I honestly think that the difference between Rovers being remotely entertaining, and a pile of dog terd to watch is Tugay. Like marmite love him or hate him-he creates chances and he gives away chances through his sometimes wayward passing. I remember a quote from jon Stead when he signed, he said "everytime I get a chance in training, I look up to see who played the ball and everytime it was Tugay". He will give away soppy passes, but with him and Savage in the middle is a must at home-even against the big teams I think. After all I swear Savage used to get forward and score goals for Brum?!

As theno kinda said, you need to be as good as Dennis Bergkamp to pull of the "hole" role. Bentley should be tried on the right...he couldnt have done much worse than Emo or Reid.

I agree with that, but who would you drop? Reid, Bentley or Sav?

Come on lets not go overboard Paul, I mean 4-4-2! What a pathetic formation!

What do you guys reckon? Give some of the players a rest (and no not a well earnt one) or play our best 11 in the hope that they get a little bit of confidence?

Quote on Sky backs up pauls arguement, Hughes said "If either of them free kicks had gone in, we could have won comfortably. " Just sums up our chances really, proving that them 21 shots were probably crosses or lose balls. We're just like Everton last year we rely on set pieces or a freak chance to get goals, but with one exception...they won alot of games. I mentioned it earlier, but when was the last time we went behind and pulled level?

Just over 20k, it was Bellamys home debut, the return of Souness and Shearers last ever aoppearance (cup permitting) at Ewood Park. Admitedly having commitments and living in Somerset I couldnt make it...but this is bad and it'l get a hell of a lot worse. I seriously doubt if we'll even get 27k+ against the likes of Utd and Chelsea. Fans want entertainment, wins and goals..and this is why they're turning away in my opinion. We have to show more ambition on the pitch.

Dickovs tally of around 10 last season looks blimmin respectable! I think them figures of how many our strikers were going to score this season needs rethinking. If we do look as if were getting embroiled in a dog fight, then he will revert to becoming even more defensive as was the case last season when we climbed the table. Just think if somebody had told us before the start of the season that Darren Bent would have two more goals than our entire team after six games then he would've been whisked up in a white jacket.

Mods how about a new heading for the homepage: "days since Rovers last goal" I'm sorry but yeah we had 17 shots, but not one clear cut chance AGAIN. We prey that we'll get a goal from a lucky rebound, a free kick or a hopeful ball into the area. The fact is were not hurting teams nearly enough, and when the defence is as bad as Newcastle's that is shocking. 4-5-1 at home to the weakest Newcatsle starting 11 possible is suicidle-yeah Hughesey play it away to teams like Utd, Chelskia and the Gooners, but do not play it at home. Only 20,000 turned up today, and our next home game is against West Brom...cue our worst prem attendance since the prem started. I'm not about to jump on Hughsey's back because he's done a great job, but have we ever equalised under his reign? When you go one nil down under him you know you've lost with this team. The commentators said "only 5 mins left but you feel Rovers can grab a couple of goals here"...we can't score though simple as. I'm afraid that this was a good chance today to get some fans back, but it's going to turn more and more away, who wants to watch a defensive formation at home with little chance of goals? After that I think I'd play our best 11 on tues/weds in the hope of regaining some much needed confidence...from somewhere. Final note-Bellers looked lively but with shocking service I cant see this move working. Hes better than this and needs a partner-something Hughes is reluctant to do.

Just remembered a funny Rovers encounter. The WBA away players entrance holds room enough for just one player to walk through at a time. My old man started talking to Souey at the entrance, congratulating him on our rise up the div 1 table (at the time), with the rest of the squad unable to get past for like 2 minutes...I honestly thought Tiny Taylor was going to nut me Dad!

Apologies for not being Blackburn, but around 7 years ago I was at Majorca airport on the way home and bumped into the entire Real Madrid squad. Got all the autographs and stuff-even though I was wearing a Barca shirt (hey I was a naive 13 year old at the time). Two funny stories from that meeting: 1) Caught Manuel Sanchis browsing the pornos and then purchasing one. and 2) When reading back through the autogrpahs under one of the names (cant read who it was, but quite possibly Raul/Hierro/Redondo or another of the big names whom I got) it reads "p*** off in almost perfect English...the Barca shirt had come back to haunt me, and despite my threats at the time to do the club over this childish behaviour I never followed up my threat!!

Andy Gray is worried about the 4-5-1 system as are many more pundits and fans. It's great for our club if we can get 0-0's and 1-0 wins by playing with that system, but ask any other fan and theyl tell you that two teams playing 4-5-1 against each other is almost as boring as watching paint dry. I've heard people ripping us and Bolton apart after sundays games, and we have to admit we would've been bored out of your mind if we werent supporting Rovers in the game. But as Revidge said, hopefuly Bellers will mean a less cautious approach to all games.

