What about a left back. If Hughes has decided Gresko and Grey aren't up for it (though I rate Gresko myself ) then we need a left back. Besides with Todd and Nissa in good form I'd suggest only one cb is needed.

Yep, apparently we wanted 8 million they'd only offer 4 million. To be honest this season I can think of the odd mistake Brad has made, but to say he was only great for one season is harsh. The promotion season, and the first two seasons in the Premiership he was fantastic for us the most consistent and reliable keeper around. Even last season I can't remember Brad doing anything wrong, just not being Mr Fantastic. How much of his loss in form is to do with the fact he's had a terrible defense in front of him? I'm fairly confident that any keeper would not look that great if they had the shambles that our defence has been this past season or so. Remember the Utd game - Brad showed he was class. Personally I'd much rather see the overrated Ferguson leave for 8 to 10 million and the money spent on a couple of top quality signings including most definately a striker.

There's no question that we're improving but are we improving fast enough? As has already been said a draw is a decent result but considering the mess we're in it is not going to be enough. The it's ok mentality is what will send us down. Another worrying assumption is that Hughes will put it right with a couple of magical signings in January. That might not happen. All sorts of problems such as funds, injuries and other clubs interests could well and truely mess up Hughes plans. Whilst the odd player should aid our push ofr survival, the majority of the team has to be from what we've got. Therefore, the players that we have at least 9 have to be performing at their best, and perhaps beyond that, for us to stay up. Whether we actually have that consistency in the squad will be a big factor. There were some positives from what I've read and seen from the highlights, namely: We're creating chances. Ok, we couldn't hit the target to save our life but we're actually creating chances, something that we weren't doing before. Flitty might still be decent. Too early to say but if he is getting back to his best or anywhere near, I'd much rather have him in the team than Tugay, who gets silly bookings and is too inconsistent. I've said before a younger Flitty would be the ideal partner for Ferguson, if the older Flitty can do it that's one more position we don't have to worry about till summer. A clean sheet. Like penalties as a Rovers fan I'd forgotten what they were. Defensively we're looking a lot more solid, one of the key problems we've had this season. Todd, Short, Neil and Nissa so far have all looked decent and whilst we're not great at defending we've improved to the stage where we can hold our own. The negatives: We aren't killing off games. Ok our defense is looking a lot more solid and we're dominating games but we lack the killer instinct that will keep us up. Even if our defence is getting better, as we're not taking our chances this becomes largely as question of getting draws, or narrow defeats rather than drubbings. ALL the team need to do a bit more shooting practice. We lack a top quality striker. Every team needs a striker who'll regularly bang in the goals we haven't got one. I'd argue that none of our strikers would start in any other premiership team. This is the most important area to address to me in the transfer window. We've too many promising or decent strikers and no one dependable enough. Dickov's a great work ethic but can't finish. Like others have said we should try another combination. I'd gamble on a Stead Jansen partnership. Ok its a gamble but a Dickov - whoever partnership is clearly not working. If one of them refinds their form it could be the key to our survival. Ill discipline - again this has potentially cost us a fair few points which come May could prove to be the difference. Tommo, Tugay, Boothroyd and Reid should be ashamed of their actions and I'd like to see a much harsher punishment for their stupidity.

It has to be Duff. As the others mentioned such as Wilcox and Sellar's were good but Duff is arguably the best left winger in the Prem, and is one of the top players in the Prem, let alone for Blackburn. Pires, Giggs - I'd rather have Duff any day. The arguments for Duff have been put forward so I won't repeat them but just state a couple of things that clinch it for me. Duff playing as a right winger vs Leciester under Hodgeson in the 5-3 victory - as I recall he terrorized them that day. His goal against Ipswich was awesome, most of his goals were pretty spectacular, but that one was a cracker even for him. Nothing special about the finish but the fact that he started when he was half way in the opposition half with the ball about to go out for a throw with several defenders around him. No one in the ground was expecting anything yet 30 seconds later the balls in the back of the net, another super goal from Duff. And that to me is why he's so good, from next to nothing a scrapy incident near the touchline, Duff managed to get a goal for Rovers with his running, skill and a bit of magic. Duff, like all truely class players, had the ability to make something from nothing that bit of magic which made you realise you're watching a football genius.

