You haven't read my post, and have continued to assume that I suggested Hourihane INSTEAD of a player of the sort of age range that you suggested. A player in his early to mid 20s to grow and a more experienced option to give us a bit more know how and proven quality. Ticking 2 different boxes with 2 such signings, with potentially one fee required, to boost an area which is particularly depleted after 3 first team exits. A couple more weeks before a first signing would be no good, that would make it very difficult to get involved before our first game. I would be very disappointed if that was the case and if there was any truth in the LT article, it would suggest that a number of deals have hit snags. IF we haven't signed a player by that last friendly at Lincoln, would you be at all conerned/frustrated out of interest? And before you suggest it, I am not advocating signing inferior players. Why am I skeptical? Because we have lost a number of key players including our captain, our player of the season, our only competent right back, a key midfielder who has since gone to the Premier League and also a winger who played regularly, all with no money coming in. We will also likely sell our only goalscorer from last season. To replace or even better that calibre of players with a few million under a strict wage ceiling and in a market with additional work permit restrictions will be incredibly difficult.

I'm sure that Colak has been deep in talks with Rangers for a permanent deal for a while so not convinced he was ever likely to be coming here, certainly on loan.

Forest are signing Richards from Bayern Munich for the left wing back role so unless Toffolo is going as back-up, maybe that won't happen now.

Why? Probably because I am interested in whether the game will be streamed, hence why I asked.

Just because Zeefuik reportedly had an optional fee of around that amount that wasn't even exercised doesn't mean that is the benchmark fee to compare others to. Totally take your point on the penny pinching though, that is the way Venkys tend to operate a lot of the time. Backwards logic.

I suspect not but I wonder if the club will put a stream online?

Plus the % of which is eligible is unknown so it is impossible to calculate in this way.

I never said that I would personally sign him, just a suggestion of a player that seemingly will not cost too much. MInd you, I have only seen him play a couple of times but he didn't appear as "massively inferior" to Nyambe and he was a regular part of a good defence at Millwall last season. I feel like it is too easy to go to extremes regarding players abilities. Nyambe and Davenport are brilliant and Johnson absolutely shocking in your mind when the truth is that all 3 and many others fall within the middle of those extremes. Just because Rovers have been sluggish in the past doesn't mean that people can't justifiably have concerns. The season isn't decided in 3 weeks but it is valid to be concerned that we could potentially be under prepared and those 21 points available between the season opening and the window closing are as important as any others.

I think it will be difficult on the cheap, don't get me wrong. One that I would say I have less than 50% confidence in finding an equal alternative! Just that a few of the others are to me even harder to replace. Indeed! I would say Lenihan is the biggest along with Brereton assuming the latter goes, our captain and our only real goalscorer from last season. Rothwell is fairly unique but quite inconsistent so him and Nyambe (who has limitations) are easier to replace in comparison but still difficult. Van Hecke is more difficult to replace than those 2 aswell if we include him, Khadra probably the least difficult of the 6.

QPR are trying to get Millwall right back Dan McNamara on a cheap deal as he has only one year left on his contract. I suspect not but I wonder if he would be of interest.

My point is about where I perceive gaps to be in the squad, I think personally I outlined genuine areas whereby I feel that we are short, before considering the budget. Obviously you then have to look at how best to utilise whatever budget we have, which none of us know, and how far that budget can stretch. The "9 Akpan's" line was hyperbole and in theory, that 7th and 8th signing could be loanees with the 9th being the sub keeper we need as an experienced freebie, so not much more on top. We have also signed plenty of crap loans, plenty of crap big money signings and plenty of crap frees over the years, we can't rule out experienced players based on that basis. I stand by the fact that we need experience, whether that is a 28 year old or a 30/31 year old like Hourihane would have been, which is IMO definitely not too old. Obviously we don't want another Danny Murphy who is 35 and disinterested, but each player must be analysed on his individual merits. I am also totally against the idea of writing off seasons, for all of the Brentford comparisons, do they have seasons whereby they don't actively intend to challenge? The process of turning over profits on assets and continuously improving needs to be constant, albeit it relies on the owners who have let us down on this basis in the past. We want a new manager to push us on and if we do have a reasonable budget then there is no reason not to hope for improvement on last season, not regression. Why is it a "rather" situation? We need at least 2 midfielders with 3 going out, I suggested a more experienced option like Hourihane AND potentially someone of the age range of the players you mention whereby you bring in a potential asset AND get some much needed experience into the club. What a statement that is, especially with such assertiveness. I am very skeptical of our ability to sign equal or better replacements for the outgoings, but I would say that Nyambe is probably the easiest of the departees to replace.

