Sadly, it seems that Mowbray has his arms tied behind his back under an unnecessarily strict budget, he keeps saying that he would like more experience but that we can only afford loans whereby we are giving players experience, even loans of more experienced players or free agents seem beyond our financial grasp, and we do need the quantity as well as the quality. Venkys make no sense, I totally appreciate that we make losses, that there is FFP and that the situation is made worse due to Covid, but we have brought in a big fee and have considerably cut the wage bill this summer, even if it was a couple of loans, 2 or 3 freebies to give us a bit of experience and 1 or 2 for fees who we can eventually sell, we would still be financially so much better off. I expect that Poveda will compete with Dolan centrally, or some equally bizarre nonsense.

Is it just me or is everyone else totally unenthused by the prospect of the market that we are working in? I have always tried to remain open minded about loans, I appreciate that it can and has in the past allowed us to get players that we otherwise couldn't afford, the priority should always be to improve the team. But we are solely trying to sign kids on loan simply to boost the numbers out of financial necessity, without a base of players with the required experience and ability to build upon. It is difficult not to look back to the summer under Coyle when we signed players like Jack Byrne, Martin Samuelsen, Stephen Hendrie and Sam Gallagher just to fill gaps, the first 3 were horrendous. If we for example signed Poveda and Clarkson alongside 3 or 4 permanent additions, even if they were mainly freebies, then that could give us a sprinkling of quality on top. As it is, its just making up the numbers. Comparing Poveda to Khadra, the former I find slightly more exciting as I have seen him play, he has had a fair few cameos in the Premier League and he has always looked like a bright spark. That being said, it is again a stab in the dark as he hasnt scored or assisted at senior level and I find the comments from Leeds fans who have watched him regularly to be worrying, some similar themes, no end product, lightweight and cocky with a poor attitude. He has yet to score or assist in senior football I think, so the regular questions about his end product seem valid to me until as and when that changes.

I think Dolan is well off at this moment in time, was a bit of a whirlwind when he broke through but faded in general he rarely impacts games and his decision making and end product is poor. I think based on recent performances, he should be behind even Chapman in the pecking order, although that implies that both are judged as wingers which is clearly not the case. Gallagher out wide has never made sense. Brereton definitely does, and it worked on occasion with Gallagher wide and Armstrong central, indeed whilst I never liked Gallagher out wide, you can understand why Armstrong was prioritised centrally. Now, we are sorely lacking in that area. We definitely need an upgrade on Gallagher though, he isnt really a goalscorer, his touch is poor, he doesnt bring others into play and the timing of his runs is poor. He is powerful once he gets into his stride and he isnt totally without his uses, but if we are dependant on him and Brereton to get our goals this season, it is going to be tough. Poveda has looked talented when I have seen him with cameos off the bench at Leeds. Questions would surround a potential lack of end product. We only have 4 loan spaces left though, and both are very similar. We need a left back, a centre back and a central midfielder who can break forward and score goals, as well as of course a striker. I personally think it would make sense for the owners to at least be flexible enough to bring in a striker for a small fee and maybe fill one or two of those aforementioned vacancies with free transfers, but it seems to be a kids on loan only policy. If it is true, then it is an incredibly restrictive policy. There is no reason why we can't invest even a small proportion of the Armstrong money to buy a replacement, but it would be typical Venkys if they didnt allow the logic of bringing in a replacement who can be then sold on for profit again at a later date.

The answer to our striking situation is not within the club, Brereton is not a central striker, he is suited coming in from the side and Gallagher should only be considered as a central striker but is not particularly good. We need a first choice striker. Armstrong's loss cannot be covered up with wingers, although we do need at least one winger to cover the loss of Elliott too.

