I dont understand the sarcasm. Obviously many people may not be in a position or of a desire to pay money for a season ticket at the moment. But some wil be happy to pay, whether it is out of habit (something more likely to be lost the longer the gap is) or out of loyalty. If there is SOME demand, I cant comprehend the logic of "yes but lots of people wont buy one." Surely it makes sense to at least take advantage of that demand that is there and claw in whatever the club can at supposedly such a difficult time. Even if it is say 1k people at 300 quid a pop, its 300k into the club coffers. It would also require a bit of thinking outside the box in terms of ticketing. The concept of designated seats would have to be temporarily abandoned. Presumably fans wishing to go together (ie family) could apply together, and it could be left flexible to allow further people to join should they choose to before it starts. There could be terms thought out in terms of contingencies. If say no games are attendable next season, worst case scenario, then the season ticket is deferred until the season after. Cash flow is still improved. If as I hope is more likely that only a few games cannot be attended, offer ifollow links. We have the added advantage logistically of not having demand exceeding supply so its more manageable. Other teams have managed to do it and we cant complain about cash flow when we are choosing not to take up a very obvious way to improve it. It requires proactivity which is why we havent done it.

Some people clearly are so it makes no sense not to let them like other teams have.

Because the club has bemoaned cash flow issues caused by the pandemic.

I think that the wide areas have been ineffective across the whole of Mowbrays reign. A bad achilles heel. He has been overly reliant on goals from central positons the Dack and Graham partnership and of course with one injured and the other on the wane and now gone, Armstrong started scoring centrally. The quotes from the article post January transfer window basically admitted an attempt was made to sign Atsu, who individually is shit, but it gave me a bit of hope that he would at least consider actual wide players. Not asking for old school crossers into the box everytime as that wouldnt suit but players who can play the position ans contribute in an attacking sense. You look around the league, Benrahma, Harrison, Mbuemo, Diangana, Phillips, Grosicki, Costa, Lolley, Jed Wallace, Mendez Laing, Hoilett, Murphy x2 even the likes of Sammy Ameobi, Barkhuizen, Sinclair, Jamal Lowe, Kadeem Harris, Eliasson, Bela, Osayi Samuel, McLean, Ince etc. All far more effective and proving that wingers do have value, often in teams who do NOT possess an Armstrong AND a Dack. The only exceptions where an Armstrong hot spell in League 1, but he is better central, and Antonsson had a bit of a goal rush. Weve had "defensive wingers" such as Bennett, an ageing Conway and a horribly wasted Reed contributing precious little in attack. Weve had naturally central players like Holtby, Buckley, Rothwell, Payne, Palmer who to varying degrees arent totally comfortable or at least effective there. And weve had strikers, Brereton, Samuel and Gallagher who again have all failed to impress. I know it might seem fanciful to expect effective players in wide areas but until it is addressed I feel we will struggle to push on. It is almost like Mowbray views the wide positions (including full backs) as not important and places where he can stick central players and crack on as normal.

I think you are confusing Jordan Jones, a winger linked from Rangers and formerly of Kilmarnock with Liverpool young player Curtis Jones.

So you would personally opt to have Ben Brereton as a wide man? Or you think thats what will happen? Would you personally like to see a winger or 2 at the club? We wanted a winger in January. I hope we want one now budget allowing because nobody who has played out wide this season has been effective bar maybe Armstrong who is a striker. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18204589.mowbray-atsu-rovers-failure-add-january/

Obviously it has specifically been provoked by a link to a winger. But because my opinion is that we need one and that our wide players (well who have played there) havent contributed in a way that we need. We also apparently wanted wingers in January and I think Mowbray was quoted as such so the penny may drop. Indeed the Chapman incident will of course have more to it than him just being a winger.

