There is no way that we bid 5m for Dembele. Their chairman was no doubt posturing as ever when he said that, seems like £1.5m is closer to the mark: https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/transfer-news/blackburn-rovers-bournemouth-dembele-transfer-22940383

I think now the dust has settled on an underwhelming final day, I think reflecting back on the window as a whole, we definitely finish the window in a stronger position than we started it. I am not surprised that Venkys didnt show more ambition but I think we have on paper boosted the squad with 3 bits of quality. The Markanday situation is unfortunate but ultimately he is an irrelevance to our season and Brown is not a first teamer. The key is always avoiding situations whereby we arent competitive and go into games with our hands tied behind our back, that has happened 3 times for me at least (Huddersfield away, Blackpool away and Luton away) and it will be hard enough to get the points we need for 2nd without not being competitive for the full 46 games. Obviously the key lies with injuries too, we dont have the squad depth of those around us. Any news on Gallagher and Edun? @RoversClitheroe you said that Edun is out for the season, where was this from? Hopefully we have Pickering, Dolan and Dack available soon too. I look at the squad, I feel like we could have done with another goalscorer albeit that is difficult on a pittance. With Buckley and Dack as the false 9, that leaves us with Brereton, Hedges, Khadra, Gallagher and Dolan fighting for 2 spots, maybe Poveda at a push before the end of the season. Thats one short for me and fingers crossed that Brereton comes back ok too but id like to think we wont have a repeat of last weekend with those options at least. Wing back/full back has caused us problems especially when Nyambe has been out (think Magloire having to play or even moving Buckley) so hopefully Zeefuik (and at a push Rankin Costello although equal questions about quality and durability) can ensure that we dont have any games where similar happens. Giles is a really good Championship player who will also add a set piece threat so happy with him, Edun is not a good defender but fitness permitting he would give us another option in a more suitable midfield role in which we look a bit short otherwise. Johnson has been good in the last 2 games, Snodgrass would be worth a look but wouldnt happen. A potential concern is in the back 3, 4 isnt enough when one is injury prone and 2 are approaching suspension. Kaminski has to stay fit too. Overall, possibly a 6 out of 10, maybe 6.5 for me. More ambition was needed to be honest from the owners.

?

And Butterworth out.

Just the one, Giles.

He plays a different position.

Absolutely no way whatsoever were Bouenemouth ever going to let go their main goalscorer and the third top scorer in the league come to us, even if we could afford him. Which we obviously couldnt.

He sent Wharton loan to toughen up and play regular mens football, a plan of development that very much worked. This seasons tactics are to be praised as much as last seasons warranted criticism.

Who said that Edun is out for the season?

We do need a striker and did before the potential loan of Butterworth but I wouldnt say that a player with occasional and usually ineffectively needs directly replacing.

Who?

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19886229.blackburn-rovers-transfer-deadline-day-live---january-2022/ You can have as many as you want. 5 in a matchday squad.

Rich Sharpe said that as things stand, it will just be Giles.

You think the Armstrong warchest is sat there with the owners willing people to sell and it just incompetence below that prevents that?

Davenport as attacking cover?

Utter nonsense. As I said, people havent read exactly what he has said clearly. He showed empathy, understanding, asked fans specifically not to get on his back and said that the decision for Rothwell not to travel was NOT made by the manager. He has no blame in a minority of tosspots sending messages.

He went into detail saying how he totally understood the situation that Rothwell found himself in, used an example of when he was in it himself and ended up quadrupling his wage and asked fans not to get on his back. He also said that it was his decision rather than Rothwell's decision to not take him to Luton. The furore that his interview has caused doesn't match what he actually said.

The individual transfer decision is totally irrelevant to the point that I am making, that the manager should be left with the autonomy to decide on footballing matters. For what its worth specific to the example, it is totally dependant on what replacements that we could have got. If we could have found adequate replacements, which was a condition that Mowbray stressed that had to come into play as the only way that it would be considered, then I think potentially yes, although finding such players would be difficult. It could have benefitted us in the short and long term.

I never said that they don't at other clubs. we can all speculate on that and to be honest as it is other clubs, I care little. I am saying that they shouldn't, they should leave such decisions to people qualified to do so. You can use the argument "they own the club and it is their money" to anything, obviously I know it is, but as a stakeholder in the business that they hold, I have the right to question the decisions that they make. If they chose to sell the stadium and build a chicken farm, if they chose to change our kit to claret and blue, you could say "they own the club" so why not.

No they shouldn't. Owners delegate the job of choosing players to the manager who is qualified to do so. They should not allow their own stubbornness to interfere with such decisions. If Mowbray would have preferred to get 2 new players in and felt that it would improve us short and long term, then he should have been allowed too. He knows far more about football than those idiots. If they don't trust him to do that role, which I think would be unfair considering where we are, then they should appoint someone who they do trust.

Got back from Bournemouth quickly.

Certainly not a window in which Venkys have given much investment, fairly underwhelming. They shouldn't be interfering in footballing decisions either. Giles would be a good loan addition, Zeefuik gives us more depth on the opposite side, we look well stocked in the wing back positions. Hedges hopefully will be a shrewd addition as an attacking option for a nominal fee, you wont get much for 200k in general so hopefully he will be a bargain. Markanday is not part of my consideration as he cannot play a part in the promotion push, and Brown is not a senior addition. We look very short of depth. We lack a striker, we are short of midfielders, and we only have 4 centre backs for 3 positions and 1 competent keeper. Diaz is not playing as a central striker now.

He went into detail with how he totally understands the situation though, even saying “I understand, I wouldn’t criticise, I wouldn’t want our supporters coming down on the wrong side of him of Joe Rothwell, it’s football." He did say that he wasn't moving and contrary to the "ITK's" no bids have been accepted so he wasn't wrong. Apologies he did. He actually insisted that it was his decision rather than the players to miss the Luton game, so certainly not feeding him to the wolves. That being said, it is of little surprise that you take any opportunity to criticise Mowbray.

Absolute nonsense. He was asked and said that Rothwell didnt want to be considered which ultimately he had to admit. He also went into detail about how he totally understands the situation, it is a considerable pay increase which can help to set him and his family up for life and that he once quadrupled his own wage during a transfer so showed empathy. I know you dont like Mowbray but lets not make out as if he fed Rothwell to the wolves.

Bournemouth have still been lurking and the suggestion of Rovers accepting a bid from their Championship rivals has been widely reported however, it was of our understanding last night that Rothwell had not been granted permission to travel ahead of a potential move to the Vitality. Says that its been widely reported but its not confirmed plus it says that he has not been allowed to travel down.