No one want to pat Souness on the back for giving Babbel a chance, as reported in the LET.

We will see how Cole handles it "venison" the bench, or left out at Fulham, unable to steak a claim to a regular first team spot.

I think that this season will tell us what the "level" is. 12,000 ST holders seems about right. If the home crowd for the West Brom game is 20,000 then we'll know that 8 thousand people haven't committed to STs but are a market to be targetted for all home games. It's quite important that the baggies return south on the end of a proper shoeing. I hope they send WBA packing too. Trouble is you know what the public of Blackburn will be saying, "well we 'ammered Wolves first game last year and look what happened. Then we have some very difficult games on the bounce, people will have us relegated already. The general public of Blackburn are just apathetic about their club and they have been for about Forty years. The comments about finding our own level are very true and as support wanes we will and it most likely will not be Premiership. My personal theories are the switching of games is an easy out for people to avoid shelling out their money. I had a season ticket for years but I very much doubt if I would have forked over the cash not knowing each season how many games I would actually be able to see. Another point that I have raised before, it may seem small but I feel it is a big factor and that is the getting in and out of Ewood. Easy access to and from the ground. I have heard of many issues regarding traffic flow etc it needs to be remedied, people simply are not as patient as they used to be.

Thanks for sharing that Sam it's a bloody great read, I can't help be echo that sentiment 100% I really can't wouldn't it be refreshing if that was the case, I think it would be.

This just about sums it up as well as it can be. " He was pure @#/? and it deserves to be said loudly and in public. His failure as striker would have relegated Blackburn if it wasn't for Stead and a few other players who actually cared and put some effort in" The whole quote was a GREAT one though, makes one think we ALL have forgotten football's roots. Personally I think that is about as close to a nail on the head as you will see and I don't really understand how any reasonably intelligent person can see it differently, I just don't, so perhaps it's time to just move on now. As for the comments, well done Andy for not going into it..... YET, and he will, once things simmer down, if there is money to be made on the story it will be. As for Souness' comments, off key? yes somewhat, false? no not at all. Why do so many take the coddling stance on here, have people forgotten how to be. Souness says it like he sees it is, always has, always will. Sure he will be wrong but you know what I have more time for a person like that than a sneak behind your back and report you type. Any day of the week I do and I know which I would rather have with me when the writing is on the wall. Play your cards and bugger the feelings. So all you fishermen keep baiting your hooks and look for any old snippet with which to criticise Souness and sooner or later you will have it your way, THEN WHAT?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating or some other such cliche. Middlesbrough have brought in star names and season ticket sales have gone through the roof. In the past two summers, we will have offloaded Dunn, Duff and (as looks likely) Cole, our biggest stars. Meanwhile season tickets sales have slumped. I wonder if the two events are related? You have no proof and no pudding jim. COuld it not simply be that Boro are on the up under McClaren that their sales went up cos of success rather than a few past it big names. Could it not be that it is wholly related to winning their first ever bit of silver.

Credit where it's due.

Either way, if Cole speaks all we will have here is the Souness haters agreeiing with Cole and the Pro Souness brigade disagreeing.

I wonder how the Souness can't do anything right brigade would react if a fan had let the cat out of the bag regarding a big name player and cost us his signing. It's all a bit silly really. Of course the fans are going to want to know who this mystery fella is that bangs in two goals when our "best" striker is leaving.

Waggy, are you suggesting Souness bent over backwards to keep Cole happy. Went and spent shed loads more money just to keep ace Cole happy. Doesn't sound the the tactics of a man with an ego problem does it?

Offensive? Please explain.

Yes, Souness is, he also got rid of Gillespie, Dunn, Curtis, Hignett, Berg the list goes on. None of whom were black. Perhaps Souness hates whites too. It's pretty simple Mr NEO-? if they don't give 100% they are gone, regardless of the colour of their skin. Let's not forget Souness also BOUGHT Yorke and Cole, bought Bent and wanted Jason Roberts, wanted Traore from Liverpool.

Cole a physical presence?? Dickov will kick his arse at that side of the game, cole was a bit of a lightweight really.

No and in fairness that is the weakness in the points I make. I don't see him as much as you do and even on the telly you can't see all this phenominal, endless running off the ball stuff that Cole did. So I could be coming across a bit harsh. PS, Waggy, whats ditti?

Swap Fulham for Blackburn and it is typical of a few report from Cole while he was still here, sure he still has hunger all GREEDY people do. jim were you or were you not one of Coles biggest critics while he was here. Tje same jim that said Dwight Yorke was a brilliant signing.