It's been said quite a few times before that his fitness is not up to it. We're not talking about lazy but can if really have to fitness we're talking way out of his depth. And IMO he doesn't offer enough to compensate for this lack of fitness. To me he's behind Bazza, Reid, Emerton, Tommo, Tugay, Flitty MGP and Douglas for a midfield place. (He has tried playing central for a bit in the reserves.) To me that kind of indicates that the chances of him making it at Rovers is highly unlikely. We'd have to have a very nasty injury crisis for him to play.

February's a bit harsh but he won't be there next season. I don't really care about Newcastle or Souness, but looking at his post match interviews nearly all seem to have blamed the referee when things don't go their way. Even despite our boost in form we've going to get nowhere near Newcastle. Hughes has got too big a job on his hands and Souey's got too much talent for us to be swapping places. IF Souness managed to hang on till next season then I'd say we could finish above them. However, that's not going to happen. What would be interesting to see is whether Rovers get more points under Hughes than Newcastle do under Souness, and not count the season before they took over their respective clubs.

A very positive performance from Rovers making the weekend a good one. Defensively I thought we were far better than we have been although IMO Todd struggled a bit with Cole. Was worried about Nissa playing full back but he played far better than McEveley there. In fact after a dodgy first 20 minutes, including a one on one Malbranque really should have scored the whole defence looked a competant solid unit. Thought they were stood off Cole too much but they limited Fulhams chances and looked the most solid I've seen for a long time. This might be the 'right' defence to go with our settled midfield. The midfield looked inpressive again, though Tugay to me, whilst doing nothing wrong, doesn't look like he offers enough any more. The midfield got forward well, scrapped for the ball and actually contributed to a fairly sound defensive performance. Up front I still think we lack that bit of killer instinct. Dickov, despite all he offers is not good enough to be the main striker. He's a fantastic squad player to have but his poor finishing and weakness at holding the ball up should be enough to condem him to the bench. Exiled in Toronto sums up the Dickov situation perfectly to me. Gally looked good again and is a very encouraging sign for the future. His crossing was poor but a lot of that was due to the fact he was drifting out to the left instead of right. Looking at the highlights it seemed Rovers had a flawless performance, some great attacking moves which only lacked a bit of ruthlessness in front of goal. In reality it was much more scrappy than that but the most encouraging thing was despite this Rovers didn't get bogged down in a scrap as they often do but still managed to create some good opportunites. There are still a few obvious problems with Rovers but the signs of improvement were the most encouraging seen this season.

It's one heck of a choice up front. All forward players are decent and have the potential to do really well for Rovers. But none of them to me are of excellent "star striker" quality. Hughes has quite a hard choice on his hands. Jansen - best in the air and decent at holding the ball up. Drifts in and out of games and doesn't create many chances. When he gets a chance though he invariably hits the target. Most likely to be leaving at end of the season so is he worth playing. Dickov - works his ass off gives 110% and a constant pain to play against. Most consistent striker this season. However can't hold the ball up, isn't hot in the air and IMO isn't clinical enough. Gally - good at running at defenders and through the channels, enthusiastic, young and going to improve. However weak at holding the ball up and the toughness aspect of the game. Stead - young, going to improve and a decent predator. Also has a good shot and decent control. However confidence is low and for a big guy struggles to hold the ball up and often looses the physical battles. Boothroyd - seems to be the most gifted football wise but there are questions about his attitude and his long term future at the club. The best all round player but will he fit in and if so will he be signed? To me the big problem is that that magic combination doesn't seem that apparent. I thought Stead and Cole looked good together but since that we've really struggled to get two strikers who look comfortable playing together.

What's racist about the "one lazy @#/?" chant? It's nothing to do with his colour and all to do with his poor attitude when at Rovers. Loads of players get stick for one thing or another - 99% of the time it's because of something they did on the pitch (or didn't in Yorke's case) like a dirty foul, played for a clubs rivals, left in unplesant circumstances, couldn't be bothered etc. It's NOTHING to do with their colour. The one fan who did abuse Yorke racially should be banned for life, end of story. But to try tarnishing all Rovers fans with the same label is equally disgusting and injust. I had friends at the game in two different stands (Jack Walker and Blackburn End) and neither commented on this. Similarly there was no mention of racist abuse during the match commentary. Rovers both the club and fans are very much victims of circustance.