I think he is full of pace and trickery with little at the end of it, always looks exciting when he comes on for Leeds. Him AND Khadra would be strange. I suspect that the money has vanished. Although why our manager has to abide by such a strict rule (no over 24s) is counter productive. I sense that we are going to be bullied quite a few times this season, we have such a young and soft team. Thats why I said the other day that Johnson who is far from his best may become more important than is ideal. A team of academy graduates and kids on loan is never going to provide balance. My guess is that we wont sign a striker permanently.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19530342.blackburn-rovers-expect-busy-transfer-market/ "I would hope, as I’ve said from the very start, that that we could at least fill our loan quota of five and bring people in to help this group.” Based on what he has said, I cannot see any permanent signings being made. This doesnt sound too promising either: "fees could be paid for the right target and fitting in with an expected recruitment policy of players under the age of 24." Poveda-Ocampo has impressed when I have seen him for Leeds, usually off the bench. Although I would find it strange if we used 2 of our remaining loans on wingers with Khadra too, so if there is any truth in that, maybe it is due to Khadra being injured? Doesn't fit the criteria set out by Waggott regarding the imminent signing as he is only at Leeds and he is not a number 10.

Would he start here when we already have a loan who plays the same position, plus Travis, Johnson, Rothwell, Davenport and Buckley, then potentially a new attacking central midfielder.

Of course, not a criticism of you and worth sharing for sure.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/blackpool-eye-transfer-approach-for-league-one-ace/ Seems like Blackpool want Dale from Crewe. Perhaps as seen many times before, 2 and 2 has made 5 based on social media activity. Was it that Schmidt last year or the year before in which an imminent loan deal was presumed because of twitter activity?

I don't think it is unreasonable to question the performances of a player who has started slowly at Rovers, no one has suggested a preference for a "washed up loan" instead and the line about Robertson/Shaw is a straw man argument really. We signed him for a decent fee and he came highly regarded, but on here all games will be judged and critiqued, and I can understand the worries without writing him off which most haven't. I personally think that both defensively and going forward, there have been small red flags. Defensively, he seemed a little hesitant a couple of times at Millwall, I felt that he allowed Zinkernagel inside too easily to get his shot (and goal) away midweek and he was ball watching for the second yesterday. Going forward I have been a little underwhelmed, he got the assist for Ayala's goal which took superb improvisation to stoop so low, against Swansea he repeatedly hit the first man I would qualify all of this by saying that the standard of left backs in recent years has been so low and I am sure that Pickering will settle in time but just that I don't think his opening 5 games have been particularly impressive. I watched the highlights of the League on Quest last night and I was reminded of the feeling of watching Bell amble about as the ball hit his teams net, one of which he could have potentially prevented had he been switched on, so that isnt a sight I miss.

Longstaff is a decent player but probably in the one position that we need the least. We have Travis, we have Johnson who although I would have released him, I actually think that his return is important to give us some leadership and experience, we have Clarkson who is not an attacking midfielder, we have Rothwell, Davenport and Buckley. We do need to add one which has to be someone to offer us a goal threat. Everywhere else, a new recruit could be argued for. We have no serious alternative to Kaminski if he gets injured. We only have Pickering at left back, and at right back, Nyambe is injury prone, as is Rankin Costello who also may play further forward. We need at least one centre back, we need a goalscoring midfielder, we need width and we definitely need a striker. I doubt we will get all of that but the last 3 are priorities. I bet we wont get one in.

Is that 3 getting enough goals do you think? Not sure they would get 5 between them.

Didnt have a clue where Phillips was for what turned out to be the winner. Unconvinced thus far I must say.

One player we are definitely better without is Elliott Bennett. Seems that he has not started well at Shrewsbury, 4 losses from 4 including a 3 nil home loss to Plymouth, Bennett looking all at sea for the third. Wonder if Luton fans have changed their opinion on Bell after a 5 nil battering at home to Birmingham. Chong looks like a brilliant loan signing for them.

He played there when he broke through but he didnt stand out even amongst the dross of Akpan, Lowe etc. His attributes are suited to being a centre back, he is brave and powerful in the air, we win more when he plays there, but he is really poor on the ball and ponderous.

