I genuinely don't care about how boring or otherwise a manager is, the biggest reflection of one is how their team plays, I don't pay much attention to the sideline stuff or see the need to get to stressed/excited about interviews etc. Hard to get too much of a feeling either way though as he seems to be the daily name banded about as has been the case throughout, with nothing happening. Not much to judge him on anyway.

How do you know specifically that Waggott has met Ainsworth and didnt like him?

Lots of players available on frees that will soon be snapped up I guess. Sheyi Ojo, Will Vaulks, Jonjoe Kenny and Tobias Figeuredo amongst what ive seen today. No idea if any are good enough to genuinely improve us but they will go elsewhere by the time we appoint a manager anyway.

5 subs next season again allowed. We dont even have that many!

Where from? Seems premature to me, had lots of whispers and rumours but ultimately no sign of an apppontment. Even Deila was also reportedly interviewed and seems unlikely to join.

Tough one with Ayala. All logic dictates that getting a big earner who cant stay fit off the payroll even if there was no fee is a no brainer. That said, such is the lack of options with only Wharton who is good but fairly young and Carter unproven at this level available, we might need to keep those 15 games in which we will have some experience at CB.

Did you want Deila?

"Know the playing squad" and "Knows the club" are regularly phrases banded about. Why is this automatically seen as a huge positive? Surely anyone will get to know them over time but if the approach is a fresh start then its best not to be too reliant on existing opinions too much? Any new manager should be allowed within reasonable finances be able to pick and choose his coaching staff.

If you believe the conspiracies. That was well into the second half of the season and amidst the poor form, not the catalyst.

The search goes on and on, I bet no one will be here when pre-season starts. Can't profess to be an expert on Deila but we can't afford to wait and wait and Celtic fans dont seem to be big fans. His preference ie one game he (stupidly) did it, fixed it at half time and we won the game?

As it stands at this moment, I don't really get the thinking behind that. At this moment in time, they have a proven manager, we are still scrambling around and half of our team has gone. You seem rather bitter about it, I remember you saying that Waggott had essentially said about Lenihan that he isn't that good (post the 7-0 loss) so perhaps his opinion has worn off on you? Big ask for Carter, not least alongside Wharton with Ayala constantly injured. We need perhaps two more I would say.

Again, I never mentioned targets, I am on about what I think will happen, not what we should strive for. Those 2 players are not of the same standard as Lenihan, he was our captain and a leader in an inexperienced team, plus a key part of our defensive strength. He plays basically every week, we are much worse without him. Goode has played 16 times in 3 seasons since playing well in League 2, an unremarkable career. Mawson has played 11 times in 3 seasons and is very injury prone. Not saying they would or wouldn't be reasonable signings, I just think you are being quite flippant about the situation as if for example losing Lenihan isn't a big blow. We already are a lot weaker than last season as it stands and the variables ie manager choice, money, recruitment I suppose could go either way but I have little faith in going right. Is it all negative? Of course not. Like I said, its a poor league so it would take a really bad summer (terrible manager, no money etc) for us to be right near the bottom. I think a lot rides on Dack and his return to fitness as the other attacking options we have either flatter to deceive often or are unproven. But I don't get why it has to become about positive v negative. I think Boro with a full season under Wilder and especially with a shrewd free addition will be stronger. I think West Brom with a marmite manager but with one with success (not just experience) at this level, with Swift signed, Dike back fit and more to come will be up there, I would be surprised even without Gibbs-White if Sheff Utd aren't in and around the top 6 so with the relegated 3, I don't see us directly comparable to those at the momeny.

Its easy to pin it especially on Mowbray but if we are working with peanuts im not sure what else he could do personally. He didnt even deal with contract negotiations.

Its a myth thats developed that hasnt even come from those in the club really, it wasnt mentioned by Waggott nor Mowbray when we didnt spend last summer, they mentioned being preoccupied in India. The lack of willingness to spend on things that arent FFP eligible prove it to be nonsense.

Out of interest, do you think that Venkys would invest more was it not for FFP?

Surely its's not about positivity/negativity, glasses being half full or half empty, enjoying the ride and mindsets. You compare to Brentford, they have a totally different structure with no academy but a B team. They also have the knowledge that any time an asset is sold, a chunk is reinvested and the process is continued. With our owners, they are inconsistent with funding as proven last season, so a similar method can't work. Also, more fool any prospective new employee if they believe what Venkys tell them, regarding resources or indeed plans. After 12 years, surely everyone would agree that we have been burnt by them more than enough to be wary, whether it is what they say directly or indeed indirectly? When they came, it was all Champions League and 5 year budgets. The sort of objectives that have fed through since have become less laughable but equally as fanciful based on their corresponding actions. Even last season, they (apparently themselves) stated on the official site that they were fully behind the club and endeavoured to come to Ewood at least once last season. What happened? They reinvested no money and never showed up!