What would yours be going into next season, including any signings? (not the actual player but the position eg new GK) And what would your view be if we did sign a winger, are you totally against having wingers or just dont think Mowbray is interested in them. I personally think that we are dying for width. None of our wide players this season have been effective. Goalkeeper, centre back and left back are all obvious areas but out wide isnt far behind. Next season the only current players we have to play in the back 5 are Lenihan and Nyambe. So obviously need a competent keeper, LB and CB. Evans and Travis are fine in CM. Dack just off Armstrong as the main 2 up front. I sadly dont think its realistic to sign 2 wingers, so one of Holtby, Rothwell, Chapman or Rankin Costello on the other side. Probably Holtby with width on the other side. Stick Dillon Phillips, Cunningham, Ayala and Jones into those 4 slots and we look much better but that obviously isnt realistic and theres minimal chance of holding onto our key players. Whiteman is a rumour that surely cannot have any legs to it. Central midfield well down the list of priorities.

I think its a little bit unfair to be honest. Dack is quite clearly very good technically and the main reason that Graham has been the best partner for him is simply that he has been the best striker that we have had in the last few years. No reason to suggest that he can only play in a direct team.

I thought that Mowbray doesnt play with wingers? Seems like a lazy link to me, linking him to his former international manager, the club he came through the academy of and of a manager he used to play for. Contrary to popular belief, we do need wide men who can competently operate there. I have seen him a few times for Rangers and he ticks the boxes, pacy, direct and provides width, whether he has that end product often enough, I am unsure. I cant see it being a goer because of any potential fee. I am sure Gallagher will continue to trudge down the wings in the near future.

As you say, it is our fault for giving him the contract, he was fully entitled to sit on it. Isnt talking about Smallwood in terms of transfers on topic? Its hardly as if there has been anything done to talk about anyway!

Its easy for you to say when you arent pressed with the decision of giving up thousands of pounds a week chaddy. We can all have principles from the outside of loving the game and wanting to play football but would I give up thousands of pounds just to play a bit more football? Probably not. We shouldnt have given those players those contracts in the first place.

I totally understand his actions. Probably a mixture of mainly not wanting to take a paycut and not wanting to give up on playing Championship football may have played a part too. Whether you thing it is "strange" or not, footballers have short careers and I totally understand a desire to get every last penny out of it for themselves and their family. He can now still get a League 1 contract, no harms been done in that year. Fair play to him. Mulgrew knew that he was unwanted yet chose to come back so he must like it here, he must be settled. This pay off could have been avoided. I think you are looking at it solely from the clubs point of view. Fact of the matter is that Mowbray shouldnt have handed out contracts like confetti to Mulgrew, Williams ,Bennett and indeed Smallwood when we came up, it was such a shortsighted and wasteful thing to do especially under FFP and has left us lumbered with players that arent up to it.

The Premier League win was slightly before my time sadly but I believe (correct me if wrong) that the Blackburn End used to regularly chant "Colin show us your arse."

Ultimately he can be as "hard lined" as he likes but it means nothing if the player is content here or if teams are unlikely to match his financial package elsewhere. Even if he turned to Mulgrew, Williams, Bennett (more chance of hell freezing over) and said like he clearly did to Smallwood that they are settled here, that they want to fight for their place, or ultimately that they are unwilling to take a pay cut, then theyd stay regardless. Its pretty common knowledge that Mulgrew is unwanted. Yet he chose to come back and sit in the stands.

As I think it was @chaddyrovers that pointed out, apologies if not, but a number of Championship teams are after Northamptons captain. Obviously just because they were both in the same team doesnt mean that they are the same ability but it would be remiss to totally ignore his performances considering how weak we are there, as he has stood out. I dont think anyone would want him starting the season but he stands out amidst the younger ones, the other 3 of whom have appeared a little lost in their taster of first team football.

Looked really weak v Oldham for a defender and made a bad mistake. Wharton surely has done enough to at least be the top of that clutch of young defenders. Suspect he will be sold for a nominal fee if I had to guess.

