Barker was horrendous at Cercle (he didn't make an appearance for the first team) and sent home half way through the season and due to a contractual technicality couldn't play for Rovers for the rest of the campaign. He's big and strong but his skill levels weren't good enough for Cercle. However, Sergio Peter didn't have a great time at Cercle either - so there's still hope for Keith. (Although, Peter's problems were injuries and attitude, not lack of talent). Paul Weaver, Luke Jones and Jerome Watt were all shown up in Belgium and it's no surprise that at the moment Cercle are opting not to bring in any Blackburn youngster. THe players Cercle could do with tend to be players that Rovers want to keep to back-up the first team squad.

McEveley being defensively weak and Ipswich fans appreciating his effort and ability going forward are not contradictory. The same could be said about Rovers fans and Mickey Gray. Unless he starts putting in good showings at centre half, I can't see him having much of a future at Rovers. He's definitely not up to it at left back - for the Prem anyway. And certain people, like Roversmum, have been particularly scathing about his occasional performances for the reserves at centre half - so a move away might be best for all parties.

Got to disagree. From what I've seen, Pennant is an excellent crosser and can finish. His problems are off-the-field.

Apparently, Curbs didn't even watch Nelsen. Some of his management staff ran the rule over him but thought him not worth pursuing. The reason I say we got lucky with Nelsen is because I believe he did only come to Rovers for a trial on an agent's recommendation. Very much like Jorge Acuna at the moment, whose situation John Williams compared to with Ryan Nelsen's in the LET very recently. Basically, when a player reaches the end of his contract, the agency ring around various clubs that they have an agreement with and offer the player for trial. Rovers took up the option and thank God for that. (And thanks for the short-sightedness of members of Curbs' backroom staff, I hope they were equally negligent in letting Jason Brown go as a youngster).

I don't think Gary Neville, Luis Garcia, Mario Melchiot and Gills and Ipswich fans would agree with that. If anything, he's defensively weak when players run at him. I agree, however, he's comfortable on the ball and a tough tackler - perhaps too tough. He broke Sukur's leg in training, damaged Delaney's cruciate ligaments in a 50-50, and didn't help Djibril Cisse either (although that was a freak accident). Ipswich fans like him, though, for his whole-heartedness. I would rather see Andy Taylor deputise for Gray than Jay or Matteo. People seem to have only good things to say about him apart from, perhaps, a slight lack of pace. Last pre-season he did well filling in for Lucas Neill but I seem to remember reading that he did struggle in one match to deal with the pace of Michael Reddy. Plus, Taylor seems to have the right temperament. McEveley has admitted to being arrogant and throwing strops when he wasn't picked (under Souness). Andy Taylor isn't that sort of guy. Garner has been overtaken by Raff De Vita as the new white hope from the academy, in terms of strikers.

Crock us? That'd be like losing Henning Berg but several times worse.

I was responding to someone who was dismissing Jemal as small and crap in the air. It grates me a bit that a player like Jeffers, who displayed all the greedy tendencies that sicken me about footballers by demanding a move away from Everton almost as soon as he'd burst on the scene, is a multi-millionaire for being a crap footballer and doing nowt for however long it's been. I predict Jeffers won't do much at Rovers but would happily be proven wrong. And it's true, I'd rather Jemal Johnson or Matt Derbyshire were given a real chance.

Don't be too harsh on the lad. Footballers are mercenary - as if you weren't aware. Most of the Blackburn players would probably spout the same nonsense given the opportunity.

Duff on signing for Newcastle

Apparently, he had one touch and that ballooned out of the stadium... Hughes seems to like him because he got a friendly appearance last pre-season. Lee says he's more Keith Gillespie than Damien Duff. That's not to say he's a one-trick pony like Gillespie but he relies more on his pace to get past players than skill.

