[Archived] The Transfer Window

[RoverRich]

As for JW saying we lost out on our main target at 10pm.. great thats fine.. where was the backup option?

And why did we leave it so late?

It is being reported that it was Valdo who we made a 4 million Euro bid for, and Newcastle offered more, but his release clause was 8 million Euros.

Why did we choose Valdo when Espanyol had already lost Riera and Zabaleta so were unlikely to sell? Also, if we knew the price and were not going to reach it why did we go for him?

Looks like we made some good decisions but, oh well, have to make do with what we got now

[RevidgeBlue]

The problem at the moment seems to be that we're more than happy to accept inflated fees for one of our better players (can't argue with that) but aren't willing to pay the going rate when it comes to his replacement.

To use Pennant as an example, JP might not be the world's best player (if he was he'd cost 15m like Bentley not 5m) but assuming his wage would have been roughly comparable to Bentley, he'd pay for himself if we finished three places higher than we would have done without him over the term of a four year contract.

[andrew92]

although hes left footed, i think ince might go for recoba!! if hes still available, but im totally miffed we didnt sign a right winger, as i think their is a total gap there now!!

[donis1410]

Im not too disapointed about our actions in the transfer window, to be fair, I would rather we waited to get the right RW/RM than just panick buy, we have a good team they just need to get used to the new ideas of ince and settle with one another. lets just see where we are in january, I was always expecting this year to be a struggle as we will need to get used to new ideas first season with hughes we were in bottom half ish weren't we? then look what happened.

[Majiball]

The problem at the moment seems to be that we're more than happy to accept inflated fees for one of our better players (can't argue with that) but aren't willing to pay the going rate when it comes to his replacement.

To use Pennant as an example, JP might not be the world's best player (if he was he'd cost 15m like Bentley not 5m) but assuming his wage would have been roughly comparable to Bentley, he'd pay for himself if we finished three places higher than we would have done without him over the term of a four year contract.

The question you have to ask is could Pennant do that??

One other consideration, what happens when Setanta go bust as they don't have enough subscribers as has been reported?

We now have some breathing space, the Arab in at City maybe good for us, they will spend and so players will become available, we may have a better deal come January.

Its been reported we were trying to sign Pennant till 10pm but he did not want to come.

We scouted lots of Wingers:

Joaquin

Valdo

Holman

Pennant

Larsson

Kightly

Recoba

Lopez

Ireland

And probably others we never heard about, now we can take our time make the right choice and not be rushed into it, because we have too. Football changes all the time player situations change all the time, we may get better now. We may actually get a square peg for a square hole.

[tcj_jones]

OK apologies for acting a little like a drama queen when I opened this thread. I've had a while to calm down and take stock. But most of my sentiments stand. These two quotes stand out as my exact thinking on the subject.

maybe its just me;

But I am at a loss how people think that 'sitting and waiting' for good players is going to improve us in the transfer market. Do you think the prices are going to suddenly come down? They didn't last January, they won't next January or summer. We've just witnessed a potential bubble burst at City - what happened, some other billionaires role in to town and prices jump up again. The same will happen at Newcastle - Ashley will go, someone else come in and they'll start throwing millions at it in another 12-18 months.

The top 7-8 teams will consistently push market prices up. You need to realise that to get a 'good' established player will cost upwards of 6-7 million, so will talented youngsters like Kightley. They won't suddenly half the asking price because BRFC have been prudent and waited 6 months. If you get the right one, they will double/treble in value within a year. To remain competitive we need to be adding 2 of these players a year. By all means bring through the youth and pan the squad out with budget and free transfers - and yes, we may uncover the odd gem doing this.

A prime example of Rovers lack of foresight and the development of the transfer market forces is Lassana Diarra. Last January he was offered around £6million. A 22 year old International who had single handedly destroyed Rovers a couple of weeks previously. Rovers wanted (and still do IMO) a quality ball winning box to box midfielder. Too expensive was the cry from the board - we can't compete in that price bracket. Most fans agreed - good player, but too expensive. In six months his perceived value has now doubled.

Would the board have sanctioned £6million for him if he was available at that price this summer? With hindsight, would you have signed him?

