Another bizarre comment from Waggott. He must be referring to the January window when we signed Armstrong and Payne on loan and Bell from Fleetwood who only had 5 months left on his contract. If we had an 'exceptional' transfer budget yet chose to only spend a fraction of it on 1 permanent addition and 2 loans then that suggests a considerable sum of money wasn't spent and ought to have trickled into the summer pot. Presumably he would argue that the loan signings of Armstrong and Payne cost a considerable sum of money, yet I'm not sure I believe that to be true. Payne was on loan at Oxford prior to coming here and has since gone to Bradford, both League One clubs who aren't exactly flush with money, and Armstrong has been on loan at Bolton and Coventry recently, another 2 who aren't known for chucking money around. My point being that whilst they were decent additions to the squad I'm not sure it required an 'exceptional' budget to bring them in. I sincerely hope that Waggott doesn't trot out similar comments in August if the window shuts and we don't get some serious business done. Very easy and cheap to talk about spending and having good budgets, very different to sign off the cheques and get the business done.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/june/tony-transfer-dealings-bubbling-away-nicely/ 8th June - things progressing on a daily basis, pretty sure activity will increase over the next few weeks https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/june/tonys-transfer-update/ 28th June - lots going on, ideally we sign as many as we can to build the club (rather than loans), we're getting closer to signing more players. Those sort of comments, made 4-6 weeks ago, are the reason people are getting concerned.

Wouldn't surprise me if true. Though you would have to ask what the point would be in us bidding and presumably meeting the release clause only to then back out again on wages and the structure of the deal. Surely those things would be known in advance rather than waste everyone's time pursuing something that we can't or won't pay for.

I said when he joined Bradford that we could have done a lot worse than to get him back for the season, even on loan. If at the Oxford game I'd have been offered the chance to kick off the Championship season with the same squad of players as were lining up at Ewood that day I'd have said no and would have been disappointed at the prospect. If you were to offer me the chance to have last season's squad now for the Ipswich game I'd take it. Expectations diluted massively in the space of a few months. There is still time to put it right but that time is running out quickly. At least 4 required.

Anyone else find it a bit odd how all 3 of Ipswich's signings were supposedly targets of ours? Chalobah, Harrison and Edwards all tipped to come here at various stages. Almost as though us and Ipswich are shopping from the same list.... I would have thought we'll be in similar territory in terms of revenues and finances but even they have gone out and spent a couple of million.

I agree. I think his value will go up if we can get him for a couple of million and he starts to perform in the Championship. Sadly our owners don't tend to go to that sort of outlay no matter what the likely/potential return on it. They haven't gone past the £1 million mark for 5 years and that was when we were getting parachute payments.

I don't think i suggested that Mowbray had lied. The fact that he came out with those comments before and after India is the reason I'm more concerned. If he was happy with the budget that's fine, so there's no excuse not to get the right calibre of new signings in before the deadline. The fact that it is now appearing such a struggle to get business done suggests either the budget wasn't particularly good or that something else is going wrong. Do you seriously believe Venkys are going to sanction a £2 million transfer fee on one player? It's got to the stage where I'd be pleasantly surprised if we spent that all summer on the 6-7 in total that we need. I believe Armstrong would like to come back and Mowbray would love him back but unless it is a loan I can't see it happening unless Newcastle knock their asking price down to £1 million or less.

Sorry but if it is the case that a major miscalculation has taken place then the manager takes the blame for that. No excuse for being so badly prepared for the window and as Bolton and Ipswich have shown business can still be done on limited funds. Especially in the case of Armstrong we would have known months ago what sort of deal he was on at Newcastle and what sort of figures it would take to get him back here. If we're not even close then we should move on. I expect what we are doing is waiting and hoping that nobody else buys him and that Newcastle then take the next best option which is to loan him out for the year with us picking up half his wage. If he's costing more than £1.5 million then not only do I think it is a lot of money for him but also suspect Rovers have no intention of paying it. I think if Mowbray went to Venkys for more money he'd get ignored. His meeting with them has to be arranged weeks in advance and occurs once a year such is the lack of time and interest they have for this project.

Rather than spending thousands on new computer turnstiles they'd be better installing a cash only turnstile on each stand, then those who turn up on the day don't need to go to the ticket office.

Of equal or even more importance is the countdown to Ipswich which is when the season starts. That is when we need everyone in place and ready to go. The transfer deadline is an artificial creation milked by the media for ratings and viewing figures. We need to be ready for the big kick off or once again we'll be starting a season on the back foot. Fortunately this time we have a better manager and appear to be much fitter but its quite a long running theme here that we kick off a season short of where we need to be.

Mo Eisa gone to Bristol City. Another one we were 'linked' with.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/july/rovers-set-for-sky-sports-double-header/ 2 games moved for TV. Bolton away and Villa home both 5:30pm kick offs. Rovers were very clear that when allocating the entire Darwen End to away fans that the police insist on a noon kick off so that must mean Villa will be limited in their allocation. Interesting that the police are happy for Rovers to go to Bolton for a 5:30pm kick off yet we have to play PNE at 12 noon.

