I know it's on a different scale, and being that the league is crap (looking at it from the outside atleast) but if ol' Blatter harps on about the EPL with all the big bucks and only a handful of dominating sides, what about the Scottish PL, he never mentions that league? Two dominate teams clean up every season against sides unable to compete against their financial clout. Hearts with their Lithuanian backers is a God send, and Rangers being absolutely poo too, for adding a bit of competitiveness to the league this season, but ultimately Hearts could end up being a Scottish Chelsea, as strange as that may sound

A David & Goliath match methinks

If we can keep our current form and 4-4-2 then I think we could easily win this, probably be a game similar to the one we played against West Brom, and similar scoreline. If Bellamy is fit, and if we can keep all 11 men on the pitch, even moreso.

I hope Norway qualify otherwise we will have no Rovers players there!

Although there's always the fear that MGP has an impressive World Cup, you'll get the so-called bigger clubs waving their chequebooks our way too.

Still, you've got the Playoff draw at 12noon CET (11am UK time?) today, could have some interesting matchups.

Part of the problem is what the kids these days get up to in their spare time. When I was a lad from the age of six to sixteen, I kicked a ball around in the street with my mates and I bet most lads in the 60's and 70's did the same. Now, a significantly higher proportion of young lads seem intent on just hanging around street corners, looking threatening, dressed in their regulation "street gear." Aimlessly hanging around, nothing to do and nowhere to go, blaming everyone but themselves for their lack of activity.

Despite its size, Scotland had a great production line of footballing talent, Peter Lorimar, Eddie Gray, Billy Bremner, Kenny Daldlish, Dennis law etc etc. The list could go on and on. But now there's almost nothing in comparison.

England being much bigger than its neighbour has not suffered to the same degree because there are still plenty of talented footballers coming through. Like Scotland though it still suffers from the youth of today problem and the numbers of footballing greats is nothing like that of previous years.

I don't think it helps that Rangers & Celtic keep buying foreign "talent". Which means only a small handful of Scottish youngsters will come through the ranks and play first team football, with the best chance of any of them breaking through would be to play elsewhere.

Be interesting to see how our youth players do in the Victory Shield.

Btw though, a good result from us against SLOVENIA Can't remember the time we scored 3 goals in a game!!

Guys, guys!

The British Isles should just combine into one super country.  Just imagine the teams you could put together!

Will probably have to wait for the 2012 London Olympics for that to happen.

. . . but when I watch international football my allegiance is in the following order . . .

Gotta say mine is:

1 - Scotland

2 - Italy

3 - Look out for results that have a country with a Rovers Player, but not supporting that country.

Being born in Scotland and with an Italian side to my family, I've no reason to support any other team. But I've got at least one team in the World Cup for next year.

I've said it before, you have the players, but not the coach for England. Although playing certain players out of position and not really with a positive frame of mind will go against you, as well as underestimating the opposition (trying a new relatively untested formation against Wales / N Ireland?).

Still, I expect England to qualify (playoffs or otherwise), and expect Sven to leave/sacked AFTER the World Cup (going out in the quarters).

As for my countries (Scotland / Italy) at least one of them will be there, although both would be better. And the way Scotland are playing, certainly bodes well for the future . . . for a change

After the mauling they got last night, Liverpool could well be up for the game, but with the international break, as has been said, that could help dissolve that.

Now that we're on a roll, and Kuqi has opened his goal account, his confidence will I'm sure get better and we'll start seeing more of his "Dive".

If we stick with the 4-4-2 and actually have a go at them, like we did with Man U, then I don't see why we can't get a similar result as we did then.

Don't see us losing this one, either a hard fought draw or a tight win.

There is a picture of Abramovich on the front of todays Metro paper, and Hughes is in it at the back. He looks just like George Bush!

but if ol' Abramo's in the news, it's because he's now £7bn richer after selling his Oil company even more money in the coffers for Chelsea.

Good article there.

The boost in confidence from two consecutive win and 5 goals scored in the two games, will hopefully continue as we win on Saturday.

