What does it achieve to repeatedly demand more bums on seats? Ultimately the responsibility to maximise ticket sales falls internally, to entice floating and lapsed fans, not on those people themselves who can clearly give or take attending. And ultimately, what does it do to have any opinions on anything at all? It wont change anything so should we cease any further discussion? If we loaned a short term Markanday replacement AND signed another attacker and a central midfielder then I would be incredibly pleasantly surprised. But not the impression given.

Not really sure who we could get that fits the "cheap kid on loan" who would likely be available and have any impact. Cameron Archer has been strongly linked with Preston, saw him v Barrow when he got a hat trick earlier in the season and also a few other cameos, quick and seemingly knows where the goal is. Ellis Simms at Everton, impressed me from what I saw at Blackpool last year albeit in League 1. Kaide Gordon played in the cup for Liverpool last week and from a slightly wider role cutting in, missed a sitter though, would Liverpool be more reluctant anyway after Clarkson? Liam Delap is often mentioned, is he fit again yet? Dane Scarlett at Spurs, ahead of Markanday? None of the choices are exciting, all big gambles. All in all, its very underwhelming and would show how little Venkys care.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19868960.blackburn-rovers-drawing-loan-targets-dilan-markanday-injury/ Any attacking signing will be a kid on loan for financial reasons. Venkys as expected showing zero ambition.

I dont really agree with this regularly repeated implication that Brereton stands out with the work rate he puts in compared to anyone else. Im not saying that he doesnt work hard enough by the way but he isnt a pressing machine in my opinion. Joao is probably getting to the stage whereby you do at times question his application and he is quite streaky although I think if you put him in our team that he would give us a new dimension and another goal threat beside Brereton. As you say, all hypothetical though as he would cost well in excess of what Venkys would pay out.

Do we press that much from the front?

I think merely being "better than Bell" is a bit insulting to Pickering to be honest!

We need a striker, we dont play wingers really and we need another goal source that can fit within the framework of our formation and counter attacking style. Dack is the attacking midfielder to come in and we have Buckley too.

The main thing it needs is a club run strongly from the top with a clear vision and consistency throughout. Thats what is lacking at Ewood. Mowbray does his best and has found gems but its not a consistent process. See this summer when he was bemoaning an inability to replace Armstrong with the next "diamond to polish."

Its equally foolish to think that its really easy to do, hence why Armstrong is the only current big sale. As @Mattyblue mentioned it tends to be the attacking players that go for big money, we have 3 defenders/midfielders currently out performing each of those names that have 6 months left yet still dont seem to be getting bid upon. Its also not as easy as you make out otherwise Brereton wouldnt currently be worth so much, and his situation is somewhat unique, Gallagher is much older for a start but expecting de ja vu would be very naive. At least half of those names you mention wont go for big money, thats not a slight on the individuals or the club either. Of course Brereton wont be the last ever sale, but because the process isnt continious with us, we didnt replace Armstrong therefore there isnt really a next in line for imminent major sales in my opinion. With Brentford for example, as soon as one was sold, a replacement was instant.

Of course not. Maybe in my opinion they should be slight favourites based on what I expect.

Our unbeaten run wasn't solely down to our defensive record either, as much as that was obviously critical. Brereton scored the goal to put us in front v Sheff Utd, he got us an equaliser at Bristol City, the only goal in an otherwise drab game v Preston to win that and the winner v Barnsley too. He also got 2 in both of the thrashings during that run and forced the opener away at Bournemouth. Our attack is massively depleted without him and merely having a solid defence isn't enough to win games. A solid defence is key to any successful team but there will also be games in which you are struggling to break down an opponent, and a clean sheet is impossible every single time. Without Brereton, it is hard to see many goals in our main 11, and then if we need an impact from the bench, there won't be much to go off. I don't think you have to watch Boro every time they play to appreciate the objective fact that they are in the best form in the whole league over the last 6 games, including 4 wins on the bounce. We know that our form has shown symptoms of slowing in the last 3 games, we have looked toothless aside from a moment of magic from Rothwell at Cardiff.

I don't think that Carroll would be a good addition, we often play on the counter attack therefore it would be difficult/impossible to ever start him. I doubt he would come to sit on our bench just on the off chance that we want a battering ram on for the last 15 minutes. We should get a striker that could slip into the starting 11 just as easily.

