Interesting from what Cole says. I’d be very disappointed to see him leave and from the way he applauded the fans on Saturday, it did look as if he might be off. But looking at the situation why it is a possibility that he’s leaving? There is no way after this season that Cole should leave, clearly he’s been one of our best players this season, scored some good goals and hasn’t had enough chances created for him, but has still worked hard. Or is it still the row, disagreement that Cole had with the manager, which I imagine is probably the more definite reason. If there was a different manager at the club at present I’m sure Cole would stay, after all the decision is up to the manager and not the fans. Souness will get his way eventually, his contract runs out next season, but if an offer was to come in for Cole would the club sell him? Probably. Hope he stays.

Thought this song could get going for next season. Easy to follow and chant. Stead will tear you apart - by Joy Division - Love will tear us apart United sing it for Giggs, haven`t really had one with Stead so far. What you think?

I’m still unsure whether Cole will stay or go. But I do have similar feelings with previous posts. Cole clapped the Blackburn End for a long period of time, whilst we were all chanting his song. It did look like as If it could have been a goodbye and his interview of the Radio was very interesting. He seems an honest player and I would be very sad to see him leave, as I think Cole has found the right player to partner up front with him since Jansen with Stead. But Cole, Souness doesn’t get on together, so again another player doesn’t get on with the manager.

Reading this article makes interesting reading. Smith is adored by the fans of Leeds and Smith has always said that he’ll move to the club that he wants to go to. However if Smith did leave Leeds for United how would he be received back at Elland Road if Leeds were to reach promotion and back in the Premiership in a red shirt, possibly in the same hostility as Cantona and Ferdinand have received in the past. From a Leeds fan perspective I would have thought that they would let Smith go, as if they have a choice, to leave for any club apart from United. Might happen as there is uncertainties with Ruud`s future at present. Smith open to Man Utd offer

Rovers 2 - 2 Birmingham Stead, Cole - Forsell (2) Attendance : 26,542

After hearing the comments from Ranieri he still thinks that there is hope that he’ll be manager next season. I don’t think he will personally. The Porto coach seems that he will the manager next season at Stamford Bridge. Seems clear after from reports that both his family and himself were looking at housing property there, now it seems certain that he’ll be the boss. Ranieri`s comments were humorous once again with him almost spelling out to Uncle Roman what he’s achieved in various leagues and where his team has finished each season. It’s certain that he’s leaving and the Porto coach is coming to England. I feel sorry for Ranieri, he did make mistakes at Monaco but overall he has done a brilliant job there considering the pressure that he’s been under. To finish second, behind probably the best team that has been in an English League for a long time, Arsenal is an achievement in itself. The way he’s been treated apart from the fans at Chelsea is shameful. If Souness was to leave I’d love Claudio to be the manager. RANIERI OPEN TO LONDON OFFERS

I can see why Lampard has asked for more money but I don’t agree with what he’s said. Lampard has been one of Chelsea’s best performers this season and has performed well on a consistent basis. He probably is on around £40k a week I would guess and Lampard knows that he has played well all season and with other team mates such as Crespo on £70k a week, what becomes a problem to the club is when one player plays well they think they should be the top earner. If the Porto boss comes in and what is suggested to happen from the link then the people at Chelsea and Roman have gone mad. Chelsea target Porto talent (You may have to register)

Interesting suggestion made by Smith in his thinking of moving abroad. I don’t think he’ll move abroad despite his thinking. I don’t think his temperament will suit the European Leagues. If Smith leaves Leeds which will be likely due to Leeds`s financial situation, Smith has made it clear that he’ll leave Leeds for the club HE wants to play for. SMITH LOOKING FOR MOVE TO EUROPE

Interesting that Celtic could be in the race to sign him. The advanages of Rivaldo going there is that he`ll be playing in the Champions League but the other advantages are that most weeks he`ll be playing in front of 8,000. Where as if he went Bolton then he`ll be in front of almost packed stadiums every week. SAM LOSING HOPE IN RIVALDO RACE Come on, It`ll never happen!

In some games this season he has been the best player for us. He isn’t the most elaborate of players but gets stuck in and does the nitty gritty. He does have a temper on him and is probably one of the reasons why he’s leaving. Best of luck to him for the future though. I’m disappointed that we won’t see another contest between him and Dugarry at Ewood again.

