SuperBrfc

Carter will get found out this season. Celtic ran rings around him, which is understandable, but he wasn't exactly all that against Lincoln either. We need better back there.

Exactly. I think a few are going to be in for a shock when the games get underway. If Mowbray was still here and we were going into the season like this I.e. one signing made, people would be fuming. As it's JDT and Broughton though, it's fine. Last season it was a case of "why is that bastard not making signings", but now it's a case of "It's difficult to make signings, JDT wants to bring quality in, we shouldn't just sign anybody, let's wait and see". No romantic notion or theory papers over the fact that we are going into the season woefully unprepared, relying on a wishful hope that the kids might do something. We're weaker than last season and it looks like we are going to make very hard work of the first seven games. QPR (H), Swansea (A), West Brom (H), Reading (A), Sheff Utd (A), Stoke (H), Blackpool (A). Looking at that and our current options, I can't see us beating any of them.

Don't know how true it is, but saw it claimed somewhere that Barnsley want £2.5m for Styles. If true, that is what will likely scupper it for us, IMO. We just don't spend that sort of money. As much as "we have the money" can be said, it has been said in the past too, without us seeing it in reality. Brittain is a good start, but I would be shocked if we started spending £2m+ each on a couple of further defensive additions. I would love for us to get Van Hecke and Styles in. The combined cost could well be close to £5m though, at a guess. Let's assume it's £2.5m each. Will the money men want to stretch to that? I'm not sure. A back 3, or 5, of: Brittain, Ayala, Van Hecke, Wharton, Styles, would be a different ball game. A real upgrade on what we can currently field. Come on Gregg, make it happen.

Excellent burst forward from Harlock before being chopped down. He has impressed so far.

Dack scores. 1-0. Brittain assist.

This is why a lot of us were being 'hysterical'. Leaving it this late for signings is a major concern as we are going into the season so unprepared. We need a lot of new faces to come in.

Dack looks way off the pace. Giving the ball away, control letting him down at times. Need another signing in that position.

Decent wingers in the Championship will have a field day against him, if he's at RB. Lincoln have played around him a couple of times this half, and the space they have had on rare attacks has been down his side.

Fair play to Lincoln City for a very efficient online service. Payment made, stream accessible and easily noticeable within seconds. Unlike the Rovers site, where there's so much faffing about needed.

Yes! I can't tell you how many times I watched Kenny's Blackburn Magic back then. That deflected, looping goal from Shearer against Arsenal is still in my mind for that reason 😁.

I hope that is true, as I've been calling for two centre backs to come in. We need better than Carter, and Ayala's fitness record makes him unreliable.

There could be players leaving on loan (in that position) if he comes in, I think. That's how I read it, but I could be wrong.

What are the chances that somebody, who desperately wants us to sign Brittain, has gone into an office and told a car salesman that "the fans (me most of all) would be really happy if we signed Callum Brittain". A lightbulb goes off in said salesman's head as he realises this will buy him some time and possibly calm some of the fans down. Leak to a journo. Rovers are after Brittain. Job's a good 'un.

I seem to recall Tony Parkes saying something similar too, shortly after that game. It was along the lines of "I think it will be a long time until Rovers return to this Division, sadly". He wasn't wrong and as long as these owners remain here, you aren't likely to be wrong either. It also reminds me of something that an old teacher of mine said to me, back when Rovers were flying under Souness. He said "take plenty of photos, enjoy it as much as you can, because there'll come a time when Rovers are so far away from the Premier League, that none of the kids will believe that Rovers were once Premier League". He was a Preston fan, so it probably was tinged with jealousy, but he was right, and I think that time he was referring to, is now. The situation only has a chance of improving once Venky's clear off, in my view, but we could be waiting a long time for that. Morten summed it up best the other day: "How one man can kill a football club, can do so much damage, just for his own ends".

Exactly. It's Mowbray's propaganda that is being repeated by some, whether it is realised or not. A few years back I asked Mowbray a direct question about our transfer activity when he was in the town. He was startled by the question as he clearly wasn't expecting it. He gave me something about it "being difficult" even though we were close with a few. How many times did we hear the "It's difficult" line from him to the press? Repeated by fans constantly since. It's still "difficult" now, though other clubs seem to manage ok. He was banging on about how "we can't compete" to the press, so that started being the go to response of some fans, and still is. He also said you "need a miracle" to do what Barnsley and Luton did, so some of our fans think it's unrealistic to even mention those two clubs now. Swag gives some claptrap over tea and it gets repeated as though all is well and grand plans are in place. Only my opinion, but we need to quit doing the club's PR for them by actually saying it how it is. This forum is the only place, from what I can see, where that happens. I don't know why that would make some fans uncomfortable. It's coming from a damn good place. Desperately wanting the club to be restored to what it was and for standards to return. However, to see low grade operators take us further in the opposition direction, but tell us "sustainable Premier League club", like we were born yesterday, makes me quite angry. They will deservingly be called out for it until their actions show us they want to go up. Sadly, it looks like they have just bought themselves three more years to amble along by selling us this youth project. We'll be back in L1 again before we ever get back to the Premier League (if the latter happens at all under this lot).

