My take has always been that Rovers bought Duncan Shearer to supper Swindon. He was flying for them. Came to us, scored one (maybe two) then didn't play much after that. I have a memory of him in a suit at Wembley, not even a sub.

Here is the full draw; Group A Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers Group B: FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Bruges Group C Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen Group D Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting Lisbon, Marseille Group E AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb Group F Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic Group G Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen Group H Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa Mods; can we amend the thread title to "Champions League" with no dates?

Liverpool came into it toward the end of the half. van Dijk has been bad, a sentence not uttered often. He was too slow to react to Rashford's initial run for the goal, then stood there whilst Sancho shot. TAA conforming to the criticisms he receives too. He fits into Liverpool's system but isn't a full back. Man U have played well. Can they keep it up?

I didn't see much of Saturday's Prem games but yesterday's were superb. Leeds blew away Chelsea. Tuchel needs a striker quickly. I also don't understand why he spent oodles on a left back when he has a perfectly good one in Chilwell already there. Newcastle-City was a cracker. Newcastle could have had 5 but were hanging on by a thread at the end. Howe has done a good job, and bought some decent players, however, they are a bit thin and will struggle if they get a few injuries. Hopefully today's game keeps up the momentum.

Modric and Kroos to McFred. I guess that we'll find out how good he is.

It reads like April 2022 on here. Rovers won't win them all.

It reminded me of their 2020. Injuries, loads of pressure yet no clear chances, concede on the break, Nat Phillips playing. They were miles better after Nunez got sent off. Joe Gomez looked very good when he came on. I've always rated him. He would have played for England in World Cup 2018 but got injured. He has a chance to play for the next few weeks, I hope that he grabs it. I agree. It's not outlandish to say that Liverpool may have to beat City twice if they want to win the league.

I finished the Orr podcast yesterday. I don't know what to make of it. It would have been much better for Rovers fans if Brown and Parkin asked a few decent questions. The other lad (Chris?) is from Bolton, he would have known more too about Rovers situation back then and could have been a bit more probing but didn't either. I read the last few pages to see if any of my questions could be answered; games he played in etc.. I thought the last part was the best and probably the most truthful regarding football being full of self serving unethical chancers. His point on clubs and youth players is absolutely spot on. There needs to be a complete overhaul on how players who don't make it are treated. There is another ex-footballer trying to change it too. I can't remember who though.

Nice one Gav. I've never heard Blackburn and Georgetown comparisons before. Georgetown is very nice, worth a trip. The Smithsonian offers loads of free museums, but they close around 5pm, which if you are working is a bit of a pain. eScooters are everywhere too. They aren't cheap to rent but you can really see everything quickly on them.

Liverpool were woeful yesterday, yet still should have won. Chelsea were pondering against a very iffy looking Everton. Spurs tore Southampton apart, although doing that is hardly a barometer for success. Adam Armstrong was worse than bad and got hooked at half time. Man U were terrible. Lallana and Welbeck tore them apart. Maguire spent all day getting flustered. His new partner is 5'9". The McFred midfield partnership wouldn't look out of place in the Championship. Fred can't pass wind, and McTominay is a dirty so and so who also has little creative ability. Sancho, Rashford, Fernandes, Ronaldo (when he came on) didn't do much. Then Ten Hag made some odd substitutions. Long may the chaos continue.

Pretty much any bar you go into will put games on if you ask. Games will be on early though; 9am and 11.30am. Chelsea v. Spurs is the big Sunday game next week. This place will be busy; Ireland's Four Courts (irelandsfourcourts.com. It's across the river in Arlington. The White House and surrounding areas are very much business first and won't be as busy during the weekend. I was there in April and watched a game in a place called the Queen Vic. It was full of Liverpool fans. It had good food, good booze, and a good atmosphere.

Your assumption is correct. Not much chance at all. ESPN have the US rights to the Championship. They show games via their ESPN+ streaming service. Rovers were on loads after Christmas last season, but no games listed so far. There will be plenty of places showing Prem games though. DC is a cool place.

If the reason for his strop is that he really wants Champs League football this season he has to leave. Although he knew in May that it wasn't going to happen. However, he is under contract at Man U so they have the upper hand. Yet, who wants a sulking superstar around? I'm all for this carrying on for a while though and aiding the continuation of the lack of success. I think that Rashford has the potential to be a class centre forward, but just like everything else at Man U, he's been mismanaged. Klopp would turn him into a world beater. Outside of him do they have anyone else who can play up the middle?

I doubt that Ten Hag will win a standoff with Ronaldo. I was talking to a Man U supporting mate of mine yesterday, he was very dismissive of Ronaldo and wants him out of the door. Yet 12 months ago he was hailing him as the man who would fire them to Champions League glory. I would give Ronaldo his wish and let him leave. He doesn't have as many options as he though initially. Ultimately, like Rovers, until Man U get new owners - or the Glazers decide to change their style - they'll continue in their current iteration.

