4 am in Newcastle, Australia. 
 

Wow. 
 

That is an impressive window. And we didn’t even look like selling one of our goodies.
 

What an impressive squad. 
 

Seriously, do we have the strongest (Championship) squad on paper? Or is that just me being overly optimistic?

Maaaannnn ....

What a great signing.

This will work on so many levels. 

He will resurrect his career and we will be the beneficiaries. 

I’ve got my Dack strip. 

I’m tempted to reload and get a Rodwell one. 

Come on!

I have seen some amazing base juming stuff but this is the most astonishing yet!

That is crazy footage.

Is "iirc" short for "if I recall correctly"?

With the injury to Oijer, should we be letting Lucas go?

I see on the transfer topic that Unleaded (bless you Unleaded, your posts during the transfer window are the reason I come to work ) has linked us to Samba from Berlin.

Until such time as Sparkie has a replacement for Oijer and Neill, I wouldn't be letting Lucas (or Todd for that matter) out the door.

Get In!

Time for a new rovers strip with a grand old name on the back.

If Chelski's very real need for a right back means that their reported interest in Neill is concrete... .

I've not seen or heard this.

But gee i'd like it to be true.

Pack your bags lucas - just in case.

We have no hope with SWP - he'll stay down there, somewhere.

I cant believe any of the talk about Becks either - but if Hughes pulls Becks out of his hat - he can have the keys to Blackburn and my house.

We're not far off a red hot squad. A left back. Reid and Nelsen back. And everything would fall into place. Injuries do my head in.

Dear Santa,

Could I please have:

One pacey left back - dare I say it - just like Emmo but with a left foot. [And answer me this - WTF would Bridge sign a new contract with Chelsea. What a greedy halfwit]. Sorry Santa for that out burst.

Reid and Nelsen to miraculously fully recover [to full fitness].

Thank you,

Scott.

Ps: I didn't like the cowboy boots and ping pong set you gave me last year.

We'll skin em.

4-1 to the bully boys.

I'm making Benni my captain in Fantasy League - he is going to score two.

Bentley to score a tap in.

Bert will smash one in from the top of the box.

Come on Rovers.

"A win is a bird. We'll take a better looking one if we can, but if not - we'll take her home anyway."

If anyone can find the Ian Holloway comments (mentioned on page 1, T4E), I would love to see them.

As for the remarks, they're clearly way off and should never have been uttered. I hope he keeps his job, or at least gets a new one at a better club if the chairman still holds a grudge about those bung accusations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aA5lmeTyG0

I'll go one better for you - I had it on video and just uploaded it to you tube for you.

Savage looks like he is treading water when he is running.

Fast v quick is the real problem.

Emerton, neill and reid take a while to get going.

We need someone with blinding acceleration.

The first five steps make the world of difference.

In the wash up of the match we will find out that Neill did his hammy early in the first half.

He stretched to cut off a ball to Ronaldo - he then signalled to the bench - Mickey Gray started to warm up - he then signalled to the bench that he would try to run it off.

I know the prat wants to leave us at January - but in the face of doing some real damage to his hammy he stayed on the field.

I can only assume that those who are slating him didn't see the above series of events.

ps - in the lead up to last night's match there was a show on Fox Sports (Australia) about football fans - anyhow, there was a story about two saps getting married at Turf Moor - very funny indeed. The Lady Sap couldn't think of a better place to get married.

We've had a week off - finally we will be properly rested.

I dont think we will line up 4-5-1 - the only way to beat ManUre is to go for the jugular - so I expect a high tempo first half and a 4-4-2.

Rovers to win 1-0.

Benni with the winner.

You are my turkish delight.

You are my turkish delight.

You are my turkish delight.

TUUUGAY!