Bell - few hundred grand, Samuel - few hundred grand, Dack - £750,000, Williams - few hundred grand, Rothwell - few hundred grand, Davenport - few hundred grand, Cairney - few hundred grand, Evans - few hundred grand, Duffy - few hundred grand, Gestede & Conway - few hundred grand. First ones signed in 2013, now its 2018 and the sums are similar. This is Venky spending. The only surprise was that they went as high as they did for Dack. Has always been the case since the parachute cash was trousered by others and they had to start dipping into their own pockets for funds rather than use up the Premier League money. The irony is that Venkys should know better than anyone the rewards of speculative spending and sensible investment on players yet still appear reluctant to do so beyond a limited level. When they have stumped up cash the rewards have been vast for them yet they still don't seem keen to do it. I think anyone expecting £2 million+ signings are being very, very optimistic. I had hoped that success and promotion last season might energise Venkys into going up a level on spending and bankrolling a bit more than previously, but it seems not. Dangerous game because it could see us back in League One. We're now at a stage where the likes of Ipswich are spending a few million on new players - these are the sort we should be competing with at the very least yet it seems not.

As I've already said I can see the logic in letting Wharton out and I think it will do him good to have a full season hopefully free of injury playing in League Two. All of what you say may be true but then why would Mowbray be pursuing Bauer and seeking to pay several hundred thousand pounds for him? It may appear unlikely but we've heard rumours in the past about wanting people out the door before new ones can come in. It might 'only' be a few thousand a week of savings but combine with getting Caddis and Gladwin off the wage bill and that's likely a loan wage covered without the need to increase the overall wage budget which Venkys might not be prepared to do any more.

Who is Harvey?

The CB situation is an odd one. Our attempt to sign Bauer from Charlton is pretty much the only concrete rumour we've had all summer on potential incomings other than Davenport and Rothwell. It was some time ago and raised one or two eyebrows at the time as it seemed CB was the least of our worries and it seemed we might have some money to play with if paying out for Bauer to be number 3 CB. Everything has gone quiet on that front and then suddenly we get the new contract for Scott Wharton before he is immediately loaned out to Lincoln for the season. I can understand that move for him, but surely that means that a new CB is imminent? Unless you're a cynic like me. I ask myself what other reason the club might have for loaning Wharton out for a season when we're short on numbers as it is. e.g. we need to shed some people off the wage bill before incomings are allowed. I raised that as a suspicion last week following the absences of Gladwin, Caddis and Hart. Maybe with Wharton out on loan and a couple of those out the door Mowbray might have some free wages to play with.

If they ask Venkys to re-evaluate the budget I think at best a decision will be made in time for the January transfer window, more likely they will fire anyone who asks for an increased budget having dealt with club business at the May/June summit meeting. We'll be off the agenda until next May unless something major happens e.g. we're looking like getting relegated which might push them into action sooner. If Waggott is to be believed he now has decision making abilities on finances. I find that hard to believe. Maybe on how much is spent down at Ewood on maintenance etc. but not on how much we spend on transfer fees. As we've had most summers it is an ever changing picture. Once again early optimism quickly gives way to silence and increasing concern. Mowbray's messages in the press have changed significantly since the start of the summer. If the Telegraph had any idea they'd be pushing Mowbray on why this is the case. It seems either something has changed at the top or a major miscalculation has taken place on the transfer market and funds required.

I think all parties take responsibility. I think Venkys will have made some funds available but we're talking similar or slightly more than last season. Last season those funds went a long way, in the Championship they are unlikely to deliver much. I think Mowbray is too 'principled' in what he does. I think he often strives for perfection when perfection isn't possible. This applies to everything he does - his signings, formations, etc. I think we'll have had the option to bring in countless players who would probably be good enough for this division but Mowbray has very set ideas in his head about what he wants. That's admirable but not really pragmatic for a club in our situation, which is becoming increasing desperate and it seems inevitable that he will end up having to take people who he perhaps didn't want to start with. It's also hard not to think that Waggott's sole remit here is to stretch the pennies even further than previously. It seems almost everything he has done or said relates to keeping spending on a tight leash and further cuts. Increased ticket prices, closure of the Darwen End, wanting larger away followings, increased membership fees. If the main idea behind him being here is to keep a grip on finances and cut further I'm not optimistic of significant funds finding their way into the transfer pot. Worrying times really. Needs addressing urgently.

Knows where the back of the net is and has performed in the Championship so I'd have a look at him but he'll be on good money. Will Wednesday let him go as well as Rhodes? What's Gary Hooper up to these days?

Are Sheffield United really going to try and sign him from Sheffield Wednesday? Can't see that being a popular move.

No, but I expected some sort of development that would see them get off the hook rather than suffer disaster. Merely pointing out that all those predicting disaster at Villa may well, as expected, have got ahead of themselves. Many were waiting for Villa to become an example of what happens if you spend massive amounts and fail, yet it seems the answer is going to be not very much apart from one rich owner gives way to another.

So Villa's impending crisis and disaster looks set to be avoided by the arrival of one of Africa's richest men and an American multi-millionaire. I called it that nothing seriously bad would happen to Villa. So far no financial disaster, no FFP sanctions, no embargo and apart from the likely sale of Grealish no major departures.

Wigan have signed Callum McManaman on a permanent deal. Another 'skint' club we need to be finishing above doing solid work in the transfer market.... I'd have had either McManaman or Wildschut here, fair enough if Mowbray doesn't fancy them but I sure hope we've better lined up instead.

Wildschut confirmed at Bolton. Good signing. Goes to show that even those clubs without two pennies to rub together can do reasonable business in the market. What we're playing at who knows.

Comparing the 1st column to the 3rd column the big issue is up front. Having gone to Brentford with Graham and Gallagher in the 1st XI and Joao and Emnes on the bench that was quite a strong attacking line up. Now we've Graham in the 1st XI and Samuel on the bench. Much, much weaker. I'd also forgotten about Hoban who whilst injured for long spells was a decent CB to have as back-up.