It's a 9 man subs bench from this season. Still work to do to fill it with decent options to affect a game..

Since the end of last season (when the bench was so weak the manager was reluctant to use hardly any subs) the following have departed: Ayari Moran Chrisene Koumetio Fleck McFadz Wahlstedt Telalovic Gallagher Coming in we've had: Gueye Ohashi McFadz Travis So we're still 5 first team players down on what was already a shit squad and that's before the likely departure of our best player. Needs another 5 permanent transfers of Championship standard and 3/4 loans to have a chance of a season not fighting relegation. It won't happen. We're simply rearranging (for cheaper) chairs. Whilst it is a positive we're active in the market, the net spend after seeing Gallagher go for £1.6m and the pending departure of Gent for £200k is likely nil. So still the £1m Walstedt, £5m Raya, £22m Warton and SS' £8m in the bank.

We may actually do better with Finneran leaving now than in a season or two if god forbid these bastards still own us. If he does well and a sell on clause comes in for £4m/£5m like Raya, I'd rather have that in a few years under new ownership than into the black hole. Like as already mentioned this afternoon, I've absolutely no issue at anyone wanting to get out of Rovers right now.

I was told this morning by somebody local that one of Barnsley's top scorers from last season has had talks with North End and Rovers. They couldn't remember the name but had been told by one of the player's friends. Looking and they have a midfielder - Adam Phillips - who is from Garstang so I'm guessing that's who it is. There are stories in the LEP about him but they also say 'Preston North End might have to offer 'silly money' to Barnsley to entice them into selling midfielder Adam Phillips this summer'. That's us ruled out then.

If Eastham is out of the picture and they're looking to move him on plus the older Joe Hilton who's 24, I've no problem with this guy coming in as a third choice but as mentioned, to come in as number 2 (or 3 behind Hilton) takes (more of) the piss.

Of that squad that are going to Austria - take away the starting XI back 4 - Brittain, Carter, Hyam and Pickering - and there are no other defenders (aside from Wharton who won't likely play this season) who have made a Championship start. Who are we linked with? a 37 year old McFadzean and injury prone Liam Cooper... Makes the Hull guy stand out a mile yet we can't afford a few hundred £k to sign him. We'd need him plus another. But we know the score - Pickering is now a CB, Travis/Buckley are right backs and Gent is 'like a new signing'. All sorted - no need to bring anyone in. Can see it now - last couple of days of the window and it will be loans from the premier league with no wage contributions and a guarantee of games. It is going to be a long season.

Next stage of milk the fans for what we can... Blackburn End car park renewal has come through. Same price (£175) but with a note that cup games are no longer included. Becoming pretty clear the club has no money. Hopefully this is the end game...

Living in Preston I hear a lot about North End. It pains me to see that they are becoming a model on how we should be operating. Cheap season tickets last year - best crowds for 60 years and despite the rightful flack he got for what he did with Leeds, they have a CEO in Risdale who knows what he's doing. They've brought in 2 players for positions they need and have announced they're now moving on to filling the other areas they're short. All off the back of bringing in nearly £30m in transfer fees nope, signing £3m+ worth of players last season. transfermarkt.co.uk indicates they've not sold anyone of note since 2022. I know it's preaching to the converted on here, but how do so many on Ewood accept the shite we're going through as being the norm?!

Another one - Daniel Iversen seems to be available - ex North End, was on loan at Stoke last season, currently at Leicester. 26 years old. Plenty of options better than Pears available for around what they'll recoup for Leo. Someone will come in, lets hope it's as number 1.

No they do live amongst us. A family member knows a couple - high flying jobs, lawyer or doctor so not thick - and they were telling him they can't understand why 'Steve' gets so much flack when he's working really hard and doing the best he can. This is why it's going to take something catastrophic for the Venkys/Waggot/Suhail Out movement to get anywhere - too many people who are totally oblivious.

I imagine he's also a bit pissed that our arsing around denied him a move to Sheffield Wednesday and seeing what they did for those last few months. Even if it was only a loan he would have been in a winning side and put himself in the shop window.

The disagreement over player ages sounds a load of bollocks to me. It will be the usual, not being willing to stump up the going rate for exceptional young players and instead expecting him to find cheap ones that can't step up - Telalovic. If they'd have gone in quick for Anel Ahmedhodzic in 2022 and the Norwegian(?) striker last summer we'd be sat on £25m+ worth of assets that cost £7m/£8m. Lets not forget that last summer we were actively chasing experience and were told Venkys vetoed it.

The simplest strategy would be to set them at 94/95 prices.

Is it wrong to assume he was a quickfire appointment by Waggott to exert some power over Broughton / reinforce his own position? He led a clusterfuck search before Broughton came in and appointed JDT. Regardless of who was responsible for bringing him in I don't understand the need to hand out the length of contract. Surely 18 months with an agreement to review after the season would have been more appropriate? That said, only at a competent club would that happen.

Or if you want to insist he was involved lets take it from 4pm after he came down. The second half result was 0-0. A point per game over the season. Relegation form.

