That *was* the January Window

[Exiled_Rover]

10 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I would definitely be interested in seeing a side by side comparison of PNEs vs Rovers accounts over last 5 years. Similar size fanbase, similar yo yoing around mid table.

What a sickener the last decade has been.

I remember when PNE were minnows that we never bothered about - now we have a similar sized fan base. Thanks Venkys. 

[Bethnal]

With Carter and Pickering likely both out for a while, I expect to see some movement on the transfer front shortly.

Chrisene isn’t ready for 90 mins and we now only have Scott Wharton, Hyam and untested youth prospects at centre back. Hyam himself is still on a road to full fitness.

There simply has to be at least one CB incoming before the next game. Would love it to be Hill, but we can’t afford to play the waiting game with Bournemouth.

Somewhat perplexed by the mathematics of our finances. If we’re continuously spending £20m of the owners’ money to cover losses every season, despite budget cut after budget cut, what exactly are the CEO and commercial dept doing to grow revenue? Envious of those of you who have managed to get a meeting with him, I’ve been palmed off every time I’ve asked, although haven’t for a while.

I’d have thought some of the Phillips and Kaminski money could have been reinvested by now and maybe it all was between Leo, Moran, Hill, Ayari and Chrisene. It that is the case, I think the transfer policy is essentially a constantly reactive crisis where we’re gambling on unearthing hidden gems from the Academy Industrial Complex and them having their breakout season with us.

We’ve had it before with Elliott and Van Hecke and it happened with Mason Mount at Derby, Sturridge and Wilshere at Bolton. Common thread with all three of those clubs acting as platforms is they never made it to the promised land. I don’t think loading your team up with expensive loans can practically get you out of this league.

I’ve genuinely enjoyed JDT’s style of play in moments, there are flashes of excellence and some real stand-outs (goal of the season last season being a specific one). But we visibly need someone capable of winning a header in midfield before booting the opposition’s number 10 into the Riverside from the centre circle and I don’t think we’re going to find that in a premier league academy.

[RoversClitheroe]

I genuinely think we're fucked if we don't sign another 4-5 good players.

Pickering out isn't a big loss as I think he's our biggest liability, so should be relatively easy to upgrade on him.

[TugaysMarlboro]

5 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

I genuinely think we're fucked if we don't sign another 4-5 good players.

Pickering out isn't a big loss as I think he's our biggest liability, so should be relatively easy to upgrade on him.

I'm not Pickering's biggest fan by any means, but he's a massive loss right now. 

 

Our only recognised senior left back with championship experience is likely to be out for an extended period. 

 

It's clear with our finances that we are not finding it easy to upgrade on anyone signed prior to JDTs arrival.

Edited January 22, 2024 by TugaysMarlboro

[roversfan99]

Pickering clearly isnt our biggest liability. He will be a loss especially as Chrisene looked far less competent.

[TheRevAshton]

Following those injuries, I imagine we'll now be looking for a centre-back who can also play left-back...

Realistically, how many more signings do we reckon we're actually gonna make this window? I can't see more than 2 personally... cheap ones too! The near-future is looking very grim.

[davulsukur]

18 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

I genuinely think we're fucked if we don't sign another 4-5 good players.

Pickering out isn't a big loss as I think he's our biggest liability, so should be relatively easy to upgrade on him.

Not a chance we're signing 4-5 players. Another 1 at best is all that will come through the door.

[B16Rover]

Surely there is a tall strong athletic goal scoring left winger at a premier league B team on £500 a week who can also play up front, at centre back, at left back and in goals.. surely?

[roversinmyblood]

32 minutes ago, B16Rover said:

Surely there is a tall strong athletic goal scoring left winger at a premier league B team on £500 a week who can also play up front, at centre back, at left back and in goals.. surely?

Absolutely. It’s not much to ask is it. Pull your fingers out recruitment department. 😊

[RoversClitheroe]

It's a sad state of affairs when league 2 clubs have bigger budgets than us

[B16Rover]

26 minutes ago, roversinmyblood said:

Absolutely. It’s not much to ask is it. Pull your fingers out recruitment department. 😊

A recurring question is given our youth team play and do well in the same league as all the youngsters we loan in, where is the good business in doing this and not developing within.  

 

The academy model can be offset with experienced heads but supplementing it with further academy drags it all down

[Theaxe15]

I’d imagine it will be Brittain LB and JRC RB till one of those two is the next to get injured, again.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, TheRevAshton said:

Following those injuries, I imagine we'll now be looking for a centre-back who can also play left-back...

Realistically, how many more signings do we reckon we're actually gonna make this window? I can't see more than 2 personally... cheap ones too! The near-future is looking very grim.

At least 4 or 5 players needed. 2 centre backs, right winger and striker. Plus another if we sell or loan players like Gallagher and Markanday 

1 hour ago, davulsukur said:

Not a chance we're signing 4-5 players. Another 1 at best is all that will come through the door.

How you say not a chance? 

[MarkBRFC]

4 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

At least 4 or 5 players needed. 2 centre backs, right winger and striker. Plus another if we sell or loan players like Gallagher and Markanday 

How you say not a chance? 

The logic certainly points that way.

When was the last January window that we came out stronger than when we went into it?

Let me guess, "it will be different this time"

Edited January 22, 2024 by MarkBRFC

[chaddyrovers]

4 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

The logic certainly points that way.

When was the last January window that we came out stronger than when we went into it?