We have missed the boat with Farfan, Dos Santos, Kompany, Kightley and no doubt more all of whom would significantly improve our first 11 and could have been bought for between £5- 7 million. Can you see any of these players moving for less than £10 million in January, or next summer? If any have a good season you will be looking at £15million +

The point I am trying to make is that the players were out there, we had the money (allegedly) but need to change our transfer policy drastically. No we can't realistically compete with the Big clubs and the Robinho deals, but if we want to remain in the middle tier we need to invest accordingly. I can see no financial reason why we can't bring in say 2 of the players above each year.

You only need 1 out of 4 players of the above calibre to have a good season (must have about a 80% chance of one) in the Pemiership and the board can sell them and recoop the outlay for all 4.

What is clear, is that you will no longer pick up players of the above quality for 2-3 million - When a league 2 journeyman costs £1million +.

The problem at the moment seems to be that we're more than happy to accept inflated fees for one of our better players (can't argue with that) but aren't willing to pay the going rate when it comes to his replacement.

To use Pennant as an example, JP might not be the world's best player (if he was he'd cost 15m like Bentley not 5m) but assuming his wage would have been roughly comparable to Bentley, he'd pay for himself if we finished three places higher than we would have done without him over the term of a four year contract.

I just feel as though the side's balance is totally upset and that there is absolutely nothing we can do to address this issue now. The team at the moment reminds me of the standard of side Hughes inherited from Souness, Roque aside. We are void of creativity and lack width, especially on the right where, once more, we are playing the likes of Brett Emerton and Steven Reid who have no pace, skill, crossing ability, who cannot beat a man and who slow down and make static any attack or counter attack we make down that side of the pitch. Unless Treacy takes Pedersen's place in the side, I fail to see where the balls into the box will come from this season.

[Veevs]

God Damn people get a grip, seriously talk about throwing your toys ouuta the pram.

I'm fine with the squad we have, yes I would have liked a injection of pace but hey when I was a kid I wanted an Omibot for Christmas, I got Lego, I still enjoyed Christmas. We can still enjoy a decent season.

Everyone spouting about how we have this to spend and that to spend really needs a reality check.

We owe 21M pounds

In 2007 our wages where at 85% of revenue (this is considered breaking point in football)

Ince and JW hoped to convince Bentley to stay, you do not convince a player he is wanted by scouting his replacement, he will find out.

I'm going to use pennant as an example,

1 he does not float everyones boat

2 5M pound transfer fee

3 50K a week he will want at least 3 years probably 4. 3yrs = 7.8M 4yrs = 10.4M

So hands up who thinks we should throw between 12.8M and 15.4M pounds on pennant or any one else for that matter of similar standard. Oh what am I doing he's going to want a signing on fee as well say another 1M.

Now lets consider something else, how many of our players are on 50K, I'm gonna guess 1 RSC. So how many of our players do you think are going to say hang on if JP's on 50K I want more. One or two would be pretty ###### off IMO.

We have the smallest crowds in the premier league, but yet year in year out we do well. This has happened because JW has kept a tight rein perilously balancing the club just on the edge (85% wages prove this).

We have signed some reasonable players, in fact 7 players. We have a stronger squad, yes we are missing 1 position in a winger but last year we were missing 2 mid-fielders, is that not a form of progress.

One last point how many of you moaned like this about January last year, why have we no money blah blah. Well guess what this year we do, and still you moan and moan and moan. I've turned on a re-run of eastenders to cheer myself up after reading your posts.

Everyone on here knows our transfer policy right player right deal for us, period.

We understand your points mate and I agree Pennant would of been a bad move at 50K pw.. but it does not take a rocket scientist to know that each lost place in the league is worth half a mil position money, a team lower in the table gets less tv money, a team lower in the league without a couple of exciting players has lower attendances, Ince and Co are not going to be on the same wages as Hughes, we are likely to be spending allot less on wages, we made a large profit in transfers this pre-season, the trustees threw in an extra 3m, we did not get rid of dead weight in the squad... hell this list could go on forever.

But the simple fact of the matter is given these facts our revenue will drop considerably so that 85% you mention can only get worse.

As for signing 7 players.. with the exception of Grella and maybe Carlos are any of them going to be improvements on our squad from last season?

Bunn (backup keeper), Andrews (backup midfielder), Robinson (direct replacement for our keeper), JSC (Unknown), Carlos (unknown and yet to get an EPL game), Simpson (loan player yet to get a game) and Grella (axe replacement).. this means we now have 8 central midfielders which is overkill.

