I'm not concerned that Bauer has gone to another club. I'm sure he is a decent player but don't think he is a world beater. What does bother me is that Mowbray has said on more than one occasion that his agent was asking £40K - 50K per week and this was a stumbling block. The fact that he has signed for Preston makes these claims look like total nonsense and therefore makes me suspect Mowbray's honesty - the one quality I had most admired in him up to this point.

I seem to remember he gave away a penalty with a needless handball.

Most owners turn up to matches and talk to the manger daily. Most owners don't live in India. Most owners are actually interested. I can't believe you are trying to make out Rovers is run like other clubs.

Charlton message boards also mention Preston, Wigan, Reading and QPR as possible clubs interested in Bauer. I reckon we could match the wages at all those clubs but maybe he likes life in London. Just become a father too so he may feel settled down there. Rangers also mentioned. Not sure if they could go higher on wages ? Has Mowbray got the persuasive powers required?

Exactly what I was thinking. If you have a budget surely you can adjust the wage / transfer fee ratio based on the merits of the players involved. What Mowbray is saying is that we could have had 2 two of his original targets, who may have gone straight into the team, on higher wages. We ended up with 1 player on lower wages who made no impact. Total spend was the same either way. It's a strange argument.

Frank Fielding (mentioned on these pages as a possible target) in talks with Brentford.

The Owners are as supportive as ever. They are very nice, humble, honest people, who would like us to be successful Wow - they sound really enthusiastic! Are they desperate for Rovers to succeed? determined to gain promotion? committed to the cause ? I'd like England to win the cricket world cup but if they don't I'll have a cup of tea and not worry in the slightest. I feel that Venky's have the same attitude when it comes to Rovers.

From the article: 'Rovers continue to work under a benefactor model, heavily reliant upon recruitment from the Rao family' Are we signing Balaji ?

In terms or organisation and readiness we are light-years behind! You correctly identify the reason.

Just because he isnt saying anything doesnt mean we havent got anything to spare waste. Lets judge him by his actions in the market first.

And what about the season after that and then the next one.... Rovers' whole future is depressing as hell.

Blackburn Outsiders

This is the point. The owners have the potential, the money and the opportunity to do everything within their means to make Rovers a success but they do very little. Why do they bother?

Maybe, but I am just suggesting some inventive thinking and actually taking an interest. One meeting a year with the manager and paying the bills does not fulfil their obligations. We are just not set up to succeed.

These guys gained promotion at clubs with committed, enthusiastic, mainly local owners and probably loads of help from board members who wanted nothing other than their club to succeed. Rovers is not the same. You simply can't run a successful football club at this level with owners who don't know the game or the club. Mowbray and Waggott are doing their best but there needs to be so much more support behind the scenes at Ewood. This is exactly the sort of idea Rovers should be employing but who is going to investigate these opportunities. Mowbray is busy with the football side, Waggott is looking at match day revenue and finances. Over to you Venky's.....

Albert Camus - good goalkeeper as well as a philosopher !

Isn't that their problem ? Why own a football club if you aren't prepared to push for success and put a bit of effort in. Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Brighton, Sheff Utd - why can't we do it if they can? I know FFP exists and needs to be taken into account but other clubs find ways around it. Alternatively use the promotion-or-bust model - Venky's can afford it. They're just not interested.

It will never be forgotten. My worry is we will be in that situation again at some point. Rovers is a business to Venky's - they want to balance the books and have no interest in the football side of things. They've taken the soul out of the club.

Sigh!, How I wish you were talking about Rovers

Is that an Irish calendar you are using ?

I lived in London for a number of years. When Rovers played evening matches - no internet, couldn't get radio Lancs etc, I used to work late so that I could call Clubcall every 10 minutes using the office phone.

Yes that is true. My statement was inaccurate thinking about it. But there did come a point where virtually all fans wanted Kean out and Venky's simply remained silent and watched from afar while the club was relegated. That was the point I was trying to make. I really don't think they take any notice of us at all.

On point 1, I don't know any Rovers fan who didn't want Kean out almost immediately. We were certainly ignored at that time. I doubt they have listened to any concerns raised by fans in the subsequent years. On point 2, I agree that they are paying the bills and trying to keep the business on an even keel - they need to, it's their business after all. However, football is not a normal business - it only exists because of the passion and enthusiasm of the fans. This is where they fail totally. They have no connection or understanding of what Rovers means to the fans or the community. Their absenteeism and lack of any communication shows a lack of any real interest in the club. Remember Rovers is a CLUB of which the fans are the most important element. They want to run it as a faceless corporation. It doesn't matter how much money they have, there is no point running a football club if you don't have the interest. They will eventually get fed up. Mowbary and Waggott have all the responsibility and are trying their best to make a success of things but they only meet the owners once a year ( has Waggott even met them ?). The one Venky representative anywhere near Ewood refuses to engage on any level whatsoever with local press or community. That might be a good model for a some businesses but it will not work for a football club. They can carry on putting 50p in the meter whenever necessary to keep thinks ticking over but for me it feels like we are in limbo until they completely reassess their approach or sell up. Sadly, both options look unlikely. Remember the old chant 'We want our Rovers back'

What did you tell him ? It's a question I regularly ask myself but I don't really have a full answer. For me, there would have to be a dramatic improvement in their communication with the fans. Stop being so aloof and realise we are the lifeblood of the club. I would not expect them to apologise for anything but if they were more open and provided explanations for their previous actions and identified their ambitions going forward then that would be a start. It still feels to me that they consider Rovers as a hobby they spend a bit of time and money on every now and again - as necessary. I know it's a lot of money but they seem to be able to afford it easily enough so it's not a big sacrifice. They say they consider Rovers part of their 'family' yet they haven't paid a visit for many years. Not the way you treat something/somebody you care about. Despite Mowbray and Waggott informing us how dedicated the owners are, I don't see any evidence besides paying the bills. It feels like we are just treading water while Venky's are here. I just don't feel that sense of belonging that is so important.

EFL Website: Clubs are required to meet with a representative group of supporters at least twice a season to discuss significant issues relating to the club. The framework for each club’s specific consultation strategy is to be documented within its customer charter. Anyone know if Rovers have a documented customer charter? If so is it publicly available ?