I’ve heard from someone, who was apparently told by Brereton himself a few months back, that he was due a signing on fee of 600 grand in January. Don’t know if it’s still the case, but I’d always been under the impression 10% of transfer fee was the going rate. Certainly a few years ago. So it wouldn’t surprise me if we’d coughed up (or committed to) 6 million at this point.

People who absolve Venky’s of any accountability for our current predicament. People who claim they are good owners and we are lucky to have them. People who go from “nice one mate, I voted for you” to “You’ve done more damage to this club than they have” in the space of 18 months. People who dismiss any negative reports/discussions/opinions about Venky’s without offering any argument. I could go on and on... I’m not too bothered about fans who “can’t be arsed”... they generally don’t feature on my radar. Anyone who bothers posting on here clearly can be arsed, they may not attend for a variety of reasons, none of which I feel are more worthy of some mild piss taking (at best taken out of context, possibly twisted by you) than the above. Of course splashing 10/15 million quid on Assombalonga won’t gaurentee promotion, but I think it would drastically increase the chance. Yes there are obviously loads of instances where such an approach has failed, but there are cases where it has worked a treat. If we aren’t promoted, we are fractionally more indebted to them than we already are. I’m firmly of the opinion we are only ever on the precipice of a disaster as long as they remain in charge. If they are willing to buy a player to significantly improve our first 11, I’d jump at it. Problem with the model you have outlined above is we are going to have to apply it perfectly for about 50 years! On the whole indebted to them issue... it really depends how you look at it. Some people will look at it as we owe nothing to them, as it is in the form of share capital. Whole other massive discussion.

“Monopoliser of untruths”, “Scandalmongery”... Jesus Christ! I made a jibe, quite clearly directed (I thought) at the Venky apologists. If you want to throw around terms like those, here’s one for you... “paranoid delusions”! On the other hand, I’d like to see them increase the level of debt to them in the form of share capital by about 8% to have a real go at putting us on even financial footing for the first time since about 6 months after they took over. In the grand scheme of things it’s relatively low risk, massively high reward. Of course I’m concerned about our finances (which are fucked either way) but this to me represents a pretty decent gamble. Better than any they have made so far.

Give Balaji a bell... ”Alright Balaji, Britt here. I’ve got your number of Harry... Harry Chapman, and I’m desperate to sign for Rovers!”

Its a notion you’ve dreamed up in your head Biz. I don’t think for a minute that it’s a smokescreen and I think you’re really stretching to suggest I’ve implied this. It was a bit of a dig at some of our more deluded fans... the ones who say things like “we are better off now than when Venkys took over”... the ones who reimagine history. So all the other scandalmongering I do? Seeing as I do it whatever the discussion? I do doubt Gallaghers potential. With our finances in as much of a mess as they are, I’d like to see them punt 15 million in an attempt to get us promoted this year. I’m fully aware this may or may not pay off. If they are willing to spunk big money on the likes of Brereton, there is clearly situations in which they will loosen the purse strings and increase the financial burden further. The rewards of promotion far outstrip any “long term investment” on players.

So me stating that we need to kick on is unrealistic? Because I don’t. I’m not going to be grateful, or even content just because we have reversed a ludicrous, self inflicted, avoidable and disgraceful period of decline that saw us in the worst position in my lifetime. Of course we should be trying to progress. I do prescribe to notion we should be putting all our efforts into an instant promotion. It’s well within the realms of possibility and the rewards would address the absolute shambolic state of our finances. Don’t confuse what I want and think with expectation though, I expect nothing but rank incompetence from Venky’s. Yes, I will take any opportunity to put the boot into the owners... I’d like to do it repeatedly and physically if I could! Their entire tenure has been an unmitigated disaster. I detest them. As for Gallagher, I think he’s overrated. We’ve tried him, didn’t work out, and I’d sooner sign a cheaper option from the lower leagues. Be happy to be proved wrong though. As for ‘scandalmongering’ care to elaborate how I’ve done that?