And the players out.. Friedel (our star keeper) and Bentley (the supplier of allot of goals last season, not replaced).. the other 5 are not worth much of a mention

[RibbleValleyRover]

It was clear that Bentley wanted out long before his drunken rant on SSN, by not signing a new contract it was evident that he wanted to move on. It would have been prudent to start the search then and look at a wide range of targets both domestically and abroad at a range of different prices.

I find it hard to believe that we couldn't find someone that could have come in and done a better job than Emerton and Reid on the right wing with the money available. I wasn't looking for someone as good as Bentley as that would have likely been an impossible task, but as it currently stands we don't have a proper right winger at all.

It looks like we decided to leave it until the last day to try and get someone in and its backfired. if Ince plans to play a 4-4-2 then a right winger should have been one of the first positions we should have looked to fill.

I can't see players becoming cheaper in January, especially domestic ones as it may become apparent we clearly need one by January and they will bump up the price. It looks like we will have to sign an unknown gem of a player instead with our budget.

[tcj_jones]

Again, those are my sentiments again, RVR.

[joey_big_nose]

Well it depends how you look at it. It wasn't a case of us letting two of our star players go. It was us being forced to let them go. Robinson in my eyes, espcially with Bunn as a backup consititutes a decent effort at a replacment so I back that.

Bentley is a big loss so I guess we have really failed there. Although if we do get Carlos to workout as a top player then there is an argument for the fact that whilst we lost Bentley's position we did replace his creativity. Jury is still out on this one.

I think you are being unfair on Andrews. We have only seen him for 45 mins but he already looks an improvement on Reid, Mokoena and Emerton as a central player. Jury is out on that one but I am actually quite optimistic about it.

JSC surely seems like a tactic to keep RSC right? I never took that one seriously.

Simpson hasn't got a go yet. Will he or is he just cover? The fact we were contemplating letting Ooijer go suggests Ince might have confidence in him to play full time.

If Grella can do the destoying and passing thing then it will massively improve the team. But then he looked poor agianst West ham.

Are we stronger/weaker than last year?

Minuses - Bentley gone - no replacement. Freidal gone - not as good a replacement.

Plusses - Carlos in - looks like he is quality if we can fit him in; Grella - Potentially a massive improvement on Mokoena if he is as good as billed; Andrews - looks better at first viewing than Savage/Reid; Treacy (not a signing but hey) looks an improvement on Pedersen;

So for me it balances on five things. Can Carlos make as big an impact as Bentley? Can Treacy be a genuine improvement on Pedersen? Can Andrews suprise us all? Can Grella be a destroyer and a distributer of quality? And can we find a balance on the right hand side post Bentley?

As when we first signed Friedal, RSC, Nelsen, Tugay and Bentley etc (all of whom had legions of doubters) for minimal amounts we are just going to have to wait and see.

[Majiball]

We understand your points mate and I agree Pennant would of been a bad move at 50K pw.. but it does not take a rocket scientist to know that each lost place in the league is worth half a mil position money, a team lower in the table gets less tv money, a team lower in the league without a couple of exciting players has lower attendances, Ince and Co are not going to be on the same wages as Hughes, we are likely to be spending allot less on wages, we made a large profit in transfers this pre-season, the trustees threw in an extra 3m, we did not get rid of dead weight in the squad... hell this list could go on forever.

But the simple fact of the matter is given these facts our revenue will drop considerably so that 85% you mention can only get worse.

As for signing 7 players.. with the exception of Grella and maybe Carlos are any of them going to be improvements on our squad from last season?

Bunn (backup keeper), Andrews (backup midfielder), Robinson (direct replacement for our keeper), JSC (Unknown), Carlos (unknown and yet to get an EPL game), Simpson (loan player yet to get a game) and Grella (axe replacement).. this means we now have 8 central mid-fielders which is overkill.

And the players out.. Friedel (our star keeper) and Bentley (the supplier of allot of goals last season, not replaced).. the other 5 are not worth much of a mention

Ok 1 place is worth 500K, great thats 10K a week which in premiership salary terms is bugger all. We made loads of money this year which was great, but its nothing in the world of football really is it?

7 new players need wages we are probably talking over 100K a week thats a lot of dollar and a massive increase for us financially. Is it not safe to assume some of this profit we made has been shifted to cover the extra wages?

