This meanwhile is more great journalism by Jackson: "Concerns with certain parts of a medical can always flag concerns"

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/blackburn-rovers-trying-to-sign-moussa-baradji-on-special-contract/ This suggests that Baradji may need time away to get his injury fixed. If so, then it would be ridiculous to still proceed with the deal considering we are only signing 2 or 3 more.

Im not sure that the odds are that slim considering how often Carter gets injured and the fact that Wharton hasnt played competitively in something like 16 months. Its not a position that you want to be throwing in kids out of necessity. Obviously different if someone like Phillips is emerging who is deemed to be already a first teamers. For those who watch them, are any of the current prospects at that level? Its a bit different with say Tyjon because in attack, as long as you have enough alternatives to not need to rush him through or rely on him, which we dont. You can bring on attacking players at the end for cameos and theres more flexibility. We could do with another centre back although saying that, in terms of priorities it isnt at the top.

Even a club as dysfunctional as ours surely wouldnt go into a season with the only right winger being Ryan Hedges. Im thinking the 2-3 are this Baradji, a right winger and then the maybe is the centre back. Still short but its so glaringly obvious we need a right winger and we havent improved the front line at all.

His articles are often very difficult to read. Lots of ambiguity to cover all bases, grammatical errors etc.

Just enough time whilst out and about to conviently pop on and post that but not add anything constructive in the way of discussion.

Thanks for the constructive reply. I said that the player individually is interesting and linked to some big clubs. Can you tell me which part of my post you disagree with or does being on negativity patrol not allow for actual debate?

I just dont understand this. The player seemed an interesting one, seems to have really emerged in the last year and was linked to some big clubs, a potential midfield powerhouse. But youve got the massive red flag of this ongoing medical issue. Even if you renegotiate the terms, its still surely too much of a risk? But my main issue is again, if we only have the capability to get 2 or 3 more in, this type of player is surely well down the list of priorities. And now that 2 or 3 seems to have reverted to 2 more signings, although it is again more ambigious reporting by Elliott Jackson.

I dont personally think that constantly typing out names sufficiently analyses whether we have enough QUALITY in any position. Id like a new striker because I would like someone who can be an alternative to Ohashi without having to change style. I want another attacking midfielder because I wouldnt want too much reliance on Tyjon too soon. Ideally one that can also play on the right if possible so that if Tyjon does a Travis (who to be fair was older and more developed) and is ready now, then the signing can cover wide right and Hedges becomes further away from the first team. Based on your linear naming of players, its just about having warm bodies. Not factoring in quality or readiness. I wouldnt want Forshaw to start any games for example.

How is that worrying? Looks like lots of exciting summers to me. Gestede said so.

Its 26 or 27 if you dont factor in quality and start padding it out just naming players regardless of it. Leonard is a good example, not someone we can count on. It wouldnt leave us with sufficient quality and depth along the front line.

I was merely asking your opinion. Not what you think Ismael thinks, Gestede thinks or plans, Jackson thinks or what "Nicko" thinks we will do. Do you agree that we need at least 2 more? And would you be disappointed if we didnt? I think I am pretty sure that Ismael wouldnt "want" a striker who has spent 2 years injured and hardly set the league on fire before that as any choice any time soon. Just as he probably doesnt imminently plan on bringing an academy player through that hasnt even been in the first team extended squad in pre season, which was another of your pre-empted attempts to justify that you seemingly dont expect more than one more attacking player being brought in.

@MarkBRFC has made a really important point a few times. Have we really improved our starting 11 this summer? And are we likely to? Seems unlikely at this stage. Dont get me wrong, lack of depth has been a consistent issue that has caused us problems. We did need another player to (hopefully) really push and provide good competition in midfield. We did need cover at right back. And we did need a left footed centre back to add to the squad. But if we are only signing 2 or 3 more, that doesnt fill me with any confidence that we will have the required depth either.

Was it a striker that you wanted instead of a central midfielder? And do you fear that we will be left short in attack assuming we dont get one, based on those comments. If your proposed scenario happens then that would be very, very disappointing. We didnt score enough goals last season, and its certainly not just me that felt that our attack was in most need of work. Ismael has referenced what we need to do in the final third numerous times, Gestede also touched on it. And we have also lost Dolan and Weimann. IF we only brought in a right winger and De Neve, who seems a grafter but has played much of his football as a left back and doesnt appear to be a difference maker. That would not come close to sufficing in my opinion. We have a solid base of a team without enough to really worry teams in the final third.