######, he may be a legend but he's not even close to a Rovers legend, not even close. Cole,Cole Andy Andy Cole He gets the ball and hits it wide, good job cos he was offside, gets it to his feet, then he slips, hands on hips. Gives a scowl, shakes his head, Tells the ref it was a foul It's the boss' fault he's damn crazy, it's not me, I'm not lazy 50K a week from you I'll Pork Go get my friend his names Dwight Yorke. Thank for the memories Andy, one or two were special but the rest of the time you were an over paid, egocentric, self serving prima donna.

Don't you mean writing jim, can you work an angle where Cole use an example of how mean souey is by having Cole tell the story about the ball boy Souness did not say 'ello to?

There wasn't one. There was however a "player of the year" poll in which Cole came a very narrow 2nd behind Steadinho. But now Souey has offloaded Cole so as usual in the eyes of most* Cole was never any good anyway. *Tris being an honourable exception. Haven't you had several goes at Mr Cole Rev.

True I am sure but a footballing "legend" such as Cole perhaps should have been able to adapt. On the other foot it is easy to say Cole broke too early making it impossible for the person supplying the pass to make it and too easy for the defence to read and move forward to put Cole in an offside position. Perhaps Cole is just too predictable. Bottom line for me is that he should have been able to adjust and for a top class stiker he should have scored more, he had the chances he just could not finish them. I find it amusing that people here seem to blame everyone else for Coles failures, it's beginning to sound a lot like Cole is only an average player unless he is surrounded be World Class player to carry his defficiencies don't you think.

An afterthought that we had been tracking for 12 Months. You can't even give credit for Rovers having the balls to make the move when two or three other Premeirship managers have admitted they did not have the cahounas to take the chance.

His last story before the Cole one was that we have a £10million transfer kitty this summer. When that one comes true I will hold my hand up. That story is true, we have invested 10 mil in that pussy Cole and he is going to be transferred, sounds accurate to me.

EIT, have you not been following along? Cole has come under fire from members of this board on countless occassions, usually in after match threads. No I don't think we ever had a thread devoted to him but I know I have complained abut him, particularly his inability to stay on side on scores of occasions. Yet others knocked him even when I thought his game had been good. There has been no comments on his ability since the end of the season because he finished the season on a high, which to me is now beginning smell of effort being put in to serve Andy Cole. Put himself in the shop window so to speak, I think he had a pretty good idea he wanted to force a move. Maybe, just maybe Cole had this figured out, give max effort for the last few games, take summer off pick up the inflated cheque through summer return to Brockhall, have a bust up with the boss get the hell out. Thats all speculation on my part of course, hypothetical. No it is not just a case of defending Souness, the same could be said of those saying Cole must stay but in Anti Souness terms. There have been posters who have moaned about Cole who are now saying he must stay. Out of boredom I watched again the Fulham game again, paid particular attention to Mr Cole, tell you what, other than the goal and one nice pass I saw diddly squat from him. With hindsight now there is a very interesting incident in that game, after Cole had scored Souness gave Cole a big smile and a thumbs up, Cole does not smile back or anything just gives a mean glare towards the bench. It's best for the team as a whole that Cole goes. Is he a good player, I tink he is (rather can be when he wants) is he a team player? don't think so, is he worth what he's being paid, absolutely not. Last but not least, each of the last two seasons we have created plenty of chances, had Cole scored with a better strike ratio perhaps we would have been looking at Champs league instead of EuFA and never been in a relegation battle last season. I am not really saying Cole MUST go, I have said it before. All I am saying is if he goes it's no big deal.

We have Steb on site, speaking into a tin can and a string back to a tin next to Paul's ear Which is why we need donations................... I've got a ball of string you can have........ Lee says Reid, Flitty and Jansen are playing now. I have some Kevlar line, allows voice vibrations to travel up to ten times faster then standard string. Free for first 6 months.

But surely only to a point, doesn't there come a time when the youngsters would look at Cole and say 50,000 a week and this fella does nowt. Yes I am sure he had a lot to teach but for those who follow the examples of others he would not be good. I would rather see a youngster who has the talent learn the work ethics off a player such as Dickov than have them pick up the I am Andy Cole the World owes me type attitude. Some good discussion on this thread, I have enjoyed it very much some great posts by Mr Fleming and Paul and soem good arguments posted by those against Coles moving. Thanks all I am getting antsy for the new season now. Won't it be sweet irony if Mr McBride ends up keeping Cole out of the side at Fulham though I think those two will work well together. Thanks for the thrills Andy but there should have been much more, so much more. Have you no sense of pride man.

No it was not your imagination. Does half a dozen games at the end of a season really make up for the last 1-3/4 seasons of sulking, standing with hands on hips and being caught offside, I think not.