Per the commentator Shearer's goal was his 17th of the season (cups too). It was November. He would have scored 40+ if he didn't get injured, and England would have qualified for World Cup 1994. I also thought that Chris Price had left Rovers before the start of the Prem season.

Klopp raves about Morton but the crafty so has form for talking young lads up, but I'd have him in your first camp. He is a good player. However, playing central midfield in the Championship as a youngster requires a lot.

I'm going to put this here as it's as good a place as any. I had the opportunity to return to the UK a few weeks ago. I'd not been since before Covid. I always find it fascinating as it's the place I grew up but doesn't quite feel that way now. Some observations that I noticed; Johnson's time was clearly up. Far too many cars - that hasn't changed. Cars park everywhere, without regard for clogging up roads. Accidents cause major major delays. I was a 15 mile traffic jam on the M6. Another half an hour lost on an A road due to a fender bender. The Ribble Valley is beautiful. Food and beer selections were excellent. The government needs to sort out airports. Manchester was a mess. It was filthy, disorganised, and looks like an office park with a runway in the middle. Nearly all USA flights leave from Heathrow now. How is that good for leveling up if all transatlantic embarkation starts and ends in the capital? People were much nicer. There were more smiles than normal. Shop staff always willing to help out. Strangers talking to you. Very odd, but pleasant nonetheless. Loads of small supermarkets everywhere, Tesco Express types. The Bull's Head in Wilpshire is now a Co-op. At less than $1.25 to sterling I made out.

As I'm doing nothing else on a Saturday afternoon I looked up a few prior tournament squads. 2 to 3 seems to be about the average for players who get a full cap. France had a good couple of years just prior to 2018 with Mbappe, Pavard, Coman, Lucas Hernandez, and Marcus Thuram all featuring. There are usually one or two more who make it but aren't full internationals, then a lot who disappear off the face of the earth. My guess is that many lads are still growing at that age and those who are done may be the ones who fall off. It's certainty the case with younger lads. 2012 was a good year for England; Euro 2012 u-19 squads Johnstone, Dier, Coady, Keane, Barkley, and Kane all have caps. With Chalobah, Redmond, Berahino (for a while), and Lundstram all playing in the Prem. Yet Tom Thorpe the captain never made it. He played half a season for Bolton, and now plies his trade in India.

Although an achievement worth celebrating the primary purpose of the u-19's is to have players move up to the full national team. The last winning team included Aaron Ramsdale, Mason Mount, and Reece James who are currently in Southgate's set up. I Looked up the squad; England Euro u-19's 2017 Edun and Brereton were also in it. As is a lad who now plays for Southport. If the 2022 team can have multiple players break move up then the development team continue to do their job. From what I read Chukwumeka (sp?) from Villa was the stand out player for England.

I wonder what the Man U hierarchy are thinking today; ESPN - Pochettino sacked by PSG. I'm sure that they have wanted him for years. They could have waited a month and got him for nothing. Instead they are pinning everything on ten Hag. Either way they aren't catching Liverpool or City. Chelsea and Spurs are better than them too.

Tart, tit, and baby were used interchangeably in my neck of East Lancs (Accy/Blackburn). Although baby lining was the least popular of the 3. Looking at it through 2022 eyes it would seem that goal poaching was seen as unsporting and thus to try and pressure the alleged offender into not doing it fellow players intimated that only babies and loose women did it.

If judged on performances he's lucky to be included as he has been crap, but Southgate trusts him and as you say he has always performed for England. I wonder if the manager is using this England outing to try and restore his confidence. Unless there are marked changes in the next few months I assume that Maguire and Stones will partner at the back in Qatar. I actually think the back 5 will be the same as the Euros - pending Shaw returning to fitness. His team mates Sancho and Rashford haven't been afforded the same treatment but with England having a good few options in the wide roles it was an easy decision for Southgate.

He is very lucky to keep his spot especially as Eric Dier has played very well for Conte. But unlike many in previous generations he tends to play better in an England shirt. Mings had a bad season too and missed out. TAA, Trippier, Walker, James, Justin - all right backs although with no left backs available I think Justin and Trippier will play on the left.

Southgate has named his squad for the June Nations League games; ESPNFC - England squad Some newer names are; Jarrod Bowen, Fiyako Tomori and James Justin. Sancho and Rashford are out.

Brown the ex-player is the straight man, Parkin the foil. Brown is quieter but tries to ask better questions. Of all the ones I've listened to (probably 20 or so) I think that the Marshall one was the best. It had a bit of everything. Simon Ferry was good because of the way he portrayed Di Canio and Gravesen although there was little insight into the game nor was he a memorable player. The John Sheridan one was crap. His Manc accent grated.