Realistic transfer targets .....

[champs95]

I think the below will be there or there abouts our summer targets.


Fielding, Chapman, Armstrong, Gibson or the Hibs lad, Newton from Stevenage, Maddison, a young premier league striker on loan, possible cover at right back.

I think they will spend in the region of £5-7m on all of that.
What's also great to hear, we are currently in talks with 3/4 of the 'key players' within the squad to offer them improved deals (in case anyone come knocking) it's thought Dack (e.g.) is being offered a vastly improved 4 year deal dwarfing the last one on signing him. Same with Charlie who is getting an improved 2 year deal. Bennett, Mulgrew, Graham all took pay cuts in Div 1 so we are making up the difference now we are back up.
They are having to eat into the summer budget to secure the 'key' players (which is the phrase TM used) from last year. As Aucks and other have made reference. We don't want to lose the excellent team spirit within the camp, from last year.
We do however have to get the balance right. Smallwood e.g. was key to us going up. But wouldn't be good enough ...imo ...every week in the Champ. He would be brilliant to come on in games to sure us up. And wouldn't let us down. But only in small doses. We need to improve in certain areas to kick on . CM is a key position. I still think Travis will play a big part aswell.

[Saxo1man41]

I think the below will be there or there abouts our summer targets.


Fielding, Chapman, Armstrong, Gibson or the Hibs lad, Newton from Stevenage, Maddison, a young premier league striker on loan, possible cover at right back.

I think they will spend in the region of £5-7m on all of that.
What's also great to hear, we are currently in talks with 3/4 of the 'key players' within the squad to offer them improved deals (in case anyone come knocking) it's thought Dack (e.g.) is being offered a vastly improved 4 year deal dwarfing the last one on signing him. Same with Charlie who is getting an improved 2 year deal. Bennett, Mulgrew, Graham all took pay cuts in Div 1 so we are making up the difference now we are back up.
They are having to eat into the summer budget to secure the 'key' players (which is the phrase TM used) from last year. As Aucks and other have made reference. We don't want to lose the excellent team spirit within the camp, from last year.
We do however have to get the balance right. Smallwood e.g. was key to us going up. But wouldn't be good enough ...imo ...every week in the Champ. He would be brilliant to come on in games to sure us up. And wouldn't let us down. But only in small doses. We need to improve in certain areas to kick on . CM is a key position. I still think Travis will play a big part aswell.

I honestly have no idea who TM will go for, but I trust him.

[champs95]

I honestly have no idea who TM will go for, but I trust him.

Check this young lad Newton (from Stevenage) we are very interested in him.

[AucklandRover]

Check this young lad Newton (from Stevenage) we are very interested in him.

Well, he'd certainly be cheapish, given that most of his career has been in non-league. I take it he's one of these late bloomers. If we're seriously considering him, he must have been watched very carefully by this new network TM has been setting up.
He sound like the kind of all-action front-man fans like. It then comes down to the actual quality of his play. What is "good" in L.2 might not be good in the Championship. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

[Saxo1man41]

Its being suggested Adam Armstrong is joining Wigan.

With us being linked with a league 2 forward, is this alarm bells re the budget Venkys have allowed TM? :(

[AucklandRover]

Its being suggested Adam Armstrong is joining Wigan.

With us being linked with a league 2 forward, is this alarm bells re the budget Venkys have allowed TM? :(

Saxo - I prefer to think (hope!) it's more a case of Mowbray spreading the net far and wide, just as he did before.

[robinrover]

Armstrong to Wigan is a Sam morsey tweet in regards to Armstrong scoring for England under 21's
It goes along the lines of "buzzing to have you here next season"
I can tell you now he won't be going to Wigan
They will be going for league one rejects not success story's.

[robinrover]

A few of the Wigan team have become obsessed with us so in turn have resorted to a few tweets rather than concentrating on their own back yard.
Newcastle will want around 3 million for Armstrong Wigan won't spend 1 million this season
So I would say it's a tongue in cheek comment.

[Saxo1man41]

A few of the Wigan team have become obsessed with us so in turn have resorted to a few tweets rather than concentrating on their own back yard.
Newcastle will want around 3 million for Armstrong Wigan won't spend 1 million this season
So I would say it's a tongue in cheek comment.