Definitely a more deflated feeling on this board today! Not at all enthused about the prospect of Gallagher. Don’t think he’s ever going to be near prolific, thought he was average at best when we last had him. At best it’s a sideways step for us when we really need to be pushing on. Best case scenario, the fat idiot Venky has a champagne and sniff induced rush of blood to the wallet in the next couple of hours decides a selfie of him and Assombalonga would look good next to the one of him and Akon, regardless of what Mowbray thinks. Worst case would be nobody, but in 6 months these last couple of days being reimagined as a valiant battle against all odds by Steve Waggott to get the deal over the line... I can hear it now when we are no further on... “You can’t knock Venky’s. We tried to sign Assombalonga in January, and he got Boro/Derby/Bristol city promoted!”

Make what you will of it... heard from someone within the club that Mowbray wanted Brereton in the U23 squad last week but Waggot stopped it as ‘It wouldn’t look good’.

Shearer was on 10 x the wage of some of our first team players when he signed.

There are a lot of posts here making a fundamental error. Common sense and logic don’t often figure into our transfer activity. Admittedly Mowbray has been somewhat of a steadying influence, but the Brereton deal is as baffling as any transfer over the course of the past 8 years. Our purchases have, and will continue to be dictated by Balaji’s whims, FFP restrictions, agent influence, the strength of the global battery chicken market, and probably dozens of other unfathomable reasons, as well as the manager of the days personal preferences to varying degrees at any one time. If this means we make a signing of the calibre of Assombalonga, for me this is one of the very few moments of genuine excitement I’ll have had at a signing in years. Maybe foolhardy, but then what’s new? On the flip side it could prove to be the catalyst of a decent promotion push. Consider how much they have gambled with the future of the club... this could prove to be one of their better bets.

Convinced Madon must have a direct line to Balaji... have you been ringing him for a chat?

Superb today. No criticism of any player is warranted. Our quieter players were solid 7s and plenty of excellent displays. Each of the 11 must keep their shirt for now... with Nyambe and Mulgrew pushing them, Rothwell again looking impressive, Chapman seemingly on his way in, and Nuttall proving decent back up for Graham, playoffs need to be seen as a realistic target. I was worried Hull were going to hurt us in wide areas before kick off. They like to soak up pressure and move the ball out wide and counter quickly. We absolutely nullified their threat, and both Armstrong and Reed were superb. They abandoned this tactic almost completely in the second half, such was our dominance. I think Travis coming in has allowed Reed to keep occupying the wide areas and not have to drift inside so much. The interchanging between AA and HR was great to see too. So for all my (and others) moaning of a lack of width, we absolutely nailed it today. Almost looked like 2 flat banks of 4 at times. How well does Rodwell read the game by the way!

