Sweden won 1-0 in Kazakhstan, and had Austria not scored late against Ireland we'd have been almost guaranteed a playoff spot. As it is, we're still in pole position but need a win to be sure in the last two games. Bit of a milestone game in that Anders Svensson got his 144th cap, making him Sweden's most capped player of all time. Wouldn't have expected that when he moved back to Sweden after his time with Southampton.

Only watched the first episode, and was disappointed. Hoping things will pick up as they go along, but I doubt it will.

No we don't. Not for survival anyway. As thing stand now, we're safe. Even if we lose our last game and P'Boro win both their remaining games, and Barnsley win their last game by enough to make up for our +8 GD against them, we're still safe. Why? Because Barnsleys last game is against Huddersfield. Who we're ahead of. I mean I'd obviously like us to get a goal or two to make sure, but right now we're safe.

I'm almost certain that even if we lose today we will be safe once the P'boro-Wednesday game finishes. Really, every single game will have to go against us today in order for that not to happen.

Certainly an attacking lineup with 3 strikers in Gomes, Rhodes and Goodwillie, and an inside forward type of player in King.

Yeah that's the formation I'd go with as well. Maybe put Williamson in midfield though, has earned his place in the team IMO.

We aren't crap at the back though, we're just so used to being utterly useless defensively under Kean that we don't notice. We concede a lot of cheap headers (Feels like that anyway), but beyond that look relatively solid. Before the Cardiff and Sheff Wed games we had the 6th fewest conceded. Even now we're 12th, having conceded one goal more (55) than the 6th best team has. We are where we are because we have scored the 5th fewest amount of goals in the league.

We'll just have to see, I guess. With regards to Martin though, I imagine he wouldn't need to be back in training for long before he can play matches. An eye injury will prevent him from playing games or taking part in team practice, but won't prevent him from staying fit. So once cleared to play, he should go straight back into the squad. No idea about the time frame though, I just recall it being said ahead of the last game (or the one before that?) that both Olssons were close to returning. Not really the most predictable injury I'd imagine.

I don't see why he'd change a winning team any more than he has to. I'd expect to see the same team as yesterday, except King in for CKR and Givet or Rekik for Hanley. If Martin Olsson is fit, then him for Morris too perhaps.

So it seems like the only senior people at Rovers who are qualified for the jobs they hold will be going, while the shelf salesman, the PR man and the pundit will stay on as executives of a football club?

I would think he's signed to start in midfield, and act as defensive cover if needed.

First time since the 02/03 season that Zlatan hasn't been crowned league champion at the end of the season. And this is with five different clubs; Ajax, Juve, Inter, Barca and AC Milan. That's 8 in a row. (I know the two Juve titles were revoked, but they still finished first.)

Hi, my name is Carl. I'm a 25 year old guy from Gothenburg, Sweden where I'm born and have lived most of my life. For some reason I can't evenremember, I got involved with this particular type of S&M fetish called "supporting Blackburn Rovers" under the glorious reign of Roy Hodgson. Sadly only been to Ewood a few times due to a lack of time, money (I'm a student) and having friends who know better than to join me on a trip to Blackburn I do have a passion for another blue & white team as well, namely IFK Göteborg. Outside of football I'm in medical school, little over a year away from graduating. However not even my love for this beautiful game is enough to ever make me consider a career in orthopedics.

Nope. Plays for Anderlecht and capped 21 times. It's not quite Have-A-Look Dube, Naughty Mokoena or Bongo Christ, but a pretty funny name indeed.

Thanks. Yes he started. After being behind Behrang Safari and Oscar Wendt in the picking order in the past, he seems to now have made the left back spot his own. Not likely to play a whole lot on the left wing.

Yeah was a great feeling. It's true that they had less to play for than we did, but it was the first time we beat them since 1924! They had also won every qualifying game for WC 2010 as well as the 9 previous ones in this campaign. Not even a draw. Now we, along with Spain in the WC final, are the only two teams to beat van Marwijk's team in a competitive game. Martin Olsson got beat in the air by Huntelaar for one of their goals, but was very lively going forward.

