For god's sake. Read my post again. If, for one second, you are suggesting that MGP has been as influential as Duff was before he was sold, then you're crazy, or stupid.

What is it with the angry smiley? I have said in the same post that you have quoted that I would have reservations over selling somebody who is as influential as MGP.

That's a good point. I think I'd have to agree.

I'm caught between two minds. While Bellamy is fit, we should get as many games out of him as possible. However, if we can rest him for this game, he would hopefully be in immaculate condition for the remaining fixtures. I certainly think we can beat Sunderland without Bellamy.

just like we did with duffs £17m

£10m + he can go

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Well that is presuming we had it all to spend. Of the 10m we did have to spend for the Duff transfer, Souness used a lot of it in one go on Ferguson. He was a quality player at the time but it just didn't quite work out.

Under a manager of Hughes' calibre, 15million is easily enough to build a squad capable of challanging for Europe year in, year out.

I think you'll agree the circumstances are somewhat different here. MGP is influential, but not even in the same league as Duff. Likewise, Reid has been a squad player this season and could easily be replaced.

Imagine a combined offer of 15million for Reid and Pedersen. That, plus any additional money, could see us compete for European football on a regular basis.

However, I have reservations over selling Pedersen, even for a large sum. He has been extremely influential this season.

i think garner will have a good future and hopefully Mcevely will be given a chance along side tayor and gallagher. wasnt alex bruce from our acadamy

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My Ipswich supporting and season ticket holding mate has absolutely nothing positive to say about McEveley. He thinks he is useless in central defense and well as full back. I know that Jay has been haunted by injuries but I never felt comfortable when seeing him play, except for when he first broke in to the team.

I've been saying the same thing Waggy. Arsenal were always going to finish in the top 4.

After revising my predictions slightly, I now have Spurs finishing in 5th and Bolton in 6th, with just 2 points seperating the two. However, I have Arsenal as fairly comfortable 4th place finishers. In all honesty, I cannot see them losing again this season.

After beating 'boro, we are now three points ahead of my predictions and I cannot see us dropping below 7th. It's now up to Bolton and Spurs to start dropping points. Looking at their respective fixtures, I cannot predict the most likely to drop points.

I think we need to start preparing for a finish outside the european places. Unless of course the FA cup is fought between two european / champions league qualifying teams.

I think we'll win this and after winning against 'boro, this will put us 3 points up on my prediction. I really cannot see us dropping lower than 7th now. It's all up to Spurs and Bolton to start dropping points.

What I hate is the bias from the media towards the likes of Mourinho. He moaned and moaned about the handball yesterday but because he hugged Chris Coleman, he's suddenly the most sporting bloke ever. Maybe they don't remember the time he refused to shake Mark Hughes's hand because his team outplayed them?

I just cannot believe Mourinho. It's just amazing how a man can be so oblivious - oh how harsh, even though it's a handball you still feel hard done by! What a dick.

EDIT: now Hansen and Le Saux are calling Gallas's blatant stamp a "tackle." Not only that but Hansen is saying that the ref only disallowed the goal because he was influenced by a decision earlier where he didn't give Fulham a penalty!

My predictions had Bolton as 5th and Spurs as 6th. I don't think Bolton's games against the big teams are a certainty at all.

What the hell?! Send the club a cheque, buy other people's tickets?! I'm not surprised that people don't want to do that. Those of us who live a long way from Ewood, and even those who don't, work hard for our money and don't want to just give it away for nothing. We make an effort to attend matches, we buy the clubs merchandise too. Paying £15 - 30 to the club when we can't attend wouldn't even be noticed, but to me personally, that is nearly a whole weeks shopping.

I just don't think some people understand just how difficult it is for people that live a long way from the ground to get there. Let's take, for example, my costs for making it to Ewood for the UTD semi final:

Ticket - £25? (I can't actually remember how much I paid but I bought the most expensive ticket)

Food at the ground - £3

Programme - £3

Travel - £18 (delighted I managed to get here for as little as that!)

Accommodation - didn't get any this time as I just couldn't afford it, but that can cost anywhere between £10 - 30

Work shift missed = - £25

Then we have to remember that I missed a whole two days of lectures and seminars at uni and got a ###### awful migraine because my sleeping patterns got messed up.

Now imagine doing that 20+ times a season, on a students budget, or otherwise. Also take in to consideration that fact that fans with kids would be working 5 days a week and travelling all weekend. Maybe they shouldn't have kids and should move to Blackburn and live alone.

I have to ask myself whether you lot complaining about us long distance supporters would make the same effort if you lived as far away. Would you (Please don't use that word again)!

Now by the end of the season I would have made it to about 13 games and watched whatever games are on tv. Last season I made about 2/3 of that.

This season I have spent about £200 on merchandise, kit etc and spent about the same last season. Remember, this is on a students budget.

Just because we don't make every game, doesn't mean we aren't committed.

The problem is closer to home, and while you recognize that, you don't recognize the problems of travelling such distances with so little money.

Tell you what Theno, why don't you pay for my ticket to Ewood, and maybe a burger too? You're obviously financially secure enough to do so!

That's pretty much my thoughts too. However, I can see us losing this. I'm sticking to 2-1 'boro.

In regards to Henry, I think Arsenal might very well let him go, with Torres being lined up as a replacement.

Come on now Fife Rover, you don't honestly think... I can't even be bothered to explain!

i had a well bad day yesturday and i'm sorry if i upset anybody. i sort of took my anger out on members on the mb and it was stupid.

i'm well pleased everthing is tidy now and the happy days are back in business.

as for boro, easy game imo and 11 home wins should be on the board.

hopefully a better performance than the villa outing, so im going for a 3-0 rovers.

bellamy, pongolle and savage to score and the attendence 24, 369.

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fairplay jansenpresty its well good of u to say im sorry fairplay

i was fairly annoyed when you well unfairly had a go at gazism who is well alright to be fair

but you well fairly quickly said sorry so fairplay

That's all true, but Arsenal were always going to finish in the top four. I've thought this all season. I'll bet anyone a tenner they finish in the top four, but I suppose I probably should have offered this bet a month ago really.

Agreed - I can see them being pipped to third spot by Arsenal, but I can't see them falling any further than that to be honest.

I've got Arsenal as comfortable 4th place finishers any way, so I'm not worried.

Realistically, Rovers should win, but i can really see boro getting atleast a point at the moment.

I'm gonna go 2-1 boro.

How on earth do people manage to predict the whole season? I only seem to be able to predict one weeks worth of matches...

Whenever I have watched Souey on Sky I have wished that there were more pundits like him on the tv. He is not at all biased, eccentric, annoying, doesn't have a huge ego etc and he's almost always right.

I agree with that point. While Heskey would be a good addition to the squad and a good foil to Bellamy and Lua Lua could be an interesting option, neither are European quality IMO and I agree we might need to look outside the bottom three and maybe the premiership as well.

In terms of players that could improve the starting 11, I think Pennant stands out above the rest and should be an important target over the summer. If Birmingham stay up, however, he will probably be out of our reach.