Looks like Millwall are signing Troy Parrott on loan and have also got a deal for Ryan Woods sorted out already. Keep Jed Wallace and they will be right challenging for the top 6. Aiden OBrien a player linked to us on here by someone (apologies but cant remember who) has joined Sunderland. Teams starting to piece together their side for next year.

https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/fussball/werder-bremen-patrick-erras-wollte-unbedingt-zu-werder-72144422.bild.html In German, but says that supposed midfield target Patrick Erras has chosen Werder Bremen over us.

Huddersfield bought shite. But even if they didnt buy anyone, dont all agree that you are going down before its happened, tell the players as such, at least give it a proper go even if its with the squad they have. The attitude is what bothers me. Anyway I cant be arsed going into it further.

Did @Mattyblue not provide a link to the forum in which their fans were very critical? I get not gambling 100m on staying in the league, thats one thing. I do think they could have spent a small amount, tactically, within reason, within the wage budget etc. But even if they financially anticipated relegation prudently, do not accept it before it happens, do not have your manager telling the players that basically there is no chance of survival. Everything thats wrong with football was evident in their whole club embracing relegation before it had happened.

Very true. I did mention in my earlier post that there are exceptions to that rule though. And youd have to be promoted to benefit ie in their case whereby even if he goes back to United this summer, they are in a position to blow 15m on a new keeper. You can, otherwise there is no point in this thread. As long as you are open minded when they can join, ie with Downing when most (including us 2) were against the signing initially who then went on to become very popular and successful, you can have pre-conceived ideas, discussions, debates about a player before he arrives. Otherwise this thread is pointless. I am not backtracking. I dont want us to sign a young goalkeeper for the reasons I have mentioned. Regarding Muric specifically, I have seen him a few times I think, but the one time I remember he made 2 errors in a 2-1 defeat that I specifically remember because there was a lot of hype about him because he played quite a few League cup games the season before for City if I remember which I will have seen, and also of course v England when he conceded 5. So yes I went over the top, fair play, there is no indication we will sign him anyway. If we did, I stand by my comments about loaning a young keeper, and also would judge him in a Rovers shirt like anyone else.

Good player who was at Leipzig but suspect he would be very much unobtainable.

So surely that leaves no scope to discuss it at all on that principle and the whole thread should be locked? With every signing, there is varying levels of knowledge that we have, this may just be a rumour, but we can try and get a picture of what he is about. It goes without saying that all that would matter is their performances in a Rovers shirt, and that recent history doesnt always dictate what that is like, Johnson was a signing greeted mainly with positivity and has been poor, Downing was greeted with doubt and has been good. Maybe there was a bit of hyperbole, he made 2 bad mistakes v West Brom and barely played again. A penalty save in a game he let 5 in is hardly proof that I am wrong. As I keep saying, I am against loaning in a young goalkeeper. I think that is fair and I am not the only one.

Can we please stop with this "only positive opinions allowed" mentality. He is a young lad who has only played in Poland, where he was relegated, and the only opinion we have available is one that is negative and highlights a lot of flaws in his game. Does that mean if he signed that I wouldnt give him a chance? Obviously not. But some of us dont just dismiss any potential negatives/doubts of potential signings. It is constructive and fair to consider both sides, including any doubts, on potential signings and you cant just rubbish them solely because they are "negative." Indeed, I have even speculated as to theories as to what would happen if he did sign, ie initially playing for the under 23s, which you laughed off despite similar instances with other players. You yourself didnt want Downing initially. My points on Adarabioyo were always based around the caveat that he had played out of position, but yeah, they both had suffered criticism for their performances in the season before, and the doubts were valid. I didnt "write off" either player either, otherwise surely I would have never accepted that they were very good signings when that proved to be the case? Conversely, I was very happy and excited about the signing of Johnson, and he turned out to be a lumbering oaf, which was unexpected considering his importance to a play off finalist the season before. Does that mean I shouldnt have been excited, even though I turned out to be wrong? No, because it seemed on the face on it to be a good signing, I would say more so than the other 2. My main point regarding goalkeepers was that I am against the idea of loaning in a young goalkeeper for a year. I think its a fair and very commonly held opinion.