There is money to spend so now we have a cushion should god fore bid the worst happen around Christmas. I'm not dissing Ince but I'm pleased to have this just in case, I do not believe it will happen but football is a funny game.

At the end of the day if no-one bids for our players we cannot sell them. We have better depth now albeit I concede not in the right areas really but we can cover them. I always felt we had a weak squad now I'm slightly happier in this respect.

But one thing must change, which you have pointed out, we cannot play 442. its high time to change.

[Al]

Totally defeatist.

The paying public at Rovers should be thankful the board did not go out and waste £6 million on the likes of Jermain Pennant, whatever the balance of the team. Why throw good money after bad rubbish just for the sake of it?

Because it might have saved our necks!

[Veevs]

Well it depends how you look at it. It wasn't a case of us letting two of our star players go. It was us being forced to let them go. Robinson in my eyes, espcially with Bunn as a backup consititutes a decent effort at a replacment so I back that.

Bentley is a big loss so I guess we have really failed there. Although if we do get Carlos to workout as a top player then there is an argument for the fact that whilst we lost Bentley's position we did replace his creativity. Jury is still out on this one.

I think you are being unfair on Andrews. We have only seen him for 45 mins but he already looks an improvement on Reid, Mokoena and Emerton as a central player. Jury is out on that one but I am actually quite optimistic about it.

JSC surely seems like a tactic to keep RSC right? I never took that one seriously.

Simpson hasn't got a go yet. Will he or is he just cover? The fact we were contemplating letting Ooijer go suggests Ince might have confidence in him to play full time.

If Grella can do the destoying and passing thing then it will massively improve the team. But then he looked poor agianst West ham.

Are we stronger/weaker than last year?

Minuses - Bentley gone - no replacement. Freidal gone - not as good a replacement.

Plusses - Carlos in - looks like he is quality if we can fit him in; Grella - Potentially a massive improvement on Mokoena if he is as good as billed; Andrews - looks better at first viewing than Savage/Reid; Treacy (not a signing but hey) looks an improvement on Pedersen;

So for me it balances on five things. Can Carlos make as big an impact as Bentley? Can Treacy be a genuine improvement on Pedersen? Can Andrews suprise us all? Can Grella be a destroyer and a distributer of quality? And can we find a balance on the right hand side post Bentley?

As when we first signed Friedal, RSC, Nelsen, Tugay and Bentley etc (all of whom had legions of doubters) for minimal amounts we are just going to have to wait and see.

I think you missed one of the biggest minus points.. almost every club around us and even below us has invested considerably more in improving their squads.. and most of them have fixed the problem positions they had last season without loosing top players..

[BiggusLaddus]

To be honest, right now I don't care. Hopefully the bubble will burst before we get relegated, TV money dies up and a few clubs go bust. Right now, football is so utterly disgusting I am not bothered which club, how many people lose their jobs and so on. I wish we could survive this, but if we don't so be it. A new Blackburn team could emerge a la AFC Wimbledon.

Spot on for me, apart from the last bit.

I'd love it all to fall apart next week, but sadly I think the circus will go on for a lot longer before we see sense again (if we ever do). If we do dissapear and are reformed then I'm not sure my alegience would transfer. It would be like losing my wife and then marrying her cousin.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

As for JW saying we lost out on our main target at 10pm.. great thats fine.. where was the backup option?

It shouldn't have come down to 10pm deadline day. Its been a clear priority since Bentley got uppity.

I must also be honest and say I've never seen or heard of this Valdo chap and at 27 and £4 million he hardly rates as one for the future either

If this is Ince's/the board's idea of a Bentley replacement we are Fecked.

[LDRover]

There's the school of thought on here that we've improved the 'squad', in terms of numbers I suppose that's true, but can anyone on here, hand on heart say that we have a better 1st eleven than we did this time last year?

[Tris]

The problem at the moment seems to be that we're more than happy to accept inflated fees for one of our better players (can't argue with that) but aren't willing to pay the going rate when it comes to his replacement.

To use Pennant as an example, JP might not be the world's best player (if he was he'd cost 15m like Bentley not 5m) but assuming his wage would have been roughly comparable to Bentley, he'd pay for himself if we finished three places higher than we would have done without him over the term of a four year contract.

But I've made this point elsewhere. Liverpool wanted to sell, Stoke wanted to buy (even if we didn't), Pennant preferred reserve team football. Easy money.

