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.

I don't think he was a bad signing at the time Le Chuck, yes his goals did save us. We can say his goals saved us about 20 mill but in reality it could have been much more, there is a strong possibility that if we had gone down that year we could still be floundering so it's impossible to say. I think we have had good return for our spending where we have gone wrong is keeping him too long. Should ahve been looking to ship him out half way through the season before last. Your question about the younger strikers is a bit of a rhetorical one, who exactly was available that could have been a shoe in to do what Cole did. It is all shoulda coulda woulda type stuff, judgements and opinions formed with the benefit of hindsight. The transfer market was still inflated back then, if you remember we got Cole because we were pipped to our first choice by Leeds. That first choice was one Robbie Fowler and he went for ELEVEN million, we lost out on personal terms. IN retrospect we should be thanking our lucky stars we got Cole instead. Of course I am disappointed we are getting nothing for him but just having him off the wage bill will be a big help. It will have been hard for Rovers to cap their salaries when Cole is pulling in 50 Grand a week for doing pretty much nothing in terms of effort, can't everyone see how that must have made other players feel. I think it would have cause a general malaise within the club and it has showed. All will be well without Cole, you'll see everyone, don't worry be happy.

I'll be sending something shortly. I was wondering if it might be an idea to try to show the target and how far we have to go, sort of like some of the charity drives that people have. Paul I am going to PM you with someone who may be interested in some form of sponsorship.

Cole's goals kept us in the Premiership in his first season here, so explaing to me how the 7 Mil was wasted? As for being a laughing stock? that's what a lot of this is about isn't it, it's not what's best for the club it's about how much stick you have to put up with from the ManU fans in the pubs. Deal with it, it is in the best interests of Rovers in the long term. Cole and Yorkes lazy attitude clearly would have undermined the whole team, a sort of well if he can then I can thing. I think Souness probably allowed the Coles and Yorkes too MUCH leeway, I don,t think the falling out is about egos either. I think it is about Cole being treated easily, when other players started to complain Souness decided it was only fair to put his foot down, Cole tell's Souness but I'm Andy Cole, Souness says I don't care Cole says sod this I'm off. Something along those lines.

Actually I was talking about attempts at goal vs goals scored rather than games played. Greggyk, what difference does my global proximity to Ewood have to do with whether I saw the miss. It's a shrinking World my friend. Not sure what point you were trying to make but it's lost on me, and apparently one or two others, try again son.

What rubbish, it seems to me Mr Cole has one of the worst strike to goal ratios I can remember since Ken Beamish, don't you remember the one where he missed from only a few feet out with the goal gaping. I had the exact opposite feeling I thought he was going to smack it right at the keeper. Damn near did too. Why so trusting of Cole, didn't Dickov actually score more than him last season.

Maybe, but there is one common factor for their being where they are, lack of discipline. It cracks me up, we complain about the modern footballer yet everytime one of these overpaid babies throws a tantrum you all seem to support them. Blaming the manager. If any of us ever refused to do something our Boss had asked us to do, regardless of what we thought, where would we be? Unemployed, a la Yorke, Cole and Todd. Difference being they get paid for being unemployed. Todd played well yes, but on reflection can we really say Souness was wrong to dump him in favour of Amo, look at the results, I think its a resounding well done to Souness for that one. I look forward to more of Souness' discipline, he has promised more, says he allowed things to become undisciplined last season and has promised not to allow that this season. I give him a big hand for that and if the Prima Donnas don't like it they can bog off and collect their easy money elsewhere. Cole helped save us from relegation the season we bought him but in reality since then he's done squat except for the last handful of games at the end of last season. Come on Souey kick their butts, fall out with anyone who does not wish to be commited to the cause for Blackburn Rovers, then get shut.

Put me in there as well. We NEED Andy Cole to teach the youngsters how to become a top striker, something Dickov can't provide. How can Cole teach anything, clearly someone needs to remind Cole himself what a top striker is like. As for teaching the young uns, I dare say it was only the arrival on the scene of young Stead that made Cole buck up his ideas. I have become absolutely sick of hearing "pass to Cole, offside. The man has lost it, done finished and is being paid far far more than he deserves. Let's have Cole leave hopefully recouping a bit of cash, sit back and if Chelsea buy that other forward Drog??, try to work something for Gudjohnsen. No guts no glory. They loaned a blonde guy to Brum last year.

