hughes has obviously experimented with Bentley performing the Tugay role (ie. lying deep and playmaking) several times, most recently in preseason and at the start of the season but so far it has been unsuccessful, especially when compared to his rapidly improving performances on the right. i think we would have to sign someone in, must be a priority in january with all the cash we saved up in the summer.

I take it that there is a proviso saying that we cannot be drawn against Englishclubs? Persoanlly I quite fancy rangers and ajax.

Wow, what a performance! we could have won by a couple more even. the most heartening thing is that we seem to have a partnership up front that really works, and in Bentley a player who is going from strength to strength. Ooijer, although patently not the MOM, was excellent as were Neill, Tugay and Emerton. no one had a bad game. Very confident that we can go on and cause teams real problems whoever we face.

Remember three out of the five teams go through so it is not that bad. And also that we are a better side than Boro and they somehow managed to get to the final!

Thus is going to be a good game, I am reeally looking forward to it! Certainly, barring injury, the same team to start as on Saturday. 2-0 Rovers (mcCarthy, bentley)

i think lancashire united would get a lot of support in the long term, if your talking ten years down the line after all the wounds healed and so on. But in the short term it would suffer a huge loss of crowds, merely on principle so many people wouldn't turn up to support a club that would be seen as killing what was their club. And this would result in the club completely failing to benefit for the anticipated revenue boost that would be expected to ccur. If football executives thought there was an appetite within the fan base for club almalgamations to work it would have already happend by now. Think Bristol- large city, two @#/? football clubs, clearly theoretically a massive boost in support and revenue could occur if the clubs joined forces, hasn't happend. Same story in East Lancs, yorkshire, the black country.

I absolutely agree with this. personally i grew to have a deep desire that Emerton would leave, he really was one of the most inefective wide players i had ever seen. However at right back he has been sensational and i have to say the upturn in form is nothing short of miraculous. Congratulations Mr Emerton. Considering just how good he is at RB and how bad he was at Rw it is staggering that it was not noticed before in three years and by two different managers until now.

Completely agree with that team. 2-1 Rovers. ooijer to have his first good game in a rovers shirt.

Well we certainly do have a better strikeforce if you take Bellamy out of the equation. and we should remember that Bellamy was injured for around half of last season.

And that Owen Hargreaves was the biggest waste of space in the squad... Some crystal ball that Phillip has, wish I had one.

With Tugay back and Nonda signing on we suddenly seem to have lots of options in all areas. Pedersen just played well for Norway so that might defer what would otherwise seem a certain dropping. It is hard to say what will happen with Ooijer too. My guess for the side: -----------Benni Nonda Bentley Savage Tugay Reid --Niell Ooijer Zurab Emerton ----------------Freidal Subs: Brown, Todd, Pedersen, Gallagher, Roberts But really there are a lot of combinations that could happen depending whats been going on in training. United 1-2 Rovers. Remember that liverpol were held well by United at bramall lane, so it will be tough...

Dunn is clearly a good enough player for the Premiership when fit, how people suggest otherwise is baffling. More direct and aggressive than Bentley, two very quick feet and an eye for goal. Indeed he is an outstanding talent and would be a good signing. However his temprement and fitness are both masively suspect. Bellamy, although troublesome, possessed a deep desire to win and push himself to the limit. Dunn rather appears to have little problem coasting along without stretching himself. I would be suprised if we offered anything like 2 mill for Dunn. 1 million would be justifiable, along with a contract of around 15k a week, as the loss would be containable should he fail to perform. Whether Dunn would fancy such a drop in wages is debateable.

SOundl like Warnock will be a straight swap if anything, cash plus Warnock is a bit of a stretch. Hmmmm.... I suppoise that would be okay.

To be fair I have always thought that Zurab is a better player than Todd not just based on that last performance. More pace, more technique, calmer, less prone to give away fouls and penalty. Sure Kishi lacks the physical dimension of Andy but overall you have to admit it will hardly be a critical blow if we lose our crazy captain. Also I have been completely mystified as to why Nelsen was not made club captain at the start of the season.

I can't really see how losing Todd would be a problem. Zurab and Nelsen are patently better players, Neill is decent in the centre and Ooijer must get better. If we get in 1-2m and use it to get a midfielder then I reckon we are up on the deal. Can't be long till Jan turns up....

I thought we played well ultimately. Emerton and Bentlry were superb and McCarthy looks very good. Zurab didn't put a foot wrong and Niell looked comfortable at rightback. Ooijer had a nightmare but he did, to be fair, look composed and in control for most of the game except the two goals. However in two weeks time he is going to be on the bench, I don't think there is a doubt about that. Roberts seemed pretty poor allround, but I have confidence that he is a better player, just that Chelsea could cope with him in a way Sheff Utd will not. The season starts with the next game. WIth Nelsen and Tugay back we will be an even better side.

With Hughes seeming to admit that Everton should have had a penalty yesterday I reckon Todd is going to get the chop for Ooijer. Apart from that I think Neill will make a reapperence and Emerton will be moved to the midfield to make it more robust. Lineup: ----------McCarthy Roberts --Gamst Savage Reid Emerton --Gray Oooijer Zurab Niell ------------------Friedel Subs: Brown, Todd, Gallagher, Bentley, Kuqi 2-1 Chesea with us taking the lead first.

