If it is true that Premiership managers have applied, I thing Iain Dowie is almost a cert. Crystal Palace are going to get relegated even if they appoint a professional miracle-worker. Simon Jordan is looking to get out of Palace, which means in the very near future the funds will be withdrawn, so the future looks fairly bleak. I'd personally be more than glad if Dowie takes the reins.

A lot of good names being mentioned - Dowie, Hughes, Curbishley - thumbs up from me, although I don't know how realistic their interests are. I still maintain that we shouldn't be going for a 'big name' for the sake of it. For example, Gordon Strachan and Dick Advocaat have prominent media profiles and would appear to fit the bill. However, on closer inspection, both have too many foibles. Strachan is detested by most Coventry fans - accusing him of being self-centred, arrogant, tactically naive and having favourites. He may have taken Southampton quite far in his brief spell, but that was on the back of Hoddle's foundations. Remember, Glenn Roeder and Peter Reid managed to take West Ham and Sunderland to 7th in the league - neither are good managers. Dick Advocaat is a raving egomaniac who'll only cause consternation like Souness. His Euro 2004 tactics for Holland were so rubbish it's untrue. No thanks. Finally, amongst my choices for next boss, is Jewell and although he failed at Sheffield Wednesday I think the circumstances were difficult with no money and a poor set of players. And remember, Allardyce was sacked by Blackpool - managers can recover for the better after a bad spell in charge. P.S Alan Shearer would pee off to Newcastle as soon as Souness gets the sack, so no point really appoiting him.

Some are suggesting that Strachan would be the safe option but having trawled the net for Coventry fans' opinions, it sounds like he's just a ginger version of Souness. I know it's not scientific - as in not representing all Cov fans but here's a flavour of opinion.

But Souness only ever spoke about avoiding relegation - is this the ambition you're taling about. Cole, imo, didn't join because Souness was manager but because we were an upwardly mobile club with good young players, Duff and Jansen, who looked like we were going places. (And we could offer a large pay packet and 8 million pounds to Man U). I doubt that Hasselbaink and Viduka joined Boro because of Steve McClaren. Nope, it was the dosh and the perception that the club is improving and ambitious. That's what counts - usually.

Good points there, percy. I would be dubious about Dickov and Matteo's comments because I think players are always going to say polite things when they join a new club and are trying to get into the boss' good books. However, managers can develop a reputation. For example, foreign players wouldn't normally have been impressed with Allardyce being the manager, but he has proved that he has faith in foreign players and has got the best out of some, so his reputation has rocketed from the dregs when he got sacked by Blackpool. So if Jewell/Sturrock/Newell - whoever low profile came in, they might not be a big player magnet at first, but if they do well and prove themselves, players will respect that and eventually they will add to the draw of joining Blackburn.

What is your gripe with Jewell? Is it his failure at Sheff Wed or perhaps, the manner in which he left/abandoned Bradford?

I won't miss his tactics, or fall-outs, excuses, transfer blunders but a little bit of me will pine for THOSE quotes... Here's a flavour from the wordsmith

I agree 100% with that. What kind of point is that? Are you saying the manager has to be bigger than the club? Players, generally, don't go to clubs simply due to the attraction of the manager. It's the club, playing in the Premiership and whether the club in question appears to be ambitious that persuades them to sign. Cole and Ferguson would have joined Blackburn regardless of the manager imo. I don't think Souness was that big a draw. In fact, by the end, I wouldn't be surprised if some players were turning us down because of Souness' uncompromising reputation. Clubs have tried high-profile before - Gullit for example. Perhaps, there were players craving to join Gullit because of his profile, shame he couldn't manage the football club.

I'm a bit disappointed to read that JW won't 'seek' managers out but consider the people who have contacted Rovers. Seems silly really because honest professionals like Hughes are hardly likely to undermine their employers and go to Rovers asking for the job. Or maybe they will...?

The underlings are making their way to Newcastle? No surprise, after all, I've never heard or read any of the trio voicing an opinion that varied from Souness' view. 'Yes-men' I suspect and again, good riddance. Another thing, interesting to note that Ciaran Donnelly has not been included for the reserves tonight. Which could possibly mean that Tony Parkes will make the first big decision of his latest reign by promoting Ciaran to first team duties. Good on you, Tony, if this is the case.

Nor did Dowie or Mourinho before now. You don't need Premiership experience, just like Stead didn't, to perform. You need talent. David Platt? Deserves as much consideration as Carlton Palmer. Nope, unless we want to waterfall down the leagues. Listen Sturrock boy, your undisguised love for the bacon and egg munching former manager of Southampton renders your view on the next incumbent at Ewood null and void. Zip it. "You need talent" HA Wait a minute, how many games did Sturrock get at Southampton? 13 was it? Won 5 Lost 6. At least I was able to highlight an up and coming manager that was ready for a bigger challenge. Ok, it didn't work out at Soton but it was hardly a absolute failure, in fact, you can't judge him on such a meagre number of matches. You stick to sitting on the fence and mocking people who have the fortitude and intelligence to pass a considered opinion. It only makes you look stupid.

Nor did Dowie or Mourinho before now. You don't need Premiership experience, just like Stead didn't, to perform. You need talent. David Platt? Deserves as much consideration as Carlton Palmer. Nope, unless we want to waterfall down the leagues.

