You're too busy knee jerking to every post only you and possibly one or two others decide is negative yet not long ago you were measuring your own length of rope out. Is this a revert to type after we thought you'd become one of us.. ? ?

That's exactly what I've been on about for a while there's just no point keeping some around when you've a chance to bring others in. I do though think the hands might be a bit tied with the contracts they handed out after promotion. He seems to be basically asking some if they'd be kind enough to leave so he can sign others but understands if they don't want to 100% certain at some point we'll be told someone they like and who'd like to come can't because of his wages yet you could save thousands per week overnight if you got a little bit ruthless and ambitious.

Yes good point about the contract but it's still only a few weeks away so Rodwell is still basically saying i'll see what's in when my contract ends and let you know when it really should be the other way around. There's the deal if you don't sign it before your present one expires then thanks very much we wish you well. Maybe that is the case but it's not the impression TM gives, Rodwell is handy but he isn't worth pushing the boat out for or being made to wait for imo. The relaxed nature isn't my cup of tea if ever there was a time to put the foot down and shake things up a bit it's now.

Spot on because at some point we'll be told a good player we were linked with went somewhere else because they offered a few grand per week more yet it's like we have to carry loads until they sort themselves out because we are nice like that.

But our manager should be turning around and telling him straight we want you to stay but we want a decision by mid June at the latest we've a squad to prepare. Mowbrays attitude to it all seems too relaxed for me telling everyone stay if you want, go if you prefer but either way it's up to you. How the hell is that supposed to be proper planning ?

When asked about being a top keeper and wanting to play for England etc Tim Flowers said along the lines of 'Just minimise the mistakes that's the key to consistency because every slip up costs a goal so just cut out mistakes' David Seaman - ' Always work on the basics and get those right first, people remember the cock ups not the top corner saves. Always form an understanding with your defence that can save you a lot of work ypurself'. Give me a solid big keeper who can catch, punch, clear his lines, sort his defence and kick over a cat like spectacular keeper any day.

Fury's still a prick and always will be but credit to him for at least showing a bit of respect to a fallen brother......he'll soon be back slagging him off though. Joshua's head has gone too far up Hearns arse with all this global branding bollox coming before boxing. As pointed out he isn't a great non of these lot are they are dire in my opinion it was always a case that a small quick guy who can actually bang a bit with sod all to lose was going to come out the shadows and nail one of them. Why does anyone think Wilder is so selective and Fury only fights bin men in between title shots years apart ? They are all best suited to fighting other big guys who don't come in quickly underneath and all have struggled with smaller guys before. They and their handlers know the risks and play the long game as annoying as it is to fans. I said as soon as Hearn purposely got Miller into the mix just for this USA job it was a bad idea although Fat Miller was better suited to Joshua than Ruiz who's a typical Mexican fighter, dangerous and fearless. I foresaw AJ & Miller going to points and him getting robbed anyway. Brand building has ruined better guys than him the biggest upset in HW history came about because Don King took Mike Tyson to Tokyo for a keep busy fight before a mega showdown with Holyfield. Tyson was distracted by his shagging and partying antics and i'd suggest Joshua has been training but surrounded by media, corporate and shoulder rubbing with the stars commitments that have fried his brain. Get back to basics get back to the 02 put boxing before money or become the a HW Amir Khan.

Maybe so but what is it in Tony's head ?

And to avoid it dragging out like that they need to go with the majority feeling, put it to bed and move on.

You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig yet some will always accept it as a beautiful woman who just needs a chance if the right people tell them so, if those same right people said it was a pig with lipstick on then it would then automatically be a porker in their eyes. Majority rules for a reason ! The money on Downings wages can and should be put to better use, we've been here before it isn't rocket science.

Why are there people in Bury after them as well. ? ?

They are starry eyed though, talk of owning a five million pound house in England bought off Man U legend Gary Neville probably goes down well in Indian business and party circles.

I'm sure there's a few friendly agents will give him a bed for the night if he chucks them a bone now and again !

Where does Middleman lay down his cap at night ?

Young wingers currently here ? Trouble is with these types of older signings it doesn't really matter what they did the season before because they can suddenly 'go' overnight. New club, new manager, area, training, way of doing things can either prove a shot in the arm or the straw that breaks the old back (legs) we've seen it countless times. It's a shoe in signing as far as I reckon unless some other club offers him silly wages and it's a typical Mowbray type signing and as we've seen heart rules head for Tony too often that's what worries me. A cheap short term signing on Conways wages it's a no brainer but anything else i'd leave well alone this has white elephant written all over it.

