RevidgeBlue

Devil's advocate mode on again: Bearing in mind the crap we signed in the summer is it any great loss? Or, is it yet another sign that the environment at Ewood and Brockhall is so toxic we can't hold onto significant non playing staff for more than a month or two?

As I've said all along - they COULD have provided guarantees and similar levels of funding to previously - they just didnt want to.

Agreed. Wasn't trying to defend them in any way. That incoming transfer money vanished into the ether on running expenses like it never existed because at the time they seemed to begrudge providing a guarantee for any money sent over. I suppose the acid test would be if we ever made a couple of really big sales in future (as unlikely as it seems at present) whether or not a substantial amount would be reinvested. Seemingly not according to Gestede. Which from a fan's point of view begs the question - what's the point of it all? There isn't one.

Devil's advocate mode: We spent £10m on players but sold better ones for £12m. So its almost exactly the same percentage. Funny one that. Who'd have thought that selling good players and bringing in inferior replacements wouldn't work for either Club?

Wow, didn't realise that. Is that a net or gross spend?

If you're not planning on sending any money over it doesn't matter does it. Not even the minor inconvenience of a bit of extra paperwork.

Just seen this. Completely agree. Brazil 1970 by a country mile. Second best team ever for me were Holland 1974 despite the fact they got beaten in the Final by West Germany as they were then.

Another adjournment after that would take it safely beyond the end of the next transfer window. Surely not even Pasha would claim that we couldnt spend any money in in Jan because "We can't be bothered filling in a Certificate stating what the money is to be used for". All irrelevant for our purposes now anyway as RG has clearly stated the transfer "budget" (Ha!) is agreed before the start of the season and is a fixed amount no matter what player trading occurs.

Well yes, I dont know anything about Norwich but Id say that most neutrals would be surprised that they are currently in the position they're in. Regardless of whether a load of dross was signed in summer (can't think who that reminds me of 🙄) Id say you'd back most managers to keep them up IF they received considerable financial support in January.

Our game clearly couldnt carry on, (due to our Club's negligence over the years in maintaining the standard of the drainage facilities) but the remaining 10-15 mins clearly should have been replayed 11 v 10. Can we leave it at that?

Is JDT the man to be appointed straight into the middle of a relegation scrap? Debatable. Id imagine there's an equal chance it could be an absolutely inspired appointment or absolute carnage.

I don't either but as a stand in centre back he is a much better than option than Hedges. I wouldnt have any objection to selling him in Jan but in the meantime we're cutting off our nose to spite our face by not playing him there.

No way he walks out. He's "aligned" with the rest of them.

That doesn't fill me with any confidence - exactly the opposite in fact.

Would have to go some to compensate for the loss of the Championship TV deal, plus substantial ticket money, plus loss of sponsorship etc.

What's the point in having so many keepers and having to send one or more out on loan and have others sitting around?

We'll have to wait and see. You might be right in that they're all Lee Carsley style early favourites to relieve mug punters of some money.

I've never heard of him tbh. Their list of potential replacements at the top of the betting looks rather higher quality than ours was. Carrick, O Neill, Rodgers and Gerrard. They're welcome to Ismael and we'll take the 2.5 years compo.

Very informative, cheers. Be a disaster for us if Wharton is out for ten weeks. Faced with a choice of paying a substantial fee for a replacement or getting a loan or a free agent in as cover we might see Ismael's longstanding aversion to the latter magically disappear.

Do we know what the likely recovery time is if that's the case?

They showed him in the stand at the Derby game and he didnt appear to be in any obvious discomfort. Would he have been up and about if he'd torn his achilles? Posing the question because I dont know either way. Edit: Arbitro beat me to it!

What a shambles, the Club is completely on its arse from top to bottom at all levels.

Nah, we clearly lost because the referee was shit.

Yep. While Pickering would be no great loss, Cantwell would be. Im quite surprised he survived the summer cull.

Devil's advocate mode: He's better filling in in that position than Hedges for sure but can you afford to keep him hanging around just for that IF he's not featuring at all otherwise?