I've never felt so disconnected with the club and with this guy as the mouthpiece and focus, every piece of shite that comes out of his mouth makes me feel even more done with it all. Even with Keen, whilst players were being pushed out the door and the rats were creeping in, there were still a few heroes and players that you could have an affinity to - I think when we went down MGP was still there, Robbo and Dunn. The first years in the Championship were a shit show but we at least had a prime Jordan Rhodes and other exciting players. The Coyle appointment felt like an absolute piss take - it was the first time I'd not renewed my season ticket since 1991. I still went on now and then though and got a season ticket early in the league 1 campaign. Obviously the winning games helped but with Dack, Graham, Mulgrew, Bennett, etc in the side and youth players establishing themselves it felt like we had the club back and there was hope that we could push on. The last couple of seasons prior to this we were winning games - had goalscorers in Armstrong then BBD and we were winning games. The football under JDT whilst unpredictable towards the end was the best I've seen us play. We should have kicked on and at least achieved playoffs. Today I'm really 50/50 whether I want us to stay up or go down. Part of me feels the further we slip, the more likely we are to get rid of the owners but is the reduced wage bill and costs going to make it easier for them to stay? I really can't be arsed with another season like the last 6 months next year in the Championship. Just what is the point? More arseholes lining their pockets just delaying the inevitable. It seems the only way to get rid is administration but I fear it would likely see the one remaining piece of Jack's legacy - the academy - sold and the training ground bought up by Bolton or similar. But then you think to Coventry - 6 years ago they were in league 2, more recently they had no ground, but 2 promotions and 2 seasons being around the playoffs along with an FA Cup semi-final makes you realise, whilst it can and will likely get even worse, there will be enjoyable times afterwards. We will come back, I just wish there was a glimmer of an end point. Maybe September when there are no players of value left to be sold and the Indian courts do us a favour? Anyway, back to the manager. He's not for me, then again aside from Szmodics, the entire board, first team, management and owners can f off and let us start again.

Simple - He went over to India... Kean did it and Gary Bowyer did it - they usually come back with money to spend.

If the EFL had any balls they'd say no problem, no premier league teams in the EFL cup and by the way you can stop entering your U21 sides in the EFL Trophy. Hopefully common sense prevails and they'll do a u-turn.

How many of that squad would be playing week in week out for Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds, Southampton, West Brom or Norwich? I'd say Szmodics, Tronstad and Carter are good enough for top 6 over a season. That's 8 new players needed if we're to have a chance of getting out of this league (the right way). 4 good loans and 4 decent signings would be on the table at a normal club given the money brought in but no chance here.

I don't care about Venkys, they don't care about me, all I care about is BRFC.

It's not simple though - it just lets them off the hook. The Venkys and Waggot Out chants stop and the pressure goes. We plod along, unravelling as a club until they decide to leave. Right now, to progress it does feel like a group needs to take a lead - either an existing one or through a new one springing up. To do so requires effort and commitment and despite the unrest I don't think there is a willing by anyone to do so. I suspect as the season goes on this will change - relegation and a summer of selling more players will probably tip more people over and it will ramp up. This isn't having a pop at anyone - hats off to those trying to do things. I wrote something up intended for a poster to be handed out ahead of the Newcastle game but it didn't go anywhere. Maybe it can be adapted to use somewhere down the line. Something like the march Morecambe fans did ahead of their recent home game would be positive but without a lead organising it won't get off the ground.

It's becoming more and more apparent that no one at the club gives a shit. On the performance, we've gone from having 7 players in front of the defence when we have the ball with JDTs tactics of one full back going into midfield, to just 5 given our wing backs rarely show for the ball in the opposition half. Lack of options meant more playing it around the CBs and more and more long balls as frustration at lack of options grew. The players may not be playing well but that set up is down to the manager. We've gone from the defence having Adam Wharton, Tronstad and JRC to pick out to John Buckley and Jake Garrett. I like Buckley and think there's a place for him in that side but comparing the 2 options is night and day. He needs to ditch the 3 CBs, set up the same as Newcastle second half and go back to 4-2-3-1. A comprehensive win at the weekend might just give them some belief.

The team look like they're playing with their wings clipped. JDT showed that without a proper striker they needed to be attacking-minded to get goals. 3 at the back at home to Millwall FFS. Too many passes around the defence because there are no outlets further forward. I expect we'd have lost more games in the last 7 with JDT in charge but we'd also certainly have more than 5 points. Uninspiring manager befitting of those above him. Going down sleep walking into the relegation spots.

The king is dead. Long live the king! Thought despite a few good individual performances we didn't look that great as a team - a lot of loose passes and space for Stoke to play but understandable given the change in coaching and tactics. Shout outs for Brittain's first half performance, the new CB, Chrisene and Dolan. The obvious biggest changes were binning off the short goal kicks and a willingness to cross the ball but I though as a team we looked so much bigger. In the end, a great result. Something to build on and I'm a lot more confident there are at least 3 teams that will finish below us come May.

Looked to be 2.