There's a country called Findland now? Bloody hell, I wish these Eastern Europeans would stop making new countries up, my Newnes Pictorial Atles (1939 edition) looks more and more out of date every week! First of all there was Croatia, then Moldova, Slovakia, Slovenia, Eritrea, East Timor, Myanmar, Belarus, Bongobongoland... The list is endless! Where is this Findland then? Obviously not in Scandinavia because you said, so are we to presume it's a hot country full of heathens? Thank goodness that some proper old countries like India and China still exist with proper cities like Bombay and Peking.

Finland is not a part of Scandinavia. Scandinavia is Norway, Sweden and Denmark. If you had say "Nordic" you would be right. Way back when I was at university (first time round) I went out with a young lady from Finland and she never once said that her motherland wasn't in Scandinavia, nor did she ever say the word "Nordic" to my recollection. Then again, she was of Swedish heritage so maybe that explains it. I have done a bit of research on this and a bloke down the pub told me that Scandinavia is a peninsula that comprises Norway and Sweden, but culturally embraces Denmark and Finland as well. And he should know as he's been to Ikea! Anyway, regardless of the fact that Finland is or isn't part of Scandinavia, I think we can all agree that Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are lovely places with lovely people, they're very cold, it's always snowing and they're overrun with penguins. I think that settles it. I'd also like to retract any slanderous comments that I might or might not have made about little Morten Gamst Pedersen when I suggested he is like one of them lads from Busted. I saw a picture of Busted today and I now realise he isn't really like them at all. He's more like them lads in McFly.

Ooooh, get her! I just said it was too early to judge him. By 'eck, these vikings are a tetchy lot. He does look like a member of Busted though.

Somebody's bitter because norwegians are dead sexy!!! Isnt that true, Bjarte? Not sure about Norwegians being "dead sexy", but with the sole exception of Henning Berg (top bloke and a real gent) every Norwegian, and Scandinavian for that matter, to play in blue and white halves has been absolutely sh1te. It's too early to judge Enkelman (however you spell it) and Pedersen as they haven't had much in the way of opportunities to prove themselves yet. However, it will take more than Pedersen's Busted hair-do and his vO2-max rating to win the crowd over.

vO2-max! What crap! And I thought those bloody Opta ratings and FIFA rankings were about as pointless as it was possible to get. I could weep. What matters is... Can he pass? Can he run? Can he beat a man? Can he shoot? Can he score? Can he be arsed to try? When we are rating players on the basis of obscure biochemistry it's a very sad day.

I think the message board quality debate rests on two things. 1. The school holidays. When the schools are in, there tend to be fewer infantile posts. That isn't to say that younger members don't give valid opinions or that older ones aren't prone to being infantile, but it is noticeable that during the holidays there is a higher proportion of posts saying things like "Wot we need 2 do iz spend 10mil on a strika from Brazil like De Ponco coz e iz reely gud on Prem Manager". 2. Having something to talk about. When the footy season ended the quality of the board was, in the main, very poor. If it's not raging debates about race/religion and so on, it's 70+ pages on the new kit and people being worried about who the new kit manufacturer would be. Now that the season has started again we have something proper to fall out about so the quality goes up.

I think the main problem is we have a lot of crap defenders who the rest of the team have little confidence in and that is affecting their lack of adventure when going forwards. For over 12 months we have been starting most games thinking we are going to get beat, or that the referee is going to swindle us or "lady luck" won't be with us. Of the players we have to defend our goal, the only two I have faith in are Friedel and Gray. I would have included Short in that but time has caught up with him and even the most generous among us would be hard pressed to say he's the player he was two years ago. As for the others, Neill makes basic mistakes and gives the ball away too much. On top of that he's a liability with some of his tackles. Amoruso is great for 70 minutes of each game but is prone to wandering about, not spotting players drifting away from him when he's waiting for a cross to come in and he's slow. Gresko is like a headless chicken sometimes and has similar attention-span problems to Amoruso. Maybe the Rovers medical team should invest in a bucketload of Ritalin. Johannsson is a real enigma as some games he does surprisingly well and others he is just plain dire. I still maitain that he hasn't got a clue what to do if the ball is between knee and thigh height and his control is sometimes pitiful. Todd has had some good games, but we all know he's prone to losing the plot and as such he's a liability. Finally, there's Matteo... oh dear. Of the new acquisitions this was the one that worried me most as the defence was the thing that needed most attention and securing the services of this man seemed misguided at best. He's slow, his distribution is poor, his tackles are late and he's as clumsy as a cow walking on ice. While he's in the team we'll keep letting goals in every week. Until we get the defence right, the rest will be jittery and I hope the new manager sets to work on sorting them out.

