It looks like we could well have Warnock at LB. Not bad, but hardly going to set the world alight.

On tonights evidenceI can see why Hughes has a roving eye as far as strikers are concerned... While Benni clearly has bags of skill none of our strikers really are ones you expect to threaten a defence. We need a player who is going to cause damage in the box.

He got Stead and THompson on the cheap too, both well worth their small transfer fees to the club.

I'd say there were two. Feyenoord's left back was utterly outstanding. Managed to nullify both Brett and Bentley. Overall on the basis of that Nonda has to lose his place in the side. He was presented with two clearcut opportunities and completely wasted them while offering little else all game. Jeffers looked sharp, but if we want someone who can finish then I would suggest giving Gallagher a shot. Ooijer was superb, especially picking up the ball and going forward. If we are short in midifield again then I cannot see why we don't utilise him as a defensive midfielder. He can pass very well. We need our forwards to start producing goals! ps. I am an adament admirer of Hughes but I am alittle perplexed as to why he doesn't be a little more adventerous in his selections. Gallagher, Peter, Jeffers all deserve more of a crack at the whip than they are getting (I'm not talking starting them, but mor like subtitute appearences on the hour mark rather than 80 minutes in). If nothing else it will give those players underperforming at LM and Striker a kick up the ass.

Very true. Once BRISA is up and running elections could be held for a small group of three or four, of which one is the clear leader (president or somesuch), to direct policy every season. It would be a good way of keeping focussed while including the whole membership.

I have always thought, well this year will probably be his last...but now I am really beginning to ask "could he make 40?" His style of game does not demand much pace and to be honest he seems more accomplished defensively now than he did three years ago. Certainly more willingand effective in the tackle (even if it still leaves much to be desired. In Tugay we have a player every supporter in the land should be jealous of. A true entertainer who puts the effort in too.

As nice as that sounds Fife, if it were generally true then Accy would be averaging 20k a week at the moment while we were in front of a man and a dog. People like to see good football. The falling attendances across the game, to me anyway, seem more to do with lack of competition (same top four every year), rising gate price and availability of TV games than anything else. Diving needs to be stamped out in the interest of fairness, but I don't really think it drives away crowds.

A different way of looking at it would be that he is a straight replacement for Roberts who could be out for longer than anticipated. Anyhow none of our strikers are really setting the world on fire so maybe this will inspire them to greater efforts...

Whooooooah there. All I was saying was that no one is likely to invest in us. Personally, I think we are doing fine without investment and can continue in that vein provided we keep good management. We are in the same boat as most clubs in the league and remain very competitive.

The only asset we have really, and it is a pretty massive one, is that we are a Premiership football team. I would suggest that every Premiership team apart from Wigan, possibly Reading and Bolton represent more attractive investments than us. Why? Because all those clubs, from Fulham to Middlesborough, have catchment areas that imply serious success entails serious expansions of crowds and revenue, plus the added incentive, in most cases, of having more valuable real estate in town centres. No one is going to want to buy our club unless either a) They don't have much money so cannot afford a more attractive investment- and thus will not provide us with much cash They have some special attachment to the club. Who have been bought out by investors with serious money in the last ten years? Chelsea, West Ham, Spurs, Liverpool, Man Utd, Newcastle, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Fulham, Portsmouth. All crucially big city clubs. The best the likes of us and Wigan can hope for is that a local individual will sort us out with some cash. Which, amazingly fortunately, did happen for both our teams. Indeed on the surface of it if I was a foreign investor looking for a club to play with, and possibly makes some money from, I would consider the likes of Leeds, Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday before us depending on debt. Why? Bigger potential crowds, larger local incomes, larger possibility of expanding revenue. I will eat a row of hats if any foreign investor comes in and invests serious amounts of money in our transfer budget. It would be insanity.

I would suggest that you are expecting negative relpies to your post as it is pretty much the only logical response to it. To me, and to most I would imagine, it seems ridiculous that you are knocking someone else for merely trying to do something. By all means suggest ways to do things differently in order to achieve better results, or object to methods used if you consider it damaging in some way, but to advocate just doing nothing is absolutely pathetic. Why do someone down for trying to make a difference? It's the single most indefensible argument to adopt. They don't appear to be hurting anybody and they are trying to achieve something, both in stark relief to the nature of your post which only appears motivated to insult the individuals involved. Incidentally, what on earth is wrong with being a do-gooder? Would you rather everybody sat on their hands and did nothing? What do you wish to achieve through that? You imply that BRISA are having some kind of negative effect through their actions but I can't really see how that is. Unless you can demonstrate that in some way or another you haven't really got a point... ps. I am not a member of BRISA, but I hate it when people try to discourage others from trying to make a constructive impact in any field. The effort put in, no matter whether you agree with the outcomes, has to be respected not derided.

The way Henchoz played today I would be supirised if Zurab came back in. Niell is a bit more interesting as Gray has just been outstanding against Spurs. I would suspect Niell will get his place back but it woul dbe harsh on Mickey...

He has to be gone now, we had just about the weakest bench going and he still couldn't sneak on to it. Personally, If Tugay's card is not recinded, I would like to see Gally play on the wing with Bentley inside. Hardly likely though. I can't help but think Hughes has a problem with Gally's attitude. He would have made an appearance by now if it was judged on talent alone. I don't think anyone can argue that Glly is a worse player than Jeffers, Peter, Mokoena or McEverley.