Positive play does work!

Oh what a difference a week makes, a spanking from the Toon and then we go on and beat Man U.

Was equally surprised with the 4-4-2 lineup, was expecting a 4-5-1, especially against Utd, and taking the game to them and getting all three points, was very pleasing indeed

Now if we can apply this to the remaining games, then I don't see why we can't have a very good season indeed, and stick it to the media, that we CAN play entertaining football, and stand up to the so-called big boys.

Was even more surprised with Ferguson's comments after the game, very positive towards the opposition in defeat, and no moaning about the ref! Will wonders ever cease.

Looking forward to West Brom next week

Good result and at last some positivity. 3 goals, and using 4-4-2 as well. Will wonders ever cease

A good boost to the confidence, even though it was a lower league team (although Spuds, Pompey & Man City were probably looking for the same).

so with 5 in midfield he can select 5, with 4-4-2 he can only choose 4 and then who's up front then!!

Why not be daring and go 3-5-2?

Unlike many on here - I do believe that there is goals in our current squad of players.

The worst thing that happened was our capitulation against West Ham on the opening day - it made Hughes doubt the ability of players at his disposal to play a 4-4-2 formation.

I'd agree with that, if we'd have got off to a flier with a 4-4-2, who knows, things might be a bit more rosier and Hughes a lot more confident in using it.

May be worth trying it again against Huddersfield, or at least, attempting something that resembles a positive attacking system, rather than a formation designed to snuffle out and shut down the opposition, then we may start to see some goals in the For column at last.

If there's ever a team that I'll take a bore draw against, it's gotta be Man U, although Chelsea would be another.

With Heinze and Keane out, and if Ferdinand is playing (don't rate him at all) and if they play REALLY bad, we get a decent ref, play a 9-0-1 (or 5-4-1) then we may just do that.

Stranger things have happened?!

Hoping that Hughes does field a decent lineup and also hoping that Kuqi/Jansen bag a few, if selected, just to give them confidence that they can still bang it away.

4-5-1 / 4-4-2 / 4-3-3 whatever, cruising to a comfortable win by giving Huddersfield a right spanking, can only give us a bit of optimism, clearly lacking up front, especially just before the Man U game on Saturday.

Home win for Rovers

Nice!

Hughes obviously did his homework thoroughly on Nelsen.

become pundit for few months before joining a championship team.

Bumley?!

Aye, Happy Anniversary

Not in Blackburn, never been, as from Midlands, but have met a few players with Rovers connections.

Ray Harford (when he was West Brom Manager) nice bloke

Kevin Gallagher (when he was at Cov City) again a nice bloke

Mark Hughes (when he was at Chelsea) top bloke.

Met them all when I used to work on a Motorway service station, many moons ago.

Met loads of other players, personalities there too. Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst etc etc.

Hoping for a good game, with of course Rovers coming out on top. Hoping Bellamy is fit as well for this one and that Bentley carries on where he left off in the Bolton game and plays another blinder.

Main worry is of course Owen, but if their midfield is knackered (suspensions, injuries) then that is where we can stifle them and stop the service.

3 points for us and Souness on the brink (bringing in Owen has only taken the attention off him as manager)

Happy with a clean sheet (2 games in a row!!!) and a point away from home.

Pleased with the two new guys, Zurab & Bentley. Thought Reid was good and of course Nelsen at the back (keep him captain instead of Todd?). Kuqi at least made the effort when he came on, but Jansen was invisible in the game, and was a bit surprised to see him starting.

Hoping Bentley starts, as does Bellamy, against the Barcodes as we really do need to start scoring more goals. 3 in 5 games isn't good IMO.

Roll on the weekend

Who knows, if he's willing it could happen sooner than later.

Big Sam for England

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/i...als/4229036.stm

England, as individuals, great players, but putting it all together as a team, not working (similar to the Real Madrid Galacticos maybe?). Add to that Sven's tactical ineptitude, and there you have it IMO