This is becoming all too frequent it's like raid our academy now before they even become first teams, probably because we've been more proactive in getting lads tied down recently.

They've been jumping the queue it seems but like you say must be freebies as even released players don't become available until end of June when most contract run out.

If you can call 500k fees a war chest 😄 I'll take a punt and say any tiny budget will be swallowed up in wages for experienced over aged players who are mates of Eustace and Waggot.

Lets talk about transfers, even if they are all looking like being outgoing. Surely someone must've heard something although i think it's quite telling we haven't been invaded by the usual suspects who only pop up this time of year. Could be the quietest summer in many years.

The 30% pathway created on purpose as told to us by the Egg. Just think how much that saves on the wage bill.

The Barnsley model isn't....

Not if the club was run and managed correctly and as for Preston they tend to out perform us regularly with mostly less running costs. The Academy doesn't run itself for free it's a 3 mill commitment from the club/owners and recently we've entered an era where it has to be made to justify itself. So whilst i'm a fan of our academy it is a double edged sword and isn't as simplistic as giving us an advantage over others who put all available money into their first team. The money from Wharton runs the whole club for a year, sadly it isn't set aside just to run the academy for years.

It's managed decline they all know the risks but don't seem to care and if there is no real investment this summer it seals our fate and shows exactly what their agenda is.

Nope there was plenty at the time in Giles case and Hirst the issue with that was Broughton bringing in a lad who was never going to fit JDTs system anyway.

We are as likely as anything to be now undergoing step 2 of the new recent downgrade and looking to make backroom cost cutting wherever possible. Managed decline after another 20% shaved off the budget making it c40% in 12 months. Waggot has finally got the ownership sold on the Barnsley model and we will follow their path sooner rather than later.

Imo it started in the Bowyer era when after the insane king rat period everyone was just so thankful for a bit of stability and a nice honest guy in the dugout. So 'just do enough' became enough for the remaining hardcore and nothing epitomised that more than GB and his stint. Younger newer fans growing up with that it becomes the norm to them as does the constant background nonsense off the pitch. All justified by 'but we could be Bury or Bolton' so just get behind the lads and owners FFS ! Sadly they haven't a clue what normal really is for this club.

The official figure over the season was a few dozen under 13k home fans average and an average of c2200 visiting fans. I've always suggested Waggot is happy with 4k home walk ons over a season because that brings more income than an extra 4k ST holders and no walk ons. Hence another reason he'll never do big discounts on STs.

It's hard to explain to younger fans what a proper club we were before these lot turned up and i'm not talking about the Jack years and 95 etc. I'm on about the Souness, Hughes, Big Sam time where everyone working at Rovers and every penny was all directed into the first team squad and the aim was punch ABOVE your weight. Literally everything since Dec 2010 has not been normal yet the myth is peddled 'oh lots of clubs are run like this' Bollocks, only similar clubs are with similar crackpot owners.

He came with the recommendations he knew the lower leagues in the search for bargains to polish. There ain't been any so just the same as GB he failed on that score.

We'll respect the Jack Walker legacy. We'll return the club to what it was pre Jack would have been a more honest promise !

Leonard isn't going to make it at this level let alone in a struggling side but he'll always be a handy cheap squad man chipping in with the odd goal here and there. We need SIGN a good striker, preferably two, non of this make do with what we have fantasy stuff no matter who in the squad is paired up once Szmods is gone.

I'd say booing off at half time 0-0 is the real issue for concern with some of our lot.

Personally i enjoyed the stick given out to Trippier in the Newcastle game and it put him right off his game as well which added to the entertainment. Ewood often isn't very intimidating these days so every little helps although i certainly wouldn't sniff at signing a player like him but any tinpot dingles that have flopped elsewhere no thanks.

Seems like he was a punt on a rated young player who's Nigerian i suppose a bit like clubs trying to nab Ash Phillips before he signed a contract here. So not really a similar scenario but agree i'm sure Szmods would love it but i just can't see them looking at him at anywhere near 15 mill it's just agent tittle tattle imo put out there to start the ball rolling.

Defender, cost how much ?

Turkish Super League winners looking at English 2 nd tier forward ? Hmmm...

Agents trying to get the ball rolling i doubt if Gala have even heard of him unless Tugay is trying to make a few quid.

An undisclosed fee of around 10 mill plus a few add ons i reckon.

I was on about Nixon but yeah can apply similar comparisons to Gally.

There was a rumour recently that Benson was gone ?