1. If the game against West Ham was a five a side, how would your team line up?

Friedel, Neill, Emerton, Savage, Benni

2. Who have been your best and worst players so far?

Best - Emerton (for turning himself around), McArthy (for adapting to the premier league so well), Bentley (coming along in leaps and bounds)

Worst - Nil

3. From a less than spectacular start, you seem right back on course (Sunday's madness aside)! What has sparked the transformation?

Standard start for Rovers - right on course to wheel away another European berth at the end of the season. No transformation - we just played the top teams in the early rounds.

4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Mark Hughes?

Strengths - he seems to have the lot so far. He is an astute, composed, tactician, who is well spoken. He clearly has the backing of board and staff and he is media savvy. A lot of clubs would like to have that in a manager.

Weaknesses - we've not seen any.

5. Which combo forms your best striking duo?

Benni - Roberts.

I couldn't get Unleaded's Nonda clip to work. However, I just went on You-Tube and found the "Nonda breaking his leg footage".

As far as leg injuries, knee injuries and ankle injuries go, I dont think you could get any worse.

On the You-tube version you can see bone coming out of his leg.

Fair play to him making it back on the pitch.

We'll batter this lot.

4-1 rovers on the up.

A brace for Roberts (first will be a one on one with the keeper, he will cut it across the keeper into the bottom left - the second a goal mouth scramble and tap in).

Benni will get a neat goal from just inside the box.

Brett Emerton with a howitzer - at pace - and it will tear the net from the posts.

Hulse with a long range header for them in the 43rd minute.

Put the house on it.

I'd be happy with a draw.

But I'm predicting a rovers victory. 2-0

Roberts with a header at the front post. Bentley from the top of the box.

Come on!

this is just amazing.

I cant believe that Juve and Lazio are gone.

Juve will be skinned.

I wonder how it will impact them financially and how long it will take them to get back to where they are now (or were) - you know what I mean.

Crazy scenes.

SS9. I play for Gymea United in the Sutherland Comp.

It is, I might, add my last season. Giving it away in four weeks time (if we don't make the finals).

I play in the Eastern Suburbs League with a team called Barnstoneworth United.

Bunch of Pommies Scots and Irish lads. I am one of a few token Aussies.

Nothing wrong with picking up the Fox in the Box.

Franny knows this is the last chance saloon.

He has moved back north.

He has bags of skill.

The good thing is that "Fox" is "Zorro" in spanish.

Welcome Zorro.

Like Clayton and his Left Boot, I am going to go our on a limb, however, I will predict that Sparkie can bring this lad back to life.

I'd tend to agree with DUR.

Football in my neck of the woods has always been popular at junior playing level. In my club we have 88 teams I think ranging from under 6's to over 45's 12/1300 players, and we are not the biggest club in our area. Some 14000 people in local government area play football, that's about 7% of the total population.

Where the code fails is holding on to the good 14- 17 year olds, they drift away to League or other things that take their fancy. That might be because there's nothing for them to aspire to. What we need now is a good state structure under the A league.

The Aussies getting to the WC has been a roaring success, and raised the profile of the code, it has just got to be capitalised on.

As an afterthought, it's interesting to note that the bloke in charge, John O'Neill was in charge of the Australian Rugby Union, and transformed that code from one wallowing in debt to one that took on League in the professional era.

The other thing that football has got rid of is the "ethnic" names of the football clubs, that has helped.

What Club are you at Dave?

Who is the fourth Aussie in the Croatian team?

Seric, Didulica and Simunic.

Brucie Baby has his work cut out for him after this.

They will be a psychological mess.

Man U away next.

Chelsea at home after that.

Ave it you saps.

4-1 We will give them an absolute battering.

Todd header.

Pedersen with a tap in.

Bellamy with an eight yarder.

Neill with a screamer.

I think 7th.

And those saying ''even if we don't get 4th or 5th it's okay, we've still had a great season;....'' Rubbish!!!

387966[/snapback]

Bah.

If we finish top 10 we have had a great season.

Fair enough if we now slip out of the europe places it would be disappointing - but we've still had a great season.