The promoted sides and the relegated sides do seem to be perhaps the most likely, I wonder if Luton might want him if its financially possible.

I thought you couldn't care less?

The kids tickets are certainly really cheap, although the adult prices are not much lower than last season so obviously if an adult wants to take a child, the majority of the expense ie the adult ticket will still cost them a lot. It does feel that those who have conversed with Waggott seem keen to really push this as a success story as a direct result of their work, and the prices are better, but I am not convinced that the difference will see a spike in sales considering the feeling around the club a year on.

It's not a realistic suggestion as you touch on, but lets be real, Rothwell walks into our side, and would give us dynamism and excitement in our otherwise dull team.

Even if the commercial side is improved, and it certainly bloody needs to, it would be marginal, not millions and millions a year. The key is player trading and its something the club has monumentally failed on throughout the Venkys era. It has to be continuous, we cannot allow players to run their contracts down and you have to invest some of each sale in order to then have further sellable assets to continue the cycle, sell and buy, sell and buy. The Armstrong argument might hold some weight if it wasn't for the fact that every sale just sees the proceeds vanish, it wasn't a one off. Wharton, Rhodes, Gestede, Cairney, the same thing happened. I don't have a list of alternative signings no, you don't have to have an encyclopaedic knowledge across Europe and the time and desire to research potential signings, it's not our job, to be able to comment on that bunch. I know those players you mention because like you, I watch a lot of Championship football as we are in it, so our range of knowledge is limited. 3 of the players you mentioned went down with Birmingham and I am guessing that you presume that Eustace might want to reunite with them, Ruddy fuelled with the Nixon link even though you have said before that you don't know if he would improve us. The players you mentioned wouldn't particularly improve our starting 11, in my opinion. But I can't see us spending £5m anyway. I don't know why Batty hasn't come through, presumably he isn't good enough to be playing Championship football. My point being, we had to presume that he was ready and were inevitably caught short when he wasn't, and it's not an isolated example. This football club is currently not geared to be particularly competitive at this level, our wage budget is tiny and we aren't allowed to reinvest the funds due to the owners. Also, has as been mentioned. The £20m a season losses and the £39m in 3 years are not directly linked, because not all of the losses are inclusive in FFP requirements. The reason we haven't been reinvesting isn't because of FFP. And it isn't predominantly because of the commercial side, as much as we should strive to improve it. Our player trading has forever been shocking. We sell, we don't reinvest. That is down to the owners. They also turn down bids for players whose contracts are expiring. Their sole focus is minimising losses, they aren't interested in what happens off the pitch.

I know they do, and thats the model we should strive for. But we don't. We sell players and don't reinvest. See Wharton, Armstrong, Rhodes, Gestede etc. You've supported us throughout the Venkys reign, surely you can see a pattern now? Would they really improve our team much? 3 players from relegated Birmingham including a really old keeper who you have admitted you don't know if you would sign, but one you have named simply because he has been linked. And 2 strikers who are far from prolific at this level and probably not a noticeable upgrade on Gallagher. We are very good at developing players. But because of the consistent budget slashing, we rely on them too much and just assume before they have played first team football that they are a) going to ever be good enough and more importantly b) are ready now. Example one, not signing a left back as to not "block Batty" irrespective of if he was ready. He wasn't, not even close so we spent half a season with only one left back and had to get a cheap loan. Example two, going into the last 2 seasons with Vale and then Leonard in the starting line up. Leonard could be ready in time, isn't yet, Vale will never be.

Most clubs havent sold their best player for a club record fee, are not about to receive a decent sum on a sell on clause, have not recently sold a very good goalkeper, are not about to probably sell their only goalscorer having let their only other goalscorer leave for free. Mind you, most owners arent as disinterested and as embroiled in legal issues.

Pickering, Hedges, Hyam, even Gallagher as back up and maybe even as a back up Pears is ok, they are Championship players, to varying levels. The first 3 in particular are definitely Championship standard and have proven that. We need more players ASWELL as those, not instead of.

I totally agree that the depth is a big issue. Thats a symptom of cost cutting, and an over reliance on the academy. Whoever is in the club at any time has tried to make out as if its not financial but part of a plan as to why our squad (which contoniously dips in form towards the end of seasons) is so thin, an example would be Broughton last summer saying we didnt sign a left back to not block Batty's pathway, a kid who had never played senior football. The result was that Batty was found not to be anywhere near and that position was then covered by an out of position Brittain before having to get a cheap loan in January. Players of the calibre mentioned to help to bulk the squad out in addition to buying some first teamers, that is fine. But if we do sell Szmodics and are primarily reliant on the freebie market, and dont make a conscious effort to make the squad deeper, then its a huge issue. The hope would be that some of our current first teamers (the likes of Dolan, an injury prone Hedges, Gallagher if he stays, Brittain, Pears etc) can become squad players and we can bring in first teamers above that. Sadly we wont have the finances or ambition to do that.