The famous £20m figure is not relevant for FFP as a chunk of the expenses we incur are ineligible for those purposes. One of those was the womens team I believe. Was.

Im not sure that "world beaters" are required to avoid relegation in the Championship.

That is true, but we have positions were our current first choice isnt very strong. It would make more sense if we then sold say Travis, or we then spent more on the attack as well. As it is, this conversation becomes hypothetical as I suspect he wont sign.

I am as critical as most about the running of the club. But the conspiracy theory that you are proposing makes no sense. Why would they agree a fee and fly a player over only to essentially fabricate an injury? And for no one on the player or selling clubs side to seemingly contest it? I believe the reports that an issue was brought up with the medical. No reason to doubt it. Dont have a clue what that could have been exactly from a medical standpoint, but I dont think its as straightforward as well hes played 3 weeks later, it must be fake. Maybe hes playing with some sort of painkilling treatment, maybe the issue is a high risk of recurring injury. And where did you get 6 weeks from?

Where have you seen that he was supposed to be out for 6 weeks? I am not going jump into conspiracy theories and suggest that there is no injury. If there was a medical question mark, a medical is more like a risk assessment as players sometimes sign for clubs with an injury. Not saying there is not some gamesmanship but it would make no sense to even bother flying him over for a medical if it was all some sort of masterplan to make it appear like we had more money than we do. Maybe the issue was that any injury concerns could come back in the future. My question marks around this deal still surrounding why it may be rumbling on, if it is, and whether trying to spend a decent chunk of our limited budget on what would be 3rd and 4th choice central midfielders was a wise plan.

He did last season and we struggled for goals. Think it was something like 1 in 18.

If only.

Bit of a strange twist. Yverdon Sport are playing right now, guess who is starting in midfield...

It isnt using critical thinking to just assume that every thing that happens is exactly as planned. You have fabricated that argument that I dont want the young players to come through. I will reiterate that I would have both Tyjon and Montgomery as part of the first team squad. (Although I would want their contracts to be sorted before the window closes) I also havent said that I want a new keeper. If both got injured then I think we could sign a senior goalkeeper anyway, might be wrong but think you can get an emergency one on a short term loan. But unlikely to be needed. The stuff about Boggan is really stretching it. If he had even the slightest intention of using him then he would have been involved in the first team picture in pre season. I stand by what I said, that we wanted 6 or 7 BEFORE Weimann and Batth left, and when Gestede spoke, he also said we need a right winger to replace ACD "as we only have Dolan." If we only sign 2 or 3 more, I dont think the squad will be as big as they had planned Its not an immense criticism to suggest that a club might not fill every intended vacancy in the squad that it had planned. Last summer, we were desperately scrambling around for another winger on deadline day and one fell through so we didnt get everything we wanted then either.

@London blue has summed it up well. You just add names and then say we have x number of players and dont judge on quality. You have always done it. In the past adding the likes of Markanday, Telalovic, Garrett and always a few random young players to bloat it out. If you genuinely believed in your list then surely we only need a right winger, why do we even need 3? You also say that every single manager is honest and straight talking. You can't fathom that any manager might not get what he wants. Its not even specific to Rovers, im sure very few managers end transfer windows 100% totally satisfied. Im employing some critical thinking. They said 6 or 7 before Weimann and Batth left. In fact, Gestede said right wing because "ACD is leaving and we only have Dolan in that position" so you can add him too. Also, the requirement for a centre back also is an additional one because Carter has got injured again. So in my opinion, if we only get 2 or 3 more, we have not signed enough players to build up the squad as big as what was initially planned. You cant fathom that. No way could that happen in your head, it must be going exactly as planned. My comments about not signing a striker were in reference to comments about Ismael deciding that Ohashi and Gueye will suffice up front. Gestede said that we did want some more competition there so IF we dont sign a striker, then it doesnt suggest alignment or something has changed. Maybe a striker is within the 2 or 3.

To be fair, they have justification. They are in a great place to push on armed with dodgy money and they repeatedly keep failing to get deals done. Obviously, their main issue should be with the disgusting things that their owners like to do.