How anyone can justify the extortionate Sky prices is beyond me. That is a big factor in streaming being so common now, Sky have made it unaffordable to watch sport for many people.

Those prices will likely only go up, inconvenience to matchday going fans will go up with even more games moved, attendances will go down, ticket prices will go up, wages will go up, who is winning here?

Non parachute payment Championship clubs make considerable losses. Not saying that is just down to Sky, but still. 

Off on a tangent slightly. But there are no Premier League sides in the semi finals of either major European competition. Im not saying it is or isnt, but will it dampen the "best league in the world" narrative that Sky love to promote?

Sky prices are extortionate and you rarely watch a Championship game nowadays on TV without the song "Sky TV is fucking shit" such is their disregard towards fans. Leeds have been on basically every game, I bet they havent had many 3pm kick offs this season.

I think its just Elliott Jackson getting every last drop from his previous interview.

Of course age comes into it. If Kane was 5 years younger he would be worth more too.

No one will bid close to £20m for Szmodics. We cant afford him to go full stop as it wont be reinvested.

3 hours ago, J*B said:

Priority List - 

Keeper: Pears & Leo both shown they're incapable at different periods. Leo will likely stay and develop as No2, can't see Pears ego letting him stay as No2. Sell Pears, buy a No1.

RB: We only have one right back. Brittain needs competition. 

CB: Don't want either Koumetio or McFadz and we need five CBs in the squad. Carter, Hyam, NEW, Wharton, ORoirdon. 

LB: Pickering is our only left back. If possible I'd sign Christene, I think he's significantly better than Pickering.

CM: Existing viable options are Tronstad, JRC, Buckley. Will Travis come back? Based on what we've seen it'll either be Tronstad or Travis, will Travis accept that? Will Buckley ever come good? I don't want: Fleck, Garrett or Ayari. That means I need at least one creative CM with another needed if Travis doesn't want to stay.

Wide Players: Unlike others, I've been really impressed with Sigurdsson. He didn't have a pre-season and clearly signed for JDT who was subsequently forced out. I like Dolan, he can be frustrating but he's capable. Hedges is a very good player to keep within the squad. I make that three players and ideally want four. Hopefully Markanday is sold, he's shown glimpses but in the most part has been terrible. 

Strikers: Szmodics is obviously vital to our club. Gallagher should be sold in the summer - he has his positives but his contract is running out, he clearly wanted the Ipswich move and he's never achieved stats to back up what we paid for him initially nor his high contract. Telalovic and Vale need to be sold, frankly I'd be fine seeing both released on a free. 

I therefore think across signings, loans and promotions we need to fill the below, colour coded as 'green = must be experienced and permanent, yellow = could be a short term loan with a buy option, red = could be a young player either purchased or promoted'.

No1 Keeper

A CB that is fighting to be our third behind Carter and Hyam

A right back that can push Brittain

A left back that is better than Pickering

A creative CM that is tall, strong and can create chances. 

A tackling CM in the mould of Tronstad if Travis leaves

At least one wide forward who's at least as good as what we already have

A first choice no9 striker to replace Gallagher

A back up striker that is actually viable to replace Telalovic and Vale. 

That's 5 expensive, first choice purchases or free transfers.

3 top-flight loan players

1 cheap player - either a free transfer or internal promotion. 

Leaving the squad as:

New Keeper, Wahlsted, 3rd Choice Keeper

Brittain, New

Carter, Hyam, New, Wharton, ORoirdon

New, Pickering

JRC, Tronstad, Buckley, Travis, New

Sigurdsson, Dolan, Hedges, New

Szmodics, New, New

I make that 23 players, so we're allowed another two plus youth I believe? Youth can be: Leonard, Batty, Gent, Barnes, Gilsnan, Fyles, Eastham, Gamble, Finneran.

I get to an extent why people might adopt the attitude on Sigurdsson that he might be better in his second season having adapted and having been unlucky with injuries etc. But you've been "really impressed" with him? What about him? Slow, soft, cant beat a man, ducks out of challenges and after an initial flurry stopped being a goal threat.

I think Pickering is our most underrated player, nothing special but more dependable than Brittain. Chrisene has provided reasonable cover but no way is he better. We do need cover for both but I suspect lack of money will be excused with rubbish about not blocking pathways and versatility to cover not signing a couple of players.

We cant just release Vale and Telalovic, hopefully someone will come in for both for a nominal fee.

