At last someone OTHER than me recognises that people have been taken in by a load of smoke and mirrors. "Todd wouldn't wear the shirt". "David Dunn was too big for his boots". Both utter tosh, but put round by someone you all believed in wholeheartedly like good little Stepford wives. He'd been off the rails since the Celtic away match and no-one but me (and a couple of select others) seemed to recognise it. Thanks, DanLad for restoring my faith in sanity returning. I wouldnt say that, I think Flitcroft has been past it for two years now, and I dont think it is only me. I reckon Hughes is of very much the same opinion. He is in the side at the moment because Tugay and Thompson offer little security and are/were well out of form and he is a safe option. If Savage was fit Flitcroft would not play. I do not think Flitcroft will feature in Hughes' plans for next season as anything other than a bit part player, if that. If we switch to a 442 then he will be fourth in the que for a starting spot (behind Moko, Reid and Sav) and that is before we bring an extra central midfielder which looks likely. Flitcroft's strongest side of his game is his defence and engine, but even in these departments he is comprahensively outclassed by Reid, Sav and Moko. Add to that his complete non existence as an attacking force and I cannot see the point in even contemplating him as a first team player. If we had an offer of say 500k, even maybe 250k, I would think Hughes would let him go. I admit I was wrong to try and defend Souness for selling Dunn (though due to DD's injury problems it was actually quite a good deal) and the Cole thing was utterly ridiculous, but my opinion of Flitcroft has never been influenced by the big Scot.

If that website is accurate then they are left with maybe four players- Give, Faye, Shearer and Boumsong- who are considered 'good enough' by the fans. That seems ludicrous to me. What I would say is that I do not really think Newcastle have a dearth of talent. What they have is an unruly dressing room and a man who is completely hopeless at weilding his authority without alienating people. Its a time bomb. What odd's Souness will not be manager come next August? They will be quite long but worth a shot....

I have not watched the reserves so perhaps it is not fair for me to judge but is there really any youngsters who are going to add to a team which is doing extremely well? The places most open to competition are at left back, creative midfield, possibly wide right and striker. I do not really see a creative player amongst the youth ranks, Donally would appear to be the closest but opinion seems divided with the majority of the weight coming doen in the 'not good enough' camp. A right midfielder would be up against it with Thompson and Emerton knocking about. Striker is difficult as Stead and Dickov are currently battling for one berth. Left back is where I could see someone coming through- McEveley and Taylor probably have a shout but would Hughes want to upset a solid defence? From what I have heard the only stickon talents in the academy seem to be Garner and Derbyshire who are both about a year away from first team football due to their extreme youth. There is no point sticking kids in for the hell of it you have to be sure of a decent chance that it will add to the team in either the short or long term.

After last nights performance we have to be hoping for a win at home although a draw would be a more than decent result. How I would line it up: Sav needs time to get fit and cool off a bit. Dickov just needs the get fit part (and Stead played so well he deserves a chance to carry on his form).

What an absolutely fantastic result! We are climbing particularly as those around us fail. We have a game in hand and sit five points off city who are themselves only two points off 8th. While it is far too optimistic to say we will finish higher than we are now given that gap we should certainly expecting to be able to hold our position. It is also extremely gratifying, if a little petty, that we are currently above both Brum and the Barcodes. Who is getting genuinely excited about next season? I know I am.

Excellent preview, very well written. If we play as well as we did today we should get at least a draw. If we win it will put all relegation fears down, allow us to possibly leapfrog Brum with a game in hand and give us a look at a possible mid table finish. Team I would go for: It is possible that Hughes will stick with Dickov and Thompson but I think a couple of changes would do us good.

I thought we were very decent today and put in a good performance. Rovers were defensively sound, they only had about four oppertunites up until the 86th minute, and we havd two spells of good football and real pressure. There are areas that need improving in the side, notably left back and a bit of creativity in midfield, but the essential problem lay up front where we lacked a quality striker. A bit of pace, technique and finishing could have gone a long way and made all the difference. Dickov cannot provide these qualities and I doubt Stead ever will to the standard required. The team should not be dishartened, the scoreline was flattering to Arsenal and we were hardly played off the park. Our defence was strong and our midfield industrious. No reason to doubt we will continue on our upward curve.

Sporting index gave these odds on SSN. I went to their website but could only found spread bets. Paddy Power has us down at 6-1 on their website but I am holding out to find a 7-1. Anybody got a list of UK bookie sites?