I'd maintain that a player with such a shoddy attitude and lamentable ambition would worsen our side.

Where's his ambition gone?? When he moved from Notts County to Arsenal aged 16, he had the world at his feet and could have done anything. 9 years on he's happy to scoop up his £50K per week by playing the odd match on a rugby league pitch in Warrington.

He's also done time for drink driving, without insurance, whilst banned, and lied to police on arrest. That's just an aside though.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

I'm going to use pennant as an example,

Why don't you use Valdo as an example as that was the level of quality we were intending to bring in to replace Bentley

We have signed some reasonable players, in fact 7 players. We have a stronger squad, yes we are missing 1 position in a winger but last year we were missing 2 mid-fielders, is that not a form of progress.

I disagree. We have a bigger squad - not stronger. Mccarthy is a shadow of the player we had 2 years ago, Robinson is nowhere near Brad (at present) Cruz is for the academy/reserves, Simpson can't get in the side - Grella/Andrews - are they really an improvement on what we have?. Only Carlos is potentially an improvement - Is he at Bentley's level ????

One last point how many of you moaned like this about January last year, why have we no money blah blah. Well guess what this year we do, and still you moan and moan and moan. I've turned on a re-run of eastenders to cheer myself up after reading your posts.

We still won't buy the type of player we need

Everyone on here knows our transfer policy right player right deal for us, period.

Was right - isn't now.

[Majiball]

I think you missed one of the biggest minus points.. almost every club around us and even below us has invested considerably more in improving their squads.. and most of them have fixed the problem positions they had last season without loosing top players..

How can we match them?

We can't we don't have the money and can ill-afford to do a leeds.

We can still be competitive, we just need to be clever with how we set out our team.

Everyone on here is saying we should sign players like Dos Santos, Kompany, toulalon, but you all forget one thing these players have gone to clubs with european football with money with big Crowds, we don't have it, they would never even have considered us.

I go abroad quite a bit I'm a proud Rover my shirt will be worn. I get asked what team is that? WTF I think its Rovers, next thing they say is what league are you in?

We are a better team than:

WBA

Hull

Stoke

Bolton

Fulham

Wigan

Sunderland

Every year our target is simply and used to be very public 40 points as quickly as possible and then we'll see for me its not changed.

[Ozz]

I have not really been excited by a Rovers activity during a window since we signed Craig Bellamy, and he have appeared to done OK-some great times been enjoyed since then. I gave up on us signing a massive name ages ago, probably even before we got Andy Cole, which was a real bonus at the time. Them days are gone I think, but we should survive. The only concern is that we have been spoiled by Hughes ability to keep polishing up other peoples rejects, so I guess we have to trust John Williams judgment in appointing Ince to carry on the good work. But we cannot control any of this, so the negativity being generated, much of which is probably more frustration at our unwillingness to get involved in the Russian Roulette that Everton, Villa, Man City, Spurs etc are playing, is not helpful. Our role as supporters is to get behind the team, and club and trust that the players and staff do their bit.

[Veevs]

Ok 1 place is worth 500K, great thats 10K a week which in premiership salary terms is bugger all. We made loads of money this year which was great, but its nothing in the world of football really is it?

7 new players need wages we are probably talking over 100K a week thats a lot of dollar and a massive increase for us financially. Is it not safe to assume some of this profit we made has been shifted to cover the extra wages?

Sorry to keep running on about this Maj, but I disagree with you strongly here..

I can easily see boro, ManC, NewC, Portsmouth, Spuds and one of Wigan or Sunderland all with large investments finishing above us in the league.. thats a drop of 5 or 6 places or as you rightly point out 10K pw a place.. so up 50-60K a week (which is the equivilent of Pennants or a top right wingers wages)

You also did not mention lower attendances, lower TV revenue.. etc. so thats further losses.

that 100K per week is easily balanced out with the players/managers we lost or got rid of:

Enk = Bunn

Bentley = Grella and Andrews

Henchoz = Simpson

Rigters = Carlos

Ince < Hughes

Robinson > Brad

Gally <

To me that total would mean we are saving a considerable ammount on wages, plus this season we will be paying for 4 or 5 spare central midfielders who will rarely get a game.

While I agree you can't sell players if no offer is received, we know that teams where interested in some of our squad players (e.g. McBennie and the Axe).. plus you can offer players around.

