It is and its been laid down by auditors and probably TM and his team, no complaints on that score after the mess or before so I don't know why you are dragging it in that direction. My point that still stands is now it's time to add quality for a window or two to help that building process. We've seen before under Bowyer that just trying to make a team worth value before promotion keeps you stable for a while but you just end up treading water trying to get this conveyor belt of talent to sell going. Then the sales start, sometimes inevitable and you go backwards all of a sudden at a great rate of knots. The Burnley model signed players for specific jobs and got in quality in key areas and yet they had to withstand a regular big player leaving but money was reinvested in horses for courses first and foremost not potential future sales all across the park with other gaps plugged by youth and freebies. We might well have a plan of 3 or 4 windows and no one in their right mind should expect us to be right in the mix all season next season but we need to be taking bold steps to get there whilst this squad has value in it already AND future potential. A couple of astute signings in key areas who might cost a bob or two but might be late 20s and not expected to double in money overnight if they do well, that was the point.

Correct but to build a side knocking on the top 6 door in the coming season or two it'll need some quality in some key areas to balance out the polishing and maintain a good side for the youth to grow into to. Now is the perfect time to think outside the gap plugging or only buying to see a future return because we have value in the squad and a good bit of potential future value. Time to think outside the box a bit.

Yes it all seems to be focussing on value increasing considerably on each signing or over the hill experienced with no fee. We need to be bang in the middle on at least a couple of them and yes a good one will cost money and wages but if you got a say 28/29 year old good defender for a few million and he becomes a reliable rock in defence for four years or more surely it's money well spent even if he doesn't have resale profit. It's got to be about good medium term team building as well as future profit or cheaper gap plugging I think they've lost sight of that at Ewood.

That kind of money invested sensibly this season might deliver a stab at the play offs. Why not tie a lump of it up in a good centre half who can serve us a few seasons even if his value might not increase dramatically ?

Yep Hemmings has been doing it at North End for years as have many other owners offsetting a bit of tax on a loss leader that's why they own the things in most cases so the 'benefactor' model is a very common scenario. This is just the new tag line for the previous '30 mill per year pumping in' that got chucked in every live tv game commentary relentlessly. Just Vs PR people earning their coin and Sharpe won't be immune to it either. Only difference at Ewood to a lot of others is the spectacular losses these owners have racked up so most of the funding goes to under pin that instead of actually building the club until very recently. That aside sounds like similar budget to last season which had headroom in it to sign AA & BB plus some loans so pretty much as you where on that score as I thought it would be. So so important Mowbray and his crew pull their fingers out and get it right this time not spunking money on has beens and might be's. I do get the impression though that more and more words and links just point to filling out the squad again instead of investing in a bit of ready made quality. The 'flex' is in play again so this time it could well go up the wall on big wages and no fee - for Downing !!!!! Waggot says TM wants depth then goes on to say you can't stand still in football, well you will with a mentality of just signing squaddies i'm afraid Stevie boy. Come on Tony grab the bull by the balls and stop just patting it on the back !

The one's he's being linked with though have plenty proven Championship experience like Fielding, Downing et so that's his trump card he can't be accused of lying too much. Fact that they're crocks and ancient cast offs who'll cost big wages not withstanding ! If he delivers at least one marquee signing he could probably get away with the rest otherwise he might be swerving heaping pressure on himself by not spending money if it's there from the owners viewpoint but he's in danger of putting himself firmly in the firing line as far as fans are concerned.

Be nice if it was Assombalonga on a season long loan we were really talking too he would be worth the wages, make a better right winger than Samuel ?

Sharpe in the LT has already confirmed Mowbray is talking to Downing. Sad to say but usually when we get linked with something that most feel is underwhelming it usually has legs. I think this one is a goer.

I think Mowbray prefers the old boys network rather than gamble a few quid on Taylor who'd be a useful shout. One of Conways remaining strengths was he rolled his sleeves up and got stuck into the defensive stuff on the wing but sadly his legs meant it wasn't always that effective but he stuck to his job. Downing although far more pedigree as a player won't be doing that it's not really in his game never mind being THIRTY FIVE ! And no he isn't Gordan Cowans either nowhere near that level even at his best.

I'd assume that the Rovers lot go over and give their pitch for what they want to do next season then just have to sit back and wait for approval whilst the money men from both sides then have a debate. Then it'll get presented up at the next family meeting for full approval and to be fair they usually rubber stamp to under pin the running costs so you'd think a similar budget to last season on that score. Whatever else happens won't fully reveal itself until the seasons kicked off so no point grilling ourselves. Expect the worst and anything else is a bonus...of sorts.

It was Fielding last week, Downing this week, someone elses turn to be not good enough next week, get with it..?