Lenihan AND Van Hecke (mainly the former though) have BOTH been key players though, without Lenihan, we would need someone else external, can you get someone as good as the captain to come in immediately? Nyambe and Rothwell have also been key, both (especially the latter in a new deeper position, you could also add Lenihan to this) have been far better this season than ever before and it seems a culmination of the progression over a number of years, so they simply wouldn't have been viewed externally as well in the summer as they will be now, having all played key roles in a side fighting for promotion displaying form never seen before.

All hypothetical, but had all of those players been sold, then we almost certainly wouldn't have been anything close to where we are in the table at the moment, with a genuine chance of a promotion.

Why is the only alternative to frugality a reckless spending spree?! It is a commonly repeated, strawman argument. No one has asked for wild, multi million pound spending! Why has there been no interest in him, according to the manager? He will surely be available right now at a cheaper value.

I know that it is cyclical, I mentioned as such. But with the current situation, I would be amazed if the addition of the 2022 year wouldn't IMPROVE the current cycle compared to the year that it knocks off, what with the factors that I mentioned, notably the considerable Armstrong sale. That is without considering the notable wage decrease expected. Therefore, that improvement gives a bit of flexibility for a bit of reinvestment. Out of interest, do you think that what you have perceived to be the current plan of actions shows genuine signs of bearing fruit? I personally think that the inflexibility to get key assets signed and the lack of consistency regarding its application means that it is not going to be successful any time soon.

Thats a totally hypothetical scenario. I don't think for one moment that a Premier League team would have Rothwell for 10m, I mean they could probably get him for much less right now yet no one seems keen to. But ultimately, being perhaps over stringent and not allowing the flexibility to tie him down ultimately throws to one side any potential income from a sale which is obviously the natural end to the "polishing" of an asset. So it becomes a case of if my aunty had bollocks she would be my aunty. I don't think that Kaminski and Wharton are at this moment in this market multi million pound players, especially the former due to his contract.

It's not about "ignoring the rules," and that is the part that those so keen to defend the owners don't seem to understand, the 2 choices are not stringent spending v wild, unplanned spending. I don't think that anyone has suggested wreckless spending that would see us go miles over FFP regulations, why would they. The thing is, the June 2021 year seemingly was particularly problematic, hence the training ground sale to get around the FFP rules. Even if it is cyclical, the June 2022 accounting year will surely be considerably healthier compared to the last few years. The wage bill will be much lower, the Armstrong sale will be in this year too, and we will have a full year of ticket sales for the first time in 3 years.

Im not having personally that we are still right on the brink of FFP regulations.

Does Balaji's son support/attend Rovers games? Which reminds me, Venkys promised to attend a game this season. I wonder if they will follow through on that promise.

It won't work unless its a continuous process, and Venkys have never shown signs that they have the willingness or competence to make it a continuous process.

Doesn't sound good at all. Acceptance that we may not strengthen, implications of very little money being available and that we are struggling to get deals done, and a reluctant mention of the loan market. I can't say that I expected Venkys to give it a go in such as strong opportunity, and if we bring in nobody there is a big danger of us getting into a rut as and when injuries really tighten their grip.

The squad as it will do at times without reinforcement is starting to creak, and we already have seen the dependence on the first 11. We need Venkys to get their cheque book out because we don't have enough quality. With Brereton also out of Luton, we could do with at least one attacker before then. No excuses now. It is not that straightforward, as it isn't a 2 horse race for second spot, it is far too simplistic to talk about chalking off our losses. QPR won who are really in form and could leap frog us if they win their game in hand, a big if I know. West Brom also won who will also fancy their chances for 2nd, and Huddersfield further established themselves as a top 6 contender. Forest and Sheffield United are also threats for the play offs and both won. Plus obviously Fulham have pushed further away even in the absence of Mitrovic. Conversely, Stoke and Coventry lost too. Ultimately there are probably 4 or 5 teams with a genuine chance of 2nd, and quite a few with a chance of the top 6. Until as and when a genuine 2 horse race materialises, it is just about us, every time we win, we will almost certainly gain on at least a couple of teams, every time we drop points, teams will make ground/push ahead of us. Win tomorrow and we have pushed ahead of Bournemouth, and added to the distance between Boro, Stoke and Coventry. Don't win and the likes of QPR, West Brom, Huddersfield and further back Forest and Sheffield United again will have made ground on us, plus potentially Boro if they beat us.

This talk about playing the EFL "at their own game" seems misguided. There are now specific rules in place, perhaps people can take issue with those rules, 14 available including 1 keeper. We presumably have more than that so we can't do anything, end of. The EFL isn't against Rovers either, you can question its competence and whether its rules etc are fit for purpose but they aren't against us.

Close to Brockhall as in someone that works for Rovers or just nearby?