Nice of people to come out of the wood work now and admit that they had doubts about Souness. Wonder if they're the same who were giving me, and others, grief for questioning 'the great man who won us silverware'.

Why you shouldn't wish for Strachan Alan Hansen is quite good on TV - doesn't make him a good manager. Who gives a flying fart if Strachan is humorous or comes up with memorable one-liners (Souey was more than capable at that). I want a manager who'll motivate the team, get results and play good football. Mark Hughes comes across as a complete dullard in interviews - but it's his management that's important not his blimin' TV persona.

Good reason. Sorry, I don't see Strachan being a good manager. He always struggled with Coventry on tight resources, buying dubious players, and eventually going down and getting the sack. Imho, his success at Southampton was all down to the good foundations set by Glenn Hoddle. It was Hoddle who revived their fortunes, helped certain players to top form, and Strachan took the credit. He may be a funny bloke but let's get a serious manager in.

My picks, in order of preference are: Iain Dowie Chris Coleman Luigi Del Neri Paul Jewell Jewell is definitely the most realistic. His Wigan team play attractive football with wingers. Seeing as we've just bought Pedersen and have Emerton, it would be stupid to bring in say a 3-5-2 man like Hoddle. He's got a track record of getting the best out of youngsters, and judging by the rave reports our u18s are getting, we have a great crop of young players who will need to be developed. He's got a bit of Premiership experience with Bradford, getting promoted and keeping them up was a major feat, even if it delayed the inevitable. Having worked in the north for all his managerial career, they're should be no problems working for Rovers. Negatives - Failed at Sheffied Wednesday. May decide he wants to finish off his job at Wigan by getting them up. Wigan will demand compensation - and a lot of it I suspect.

Over 4 years as boss and you still can't get his name right.

PLEASE NOT Strachan - just remember what he did at Coventry. He had a long spell as boss and he got them relegated and bought wasters like Delgado, Chala and Zuniga. I have the man - Luigi Del Neri ex-Porto/Chievo supremo. He got sacked before his spell at Porto had begun for political reasons. At Chievo he worked wonders to get a modest team into the UEFA cup. Crucially, for me anyway, he's an advocate of attacking football - with wingers (one reason why the likes of Micky Adams and Neil Warnock would be disastrous for their love of the long ball). Recently, he was cleared of match-fixing allegations - and I don't see, if that's the case, why his reputation should be tarnished. It's a risk but because he's out of a job, there'd be no compensation. I would like either Dowie or Curbishley to take the job but I doubt they'd make the move. That leaves Paul Jewell or Paul Sturrock (of course) with Jimmy Quinn, in an assistant role (Shrewsbury) as my other suggestions.

PROS: Works well with young players (who don't have the audacity to challenge his word). Talks a good game in interviews. Is always fantastically dressed. CONS: Poor man-management skills - how long before Bellamy and Shearer have an infamous Souey bust up? Poor record in the transfer market - no change there then from Robson. Poor tactical understanding - again, something Geordie fans will associate with having had Robson as boss. Newcastle are welcome to him.

The most worrying thing about Souness being manager now is his football management equivalent of a 'mid-life' crisis. As others have noted, he seems to have decided that the future for Blackburn is to play in a more negative fashion after Damien Duff left. This after relative success at the start of his Rovers career by playing attacking football. The decision to 'go defensive' seems to have been fuelled by the negative dross we had to play to win our last games of last season. He needs a tactical shake up and to put his trust back into attacking football.

Sorry but I can't let you get away with that. You forget Cole (he was not worth 8 million), Yorke, Hignett, Reid and Nissa - a total of approx. 17 million wasted and there's others. Souness' transfer record has not been impressive at all. The Grabbi deal actually, imo, is the worst transfer business by any recent Rovers manager. Because it displayed a complete lack of research into the players background, which was quite blatantly not of the highest calibre. He has made good signings, (even Kidd managed one - Jansen) but the guy has been profligate. And signing players like Cole, Yorke and Amoruso is not what we should be doing because it means that we get no or a very small sell-on fee and they only hang around for a couple of years before we have to stump up MORE money to replace them. At least a younger player, all going well, will either stay at the club for a long time (Neill) meaning we don't have to keep spending money we don't have replacing him OR it means he improves and becomes a saleable asset - Duff. Small clubs like us have to spend money on younger players. If we want experience, we get them for little - so thumbs up to Matteo and Dickov. Maybe the penny's dropped now.

MGP gets 5 mins at the end of the match. Norway lose 2-1 to Italy.

Yet more on Pedersen (L.E.T) Quite an interesting read except for two things. Per Pedersen did not 'grace' but embarrass Ewood. And he was Danish not Norwegian.

Imo the most crucial decision Souness has to make is who is going to play the holding role in midfield alongside Ferguson. I hope he's realised that it can't be Matteo because the role requires a modicum of passing ability. Tugay seems the most likely candidate but obvious problems arise with his tackling ability and lack of pace. He is 34 after all. I believe that the answer may be Jon Douglas for now. We're not going to get Tugay's skills from him, but he will protect the back four with tireless running and tackling. With Pedersen, Ferguson, Thompson also included in the midfield, I think we can accept that at least one player won't be contributing much attacking-wise.