If you put a good team around Graham he will still score goals in this league don't you think the evidence is there after him constantly scoring in a poor then mid table team backs this up ? Good goal poachers are worth their weight in gold and that's fact although we know he isn't as mobile as he was or getting any younger but at this moment in time he still offers far more than Brereton. I agree he might come good though there's been very little evidence but yes he needs game time in his REAL position but he has a hell of a long way to go before he's Danny Graham a hell of a long way. He's as raw a player as you'll see at the min still and personally i'd loan him out for a season to get those games and bring in someone more suited to what we need right now. Experimenting when you've nothing to play for late season or when you're clearly going nowhere mid season is understandable but messing about with key areas when you want to get points on the board early doors and hopefully launch a top 6 charge isn't.

I've always been a bit 50/50 with Raya and last season it was a combination of him and the defence not always being on the same wave length and for me a lot of it comes down to getting the 4 in there that suit it best and sticking with them. Injuries and the urge to swap and change didn't help Raya at all last season to be fair and yet again it's another thing that needs ironing out by the manager. For the points above I think the Leeds game is a good one to bring up he almost kept us in it single handedly late on but was undone at the death by the usual horrific ball watching and non reaction elsewhere at the death. Two sides of him and the team in that game. Then again this is a tough tough mad league.

I did wonder about the Mulgrew dilemma when Downings name popped up and that theory would make sense so it's a fair point to mention. However on reflection I personally think Mulgrew is a shoe in again from the start of the season at least, two dead ball specialists in squad wouldn't do any harm of course although Mulgrew is probably better at it than Downing if we are being honest and the lack of legs and big wages for the pair of them would be a concern to me. Seems to be going around the houses trying to add something whilst looking after favoured players of the manager and as I said before the wages of those two added together if he comes would pay for a very good striker or maybe even Reed or similar. It would be spreading money around the squad again instead of investing in quality imo although maybe he's no choice but the BB fee & wages, CM wages and the poss of Downings added together is a lot of money but you'd have to mould all three together to make one real quality player who could make an instant difference. Add in the fact that the squad would then be carrying him, Chapman, Rodwell possibly, Fielding possibly and Gladwin still plus whatever version of Samuel comes back I can't help thinking all that money drain could be used a lot better.

That's your opinion so fair enough but it's no wonder you get called a wind up sometimes. I'll put it down to inexperience and let you off though.

But paying him 20/30k pwk which they'd likely have to even if it's short term is an abomination, add up the wedge of him, Gladwin and another couple of expendables and you could be paying a very good player, even if it's short term.

All depends what context a signing likes this would be delivered under... Gallacher in, Downing in, rest as you were but with Dack out = Meh ! As above but with a quality defender and maybe another quality player somewhere - Fair enough. Keep everyone, Gally in on loan, good defender signed and Downing - Yep that's building, maybe not everyones cup of tea but it's still strengthening. Dack sold and only Downing, Fielding, and another couple similar in = Alarm bells ! F'ck right off Venkys, Waggot, Mowbray and the rest !

Consistently average at putting the ball in the net ten plus times every season which is what strikers are there for and he'll cost a lot to replace the fact we are being linked with strikers shows you big Ben isn't that man.

Option E.....

Yes but we've got that type of comparison to endless players under the Venky era and not sure I can point to one who's worked out yet but they've all done very nicely out of it. Graham and Mulgrew aren't in that group by the way they had plenty left when we signed them. We are jumping the gun again but I don't think there's any harm in registering disapproval early if anyone is reading this connected to a signing like that, we don't need players like him it would smack of jobs for the boys again. How many players do we want to carry ? Don't forget the issues with Chapman that's far from a straightforward signing with his injuries. Judging by what we've been linked with so far they are looking at cast offs with experience not genuine Championship first teamers. Will we be pleased with a Gordon Greer or Wes Brown again to back up the defence and add this type of experience there ? Not likely. They should be looking at other clubs benches not their treatment rooms and pensioned off let go lists.

We want experience but we don't want has beens via the old boys network. Hopefully nothing in it he's always been a poor mans Wilcox and I doubt there's anything left in his legs.

I'd be telling him straight club or country now if you seriously want to be in contention to start here every week it's as simple as that. Sadly we are over a barrel on this one he's on a big contract so he won't move and they won't replace or make him back up because it'll take another big wage to replace him. He's got a comfortable Corry Evans style scenario here for the next few years if he wants it.

He actually got his big Southampton deal on the back of his time here. I like him as a player but he'd have to be coming here on far less than he's on otherwise i'd leave it alone right now. I've a feeling it'll drag.

'We've pooled our time and resources all summer into getting Sam Gallagher here but his wages where more than we can afford so we couldn't get it over the line. We have Dominic Samuel coming back and Ben Brereton should play a bigger part next season so i'm comfortable moving forwards with what we have..'

I don't remember any turning on Hanley or Marshall and to be honest the way they conducted themselves at times on and off the pitch they deserved a bit of stick. If it was the case though as you say 'some' fans what about saying thanks to the rest it isn't difficult is it. Player wise I think both would be good to have back in this squad under a manager who'd keep them on a tight reign but character wise i'd have neither although I do completely agree they were probably fed up behind the scenes with the club floundering and were gently pushed towards the door. No the fans fault though so a standard 'thanks' might have been in order it's obvious neither were bothered about a warm welcome next time they pitched up with their new teams.