philipl

Rovers had over 30 shots and scored 0. Crewe had 1 shot and scored once.

According to LT, Nyambe is no worry for Rovers contract renewal. Don't snipe I am just saying what I have read!

The non-Venky debt is smaller than it was then paradoxically. I will remind you, their tenure 2010-2018 was horrific and the worst time I have experienced supporting Rovers. However, if you do a simple mind exercise of saying we have owners X instead of Venky's from the day of the appointment of Mowbray, then owners X could have hardly done any better than they have done. Now if Mowbray and Waggott have squandered some of the huge advantages this have given them, the argument is with the management and not with the ownership.

The Messageboard was up in arms when the club announced two years ago that it was going to build steadily in the Championship and would not expect to be challenging for promotion until 20/21. For good or for ill very few football clubs think in those sorts of multi season plans. Equally, they might not be any good but Mowbray and Waggott are seasoned football professionals. They were recruited as such, given their parameters and told to do the job without interference. Again, for good or for ill the Rovers ownership has honoured its commitment and left the professional management it recruited to do the jobs they were recruited for. Very few clubs don't have interfering owners who also write the cheques when they are needed.

No head room under FFP

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TIk3N7K0MDAyYPQSKChKzc1MLVLISU1ML01VMAIAmLkJog&q=premier+league+2&oq=premier+league+2&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46j0l6.10385j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#sie=lg;/g/11hnxc2_hq;2;/g/11d_729802;st;fp;1;;

Do you want owners who interfere in every detail or do you want them to select professionals, agree a long term strategic direction, inject money right to the limit allowed under FFP and let them get on with it?

You have to look at the world as it is. 2010-2018 they were beyond horrendous. 2018-date, if you were to write a manual for what the perfect owners should do at a L1/Championship club, you would be hard pressed not to conclude the Raos are doing anything other than being model owners. Now in no way forgives or forgets the past. But now is now and we are very fortunate to have the reality that Rovers' biggest financial worry is we are banging our heads against FFP limits very hard indeed.

We were state of the art in Sam's days and Sparky before him but the tantric one and Keane destroyed everything pronto. So we were late adopting the technology and employing the personnel but now I believe we are very much state-of-the-art

I think we can be certain Aliseema isn't happening before a week tomorrow at the earliest. At least he should be arriving with match practise with the three competitive Norway games Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday.

Can’t believe how hard some posters are working to find negativity.... We’ve had a good start, signed some good players, are playing our young lads, winning and entertaining. Yet you have some hammering this thread with tedious chat about Chris Houghton being better than Mowbray, every good player signed either fell into our lap or wasn’t actually signed by the manager but every signing with a question mark is hung around the managers neck. Fuck me lads. I don’t think we’ve had an opportunity to be positive like this since those lot took over and sacked big Sam. Can we not just enjoy it for while? ???? I will fully take on board what arbitro has said about refereeing games (I was always under the impression refs could not officiate at their local clubs) but I would say that for the more sensitive/insecure footballers, not having crowds in could well be helping them..

More than that

It will be immediate. This is going to be a huge challenge to measure where we are now. Another 0-0 coming up..

I think his crossing ability will seal Gallagher starting in place of Dolan v Forest

Scanning the LT, my take is that we have secured the Greek youngster provided the medical and paperwork haven't thrown up problems. Yes Mols has gone to the third level in Spain but CF Intercity are a two year old club with money behind them who are flying through the leagues with annual promotions Aleesami sounds highly probable. Mulgrew to Fleetwood is still a big ? No current sign of bids coming in for any other Rovers players

Spotted 4 names there who have come through spectacularly.

And to think England's World Cup winning team played there...

I am getting rather worried about our Boy Wonder. I know I am ahead of you timewise but I was hoping for an announcement early this morning..

Thinking about it, FFP could be what lies behind the otherwise difficult to justify season ticket offer.

I am 100% serious. We are desperately close to the edge- in fact probably over it now- on FFP. It is a day to day hand to mouth issue. And it might force the sale of Williams if an offer comes in.

On the basis nobody is going into the ground, I'd save the pennies for a thorough spring clean just before fans are admitted again... whenever it is. Essential maintenance only for the time being. I wish I had confidence that this is what will happen....

Everton were supposed to be looking at Tosin and then went £20m + £5m on the ex-Shrewsbury lad from Norwich. I guess Ancelotti is as good a judge of a player as there is amongst current managers.

Totally agree with your observation about the lack of sales by Rovers. Indeed if you accept (and there is no evidence to contradict this) Mowbray and the Raos (pre-Covid) were/are building long term then Kaminski and 2017's boy wonder (assuming we get him) are together a dramatic advance in the goal keeping department over the Raya/Leuitweiler combination. However, Watkins is a level of fabulous beyond Arma with the best will in the world. There is a reason why Benarama is still at Brentford (found out in my view) and Watkins is tearing apart the Liverpool defence. Arma is not remotely in the Watkins class- hope he proves me wrong but...

It is very obvious you have never managed a business under severe cash flow problems. That £70k a week in saving will have been banked, probably triple banked! Even Friday this week feels like an aeon away. Most non Premier League clubs are in precisely this position. Waggott at least has the luxury of trying to manage down the size of the next Capital injection he asks for from Pune. But he is utterly hamstrung while the FFP rules remain in place unaltered. So the choice for Rovers right now could well be between letting the highest earners walk for free and a nine point deduction this season.

Next summer is an aeon away when you are living hand to mouth with next to zero income coming in. Which is where all football outside the Premier League is effectively until the next TV cheque arrives. Can players walk out and get a much better deal? Realistically, only at Premier League clubs and 50% of those are having to be very careful with the £££. Pre-Covid thinking about player contract mostly does not apply any longer. So nail down players who might interest Premier League clubs and be very polite, loving and cuddly towards the rest for the time being. But lose your Mont Blanc..