Agree with what's been said already, especially Scotty. Don't think Reid was infallable though, and definately isn't the answer on the left. Reid's crossing IMO is relitavely poor and he ran the ball out of play several times. I'd be tempted to put Tommo on the right and Reid in the centre since he never shirks a tackle and would provide some strong runs from the centre of the park. It's a hard working midfield which IMO will only get better through regularly playing together. Hopefully this is the magic combination we've been looking for. Sadly our defence and strike force combinations still look a bit lacking. I think we're really begining to look like a team again but to be honest it isn't enough. i don't think Jay's good enough as a full back, he offers too little going forward and is too easily beaten by his man and up front we lack that cutting edge. Neill also is too hit and miss (I was getting hopeful after the City game.) The number of goals conceded by crosses indicates that we need at least one change at full back as Nissa and Todd seem to be developing a decent partnership. Up front we still don't look enough and no one looks capable of carrying the regualr gaol scorer mantle. Can't remember who said it but I'd be really tempted not to start Dickov - I don't think he's clinical enough. After yesterday's performance I think a Gally Jansen strike partnership would be the way forward. I think fans would have been more disappointed if we'd have dropped a 3-1 lead, whereas coming from two goals behind tends to make us overoptimistic. This shouldn't hide the fact that AGAIN we should have won and didn't. We cannot afford to keep letting our oponents off the hook. At 3-3 with Brums confidence shattered we should have pressed on and got the winer, just as we should against the 10 men vs City the other week. This is what's going to cost us dearly the lack of killer instinct.

Reid can't cross with his left foot, he looks a little bit lost when he's out there. About De Pedro...that may be all he offers but that was enough to make him a starter in the Spain team at the last World Cup and consistently one of the best left midfielders in Spain in recent years. He may not reach those levels again but we won't know just how good he can be until he's given a chance...may not be impressing for the reserves, but niether was McEveley...he may just be a big game player. I'd hardly call his hype propaganda, they were hard facts. There is the minor detail that he can't run. I don't think Reid's cut out to be a winger let alone a left winger but he does offer other things to the team. Going on the McEveley argument I'd rather see MGP get a chance then de Pedro who's younger has been perfroming well pre Rovers and internationally and is young enough to improve with Rovers reaping the benefits of the improvement. My team would be: Friedel Neill, Todd, Nissa, McEveley, Thompson, Ferguson, Reid, Emerton Jansen, Dickov subs MGP, Encks, Short (if fit) Tugay, Stead. We really need to win this one. Draws aren't enough to get us out of the problem. Three points vs Brum would be very nice and certainly more than possible. I'd class this as a must win game as they don't come much easier then this. Brum are struggling to score so maybe our improved defence will keep a clean sheet and we'll sneak the game 1-0, Ferguson to score.