Indeed, he has a way of not thinking before he speaks. Any striker, especially one who had been in good scoring form, would be upset at a centre half taking their place. I'd be more worried if he wasn't upset. Benni is just someone who says the things most of us think, but decide not to say because it could be interpreted in a negative way. Everything I've heard points to him being very easy-going though, I doubt we have anything to worry about. Btw from the pre-season photos, there didn't seem to be more than a dozen or so players there; among them Benni, Samba, Zurab, Reid. Anyone know why they were so few, because I can't really see any logic in who was there and who wasn't?

I think Benni will only play 45 minutes, and then start against Stoke.

I didn't pay that much attention to it at the time, but I can't remember Benni looking at all unhappy when leaving the pitch against Stoke.

Yes, because I am, of course, being 100% serious in this thread. I mean it's been 50 pages since he left, how one can be serious in a thread like this is beyond me.

"might have had". Of course noone takes it personally. What some person I know nothing about and who knows nothing about me says about a subject he knows nothing of, really is quite irrelevant. The only reason I even bothered to reply in the first place was that I was rather curious about your intent. Arguments along the lines of what you used, i.e "You post on a messageboard and you disagree with me, hence you must have no life. Says I, another guy on an internet messageboard. But who, obviously, is only here in his spare time. You know, inbetween all the luxuries and women that come with an exciting life like mine. Whereas the rest of you are sad losers who spend every minute of your life glued in front of your computer screens in your parents' basement", usually imply one of several things; 1. The poster is roughly 14 years old 2. The poster suffers from some kind of cognitive dysfunction or mental retardation 3. The poster is in fact arguing for the other side by making arguments that have the effect of undermining the position he or she tries to give the impression of arguing for. 4. The poster is "trolling". Now, I'd say that 4 is the most likely scenario judging from the contents of your posts. However, since you're such an awesome guy with such an interesting life I doubt you have time to learn what a term like that means, or to learn anything about the dynamics of an internet messageboard, unlike us saddos. Which rules that out. As for 1; if measuring age on a scale between -3241 and 2472 then you would in fact be roughly 14 years old. But we don't use that scale, and your profile says you're 27. And as for 2 it's not really a very nice thing to use against someone. Which leaves us with 3. See, I did go to those classes! I'll leave you with a little mental excercise; Possible reasons I'm writing this on a Friday night. Or for that matter, what you're doing on a messageboard on a Friday night. P.S You might want to read up a bit on Scandinavian climate. D.S

I wouldn't want him back. Not because I dislike the guy, or because of the horrible treachery he committed (He raped infants IIRC. Or at least it'd seem that way from the way some people view him). No, simply because it wouldn't be value for money. The DP bar rant was the funniest thing I've seen in a while though. Until the gem of a post containing this; Judging from this I can only assume that you are in fact a big supporter of Lucas, and just ridiculing those who despise him? Because that's the only conclusion I can draw from the above. Or perhaps you're not a fait with the unwritten etiquette of internet arguments but believe me, whoever first invokes the "You have no life, you sad little keyboard warrior" argument automatically loses. Both the argument and any credibility they might've had.

The very fact that Mokoena apparently didn't perform well in that role surely means that it *is* demanding? And if Liverpool's third string keeper could perform that role well, why did they spend all that money on Mascherano? Likewise United with Hargreaves?

Nice to see someone who comes out with that who isn't a hypocrite then. Rarely the case. Rover6 has always struck me as a real scholar too, I'm sure he'll turn out to be an interpreter or something as well. By the way, rover6: How exactly is he a fraud? 5 years into his managerial career he had won the UEFA Cup, with a bankrupt semi-pro team. If that's the work of a fraud, then is Sparky a fraud too? Fair enough if you don't consider him world class, but he's in no way a "fraud".

Rover6 made a similar point. Either way, does saying "I know it's not his fault but..." really make something better? It was part of a list of reasons why she dislikes him. "I know they can't help which skin coulour they're born with, but...."? I'm just curious to see how proficient they are at their second and third languages. Maybe provide a sample for my amusement?