January Transfer window

[JHRover]

In order of preference (and by that what I believe to be in the best interests of this club)

1) Venkys run the club properly and invest - after 15 years we know that isn't ever going to happen

2) Venkys leave and let someone else run the club properly and invest - I hope and pray that their legal issues/funding cuts in the last 18 months are a precursor to this

3) Venkys stay, but don't invest - we get the worst of both worlds - negligent owners whose appalling oversight cannot be balanced out by money invested.

Over the last 10 years their ability / willingness to send over £15 million a year has at the very least allowed us to remain an average Championship club. Nothing to be grateful to them for but at least it's allowed us to do something.

If that money stops they are absolutely no use to anyone, and aren't needed here. If the club is to wash its own face then the very least it needs is competent and engaged ownership and management to maximise its capabilities.

My ideal scenario is that the legal and financial pressures they are under become unbearable to them to the point that they are forced to relinquish control of the club. It would be a nice bonus if their business empire and fortune collapsed with it. 

 

 

[Herbie6590]

9 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I don't know why you're even making this argument. They have repeatedly shown they have no interest in selling the club. They won't even entertain discussions with prospective bidders who have all been met with outright refusals at best, and crickets at worst.

In reality, everything is for sale at the right price. If the business you are selling is losing money, “the right price” is inevitably less than if it breaks even.

The danger of making it repeatedly break even with no long term investment is that eventually we are relegated and the ability to trade at breakeven is a luxury that isn’t achievable.

In my professional career I saw plenty of businesses trading on the basis of jam tomorrow…but only for so long. The old maxim is, your first loss is your cheapest (worst Rod Stewart tribute ever…).

 

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

In reality, everything is for sale at the right price. If the business you are selling is losing money, “the right price” is inevitably less than if it breaks even.

The danger of making it repeatedly break even with no long term investment is that eventually we are relegated and the ability to trade at breakeven is a luxury that isn’t achievable.

In my professional career I saw plenty of businesses trading on the basis of jam tomorrow…but only for so long. The old maxim is, your first loss is your cheapest (worst Rod Stewart tribute ever…).

 

They're not even willing to discuss what that price is though.

[islander200]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

We were chasing Wallace and Schlupp at the start of the window according to Nixon

As the window went on and it appears those targets weren't going to happen for different reasons 

Nixon saying Schlupp agreed to halve hie wages going to Celtic.He was on 60k a week at Palace

So has signed for Celtic on 30 grand a week.No chance we where ever paying that and as for Wallace, why didn't we get him?He wanted to leave earlier in the window when he was out of favour.

The budget is poor but guarantee it was chaos behind the scenes to with differing opinions 

Arguing amongst themselves over who to bid for.

[Andy]

9 hours ago, CottonTownBoy said:

We have brought in two forward players in the Summer, in Gueye and Ohashi. We've now brought in three additional forward players in the last few days and yet we can't stop the ball going into our own goal through a sub standard goalkeeper.

I will keep happening all the way to the end of the season costing us dearly. I don't know what length of contract Pears has but he needs moving on at the end of the season. 

100% agree with this and I'm trying not to focus on it too much recently, or it'll sound like I've got an agenda against Pears.
I don't; he's just nowhere near good enough and actively costs us games.

It blows my mind a little bit how it's not blatantly obvious to everyone.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

100% agree with this and I'm trying not to focus on it too much recently, or it'll sound like I've got an agenda against Pears.
I don't; he's just nowhere near good enough and actively costs us games.

It blows my mind a little bit how it's not blatantly obvious to everyone.

I'd say Pears has had a decent season overall. He was good, mostly, for the first half of the season. And has started to wobble again the last couple of months. Partly as a result, we have gone from conceding 0-1 most games to conceding 1-2 most games.

Most of his mistakes aren't high profile ones like when he used to chuck it in his net. They're positioning ones, and just not quite getting to ones he probably should. He's still playing better than in years gone by, and that's what we've almost become used to as a fanbase. That, coupled with the fact most football fans don't seem, in my experience, to have their minds trained to identify goalkeeper positioning errors and are more focused on understanding outfield players, and of course the pretty good early season form he showed, is causing some people to give him more leeway than he has deserved lately.

One thing I really wish he'd cut down on and should be very fixable is over-protecting his near post. I get that it's embarrassing to be beaten there and he probably does it out of fear, but he even does it when someone is virtually at the byline and is very unlikely to even try to shoot. It's happened several times this season where the player just cuts it into the box and Pears has left the vast majority of the goal wide open for an attacker.

[chaddyrovers]

6 hours ago, islander200 said:

Nixon saying Schlupp agreed to halve hie wages going to Celtic.He was on 60k a week at Palace

So has signed for Celtic on 30 grand a week.No chance we where ever paying that and as for Wallace, why didn't we get him?He wanted to leave earlier in the window when he was out of favour.