Since his name first cropped up I've thought Downing is pretty much a done deal and we are probably the only club who'll go and pay the wages he's after. Also when we get linked with these types the deals tend to go through whereas the more exciting ones turn out to be hot air. As for the stories we heard all similar in regards to Whittingham although Downing does have good pedigree but do we really want whatever room is in the budget being swallowed up 'flex' style on him and Rodwell maybe leaving very little to pay any fees ? Believe me TM will dress this one up as a marquee signing, i'd much prefer youth investment as frustrating as it can be at times. Downing to me is the type you add to a good squad as the missing piece of the jigsaw maybe, we really aren't at that point. Key areas need the funds pooling for key investment. This is Mowbray going down easy street again to me.

Neither are Brereton, Samuel and one or two others, they aren't wide mids or wide strikers either but......

I don't think he does that's why he's trying to maximise from the hardcore and putting his shirt on big away followings. Telling his manager to cut the deadwood off the payroll and not just add squaddies to it so they can put the money towards the wages of a couple of imaginative signings, however they are delivered, could be the difference between raising the averages a couple of thousand or seeing it drop back further. There's no quick fix in Blackburn unless you show serious ambition.

Not aimed at you but i'll never get people who say we aren't ready for the play offs we'll only lose or promotion we'll only get hammered and come straight back down. So f##### what ! After the last ten years i'd take losing in a play off or final as long as they give it a good go. And i'd take being a yoyo club for a few years whether anyone likes it or not we are doing it the hard way next time so it'll be heartbreaking at times. A stronger backbone is needed for half our fanbase i'm afraid.

Can understand the stance on Rodwell IF they haven't offered him more money as it would be better put elsewhere imo but if it's a modest offer he'd be handy to stay around that's the type of quality 'squaddie' you want as long as it doesn't cost much. Cab understand him as well seeing what offers are out there why not be a mercenary and go and experience other leagues and types of football if you can't be a Prem or Champ regular but there is interest elsewhere. All I would say is the club should put a time limit on him as it's about what Blackburn Rovers want to do and the team not individual players, a little to much of that with Mowbray if i'm honest. No point leaving it till last min waiting for him to decide then ending up short or just signing a body for the sake of it. He was handy at times but missing badly at others, very much an on top player. The biggest focus for me should be on the ones who were floundering the most in that bad bad run as either side most were ok and if not others carried them but when some key players were off the boil nobody really stepped up and that's what you need. He was a flounderer then.

So the alleged three year plan ... ( if only football worked like this...) Last season 4th bottom to 14 th .. Next season 14th to 8 th with an outside shot at 6th .. Season after top 8 with a realistic shot at top 6 ... ? Reasonable maybe with continued backing and holding firm on sales although it'll all have to be delivered within the same realistic budgets, I get the impression Venkys as a whole not individually might be happy to leave you plodding if you can create players to sell and the losses are manageable on their books. However if you sell them a plan or vision they'll expect it delivered. Not sure where TM & co are with that so maybe a bit of pressure next season but I wouldn't be so sure that he'd heap it upon himself he's been around the block and he's looked very relaxed the last two seasons.

It's good if they think they've spotted a chance. To be fair I thought Waggots interview came across well he seems very thorough on the face of it and explained stuff in detail. Still sounds like the squeeze might be being put on other areas of the club but Venkys are now clearly keeping track of where every penny goes so it would be a travesty if money is wasted at the top end.

The xyz year thing just keeps getting reset every so often if we sell a player it'll get reset again we've already been told so many windows yet purposely stood still in the last one. If the aim is to steadily build for a tilt at the top you can't waste any windows at all even if it's a 3 year plan, which we are a year or two into now depending on which summer you believe the clock was set. Burnley keep getting dragged up as the slow build example but once Howe set the ball rolling then Dyche took over how long did it actually take ? Their sole aim was building a side and infracstructure to get up not to just breed players to sell or rescue unfortunate/ageing or players who'd lost their way. We are the most stable we've ever been now under Venkys and Mowbray and co have got us in a healthy position on and off the park and value wise. No boom or bust but time to turn it up a notch in terms of recruitment.

They didn't Kean lined it up before he even got the nod for full time gig at Ewood according to Craig Brown. It was parr for the course under Venkys....off an agents list I think the method of scouting was picking off what certain people presented.

I wouldn't be too disappointed with that at all as long as he upgraded the keeper and didn't try to penny pinch in that area. The reinvestment of that money wisely would be absolutely crucial as to where the club goes next. Would he heap that kind of pressure on himself though ? not so sure.