The "plan" to use the academy players is actually just to cut costs. Over reliance on academy graduates means less money spent on bringing players in. In the last 2 years, we have not signed players "to not block the pathways" of Batty, Vale and Garrett as 3 examples who unfortunately werent up to the standard. If we are reliant on frees this summer having received a club record fee for Wharton and with the Raya sell on and likely Szmodics sale, then it wouldnt be something to be excited about and we would be heading one way. The free agent pool especially domestically is a limited pool. In the main those released are because they either arent good enough, are too injury prone or too old. Any rare exceptions will be able to demand high wages. You see the names mentioned, people like Wildsmith and Murphy who have had a decent spell in League 1 but struggled in the Championship before, or players like Tyrese Campbell and Docherty who was linked, players that average Championship sides decided weren't worth keeping. They are unlikely to make a significant difference.

Last time they had Ashley Barnes who obviously provided them with experience and leadership but he certainly wasnt a top Championship striker. They are keeping Rodriguez but im guessing that Foster will be their main striker who should score a lot of goals, I think he only signed half way through their last Championship season and took time to settle. Theyve also got Koleosho, Odobert, Tresor, Ramsey and if they sign him permanently, Brunn Larsen so they have a worrying amount of goals in their squad, with Benson having been on the fringes this season and Zaourary out on loan both proven. They also signed Redmond but he seemed to vanish. @sympatheticclaret obviously the new manager will make a big difference either way but what do you think of your current squad?

Theyve still got a number of them plus a couple of very good additions with Championship experience and quite a few players in attack who could help them score more goals. They have more talent and obviously a bit less experience but still a fair bit plus most of them have now won the league.

You comment quite a lot on their potential manager for someone who couldnt care less.

Gudmundsson and Cork have definitely been released, Taylor and Rodriguez have been offered new deals and Brownhill has had a further year activated although maybe they will look to cash in. You look at the side who won the league comfortably last time, they still have Muric, Beyer, Benson, Zaoury, Cullen and Vitinho. Potentially add Brownhill, Rodriguez and Taylor to that, plus squad players like Roberts, Twine, Ekdal and Al-Dakhil. Theyve loads of players who have been there and done it and you can add Berge who has been promoted from that level himself and is a big and powerful player as well as O'Shea who again is big and strong and experienced in the Championship, they have players who can handle themselves. Throw in some additional signings theyve made in the last year especially in attack who should be real assets at this level. I think/hope that their biggest threat would be appointing a poor manager. Fingers crossed

You were very defensive of Lampard at his previous jobs. Im guessing you think that he would be a good appointment?

Most of their promotion squad is still there. Plus Berge and O'Shea who are added Champinship hardened players.

Either way, the owners are the ones that decide on the budget. If your scenario played out and worked then that would be good, but I doubt it.

The budget we go into the season with and whether it is sufficient in making hs competitive wont be down to Waggott. All depends on the owners.

Not have their legs broke or is that just our own players? Can understand a negative reception but equally they cant be expected to just stay loyal just as we wouldnt to players who arent up to it. Its a short career and players do whatever they think is best. Whether its the correct call is a different matter.

You cant offer someone you have released as a makeweight.

I think McFadzean was signed mainly for his experience so I dont necessarily think that having Phillips would have closed that signing off. That account is one of many that just generates random and fictional rumours at this time of year.

If we do have a sell on clause, it is only relevant to the owners as thats where the money will go. It wasnt a situation whereby the fee was impossible to turn down but it could help to benefit the club. None was reinvested.

You arent giving the money to Waggott. You are giving it to Venkys as they own us. Which is worse. I suppose the only way Waggott benefits is if it helps him hit bonuses.

The point wasnt about those players. It was about the fact that they become daily criticisms now you are happy to criticise those as they no longer work for the club. Barnsley are happy to see the back of Cole.

I know yeah, the point wasnt about Hirst himself. He was awful here and whenever I have seen him for Ipswich he has been certainly better amongst a very settled side but he still showed signs of what we saw, his goal record is nothing special and he still appears uncoordinated and clumsy.