I hope this doesn't bite me on the arse but I'm more confident than I was for the QPR or Swansea games. WBA were poor last season, have an anachronistic manager who, for me, is a busted flush and are struggling with injuries. 1-0 Rovers.

All b*ly shirts are foul but this is particularly nasty............and they've even managed to have a sponsor almost as cringey as ours.

There's a marked difference between the playing side of the club when Mowbray took over to when he left. As has been pointed out, it's doubtful that JDT would be here had that not been stabilised and Mowbray obviously played a key role in that. Add that to our immediate return from League 1 ( ask Sunderland and Ipswich how easy that is) and it makes a reasonable case for him being more favourably viewed down the track. Of course, I'm pissing in the wind by daring to suggest such heresy on here

His Death Spirals were infuriating but there was more to his five years than that.

Mowbray was a frustrating manager who was in tenure for a couple of seasons too long at least but the antipathy towards him on here by some is weird and cult like.

I think, with the passage of time, Mowbray's tenure will eventually be viewed more positively by some of his detractors.

Exactly this. We need to hope that BBD and his agent don't want to risk serious injury in running down his contract and press for a move before the deadline.

Very harsh. The lad has suffered two career threatening inquiries in our colours. He deserves more respect than that.

Back above the Yahoos.

I think we signed him on the back of an impressive loan season with Burton. I feel for the lad, he looks a decent footballer but he seemed to regress after every injury.

I fucking hate being jealous of b*ly.

Is there not a case to say that three or four weeks into the season is not the best time to be doing your transfer business?

It's often the case that the most accurate opinion lies between the opposite standpoints. It is, as you point out, unrealistic to expect two first team ready players per position for a club of our current stature however, patching up our depleted squad with one signing and a handful of Academy Kids is also reasonable cause for concern.

Didn't Spurs offer Markanday a contract and wanted him to stay?

That man would kick his Granny if she tried to get past him!

I agree with all of that. Gallagher could be an absolute beast, he needs a bastard of a manager.

Three Lungs. Tremendous player.

I think Gallagher could be a right handful at Championship level if utilised properly. I certainly wouldn't be happy with him going especially to the Smoggies who are getting right on my tit end at the moment.

It's a good point but despite some overhyping the 'quality' of the squad to bolster their point, we spent the latter part of last season in relegation form. How the owners expect an improvement on that by having a paper thin squad denuded of last season's best and most experienced players only they know. To me it smacks of neglect, incompetence and contempt

Part of me thinks 'Bring it on, let's get it over with'.

Where does this leave the club should Venkys decide that they've had enough and they're off?

I've read stuff to that effect by people that know what they're talking about but it still doesn't seem right. If it is then it might be what is preventing them from leaving as they aren't prepared to write off £200m plus. Meanwhile we continue to exist in a nightmare of stasis and paralysis with seemingly no end.

What if they don't take their debt with them? This is the horrendous position we find ourselves in.

I tend to err on the side of optimism but the cold hard facts are that, with outgoing players and loanees returning to their club, there are around 150 or so league appearances from last season out of the door. Not only is that able bodies on the pitch but it's years of experience. We have brought in Ethan Walker. There is 3 weeks or so until the start of the season and only Wigan have been as inactive in the transfer market as Rovers and they are not paying their players on time at the moment. JDT and Gregg Broughton have been pretty quiet and I'm worried that they are not happy and perhaps feel that they have been mislead (just a bad feeling, absolutely no evidence) I'm yet again worried about the club and my prior optimism has evaporated. As ever the club does not communicate leaving the likes of me to fill the void with what is front of me which does not appear to be good. It's totally unacceptable and yet totally predictable.

I can't imagine that the new Coach, his staff and the DOF will be at the club for long if that is the case.