There seems to be a lot of debate on the January window thread around this, but I’m not sure it’s getting to the root of the issues. Below is a table showing all our defensive ingoings and outgoings since that look took over. Pascal Chimbonda Inherited Released Martin Olsson Inherited £4,000,000 Chris Samba Inherited £11,000,000 Ryan Nelsen Inherited Released Gael Givet Inherited Released Michel Salgado Inherited Released Phil Jones Inherited £17,000,000 Grant Hanley Inherited £5,500,000 Gavin Gunning Inherited Nominal Zurab Khizanishvili Inherited Released Myles Anderson Nominal Released Bruno Ribiero Free Free Scott Dann £5,500,000 £2,600,000 Adam Henley Youth Released Marcus Olsson Free £700,000 Bradley Orr Nominal Released Nuno Henrique Nominal Free Karim Rekic Loan Loan End Ryan Edwards Youth Released Anthony O'Connor Youth Free Jack O'Connell Youth £300,000 Todd Kane Loan Loan End Matthew Killgallon Free Released Tommy Spurr Free Free Yann Songo'o Free Free Michael Keane Loan Loan End Shane Duffy £400,000 £4,000,000 Alex Baptiste Loan Loan End Doneil Henry Loan Loan End Elliott Ward Free Released Gordon Greer Free Released Derrick Williams £250,000 Still Here Charlie Mulgrew Free Still Here Wes Brown Free Released Stephen Hendrie Loan Loan End Tommie Hoban Loan Loan End Paul Downing Undisclosed Loaned Out Paul Caddis Free Released Sam Hart Undisclosed Loaned Out Amari Bell £300,000 Still Here Jack Rodwell Free Still Here TOTALS £ 6,450,000.00 £ 45,100,000.00 This list obviously doesn’t include Wharton, Grayson, Lenihan or Nyambe. None of whom cost us anything. The figures above are as accurate as I could find in these days of undisclosed fees... I’d confidently predict we paid nowhere near £350,000 combined for Hart and Downing. In my opinion this shows that failing to address our defensive frailties is an issue that has existed long before Tony Mowbray. If you take Scott Dann out of the equation our net spend in 8 years on our defence is utterly pathetic. And let’s not forget Dann was signed in silly season when they first took over. I remember when they sacked Allardyce, that woman came out with some sort of tripe about how he couldn’t improve our “young skilful players”, and I’m pretty sure they have also been quoted as saying something along the lines of “We like exciting, young attacking players”. For their entire wretched tenure we have had a make do and mend approach to our defence. I know Rodwell has looked decent the last few games (that makes me wonder how good he might be in his actual position), but he’s just the latest in a fairly long string of players stuck in our back four who are in reality being played out of position. It’s took a long time for Travis to get a real crack in a midfield spot, whereas Nyambe and Lenihan, and before them the likes of Hanley (and to a lesser degree Henley) were pretty quickly blooded in the first team, often out of necessity. And there are defenders out there. We could have spent a fraction of what we did on Brereton in the summer and got Ezri Konsa from Charlton. We were heavily linked with Bauer, but apparently couldn’t come to terms on a fee. Other championship sides are picking up decent frees this window. I think it’s worth remembering who those silly contractual issues that sprung up in their early days involved: Nelsen, Salgado, Givet, Andrews and Roberts... three defenders and at the time our two most maligned and least fashionable players. Whether it is their own stupidity, some advice they are taking, or some other inexplicable reason, Venky’s seem to have a real issue with signing defenders, particularly for any financial outlay.

Richard Witshge needs to be included in the worst conversation for West Ham away

Best Rovers 4 - 2 Derby (1992 play off semi) Rovers 1 - 0 Sheff Wed (final day 92-93 season, purely because this was the last time I stood on the terraces at Ewood) Rovers 1 - 0 Newcastle (VE day) Burnley 0 - 2 Rovers (2000, first derby for me) Rovers 3-1 Leeds (Boxing Day 1992) Honorable mention to Rovers 1 - 0 Newcastle in 97/98... didn’t know it at the time but the last game I went to with my late Grandfather Worst Rovers 1-2 Burnley (2013-14) West Ham 2-0 Rovers (94-95... also helped forge a lifelong hatred of Richard Witschge... soon forgave West Ham though) Rovers 0-1 Spartak Moscow (95-96 I was absolutely gutted at this one... such high expectations) Rovers 0-1 Wigan (The culmination of the Kean debacle) Rovers 1-1 Blackpool (2014-15 - not entirely sure why this was the day, but this was where my boycott started. Something just snapped and the straw which broke the camels back came here) Honorable mentions to Ince away at Wigan and to Rovers 7-1 Norwich... the only home game I missed in a decade, and my brothers first ever game (on my season ticket)... what a game to miss!

Appears to have been dropped. Lambert hinted at him being loaned out in this window. He’s got 4 goals in 20 appearances so far, but it appears Lambert doesn’t fancy him. I’d have him at Rovers all day long.