2 million for a 32 year old centreback when, despite out current injury crisis, we already have four seems more than a little steep! I would guess that is out lot of signings for the summer (unless we lose a player), personally I would have rather seen a right winger or left back come in. Ho hum. Still, obviously a quality defender and I would guess we are looking for a Nelsen Ooijer combination in the middle for the coming season.

With a new season only a few hours old it Rovers have already had a day that many supporters would want to forget. A three goal loss against a Portsmouth side looking to leave their poor form of last year well behind was a disappointing start to a season which had been met, at least by our own dour standards, optimistically. Neill’s sending off for two cautions, his seventh in his career, combined with Andy Todd’s single card dismissal causes vast problems for the management team- injuries are haunting Hughes at the moment. The defensive line-up that appeared at Fratton Park was already depleted but the loss of the Australian and our captain will reduce us to a very makeshift back line. Nelsen is making a quick recovery and may be available (although that seems unlikely), and the acquisition of Ooijer would be very timely if he arrived before Wednesday. Incidentally Rovers will have already shot to the top of the foul play table, a competion we have championed the last two seasons, so perhaps the possibility of a points deduction should we win it again this season (as Phillipl has mentioned) should be investigated. Creativity also seems at something of a premium with Tugay still to sit out a further two games after picking up a suspension at the end of the last campaign. Bentley has come in as understudy but still seems a good way off the class of the Turkish maestro. With Rovers at least appearing to eschewing the signing of a central midfielder this transfer window it must be fervently hoped by all Blackburn fans that the under 21 star will fulfil the promise that is at present all too fleeting. An early substitution resulting from an all-round poor performance on the South Coast could mean he loses his place in the side, although armchair pundits are forced to wonder who would come in to fill his berth. Sanity preserving positivism dictates that all this misery should be put behind us however, and Wednesday sees Rovers have an ideal opportunity to do just that. Blackburn on Everton in their second game of the season at Ewood park which was last season something of a fortress. The lads claimed 13 victories and 3 draws out of 19 matches including two outstanding results against Chelsea and Manchester Utd, so hopes for victory should not be presumed entirely outlandish. One of the great plus points of the summer break was the double signing of McCarthy and Roberts, two different types of striker who built up a complimentary partnership of power and skill over the pre season. Neither really got into the game on Saturday, but all eyes will be on the new additions to create some gilt edged opportunities. Everton for their part have sparsely strengthened in the last few months, but those who they have brought in possess quality. The high profile signing of Andy Johnson (someone who will be looking to create a prolific partnership with fellow England international and former rover James Beattie) was followed by Tim Howard and the great defensive prospect Joleon Lescott. The Toffees have yoyoed up and down the table in recent years, finishing an astonishing fourth in 2004 and then dropping to an underwhelming 11th. On the weekend they managed a decent if fortuitous (apparently a penalty that never should have been) 2-1 victory over newly promoted Watford. Andy Van Der Meyder was left out of the side due to drinking shenanigans and that should carry over to Wednesday. For my money their biggest threats lie in the two strikers and the guile of Arteta, a player who scored an absolute cracker at Ewood Park last term. My tip for our line-up, likely to be wildly incorrect: --------------Roberts McCarthy Pedersen Savage Reid Gallagher ----Gray Moko Nelsen Ooijer? (please god!) --------------------Friedel Subs: Brown, Matteo, Bentley, Kuqi, Emerton I reckon for the score: 1-1 Questionnaire has been sent out, yet to receive the old reply. Good luck Rovers! God help us…

Bit confused about Zurab, thought he would at least be on the bench. Savage maybe injured. No cover on the bench! Only way to remedy would be to move Axe to midfield and bring on Emerton to right back. edit- apparently zurab is injured

With the injuries we have my money is on this lineup except that Gally will be on the bench somewhere, probably replacing Jeffers, and get a run out.

I can't see how we were not looking to sell him. Clearly he was third choice on the right last season after Bentley and Ried and was never trusted at right back. Axe and Reid have got the nod infront of him there. Likes others have said the reason for the contract must be that bids that came in were just not deemed sufficiently high. Ho hum, I guess this precludes ussigning a right winger. I would have loved to see someone like Gera come in. All that said it looks like Emerton will start on Saturday as both Tugay and Reid are out, and Gallagher is probably too lightweight to play wide with Bentley in the middle. Prove us all wrong Bert, please! edit- apparently he is probably injured for this weekend so Gally might get a chance.

I would guess if reid doesn't make it we would play Bentrley on the centre and Emerton on the right, putting Gallagher wide would mean a very weak tackling midifield. Buy a central midfielder!!

Team I'd like to see: ----------- McCarthy Roberts --Pedersen Savage Bentley Reid -----Gray Nelsen Zurab Niell --------------------Friedel Subs: Enckleman, Todd, Peter/Axe, Gallagher, Kuqi I have to say we are looking extremely thin in central midfield if someone gets injured with Tugay out but generally speaking that first 11 is a very good side. Gray and Bentley are the weak links, but all the rest you could make a case for being top players. I would go for a 1-1 draw I think. Roberts to get the one for us.

Thats genius!