If you go into a meeting with Swag already in 100 percent defend the club mode, he will have you on toast. The most comfortable of meetings he's ever likely to have. The next man in to see him is going to be a different proposition altogether.

Mowbray said the exact same thing. About waiting until near the end of the window when prices will drop, and clubs will be pushed into making a decision. It didn't exactly work out like that though. We were, in the main, still scrambling around for any last minute Premier League crumbs. Kids on loan. It will be no different this time, in my view. I don't think this is a case of waiting for quality. What we are seeing is a shambles of an operation, with operators who can't get deals over the line, who can't recognise quality and who have buttons to play with in any case. This is the 'make do with' set of jokers in action. JDT and Broughton may well want quality players, however, those above them look like they won't and can't deliver them. That inability doesn't change in five weeks time, in my opinion, even though prices might drop. Like you, I also thought that JDT, having probably had some assurances to come here, would surely be backed. The signs are awful right now though, there's no denying that.

Probably the most comfortable Swag has been in a fan meeting. After one sip of tea. This youth project and Championship football, it's all quite exciting. I believe you have some blueprints for the club...

Not disbelieving what you are saying on Lenihan. It sounds like they tried to 'cheap' it out on him for as long as they could, before realising they had to make him a good offer. Only, it arrived too late in the day. The 8k point, from what I understand, is in relation to Academy graduates. They seem to have a different policy in relation to them, whereby, it is plausible that they won't go up to or over 8k for them. This may or may not be the case with Nyambe. However, given it was rumoured Nyambe was on around £3k, and now Wigan are happy to offer more, the theory that we can't/won't pay 8k for Academy graduates might be true. Wigan can't exactly throw big bucks around. We're guessing, but how much more are they realistically going to offer him than us? Davies is an experienced, senior defender, so most likely would have received an Ayala-esq wage. I don't believe we were ever serious about getting him though, but that's a different matter.

It's players choosing Wigan and Derby over us that is the problem. We are not an attractive proposition to any player right now, and we have total buffoons above the manager who don't know their arse from their elbow. A terrible recipe which is only going to end one way. I have no faith in any of those people fixing this mess. They aren't capable of it, no matter the bullshit fed to the press. We are screwed.

I guess that's three more years, at least, that they have bought themselves with this so called youth project. Three more years where there is no pressure, no expectation, no promotion ambitions. More of the same ambling along on 'easy street' while fans who demand more are the bad guys for not "getting behind the youngsters". The club, or should I say the people in senior roles, are embarrassing us more and more as each day passes. A shambles is what the whole thing is.

We're being taken for mugs. Unrelated to the article, but Broughton seems to be in above his head, in a position that he has no experience of. A lot on his shoulders to get right and he is probably now realising what a mess the club is in. His job was to deliver signings. We have none, so close to the new season. That's a fail, in my view. Another one who talks a good game. "It's only been five weeks" will soon become "It's only been 3 months", "It's only been 6 months" and "let's see what he does with a full summer". None of this lot will deliver a jot for Rovers, in my opinion. They can dress up the youth project all they want, as we hurtle towards L1. An added layer of protection has been installed, that's all that has changed, in my opinion. It's JDT I feel sorry for, he's better than this joke of a setup, and I think he'll show that by walking at some point.

I was quite encouraged by Gally yesterday, particularly when he was moving centrally. There was a strong run he made in the second half where he burst past two defenders, got himself a clear sight on goal inside the box but couldn't finish. He really should have buried it. He could have had a hat-trick with better finishing. He's clumsy at times, first touch can let him down, but he is a strong runner with the ball and can be a nuisance down the middle. It's wild how we saw him on the right so many times when it clearly didn't work. He's had a chunk of his time here wasted in an uncomfortable role, IMO.

Was watching an interview of his with Rovers Chat last night. He mentioned how he speaks to the owners and that he was talking to them all the way through our manager search, which I thought was interesting. He was also scathing in his view of the crocodile tear merchant too, talking about how one man can kill a club and do so much damage. Morten's a proper Rover, it was a good listen.

As far as I can see, this whole thing has gone off due to JDT saying "you'll have to ask Gregg about that" yesterday, in relation to the transfer situation. A few of us are then saying "Ok, where is Gregg, why's he gone quiet all of a sudden?". Then we read that he is apparently refusing to do interviews until after the window closes. The reason for the discontent is clear, isn't it? Our manager is name checking Broughton. Go and ask him, is basically what he said. Broughton's in charge of recruitment, so why is it unreasonable to want him to tell us what's going on?If he doesn't speak, where else are we meant to get answers from? The buck passing goes on, IMO, with a new layer added for good measure. Who is accountable for this mess of a transfer window? Nobody knows who is to blame. Nobody is stepping forward to talk. It's just how they want it, IMO.