joey_big_nose

I cannot quite credit that it is all over yet, it will only finish when Barry comes out and says he "only wanted to leave because he was homesick but he will honour is contract blah, blah, blah...." or some other banal but appropriate excuse. Thompson is a decent player who can stand in so there is no need to play Ferguson unless the boy wants to play himself. If he does I would cheer rather than boo him- I cannot see how booing him off the park is going to help Blackburn Rovers at all. I wont be at the game though so, as Waggy says, I will be distanced from what the supporters feel.

That i disagree with. Gallagher might not have tricks but he has a footballing brain and creates space with his running and passing, much like Sheringham. Stead has a fair bit of strength and while being genrally ineffective this season he has not performed any worse than Bothroyd and has been better than Jansen. Stead and Gallagher should be given the nod on the basis of their decent performances as a partnership last season.

You should not be too disappointed, you have got a massive fee for the player at that age and if Bruce can find a decent young player and come out of the deal better than us. We have now got someone who has an exceptionally good relationship with Hughes and who can be a leader on the pitch. The fact Mark was willing to pay so much means that our manager really must feel he is going to make a huge difference to the way we play. Savage is interesting- pidgeonholed as a tenacious defensive midfielder but recently shown his ability as a creator and scorer of goals. If Ferguson does go it will be fascinating to see what kind of partner we will go after. I do not know why you spout off about there being a riot. We are about as unviolent bunch of fans as you will ever meet and if you treat our supporters and our team with the respect we deserve as we will treat you then there will be no trouble.

No, Shillito, I don't. If he is living in the real World - and from what we know about Ferguson he isnt - then he would reluctantly have to agree that he was never a £7.5 million player just because he had a few successful seasons in Scotland. £7.5m was Rangers valuation of the player. That's what Rovers had to pay. What anyone on here values him at doesn't make any difference to anything. If Rangers valued him at that price then, why should they value him at any less than that now? Rangers are counting on Barry forcing our hand. We are counting on Barry having the decency not to force it any more than he has done. It really comes down to that. I think what Williams and Phillipl are getting at is that there are certian 'rules of engagement' where all parties have to act with a certain amount of respect. We could have waited for Savage to decline to play andtry and force Birmingham to take something like a million. It was a possible option as long as Savage was willing to do it- but we paid a fair price "significantly above City's investment". We are hoping Barry and Rangers will do the same. But there is no way we can make them if Barry decides to undercut us unless we put him in the reserves which is throwing 30-40k a week out the window. If Rangers and Barry do play silly buggers it will be a new low not seen since Campbell screwed Spurs thoroughly.

Are you insane? Parker is the finest young midfielder in the Prem. He will be as good, or near to it, as Gerrard and Lampard. If he would come then we should take him! I like Barry Ferguson as a player but he is not as talented as Parker by a long way, unfortunately. If Parker goes I think evrybody in the league will have a look at him. There was talk of Valencia nosing about too. Dream world, but it might just happen......

Sadly, I think that sort of behaviour might be part of the course at Rovers with Mr Robbie Savage set to become a regular. I have to say, it was a bizarre decision to move MGP up front. Surely, it'd have made more sense, if we were looking for more defensive solidarity, to sub MGP for Reid. Anyways, we live to fight another day. Which is the good thing. Well you seem to of seen sense and abandoned the Donelley soap box (I wanted to see him given a chance but frankly gave up a long time ago- two manager and a pelthora of different FL clubs have not taken him on loan) and I think it is about time you dropped the MGP stuff too. Go on, delete it from your signature- it just looks silly.

The team, after last nights performance, seems to pick itself: Couple of things: If Thompson wants to be our midfield playmaker, something he might be able to do, he has to stop shooting all the bloody time. He scored two yesterday yes, but neither goal was a 35 yard screamer which he always tries. His main priorities have to be ball retention and trying to play the strikers through. Paul Scholes, the finest English attacking midfielder of the last decade, despite having an amzing set of shoting boots restricted himself to chances where he might actually be able to hit the target. I am a defender of Niell but he has to be dropped. Matteo has never looked capable, unfortunately, Im sure he used to be good....what did we do to him? Mokoena should keep his place. Stead and Gallagher to be given the first chance to stike up their relationship from last season. I cannot see how Jansen will feature. If Ferguson is fit it might be interesting to see if Hughes has the balls to play him- not going to win him any fans but might be attempted to try and scare Rangers into upping their bid. 2-1 Rovers (Gallagher, Emerton)

Arrrrgggghhh ! Two different players entirely. How can Thompson - the original headless chicken - perform a holding role in midfield ? I would hazard that Savage will hold the midfield while Thompson get on with his poultry like performances. Not a bad backup plan but capturing a player like Parker would be better.