In all honesty I feel slightly sorry for Ternent. He’s done a terrific job over the years that he has been at Burnley. He kept them in the Second Division, lead them to promotion to the First Divison. Having to manage with a squad of so little amount of players for a season he has done remarkably well, getting the odd loan signing here and there, also with the lack of funds to improve his squad. I wouldn’t bet against him becoming a manager in the Premiership soon. I don`t think Kilby will find a manager as good as him to cope with the situation at Burnley.

I do feel sorry for Alan Smith and in some ways for the Leeds fans. I have family member who are season ticket holders at Leeds and will still travel home and away next season. Hearing it from the Leeds fans and their perspective of the things going on is that the majority of them blame Peter Ridsdale for what’s happened. A man who has wrecked the club. Players like Smith are rare players who show pride and passion for the shirt. He is a hot headed player, bad tempered showed from his sending off for England but he gives everything. Yesterday after the game showed what it meant to him. Perhaps Viduka should compare himself to Smith, for me Viduka let Leeds down completely yesterday Whoever gets Smith next season have a commited player for the cause. Smith confirms Leeds exit

It`s really getting stupid now with Abramovich who is prepared to pay over the world record for a transfer to get Beckham. In the end I`ll predict that everything will go wrong, Chelsea have a small chance of winning something in the Champions League if they pull the tie back. Chelsea if they don`t win something this season will have to win something next season without question. Does Abramovich actually meet the players? Chelsea must offer world record fee to land Beckham

Don`t start on that for the area we have a good support. Man City have had a bad season like ourselves but still have managed to sell more season ticket`s than Ewood`s capacity. Like Exiled_Rover big catchment area and Rovers hasn`t. But both us and City have had bad seasons and yet City have sold that amount of season tickets and we might not have over 15,000 season ticket holders for next season. They`ll never add cup games onto the price of the season ticket. I don`t know if they do this already but if there`s a child under the age of eight years or nine years of age and are going with an adult season ticket give the season ticket to the child for a cheap price or either free. It`s a good way to encourage young kids to get down to Ewood instead of wearing Liverpool and United shirts.

Getting a bit over the top here. Everybody knows that we have had a bad season but I don’t think we’ll be losing out to 3,000/5,000 season ticket holders not renewing. There will be some Rovers fans that aren’t happy with some games and understandably so but I would expect around 2,000 not to renew next season. It’s a shame, we have had bad performances although injuries have hit us hard that’s another matter. 14,000 season ticket holders I would expect at the minimum next season. By the way Man City have sold 32,000 season tickets so far for next season’s campaign regardless of what division they will be playing in next season.

The Chelsea scenario at the moment is getting out of hand. There is no doubt that out of the top three that Chelsea are the top of the spending and buying power of players. Abramovich what ever way he has worked for the money well done to him. It`s up to him more than anything but I think that his Chelsea team will turn into Abramovich`s dream team rather than what Ranieri thinks that the right players he thinks are there to buy and gel together. Ranieri`s done a terrific job he`s done there under the pressure and strain there this season. What I fear is that if other teams in mid table have a superstar such as Duff when he was at Rovers it only takes Abramovich to sign a cheque for what ever amount he wished to sign for. Say if Stead scores 30 goals plus the season after that he might end up at Chelsea. It`s to that stage now when football spending has become spending.

I did laugh to myself when I first heard this. I personally don`t think that Rivaldo would move to the Reebok unless a lot of money was offered to him. At the moment he`s playing somewhere in Brazil, Cruzieos or something. There`s no way that Bolton would keep on Jay Jay, Youri Djorkaeff, Campo and others plus Rivaldo. Allardayce said on Sky that it`s a hard time at the moment, players either don`t want to stay because not enough money is good enough for them and another club can give them that or they can`t attract players because they haven`t got the funds to provide for whoever it maybe. Like Scotty said if Bolton could pull the deal off then marketing wise Bolton would be very well off. Possibly capacity crowds most weeks, merchandise shirts etc would sell quickly.

