So to sum up …

We’ve loaned in a young full back and an alleged centre forward, and loaned out a full back and a centre forward.

Whilst selling a keeper having already loaned in one to replace him.

We’ve been crying out for centre forwards all
Season, since June even, and have at the end of the window Dallas, Marsh and Cosgrove loaned out, biscuit boned Watters out for six weeks, and a forward line of a couple of attacking midfield/wingers in DKD and Humphrys; and a 24 year old lad from the French lower league, with limited professional game experience and about half a dozen goals in pro football - and no work permit.

The lad we’ve got in at full back had this said about him in the Rotherham Advertiser: “The right-back started his career in S60 brightly but his defensive shortcomings became an issue as he cost drop-zone Rotherham several goals.” - after he’d been sent back to Wolves. He’s then had underwhelming loans at hearts and in Switzerland - his loan there being terminated early too. Is he better than Lofthouse? Enough better to make this worthwhile even bothering?

I said I wasn’t going to say anymore about Rodrigues on another thread as it isn’t fair on him. And it isn’t his fault.

But if he is the sum total of the forward line signings then we are in big trouble.

We have been crying out for someone all season - this lad doesn’t even look like he’s actually a centre forward. We’ve got enough of them…

I get that we’ve no money. I do.

But why are we doing the business we have? It makes little to no sense.

I’m more than underwhelmed, I’m hugely disappointed - and I had little expectation for tonight as it was.

So, so poor.

 

I think your point about why have we spent the resources we have got where we have is a very fair observation/question.

 

In fact - we're even worse up front. I reckon Lofthouse has played more minutes up front than full back this year!

 

Some people will still somehow try to put a positive spin on it but this window really shows how skint we are and how we’ve turned into just a run of the mill bang average side.

 

You may be correct on all this. Better to actually sign no-one and risk fan disillusionment than to sign more dross to no end which only adds costs and makes fans even more bitter cos the team is still carp. However, we can't judge yet can we? The incomings may be dreadful but they may make us better. We dont actually know yet....

 

Great summary, difficult to argue with, certainly not a window that screams we are backing the manager for a top 6 spot

 

The manager hasn’t been backed whatsoever.

I’m not his biggest fan by any stretch but let’s say the poor run continues through Feb into March - they’d still sack him despite tying his hands and legs together.

I can’t see us doing anything except tread water in and around midtable now.

Zero budget didn’t have to mean this was what we did. Other clubs with no money manage to get at least a balanced squad.

 

I’d say we have 18 months to sign 2 strikers and failed. Then the other got injured

Even if we are that skint a couple of journeymen Alongside this random punt should have been possible.

Assuming say Mansfield are more skint than us but in Lee Gregor made a very good signing in the summer.

 

Exactly this

 

If we are so skint why are Connell and Philips still at the club?

Arguably our best two assets who I'm sure had some interest or would have had we been looking to get rid yet they are still here...

I can't help but think the issue is negligence and no ability for those at the club to get deals over the line for players who would improve so we end up scrambling round with an hour to go.

It took weeks to agree on Keillor-Dunn because we were haggling over the fee and no doubt we have missed targets this month for the same reason.

That FAB group might as well call it a day because it's constant BS from the club about building and creating something then 5 steps back when push comes to shove.

We are losing 8 million a year apparently and I can't see where it's going I really can't but we are supposed to buy that.

 

This will surprise everyone, but I’m actually struggling to offer an opinion. Genuinely, I’m proper confused.

It’s also my bed time.

Oh well. Let’s see what Saturday brings!

 

Opinions are like ar*ehol*s. Everyone has one. But it’s on record that you use yours only 3-4 times a day ;-)

 

At somepoint there will be no more equity left in the shares in return for 6m (current rate) what then? 6m in as loans, it can't continue alongside this philosophy.
I had hoped this window that we cleared some deadwood from a bloated imbalanced squad and replaced some of it with quality and perhaps a change of philosophy that would give Darrell Clarke options.
All we've done is juggled a few pieces around but seemingly look stuck on the Mladen ball 352 wheel.
Really feel for Clarke and can see the inevitable happening.

 

You can't criticise the club for haggling over fees and then explain why we do that (as do every club) in your last paragraph mate. We aren't supposed to buy anything, the finances have been published and the good folk on here regular explain it all to us

 

They didn’t need to pay a fee or outlay a huge wage to have better balanced the squad this month.

My frustration has nothing to do with spend. It is where it is spent - despite the glaringly obvious evidence of where it needed to be.

I’ve woken up the morning after and the frustration has turned to anger.

Rodrigues might be great and a masterstroke - I doubt it - but regardless he’s a cheap punt, a guess, with a very low probability of success. Even then, I’ve no issue with his signing. That’s the pot we dip into.

But to be the only forward we sign is negligent, it is disrespectful of the fans who pay money to attend and shows how much trust in Clarke the club has - none.

I can cast iron say, with a heavy heart, that this is my last season as a season ticket holder. At least for a while.

 

Of course they will, you'll have those saying be careful what you wish for, JAQ can do no wrong! In my opinion JAQ, Nererav and the Crynes need to find a new buyer and do one.

 

Trouble with cheap punts is that the more you get, the more expensive they become.

Think I’d prefer it if we’d said we were broke, sold Phillips and kept Dallas and given Dyer a go.

Instead, the club have tried to be clever, because they have access to the same data as every other club

 

They'll sack Clarke in March/April probably giving Connor a free shot at it and all the spin will start again for the season ticket sales.
It would be interesting to hear from our sporting director as to whether this was genuinely the very best that the club could have done this window and how he rates his own efforts.

 

Its been a disaster, it looks that way anyway mate. So disappointed in my club.

 

The last paragraph was more a question... Are we really losing 8 million? We certainly aren't spending that on the squad and we don't own the stadium so where is that kind of money going?

We have sold players for decent money so have had fees come in or coming on over time so I really don't know where we are 8 million a year down.

How badly are we being run if we are losing that kind of money with the squad we have?