I dont mean to seem like I am getting on your back, but thats just nonsense. Souness got together arguably the finest 'town' team in the country since our own Championship side of 95. He bought most of them, trained them, made the tactics. We finished sixth and were outstanding. Friedel-Niell-Berg-Short-Gresko-Thompson-Tugay-Dunn-Duff-Cole-Yorke He spent a fair bit to do it but others (notably Birmingham, Fulham) did also and never produced a team of that quality. To even consider that the playing staff left this season is worse than that when we were in the First is ridiculous. Despite the hamering they have taken Emerton and Reid turned out to be very decent players, Gray was our finest player in the second half of last season, Friedel is quality, Thompson even Pedersen. Ferguson, the boy of the day, is not a bad player either. What planet are you on? Souness bought players will continue to make up the core of the team and that is no bad bad thing. Many fo them are first class. He had his time with Blackburn, he lost it towards the end but the legacy was not monsterous... your agenda is just baffling.

I would not say that at all- he is not Einstein but he comes across very well. His interviews and ideas at the end of Vogts' reign seemed insightful and steered well clear of the 123 of Football cliches. To infantalise him seems a bit severe. He is no innocent- he clearly wants to go. The question is does he have the decency to not let us get completely screwed?

It is utterly disappointing that Ferguson cannot stick it out but he must have a couple of decent bones in his body so this is how I feel it should be set out. Williams, Hughes and Ferguson should sit down and talk it out, if they already have not done, and see how this can be done to everybody's satisfaction. This essentially means Rovers recouping 5 million (write off the debt plus 2.5-3m cash) and Barry going to Rangers. It should be made out to the player that as our Captain and employee he owes us nothing less than to stick by this. Vast sums were spent on his rehabilitation and wages while he was injured, to weaken our hand further would be absolutely unforgivable. Essentially Barry must agree to continue as a Blackburn player until Rangers, or any other club he can stomach a move to, pay that amount. He cannot feign injury, he cannot disrupt the team, he has to give 100%. He must recognise he owes the club, the fans and the manager. I am reasonably confident this can happen as it did with the likes of Saha, Boumsong etc where the player worked with the club to gain a decent fee. As for a replacement- Parker would be ideal but it might be a little triky to convince him the future is blue and white. It cannot however hurt Hughes to ask.

It is not really an enviable position for Hughes to be in: The only established regulars are Friedel, Todd, Emerton and Dickov. Possibly Johansson. Three players of definate captain material have arrived/will arrive but none can really instantly take the armband: Mokoena, Nelsen, Savage. The only sensible thing to do, and what I definately do think Hughes will do, is install Todd as a temporary captain and make it clear to him that is what is happening. If he shows he is capable after a couple of months he will keep it, if he does not I would imagine it will move on to Mokoena or Savage as they will have had time to settle in. Johansson, Thompson, Emerton and Dickov do not really look like captain material for various individual reasons, Friedel would be an excellent captain but his position precludes him.

Just pulling your leg, I am not particularly sympathetic to either of the old firm (nominally a Hearts fan due to my cousins) but I guess what I was getting at is there is a flavour of slight decline at Celtic and slight improvement at Rangers. Anyroads both clubs have huge problems in attracting decent players as they have niether cash nor the pulling power to do it. Interesting about McGeady, thats a huge claim to make. At present Duff is one of, if not the finest, left winger in the world. To displace arguably Ireland's most talented player ever (well him or Roy Keane) would require a fair bit I would imagine. And see him go to Chelsea no doubt.

How are you feeling about Celtics problems at the moment? Poor strikers apart from Sutton and a number of key players perhaps looking to move down South (Balde, Petrov). O'Niell worked wonders with what was available but McLeish seems to of seized the initiative in the transfer market. Prso, Boumsong, Ferguson (should they get him) all seem to be massively more enterprising signings than O'Niell has achived in recent times (Juninho, Camara) It must be frustrating when you are competing for players with the likes of Portsmouth, Southampton, West Brom. Oh, Celtic would kill for a player like Ferguson- you cannot deny that. Although you will.

Team I would like to see: Thats presuming Flitcroft is still out- is he? 2-0 Rovers (Gallager, Thompson)

Heres an interesting question that Radagast or RangerRovers views might shed some light on: Would Barry be playing in a better squad with the Gers or Blackburn? Personally as a Rovers supporter in Scotland I would say it is a reasonably tight balance but Blackburn edge it in terms of squad depth. Plus Rangers face the problem of their debt making it harder to improve than Rovers.

Pedersen scores again- sounded dangerous all afternoon. Looks like Graeme might have found a star.

