4 leading to goals in a season, if that is the case, over 49 games is not too bad at all, for a goalkeeper years from his peak. He made a few more here last season. I am not even pretending that he is a goalkeeper who I really, really rate or trust. But there is plenty of raw talent should a club own him. Walton made over 10 mistakes leading to goals in 46 games and even if he had have improved it wouldnt have been of any use to us which is key and why it is unfathomable that you can champion us getting another kid on loan. If you choose to revel in his mistakes to try and justify what happened last summer then each to their own, lets leave it there.

No, nor do I claim to. Obviously hes a young journalist trying his best but its quite clear from the tweet that he is none the wiser than any of us. But I can try if you like? "A budget has been agreed or is soon to be agreed. Mowbray plans to bring in between 2 and 8 players at some point during the window. Budget not colossal but not totally non existent. Plan is to field 11 players on the start of next season and 9 subs. Bit. In. Paper."

Of course not, he has seen him make a couple of mistakes on TV, and is disregarding any signs or proof that he may have developed overall, made less mistakes or indeed the fact that he was our permanent player, traded in to sign a crap striker and sign at least one young and inferior keeper temporarily in order to justify it all! Even championing other kids to loan in to carry on the cycle.

He doesnt know anything chaddy. That translates as "I have seen online rumours that our budget is agreed, I will put a tweet stating as such whilst being as vague as is possible."

Agreed, with all of these stupid ideas that Mowbray came up with, it became possession for the sake of it. My post was more based on something I had said yesterday, that I am sure that stats of us having possession in the low 40s in terms % seemed miles out and so they were. I also dont agree with Mowbray wanting to keep chopping and changing week in week out as he has mentioned. I think our best bet is to try and perfect a consistent way of playing. The best teams tend to have a set way of playing whereby if a player has to come out or come in, they know their role and carry on as normal. It would be counter productive to be too reliant on keeping the ball, especially without Adarabioyo, or trying to force things with silly formations eg false 9s. Equally, playing direct especially without Graham wont work. We need to find our own style, maybe something that requires plenty of energy and pressing as we do have a lot of younger and more athletic players in attack.

Like thats not exactly what he wants to feed his ego ? Ive got my fingers crossed for that 50m warchest.

The oracle speaks.

I am guessing that they dont follow the Championship then! I dunno, at least yesterday it took a brilliant free kick to highlight the terrible positioning. Definitely at fault mind. A floaty cross and Walton was nowhere to be seen v Preston. A pea roller from the edge of the box from Klich the other week squirmed through him like a bar of soap. They were 2 totally unprovoked errors. All goalkeepers make errors, especially when they are young. I was never Raya's biggest fan. But in context regarding Raya being ours and Walton on loan, to fund Gallagher no less, thats the killer. As you say though, Raya > Walton, and I would make that judgement even if they were both here permanently, or both on loan.

But crucially, he was ours! Improving year on year. Get another kid on loan and its the same problem.

Just going back to your detailed analysis featuring graphs from yesterday, it all seems to be fairly worthless. It seems that it was all theorised on the assumption that we have had far less possession than we actually have. Todays Lancashire Telegraph: https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18628623.learn-rovers-plans-summer-transfers/ "The stats would back up Mowbray’s claim, the top four teams in the division all had the highest average possession. With 52.4 per cent, Rovers came in seventh, boosted by their post-lockdown approach, up from 50.5 per cent in 2018/19."

But this is the thing. They will not at any point during the season be able to tell us with any reasonable certainty what they would be selling. As it stands, best case scenario is that we can attend games from October onwards. But as with anything, it will very much be a last minute decision based on the pandemic. Assuming all goes well, how do you suggest that it is logistically possible to sort all of that out in such a short time frame? Also, more importantly, again assuming that they can sell season tickets from then, there is a considerable chance that the decision will be reversed during the season. Increase in the R rate, a second wave etc and then we arent allowed in again. So how at any point can then tell you what you will be buying? Anyone who buys a season ticket this season will have to do so realising that there is an element of uncertainty around what they are going to get, and also are likely to have to compromise on various aspects of their matchday experience.

In fairness, you suggested that Wharton was better than Goode, presumably based solely on data. All that being said, Goode cleaned up on all the player of the season awards down at Northampton. Surely that is a better indicator on who is the better player at the moment? Not that I suggest signing him. Data is of very little use on its own, especially comparing 2 teams, or even less so across 2 different leagues or seasons. Say even if you compared Dillon Phillips who keeps getting mentioned and Christian Walton. You might see Phillips has played far more long balls and saved more shots. That will partly because Charlton will have far different tactics and inferior players in front will lead to shots being faced far more frequently and probably from closer in. Comparing chalk and cheese already really. The main "data" of use is whether attacking players have many goals or assists. That is of use of course.