[Athlete]

WBA

Hull

Stoke

Bolton

Fulham

Wigan

Sunderland

are we better than the above ??????? well we couldnt break Hull down cos we lacked creativity then Wigan go and thrash them 5-0

WE SHOULD SET OUR SIGHTS HIGHER THAN THE ABOVE NON ENTITY CLUBS BUT OBVIOUSLY WE AREN'T AND JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW FAR WE'VE FALLEN IN A VERY SHORT SPACE OF TIME .

THIS IS THE ONLY SEASON SINCE GOD FORBID THE BRIAN KIDD DAYS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN VERY OPTIMISTIC WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT - THE FACT IS WE'VE LET PLAYERS GO WITHOUT PROPERLY REPLACING THEM OK BENTLY WAS GOING ANYWAY BUT HE HASN'T BEEN REPLACED .

BTW : IF WE ARE BETTER THAN THE CLUBS ABOVE MENTIONED IT MEANS WE SHOULD JUST MISS A RELEGATION BATTLE ( GOD FORBID )

[Majiball]

WWWM

Valdo Pennant its all the same he was used because both his wages and fee where well documented.

11 first team players plus 7 subs 18 players needed on match day we had to get a bigger squad.

Benni is a shadow don't disagree great now Derb's will get more pitch time we can finally see if he can make the grade!

Yes Robbo is nowhere near Brad not many keepers are who would you have signed then?? I can count on my fingers the number of keepers who are better than him.

Grella was dropped in the deep end give him a chance, remember his performance against England?

Andrews all considered him to be a flop before he even arrived, he did OK against WH when brought on again give him a chance.

Cruz is 18 he maybe good he may not, but I'm sure he had some part in RSC staying, thats your cue to start clapping.

Carlos could be good no he's not Bentley he may never be, but replacing Bentley was a huge ask we sold him for 17M FFS and got 10M. Again give me some suggestions on players you would have signed on equal level with Bentley.

No we didn't sign a Winger, we played it safe, we have not wasted our money, which by the way we will only have again if we sell!

So no longer does our trusted policy float your boat, whats your view on it then spend spend spend and go out of business if we fail, please feel free to enlighten me on your previous background within football, on your in depth knowledge of Rovers finances, on why you are a better option on JW, who has done a miraculous job.

Oh and Finally why do people have to respond by writing in quotes it only makes it a pain in the arse to respond, but maybe thats the point!

[Amo]

I'm thoroughly disappointed that we weren't able to bring in a new right midfielder. Are you seriously telling me there was no one within sight? I know people say we shouldn't buy for the sake of it, which is fair enough if we were shelling £5-10m for an unknown quantity, but why not a bargain buy or a loan signing? SOMEONE? As it stands, we'll probably end up with Emerton or Reid stuck out there, when we all know they can't cut the mustard anymore.

[Paul]

But I've made this point elsewhere. Liverpool wanted to sell, Stoke wanted to buy (even if we didn't), Pennant preferred reserve team football. Easy money.

I'd maintain that a player with such a shoddy attitude and lamentable ambition would worsen our side.

Where's his ambition gone?? When he moved from Notts County to Arsenal aged 16, he had the world at his feet and could have done anything. 9 years on he's happy to scoop up his £50K per week by playing the odd match on a rugby league pitch in Warrington.

He's also done time for drink driving, without insurance, whilst banned, and lied to police on arrest. That's just an aside though.

All we can do is keep hoping JW and TF stay at Rovers. The main concern has to be Rovers longterm financial security and it's clear this can only be secure while we are in the Premiership. Even the entire Walker Trust can't allow Rovers to compete - long term - with the City, Villa, Spurs and the top four. We just don't have the money and as Tris says why would we want to throw away our hard-earned cash on a player like this?

What is so exciting about signing Pennant? Nothing, absolutely nothing, so our money is better in the bank until we can unearth another gem.

Football fans have always been unrealistic in their expectations from their club and as the PL becomes a rich man's playground so those expectations become more unrealistic. Blackburn Rovers cannot afford to compete, get used to it and be grateful we have a bloody good chance of surviving another season in the PL. Relegation is unthinkable, just as throwing millions at Liverpool reserves is ridiculous. It isn't much fun and there is precious little to look forward to but we simply cannot buy our way into the big time.