Surely the money has to be there for him to blow it? I would be glad of Houllier's coaching abilities more than an anything else. Agreed, but it's fair to assume that the board will authorise a modest amount for the new manager to spend when the next transfer window opens. Can you see Houllier trawling around the likes of Huddersfield for another Jon Stead? Or do you think he'll spend his modest sum, say £1.5m, in procuring a dodgy fullback from the French 1st Division who has half a dozen caps for some island group off the coast of Antartica? Sorry boys, Houllier just says malaise to me. He is to football what Jimmy Carter was to American politics.

While I think most of us would admit that Houllier has the experience of leading a major club in the Premiership and has won trophies (got to give him his due), his record in the transfer market is absolutely unreal and makes Souness' purchase of Grabbi seem like a good bit of business. In fact, Houllier's dabblings in the transfer market make Brian Kidd look astute! This is the man who paid something like £12m for Diouf! There's a number of others that have already been mentioned that are similarly worrying, along with the like Diomede, Arphexad, Heggem, Finnan, Xavier and many more. If we appoint Houllier the financial stability that has taken so long, and so much sacrifice, to achieve would be gone before the end of the season as he buys up overpriced and overrated nobodies from abroad (mainly France) and we are saddled with huge transfer fees and a massive player surplus who nobody wants to buy. His one saving grace is the way Steven Gerard has matured, but look at the mediocrity that Michael Owen has become. Houllier would be a disaster.

Well, apart from the outsatnding candidate (me, obviously - unfortunately I'm too busy with other projects) I think we can safely say that the Rovers board will be looking at a shortlist from the candidates discussed thus far. The emphasis will be on staying in the Premiership, remaining financially stable and building for the future. As such a tried and tested hand will be the favourite to succeed. If so, that would rule out the likes of Shearer, Newell and Hughes, which is a major shame in my opinion. Then again, it also rules out Saunders so it's not all bad. The need for financially stability appears to have been the zeitgeist of recent seasons such that rules out shady crooks like Graham and Venables. We also have to discount all the exotic no-chance candidates such as Hitzfeld and any other foreigners who couldn't find Blackburn on a map even with an atlas and an innumerable number of pins. I think we can also rule out London managers in safe positions such as Curbishley and Coleman as they're not going to risk a step into the unknown. Ever since the advent of Dalglish, all subsequent managerial appointments have been generally predicted weeks in advance and with the exception of Hodgson (and the abortive attempt to sign the dishonourable Ericsson), they've always been "safe appointments" of grey men, so I can't see a return of Dalglish or any dream combination featuring Shearer. We also need someone who can work with no cash, so Dalglish is definitely out. A pity as I'd love to see a Dalglish/Shearer partnership in charge. Oh well, we can dream. What about dear old Glenda. Try as I have, I can't find a proper reason to rule him out of the running and I only hope and pray he is installed at Southampton without further delay. His appointment would seriously make me question renewing my season ticket. So, boys and girls, that largely leaves us with Strachan and Houllier. While neither fires my imagination, I think I'd probably settle for Strachan.