That's about the most accurate statement I have seen on the Cole issue. It seemed like for a season and three quarters everyone wants shut of Mr Offside, hands on hips, won't chase, can't hit a barn door Cole, then he has a couple of games where he breaks a sweat and people think he's great. If he goes great, if he stays not as great. For the Souness out bandwagon, does the report not say a decision was made at a board meeting, Cole has clearly taken the huff and his ego is bigger than the boss'. So sod off. It's a TEAM game. It's Blackburn Rovers, not Cole's Rovers. The man felt threatened by Dickov what a pussy, he was afraid of having his lack of effort shown for all the world to see.

Spot on, it was the first thing I noticed other than the bal going in the net. The keeper clattered into the Greek player. I think the main difference was the header for the goal clearly had the defence and the keeper beaten from a cross rather than the ball coming back off the bar. Very interesting similar situations though and does add weight to the English argument that the keeper initiated contact and the flopped as if he'd been nailed. Oh well.

I'd love Duffers back as much as the next Yob... but why in the world would Duffers want to return to Ewood? He'll have his choice of club, ones with European football on their agenda, sadly. It would not hurt to pick up the phone and ask if they might want to loan him back to us, all they can say is sod off. I sort of hope this new boss falls flat on his face, Ranieri seemed like a really good bloke and was funny and would have most likely won the title but for Arsenals fantastic season. Poor fella really got crapped on. I already don't like this new fella he seems smug and arrogant. Portugese isn't he? he must have had Abramovich slip the Swiss ref a bung, new theory. Anyway, I was supporting Chelsea last year as my second team in memory of one of my friends who passed away too young, he was a big Chelsea fan. I can't do it this season, not with that manager I don't think.

It will be the Czechs. I know this because it is a German ref for the final. So, in keeping with my theme Portugals games must be reffed by a referee whose home nation was beaten by Portugals opponents. Any dodgy decisions tonight?

Saw it again last night I still say it was a good goal. I did not notice before but it looks to me now like the keeper flopped, as did much of the Portugal team most of the night. Also looked to me, arguably like Campbell had made contact with the ball slightly before the keepr jumped into Terry. Anyway what's done is done, I suppose it's time to move on.

Interested to see that the Portugal v Holland game is to be reffed by a Swede. A ref from the country beaten by Holland in the last round. Exactly like England and Portugal, is this a EUFA policy or are they just hoping the ref will harbor enough ill will towards the Dutch to tip the game the Host Nations way. Perhaps a controversial disallowed goal, or is it a smoke screen to disguise the fact they set up the England game.

We have, and have had for years an apathetic public when it comes to Rovers. Most of them seem to need only half an excuse to not go.

Come on Rev you are brighter than that. It's the whole national pride thing, people who don't even watch footy will jump on the St George flag waving wagon. It's a feel good thing and draws people together. You might as well ask why so many people watch a Royal Wedding when no-one shows any interest in a local one. Poor analogy I know but you get my drift I'm sure. I have always been almost as keen on England games as Rovers, I would most likely pick Rovers to watch if both were playing at the same time. But what is odd, with England the joy of a big win (not felt it much) or the sorrow of a tournanment loss seems to last longer and run deeper than a similar event with Rovers. Rovers win and losses I get over the happiness or sadness much quicker. Whe England go out of a top tournament I am usually done with it, I tend not to watch anymore 'cept perhaps the final. Rovers go out of the FA Cup etc, I still watch as much as I can of that cometition. Losses/wins in playoffs or relegation/promotion would be the only exception to this, cos those emotions carry throught to the next season. But with out a doubt the two can and do coexist, like having two kids do you have to have a favourite, can't you just love them both.

Just popped in because I thought I was feeling better about our demise. It's took me two minutes to realise I am not. AESF that piccie with the dog hepled bloody funny that. Well now to WC 2006, and no doubt another England exit on penalties and late disallowed winning goal, most likely against the hosts by a ref from a country whose national team we had annihilated in the previous round. Mmmm, new career. USABlue's palm reading and Psychic hotline. How long till our footy starts 6 weeks? We can enjoy the weekly ref bashing with the big team favouritism every game.

Not wanting to say I told you so but I told you so. As soon as I heard the other day the ref was Swiss I had my reservations, posted it somewhere. Why do we always seem to get screwed to go out. Sweet revenge for the Swiss I suppose. Very sad right now. On the bright side it's saved me between $20 and $40 I would have paid for PPV had we progressed, too bad I'd be more than happy to pay that for a spot in the final.