There is no such thing as "a natural level" in football. Why would I be suggesting that they "are a natural level above us" then? I'd have no difficulty in communicating that so you are just putting words into my mouth. Charlton are a Premiership side based in London. Their customers are likely to be, on the whole, more attractive to a sponsor to influence than the Rovers customers are. Nobody suggested about them being "seemingly our superiors" except you in this post I quoted. They aren't our superiors on the football pitch. At the moment however I'd expect they represent a more attractive club to sponsor. The sponsors agree and it certainly isn't something good management can turn around alone.

Are you tryind to tar all with the same brush Matt? There may be some on here that go over the top but most are quite grounded I think. Yet other national supporters term all England fans as way too demanding. Some are definitely but this time we have as good a chance as any* IF things go our way/the team gels etc etc. Don't think that is 'hysteria' and I'd suggest that is the view of most of the reasoned posters on here. *Apart from Brazil of course. Can't remember a major tournament were one team has seemed to be such heavy favourites before. joey big nose - Regarding the 1990 defence. Des Walker really was excellent at that time, just about the fastest thing on two legs! It wasn't until a few years later when he left for Italy that his career seemed to go into a bit of a decline. The goalkeeper hasn't been mentioned but even at that stage of his career Peter Shilton was head and shoulders in quality above anyone we may field between the sticks.

That's a bit unfair. Owen was battling for a place alongside Ronaldo, Raul, Morientes (until sold) and still managed to have the best goals per game ratio. With Robinho coming in as well it was about time he left. Not that I think he is a world class player necessarily as his all-round game is nothing special. World class player...no but his finishing (at least when on form) is pretty damn clinical. England...joint second favourites with a host of other teams. We need to top the group really and even then are likely to end up with Argentina in the quarters. Sweden are certainly beatable but then again, so are we. On an optimistic note I will predict England losing to Brazil in the semis. Oh and for Rovermatt and RoyRover to whinge about us all the way through. 'Arrogant', 'overconfidence', 'lack of respect' etc etc etc. They've started early this time! RoyRover - England had the second best qualifying record in Europe so " the fact that they had a less than impressive qualifing campaign" is in fact a fallacy. The seedings were based on records not subjective opinions.

Charlton play to a usually full stadium (at least they did a few months ago) in a city with many rich inhabitants. If you think we are anywhere near as attractive for sponsors as them then I can only say I have to disagree. Despite that I agree that we do seem to do ourselves down a little bit too much.

Bit of both...but thinking that wanting it to be a global World Cup (notice the word 'World' there, not 'Continental' or 'Provincial') means it is PC is just being silly. Playing the 'PC card' at every opportunity is like others playing the 'racist' card whenever someone mentions immigration. Just flash it out and pretend there is some sort of conspiracy. Teams from all over the world is good for the World Cup.

AESF - The actions of FIFA will lead to a global event which can be viewed by the whole world with excitement. Even the countries who aren't there can dream about next time. It isn't about PC it's about being a REAL World Cup!!! This is a World Cup. Your version would just be the Champions League for national teams. Elitist, boring and aloof. It would turn off millions. As for - "What is so terrible or shameful about having 3 European teams in one group?". Nothing at all...but it's just boring that's all. We already have that in the qualifiers for both the Euros and the World Cup as well the European Championship finals. You want that again??? Where is a sleepy smilie when I need one? I'd go to sleep if the World Cup was the same all over again. It isn't though, it is a special event. Partly because of the way it is organised and which you disagree with.

Yes exactly my point...if other people stopped responding to him then the threads wouldn't be ruined. Most of the points he raises are not worth the effort of a reply anyway.

They have in The Times as well but mentions no sources. Football in brief - Bellamy blow

Well...it is almost Christmas! Expect him to predict our next win about same time next year.

As andy says "USA,USA,USA!" is just as bad. As is "Eng-ur-land, Eng-ur-land, Eng-ur-land" when heard for the millionth or so time watching one match. I'll be following how the nations perform who are new to the World Cup, such as Togo, Angola, Ukraine and Trinidad & Tobago. Far more interesting than yet more European teams like Denmark or whoever AESF wanted in. The World Cup should be a global event, not just the Euros + Brazil & Argentina.

Why don't those moaning about vinjay just stick him on ignore? The guy is a windup merchant. Either ignore him or laugh at him. Hopefully Kuqi up front then, bustling about to set up chances for others and force mistakes out of hassled defenders. Won't be pretty then...

When Dunn was here there were constant 'lazy' and 'fat' jibes from fans. Now he has left he's turned into Colin Hendry in terms o effort. Dunn - good player and a fan but too injury prone to be spending millions on surely?

Paul Gallagher should be performing for the Sky cameras on Friday for Stoke against Leicester. Be interesting if anybody can say how he does as, funnily enough, they won't bother screening that in China!