We are 7-1 to win. Seven to bloody one- it is a two horse race cup tie at a neutral ground, we are the third best team in the league according to the form table and playing an Arsenal side missing Henry and Campbell. I think that is worth a tenner. Stick five quid on Pedersen to score first too 12-1

For the first time us actually finishing higher than Newcastle seems a possiblity. The barcodes seem all over the place- dressingroom untrest, poor organisation, suspensions and injuries. This could be a very poor month for them. If we could be above both Newcastle and Birmingham city come the end of the season I would be a happy man. It would show how far we have improved and have the bonus of giving the bird to those who denigrated us. While Hughes has been a revelation for Rovers, I doubt Tyneside views Graeme in a similar light.

What occoured to me is that Amo could do what Moko is doing for us if the axe got injured. Extremely similar types of player- massive, strong, decent technique and passing, good in the air. They even both share dodgy positioning sense (see Moko's games at centre back) although the South African has the Italian beat twice over for pace. Me and another member of the board (cant remember who it was) advocating him for the role around October. Not saying he would be able to reach Moko's incredible standards but in the event of injury/suspension I think he would be far more effective than Flitcroft or Savage as the holding midfielder in a 451.

Can someone sort out the clock on the site. It is doing my head in...................

I would be absolutely delighted to go but the problem for me is not the cost or the location, although being in Edinburgh as a student means it would be a major drain on funds. Put simply I do not possess any friends who are Rovers supporters. I love Blackburn and would go to every game I could afford but I cannot stomach traveling for games on my own. I did it quite a few times at away games when I lived in London and that was okay, I could meet mates in the pub afterwards, but going 200 miles to Ewood or 500 to Cardiff and having to stay in a hotel on my own just does not appeal. Football is a group experience and that option is just not available to me. Anybody in Edinburgh in the same position?

It will be very interesting to see what happens if we go to a 442 next season. The two outstanding midfielders of recent weeks, Reid and Moko, seem to be ill fitted to play in the more traditional formation. The most obvious set up is: This however may have limitations as Moko plays so deep, Reid would be relegated to the flank and we would lack a real creative player. The alternative would be to drop Moko, which would be harsh as he has been excellent, move Reid inside and stick Emerton on the right. Theoretically we might also be in the market for a midfielder in the summer too, someone like Parker would be nice if improbable, and it would create a real selection headache. Anyway these are nice problems to have. I would not be suprised at all if we line up 451 next season. May well be a case of if it aint broke..... What I would like to see if we do stick with 451 is a really talented creative midfielder who can pass, shoot and run at defenders sitting alongside Savage. And do you know the one who immediately springs to mind.... Dunn. He seems crocked however, unfortuntaely, so that would preclude a move. I would be thoroughly satisfied if we lined up like this next season, not neccesarily these players but players of this sort of quality. We do need a decent left back, someone who can overlap and defend well. If Gresko can find his form thats great but we may need to buy in.

Hey, I'm not defending the manner Ferguson's departure here, or his character for that matter, but this attitude of "he was always crap anyway, we're better off without him" is clearly nonsense. I am actually not very that we are missing him. If anybdy has taken his place as such it would be Mokoena and he is doing a stirling job. If we had any decent forwards for Ferguson to pass to we might miss him, but in the current defensive climate breaking on the ball I would say Savage and Reid are more suited going forward. For the money we got I am sure Hughes can make signings far more appropriate to the side.

Have you had you head stuck in the sand? He left because he felt Rovers were not in a position to challenge for Europe, had little hope of winning trophies, he was homesick and his hero Souness left and he coud not stick it out. He must of come to the conclusion that he just could not make it in the Premiership to the level he could in Scotland, which is pathetic in so much as it was obviously a hard move when he took it. He has potential but lacked to determination to carry it through. He wanted to be a big fish, he is as big as it comes north of the border, and could not cope when similar adulation was not forthcoming for a similar level of performance down south. We got 3.5 million rising to 4.5 million, although the conditions under which this occours are unclear.

I would say that Parker would be a supremely unrealistic buy. I cannot see him coming to us as clubs far higher in the table will want to have a look. He will also want to stay in London if he can. Everton, Liverpool (if Gerrard leaves), Newcastle, Spurs will all be very interested. Saying that Hughes should have a go, just to see. Maybe he can persuade him. Also I doubt Johansson and Stead will be starters next season, Hughes prefers Matteo over Nissa and Stead is obviously not rated that highly by Sparky (which is fair enough really, if you look at his form this season). I think Hughes will look for a left back to be ahead of Matteo and Johansson. We desperately need a bit of creativity in central midfield but no names really come to mind. Hughes should have a bit of a look around as I am sure he is. I think it not outsode the realms of possibility that both Bellamy and Carew could turn up in the summer. If decent bids come in I cannot see Hughes being opposed to the sale of Thompson, Emerton, Johansson, Amoruso, Gray, Flitcroft and, unfortunately, Stead. In reality all could stay as I cannot see anyone paying that much for them.