I would suggested WBA wouldn't let him leave until they appointed new manager. As soon as Mowbray was appointed we weren't signing him. 

6 hours ago, islander200 said:

The budget is poor but guarantee it was chaos behind the scenes to with differing opinions 

Eustace, Gestede and Owen will all have different opinions. Eustace wanted Championship experience and he got that 5 out of 6 players signed. 

6 hours ago, islander200 said:

Arguing amongst themselves over who to bid for.

I would discussing they want but you won't always agree as team management structure 

[Upside Down]

13 hours ago, JHRover said:

In order of preference (and by that what I believe to be in the best interests of this club)

1) Venkys run the club properly and invest - after 15 years we know that isn't ever going to happen

2) Venkys leave and let someone else run the club properly and invest - I hope and pray that their legal issues/funding cuts in the last 18 months are a precursor to this

3) Venkys stay, but don't invest - we get the worst of both worlds - negligent owners whose appalling oversight cannot be balanced out by money invested.

Over the last 10 years their ability / willingness to send over £15 million a year has at the very least allowed us to remain an average Championship club. Nothing to be grateful to them for but at least it's allowed us to do something.

If that money stops they are absolutely no use to anyone, and aren't needed here. If the club is to wash its own face then the very least it needs is competent and engaged ownership and management to maximise its capabilities.

My ideal scenario is that the legal and financial pressures they are under become unbearable to them to the point that they are forced to relinquish control of the club. It would be a nice bonus if their business empire and fortune collapsed with it. 

 

 

1 & 2 are the wrong way around.

[Exiled_Rover]

On 05/02/2025 at 13:24, JHRover said:

In order of preference (and by that what I believe to be in the best interests of this club)

1) Venkys run the club properly and invest - after 15 years we know that isn't ever going to happen

2) Venkys leave and let someone else run the club properly and invest - I hope and pray that their legal issues/funding cuts in the last 18 months are a precursor to this

3) Venkys stay, but don't invest - we get the worst of both worlds - negligent owners whose appalling oversight cannot be balanced out by money invested.

Over the last 10 years their ability / willingness to send over £15 million a year has at the very least allowed us to remain an average Championship club. Nothing to be grateful to them for but at least it's allowed us to do something.

If that money stops they are absolutely no use to anyone, and aren't needed here. If the club is to wash its own face then the very least it needs is competent and engaged ownership and management to maximise its capabilities.

My ideal scenario is that the legal and financial pressures they are under become unbearable to them to the point that they are forced to relinquish control of the club. It would be a nice bonus if their business empire and fortune collapsed with it. 

 

 

Nah there's way too much bad blood for #1 to be feasible. 

Them selling is the only option. 

[Exiled_Rover]

19 hours ago, Andy said:

100% agree with this and I'm trying not to focus on it too much recently, or it'll sound like I've got an agenda against Pears.
I don't; he's just nowhere near good enough and actively costs us games.

It blows my mind a little bit how it's not blatantly obvious to everyone.

It's a fair stance to take.

I apparently have an agenda against him for pointing out how terrible he is - and I'm ok bearing that cross.

[garner1971]

Apologies if this had been answered earlier in the thread. Who did we deregister to get us to the 25 registered squad numbers?

[islander200]

4 minutes ago, garner1971 said:

Apologies if this had been answered earlier in the thread. Who did we deregister to get us to the 25 registered squad numbers?

It's not been announced yet I don't think, I was wondering myself 

Telegraph said it had to be submitted today probably announced tomorrow 

 

Edited Thursday at 18:41 by islander200

[garner1971]

1 minute ago, islander200 said:

It's not been announced yet I don't think, I was wondering myself 

Telegraph said it had to be submitted today probably announced tomorrow

Thank you for replying, much appreciated 👍

[KentExile]

16 minutes ago, garner1971 said:

Apologies if this had been answered earlier in the thread. Who did we deregister to get us to the 25 registered squad numbers?

 

14 minutes ago, islander200 said:

It's not been announced yet I don't think, I was wondering myself 

Telegraph said it had to be submitted today probably announced tomorrow 

 

Just did a quick google and found this article, which states the following

As per the EFL’s regulations, the squad lists will be published on their official website within seven days of the closure of the transfer window. That means it should be up before Monday night.

Not sure if that means the EFLs official website, or the clubs official website

Edited Thursday at 18:53 by KentExile

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, islander200 said:

It's not been announced yet I don't think, I was wondering myself 

Telegraph said it had to be submitted today probably announced tomorrow 

 

I'm sure Eustace will tell the media in tomorrow pre match press conference 

[wilsdenrover]

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

 

Just did a quick google and found this article, which states the following

As per the EFL’s regulations, the squad lists will be published on their official website within seven days of the closure of the transfer window. That means it should be up before Monday night.