Who is getting us goals from midfield?

It doesnt work like that, if he played 38 Premier League games in full, the evidence doesnt say that you can extrapolate a short sample of goals within a series of predominantly sub appearances, add up the minutes and then expect that over a season. Mind you, I suspect that we wont bring in a permanent striker at all.

Lets face it, letting any of those go on frees is poor and they wont be adequately replaced, even though I don't think that any would be stand out targets for teams very far above us, certainly none in the Premier League. But I would possibly argue that those 2 are the most important of the 4. Lenihan is key and if we sign him, with Ayala here for this and next season and Carter and Wharton pushing beyond that, we look ok there moving forwards. And I suspect that Brereton's value has been artificially inflated by this Chile business, somehow we have got to the stage whereby he is our best chance of a goal too. Although Nyambe would also be a big loss and even though Rothwell generally flatters to deceive, it is one bit of remaining excitement gone. This idea about midfielders chipping in is nice in practice, but do you genuinely think that Buckley, Rothwell, Travis etc will start scoring a decent amount of goals? Who was that? Lenihan in midfield with how poor he is on the ball?

Definitely, 2-1 flattered us today, we were well short. We lack quality in attacking areas. Dembele would seemingly be more ready but even then, the resources need to mainly go on a central striker. I hope this mystery attacking midfielder happens and can score goals from midfield as the current bunch wont hit 10 between them, and he isnt played in a false 9 role. The balance of the team was wrong today.

We definitely need a goalscoring striker with the very average Gallagher as an alternative to him. We do also need at least one wide man and a goalscoring midfielder, we look short of ideas up front.

I much prefer them in the lower tier, I hope they continue with that.

We definitely need another left back. Not only do we not really even have anyone who "could do a job" there if Pickering got injured, he has yet to convince at all so it cant be just emergency cover.

Very much men against boys today, 2-1 flattered us and 5 or 6 nil would have probably been fairer, and for the woodwork and the outstanding Kaminski who really should have been man of the match, they could have racked up a few. We are sorely lacking in attacking areas, you take Armstrong and Elliott away and you see the lack of quality, we are reliant on set pieces or today a huge error, otherwise we just dont even create chances. Today, aside from the goal, we created nothing really. Same at Millwall, aside from the goal from a set piece, no chances. And at Forest, did we create much of note bar the goals from our set pieces? Not really. When we become reliant on Brereton and Gallagher their limited ability does show, how often were both offside? That coupled with how passive they are when the ball is played up to them makes it so difficult to gain any momentum, our best outlet was playing it up to Carter which tells you everything. Some seem content to praise Gallagher for trying but you need more than just effort, how poor is his first touch? Then again, the midfield is also limited. The tactics that Mowbray used again were totally baffling and didnt work at all. Why was Clarkson playing so far forward? He made 2 good passes with the outside of his right foot in the absence of a left foot, one that should have been dealt with but led to the goal, overall he was ok id say, often anonymous. Buckley again didnt contribute and Rothwell was played too deep and aside from one or two flashes did very little. We need to sign a player who can get goals and provide a real spark from midfield as with the current crop, it is rare flashes but nothing subtantial. Travis was ok but not half as effective as on Wednesday night. Out of the subs, Davenport did fine, Chapman offered a threat but Dolan was really poor again, I do think he looks a little too raw and short of quality to play a regular part. Defensively, Ayala has made a noticeable improvement but the wait for a clean sheet still goes on, the centre backs look fine but West Brom had so many chances, probably the main cause being a lack of protection around that. Pickering continues to underwhelm and Carter does his best but is obviously a centre back at right back, although as mentioned did provide an outlet.

Formation could be Buckley as a false 9 or as a wing back, both would be equally illogical. I would go Rothwell left, Brereton right, Gallagher central.

No Dale in the Crewe squad although he has been struggling with illness and went off after 40 minutes last week.