Hats off to Bolton for the initiative. I just feel this won't be the kind of marriage they were hoping for. It does however signal some intent and the timing can't do season ticket sales any harm. I just don't feel this fella's head or heart is in the game anymore. Let's see how he likes playing in Lancs about January.

Good luck to them, bit past the sell by date.

He does not have to change EVERYTHING, just a few things. Number one instill a fresh breath of life into a much jaded team.

Not really true, when we finsihed 6th there was still plaenty of folk who wanted Souness out, remember to some 6th was not good enough. The words lack of ambition were bandied around, Souness was critcised often. No one can (with hand on heart) say that Souness did not do a fantastic job. He probably saved this club from a Sheffield Wednesday type demise and if that was all he ever did it would have been enough for me, I would have been eternally grateful. Fact is he's done a lot more thatn that. A cup win, respectable finish first year back and 6th last year. All that is noted and appreciated but there comes a time when a change is needed, when the "players need to hear it from someone else" to quote the great man, it's just that perhaps that time is here. Our teams performance tomorrow will definitively tell all of us whether that time is now and whether this ex blood and thunder footballer can have some of his passion rub off on to his players. Good luck Graeme, bring us home the 3 points.

I've said it before, it's due to a lack of professionalism in some of our players. A lack of professionalism born from a "I'll be alright Jack" attitude, let's face it, even given the drop quite a few of our players could command similar or better salaries with other teams, they know that. OUr hope comes in the form of the Gally's and Steads who know they have to give effort to make any impact. Of course if they are subbed and not given enough playing time then eventually they will adopt the same "ah to hell with it why should I bother" attitude, and who could blame them.

To be fair to Batty (and the other players) I'm not sure I'd be happy about accepting a pay refferal when there was a good chance the players would never see the reffered money again. It's not the players' fault that Leeds are in the mess they are in (at least off the field anyway). What I don't understand about this whole Batty story is why it's been made public. Eddie Gray could have simply not picked Batty for the rest of the games - why drag the whole thing out into the open? I can't see what he's trying to achieve. Awwww didums do poor wittle footballer been told by his employer he's not wanted. Hey life happens, deal with it. If the suggestions I have heard that he scuppered the lifeline are true then good for Leeds, I mean in our real world would any Corporation or Business keep an employee who tried to destroy them.

Is some one keeping an eye on jim? A win at Boro he's going to be quite depressed you know.

But yer Squid doesn't buy what it used to, unless you go shopping in the Asian market. You could actually be close to the truth there 1864, but I don't think it is a case of him being fired. I think if anything it would be a case of Souness retiring, the board wishing to hold funds for the new man to start building his team as he sees fit. Nationwide Football does not beat thinking about we all know the clubs feelings on that but we must be prepared should the drop happen. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Quite a concept there Mr Fleming, but it will never catch on, this new fangled stuff generally never does.

Never heard a Rovers fans call Gillespie that before, where you been mate? (Or where've I been even?)

We all have low periods at work and know what helps us get through them. I was just thinking how on earth do you gee yourself up as a football manager? Why you just have a look at your Paycheck, smile and say gee up I'm on a doddle here.

Great post tris, I'd never looked at it that way. Does this mean mediocrity is the best thing to aspire to for a footy manager to keep his job?

Oh please! By all means, feel free to argue in favour of Souness - but this well-worn argument is totally stupid. Was Brian Kidd on the pitch when we were stinking up division one? Was Graham Taylor playing alongside Carlton Palmer for England when he was England boss? Were they still culpable for the bad results? Would having Todd and Short, available have made a difference to Souness' "performance" on Saturday?

Especially since rover6 is Sturrocks agent :'>

Dingles don't have jobs.

Nationwide journeymen??? Rich, coming from the fan of a club who has to beg their fiercest rivals to borrow players. Yes Souness must stay, you never know a new manager may not be so generous to you.

Would your "feeling" keep us out of the First Division. Non of the names you have put forward have any experience with the exception of Hughes. Mark Hughes did well with an entire Nation of Footballers to choose from but eventually even he failed to acheive the goal with his team.

our next 3 games are all winnable,but i'm more confident off gaining 3pts than 9pts if souness saves the day and we do not get relagated then swans off to spurs what will you souey can do no wrong brigade think then Well, I'd think we'd need another manager.

With some of his tackling and the red cards he's got jim perhaps rugger is something he should think about.

Jan, not quite correct. Living in Arizona and having lived through the worst Forest fires ever here, the main culprit of the fire spreading, apart from dry windy conditions, NOT removing the saplings. See if you actually understood your analogy you would have realized that thinning is the best way to help prevent the spread off fire. Its a matter of knowing which saplings to leave and which to get rid of. So on your theme, had the wrong saplings been left in place it could have led to the destruction of the entire forest. Some saplings are removed by the correct people in charge but the best ones are yanked from your Forest by others against your will.

Souness took it outside and kicked three shades of caca out of it.

Good point, not something that many of us have considered. He refused to criticise Lucas and is still make his feelings known on the Cole incident, instead he keeps hiding behind comments such as 'the general feeling is...'. Strange comments from a man who is not afraid to say what he feels His analysis of the formation and general frustrations of being a Rovers fan at present are spot on too. Fecking nitpicking omniscient yahoo's, you are really. Just how many times have you EVER heard a manager come out and say anything against his player in a situation like that. He copped to Neill's sending off being righteous isn't that enough for you perfectionists. What next, sack him cos he shaved his tash, sack him cos he ties the wrong shoelace first or pulls the wrong trouser leg on first. Ridiculous. Like the earlier poster said, he does you whine, he doesn't you whine.

But there are no guarantees that you will be there to greet us are there. I mean if your borrowed team goes back from whence they came what do you have left.

And there he shows his ignorance. Anyone who thinks Alex McLeish is fit to lace Martin O'Neill's boots isn't a football fan. However, that said and realising that Martin O'Neill would never look at a club like us, Alex McLeish wouldn't be a bad choice. He's young, had relatively good ideas. I wouldn't have a problem with him. Not a football fan huh? You are right, I am a big fan of fishing and I hooked you big time. Alex McLeish may not have as long a track record as O'Neill but has done a good job in getting Rangers back to being Scotlands number one football team.

jim, I don't usually resort to this but quit being an idiot. Your personal vendetta against Souness cos of what happened with your kid is ridiculous. Does your son know how you are reacting to that? If so I am sure he is embarrassed. Not very good life lessons you are giving there jim.