If we don’t invest in some proper defenders this window, serious questions need to be asked of our recruitment policy. Not loans, not ones for the future, not emergency back up, not converted midfielders. Proper defenders. The reluctance to pay anything more than a nominal fee for a defender is really coming back to bite us at this moment in time. It’s blindingly obvious we need to strengthen this area, and failure to do so could prove disastrous... also makes the Brereton signing seem all the more ludicrous!

This formation/system is a new one... I always moan that too much is expected of our full backs... well, today they seem expected to cover the centre back position, as well as full back and the wing... despite Bennett and Reed seemingly being deployed as wing backs? Don’t think this is gonna take off! if we switched to a proper flat back 4, I think we will be pretty comfortable. Despite scoring two Newcastle are pretty dire! Only looked dangerous due to this silly system.

Yep. And it’s time he showed something.

Not a strong Newcastle line up. Should have a real chance to progress here. Feels a bit like last chance saloon for Brereton here... a performance could kick start his Rovers career, a bad un could pretty much resign him to the outer fringes for the season.

Loyalty is all well and good, until it becomes sentimental and detrimental. Look at what happened when we made it to the Premier league first season. Speedie and Sellars went straight away... not to mention Garner. Price hardly got a kick, and Wright was soon upgraded. Kenny recognised the need to continuously improve, later Harford showed too much loyalty. A couple of decent loans coming in will help us stand still. If there is a genuine desire for us to kick on, we need some players who will come in and contribute regularly. I suspect there are some pretty stringent financial constraints imposed by Venky’s, and there isn’t much that would convince me Brereton was their man, but as well as this Mowbray seems to not want rock the boat. If I were Rodwell I’d not be best pleased with those comments.

Watched the first hour or so, listened to 20 odd minutes on Radio Lancs. still 0-0 at this point. By the time I got from the car and got my phone out I had a message to tell me it was 2-0! What I did see was pretty shocking stuff. I often think we as supporters have more faith in the players ability than Mowbray does. We Didn’t look like scoring, lacked any ingenuity in the final third, and at times seemed fearful of putting a ball into the box. It wasn’t patient build up stuff, it looked more bereft of ideas... or players being way too cautious. We are crying out for some effective wide players to help offer an attacking threat as well as protecting the full backs adequately, and just giving us a bit of balance. At the start of the game I’d have said a centre half too, but Lenihan and Rodwell were a pleasant surprise today. Wouldn’t say no to bringing in that big lad they had at the back (although for all I know he might have cost them two goals!) Thought Nuttall put a real shift in... something Brereton has failed to do in any of his appearances, even when we’ve been crying out for it. Yes, he might lack a bit of quality, but a bit of hard graft can go a long way. I can see the great Brereton debate becoming the great Brereton v Nuttall debate. Like our own localised version of Brexit!

Don’t forget he’s been mentioned to Venky’s before... except they thought sending one of their trusted chicken factory workers to tap Raul up instead. It’s a funny one this window. I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up significantly weaker at the end of it, ie. Dack-less. Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if they spent like drunken sailors either... Still not overly convinced our set up and transfer policy is going to provide us with what we need on the pitch... and from what he’s said in interviews, I’m not sure Mowbray is either.

If they were saying what I think they were, it may have something to do with some snapchat messages he allegedly sent

Again, can we PLEASE not try to find an individual to blame/scapegoat for this debacle. Putting it down to individual errors trivialises some very serious problems. As a team, we piss away points with an alarming number of late goals. If you are desperate to lay the blame at the door of a single party, look no further than Venky’s. In their entire wretched tenure, how many defenders have the sanctioned the purchase of for anything above a nominal fee of a couple of hundred grand??? The answer is ONE. Scott Dann in the very silly early days. Since then we have recouped tens of millions from the likes of Jones, Samba, Hanley, Duffy... and kicked to the curb players like Salgado and Givet. They won’t sanction spending on defenders, but they will happily impose a £7 million striker/winger/teenager on a manager who clearly doesn’t want him. All this despite our frailties at the back being blindingly obvious for all to see. If only that fat idiot had bought a copy of football manager instead of our football club.