These "special cases" are massively overstated. That summer when we signed Brereton and Armstrong for £10m is very much a special case. Other than that, we bought Gallagher in 2019 in a summer when our net spend was around £1m. Since, its been freebies, loans and low 6 figure fees almost exclusively. The biggest flurry since was the £4m spent in 2022. We also had a number of frugal summers prior to that. These multimillion deals that fell through are again a mistruth, Maguire had to be turned into a loan because they wouldnt reinvest a slither of the Wharton money and the O'Brien deal was a loan that would have only led to a fee if we had got an unlikely promotion. Not that either matter as they didnt happen. They dont need to find the money down the side of the couch, we have made £40m in sales. Venkys have a track record of not reinvesting sales. Rhodes, Armstrong, Wharton, Gestede etc. Its not about positivity and negativity and you dont need to know more than what is in the public domain. History shows that it would be very unlikely. Granted the fees in dwarf those but equally they have been really relentless on the cutbacks in the last 12 months for other self inflicted issues. There is also questions regarding whether he is even available, whether he would come, whether we would outbid others if he was available and whether he plays in a position that is of critical need. So the widespread doubt is understandable and logical.

I feel like Rankin Costello is at risk of becoming a victim of his own versatility. There is a really good player in there but he seems to be shunted around perhaps to fill in where we are short. I dont think playing him wide suits him at all, he isnt very quick and he struggles to cause full backs problems. He wasnt as ineffective in the middle but I still wasnt totally convinced by him there either. By far his best spell in a Rovers shirt was at right back where he became a real asset on the ball and was surprisingly competent defensively. A primary position should be chosen for him and we should build and recruit around that, and that shouldnt be out wide. If its judged that hes best at right back, we look fine there. If hes seen as a midfielder, I still think we could do with another but its less of a pressing matter.

Based on transfer rumours so with a heap of salt, it feels like Eustace's heart is still in Birmingham and hes trying to get the gang back together.

Not too sure what to make about Germain. Positionally, we already have 2 new strikers fighting for one spot (Ohashi seems to want to run in behind so not sure he is as suited playing in attacking midfield) so this would be a third out and out striker, regardless of he can "do a job" elsewhere. Ohashi also seemingly was a bit of a late bloomer but he had a more prolonged spell of a couple of years of regular goalscoring, and is a year younger. So there is perhaps more chance of Germain being just enjoying a (very) good spell of form. I think the key is whether this deal is aswell as rather than instead of a winger or two. If its the former then perhaps he could be a very useful and cheap pickup as we look to spread the goals around.

Strange to give my opinion on a messageboard?

So Ruddy is actively first choice and we would revert to a far superior and younger option as a back up? Bizarre.

It does if the player is currently at the level we need. Ruddy isnt.

Iversen would be a good addition, he is the one that fits the bill.

Obviously all keepers make mistakes, its the quantity. But Johansson also saves his teams more points than he costs. You cant just base it on one poor game.

Just to clarify, I am reacting specifically to these rumours. I have not taken it as a fact that they will be signing and that will conclude our business. Nixon has been more accurate this summer than his usual guesswork admittedly with someseemingly his mate John Park is leaking transfer news to him. I or indeed anyone doesnt know for sure that any player will come in and succeed or fail. I am just giving my opinion on Ruddy and indeed every other player. He is IMO well past his best as he showed at Birmingham last season, hence why they released him and the fans were happy with that. He looked poor whenever I saw Birmingham including against us. He is 37 now and I want someone younger who can be a longer term number 1. I think Stansfield is a really talented young striker and in isolation not factoring in squad balance would be a great addition to any Championship squad. But as I said yesterday, I dont feel like any central strikers should be a priority. If we do have £6m to spend which I seriously doubt then I feel like more natural wide men would be the place to spend that.

If you take it as a serious rumour, and I cant see for one second a £6m signing. Stansfield taken in isolation is a talented Champipnship striker at a good age with lots of potential. As an individual he would really be a good signing for whoever got him permanently. I just cant see in terms of what we need why he would be a primary target. We are desperate for speed out wide. Germain is another striker, so it would leave us with 4 for one position and still lacking out wide. Its also hard to not see Ruddy coming who would be a very poor signing and leave us facing another season with 2 liability keepers again dropping points. And we cant let Travis go.

Obviously we need a good Championship quality keeper. Iversen fits that bill. Ruddy definitely doesnt and I dont think Krul does.

Selling key players repeatedly and then links to players that dont fix the problem positions we need doesnt really lend itself to positivity.

Absolutely no chance of Stansfield. Germain is a striker who doesnt solve our issue of needing a winger. And we cant afford to sell Travis. We are past the point of looking at 4 keepes, just sign 1 and definitely not Krul or in particular Ruddy.

Regarding Poku, he wouldnt leave for free either way due to his age, and their bell end chairman said earlier in the summer that he wouldnt be going either way.

Its impossible to get a dead cert either way, a veteran isnt a dead cert. You look at the veterans we have been linked with, Ruddy relegated and released with the fans blessing after a poor season, Begovic released by QPR after a poor season and Krul who has barely played in years. If anything, it is more risky because the clock is ticking on their career.

It just kicks the can down the road, we arent as desperate for older heads now, we need a number 1 that can do the job for a number of years. We cant be put off because of one poor signing otherwise we would only sign steady heads in every position. With the older keepers mentioned, they tend to have shown signs of decline which will only worsen so it comes with its own risks.

I think their fans from what I have read dont like the fact that they play 3 at the back.

A second frustrated manager within a year demanding reinvestment from the owners. And a second likely to be let down. Will he be a second to walk?

Seemingly not true. If he indeed said it which we dont know.

Its not about directly replacing players because other players may have changed positions since, or be better suited. Ohashi plays as a striker whereas Brereton played on the left anyway. Ultimately its about how we are covered now. We have Dolan and Weimann best suited to playing centrally . We have Gueye and Ohashi with Leonard behind them to play in that one striking role. We have only really Hedges and Sigurdsson as natural wide men and neither are fast. Get 2 in there and we look well covered.

Why do need 2 more strikers when weve already signed 2 and play 1 up front? Keeper, left back, midfielder and 2 wingers are needed. I think a right back too although JRC is best there.

You could sign an olympic sprinter and use the same argument. But surely we would go for someone who has displayed resonable end product, seeing as Dembele has struggled to kick on over a number of years.

There are question marks about his work rate which has been publically questioned. He has pace and trickery but even beyond attitude, his end product is usually non existent. I watched Birmingham last week and he was hooked at half time.

Dembele was left out purely due to selection, as he was on a few occasions last season. So he is a player who struggles to make an 18-20 man squad for a now League 1 club.