Don't know about that robin.. Wigan have money to spend after their takeover.

[robinrover]

Ahhh but you can only spend what you earn saxo
We have billionaires as owners but it counts for nothing in the eyes of financial fair play.

[Saxo1man41]

Ahhh but you can only spend what you earn saxo
We have billionaires as owners but it counts for nothing in the eyes of financial fair play.

Wolves?

[Saxo1man41]

Latest link is a league of Ireland forward, Burke..

Alarm bells ringing loud! :(

[champs95]

Latest link is a league of Ireland forward, Burke..

Alarm bells ringing loud! :(


I recall having a look at BRFC's 12 months ago (as it was very very quiet on here) and I saw this exact comment about Dack. People where asking why we where spending £750k on a player from Gillingham who nobody had every heard of. 12 months later he picked up the best player in the league trophy, and pretty much single handedly won us promotion.
Nobody had heard of Bell.
Nobody had heard of Fleetwood or Jamie Vardy before Leicester City paid a £1m to take him from the non league to the Championship. I'll bet my life their fans where asking the same question then? Jamie who??

The only one question you need to ponder is this .....do you trust Mowbray?
We will be looking at this lad for a reason.

[champs95]

Don't know about that robin.. Wigan have money to spend after their takeover.


Putting previous 'mistakes' behind us all now, its worth considering how cash rich the Venkys actually are.
In the Prem, I think only Man City are cash richer than us. The Venkys group are one of the richest on the planet. They are as a family billionaires several times over. We as a club are Premier League. Brockhall is Prem standard. Ewood is Prem standard. Our training facilities are Prem standard. Our budget is much bigger than Wigans. Our set up as a whole is far bigger. We can attract top players, Wigan cant. We are a much bigger club.
Armstrong has no connection with Wigan. He does with Rovers. He would want to be part of the best team spirit he's ever been involved with (in his own words) and he performs his best for Mowbray.

Wigan cant outspend us, cant offer him better wages than us. Their facilities are simply nowhere near as good as ours. We get bigger crowds, we are a bigger club. In no way, would they be a more attractive offer than at Rovers. But he is not worth £3m. If Wigan spend that on him, they are stupid.

[robinrover]

Saxo you are quite correct in highlighting wolves
They along with quite a few others have escaped punishment sadly we only need to spend a pound over and we are punished
Will Wigan take a chance or head back to league 1?we seem content with getting our house in order which is fair enough but is that good enough for the chunk of our support who want instant success?

[Saxo1man41]

I recall having a look at BRFC's 12 months ago (as it was very very quiet on here) and I saw this exact comment about Dack. People where asking why we where spending £750k on a player from Gillingham who nobody had every heard of. 12 months later he picked up the best player in the league trophy, and pretty much single handedly won us promotion.
Nobody had heard of Bell.
Nobody had heard of Fleetwood or Jamie Vardy before Leicester City paid a £1m to take him from the non league to the Championship. I'll bet my life their fans where asking the same question then? Jamie who??

The only one question you need to ponder is this .....do you trust Mowbray?
We will be looking at this lad for a reason.

Not a crit of TM.. I do trust him.. But these targets(if true) are definitely in the bargain basement category.. If its reflecting the budget he has to work with, I think we can forget Armstrong signing here ..

[champs95]

Not a crit of TM.. I do trust him.. But these targets(if true) are definitely in the bargain basement category.. If its reflecting the budget he has to work with, I think we can forget Armstrong signing here ..


I think over the next month we will know alot more. At this point everything is merely speculation.
Mowbray & Waggot went to India with a plan, of which they received a positive response (by Venky's).
Meaning they would get full financial backing. Or they (certainly Mowbray) would leave. Which, to be fair he's already confirmed. The budget was discussed, the tying down (of our key players) on improved terms on long term deals. A list of targets, loan players & permants. And the release & transfer of certain players. All this, with FFP in mind.
They do not want to throw £25-30m in one go at this. It would be complete madnes. And no gurantee we would be promoted. Plus it would destroy the current dressing room etc. Another thing to consider, at this point we have sold just 2 and a half thousand season tickets. Are the fans really demanding this & that? Doesn't look like it to me, and mote importantly the owners. We do not generate nearly enough as a club, with our general overheads. And without support, in no way can we simply expect huge investment. We played in Div 1 last season. People need to calm down.
No, TM wants a steady approach, stabilise this next season (finish mid table or above) then push on next.
As for a type of player? If we went for Newton (from Div 2 Stevenage) that doesn't mean we won't be in for a player for £2m. We will spend money in the necessary because position. Bell was signed in Jan from Fleetwood for £500k because he became available. Signed for the future. He fits into the 23-27 year old lower division type TM said he wants. And Championship quality. Which he will sign once he's back from holiday.