I've just seen the comments made by John Williams on the local news (all three nanoseconds of it - thank you BBC North West ) and he seemed to say "He's gone, so what, let's get someone new in" and not a lot of sentiment, which suggested that his decision to go was mutually acceptable and on the cards one way or another. When I heard the news this morning I was somewhat astounded and a little bit angry as it felt like we'd been left in the lurch, but as the day has gone on I've come round to the view (like many others) that maybe a change is overdue and this is probably the most painless way to do it. It feels a bit weird to have a manager leave us without being sacked or "promoted" to director of football (was Kendall the last to leave us for a new love?), but on balance I have good feelings about Souness. He turned us round when we were in a potentially disastrous position, returned us to the promised land and picked up a cup along the way. He dumped some deadweights and instilled a discipline in the club that was so sadly lacking under Harford, Hodgson and Kidd. We also had another two short-lived forays into Europe and we have some superb players such as Friedel, Tugay, Ferguson and Stead (to name just a few) that other managers might not have picked up. Not bad all things considered. On the downside he bought some duds and although there are too many to mention, the Grabbi signing has to go down as even worse than Kevin Davies and still makes me feel sick just thinking about it. We also had to put up with some disastrous team selections and the departure of some genuinely treasured players. That said, would the likes of Duff and Dunn have stayed even with anyone else at the helm? Dunn maybe, but Duff was always going to be out of the door once one of the rich clubs stumped up the readies. On balance, I think it would be very harsh to suggest that Souness' achievements were less than his failings so I'll no doubt look back on the last few years with a certain degree of satisfaction and I have no hard feelings. As for the man himself, if I ever met him I'd buy him a pint for his achievements but expect one in return as reparations for making us put up with Grabbi. He won't have an easy time at Newcastle and nothing less than a trophy or a top 4 finish will appease the Geordie hordes, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did either or even both. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if he was out of a job by next May either.

Well said that man as they are sentiments I can heartily endorse. Having recently read Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brien I can recommend it as a good yarn that'll keep you interested. For those familiar with the recent (and excellent film) it's the same characters but is set at a much earlier time in their adventures. The only drawback is the action (or lack of it) set on shore as it can drag a bit. Read it and you'll discover what a topgallant is and you'll find yourself saying "if you please, sir" in no time. Forget all that Tom Clancy crap, this is what a real war book is about. I also read Emperor: Gates Of Rome (Conn Iggulden) relatively recently. Ideal reading on holiday and a good way of dipping your toe in the Roman world, but about as historically accurate as Carry On Up The Khyber. Very entertaining though in a no-brainer type way. Currently reading Star Of The Sea by Joseph O'Connor and the encouraging reviews that adorn the cover are thoroughly deserved. Absolutely superb and I can't recommend it enough. It's set against the backdrop of the Irish potato famine (not a subject I would normally opt to read) and follows a group of very different people as they sail west to a new life in America. Among the passengers are a couple of aristocrats, a dodgy journalist, the soft-hearted captain, a clergyman, lots of poor souls in steerage class... oh, and a knife wielding lunatic with a massive score to settle. Buy, beg, borrow or steal it. Next to be read is The Legate's Daughter by the incomparable Wallace Breem (see earlier gushing recommendations by C Sidders Esq in earlier pages) which took a bit to track down but good old Amazon.co.uk came up trumps again. Why don't we have more threads like this?

I've just finished The Currious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon. Absolutely first rate. For those that have never heard of it, it was intended as a book for teenagers but ended up winning numerous awards normally reserved for adult readers and was on the Booker prize list (although not the final shortlist). It's about a boy called Christopher who has Asperger's Syndrome. Christopher finds a dead dog (killed with a garden fork) and the book charts his attempts to track down the killer of poor Wellington, as weel as numerous other unsavoury discoveries along the way. It reads well for anyone who likes well-written character studies, but gives a very different slant on disabled people and will have extra appeal to appeal with knowledge/experience of learning disability. The reviews on the cover are from big name sources and all rate it very highly, with the New York Times critic even likening it to The Cathcher In The Rye. Very well-written, very funny and very moving.

HA HA HA HA HA HA Poor sad deluded Dingles. That was the one that made me laugh most. I got a text from a dingle I know earlier this evening and the poor deluded sap is convinced that Big Ron is the man in the frame. He declared that "Kilby has pounced" now that he is available. My reponse was that he'd it right in with Burnley's BNP supporting public. As yet, no reponse.