If it is true, then Big Ron, with his lovely tan and nice white bright teeth will be in some serious bother. I am shocked by what he has said, but if it is true then he has to go. Well at least there`s a United fan off the Channel. Can`t find a link of itv`s site.

I was one to say that Souness should go this time last week. Two wins on the run and people may have changed their minds. I still think Souness should go, yesterday was a great win no doubt about it. We only won because the team we were playing against us was a team with hardly any quality. They were direct and we matched them for the aerial presence and towards the end managed to hit them on the break. However when we play United at home, I fear that if United play a full strength team they will rip us to pieces. The full backs time and time again gave good possession away. With Giggs, Scholes etc you can`t do that against teams like United. Still it amazes me how we our not in the bottom three. If we stay up then it is a miracle. It`s down to other teams, such as Wolves and Leicester who are far worse than us. We stay up and I`m convinced the board will keep Souness at the club. Although I`ll be keeping close attention to his summer signings and whoever leaves the club. I posted in the topic "If Souness Went" that a defender with pace is needed for sure. Questions have to be asked to Souness as a manager and a person. Time after time Souness has fallen out with player after player, several have left because of it. The question is who is going to be the next player to row with Souness?

Totally agree with some of the points you have made LeftWinger. He came and got us out of a real state, anyone remember losing to Barnsley in 99? 2-1 at home. Times have changed, ok we have had our fair share of injuries, but Souness has dug himself into a hole. He has had arguments with several players, some which have left. Now, you have to question the relationship between the manager and the players. From where I`m sitting every week, every player who puts on a blue and white shirt, should be going out on the pitch, and giving everything they have. This isn`t happening, so why? Pure , I can`t be bothered. Could be. But if the manager is having numerous of arguments with the players on the training pitch, then it`s not going to do a great deal to team morale. My opinion is that, Souness is the problem. He`s run out of ideas, and is trying everything possible that he can think of, some players don`t even deserve to be at the club, so why can`t he see it. He obviously has his favourites , but it`s too late now. He has to go, simple as that.

Souness has run out of ideas, and is trying out anything he can possibly think of. Did anyone see tonight`s Premiership? Yes! We were a main featured game, but for the wrong reasons, and we won`t be on again for a long time. They had the camera focused on both managers, particuarly Souness, who looked defeated after Leeds scored. In his interview he was annoyed by the arrogant comment the ref gave to him. We`ve heard that excuse for ages Graeme, simply if you forget about the penalty, apart from Cole`s effort, Robinson`s save, we didn`t really look like threatening Leeds, apart from the late goal. Simply, we`re not good enough to stay in this league, it may be hard to swallow, but it`s the truth.

Yes, where not in the relegation zone, but the past few games we have been slowly edging towards it, it`s only a matter of time. We have to win our next two games, to give us any slightest chance of staying up. We don`t have the bottle, Leeds did. They were up for it, we weren`t. There was no passion from the players, and that is what hurts the most. Leeds did, and that`s why they won.

Most of the players and management staff. Souness has to take the blame to a certain extent, he`s the one who makes the tactical decisons. All the fans can see what`s going wrong, and what has gone wrong in past games, so why can`t he? There`s only so much he can do when the players have crossed that white line. Souness is a passionate man, so he should have no trouble in getting the players motivated and up for it, but they`ve looked far from it. So does this suggest that the players have lost total respect for him? The players have to take a lot of the responsibilty. On paper we look a better team than Leeds, but Leeds showed more commitment and were more determined, we didn`t have any of that. The players don`t have the bottle, and I often wonder if they`re at all bothered. Some of them aren`t fit to wear the shirt.

Well said BuckyRover. Souness took over us when we were in a very poor state, and he managed very well to get us out. In the seasons apart from this season he has done very well, but you have to ask questions in why and what has gone wrong. I`m not blaming Souness entirely, but something is very wrong. Three wins at home all season, which is awful. The team has been booed off Ewood many times this season. To me, the effort of the players is not there. There must be reasons for this, such as they think they`re better than every other team they play, or simply they`re not playing for the manager. IF we lose to Leeds, I can see him going.

Agree with Le Chuck. Jet`s album was very dissapointing, only a few good tracks on there, which I could listen to for a long time. But my favoruite album that I have bought in the last couple of months, is Franz Ferdinand`s.