Like the recent John Ruddy suggestions, makes no sense. Particularly when you see Lewis Baker's recent history (last season) with a bad knee injury. Although maybe that makes it as much of a Rovers signing as any other?!

Exactly - it is what 'normal' clubs do: "You want to buy one of our first team players? OK, here's a price over their value. Pay it or leave." Some other clubs just flog the family jewels at the first sniff of an offer.

See David Raya deal. Money for the bills.

And Pliers?

Something about adding to the English quota of the squad to abide by rules, without actually affecting the first team.

Depressing. Also, Sam Gallagher the "hit man"?!?! Hahaha. Only if he has a side line in contract killings. Even then I'd expect he turns down most deals due to injury and, when fit, he just runs around a bit then shoots wide.

It's making my head spin!! I can imagine this ending in no signing but the club shop making a killing with a new 'Where's Yuki?" book. Each page being set in a different country/city/airport and including an extra special challenge of finding a laughing Duncan McGuire peeping out from behind a randomly-placed and camouflaged 'submit' button. Bonus points for spotting Suhail in the shadows.

I think we have seen different interviews! Whatever someone's sensitivity to criticism, gesturing negatively at your own team's fans isn't helpful or ok. Especially when your performances have been gash. Like in non-football life, though, I should never close my mind to changing my view of someone so here's to Hyam playing well, signing a new deal, and keeping his gob shut towards fans while opening it more on the pitch, as a leader in what is highly likely to be a difficult season.

Yeah, I would be fine with him being sold - if there were a buyer. Having been close up to see his 'performance' at Bristol and his patronising gestures to fans, combined with what comes across to me as a lack of intelligence and energy, led to me actually disliking him as a Rovers player, which is quite rare. The big issue, of course, wouldn't be Hyam leaving but who (if anyone) would replace him.

Random question: When a player flies to complete a transfer (like our incoming/potentially incoming/possibly incoming new signing), who pays for the flights?

Oh dear.

Not sure the people around me would agree if I ditched the anti-psychotics and just carried a joke book round with me 😆😬

It did. And it would be great to achieve. But the last 14 years have shown that the bastards we've been cursed with as owners are a completely different kettle of cockroaches. I honestly don't believe Rovers fans can force them out. The Raos are entwined with the club like ivy snaking round a tree trunk and clearly have reasons for tolerating huge financial losses while showing no interest at all in either investing in the team or the stadium, nor in selling up. There must be shady reasons for this and I suspect it will take a court decision, legal action and/or administration to pry their dirty claws off the remaining carcass of Blackburn Rovers. Sadly, tennis balls aren't going to do any more good than the snow equivalents, in our miserable case.

I felt the same things last season. That's why I've taken my decision not to commit the large amount of time and money involved in getting to Blackburn only to see my club's beautiful stadium rotting and my fellow supporters broken and apathetic. It's over for me until Venkys leave. I'm only logging in here these days to check for signs of that finally coming. There is no effort or interest from our owners in investing in my club so I'm not helping them out with my cash.

Aye!

You clearly haven't been following the ABBEY and Chaddy storyline... 😉

There is an element in this article of some people seeming to be belatedly waking up to what many could already see. But it is still a confusing/confused read, seeming to flit between calling out the unfolding calamity of this transfer window, and maintaining that the first 11 is strong, which is patently not true in several areas. There seems to be an underlying attitude in the writing that survival in the Championship should be all that is being aimed for, and is possibly achievable. This just isn't good enough and look what that unambitious attitude (from our CEO) led us into last season. Ultimately, I find it really difficult to put much stock in an article that is poorly written to the extent of clearly miswording key aspects around the non-first team signings so far, etc. A step in the right direction from the local media but still leaves a lot to be desired in terms of clarity, accuracy and consistency of opinion and coverage.

Paul, I really do understand your view and I'm not criticising it as it is clearly based on fairness and empathy. Allow me to explain why my view is very different. It is based partly on my experience as an Exeter City supporter (alongside Rovers) back when I lived there. That club was owned by crooks, it simply happens, sometimes. The crooks in that case quickly ran the whole club into the ground. Staff began to be 'let go' by the crooks, including a friend of mine who ended up having to (successfully) take the club he loved to a tribunal after he uncovered some financial irregularities, reported them to one of the 'Chairmen' and was promptly sacked. The crooks increasingly failed to pay local suppliers, whilst flying celeb 'friends' to the club for day trips. They eventually invited the attentions of HMRC for non-payment of tax. Debt increased and club staff were made redundant. Although the club did not go into administration, it was bought from a position of unsustainability by a newly formed supporter's trust, a CVA was agreed with suppliers to cover part of their debts owed, and the club started again after relegation from the football league. This restart included some of the same employees who had left returning as volunteers and fan representatives, fan work parties formed to maintain the stadium, subs into the trust began funding a player's wages per year. All immediately establishing a new kind of bond between players, staff and fans. The club was united, not least for having come through 'the worst'. I would be delighted to see something similar, although hopefully not SUCH a monumental fall (National League), at Rovers as what Exeter City did to rebuild as a community club that has a hell of a lot more collective positivity and spirit about it than Blackburn Rovers does, as of 2024. This ownership of Rovers has broken this club. It is broken. It will only be fixed when something significant is made to happen. Staff who are here now will leave by their own volition, or gradually they will be forced to leave due to the ownership and finance position. These things are very likely and have happened at other clubs. Wishing to avoid some people losing their jobs through something monumental forcing a change in the club's ownership is unlikely to be anything more than delaying inevitable redundancies and the further slow death of everything that has been built up over many years as revenues continue to drop. It has happened elsewhere and it will happen here. Something needs to change, even if it brings some pain with it. Most important changes in life do.

Which suggests they expect to lose the case, or that it is just a convenient excuse?

Was going to click 'like' for the insight, but I'd rather there were a 'cry' option, please!

There are SO many names that serve as reminders of just how horrific this last 14 years have been for Rovers and supporters. I dream of the day Venkys sell up/give us away. The longer it takes, the more of a shell we will be left as.

I totally agree and feel your pain. I've done several drives from Somerset to Blackburn over recent seasons. Each time felt like I'm somewhere that is special to me in Ewood Park, each time spent money in the concourse and club shop. Each time noted the deteriorating stadium, lack of matchday experience, atmosphere, fight and hope in the stands and on the pitch, all whilst the club administration is repeatedly rinsed of quality and class and the team now no longer being funded beyond the minimum. I won't spend any more of my money, time or emotional energy on making that journey whilst this lot of charlatans own us and let us wither on the vine as an institution and club. I just can't contribute to this farce anymore. I'll sit and wait and hope they clear off. Until then, I'm not putting myself through it any more than watching on TV and attending some away games. They aren't stealing my money.

Don't worry about it. I think any credence of the down vote can be assessed based on who it came from. Eddie is clearly right on this, based on the nature of football, footballers, our owners and financial situation, and the evidence of recent similar examples. Conversely it is only ridiculously blue and white tinted glasses that would suggest anything other. I say we should give the lad some game time and enjoy watching him in the brief period of time before he inevitably leaves.

Very well said and that resonates for me. It makes me sad and angry to see the literal and metaphorical running down of everything that Jack Walker built up, and that defined many of the best moments, and dreams, of my childhood.

Perhaps. But an upgrade on Pickering is years overdue.