That is 7 games into the season. The key surely is the squad on the 30th of July, with anything after that just being the cherry on top.

Sterling going to Chelsea it seems. Potentially a good deal but they surely are crying out for a central striker?

The problem is that Venkys have regular spells where they totally withhold funding, take last summer, which was the start of a new financial year, we sold Armstrong and didn't even spend 2 or 3 million on the next asset, which is not showing full commitment to this supposed plan, and it is also short term thinking when the expectation is that the majority of those assets are sold on at profit. The way they interfered with the Rothwell deal again is inconsistent to the supposed Brentford model. It has to be constant, Brentford keep selling and instantly buying replacements and it was constant. The accounts showing the Armstrong sale and the likely imminent Brereton sale have yet to be released, but I certainly don't agree with this statement in general, but it's too much of a long winded debate.

I might be mistaken but did you once either suggest him as a potential good signing (I think it was before Kaminski signed) or went to great detail to defend him following a rumour that we wanted him?

No one has ever said that we need to just panic and sign bad players, its a straw man argument because time and quality are not mutually exclusive. It is a reasonable expectation to bring in quality AND to sign at least a large proportion of summer signings as soon as possible well in advance of the season to get them integrated. It is important to start the season well. I have no doubt that you will repeat the response that you aren't panicking and it is about quality without acknowledging that there should ALSO be a desire to get players in sooner rather than later if at all possible to prepare to start the season well. The Brentford model is not comparable unless we scrap the academy and start using a B team, which obviously is unwise. It also requires continuous commitment from the owners to reinvest part of any fees received which history shows doesn't always happen.

We may have a bit of leadership and experience but to me there is not enough, and as another poster pointed out, if we want to continue to bring through youngsters they need that bedrock of a core of experienced players. Travis seems like a leader but is still only 24 and can struggle controlling his emotions and I am not sure that Dack screams of being a huge leader. I thought that our squad last year could have done with a touch more experience and players that have been there and done it and losing our captain and also an experienced squad player who has been there and done it only furthers that point. Someone like Hourihane could have provided a really shrewd replacement for Johnson; much more useful on the pitch considering that he is a fair few years younger, wouldn't necessarily play 46 games but he showed his worth at Sheff United last season too. As it is, I suspect that the main block in getting experience in is money. I am not convinced that we went to Portugal and used that as some sort of definitive judgement on what we need to bring in, the gaps in the squad are obvious, they mentioned going straight to the transfer market when they arrived and the week is just fitness work in early pre-season without even having a game to judge them. I am sure that Tomasson is always learning about the squad but for example doing mainly fitness drills for a week isn't going to change the fact that we need at least one centre back having lost 2 key ones, that we only have Travis as a central midfielder etc. They have been in situ for a few weeks now so to expect signings well in advance of the season isn't generally an unrealistic aim. It certainly wasn't a case of me putting all of the blame on the new manager, he was already at a disadvantage being appointed well into the off-season and I would be the first to agree that a Venkys run club is always a further disadvantage. But ultimately I am judging what the intention should have been against what happens and just hope we get some good players in soon to help a very light looking squad.

Do we have a DNA? If it is in bringing through youngsters, fine but we have lost our captain and also our most experienced player from an already inexperienced squad so we need at least a couple of more experienced players regardless of ideals about DNA. The specific names you mention in the main are underwhelming aside from Hourihane who I think would have been a good player to have, good on the ball, very good left foot, experienced and has proven himself at this level over a number of years. Also, we cannot afford to allow further time to pass on the basis that we want outs first, we need the bulk of our business to be done before the season, ideally in the next week or so to allow the new players to gel, they have already missed the Portugal trip and likely the first friendly. Brereton will be going but that situation may rumble on beyond the first game so we simply cannot wait. With Ayala, we don't know if he will go, if he does then we should just an additional vacancy that we need to fill.

The Brentford model is nothing like what we see at Rovers. Firstly, we are placing focus on the academy. Brentford disbanded their academy team to cut costs and have a B team instead. You mention reinvestment of say 50%. That clearly isn't happening here. Investment is random and usually below that marker, see last summer where it was essentially nil. Brentford regularly reinvested in cheaper "rough diamonds" and then sell them on and instantly replace. If it was about FFP, they would have done the full pitch renovation. It isn't. There is not some grand plan on behalf of their owners, or if there is, it isn't evident.

I remember seeing him a few times for Forest and he seemed to make a bad mistake in every game. Seems to be a modern day keeper whereby actual goalkeeping competence is not a priority in seeking someone who is ok with their feet.

Why is it quality OR speed in your eyes? Of course we need quality and that goes without saying really, but it is a genuine point to want at least a large proportion of the summer business to be done well in advance of the first games. It is not one or the other. It is important to start well and key to that is getting players integrated in pre season together. WHEN the players are signed isn't the irrelevance you make out, for example it would be no good getting all of the players on the last day of the window, 7 games in!

If its shared in confidence then you surely wouldnt try and verify it by saying that others know without saying who they are! I choose to go off your track record which is shocking to be fair. Agreed on the 12 years of despair and I am not confident about our window either.