As for Armstrong, if we can get him cheap for £1m then I think we are the head of that queue. He isn't worth much more.
Our budget last season was bigger than Wigan. It will be again next season.

[robinrover]

Early days saxo a couple more weeks and we will know a little more
Mowbray apparently had irons in the fire before the meeting so these players no matter how bargain basement they might seem they might be just a cog in the machine
I am still confident we will see some good championship players coming in and some unproven
In Mowbray we trust.

[AucklandRover]

Anyone heard any news on the Chapman front?

[Despair]

I’m none too sure why there is this worry why we are not looking like matching this, that or any other club really.
That’s really got us into the mess we got into in the first place.

Today’s football circus is IMO a mess all through simply due to £££’s !
I just do not watch top flight footie at all , I have no interest in this ‘joke’ of a Russian World Cup event.
I have no interest whatsoever in Sterling’s latest faux pa / escapade.

I do have an affinity for my home town club , that’s it.
All of the above, and worldly events determine where we do and will sit in the scheme of things. But we have a good man at the helm, and that gives me confidence. Throwing money about is not what I see as a good way to manage a club. Take a look at them down the M65, they seem to be doin ok 😉

[Saxo1man41]

Doing the rounds that Bolton have stepped in with a financial offer to Danny graham higher than we are willing to go.

[robinrover]

Bolton havnt got a pot to piss in so I can't see this happening
Danny Graham knows and likes it here that might sway him over a club well in the mire.

[Saxo1man41]

Bolton havnt got a pot to piss in so I can't see this happening
Danny Graham knows and likes it here that might sway him over a club well in the mire.

Its a bit clearer now. They've offered him a 2 year deal, whereas Rovers have only offered one year. I think he's very important to us and would match it. He wouldn't be cheap to replace.

[robinrover]

Not sure he has 2 years in him at this level
Tough one for Tony as he is a key player this season but probably not worth 2 years.

[AucklandRover]

I see the agents and managers "dance" is increasing in intensity. Very few signings (except at the top) but thousands of deliberately fuelled rumours!

[Saxo1man41]

I see the agents and managers "dance" is increasing in intensity. Very few signings (except at the top) but thousands of deliberately fuelled rumours!

Its like poker, don't show your hand. We still haven't a clue as to what sort of budget were working with. We won't until signings are made. Its frustrating in some ways, but I can be distracted by the world cup!

[AucklandRover]

Its like poker, don't show your hand. We still haven't a clue as to what sort of budget were working with. We won't until signings are made. Its frustrating in some ways, but I can be distracted by the world cup!

What I don't like, though, Saxo is that agents now have the upper hand (or the best cards!).

[Despair]

Just to bore you to death with my constant rant!;

Yet again, it’s all that’s amiss with football today, this ‘fiasco’ takes presidence over virtually everything else.
It’s basically a feeding frenzy over who can grab the most cash from the pot !!!
I find it truly obscene.

Rant over (for now) 😉

[champs95]

Bolton signed Jason Lowe on a free from Birmingham today.
He barley played in a crap team, and has moved to a slightly crapper one. That's today's transfer news .....��

[AucklandRover]

Bolton signed Jason Lowe on a free from Birmingham today.
He barley played in a crap team, and has moved to a slightly crapper one. That's today's transfer news .....��

I always found Lowe a frustrating player because he rarely made things happen. If Bolton want someone centrally, just to protect the defence, though, he can probably do a good job. I always felt he really needed a strong character with good passing skills alongside him to take over the role of distribution.
I could never understand why he was captain, however. He just did not come across as a forceful personality.