You've got to laugh as this is probably the worst thing they could have done. For all Mr Termite's insane ramblings, I think he was the only one propping them up. Whoever takes over from him will have a herculean job to keep them in the near wilderness. Who can they attract? What will be the incentive? A paper thin squad about to lose its better players, a disaffected and shrinking fan base, no cash for new players, an inept board and all of this situated in a town most recently in the headlines for urban strife and racist councillors. It seems to be that Agent Kilby has earned his corn yet again. I trust the Ewood board are recommending him for another medal for his outstanding covert work in undermining everything at t'Turd. With no Little, Blake or Alan Moore, I can't see them surviving for long now. Young Chaplow (their only real saleable asset) continues to draw admirers and even a modest bid from a Premier League club should be enough to guarantee his departure. Anyway, for a look at what the dingle swarms are saying follow this link. Delusional Dingles

Did I say we should keep him come what may? No. As ever, Pip, I do wish you'd pay more attention before you start taking issue with what I have written. I think the board are in a very difficult situation regarding the tenure of the manager. I personally believe that Souness will not quit during the season (I admit I should have been clearer on this in my previous post). But I think there is a stronger chance of Souness saying enough is enough at the end of the season than him falling on his sword should we lose to Leeds. Whether we stay up or go down, I think season ticket sales will be catastrophic anyway after this season's misadventures. Then again, I still say we'll stay up.

Yeah, just like he motivated those idle prats at Leeds earlier on in the season. That would be some achievement: getting two clubs relegated from the same division in one season. Peter Reid? I'd sooner have Beryl Reid! Let's face it kids... 1. Souness won't resign. The man has too much pride. 2. If the club sacks him he'll be due some sort of pay-out. The club is skint so that isn't going to happen. 3. Although there are a few exceptions, changing managers at this late stage is usually folly. So, I would suggest that we go easy on the fantasy football with regard to the next manager and just get behind the team. No bellyaching, no booing, no apathy. Let's have singing, cheering and a bit of faith. We will survive.

Yeah, that's bad. In fact, it's almost as pillockish (that word copyrighted by me) as starting a new thread when a perfectly good one about Souness already exists.

I think past history tells us changing manager when we're near the bottom of the table for some largely untested in the management role has been a disaster. Lest we forget, we did that when Woy of the Wovers had lost the plot and Uncle Jack saw it in his wisdom to offer the job to Kidd. In any case, I think Shearer is hanging on for May 2005 when he will take over from old Robby Bobson. However, if GS was to go (and I sincerely hope he doesn't), I would be very happy to see that nice Mr Hughes take over.

Ha ha - they always crack in the end!

Bloody well said, FLB.

FFS! The books were selected by the public! A panel discussed them! That's it!

You haven't missed the point at all, Drummer Boy has. All the books were selected and voted for by the public. Moreover, the poll wasn;t to find the best book, but "the most loved". If people chose not to vote (as I didn't) and they were displeased with the result then that's tough.

Er... the Big Read top 100 was voted for by the public and wasn't an approved reading list supplied by the BBC. I think the general idea was to open up a general debate about literature and inspire people to read rather than watch crap TV. Given that borrowing from libraries has risen dramatically, booshops are reporting increased profits and the like of you and I are having this discussion all indicate that it has been a success. However, if you mean the likes of Andrew Davies et al spouting crap, then I'd be tempted to agree with some of what you said. But your analysis (for want of a better word) of Dickens is utterly laughable.

It's weird how the Big Read can influence what you want to read. I'd always avoided Catch 22 as I'd seen the film and hated it. Now I'm quite keen to read the novel especially as one of my friends rates it as the best book he's ever read and raves about it. However, I'm only glad that I read P&P before I saw Meera Syall's short film as I thought she made it sound absolutely crap! I bought His Dark Materials for one of my nieces a couple of years ago (she'd have been about 12) and despite her initial reaction, she loved it. Of the others in the top 100, I absolutely loved Animal Farm and Captain Corelli's Mandolin as well as Great Expectations which I read in my mid-teens and probably didn't do it justice. Maybe one to read again. I've also had The Stand by Stephen King sat unread on my bookshelf for over 12 months now, so maybe that one is next on my reading list.