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

JRC just played the 'EFL Young Player of the Year' off the park in CM.

Why would you move him back to RB? Brittain is a better option there anyway (JRC struggles to get up and down - much like Pickering - and you have to cover for him). 

CM is the least of our worries. We need pace and physicality upfront, a proper GK and ideally a left footed Brittain to play LB. 

Im not sure that Brittain is the prototype for the sort of full back we need. Pickering is more reliable than Brittain IMO, but we only have one senior full back on each side contracted into next season so we need one of each. JRC is much better than Brittain at full back but I am not against having him as a midfielder more often, the issue is he cant be one of 2 full backs AND a midfielder so we need to choose where we intend to use him, midfield seems a good shout. Shame he isn't more robust and we don't have more than 1. 

Cant argue with your analysis of what we need. Id say 1 or 2 strikers dependant on Gallagher, 2 pacy wingers, another attacking midfielder, (if Szmodics stays, if not 2) 2 full backs and a new keeper are needed, we are miles short. A centre back and another midfielder lesser priorities. Obviously we wont get near that and itll all be with buttons.

25 minutes ago, M_B said:

I thought it was just wins he needed, I didn't realise they were now being categorised,when did that happen? 

Just for the record, will 1-0 do? 

 

You speak as if asking for a home win is me being needlessly pedantic.

Any win will do. We are playing 2nd bottom at home, the important thing is to win a very winnable game and seal survival. But its Eustace's 7th go at winning at Ewood, forget the must not lose stuff, lets actually win a game at home. 

7 hours ago, Eddie said:

Right, so think about it. How hard were we fighting to keep players when we'd made it a standard policy to put release clauses into contracts?

Under the Walker Trust and John Williams we had accepted the idea that we had to be a selling club and turn a profit on players when possible. In some instances, this probably helped us to sign certain players (Bellamy), but we also created a culture that made that the standard approach for contracts.

I'm not defending Venkys, but they would be crucified if they were putting in release clauses at the rate that we were in the 2000s. You'd struggle to find another club that not only put release clauses in for virtually all of their key first team players, but also set them at a relatively low number. 

Duff, Jones, Santa Cruz and Bentley raised nearly £70m (a long time ago) from a cost of probably £4-5m. With these players especially Bellamy, it was likely the only way they would sign up. If Venkys were regularly bringing in massive fees and continuing to sign top players as we continue to punch above our weight, I doubt there would be much uproar. 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24255816.blackburn-rovers-stance-ruddy-revealed-amid-transfer-link/

More Nixon crap debunked. People pay for his transfer nonsense...

35 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Talk about planning for next year is illogical - we simply don't know where we'll stand until late August and the resolution of that court case.  It's just about getting over the line imo. 

This season has been a disaster - we've sold our crown jewel, we've run off our competent ambitious manager and we still don't know whether the owners can put a penny into the club to keep us running. 

Survive then take a deep breath and brace ourselves for more horrendous news coming out of Ewood / Pune is my advice. 

Absolutely, but even from that perspective. Win and we are 100% safe. Home to 2nd bottom, should be a game we target all 3 points and then get it over and done with.

1 hour ago, M_B said:

Well, he's won 2 away matches,that box has been ticked. 

We could do with a win at home on Sunday, but that would only leave the Coventry game to get a home win at 3 o'clock on a Saturday. 

I know he has won away, but he has yet to win at home, including some games we should be targetting wins in, lets get that monkey off his back on Sunday, seal survival and go from there.

56 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He tried to sell Scott Wharton before an injury crisis thrust him into the lineup.

Sent him out on loan in his early 20s twice 'cos he didn't rate him. 

Hypothetical scenarios aside, he was the one that brought him through, played him regularly and got the best form of his career out of him. The loans were because he didnt feel like he was physically ready. When he broke through he was nowhere near as well built as he was now so them loans did him the world of good.

We can say what if this or that had happened, but it didnt.

On 14/04/2024 at 19:26, philipl said:

I believe Wednesday have sold their 7,000 so the home restriction is to prevent Wednesday infiltration.

That really would kick off with a 27,000 crowd (assuming Blackburn End upper remains closed) with another 7,000 from Sheffield spread around the home areas and some Rovers fans unable to get tickets...

As it is, it will be a rum do if we can't get 15,000 home fans for this one and a crowd of 22,000+.

Back to my boring a MUST NOT LOSE game but a draw pretty well secures Rovers finishing above Wednesday unless they can get a 17 goals swing in their favour in the last two matches...

