They're actually known as "Red Bull Salzburg" and claim to be a "new club with no history". As you might imagine, this mindset has split their fanbase considerably - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_Salzburg

I LOOOOOOVE GOOOOOOLD Great signing, best defensive signing (in terms of established stars) in a long time.

You weren't kidding.

Thats not really feelin like my consolation at the moment to be honest!

Enough to think he's too good for us. Get him out the door, conceited arrogant sod.

Good for you. I cannot claim to have liked every player to have ever played for Rovers. Especially ones that under-perform so badly. I will put my dislike for the player "to bed" when he puts his inneffectual, lazy, negative and nigh on embarrasing perfomances to bed and starts to make the effort to become the player we all know he could be. Until then, I cannot and will not pretend to rate him.

Can I assume I'm one of those that this was directed at? Allow me to answer a seperate question first - why are so many people anti-Emerton? It's very rare that we sign a player and the fans hate him immediately. It's only usually signings who have been failures at most recent junctures in their career that get a rough ride. Now consider Emerton. We got him at a time when he was very highly rated in Europe. Loads of clubs were after him. Personally, I thought it was a fantastic signing. Then I saw him play vs Wolves. I thought we had a World beater. "Duff who?" I cried. How wrong I was. I am anti-Emerton as he is the biggest under-achiever I've ever seen in a Rovers shirt. I'm not a big fan of Matteo, for example, but I can accept he's a limited player. Emerton is not. Emerton is actually very talented. He just doesnt have the bottle to step up and show it. Now - IF he has a good season, I'll be delighted. My dislike for Emerton as a player is very rational - there is no illogical hatred here.

Same way that giving Douglas a new four year deal was bad news - we now have to pay the feckless git for 4 more years!

Well done Brownie, rather than debate on a rational level your point is much better made by patronising in an attempt to appear more "educated". I take it back, Emerton is fantastic.

So how do the Left Half and Right Half fit in to the defence? 5 across the back in one line? Right Back ---------- Right Half ---------- Centre Half ---------- Left Half ---------- Left Back ?

Can one of you dinosaurs translate those words into positions in a sketch for us all? I'm thinking in the way that a formation appears in the Transfer Rumours Thread every 4th post, usually containing Juan Pablo Sorin at right back.... Would be interesting to see exactly where an "Inside Left" played!

The only way Emerton is versatile is in the sense that he's been equally bad in every position he's found himself in.

Exactly - Emerton is a shocking player, I can't believe how badly wrong Sparky has got this one

Great news - you cannot have enough leaders - for a player to be captain of his country is absolutely huge. Well done Reidy, make the most of it.

I think the Paul Jewell thing might be a good shout - he's raised expectations much like when Ipswich finished 5th and Sunderland finished 7th. A more realistic season surely beckons, which probably wont go down too well. Anyone been able to find a list of the latest odds?

If you think that Gordy was suggesting that Gary Neville was picked as part of some conspiracy then you clearly haven't read his last post very thoroughly.

Oooh, that explains that then

Surely this has been picked up by Channel 4?

I don't get it, whats up with Sky+??

Ridiculous decision to drop Beckham, and as has been said on this thread already, smacks of "look at me, I'm different to Sven" from McLaren. Look at the goals England scored at the World Cup - 1-0 wins versus Paraguay and Ecuador, both thanks to Beckham. Crouch's goal to break the deadlock vs T&T was from a superb Beckham cross. Take these goals out of the equation and England's World Cup campaign was an even bigger failure than we already know it to be.

All the more reason to get rid of the thieving swines.

What is uncharacteristic about Neill making a mistake?

Good point Eddie, I hadn't thought of it like that.

I actually wrote 15 goals and downgraded it! Fair comment though. Not that we need any other striker with Derbs on the books

Good news on Jeffers. If he can get circa 10 goals this season he'll prove himself a very very good signing indeed.