Garry Flitcroft. Looking at the list Flitty deserves a shot at being one of Rovers greats having done just as much if not more for the club then most of the candidates. He's played over 230 games for the club. He's been with us for eight seasons - a heck of a long time in modern day football. He's captained and led Rovers during our most successful period since winning the Premiership. Having a midfield grafter is not the most glamerous role in football but is pretty neccessary for a successful team. Look at all the top successful teams and they all include a midfield battler. The importance of the role is not to be underestimnated. Would Manure have been so dominant in the 90's without Keane in the middle? For all their attacking flair the defensive qualities of Makelele was an integral part of Real's success. Simmilarly Flitty has been doing the job of disrupting the opposition and protecting our defence for years. It is hard to stress how important it is to have someone to disrupt the opposition's game and that is what Flitty does best. Never one to shirk a tackle, never one to give a player an easy ride, the manager could always depend on Flitty to do his job and get stuck in. His commitment is outstanding. Whilst no Pele Flitty always gives 110% and always seems to care about the result and Blackburn Rovers. As a captain Flitty always led by example, captaincy seemingly coming naturally. For years as a captain and a midfield general Flitty would have been one of the first names on the team sheet. There's also a lot more to Flitcroft's game then first appears. Whilst primarily a midfield battler he has over the years adapted his game to suit the needs of the team. During the promotion season Flitty played a defensive midfield role allowing Rovers to reap the beneifts of Dunn's attacking play. Similarly I've seen Flitty play as a winger/wide midfielder on several ocassions and again seen 110% commitment and the desire to put in the best performance possible. There's none of this pre-madonna winging about being played out of position that is heard so often from Premiership stars. Flitty also knows where the goal is and has a few important goals to his name. Whilst not the most impressive scoring ratio the vast majority of the goals have been crucial for Rovers. When Rovers have seemed to need that bit extra in attack Flitcroft has stepped up on several occassions. One game which illustrates this to me was the Leeds home game the second season back in the permiership. Playing with Egil up front on his own with a 5 man midfield it was Flitty who provided that extra support up front and ultimately got the winning goal. And whilst no Pele nor is Flitty a talentless donkey. A good example of this was the overhead kick that kept the ball in play for Perez's only goal for Rovers. Flitcroft's achievements during his time at Rovers is quite impressive. He's played an integral part of two European qualifications via 6th place, won promotion and a league cup with the team and was a vital part of the defensive midfield that helped save Rovers bacon last season. In addition Flitcroft captained the side well and led by example for four years. Ok so now Flitty is sadly past it, but just because he's now past his peak doesn't mean we should forget the valuable contribution he has made to Blackburn over the years. Flitcroft was a dependable player who always gives 110% and always fulfilled his role in the team despite the lack of recognition that his consistancy deserved. Rovers fans cannot ask for more from a player.

With regards to Gally I think the lad deserves a chance, as a sub if not a start. He's looked decent in the reserves and McEveley'sa proven that despite being poor in the reserves that he can hack it (just) in the Premiership. Really think that a confident Gally could cause all sorts of problems. He would have been ideal to bring on vs City to attack their left back so Emo could attack down the left rather than Reid who seemed reluctant to get to the by line. I'm not saying that Gally is defensive minded enough to warrent a first team spot as a winger, but when chasing an equaliser/winner in a game, a pacy player with a good shot would have been very welcome. Incidently I agree somewhat with Chris that our striker situation isn't great. Whilst Dickov is our best striker, to me he is a step down from Cole, but is doing as well as can be expected. I don't think anyone can have any complaints about Dickov's performances, not a class player but he's always at the top of his game. What is concerning is that due to Dickov's way of playing and stature it makes it very difficult to forge a successful partnership with a player up front. Stead and Dickov for example doesn't really work, the long ball is a no go and we have no one capable of holding up the ball. Similarly with Djorkaeff and Gally I think there would be an alarming lack of presence up front. If we are to stay up we cannot rely on solely on Dickov's goals. With Jansen, however, I think we might have the solution. Matty can hold the ball up and win the headers, both work tirelessly, so there will be another forward there to seize on any mistakes their strike partner causes the defender to make. A lot of strikers rely on having a decent strike partner and I think Dickov is no different. Would Stead last season have got so many chances if the opposition hadn't been so concerned about Cole? Thus if Dickov doesn't get a strike partner to compliment his style, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot. Hopefully Jansen and Dickov however will be able to forge that partnership.

Regardless of whether Parkes had a role to play or not, the club have handled things very badly. For a man who gave his all to the club the way he's been treated has been shambolic. Being cynical sure;y it wouldn't have been long before Parkes retired anyway, and the board cannot afford to alienate the fans any more than they already have. Personally I'm saddened that another link of what it means to be Rovers has gone. What makes it even more baffling to me is that the reserves have been playing well under Parkes and some youth players are really looking as if they might be ready for a crack at the big time. I'm talking about the likes of Bruce, Johnson, Peers. If that's not doing a good job as reserve team manager I don't know what is...

