A midfield powerhouse now that's something that sounds good when was the last time we had one of those ?

It's certainly a better spirit in it and base to build on but it does need building on. But yes compared to last time Steele - crap. Brown - finished. Greer - finished. Ward - poor. Lenihen & Nyambe - raw kids. Those two older and bit more experienced now and Mulgrew and even Downing are an improvement on the rest. Raya was Steeles equal the min he put the gloves on. So there is a better base there but it needs some help.

Chaddy always dominates the transfer window they might as well fling him a 3 year deal ?

Spot on. Who's going to run the clubs here in England and what credentials do they have and also who is going to liase and what is their back ground should all be part of the vetting process with more importantly guarantees put in place to make sure these things are remained on after takeover. Not good enough just say agent/agency XYZ will work for us advising on those things.

That's taken the heat straight off Conway ? Lowe OUT (Before he's in)

I don't think they'll sell even if we return to the Prem because their 200 million on paper or whatever investment will then be bearing fruit and being used for what it was partly bought for. Money might even then get piped back from the club in the Firms direction to fund something else i'e the old Venkys Xpress setting up in England or Europe. This lot are after world domination of the chicken product market don't forget. I'm also sure the SBOI would certainly welcome a few years of Prem football reducing their 'stake' ?

Yes true and I think they were probably sold a scenario by their partners where they could recoup their initial stake money quickly then it would more or less run itself. Irony is run the way it was by the people running it that was achievable in the medium term but it's the way they stood by and let in go to pot for years which really intrigues me. They knew nowt about football but they could clearly see millions disappearing but did nothing just nothing. Why oh why ?

It would have taken between 5-10 mill per season to keep us as we were in the Prem anyway to underpin wages and stuff and that's something they'll plainly have seen on the books when they took over and something they must have been prepared for, in words at least although god knows what plans were hatched behind the scenes. Add in I think it was Nick Harris who claimed documents had been seen for a family bank acc containing a cash pile of over 400 million as part of the proof of funds required by the takeover process. No one is telling me they have poured 250 mill of that into a black hole just to support their baby, i'm sorry but #### off just no way as I've said before those kind of losses would've brought them to their knees. Not happening it's all paper accounting, number crunching. I'd say they are probably about 40+ million out of pocket more than they might have been prepared for or more the Parent company was comfortable running into the club as part of the process they acquired it for. Eye watering enough in itself of course but no way the horror story that gets put about although the real horror will lie in where most of that has gone ? Unless of course there was something completely different at play from day one but we'll never know. Hopefully things keep going now as they started last summer then in a few years we might see some sense in things at last.

A lot of us find it weird that newbies pitch up every summer then go on a positive spin crusade over virtually everything and go to lengths to single out posters who might have a strong opposite opinion. Then as if by magic they disappear again at the first sign of trouble when the season begins, now that is really weird. Everyone has an opinion and when people are buying season tickets for hundreds of pounds then YES it is their money because they are discussing the very thing they've spent it on, it's called being entitled to. Goodnight !

We'll discuss this again in about November !

Hope so but it seems the bog standard championship wage these days.

Fair point i'm not sure he'd keep Conway on a fair whack at the expense of new blood. For me Mowbrays biggest strength as manager at Rovers hasn't been his style of play or tactics but just his overall experience of management, something we've never had under Venkys so we'll have to trust him on this one. Mind you i'll be moaning like fook if he's starting Conway every game next season you just watch ?

It's a tricky one though pal, if he'll stay for a modest wage it's a no brainer he strikes me as a true pro and one of the leaders in the dressing room but if, as might be likely, they are throwing a 10k plus per week championship wage at him it puts another slant on it. That could mean we can't contribute to a Sam Gallagher type loan wages or even a Chapman so you can see why people want to let him go. I'm a fan of him but echo others in he does struggle now and I don't like setting out the start of every game with a knackered defensive winger on one side and an out of position striker on the other. This league is unforgiving and we'll get quickly found out with that but if he has guys on decent money he has to justify it I think it's been said a few times the owners question why big earners are sat on the bench.

Easy money though I suppose and like the lad to Everton last season if they can sell one a year for deals maybe potentially totalling a million then that is a fair chunk of running costs towards the Academy. Someone will have sold them this idea on the back of keeping it a Cat 1 status no doubt.

Mowbray seems to have his finger on the pulse in regards to wages and what players are worth to the club so hopefully sense prevails with the likes of Conway and when it comes to judging if he tries to keep any of the loans. Retaining good lads is great but you also need to constantly freshen things up with others equally as good and keen to prove a point if you can't afford better.

Surely a lot of the BOI debt has been repayed as an ongoing thing otherwise they wouldn't keep lending, regardless of what it's secured on any Bank loan is a two way street.

You can shove Joe Garner where the sun don't shine. Apart from that a very decent list.

Add to that him and several other high profile Ruski billionaires pitching up off the coast of Scotland on their 'vacation' one year not long ago and mooching around Scottish villages and outposts, what's all that about ? He's a Putin spy if ever there was one ?

That's the way it needs to go with him he just isn't a finisher but if he can develop himself into a hardworking target man type he can play a part and probably pinch a few goals. He still young enough to develop into something a bit different he just needs the right attitude and coaching. Good on him if he's buying into it.

I hope they've paid for his holiday he's the first person since they've been here to actually deliver what they asked for and what he promised ! Apart from Bowyer who grew them 20 million worth of players to sell but didn't get promotion as well so got rewarded with the boot.

Posted just after people were retweeting a Mowbray interview where he mentioned speaking to several Prem clubs recruitment depts. about possible loans ? Nicko the Fake.

If this isn't Gordon I don't know what is .... ?

I can't see any Archibald or Ardiles type signings but a Howard Gayle and Colin Hendry might be nice ? A few late charges for the play offs would certainly keep it interesting.

Nixon has basically lifted those desired playing area signings straight off here.

Don't forget the pay rises, bonuses and promised new contracts which will swallow a lot of the increase up straight away before any newbies.