He was here before we signed anyone last summer. He was the one who apparently initially spotted Khadra, ultimately it is hard to judge on such a small budget last season in only one season.

Not that 2/3 random other posters could verify it, but who? Even if it was true, as I said that alone doesn't necessarily mean the sort of despair you are trying to provoke is justified. McGoldrick is also going to Derby ahead of Sheff Utd, again with a likely carrot of regular football.

That Muric is an absolute disaster. I hope you sign him!

I don't get why it is often spun back to mindsets and people being positive or negative. Surely expecting loads and being underwhelmed is even more frustrating?

Can see it now. Jon Dahl Tomasson has resigned after reading a few frustrated posts on an internet messageboard. People have been stung and damaged so much under these knobhead owners that they understandably perhaps act a little over the top, its a messageboard though. Why is it only quality OR speed in your mind, the 2 aren't mutually exclusive. Quality is important but it is much better to get at least some in with time to integrate in pre-season. The window closes 7 games in so we cannot wait until then for example either, we need to get at least some in ASAP. Hourihane has stemmed from Mercer so is undoubtedly rubbish and even if he has chosen Derby, it may well be for a better chance of first team football for similar money. But he would have been a decent enough addition, would have given us some experience and some quality passing, and did a role as a squad member at a top 6 side last season, so not sure what the "please" is about. Is that true? Many?

I am not too sure that it is to hide it but I do think it looks better than how it looked in the second half of last season, stuck over the top. I remember in the past that I think companies insisted that we put their sponsor in a box to make it stand out so I would be surprised if there was a deliberate attempt to somewhat conceal it, it goes against their inevitable regular promotion of Totally Wicked as is normal with a major sponsor.

I never personally buy the shirts but I am not particularly keen on any of the leaked kits, assuming the away and 3rd are as shown. The 3rd in particular is fairly abhorrent. The sponsor on the kit looks quite high but the whole kit is not very nice to look at to be honest. I possibly don't have as strong views as much as I understand others views on both vaping and indeed gambling companies but one aspect I do think is important regardless of personal views is to be wary to annoy supporters/customers by opting for controversial choices.

I don't get how anyone would spend so much on a product that requires such drastic action to make it anything other than "vile" to the user!

Totally agree on being judged on who does sign rather than who doesn't. No credit is earnt for who we sign and there is also no point in people doing what they sometimes do and add potential fees of players we are rumoured to have bid for, it has happened in the past to justify that we had more money and chose not to spend it. Take this Bosnian defender, even if we assume a genuine interest, we don't know if we actually bid and if we did bid, if it was £3m. All about how much we actually spend. On a replacement for Park, things don't seemingly work like that under Venkys. There was no chance of a contract extension for Mowbray in the winter yet seemingly no work was done in thinking of a replacement. Waggott will also presumably stay either until he chooses to go (unlikely) or until the end of his contract which according to @1864roverite is in 2025 which is worrying! The owners still somehow as the common denominator over 12 years seem to deflect the flak elsewhere by some based on this belief that they are naive and misled. Even if we take your crazy assumption at face value and say that Venkys were totally oblivious, that would reflect just as bad on them as if they were leading it!

Its always the same rhetoric when they get a new manager now too, give him time and trust the process etc with a genuine unwavering expectation that this time will be the time that it will all work out. Often the focus is on specific individuals deemed to be poisonous but the problem is much deeper. Pogba has left, Ronaldo may leave and the fans will anticipate a fresh start, a hungry young team. In reality, it would leave a keeper who is getting worse, an 80m centre back who isnt very good and will never not have the focus on him due to that price tag, 2 terrible central midfielders, a stroppy number 10 and 2 lazy England attackers who can never be arsed, amidst others. I just hope that it all continues to falter!

Very strange signing, hes crap.

Ive been as vocal as anyone in how we need a good number of players and how the earlier we can bed them in the better but your earlier sudden post (unsure if it was the failure to sign this Bosnian that provoked it) about being fucked and needing a long walk and a few drinks just caused intentional hysteria with many taking that one post as symbolic of an unfair perception of widespread blind panic. Ultimately, any team that changes manager in the off season is playing catch up in the transfer market. At a club as dysfunctional as ours, the process becomes more lengthy and we essentially cut half of the summer out searching for a manager. You could certainly argue that we are fucked or at least massively handicapped but that is down solely to Venkys and will continue until they depart. Mowbray thankfully has gone but leaves a very competitive first 11 or so despite key players becoming unaffordable with richer competitors and also another imminent large windfall on an asset which may or more likely may not be available for reinvestment. There is a platform there more than a mess but it needs at least a decent chunk of the Brereton money reinvested to push on.

He wouldnt even be considered if he wasnt a local lad. Did they specifically say that there would be no signings by now? And who has said that they "expected" signings by now? Would be ideal, can somewhat understand the concern to an extent as its best to get players in early and we have a track record of taking time usually due to lack of finance and delays stemming from India. In fact I am sure you said the other week that you could see a signing happening soon.

I dont think its ideal by any means but I expected it and im certainly not worrying or "panicking." I wouldnt expect anyone in this week either, just a guess mind.