We're carrying on where we left off last season. We are not playing together as a team. I've seen more movement in a fitted carpet.

Everton are the usual Moyes team; all running and playing together and wanting the ball.

Rovers are slow at getting forward, they do not support each other. Often when we have possession we are forced back into our own half. Then the ball goes back to Friedal who has to hoof it upfield, because there is no-one competant to throw it to, and we lose possession again.

The second ball is usually won by the opposition.

Re individuals; Todd and Zurab played well. Emerton had a very good game at right back. Gray was awful, losing possession regularly. Reid was holding midfielder and therefore didn't get forward enough.

Savage is the problem. The man is totally useless as a footballer. He cannot tackle, control the ball,create anything. He would be the first for me to drop, putting Reid in his place and bringing Mokoena in.

Bentley on the right and Pedersen on the left were ineffective.

Roberts was fouled and beaten in the air most of the time by Yobo but Rennie the ref ignored it all.

We'll lose to Chelsea 3-0 and then away at Sheff Utd we'll get kicked off the park and lose 2-1

Played four.......1 point and bottom 3 :-(

Fully agree with you Hughesy - compare Emertons performance last night to that of Lucas at Pompey - different class. I for one, will be very dissapointed if Hughes brings Neil back in for Emerton after the way he played last night.

Leave Emerton at RB and bring in Lucas to replace the hapless Gray at LB

1. Liverpool

2. Man Utd

3. Chelsea

4. Spurs

5. Arsenal

6. Newcastle

7. Rovers

8. Portsmouth

9. Villa

10. West Ham

11. Everton

12. Reading

13. Middlesbro

14. Bolton

15. Man City

16. Charlton Ath

17. Wigan Ath

18. Fulham

19. Sheff Utd

20. Watford

OK chaps. Thanks for the info. Som more questions for you old timers / people fortunate enough to have watched a golden era of football, then, 2-3-5 appears to be the formation everyone adopted and was popular with the fans as there was more attacking play.

So, who / when / which bright spark came into training one day and said "OK lads, we're not going to play 2-3-5 this weekend, we're going to try a 4-4-2 formation." Who can we blame? Did football change almost overnight? Did things go straight from 2-3-5 (as such) to 4-4-2? How did football fans react to this change? and how did this effect the fortunes of BRFC?

The first club I remember adopting a 4-4-2 formation was West Ham United in the early 1960s.

I don't know who their manager was. It might have been Ron Greenwood. Or was he later?

Rovers and a lot of other clubs waited to see how things went and were quite slow to change.

I think the change for all took many seasons.

John Bailey

I'd love to read all about his life, especially his version of THAT match against Southampton.

Nobs who repeatedly berate the team

I sit with an old knob who berates the team; only when the opposition score, of course. (He's my mate)

He cannot give credit where it is due. He has to blame a Rovers player even if that man had lost the ball in midfield two minutes before the goal.

There was one exeption when Le Tissier scored that peach beating Flowers from 45 yards.

My mate never said a word.

I was castigating Flowers until a chap in front turned and said "Watch it on TV tonight".

TV proved me wrong.

3rd row from back of riverside opp Darwen End penalty area.

The other end of the riverside to Al. (Oreet, Al?)

Three negatives for this position:-

1 Cannot see the big screen

2 Tannoy system is crap

3 Players keep hiding behind one of the support stanchions

But we've been here since Dalglish became manager.

It's home from home.

I agree. Gamst should keep number 12. The other question is if he is allowed to have 'Gamst' on shirt instead of 'Pedersen'. I know that this is something he really wants, but was not allowed to have last year.

If that's the name he wants to be known as, let all of us fans call him that and put "Gamst" in a song such as "All you need is Gamst la la la la la." After all he has replaced Duff.

Wheelton Blues were onboard Ozz, none injured only pride.

I remember Paul Astley very well a top bloke.

I wonder if he remembers when the coach from Chorley to Shrewsbury broke down and I jumped in the drivers seat whilst they all had their heads under the front end and I turned the ignition key ?

Got a pasting for my troubles but eventually we got the game at half time !!!

Was that the away game in Sept 1981?

Me and my son were visiting UK from Rhodesia at that time and Steve Clarkson, my mate from Clitheroe, drove us down to Gay Meadow.