We will be playing knowing the Huddersfield v Swansea and Rotherham v Birmingham results so we could be playing for a win that makes Championship football in 24/25 a certainty.

 

 

I do get why its a must not lose, but bigger picture, say we draw, probably seals safety, but that would still leave Eustace yet to win at home having played Sheff Wednesday, Plymouth and Millwall. It would be pretty depressing and wouldn't bode well for next season.

Talk of filling the side with as many big players as possible to stop them. We are playing at home to second bottom, a draw and we are still catchable, a win and we are safe. Anything but a win is a huge let down IMO. A draw helps us limp over the line but lets just impose ourselves on them, win a game that we should expect to win and start to plan for next season.

If its deemed that Broughton isn't the man to spend the money, that can't be an excuse, "he'd only waste it anyway," if any functional club thought that then theyd replace him.

I don't think his record is great but he like anyone would likely have more success with some funds. When he has spent money, Szmodics is a massive success, Hyam and Brittain have been up and down and Wahlstedt a huge failure. Its the frees and loans where he has totally failed to find value barring Tronstad.

Venkys I am sure wont be reinvesting any of the substantial sums coming in. 

We cant (well shouldnt, but often do) just assume that players who have not played first team football of note will break through.

Barnes has been injured for 2 years, Finneran and Tyjon are 16, Michalski 17 and Duru has never played senior football. If any break through next season, consider it a bonus.

37 minutes ago, philipl said:

Initial fee 18.5m rising by another 5m in add-ons which Adam is well on his way to triggering all of them. 

Assuming we get 23.5m, the sell on is 15% of any Palace profit beyond what they paid to us. 

On current progress that could easily be another 10m and pretty soon.

At Anfield, it was noticeable that Wharton was tackling anything getting close to him and his lack of involvement was quite possibly because they were playing around that space in front of defence he occupies for Palace.

It was a sublime performance from him and not in the lest bit surprised his passing accuracy was almost 90%- I can only remember one pass going astray.

Entertaining your guesses on the sell on. Is he really going for £90m anytime soon?

45 minutes ago, philipl said:

Having seen the "highlights" of Wednesday v Norwich, a back 5 and doing everything we can to avoid corners will be essential.

Norwich were worth more than their two goal lead but Wednesday scored two identical goals from corners with the 6 yard box packed with bodies. We will need all of Hyam, Carter, McFadzean and Gally in there to compete in this version of alehouse football.

 

How about trying to take the game  to 23rd in the league at home?

2 hours ago, superniko said:

How on earth is Mowbray getting credit in that article 😂 he was atrocious at managing our young academy lads and regularly threw Raya and Nyambe under the bus and I seem to remember Travis only got called up when we had a huge injury list. 

Pretty sure Wharton never played a competitive match under him. 

He deserves no credit for Adam Wharton, but to say he was atrocious at managing the younger players is nonsense. Scott Wharton and Buckley had their best form in a Rovers shirt under him and have struggled following his departure and his 2 latest captains were Lenihan and Travis, the former who established himself under Mowbray and the latter who broke through under him and again has struggled since he left.

Obviously not perfect, after an initial phase where he wasnt, Nyambe played the vast majority of games under him although I think our fans over rated him, Raya was a poor error of judgement to agree to sell a young keeper for cheap although I dont think he becomes what he is now or close to if he stayed herem

How can anyone possibly think we dont need an overhaul in the summer considering the season we have had and in particular how thin on the ground we have been regularly naming terrible subs benches and a couple of injuries floors us. The squad needs gutting.

Markanday, Sigurdsson, Wahlstedt, Telalovic and Garrett aren't good enough. Vale likewise. The 4 loanees will go back and not be missed. Gilsenan and O'Riordan are totally unproven, as is Gent.

We need a new number 1 keeper. We need a right back, Brittain has not had a good season so realistically a first choice. We need another left back. Centre back, we certainly should not renew McFadzean, we have 3 there so maybe could do with another body. In midfield, Travis coming back is key to add to the current 2, not sure Buckley is the answer but those 4 are a stronger area of our squad, its whether 4 is enough in such a position.

The attack is the biggest concern. If Szmodics does go then we are goosed. Even if he stays, we haven't any cover there, then aside from that, we have Dolan and Gallagher who are good to have around but not start every single game, and if either doesnt sign a new deal then we have to look to sell. Hedges quite possibly will be injured again with a recurring injury heading into the season. Even if all 3 go, we need a goalscoring striker and a couple of quick wide men.