Was it? Contextually of course, but as an individual bit of goalkeeping it certainly wasnt. Think back to Walton at Preston Ultimately he is very young but he was our asset. He made errors and I was never totally confident with him in goal and not his biggest fan. Even if Walton was on par with him, which he certainly wasnt, they are both young goalkeepers years away from their peak. For Raya, the mistakes were part of his development process. For Walton, learning from mistakes wouldnt have been to our benefit. The thing is, he clearly has improved this season. Every goalkeeper makes errors, its how often they are and what else the goalkeeper offers. I have seen him quite a few times this season and he has looked far less eccentric this season compared to last. Particularly impressing in the play offs and on his return to Ewood. He will be maturing, hes only young. He has the most clean sheets in the league and has received so much praise from neutrals and Brentford fans too. Theres a lot of people pointing out his mistake yesterday to imply that we did the right thing. We didnt. Essentially we traded in a talented young goalkeeper for an average at best striker. We could have had not an error free Championship goalkeeper, If we sign a kid on loan to go in net we repeat the process. Had we sold Raya and signed a better goalkeeper permanently, its a different story.

Im sure he did. All keepers make mistakes.

Agreed on the player. Key would be that he would be permanent too. He would make errors (made a howler in the League 1 play off final the other year) like anyone but as he developed and matured, we would benefit. With an incredibly short sighted way to look at it. Could argue that with his penalty save and great play in the build up to the first goal of the 2nd leg that without him, tonight would have been Fulham v Swansea.

He made errors here fairly regularly, and was quite raw as youd expect from a goalkeeper years away from his peak. I never felt totally confident with him in net because you always felt an error wasnt too far away. That being said, he is talented and he was ours. Its much easier to stomach your goalkeepr making mistakes if they decline over time as he matures and if he is ours to keep so we get to see the benefits of a goalkeeper becoming more consistent and performing to a higher level. The problem was not necessarily losing Raya in isolation. We put the proceeds (and a bit more) in to buying a poor striker. We then decided to loan a goalkeeper of the same age with less ability who was more error prone, knowing that even if he did improve, which he didnt, that Brighton would benefit and we would have no one again come this summer. If we go and sign another young goalkeeper on loan, unless he is one of the rare consistent exceptions at a tender age, then he will make mistakes that will cost us points and again we will know that any improvements that he makes will only benefit someone else. Thats why we are crying out for a permanent addition and ideally one who is a bit older. There is no way to defend the transfer business of last summer because it is all connected. Raya has despite todays mistake improved this season, helped by a better defence but also from all accounts having developed individually. Not perfect by any means though. Ironically I think I recall Gallagher being linked to Brentford last summer, albeit it was almost certainly nonsense. But they are better off this summer in having Raya (and the 1.5m difference) rather than signing Gallagher and a short term goalkeeper who would now have gone back.

Of course and maybe there will be a way in which I bet if you said to most fans otherwise willing to attend that they can only go back if they are temporarily seated elsewhere, they would take that. I suspect how fans are seated in terms of preferred seats etc will be down to the club. They will obviously have rules such as the maximum capacity, the minimum space between people etc but whether its totally random from there or whether they attempt to pander to preferred areas etc is down to the club. The problem is, what is the waiting for? As I said, there wont be a point this season as to when it will be certain that season tickets can be sold without fear of any problems. We dont know until October if indeed fans are given the go ahead so hanging about means no income until then and of course a logistical nightmare getting it sorted with minimal notice. If it gets put back, we wont know until when so again, no income. Even if x% can attend in October, what they have paid for will be in jeapoardy in case it is stopped, for example if the R shoots up and/or a second wave takes surge. The main logisitical headache will be fitting in people into the stadium. I suspect that we wont have that problem so we are already one up.

Bad news for us. Further depleting any funds available to us. Dismal game. I wonder if Brentford are picked apart now.

Its unfortunate I appreciate. But i just cant see how it is possible. Part of the matchday experience that simply cant come back (as far as I can see) until the restrictions are totally gone and attendances are unlimited. if that was the deciding factor that made you choose that you didnt want to attend games until things are totally back to normal, that would be totally understandable. But I just dont see an alternative during the days of limited capacities. Further evidence that theres money essentially waiting for the club should they pull their finger out.

Well to be honest, tough shit. A lot of people will have not missed a game in x amount of time that have had to during lockdown. Its a shitty situation but its about making the very best of it that we can whilst its still here. There is no way that I can see anyway that you can guarantee anyones favourite seat. Its another unfortunate change in the short term even when fans are allowed back, there will be various differences which may hinder the old matchday experience we used to have. Its just the only way sadly. Would it potentially be a decision maker either way if you cant sit where you do normally? Again, if it would be, fair play, each to their own, and I wouldnt judge you, but I dont see how that can possibly be maintained in a reduced capacity stadium when people cannot sit next to strangers. And regarding your second question, that would have to be guided by the regulations at the time. A way around that I suppose would be to apply in the group you would like to go with, but with a note as to different households, or should the terminology differ, "bubbles." If it was a case where it was to fill the ground with the required spacing until full, at first 4 friends say from different houses may be put separately in, should the law dictate, then 2 months later if the law was relaxed, they can be together. Youd be driven by the law and the rules and regulations at the time, which would be forever changing. And obviously, if you cant get to the ground without travelling with someone you are not allowed to be with due to social distancing, then unfortunately you cannot go.