If they come out all guns blazing that will suit us. Reid, Pedersen and Thompson can hurt teams on the break if they have a bit of space. If Emertonand Stead fnd some form tht will help. What is important is who is coming back for Arsenal. If Gilberto and Campbell play we will have a much harder task. Realistically we will be massive underdogs but I would certainly say that outside of the top three we will offer as much of a challenge as anyone at the moment. We offer little space for Arsenal to play their football through. The run against Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd in the league will give us, and the players, an idea of how we will do.

But as Dale Arden said to Princess Aura when she said she would honour her wedding vows and not sink to the level of the evil Ming the Merciless, "That's what makes us better than you." You can learn a lot from Flash.. awesome If only t'young folk of today would watch a bit of flash, the world would be a better place....

I would go for that, its a good point. The only problem is he likes to play balls through but would not have too much to aim at. To be tight we need to not give the ball away which is something, unfortunately, that comes with Tugay's game. In retrospect against Leicester it may of been a good idea but against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool we have to wonder what they would achieve from the extra posession that would definately result.... it's a tricky one.

Did you watch us play Everton? That would be a better game to compare with a Liverpool side that will attack rather than a Leicester team that tried to "drag us down to their level" to quote Levein. We will get chances, we just need to put them away.

Would the FA not be contractually bound to play them at Cardiff? I would of expected them to of made some down payment for hiring the venue by now.... Hope it does move however, it should increase the attendance!

I dont see how you can blame Hughes. We put out a side that played arguably the performance of the season against Everton. We dominated posession in the first half and did not allow leicester to break. We could not create chances because Leicester put ten men behind the ball. If we started with two up it would of left us open to the counter attack with not much suggestion of a more effective attacing threat. Dickov and Stead have not looked a good partnership so why sacrifice a formation that looked so effective just to experiment? Giving Stead half an hour at the end was a good decision and one that won us the game. Against Liverpool we will use 451 as I imagine we will for the remainder of the season. We have decent wide players (Pedersen, Reid, Thompson, Emerton) and an excellent defensive midfielder in Moko but poor strikers. It seems to play to our strengths, which is not conceding goals. If Dickov is out for six weeks, as has been suggested, Stead will get the chance to fit into the lone striker role with Gally or Bothroyd coming on to help out if we go a goal down or are chasing at home. It is not pretty, but it is effective. Next season if we can find a decent playmaker (not many about these days, Tugay was an exceptional buy) and a good striker things will change, but you have to use what works best- which seems to be 451 at the moment. ps. Thommo was awful against Leicester where he had no space but I thought he was good against Everton, better than Emerton had been in the last couple. I would be disappointed if Emerton came back into the XI on Wednesday night.

Savage is not going to be fit for two weeks according to his half time interview on the Beeb. I think we do stand a decent chance if Liverpool decide to take the game to us. If I was Rafa and I had been watching Rovers recently, especially against Everton last week, I might well be tempted to put a 451 out myself but I am not sure the Liverpool fans would stand for that at home. The formation, despite being so insipid today, is amazingly effective at preventing a passing game at all- more so when you have someone so quick, tall and strong as Moko infront of the back four. Getting the beating of him would be a task even for as inspirational a player as Gerrard. Providing Liverpool go for a 442 I have a reasonably decent feeling about this game. I can see Pedersen, Stead, Thompson and Reid all giving them problems on the counter.

It will be interesting to see what Hughes does in this match. Today we were rock solid but with very few ideas. The options seem to be straight forward- drop Moko and play two up or just play with one striker. For me I will be suprised If Hughes doe not go for 451 again. Liverpool will be looking to attack and play through us so should provide a lot of space on the counter. Pedersen should be advised to help out the striker as much as possible. So who will be that striker? It will defo be Dickov if fit, but Hughes was saying he may no tbe able to pass the fitness test for Wednesday night. I would like, just out of curiosity, to see Stead start. Dickov was great today and did the business but he does not bring the midfield or, indeed, a striking partner into the game too often. He wins lots of free kicks but they ruin the flow of the game. Stead is no master of this either, but he is a small improvement. On that note I expect the team to be: 1-1 (hopefully!)