Zurab's sending off today demonstrates another reason why people are becoming disillusioned with the modern game.

Last defender; miss-timed tackle produces foul for which the penalty should be a free kick or a penalty kick depending on the area of the pitch it occurred.

40 years ago a player only got sent off for serious violent conduct.

I'll bet the number was not much more than 5 in a season.

FIFA in their wisdom have acheived more than 5 per weekend.

If a player is sent off fairly early in a game, the whole game strategy is immediately changed and in more than 90% of games the spectator, having paid a mega amount of money to watch a great contest, is cheated out of this because of silly mandatory rules.

It makes me so angry

Although left footed, he played right back in pre-season.

Handy skillful player, One for the future.

351953[/snapback]

"One for the future" is often said of the younger players.

But Duff is at Chelsea, Dunn is at Birmingham as are Johnson and Tiny Taylor.

Paul Gallagher, Douglas and McEvely are out on season-long loans.

All these have been described as "one for the future"

Strikes me that at Rovers tomorrow never comes.

Man U brought a squad through the youth team with Beckham, Scholes etc.

Surely our first team should by now contain at least 3 or 4 developed youths.

Didn't Rovers have a Grewcock on loan goalkeeper?

Beat me to it, Alan.

The second yellow was shown before the red. I saw it.

I know because I was there (said in a broad welsh accent)

Not many draws between these two.

Rovers turn to win Will scrape a 1-0

Is tonights match on TV? I'm sure it was ear-marked when the fixtures came out. If so the gate will be crap again.

I cant see it being on the box because of European matches.

Bryan was right. It's early days so dont get too excited. Two wonder goals, yes but Fulham were not much worse than us.

I have a feeling I've just watched two relegation-bound teams today. So here is a doom and gloom merchant still spouting doom and gloom.

Neil was terrific going forward in the second half but as a full-back he was skinned time and time again by Boa Morte and could only stop the Portuguese by fouling.

Pederson is superb in his overall play and not just in his goal scoring.

When the game started I couldn't stop laughing at the huge overweight bulk of Kuqi lumbering ever so slowly round the field but by the end the game I had changed my mind. He is a player far ahead of Dickov in a 4-5-1 formation. I think the fans will warm to him just like I have. In a strange way he reminds me of Tommy Briggs and plays at the same speed as Tommy did in the early 50s.

Matteo impressed me today. I'm not his greatest fan but his game has improved a lot.

The Admiral is crucial to our defence. Without him we are lost.

Tugay had a cracking game and scored a cracking goal. Credit to Toogs and to The Gamst for executing a well worked set piece that I've seen them try twice before without success. Other teams will suss them out so you wont see it again. So enjoy the highlights tonight.

So to Spurs on Wednesday. Sorry, folks, but we'll get stuffed.

and what about thommo. Last I heard he was seeing a specialist about his knee injury.

339858[/snapback]

He needs to see a specialist about getting a new chicken head fitted.

Last I saw he was still running around without one.

Unless he gets injured playing for 'em... 

339409[/snapback]

You mean a la Gresko style?

This post is cancelled.

I'll give you odds of 1000 to 1 you wont see Leicester City in the bottom five of the premiership this coming season.

Well, for what it's worth, here's my final table.

I think Spurs will be the most improved team this year and I've stuck my neck out and predicted all three promoted sides to stay up.

Newcastle and Villa will disappoint their fans.

Chelsea

Arsenal

Spurs

Man Utd

Liverpool

Man City

Boro

Everton

ROVERS

Charlton

Bolton

Sunderland

Newcastle

Brum

Villa

West Ham

Wigan

W.B.A.

Pompey

Fulham

My season ticket came this morning complete with a membership pack of a mouse mat, keyring, sticker, goals of the season dvd   that was a nice surprise

335387[/snapback]

So did mine .The fixture list poster is up on the wall in our office much to the annoyance of a Burnley supporter.

I haven't found a sticker but I do have a car air freshener.

Any more news of the match?

Quite, Eddie, quite!

This report is fantastic. It beats anything you read in the "News of the World".

My dad took me on in 1951-52

First team I remember was:-

Jack Patterson; Ron Suart, Bill Eckersley; Jacky Campbell, Bill Holt, Eric Bell; Les Graham (or Anderson), Eddie Crossan, Joe Harris, Paul Todd, Jacky Wharton.