Yes. But clearly some people @K-Hod and @Paul Mani the latest 2 are willing to buy even amidst the uncertainty. There IS demand there. All clubs will be struggling for cash flow. Not necessarily yet to the point of threatening survival or anything, but obviously it will be affecting cash flow with no income. Wait and see until when? Because as I said, the situation is obviously so fluid that there will never be a point when clarity is suddenly restored. If you wait and see, surely you wait until after the season starts as we at least know that at the start of the season, there will be no fans. So you wont have any clarity and thus income for 2 more months, for sure. Then the date could be pushed back further, again no clarity or income. Or best case scenario, fans will be allowed in from October. But from your logic, you cant still get any income in because what if theres a second spike and the gates are closed again? So do you get the problem? You can say "wait and see" but there will never become a point when anyone knows for sure if its safe to start selling season tickets. Maybe state that refunds wont be allowed to make things totally transparent? More that any payments will be deferred until whenever it is when people are allowed back in.

Obviously I am only saying what I would suggest, which is of just an average joe, but ironically is probably more thought than the club is put in to it... But surely in the short term, designated seats become somewhat of an unfortunately impossible luxury. Maybe they could ask for a preferred area and work around that? But theres no way they could guarantee anyone a particular seat surely. But maybe it would just be as youve touched on, it would just be spaced out until they run out of seating, which I suspect would be unlikely. But you could apply in your "groups" so for example if you went as a family of 4, the 4 of you would be seated together, then a required space, then the next person/group, and so on? Rovers wont want the expense of ifollow? Surely it would be mandatory across the football league and be an additional source of income, aswell as the season ticket money that they wont otherwise receive. On a tangent slightly, I saw it mentioned that they may allow beer to be taken to seats to avoid congregating in the concourses. That would be brilliant, although maybe not immediately as imagine the toilet needs!

100%. There is no possible other objective or aim that can trump winning promotion, no matter what anyone says. I bet that either Hughton has turned them down, he priced himself out of it or of course there is potential that Bristol City have simply made the decision which is almost certainly an illogical one, or a masterstroke. I know what my money is on!

On the flip side, the responsibility shouldnt be piled on the supporters. Some may not feel the value or the point and that is fair enough. Some may not be in a financial position to be able to in these tough times which is understandable. Some may have safety fears or be vulnerable which again is totally fine. And some fans less committed than us 2 and others on here wont be as desperate to renew, which is fair enough, nothing wrong with that, I dont feel 100% comfortable with such a mentality to be honest, the club has gone down the route of "are you committed" enough in the last couple of years and missed sales targets because its not conducive to establishing a good relationship with fans, especially outside of the hardcore. But you are further proof that there is scope there for the club to get some income in now to help with cash flow. The main point is that some fans are clearly willing to buy a season ticket in spite of the unavoidable uncertainty, because guarantees can not be given, nor can they at any point in the near future really. Surely the club should use that to get some income in? It doesnt mean that these people are lying. Even if people are genuinely passing on information that they have heard, it doesnt mean that the information is true. Some will be passed on in good faith but wrong, some will be totally made up, maybe a small part will be true. Its silly season. Believing everything you read by anonymous posters on an internet messageboard would be very naive IMO. And even if it is true, for example if Whiteman has been told that Mowbray has money to spend, that might all be part of the game to try and lure him in. I am very much in the believe it when I see it mindset in terms of us having a budget (cant remember the supposed phrase for it in the meeting) or being proactive in making moves. Sounds like everyone is on their jollies and it wouldnt surprise me if the budget is still up in the air. Plus crucially we know what Venkys are like. Would be pleasantly surprised mind you if we signed someone anytime soon or indeed spent a decent amount without major sales!

I would agree perhaps if there wasnt fans already and waiting to donate, who obviously know that the service that they will get is unclear. That wont be clear at any point either really. So season tickets wont be able to go on sale until after the season has started, thats implied by your scenario. If fans arent allowed in from October onwards, then theyd be delayed again. And even if they are, theres a chance of a second spike or that fans will stop being allowed in again. Can the club afford to not try and generate income right through all that? And what are they waiting for? Because as I said, it will never even during the season become totally clear what people are buying. Last season isnt a fair comparison, its a game changer if people know what they are buying into, ie uncertainty. But are still willing to. Last year it happened unexpectedly.