The money Romanov has put into Hearts is supposedly all through loans so he will get it back someday presumably. The money invested in Hearts (even when viewed as relative to the less costly SPL) cannot be compared to what Jack Walker put into Rovers. Jack paid for a ground, world class players etc etc. Romanov has done very little in comparison in what is still a very short reign thus far. Hearts fans (and they should have plenty of potential being from a large city) may be enjoying the ride but they must all be a bit apprehensive at where it will eventually leave them. Under Uncle Jack, we had no such worries for the future. There really was only one Jack Walker. We won't get another like him and we have nothing that would attract an Ambramovich. Can't see the club being sold in the near future (as EiT suggested his thoughts were) at all really. Lot of good posts on this subject, including from both philipl and EiT despite their sometimes opposing views.

Of course we'd all most likely agree with that but it is all pie in the sky at the moment. We have the Walker Trust at the moment and the club continues to perform solidly if unspectacularly. The input we receive each year is certainly welcome and should only be relenquished if (and it's a very big IF as it is to be only conjectured about obviously unless it ever materialises) a more dynamic leader emerges for our club. We should beware of Greeks (or any other nationality!) bearing gifts however. Under the Trust it seems our future is assured. If we are to throw caution to the wind it may come back to bite us on the bum. Errr...or something, got lost with all those idioms there. What I mean is that Blackburn Rovers are a bit like the UK economy. We are pretty calm at the moment, moving on without too much fuss. If we change we risk going back to the 'Boom and Bust' days. I'd rather have the Walker Trust overlooking things than some 'Malayasian plutocrat' or whichever chancer came along and liked the look of us.

Both Wigan and Reading represented lower table sides that had the potential, given a cash booster, to shoot up the leagues. We can't go much further than we are and are unlkely to ever get more than 26k average attendance even if we were in the Champions League. A far better investment would surely be in a team like Aston Villa or Sunderland where the fans will most likely come given enough to hope for. The position we find ourselves in is excellent. Premiership football has moved on financially since the days when we were 2nd in December (as Vinjay likes to remind us). I'd like us to be a little higher up the league but we do have that potential. There is no need for Vinjay to want change as, overall, we have it pretty damn good at the moment.

We really should win this one. West Ham should come and look to play football (which has been much to their credit this season) but we can outplay them at home. Tugay a must for me, bring back Dickov in place of Bentley (bringing Kuqi on as a supersub means giving him a bit more time than last Saturday), Zurab for Todd (presuming he is suspended already or is that starting next week?) and Savage in for Reid. I'd actually be interested to see how a Mokoena-Tugay midfield pairing worked. All in all should be a enjoyable game with lots of passing, skill, goals and entertainment... ...so a 0-0 bore draw it is . Nah, I'll be positive it's coming up to Christmas...3-1 t'Rovers. PS - Good preview tcj, although I am interested in how many previews will begin with the word 'Well...'. That's two in a row now after 1864's Everton preview.

If I'd had to choose between winning on Wednesday or today then a quarter final cup tie is a better reward than three points. It's our only real chance of success. That said, the next home game becomes a really important fixture. We have an excellent home record against West Ham I believe, I especially recall the 7-1 thrashing, so hopefully we can pay them back for the opening day defeat.

Excellent post from philipl, sums it up nicely. Personally thought he lost it when Cole went on a free. Awful decision which left us with a strikeforce made up of Dickov, Stead and the last-minute rescuse package of, er...., Jay Boothroyd. By then though he had been placed on a long-term lucrative contract. Rovers - and especially John Williams who made it continually known that Souness was his man - got very lucky thanks to Newcastle.

Nope...I'd put money on it being that he was Vietnamese, if he was a white Aussie they wouldn't have hung him. Just the way it is Dave. Similar to Vietnam, Cambodia, China etc. They don't like to hang a white person. No problem hanging their own or another of Asian descent but a whitey...

So I guess he is of Thai ancestry then? If he was an Aussie 'born and bred' (for want of a better phrase) then it is unlikely they would ever hang him. It's a similar situation in other countries. They will use the death penalty on their own citizens or even those who have since become citizens in other countries but won't usually use it on anyone from the western world. Similar situations seem to happen throughout the east.

Nakata looked a world beater when at Roma for a time and definitely is a very skillful player. Doubt Fiorentina would hold out for 2.5million. These are the type of players we need to be looking at. Quality but down on their luck and needed a new start. It was how we got Tugay, who was mainly busy warming the bench at Ibrox before we snapped him up.

I'm against capital punishment but, when in Rome...

A one-minute silence for a convicted drug smuggler???...and people were moaning at having one for George Best!

The signings he has made should have been shooting them up the table. Solano, Emre, Luque, Owen, Parker are all quality. Even his other signings that have not quite worked so well (Boumsong, Babayaro, Faye) have the ability to be performing much better. Souness has the players and should be doing way better. Don't think Fat Freddie will want to sack him though...he appointed him after all. After sacking Robson to do so it will reflect very badly on him. Souness isn't the only one at Newcastle praying for a very speedy turnaround.