We won't get what we need, but lets not pretend naming players that arent up to it sees us well covered and just needing a few tweaks.

2 hours ago, ageoftherover said:

The points buffer obviously makes avoiding relegation easier, but we were bottom 2 in terms of form and he had to completely overhaul the team's playstyle (especially in defence). I think given the circumstances his performance is above par, if not massively so. I agree with those saying itll be very interesting to see how he goes with (hopefully) some support in the summer and a full pre season with his squad.

Im not convinced that a point per game is above par. Well, i am convinced it is not. At best par, maybe below.

2 hours ago, M_B said:

Clean slate, as in level playing field and not starting by having to put fires out with players you've never coached before, i thought that was obvious.

Everything this season has been about staying up, I've been saying for weeks that I don't really care if we draw our way to safety. 

If he fails he fails, but to me he's shown enough know how to certainly be given a fresh start from next season, I don't really know why you would Insist on carrying any of this season into next, hopefully it's mission accomplished. 

Id understand if you said that you have seen enough to have some hope with him as manager into next season, or something similar. Whether people agree or disagree. Its the idea of wiping the slate totally clean. Opinions are being formed, areas that we feel he has shown promise in, areas of concern and a general opinion. I dont get why that has to be parked at the door and for the majority it wont, positive or negative. 

Might be an easy link for Nixon to make to justify his patreon in the dry months. And/or might be a common occurence where managers go to former trusted players. Not sure its a signing id be overly enamoured with, if something like this did happen im guessing it would need Wahlstedt out the door.

1 hour ago, M_B said:

We've lost 4 in 14,that's far from shocking during a relegation battle, given the hand he was dealt. 

Barring the Bristol debacle, since he came we've conceded an average of less than one per game. To turn Rovers defence into such a tight unit, in such a short time, whilst fighting  relegation I reckon shows a fair bit of coaching acumen. 

Before these last 6 games, many were asking where our next point was coming from, we're now looking like we're going to stay up. 

He definitely deserves to start next season with a clean slate, he's earned it. 

I dont really understand this clean slate demand. People cant just discard any opinions held of him already.

There is a lot of manipulating stats going on. Only 4 losses, but only 2 wins, an average of exactly a point a game is the only true gauge really. Also, averaging goals conceded ans taking out the time we conceded loads. Our goals scored under him is poor but you wouldnt take the 5 at Sunderland out.

Ive said before, surviving considering the buffer he came in with is IMO not particularly impressive, you think it is and that is equally valid. But im not going to totally wipe the slate clean. I have concerns about his ability to get us scoring goals and winning enough games. I have also seen signs that he is capable of getting clean sheets and organising the teams. Those opinions both bad and good I won't discard going into next season but obviously they are fluid and can change as time goes on. Its not a fresh start though.

47 minutes ago, rigger said:

Because Roversfan99 said that Batty has never shown that he could play for the first team, so we should have signed another left sided defender. Your first statement puts doubt on that.

He hadnt shown that he could play for the first team because he had never played any first football before. Point being, it is impossible to be confident enough that a player from the academy teams is suitable to the point of not signing adequate senior cover until he has played game time at senior level, even if at least its in League 1 or 2 out on loan.

Totally untested academy graduates shouldn't be assumed to be ready to be second choice in a position having never played senior football, as we have seen there is a chance that they aren't ready, whether now or ever. In this case, we only then had Pickering, had to play a right back at left back when he was unavailable and then sign someone at the next available opportunity in January to cover. The reason it happens is here is because of budget cuts but it leaves us inadequately stocked to cope with a Championship season.

7 minutes ago, rigger said:

Are trying to say Batty has never shown the potential to play at championship level. Strange how he was regularly picked at his age group for England. Something has happened with Batty, as he now seems not interested, whereas he used to be the out-ball for everyone.  

Im trying to say that the gap between academy football and Championship football is so vast that we cant afford to just assume that someone will break through and cope competently without recruiting in that position. As a result when he didnt break through, we had one senior left back.

With Batty, it is another example of how we run the club under these owners, with their constant cut backs.

We didnt sign a left back because we apparently "didnt want to block Batty's pathway." We then had to react because it was assumed that a kid with no first team experience would seemlessly step up and compete at Championship level and he didn't. You can only consider graduates to be first team worthy once they have at least shown signs of it.