they surprise us and I can wipe egg off my chin !