You seem to have been particularly stung by Mulgrew and Johnson but there are examples both here and elsewhere of experienced players really helping teams. All the promoted teams had experience, more than we have. You also make out as if an experienced player like Hourihane would automatically be a financial burden yet also say that he went to Derby on not much. I think we need around 8 or 9 yes, I never said that I think we will or indeed that we could afford 9. Sub keeper as Pears is not capable back up and could do with getting football elsewhere. A right back, a centre back and another defender to provide some competition/back up. A couple of midfielders, a left winger and a striker or 2. I see genuine gaps in the squad, none of them are "for the sake of it." Why that extra 2 or 3 couldnt be loans/freebies and why it becomes 9 Akpans seems like hyperbole to me. Anyway, anything isnt about asset generating and the long term. Successful teams tend to have some experience and for me especially after a couple of the players we have lost, we dont have enough. Fair enough if you would be against adding experience. He wouldnt have been the most exciting but I would have taken him to add competition. A good technical player with good experience at the top end of the division.

But like I said, young players who are good enough will break into the team regardless, but we cant rely on them to do so and leave ourselves short if they arent. There are plenty of examples of Championship sides having experienced players who have helped achieve promotion, just because the individuals we have signed in the past have not been entirely successful and havent led us to promotion doesnt mean we should avoid it. Hourihane played a squad role at Sheffield United who have starting midfielders far better than ours and did a capable job when called upon.

He has never shown crossing capabilities regardless of who has been in the box, it isnt a tactical issue that he has been victim of. Defensively very capable but inept going forward.

If your attitude is "enough to finish mid table" then what is the point? Having a sprinkling of experience not only can improve your results in the short term but it can help the development of the youngsters. They can be on a hiding to nothing if too many kids are chucked in at once and they can learn from senior pros. I think as an option in the centre of midfield, not necessarily as a starter every week but he could compete and potentially balance with say Travis nicely. Then sign at least one other in there who is of a good age with room for development. Any youngsters good enough will break through, you cant avoid experience and force the issue though.

I dont think Nyambe suits being a wing back as he is hopeless going forward. The alternative would be right centre back which perhaps suits him more but it seems a well stacked position. Wilder said the other day that it will be McNair and Dijksteel competing for that place whereas they had Tommy Smith on trial as a sub wing so I presume that Nyambe will be seen as a wing back, in which case its an odd signing.

So would you be opposed to signing someone who is say 30/31? We have a lack of experience, even if we felt that the younger players are on par ability wise which would be a huge assumption in itself, then they would lack senior players beside them to show them the way.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/exclusive-middlesbrough-set-to-sign-ex-blackburn-rovers-man/ Nyambe going to Boro according to this. They play 3 at the back so im not sure its a club that he suits but suppose its about money so fair enough. They also have Jones at right wing back who is a key player.

Inside info that turned out to be as accurate as the rest of the ITK stuff recently! I thought you said he would be a good signing, my mistake.

Based on that last sentence that you would "rather" sign the players we want, as if its a choice of speed and quality, ill assume you arent reading what I am saying.

Well obviously. But improving the squad and allowing time for preparation will improve the chances.

We cannot afford to underestimate the importance of a good start to the season. I do not have great expectations of things unfolding like it needs to, as you say we often leave it to the last minute. Fingers crossed we are pleasantly surprised.

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.