Come on fellow Rovers, I am a MGP fan but even I would admit that a fit Damien Duff is in a different league to MGP - even to a Newcastle fan. Newcastle have thrown unbelievable amounts of money at their squad, a thing we can only dream of doing these days. Some of the fees paid have been silly, to say the least. To pay the amount they did for Michael OWen when they were more or less the only genuine bidders was highly reckless. I have a suspicion that Roeder will have a decent season with Newcastle (despite his past record with teams that have finished 7th). Steven Taylor is a superb player and will improve their defence no-end. But I don't see why Rovers, under the charge of a superior manager, can't out-perform them again. If I was a Newcastle fan, I'd be very worried about the financial side of things. It seems Shepherd, ever the demagogue, is sucking the club dry to purchase players to improve his popularity amongst the fans.

In this context, 'cheeky' usually means futile.

I'm sure Andy Taylor's a bit disappointed that he didn't come on. However, it's clear that Hughes wants to see Gally, Douglas and McEveley closely in pre-season before deciding whether to loan them out.

Not quite. It was also because he got them winning matches again at the end of the season. We will have to wait and see if that upwards draught that saved the Geordies season was more than a transient 'new manager' effect. And, I disagree with those who wouldn't have Duff back. I would gladly have a world class left winger in the Blackburn team - if we had the money to spend. How injury prone was Duff last season? I don't follow Chelsea closely enough to know - surely not as injury prone as a certain Mr Bellamy at Newcastle?

I don't think Cole is in the class of someone like Zambrotta, but he is no doubt one of the best in England. His performances in Euro 2004 were top draw. However, you're right about his temper - remember the Spain friendly with the monkey chants and Spain taking the ###### with their passing footy? Cole really lost his rag, along with a few others. This world cup he was unimpressive and barely got the ball in the attacking third. If Del Horno leaves, Mourinho is sure to bring someone in. Chelsea wanted Vincent Kompany but the guy wasn't going to hang around waiting for them to bid so signed for Hamburg.

This is what our friends at Cercle Brugge have to wear this season.

Where's the Spurs transfer madness thread? Signing Duff makes a good deal of sense (I still think he's got it - he put in a great performance for Ireland against Sweden fairly recently - albeit a crappy friendly). But they're after Curtis Davies, who'd be their nth young English centre half. Or make that (n-1)th English centre half because Alton Thelwell has left.

Didn't know where to put this so revived this old thread. Most expensive players ever.....Duff - No.42 Courtesy of a German site brought to our attention by Unleaded in another thread. Edit: For some reason the link brings up the Rovers squad list. Just click Transferrangliste on the left, near the top.

Podolski was diving all the way through the tournament. It's not racist to say Portgual are worse divers than England. It's fact. I think even Oklahoma will accept that their is a culture in Portugal which acquiesces to feigning injury and diving - more than in England. The same with Italy. That's not to say that English players do not dive and cheat. English players are rarely guilty of spitting because it has a stigma attached to it in the British football culture. However, their are other aspects of our game that are not so commendable.

Hey, he's not that bad. I don't think he takes himself as seriously as may come across.

Sorry for being contrary on this (and on many things) but it's just my opinion. I just detested the first. I wasn't expecting anything profound but was expecting something with a modicum of plot and less self-indulgence from certain actors. I don't know if you've ever heard film critic Mark Kermode ranting about it but if you have, you'll know what I think of it because I agree with him totally. But we are in a minority because the franchise has been a massive hit.

If reports are to believed Gary Neville and Co 'encouraged' Sven to ditch his plans for a diamond midfield formation before Euro 2004. Hence we saw Paul Scholes regaling the world on the left wing.

Hurrah! Didn't win any money though.

Unlikely to be watching the second because I thought the first was poor. Might've been pretty to look at but the plot was vague, cliched pants and that's being generous.

Reminds me of the Roy Keane bust up with McCarthy. Some thought he was right to bring his dissatisfaction with McCarthy's preparation to the attention of the public but obviously many thought completely the opposite. Just one thought - you know how a lot of players have come out of the woodwork to complain about the SOuey training regime AFTER he left, what would you think of a player who had the guts to make his point when Souey was still around? Imo he would have been doing the fans a favour in highlighting a problem that the we would never have been aware of and might have forced improvement - possibly at the cost of his Rovers career. As Michael Owen, he's obviously bitter after being subbed a couple of times. After being one of Sven's untouchables, it must have come as something of a shock.