Another historic event in the history of BRFC - the first penalty for over a year - I'll have to get to more away games! Even the novelty of actually getting a penalty (and scoring) however, doesn't paper over what was to me a disappointing game. Until the penalty Rovers were poor to mediocre. The defence and midfield looked ok without being great, but up front we really looked poor. Stead had one half decent chance but there was little else created in a dour 45 minutes, capped off by letting in a fairly soft goal to City. The second half seemed equally stagnant until a beautiful through ball saw Dickov one on one with the keeper when Mills sent Dickov tumbling. With Mills sent off Rovers clearly looked a class above and started to show some decent attacking play. Passes were accutrately made, chances were created and Dickov should have got the winner from a Matt Jansen knock down. What fustrated me though was with City down to 10 men there was a lack of players running at City, especially down the left flank where neither Reid nor McEveley wanted to get forward despite acres of space. This was really fustrating as with another winger to terrorize a streched City we'd have definately won. As it was despite our reluctance to attack down the left in the last fifteen minutes we still should have won. But that's Rovers for you. We won't get many better chances to win away from home. Brad - a couple of decent saves but didn't have that much to do. McEveley - to me he lacks the pace to be a full back. The number of times he got beaten was worrying - even taking into account he was against SWP - and didn't offer much going forward. Fairly solid when not being run at though but I don't think he's the answer to our left back problem. Neil - the guy looked good in the air and strong in the tackle A couple of silly fouls but otherwise a commanding performance. Pity he can't pass the ball to a Rovers player. Nissa - best defender of the lot. Will get better with age and a good partner, and showed plenty of talent today. Todd - one moment when Anelka got the better of him and perhaps fortunate only to get booked for the subsequent foul. Otherwise coped with Anelka fialry well. Tugay - tried, the odd nice pass but didn't boss the midfield. Ferguson - slogged his guts out but again didn't dominate the middle of the pitch. Emerton - fairly electric for most of game though much more effcent on the right then the left against Mills. Reid - the guy isn't a winger. With Mills sent off and no one in the right back position still struggled to get forward. And cannot cross to save his life. Dickov - worked tirelessly and deserved his goal though created little else. Stead - not his best performance, doesn't work well with Dickov. subs Jansen - didn't really get stuck in but won a few headers, one of which Dickov should have converted. Our most promising partnership with Boothroyd out. Tommo - added a bit of urgency to the midfiled and had a nice shot at goal. Overall, City aren't a good team, they were no better than us. Afterwards felt disappointed to be coming away with a draw from a game we should have won. Having said that after an unispiring 60 - 70 minutes at any point before the penalty and sending off I'd have gladly taken a draw. Rovers however don't look to have enough in attack, but at least the rest of the team seems a bit more settled, especially the defence.

For me defensively Amoruso and Peacock. To the untrained eye their physical approach might seem impressive but you could guarentee they would make the mistake that cost Rovers the game. No pace, no positional sense, a complete and utter lack of concentration. Wonder what it is with long haired centre backs at Ewood. (Nissa might prove to be the exception.) Of all the goalies I've seen Fettis has to be the worst. I cannnot remember a single one-on-one with him involved that didn't end in a goal. Up front, lard arse Davies. Poor attitude, no pace, little skill and was dropped after 2 games during his spell at Rovers. His goal scoring and genreal contribution was appalling and he would have been a bad signing on a free transfer; for £7m he was a disaster. What got me, was never once did he look bothered. To me Grabbi got a couple of goals and assists for us, and had some technical ability and Ward bad as he was nabbed a few goals for us so can't be considered our worst player. Indeed for lesser amounts I'm not sure either of their names would be mentioned as frequently. Looking back Egil was far from the worst ever Rovers player.

Can't see how anybody can argue with that, unless Short is back from injury which I dont think he is. The only question mark is over Thompson who, although he had a good game in the reserves this week, combined with Barry in the middle could leave us very lightweight defensively. Still, when the other options are Tugay and Flitcroft I say give him a go! Feeling reasonably confident, provided everybody can stay on the pitch. 2-1 Rovers Agree entirely with these sentiments, which is why I'd swap Tommo and Reid's position round as it would mean Tommo isn't in as much as a physical battle and both he and Bazza can get forward. Don't think the Stead Dickov partnership works that well but what other combinations are there? Optimistic about this one, City don't cope well against organised teams and the last couple of games have seen a more professional Rovers. We should come back with a point if not all three. First away game for me this season. Is any of the MB members meeting up in any pubs before the game?

