I would say spending sums of 5m and 6m on single signings is a sign of ambition, how they panned out is another matter. So is keeping the vast majority of your best players - Dack in particular when he was wanted - again how that turns out next summer could be another matter. This isn't a case of being an apologist for TM, but I don't believe he has purposely sought to build a squad to sit in mid table or to get relegated again. He changed our style in the hope of winning more games, yes it didn't work. But he didn't do it on the wanting to finish 15th. Failure to do better in the league, particularly last season, is rightly damned. But where did the expectation for that come from? - the early results running riot, the signings which people were excited about. TM was part of that.

For those saying there's been no ambition, didn't the management say last close season we needed to have a proper push at the play offs in the season gone? Yes it turned sour after January, but let's try and have some balance.

Oh, it's been mentioned. We can get upset about that in 9 months time or so. The Chilean sensation, Arma, Lenihan, Nyambe, Rothwell and there may well be others. Maybe £20-£35m worth of players, depending on your valuations. Southampton at the bottom end of course.

Those saying we should have agreed free transfers months back seem to forget our owners seem not to agree the coming seasons budget until the end of the previous season. As much as we have saved x thousands per week on those who left, who's to say the budget hasn't been slashed? Venkys would probably welcome the opportunity to 'only' have to cover a 15m deficit and not 20m. Yes that will grow if we get relegated, but perhaps they're hoping that won't happen. I think the biggest issue, as a business model, we've had over the last few seasons is an inability to sell players. Off the top of my head I can't recall the last significant transfer fee received, that isn't sustainable for us. It was annoying, but understandable and worked, when every year we had to sell a Warnock, Bentley, Santa Cruz, Bellamy etc. Buy low, sell high, reinvest. I love him being at the club, but Dack should have been sold after the first season back in this division, when we maybe could have got £8m.

I emailed the Rovers Store manager and she said she measured the new tops against some from last year and there's not much difference. As others have said, it looks like at least one if not two sizes up.

Samba and Nelsen cost 6 figures and were brilliant even without their low fees. The point is though, you generally get what you pay for. 650k isn't much in football these days - I'd love Pickering to turn out to be a Samba type signing but that probably won't happen. Expectations of him should actually be fairly grounded in the context of his fee.

I watched Pickering at Bradford and have to say I wasn't particularly impressed, but it doesn't mean I've written him off yet. There also needs to be some context as to what people expect from him - he's stepping up a league so in theory against better players than he's used to and more so, what are we expecting from a 650k player? And with all due respect to our club, if Pickering really was that great a prospect, surely a club more likely to get promoted would have signed him.

If you don't mind me asking, would you normally have got an XL or a L? It wasn't clear on the website at launch that sizing was different, can see them getting a few return requests

Anyone going to the shop and can comment in sizing? Going on the chart on the site it looks like it'll need a size or 2 up

If you read the LET article it explains most severance conditions on contracts includes paying July's wage if the player isn't signed up. Apparently on a high wage at Wednesday so taking that salary for this month.

Re the £15m Watford reported offer, I interpreted that as £15m inclusive of the value of Gray, who quite frankly would smash our wage structure. If it was £15m cash up front, I'd say take it and leave Gray out of it.

Out of curiosity, for those who feel Rothwell hasn't/doesn't hit the heights he sometimes suggests he should due to Mowbray, does that mean Mowbray is massively responsible for Arma hitting 29 goals last season? Or Elliott getting near 20 goal involvements?

I'm not part of the forum, but I find this unfair to those who are. As your feelings on it are clear, why not get involved in the forum?

I'm not saying he would, although in balance he did change us from the more direct style reliant on Graham to what we have now.

The pen was a complete mess at the back, not what you'd expect of 2 senior pros. Patterns of play same as last season, across the back, trying to get full backs up, but not working today. Butterworth is struggling to get involved and when he has it's not come off. Only relative positive is Chapman willing to take on his man and having some joy.

The blue is darker in person than the promo material

Behave. Nyambe, lenihan, Ayala, kaminski....

From the macron site. May want to size up!

It'd be surprising. From a marketing perspective, get the initial wave of sales done with for this, then release the away kit and another batch of sales. Avoid punters having to choose between the 2 and maybe not returning for another sale.

Living near Bradford, can't help but feel my local team are trying to appeal to my fondness for Rovers' kit identity

One is a game against a league 1 side. The other is against a Prem team. Dont get me wrong, yes they are taking advantage of it being the first game at Ewood and the likelihood Leeds will bring a significant crowd. But it's understandable to charge relative to the opposition.

Did the Fan Forum take place last week and if so, when should the minutes be published?