I agree that on paper we have a fairly decent sqaud. Trouble is that there is a huge difference between a good team on paper and a team performing on the pitch. We have a few players untested still in the prem (Reid, De Pedro, Pederson) and some players who you could argue are over the hill (Matteo, Jansen, Flitty etc) and then there's the players severely lacking in confidence (Stead, Neil, Emerton and maybe even the likes of Ferguson). All I'm saying is that when you look at things on the whole, were short of players that we can depend upon at the minute. I'm just hoping that the new man can install some much needed confidence into us in time for the upcoming games.

Not that I believe the Royle rumour at all, but how could he even be linked! He has a shocking reputation. I'd even prefer Alan Ball to arrive in his sinking ship!!!

You'd probably get better odds on that happening as first goalscorer for Rovers than you would any other player! Heart says 2-1 Rovers (Possibly if new gaffer comes in) Head says 1-2 Pompey.

5-1 he incorporates the words "lady luck" into his first post match interview.

For the last year and a bit they've been overpaid and underperformed. Whoever comes in better give each and every one of them a huge kick up the backside. Parkes says that they "are upset with their performance", but I bet they couldn't even give two hoots!!! Loyal fans are having to put up with this garbage week in week out and it just isn't good enough.

Yeah "run at their defence and their buggered".

Were getting mauled apparently. Roll on to appointing a new gaffer! Seriously thought whoever it is will have one hell of a job, I honestly think we'll have a dogfight on our hands!!!

I think that he could be a possibility. Didn't do that well with Watford-but he had limited funds and a very limited squad. However Luca was superb at Chelsea and was very harshly given the chop. He definitely deserves another chance in football management-whether it's with us I doubt, but as I said it's another possibility.

Mccarthy would be an absoloute shocker!!! The blackcats would snap our hands off if we came anywhere near!!!

What about a foreign gaffer? (Not Houllier). There is bound to be interest in the job from abroad (due to the good rate of pay etc), so I hope that Rovers don't write off this possibility. I admit that there's been some bad foreign managers (Gross, Gullit etc) but there's been some good one's (Luca Vialli, Wenger and now possibly Santini). I'm not advising Rovers to appoint somebody who isn't Brittish, I just hope that we consider all applicants. A coach with ideas from abroad could possibly be a breath of fresh air-however I do admit that it would be a big risk-whoever it could be. On the subject of Jewell, I'm not sure about him, he kept Bradford afloat, and is doing well now, but he doesn't have the credentials in my eyes to manage a team like Rovers who should be pushing for the top 10.

Hey are you writing the script for Souness. Gotta agree there alan. I havnt even seen the arsenal game and the ref may have been shocking, but I bet the whole of soueys post match interview will be about the ref and the penalty decision. Face it-we aint gonna get a penalty. Come on souey tell it like it was.

So did we play a 4-4-2? Was Gresko left wing?

To add to somebody's point-can't remember who! I read literally every paper today and not one had a go at D'Urso about awarding the penalty!!! I think one papaer said it was "dubious" and that's all that was said about the poorest ever given penalty. If D'Urso had given that pen against Utd he would have been hung, drawn and quartered by now! It's unbelievable. They have a go at him not sending off Fergie, but yet fail to mention that weve just lost out on a point due to him being a right idiot. At least Alan Hansen gave us some sympathy "never in a million years is that a penalty" and the only other pundit to have sympathy was Graham I think who said "That happens 20 odd times in one match, so therefore why weren't 20 penalties given". Another case of little Blackburn I'm afraid.

Any one with news on amo's non-appearance? Injured?

Soz, but forgot to mention, where was big Amo today? Surely he has a knock or something?

Some good points there Krislu, especially regarding our attacking play. Apart from the first part of the second half we hardly created anything, especially during the 1st half. I know it's good to play reasonably defensive away from home, and then grab a goal on the counter, but I can't see our defensive minded 1st half team hitting a barn door. For the past two games souey's had to change things completely at half time, of which not many managers do, unless forced, which shows that he's been tactically naive. Our team just doesn't perform to it's capabilities attacking wise in 1st half's-it was the same last season. (It isn't much better after the break!). As I've said in another thread Soueys said that the pressures now "off Sturrock and on him" so fingers crossed that for the next few games he plays a basic 4-4-2 with players in the right positions. I also wonder whether De Pedro's going to play left wing much this season, so maybe there is some truth in the new Gamst rumours? I really hope there is, because that would not only give us more options in the middle (If that's where Javier might play?) it would also give us that creative spark down the left. With a new signing and Thommo's return I'm hopefull that Souness can get it right, but please no more tactical howlers Souey!!