What sort of jump are we supposedly talking then? We can't be expecting him to step up, if he does at such an age then its a bonus. Ayala is a worthless comparison as he will spend most of the season on the treatment table.

Its not about glasses being half full or half empty and yet to see much to br hopeful about personally. The Lenihan news is a hammer blow and I would be amazed if we get a replacement of a similar quality. As touched on the transfer thread, its a blow for various reasons. Boro for one are massively strengthened and us weakened in one move that raises zero pounds for a budget.

Nobody on here can possibly say how much he will be on or indeed how much of the move is financially motivated. That being said, it seems likely that he will get a rise and it says a lot about Rovers under Venkys if we cant come close to competing with a team like Boro.

Monumental blow to lose Lenihan for a number of reasons: 1. Hes a huge player for us who we do far better with when he plays. 2. Hes our captain and we lack experience and leadership in general. Its ok saying "Travis can be captain" but he seems much more rash and lacking in that same level of composure. 3. He has gone for free. Having to scrape the barrel for a replacement. @chaddyrovers mentioned Mawson and Goode, so a freebie (who will likely go elsewhere by the time a manager is appointed) and someone who has struggled since leaving Northampton. That may be the market we are indeed looking in financially but will we find an equal replacement? No. 4. He has gone to Boro, a real shot in the arm for a rival if we supposedly genuinely want to push again. Lots of revionism about him too. The phrase "woeful concentration" for a CB is well over the top, hes not perfect but hes shown himself to be a very good CB at this level and we struggle without him. Without him and Van Hecke leaves a gigantic hole and our defence was what we built our success on. Also talk about a sideways step or indeed a step down, behave! Boro have shown ambition getting in Wilder and this transfer says a lot. People have batted it off on social media by mentioning Carter and Phillips. The former has had 2 good half season loan spells so hopefully will look massively different from the nervous kid that has featured previously but still he wont be on par with our outgoing captain. And Phillips is 16/17, nothing like unsubstantiated pressure by expecting him to help fill the void of such an important player.

You have to think about the players and injury prevention etc after and indeed before full seasons. If teams played fringe players they still likely would be perhaps equally as fatigued plus it would devalue it to the point of further questioning why the games exist. The Nations League was a nice idea as a friendly alternative but no one seems to care about it and 4 fixtures post season seems highly unnecessary. Its not about how much they earn, it is physically proven that these athletes are being tested beyond their limits and become much more succeptible to injury.

Do England (and indeed other teams) have 2 more games left? Absolutely crazy and unnecessary influx of internationals. I saw Van Gaal having a pop on Sky Sports earlier.

You keep mentioning targets. I agree that we should aim high but im not asking that. Its about what you think will happen that I am asking, not what you want or indeed what you think the aims should be. I dont have any faith in a sensible appointment because mainly of the terrible track record over 12 years coupled with how slow the process is going and having seen good potential managers go elsewhere. Thats not unreasonable negativity. Of course I hope to be proven wrong. "Why fear the worst?" Last summer, none of our big sale was reinvested. Im saying that if the same thing happens, which is not an unreasonable assumption, then we will be in a pickle. I would not expect those kids to come through and play KEY roles in a promotion push, its a hell of a leap from kids football, they have 3 league cameos between them aside from an unsuccessful loan spell in League 1. If any do, bonus and great, and im not saying never give them a chance before its twisted to that. The aforementioned deperatures. Rothwell, Van Hecke, Khadra, Lenihan, Brereton, Nyambe. 6 big (potential but range from likely to certain) holes.

The fundamental flaw is the inconsistency. The only summer of backing really was upon promotion on 2 players that have already paid for themselves and will generate a huge profit once Brereton goes. The other summers (in the context of a Championship, the League 1 budget was big for that level but not really for Championship) have seen 3 of minor trading and loans and one of total cutbacks. I would like to think on the back of last summers cutbacks that we could really spend at least the full Brereton proceeds and show some ambition, not even expecting a budget on top lf that. Even a decent chunk of it would be a start but I can see a repeat of last summers frugality.

I was just highlighting that both our local paper (via Warne) and also a reporter over in Yorkshire have rubbished the rumour. I did acknowledge that he would probably say that anyway but indeed we are currently seeing one or two new names a day and most seem to be bollocks. My point was about things like introductory videos and pre/post match interviews whereby its all soundbites.