Not sure if that means the EFLs official website, or the clubs official website

EFL’s:

[RevidgeBlue]

Pretty damning article from Bayes on bbc sport indicating how little football the new acquisitions have played in recent times.

Dennis hasnt kicked a ball in domestic football for ten months.

Woodrow one start in the Championship in November. Sanderson and Forshaw in similar boat.

Ribeiro in and out of Braga side.

Kargbo played 90 mins once in Serie B since September.

Shambles.

 

[Exiled_Rover]

9 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Pretty damning article from Bayes on bbc sport indicating how little football the new acquisitions have played in recent times.

Dennis hasnt kicked a ball in domestic football for ten months.

Woodrow one start in the Championship in November. Sanderson and Forshaw in similar boat.

Ribeiro in and out of Braga side.

Kargbo played 90 mins once in Serie B since September.

Shambles.

 

 

On the flip side Bayes is a cock.

[roversfan99]

Its the sort of window you expect when again the owners have refused to reinvest any of the considerable sales proceeds.

Loads of desperate temporary bodies at the end of the window when their parent clubs had little choice but to accept minimal wage contributions. They are only available for 15 games and will eat into that getting up to speed.

Dennis is understandably the most eye catching but its easy to lose focus of the fact that since a decent season 3 seasons ago, hes done nothing since. He has scored 6 goals in that time. There are also question marks about his attitude and he certainly isnt the ruthless goalscorer that the manager wanted.

Expectations drop as the window goes on to the point where we start to expect no one at all. So when you bring 2 strikers on deadline day, regardless of any likely impact, people get excited.

Its all down to the owners. Could £1m and probably not that much in combined wages have been spent more efficiently? Perhaps, but we needed so many positions simultaneously and we havent adequately filled them all, notably in midfield. 

I would suggest that the players that Eustace is most keen to get into the 11 arent any of the new signings, its the likes of Tronstad, Carter and Ohashi who will all be rusty themselves.

[KentExile]

10 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

EFL’s:

Thanks 🙂 

I had a feeling that you would finish that job off for me and allow me to be a bit lazy 😉 

 

Edited Friday at 07:25 by KentExile

[Uddersfelt Blue]

7 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Pretty damning article from Bayes on bbc sport indicating how little football the new acquisitions have played in recent times.

Dennis hasnt kicked a ball in domestic football for ten months.

Woodrow one start in the Championship in November. Sanderson and Forshaw in similar boat.

Ribeiro in and out of Braga side.

Kargbo played 90 mins once in Serie B since September.

Shambles.

 

 

Let’s wait and see how these guys perform. Can’t do any worse than that shambles on Tuesday at QPR! 

[Herbie6590]

Adam Armstrong has bulked up ahead of his move to @WBA 👀

[philipl]

I gave this prompt to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude: 

which senior professional footballer should blackburn rovers omit from naming in the 25 man squad registered? 

One answered Szmodics (very AI) but they all suggested Adam Forshaw based on age, rating and lack of game time.

 

[KentExile]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

I gave this prompt to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude: 

which senior professional footballer should blackburn rovers omit from naming in the 25 man squad registered? 

One answered Szmodics (very AI) but they all suggested Adam Forshaw based on age, rating and lack of game time.

 

I agree with the AI, Forshaw adds nothing, in fact may actually be a detriment when on the pitch (maybe he takes the Fadz role in the dressing room/training/etc, but we don't see that).  If we are stuck for midfielders beyond the first team squad, I would like to see Dunn, Edmondson etc given a few minutes over Forshaw.

Having said that, I think, unless someone is out injured for the season, it will be Sigurdsson, window still open in numerous countries, including those in Scandinavia, and some sunnier destinations such as Turkey, UAE & USA

Not sure about the logistics of this one, but a left field option may be Cozier-Duberry, not our player and cant see him getting many minutes now.  Given his age, Brighton may fancy bringing him back and using him as part of their U21s (which I think they may be able to do despite the window being shut, he just couldn't be involved in their first team) rather than him just sitting on Rovers bench

Looks like Jackson will try and find out this afternoon

 

Edited Friday at 10:11 by KentExile

[Devon Rover]

On 05/02/2025 at 13:31, Herbie6590 said:

In reality, everything is for sale at the right price. If the business you are selling is losing money, “the right price” is inevitably less than if it breaks even.

The danger of making it repeatedly break even with no long term investment is that eventually we are relegated and the ability to trade at breakeven is a luxury that isn’t achievable.

In my professional career I saw plenty of businesses trading on the basis of jam tomorrow…but only for so long. The old maxim is, your first loss is your cheapest (worst Rod Stewart tribute ever…).

 

Whilst everything is for sale at the right price, I wonder if that might not extend to the willingness of a homeowner to consider a sale, or even survey, of their house when they know it contains skeletons which they hid within it?

Just a musing.