Let me guess, "it will be different this time"

If we had signed Undav and O'Brien in that window we would got playoffs for sure. 

We need signings. 4 or 5 minimum. Simple as. I've explained how you could do that. 

Edited January 22, 2024 by chaddyrovers

[MarkBRFC]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

If we had signed Undav and O'Brien in that window we would got playoffs for sure. 

We need signings. 4 or 5 minimum. Simple as

Didn't happen so it means nothing.

Just because we need them doesn't mean we will get them.

I will be amazed if we get 4-5 players in with nobody going the other way.

[rigger]

45 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

It's a sad state of affairs when league 2 clubs have bigger budgets than us

It is even sadder when league 2 clubs use their budgets better than we do.

[Hasta]

Considering he was out of position, I thought Travis did OK at left back against Watford so maybe he can cover. Oh wait....

[Hasta]

7 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

If we had signed Undav and O'Brien in that window we would got playoffs for sure. 

 

Unfortunately the same clowns who couldn't get those deals done are still in situ.

[Mercer]

11 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

If we had signed Undav and O'Brien in that window we would got playoffs for sure. 

We need signings. 4 or 5 minimum. Simple as. I've explained how you could do that. 

Why don't you see if you can set up a meeting for yourself with Waggott and Broughton so that you can share your thoughts and plans.

[davulsukur]

21 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

At least 4 or 5 players needed. 2 centre backs, right winger and striker. Plus another if we sell or loan players like Gallagher and Markanday 

How you say not a chance? 

Because we have no money, the wage budget is maxed out (or so we are told), we are notoriously slow/poor at getting deals over the line, the window is only open for a few more days, January is historically a poor window to do business.

Did I miss anything?

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Because we have no money, the wage budget is maxed out (or so we are told), we are notoriously slow/poor at getting deals over the line, the window is only open for a few more days, January is historically a poor window to do business.

Did I miss anything?

logic, common-sense, realism.

Edited January 22, 2024 by rigger

[RoversClitheroe]

Carter and Pickering out for 4-6 weeks......

8-9 games out...

[martonrover]

39 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Didn't happen so it means nothing.

Just because we need them doesn't mean we will get them.

I will be amazed if we get 4-5 players in with nobody going the other way.

A couple of kids on loan, at best.

[SuperBrfc]

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Excellent post.

The now legendary £20m a year investment is almost mentioned as if its a sign of ambition to push the club on. Im sure @RevidgeBlue once suggested that Mowbray had blown £100m of the owners over 5 years in not getting promoted during that time as if it was splashed out on a team of Championship all stars.

This has definitely become a thing. It's the product of crafty PR and it is working, because I have experienced fans of other clubs making the lazy assumption that £20m per year = £20m for transfers/wages. They see the headline figure, they vaguely recall the fees for BBD/Gallagher and assume those kind of things have been a regular occurrence. 'What are you complaining about, they put in £20m a year' has become a stock phrase in some quarters.

That was certainly the view of a few PNE fans that I know. Until one day, when they were complaining about their ownership, I reversed it on them by saying "why can't you be grateful, they pump in £15m a year?".

According to them, Hemmings and Ridsdale aren't interested in promotion and they need a change at the top. 'What about the £15m transfer budget though, what more do you want?' "Eh, what budget?". Yeah. Precisely.

They understand our situation now after seeing the state of our transfers, how JDT has been treated, hearing about the Court issue, plus seeing Travis being loaned out etc. That £20m yearly 'investment' isn't as is made out, is it?

Obviously, there's a difference between pumping £20m in for transfers and what has been happening here. The PR machine sneakily links that figure to ambition though by way of repetition.

We've got agents and a financial expert talking about how their financial support has been "phenomenal". So "phenomenal" that they have lost £200m turning a solid Premier League club into this shell? Yeah. Phenomenal. We saw an article not so long ago in the Daily Mail on how "Venky's have finally got it right" after a decade of chaos. That piece, incredibly, described them as the "saviours of Rovers". Sickening! From the same journo who said it would have been madness for Venky's NOT to have sacked Henning Berg. Hold on, what!? Let that sink in. We also had that fluff piece about how they were putting up a £10m promotion bonus. The hack behind that has, over the past week, been spinning a pro Venky line by suggesting they have money to spend, the only issue being getting it sent over. Aargh, that blasted Court hearing getting in the way of things! Next window, sorry folks, the summer, it's a promise!

What better way to feed the ever generous Venky narrative than linking us with a striker for £4m. Hmm, let's look at that. Not having a pot to pee in, little wiggle room on wages, bringing in kids on loan - Versus - the owners have money, just need to get it sent over and you want a striker for £4m. If the latter isn't pro Venky spin, I don't know what is.

The reality is they have almost killed this club. They have let players walk for nothing, have ignored two promising January windows by doing sod all and have left JDT a mess to deal with. One signing for over £2m since 2019 is also telling.

None of that suits the agenda though. Better to just keep on repeating £20m and let the ignorant do the rest of the work.

Oh and yes, I remember that post. Reading that, one could be forgiven for thinking that Mowbray had £100m available to him for transfers over a five year period. Maybe he meant that their 'investment' in covering five years worth of bills etc was wasted on Mowbray, who should have 'rewarded' them with promotion. I'm not sure, but still, the original wording took me by surprise. Them losing £100m during that time and Mowbray not getting promotion are two separate things for me, as he did not blow a £100m budget and fail.