Noel Brotherston scored a superb goal to give us a 2-1 victory.

More great memories from the Bazza archives!

Leeds United used to be known as "The Peacocks" because of their colours of blue and gold (very colourful) until Don Revie changed their strip, copying Swansea Town, to all white.

I'm absolutely delighted that we're in Europe again.

For those of you who remember Spenny, he is also over the moon.

But in his usual pessimistic way says, " I'm not looking forward to going out on the away goals rule to a team from Estonia made up of postmen and brickies".

It's time he realised that our manager is Hughes and not Souness. Unlike Souey, Sparky yearned to qualify for Europe, rejoiced when we did and will give it his best shot.

That's good enough for me.

Roll on next (European) season.

Excellent preview, Colin.

I'm glad to see you spelled correctly the names of Gally and Mr "Chumley" Warner.

I enjoyed the history of the latics and the town.

Did Dave Whelan only make 87 appearances for us? I know he broke his leg but I thought he would have played more games.

The thought of this game gives me the collywobbles. The victory at New Year there was too easy considering their form throughout the season so far.

This is the big banana skin that Rovers MUST avoid. Sparky has to wind up the lads and make them believe they are playing Arsenal again. Wigan are snapping at our heels.

If we have the right mentality we might just win 3-2.

If not , we get beat 2-1.

Fingers crossed.

Sparky on radio said Bellamy felt his "back" tighten at half time and it became tighter in the second half. What he means by that god only knows.

However, he (Sparky) seemed to think it is something NOT to worry about and Bellers should be fit for the next game.

Good three points

If I were on your salary, Stephen, I'd be able to afford to go by chopper to Cheltenham Races and to lose a load of dosh without it smarting.

Our two goals were superb , and hope they bring a few more fans to Ewood next week.

Not if it's on TV. Oh dear; 5:15 KO. Must be on TV. Cheaper to go to the pub to watch it.

Two quick points:-

1)Very very proud of the lads today. No-one played badly. Excellent team effort.

2) Re the spuds' third goal if anyone is to blame it must be Brad.

OK, Gray was beaten for pace. But a square ball across a virtually empty 6 yard box to a forward on the far side would have been cut out by most other premier league keepers. I'm not having a pop at Brad but, if blame is to be laid, it's him more than Micky.

Are Spuds that good?

In a word, Yes! Before the season started I predicted they would finish 3rd. They're not far off.

Martin Jol is proving to be an excellent manager; very astute in his choice of players and building a squad to better the gooners.

I think Rovers' bubble will burst on Sunday. 3-0 to Spurs.

I so hope, come Sunday night, I'll have egg on my face.

I know someone who can stop the new Maradona, Messi...........

The new Bill Eckersley or the new Mike England or (especially for Jim) the new Keith Newton but we haven't found them yet.

Taylor is away on loan as well isn't he?

384842[/snapback]

Yes. Gone to Blackpool

How strange all these mixed views are!

I enjoyed a good game. I thought Sunderland played very well for two thirds of the game before becoming tired and disheartened.

Reid, though out of position, played OK.

Toogs was superb. Peter is the first left winger to cross good balls since Wilcox. Zurab looked good in midfield; he's quite tricky with his footwork.

Micky Gray, I'm afraid, isn't good enough. He is very limited and regularly turns round and plays the ball backwards.

Gamst was too unfit to be played.

Otherwise, a good job done. I'm happy. Strictly no complaints from me.

On paper we should stuff 'em. But football's a funny old game.

Their young keeper played well on Wednesday and will be keen to continue impressing.

My selection:- Freidal,

Zurab, Todd, Nelsen, Neill

Emerton,Savage, Reid, Bentley

Bellamy, Sinama/P

0-0 draw unfortunately

Jon Walters is another ex young Rover, isn't he?

I didn't know he was playing for Wrexham.

Thanks Cocker.

My mate tells me we can vote for our choice of shirt design on the official web site but I've searched and cannot find anything.

RFW says Rovers were fouling. Huh!!! Rollocks!!!

Utd were the more aggressive physical side all night.

I never thought I'd hear "Are you Burnley in disguise" being sung versus Man Utd.

That alone is added to the wonderful memories I have of Rovers.

I just can't stop grinning.