I personally think that Souey should be given more time, however as he said "The pressures off Sturrock and on me now". He knows that some Rovers fans are losing faith, however I'm sure that he'l get the right response...or at least I hope.

Nah mate it was deffo 4-4-2, with Flitty RM and Matteo LM. When I heard the line up, I thought ah a 3-5-2, but as it turned out it wasn't.

Back from the game absoloutely gutted. We were robbed it is fair to say, and it's also fair to say we'll never get a penalty ourselves. I'd put my house on that if that was say Stead who got pushed by say Lundekvam at Ewood Park in the 90th minute we'd never have been given a penalty. I personally thought that we were pretty average first half, only one real effort from Stead. Their goal was a shocker from us-who was picking up Phillips. We came out and played better second half, scored two good goals and then went to sleep. No closing down for Svensson's goal made it even worse. I thoght that Emerton was good second half, but my God did he have a shocker 1st half.Re-watch the match tonight, not one pass goes to a Rovers player. Please Souey don't play him right back again. Also thought that Yorkey did well until he went off, however there was nobody to pass to when he did hold the ball up. Dickov did very well too, but the lads gotta cool his temper. Stead was okay, but he didnt get involved enough, I'd expect more from him. Finally Tugay was quality, and Fergie played quite well, took his goal brilliantly. Very gutted, baffled by playing Flitty right mid and Matteo left mid, as somebody's pointed out, we literally have a full squad to choose from, so why such negative tactics for the first two games??? If this trend is set to continue, how negative will we be against the Gooners?! I reckon a 4-5-1 from Souey this time! It's evident that we need a couple of signings, and I still reckon it should be a pacey winger. Anyway, time will tell, we've gotta get something against United and Newcastle because after Wednesday we'll be almost rock bottom.

That's the thing. There's no silver lining at the moment. Arsenal away, Utd home and the Geordies away. And then Pompey at home-a game we'll no doubt bugger up. Soueys got a few things to sort out, but as Phillip said, despite the team that souey put out we did play well.

Just got back from the game and gotta agree. Twice now at half time, soueys realised that he had to change it from the team that started the match. However he persued in playing Matteo left midfield during the second half. Flitty rm-are you having a laugh? At least when Douglas and Andersen played there last season they had some sort of knowledge of playing slightly out wide. Emerton cannot play right back again this season. Up until half time I thought that it was his worst performance yet in a Rovers shirt. Not one pass went to a team-mate. Thank God he played slightly better the second half. All in all gutted, and again slightly baffled by Souey's selection.

Does seem a bit strange to leave Thommo out. Either he can't be match fit, still! Or maybe he has a slight niggle or something?! Either way can't wait to see the man back.

Are you having a laugh mate? Arsenal could create plenty of chances against Milan let alone Rovers!!! Whose going to stop Pires, Vieira, Ljunberg, Reyes,Henry and co? Short, Matteo, Gresko, Neil and Amo?! I think we'll put up a bit of a fight, but we'll lose 4-1.

Also very baffled by Soueys formation and line-up. He had all summer to form his plans for the start of the season, plus we only had Neil, Reid and Thomspon out, yet we play a stupid formation and play people out of position. Yes they are all right sided players, but surely Douglas or somebody could have played slightly out of postition on the right, like Dunn used to on the right hand side for Rovers when in need. I'll reserve total judgement for a few more games yet, however Souey should just stick with a 4-4-2 and play people in their correct positions starting with the Saints on Sat.

Although I think that we could do with a striker, due to us having very little money, or none at all, I believe that a pacey wideman is more required. With the sluggishness of De Pedro and Emerton, and the possibility of Thommo not recapturing his old form, we could definitely do with more options. As I said earlier, can anyone name me a player who can take on somebody and get us into dangerous positions? (Maybe a fully fit, revitalised Thommo aside). A striker would be nice, but from a personal point of view more pacey width is desperately needed.