First game I really remember was the opening game of the season at Ewood v Sheff Utd. We got stuffed 5-1.

So it must be about 53 seasons but only a season ticket since the arrival of King Kenny.

Quote Colin

One yellow card, no writhing about "oh my gawd my leg's broken." "Ooops it's OK now."

No mouthing off at the ref, no hystronics when the throw in was given the other way.

None of that crap when a foul was given. Unquote

Also it has been demonstrated that it is possible to play the beautiful game without gobbing out every two minutes.

glad PNE didn't do it.  I had an extra bevvy when Zamora scored.  Coming orisinally from Leyland, when the Rovers Leyland support would not have filled a mini-bus, PNE were always the opposition...Burnley mean nowt to those of us from West of Blackburn.

Stay down you PNE scummers!!!

320366[/snapback]

I know another bloke near me who is just as glad. He calls their ground "Weepdale".

Even though we have a defence as tight as a duck's a##e, I have a feeling this will be a 2-2 draw.

Todds not a dirty player, van muppet ran into him. It did bring a smile to my face though.

Todd was running back into the penalty area with his eyes fixed on the goal; net; other defenders; whatever............ He was unaware of Van Persie but he was travelling at speed; i.e.running (and when you run your elbows stick out a bit).

Van Persie turned rapidly to his left (wheeled around to celebrate if you would) and, unfortunately, got slammed in the mouth by Todds elbow/shoulder/upper arm.

Van Persie rolling on the ground, holding his head was the first time an Arsenal player was justified in doing so. All his comrades before him were play-actors; and this is what genuine football fans in this country are getting p***ed off with.

I get sick of the media. In September they had us down for relegation certainties. Then Souness left ( thank goodness) and Sparky and his team have turned us around to keep us in the Prem and take us to an F A Cup semi-final. We play like Everton. Do the media slag off Everton??

Let's adopt the Millwall slogan and shout to the world:-

NO ONE LIKES US....................WE DON'T CARE!!!!

Have I digressed? Sorry.

What's the betting it will be Andy D'Urso?

Dickov must be doing something bad to have me screaming obcenities at him for 90 minutes; not just this game but others this year (2005). I'd like to see Stead and Johnson in a 4-4-2 formation.

Matteo is a central defender as is Johannson. Both were not fully fit.

We have three left backs one of whom is out injured for the season and the other two are on loan at Gillingham and Leeds United.

Lucas Neill is pretty poor.

We need two good full-backs in the summer as well as two good strikers.

The Arsenal players were far better quality than the Rovers players except for Nelsen and Pedersen. They are our only class players; a sad fact

I have never seen a Blackburn team working this hard for each other, fantastic! Just a shame about MGP and his awful set pieces, but imo we got the strategy spot on today..

The reason Liverpool didn't create anything to trouble Friedel, wasn't because they just had an off night, it was all down to the hard work from every player in the blue and white, and I feelt proud sitting in pub watching!

Now that Hughes has sorted our defense out, we should start working on those counter attack situations. If our passing were a bit better and the wide men could have gotten in position a bit faster then we might have won it.

Mokoena along with Nelson and Todd was brilliant today, just BRILLIANT! Hope we use the same tactics for the Arsenal game trying to get force them ouf of playing that "flowing football" @#/?..

You've said it all.

What a superb team performance; terrific hard work; everyone running, chasing and helping each other.

Liverpool were a far more skilful side than Everton and pressed us for 80 of the 90 minutes.

But we were up to it.

My verdict on the effort........EXCELLENT.......Proud of the lads!

Sparky and his team are doing a great job. Moaners stop complaining.

I cant see us scoring. If we can play as well as we did at Everton we may scrape a 0-0 draw. But we have to have eleven on the field for the whole game.

Fingers crossed.

I have an audio tape of Radio Rovers from a home game v Huddersfield Town in the 2nd Div. I play it from time to time. I enjoy it.

There's an interview with Tony Parkes. We'd just beaten Liverpool at Anfield in the cup. I think Nathan Blake scored from a McAteer cross.

Scott Sellars and George Donis are in Huddersfield's squad.

The music starts with Final Countdown then goes into D J Sakin & Friends' "Protect your mind (for the love of a princess)" and finishes with Queen's "We will rock you".

This was always my favourite pre kick off compilation.