Absolutely spot on. During the first Souness years another family member who had previuously no knowledge of football took their first interest in the game and became hooked on Rovers. Quite understandable really; the team had character and charisma about it. You always had a fair idea of what the team would be and where each player would be played. They were our team, and they played attractive football. Many of the players had a history with the club whilst the new players were easily integrated as there wasn't wholesale changes. It was hard not to get sweapt up by the optimism, excitment and character of the club. Those were some of the best footballing memories (along with winning the Prem) and for that I'm greatful for Souness. Compair that to the last 18 months, average players, bland characters, and constant chopping and changing the team. You didn't know who would play or where, and you felt as if very few players belonged to the club. The idenitity of the team went and along with it the quality and attracive football. IMO it would be very hard for a person to get involved and identify with the Rovers team during the last months of Souness reign. Had Souness never reached the dizzying hights of 6th and Europe and a league cup final would we be as dissapointed? Probably not. But to get to these hights and fall so spectacularly is criminal. From finsihing 6th to becoming relegation candiates is arguably one of the largest declines in football. My gripe with Souness if for letting something so good, go so bad so quickly.

If Emerton's doing ok on the left maybe try Gally at right mid. He seems more likely to be able to run at defenders and have some pace when compaired to Reid. Not sure whether he'd be defensive enough though.

Same team as last time, same tactics (bar first ten minutes and dodgy free kicks) and Rovers should win. Norwich often leave themselves vulnerable at the back so we need Tugay or maybe Djorkaeff to be on top of their passing game to hurt Norwich. I'd like to see Stead in for Dickov but otherwise wouldn't change the team. I think Reid's better at centre mid but we need one of our better passers to occupy the second centre mid slot. Really hope Matteo doesn't play if fit, I'm not sure what Hughes sees in him. It's already been said loads of times but Rovers CANNOT afford to loose this game. However after our last performance I'm quietly confident about this one.

One of the last teams you want to be facing after two 4-0 drubbings is an in form Liverpool side. Hughes has got a huge job in trying to get the players fired up and installing a bit of confidence in the side. I've thought long and hard about what the best 11 would be, and the options don't look great. The best I reckon we can hope for (assuming Tommo is out) is Brad Neill, Nissa, Short, Grey Emerton Reid Ferguson Gresko Jansen Boothroyd At the back I've gone for Short and Nissa as IMO when Nissa's played he has done well (albeit he hasn't played often.) Also when Short and Todd play together, last season they had a nasty tendancy to back off too much (Portsmouth home Liverpool away). With Nissa being a bit more pacier and Short's experience hopefully the defence won't back off so much. The full backs don't have much competition. Besides both, especially Grey can perform well, although their performance is often linked to how badly the centre backs are playing. Hopefully a more stable centre of the defence should see the full backs pick up their form a bit. In midfield Ferguson and Emo, our best outfield players pick themselves. Needless to say Emo should be played on the right. I'd choose Reid as Barry's central mid partner as he can fulfil a more defensive roll and can get stuck in, whilst still having a bit of pace. Again my thinking for playing Gresko is similar in that it will give a bit more protection for tge back through another player who doesn't mind getting stuck in. I'd consider Djorkaeff (sp) and Pederson too lightweight for this kind of encounter. Up front Matty and Boothroyd. Matty may only so glimpses of what he once was, but that's a lot more than what any other striker has shown recently. Jansen has a lot to play for is good in the air and again will work hard for the team. Boothroyd deserves his chance, I think he might have a bit of power and pace. Certainly a bit more physical presence up front would be welcome. Also he's scored in the Italian league, reputedly the hardest to score in and played as a lone striker (apparently.) This would indicate that he'd be best suited to feeding off the scraps our strikers are getting. With the right game plan and attitude we're capable of a draw. But a lot will depend on how often we switch off in defence. I can see it being like Charlton where we switch off at vital moments despite a decent performance. If this is the case (which it's likely to be) a 2-0 defeat is on the cards.