I cannot see how he will get in the team, even on the bench. Surely Johansson, Todd, Mokeona and Nelson are all ahead of him, theres Short as well.... just taken for the ride. Amoruso is a real shame, if he could cut out the clumsy mistakes he would be first class. Mokeona looks like a similarly gungho player but hopefully without the loss of concentration. ps. What price 532? With the full backs out it could make sense. How I would play it: Im a big fan of the 442 but in the circumstances this would play to our strengths. Gallagher in particular could be a real creative catalyst behind the front two poking through passes. Flitcroft and Mokeona would be a formidible midfield pair.

Far too much for a player that age but he really could energise the team. Him and Ferguson playing together is a very exciting prospect. To get back three million (we sure as hell wont make much back on him in two years time) he needs to play like a man posessed, but funnily enough I think he might just about justify it. Now everybody moans how awful the Rovers team at the moment is etc. but with the lineup I think Hughes is aiming for we only really have two glaring weakness IMHO And those are a real 15-20 goal forward and a decent proven leftback. I doubt we really be able to provide either on the budget we have either, unfortunately. There are plenty of positives though: Plenty of bite in the midfield, creativity, good passing, decent wingers (if MGP cannot do it Reid and Thompson will have the chance to shine), commanding centrebacks, good keeper, reinvigorated right back and a useful scrapper up front. We are not short on strength in depth either with Reid, Thompson, Nelson, Gallagher (Great player, will be so good for us in the future), Johansson, Bothroyd, Flitcroft, Tugay on the sidelines. All these players have something to add to the club either as subs or working their way into the first team. On balance I think the squad has a huge amount of talent.

Dont my head off for being a bit sad but in football manager, i know its a computer game, contracts work on this basis: For players over 23 when a contract is signed he has two years in which he is under the complete control of the club- they can decide whether to allow him to talk to other teams. After that period the player becomes "unprotected" and other clubs can make offers which only have to be varified by an independent board (transfer tribunal?) and cannot be turned down by the club. Now, i have never seen the second case actually occour in real football but equally Eidos or whoever makes the game are utterly obsessed with accurate portrayal of this sort of thing. Could this be what Murray means?

Does not sound very good. I guess if Barry has decided he wants to go we are in a real position. Murray obviously holds great hopes of getting Ferguson very cheaply and the player could easily force our hand by placing a transfer request. Our hopes lie on one of three things occouring- 1. Barry decides he can cope with staying at Rovers and playing a very active part in the side till the end of the season at least. 2. Liverpool, Newcastle or any other top club start a bidding war driving Ferguson's price up to something acceptable. 3. Murray changes his mind and puts in an adequate bid. Otherwise we are facing losing our biggest playing asset for very little. ps. If Ferguson does want away, even if he stays we cannot have him as captain, can we? We do not have anybody to take over the armband... Flitcroft and Short are not regulars. Friedel or Dickov are probably the only real choices but neither inspires great confidence. Dickov lacks the presence and Friedel is a goalkeeper which makes it hard for him to inspire the whole team.

while rangers have made an offer is accurate, as yet Ferguson has made no inclination that he wants to leave so can we stop slagging him off. The homesickness thing is just a rumour at the moment. He is obviously interested in moving, he has not issued an Im staying at Blackburn statement, but that remains his prerogative. What he should not do by any means is force our hands to sell him cheap, a la Robbie Savage. The boots on the other foot...

Um, i think you have got that totally wrong. If everything was setup in the players favour then it WOULD be like it is for us mere mortals. They would be able to give the four weeks (or two if they had been employed by the club for less than a year) and walk out and sign for whom ever they pleased and whoever pays top dollar. The Beckhams, Ronaldinhos and, dare i say it, Savages are restrained by these regulations. The only players who could be seen as being protected by the current rules are the likes of De Pedro, Amoruso etc but even then it would be extremely difficult for Rovers to fire them under current general regulations that apply to you or me. Dont forget they would have access to the whole "wrongful dismissal" ways of appeal and compensation. If the market was a free one then the players would own a much larger slice of the pie than they already do. This is not something I particularly symapathise with- they already have far too much money and influence than is good for the game- but thats the way it would be.

hughes has got a real selection quandry on. No recognised right back, two new signings to fit in the team, four wide players playing well, Captain out and STILL no authorative partner for Dickov. I personally would plump for a team like this: Friedel Reid Nissa Todd Gray Emerton Thompson Makeona Pedersen Stead Dickov Bench: Tugay, Enckleman, Nelson, Gallagher, Flitcroft Hughes however, I feel , will go for Flitcroft over Thompson and possibly give Nelson a shot at rightback. Failing that Nelson could come into defence and Nissa gout out at left back. That would be defensively mighty but look very, very unimaginative going forward- especially with the troubles we have up front. Gray should be in the team- McEverley, Johansson and Matteo have all looked poor. Fair enough Gray has not been up to the standards he hit last season but still the best option. Plus Portsmouth do not have the pace out wide to give him huge problems. Unless something however has happend in the off field department he will not feature.

a week on tuesday