Don't know why some are saying it could be 3-2 etc. Since when has a Hughes side caused thjem types of scorelines? West Ham this season exempted. Think we'll grab a 1-0 victory with the Admiral bagging his 1st for the club.

Bound to have been mentioned elsewhere but Bellamy and Dickov have a chance of making it this sunday according to the LET. I hope that Hughsey doesn't try rushing Bellers back to quick as we need him fully fit week in week out to stand a chance of a top ten finish. I think we'll sneak this 1-0 with an Emerton winner.

£3 million was a rip off for a 30 year old Savage, but as Essien said recently, "I don't decide my price the clubs do".

As Scotty just said this is very bad news with us to face them soon. Notlob away (always a bleddy hard game) and an Owen inspired Newcastle doesn't sound good. I saw some stats the other day and hes only banged in more against one other club during his time with the scousers.

Guys if anybody is hoping Thommo will come back and transform our team then I'm afraid I think you'll be badly let down. He was so bad last season, that I was genuinely praying that we offloaded him this summer. Emerton is a better right winger (I know that speaks volumes) and Flitty is just a good a central midfielder. Thommo was excellent before his injury problems, but like Jansen I'm afraid he's just lost it.

I know Bellers was unfit for the hammers game, but truth be told the only way we were going to score that day was from set pieces. It's just a bit annoying that were not creating anything at all, and when we do were not looking like were going to put it away (granted i obviously wasnt there today). With Notlob away next, we really need to start creating some chances. I know after all the praise we were giving the players after the last two games, that we are being fickle. Im afraid though that the simple matter is that you need chances to score. And with our only decent chances falling to Kuqi we will continue to not score.

I'm afraid its the same scenario as last season. With or without Bellers we are not going to score nearly enough goals-and the club wonder why our attendances are in the mire? We grabbed an astounding 32 last year, and I was originally saying we could get 45 this year, well not a chance. 40 at best.

Seems as though we put in a good performance. Gale and Hansen, yes Hansen were very complimentary to us saying that we played great football at times. And as Hansen said it was Rovers achilles heel again-we can't score enough. For all of Kuqi's effort, what was he doing for that one on one?! He went to ground when all he had to do was sidefoot the ball past Robinson. Surely we could do with another frontman? Offload Dickov if we have to and bring in someone on loan. I fear weve left it too late, and even with bellers we will struggle to get more than 45 goals. Finally, sorry to end on a sour note, but Neil and Tood have let the club down again. Yes its great that Hansen and that are saying were playing nice, tidy football, but again the press will just be concerned with "dirty" Neil and "thug" Todd. Sometimes Todd baffles me-the lad must have some sort of temper issue, and judging by some of his incidents in football this is justified. Andy you cannot headbut people even if they are mouthy fat Irishmen. And as for Lucas, youve no complaints mate, it was a dirty, mistimed challnge. So I anticipate Lucas getting a 1-2 game ban, Todd a 3 game one, and our club reputation to be tarnished again.

As someobody may have metioned, rumour is that Defoe will be rested, with Jol a big fan of rotating his strikers and Spuds facing chelski next sat this seems a distinct possibility. So if that's the case it could be Mido and Keane...oh God that git always scores against us too at Ewood!

Apart from the Mirror is there any confirmation on the injury? I can't see anything more on Newsnow. If he's out for a month then we're screwed. A partnership of Kuqi and Gallagher/Johnson for the next few games will be just as bad as last year if not worse. (Providing Jansen is still out). Maybe a striker becomes a priority again before the start of the campaign?

For the guys who have been talking about Bellers-he's pulled out of Wales squad. So if he's out, @#/?'s out, Jansen's maybe out then we'll probably have Kuqi and Gallagher-cue the goals! Nah seriously though, for those who say that they have no attacking threat, I'm sure that the pace of Radzinski, Boa Morte and Malbranque will be enough if we're not up for it. We have a history of struggling against pace and I fear taht's why we'll struggle...Lets just pray the admirals fit.

I think the ref's yesterday and today went OTT with dishing out red cards as if they were sweets. That Jenas tackle was a "quiet word in the ear job" but yet ref's have to try and make a point and send him off. It wrecked the game completely and turned from an intreaging game into when will Arse score. As for Newcastle, I actually think that if they keep their players fit then they're a top 6 side. People talking of relegation and bottom half are wide of the mark. A midfield of Jenas, Dyer, Emre and Parker is far better than anything we can nearly possess.

One quote though has worried me to death: "We just couldn't deal with Sheringham and Harewood" Hughes My God, if Hughsey admits defeat against those two, try Defoe/Mido, Crespo/Drogba, Rooney/RVN, Henry/Reyes, Cisse/Mori, Yak/JFH...hell even Camara and Roberts. We need a centre half and a creative midfielder and fast.