Totally agree. Ferguson's one of the few good player's we've got but the likelihood is he'll be leaving either for Newcastle in January, or if we're relegated. And though Ferguson's good, he's not as good as three decent players (a midfielder, centre back and striker) that £7m could bring. From last season and pre season spending it appears that we've no money whatsoever, and it's vital that the team has funds to bring in new faces.

Hughes isn't blameless and our performances under him haven't been good. But to sack him after 5 games would be plain stupid. Obviously things are worrying but could anyone else have done better with the dross that we have? The squad these days has first division written all over it. Given the fact we had IMO the worst defence last season and are now lacking a leading striker it's not that suprising that we are where we are. If you look at the team how many of our players would get in, say, the birmingham side? Not many. Hughes however has to address some key weaknesses that he has not rectified as yet. I think the fans however, have the benefit of hindsight having seen these mistakes for over a year. Things like Emerton on the left, an aging midfield, an appalling defence, the need for two strikers up front are all problems that we've witnessed week in week out as Rovers fans. Hughes by comparison has had only a few weeks to realise the futility of playing Emerton on the left, that Amoruso can't defend etc. To me how fast he learns these weaknesses and comes up with a viable solution to get us through to January will be the key to his success as Rovers manager. Hughes has the potential to become a good manager for Rovers, but that potential may come too late.

Maybe it was just me but when we first got back into the premiership there seemed to be a real buzz about the place for the entire season. I think our fans had missed premiership football and realised how valuable such experience was. The atmosphere seemed so much better then even when struggling (like the loss to Derby at home). For me the main problems these days are the fact you can't identify with the team any more and the dire football being produced. I can cope with loosing if we put in a good display, play some attractive football and give us one or two things to shout about. As for identifying with the team there's little home grown talent coming through, few characters left and those that are are past it. How many of the team have any history with the club? Only Short, Brad, Jansen and Flitty were with us when we got promoted, and of those only two are playing regularly. I know that football has a high player turn around but ours seems exceptionally high. In such circumstances other things take on greater significance than before. Whilst fans may be willing to cope with poor stewarding etc when the team is successful and things are okay with the situation as it is fans need every encouragement to continue to go. Personally the atmosphere at some of the games last season was the highlight of a poor campaign - and if the atmosphere is taken away there's not much left. Personally I think that our attendences aren't that appalling considering the team was ripped apart and even the wins last season were turgid affairs. Hughes has a very tough task on hand, not just to avoid relegation as we did last year but to win back the fans.

On the plus side Chelsea have played pretty negatively this season and aren't the all out attacking force that some teams are. Also Chelsea don't like playing combatitive teams and we have the potential to be a combatitive team (remember the first half vs United). On the negative side with Chelsea's cautious approach I'll be impressed if we get a shot on target, especially if we play with one up front. Secondly despite their caution Chelsea have pace in the team, something our defence lacks. We need a left footer on the left and if Pederson isn't considered tough enough for this one how about a Gresko Grey partnership (with Grey lb) as that might provide us with a bit more protection for the back four. Todd or Nissa should partner Short at centre back, Amo and Matteo should be left back in blackburn. I'd favour Nissa in case Todd's fitness is still a bit suspect and he's got a bit more pace as well. Emerton must be on the right. He's been great for us this season and the boro game proved he can't play on the left. Reid should partner Ferguson and be told to get stuck inand protect the back four. I'm not reid's biggest fan but I think he's the best possible choice for defensive midfield at the moment. Up front Dickov and Jansen. Both work hard and defend from the front. With Jansen as target man we'd be able to see a lot more out of Dickov and actually have someone to aim for when the inevitable route one approach kicks in. Djorkaeff's (sp) a great player but really we need every player capable of defending. I'd bring him on in the last twenty minutes when the Chelsea team are more tired and his drifting can cause the most problems. As for the score if Rovers have a decent plan, stick to it, and make a few key changes to the team maybe a 0-0 draw. Otherwise a Chelsea victory is on the cards.