I posted this in the Vinjay thread but it probably bears repeating: When was the last time a club who attract a gate of sub 30k reached the top four? That would be us then. When we won it and were backed in the range of tens of millions by Jack. Next best? Ipswich came fifth in 2001. They were relegated a year later. Next best after that? Us again in 2003 and 2006 when we finished sixth. The only club I can think of who manage to compete despite having a massive disadvantage in terms of crowds is Monaco. And they have fantastically wealthy supporters. On anysort of rational basis we are massively punching above our weight, along with the likesof Bolton and Fulham, any other conclusion is ridiculous. Our task is to build on that, which we seem to be doing a sterling job of, but we are always hamstung- small support means less revenue and less ability to draw top names to us. Which is why our achievements are so impressive. I do not advocate pessimism, but I think it is important to realistically appreciate the disadvantages we face.

Thanks FLB. My team then: Freidal Emerton Ooijer Zurab Gray Bentley Savage Tugay Peter Nonda McCarthy Subs: Brown, Henchoz, Mokoena, Gallagher, Jeffers Gray against Lennon... oh dear! I hope Aaron isn't fit. I would like to see Gally given some time out there but it is easily possible he won't make the bench. If he doesn't make an appearence in the next few games, especially in the injury cirisis we have, that has to be a clear indication he is surplus to requirements. Savage for captain? Or Tugay?

I am abit confused: I thought Ped was injured and Neill was going to make the game. Anyhow, if Savage is available that is a HUGE boost and we might actually be able to win this one. Emerton will surely play rightback.

I have to say that piece is much more well argued than that which graced the board during his visit here. And he does have a couple of points about ambition. The real bone of contention is that Vinjay clearly sees us as a club that has a right to be in the top four, only held back from such a lofty position by the inadequacy of our staff and fanbase. He does not accept that we suffer disadvantages in terms of resources compared to other clubs which makes it very difficult to compete with them. When you consider that we do in actuality suffer a massive resource deficit compared to the top four and even our neighbors, Vinjay does appear suffering from some sort of mania. He is completely unwilling to recognise actual facts. When was the last time a club who attract a gate of sub 30k reached the top four? That would be us then. When we won it and were backed in the range of tens of millions by Jack. Next best? Ipswich came fifth in 2001. They were relegated a year later. Next best after that? Us again in 2003 and 2006 when we finished sixth. While I am a big fan of optimisim - you should always be optimistic in order to target the highest achievement possible - in order to be effective you also need to make sure that optimism is within the realms of realism. Vinjay rejects realism in favor of a vague belief of the intrisic ability for Rovers to be in the top four.

Seconded! How can we be playing players who are not regulars for their club sides? SWP is obvious quality but you cannot bring them in when they are out of practice. We have a real problem so far as strikers go, I guess we can only hope for Ashton to come back and set the world alight. And Carrick needs to lose his place to, or play alongside, someone who can put his foot in and maintain the tempo. In Hargreaves absence the only real candidate is Scott Parker.

I have had a bit of a think about this and I have to say I am a little confused as to where we could play Dave. As an attacking midifelder he can only really, in a 442, play out wide unless we get in a proper holding midfielder. He can't do the Tugay thing of sitting deep, so in the middle Savage or Reid would have to be willing to play deeper which, in turn, reduce their effectiveness. With Bentley having the Right wing stiched up and Mokoena playing so poorly the only way I can see Dunnie breaking into the side is through a spot on the left or having a crack as the second striker up front. He has shown he can do both. I would put money on him, if he does come, being used as a utility player on the bench rather than a starting player, even in the injury crisis we are in at the moment. And if we really can get him for 500k-£1m he would be ideal to bring on to cause problems in the last half hour.

I'm just going to be honest about this- I have seen Warnock play a number of times yet can't really remember anything significant about them. I know he has played for the under 21s but then so has Jay... Anybody feel qualified to give an assessment of the quality of player he is? Ideally we are looking for someone with a bit of pace and good positional sense. Not so bothered about how well he get forward, although that would be a nice bonus. Provided he is not tragic then it should be a decent piece of business, especially if you consider that Neill has lost his place to Emerton and we will recieve £0 if he stays till May.

I don't think that is a very convincing argument. I do not think he could perform much worse than MGP has played in games. He has weaknesses, as do all of our players, but I cannot see why he shouldn't get a shot especially due to: A We have an average of a game every 3-4 days for over a month B We have a squad ravaged by injury C We cannot sign anyone till january D we only have four other fit midfielder (Pedersen is now out). The thing that gets me is that he is a very creative player, somethng we have been missing.

Actually I have to say I am a little puzzled that he plays so far up the pitch even in a 442. If I was Hughes I would tell him to not go past the halfway line and just mop up. He is so hopeless at attacking that it is utterly pointless for him to be n the final third. I suppose the major issue would be that Tugay woul dhave to play further up than he would ideally like but ultimately it has to work better.

I dont think this can be classed as a 'PC' issue, it's is sexism, no other way of looking at it. Newell is just asking for a kicking from the FA. If he wanted to question the involvement of Women in officiating he could have done it in a way that actually had a structured argument and a less provocative vocabulary. Instead he came accross as a bigot. The broader issue of should women officiate is tricky- as it is a man's competition in terms of players you can ask why should women officiate. If the theory of equality was taken to the logical extreme you could say that Women should be allowed to compete on the pitch (might actually happen one day...). What I hardly think is true is that a woman is going to be inherantly worse as an official merely from being a woman.

A. I really want to see Gally given a shot but Hughes doesn't seem to want to throw him in. b. We really cannot play a midfield which has no ball winner in it. It is suicide. We are stuck with the axe I am afraid.

Birmingham are like Rovers academy...