I'm not saying I don't want great players to play for Rovers but I think there is an advantage when a player is not the complete package. Someone like Letissier at Southampton who had fantastic skills that entertained the crowds and won matches for years without attracting too much attention from the big clubs because his game had obvious flaws. Scott Sellers was pretty much the same for us, a really good player who was never quite good enough to get the big clubs attention. I think Gamst comes into the same category because of his lack of pace and strength we could be watching him bang in spectacular goals for years to come. If he was the next Henry we'd just end up selling him and buying a load more Barry Ferguson's!

That's exactly what I mean. When someone comes along who is obviously top-class these days they get bought. Look at Walcott or Rooney. In the current climate there is no way Duff would have been with us as long as he was. As soon as a player starts standing out too much he will become a transfer target, what teams like Rovers need to do is build a squad of good pros that work well together. If we become reliant on one or two players we are screwed when the inevitable bid comes in for them.

MGP is not a striker and never will be. What he is is one of the most talented wide-midfielders in the league. What does he have to do to get recognition? It's not as if he's on some kind of flukey run, he got 9 or ten goals playing half a season last year and he's got the same amount in the first half of this season. Yes, he does not impose himself physically on the game the way some do and yes he goes quiet but his passing, work-rate and finishing are top rate and his goal-scoring from midfield is absolutely outstanding! Apart from Lampard and Pires who regularly scores 15-20 goals a season from midfield? It's Savage/Reid/Tugay's job to dominate it's MGP's job to make the difference when we are struggling to break teams down. Something he does with remarkable frequency. All this talk about what MGP needs to do to perform at the highest level is a bit weird, be thankful he's not quicker or stronger because if he was he'd be with Duffer in Chelsea's reserves by now. As it is we have a player that might be able to perform for us for many years to come.

Anything other than a loss tonight and I'm happy - I fancy us to match them at OT. After last night I'm wetting myself for a Wigan - Rovers final. can't stand the arrogance with which most people expect Arsenal & Man U to walk it. What a great day-out that would be...

so in other words we will only lose 3 or 4 games in the second half? i would say that was optimistic. This is the team that lost to Fulham and Everton in recent weeks. I think what your saying is possible and I hope to hell it happens but it is definately optimistic.

excellent document guys, well done. Even if the only thing that comes from this is a better idea of what they are doing I think it will be worthwhile.

Hey! I only got to say my bit twice! I would like to state for the record a third and final time that Souness was v good and then he was very bad and I for one get no pleasure from his latest balls-up.

Why does everything have to be so black & white? There are plenty of managers that deserve our derision before Souness. Kidd, Hodgson, Eriksson. Need I go on? The man won a major trophy for us which is something only one other post-war Blackburn manager can say and he got us into Europe twice which seems to be enough for sainthood if your name is Alladyce or Moyes. He did all that and for the last bit of his time here he was a bit crap just like Ferguson is a bit crap at United. Doesn't change what went before.

I can't join in with any crowing about Souness getting the sack. He did a fantastic job with us for his first two years (that Hughes would do very well to emulate) and a mediocre job for his last two years. he didn't get us relegated and he left a team that with only 2 or 3 additions Hughes has turned into something pretty exciting. We also got a big pile of cash when he went. I'm glad he's not our manager anymore but I will always remember what he did for us.

it was freezin that night wasn't it? It was the scene of the worst 1st date I ever went on. Poor girl had never been to a match before and she was wearing her office suit. I ended up having to give her my coat and never got a 2nd chance. Worst bit was that we were sat in the Fulham stand (next to Mark Crossley's Dad who was a nice bloke) so I couldn't even celebrate too much. Apart from that these games are usually great, can't wait 3-1 Rovers with Kuqi getting 2

No need to be blind about this, Savage cheated in a cowardly way and it's exactly the kind of thing he is known for. He is also a decent footballer and I'm glad he's in our team. But I will never defend that kind of behaviour. I also don't understand all this stuff about an anti-Rovers bias in the press. I think the media ignore us on a regular basis but they are not anti-us apart from a few months of bully-boy nonsense which in the last couple of months has turned into quite the opposite. At the weekend half the papers I read had Bellamy as Man of the Match FFS!

All these conspiracy theories are hilarious. It seems pretty simple to me. England have qualified for the world cup in Germany next year. They have 2 guaranteed friendlies between now and then to play. A Swiss sports agency offered the FA the chance to play one of them against one of the favourites for the cup. Sven snapped their arm off. Traditional Pre-World Cup friendlies have been against some tier two (at best) Eastern European teams, which do you think is better for the team's development? As my contact at the FA set this match-up I can promise you that it is not being done for the money, the FA can make £2m from a game in their sleep. A friendly at a sold out Old Trafford would make them twice as much.

Hughes for Barcelona wouldn't happen, he was miserable there as a player. The only club he wasn't a success at, he's more likely to be offered a job in Germany given his profile there. I think it is encouraging that the Vogue at the big clubs for a few years now has been to appoint specialist coaches rather than famous old players. How many top players are in charge at top European clubs? A few, but nowhere near as many as before. If this makes it less likely for United Plc to appoint Hughes on romantic grounds then all the better!

Living down the road, this is the biggest game of the year for me. Which never used to be a problem as we had a great record at the Bridge. If it's anything like last year I might have to go into hiding. I actually think that this game means so much to Hughes as a young manager going head to head against the best around that we should compete this time. I hope. 2-2 With Duff and Robben scoring for them, MGP and Kuqi for us.

The £15 at Charlton last year were pretty good (shame about the game)

We don't want to do anything to discourage people coming forward but we should certainly stop the papers printing allegations. The only people who should know about this right now are the police and those involved.

As the game at Stamford Bridge last year was the only Rovers game I have ever left early I was seriously considering not going this time. The Old Trafford result has changed that and Mrs DM and I will be there. However, I live a 10 minute walk away. Everyone that comes down from Lancashire to be treated like cattle and watch us get stuffed at huge expense has my total respect. I also completely understand anyone who doesn't need the hassle.

Met Kevin Gallacher and Lenny Johnrose in the press centre at Turf Moor last year. Both extremely nice blokes and more intelligent than your average footballers. They both still spouted the same cliches whenever a microphone was put in front of them though.

as someone else said all-seater stadium are the problem. On a terrace you can get away from the idiots. As someone who almost only goes to away games the biggest problem i have is with the idiots who are giving their own fans stick. Not everyone goes to games to get tanked-up and abuse stewards but the only aggro I've had at games in recent years has been from our own fans. They need to cut it out.

6 pints in Oslo maybe!

Overpriced tickets are the problem, full stop. Yes better football will bring more crowds as well but I have no idea how half the people at a football ground afford it. I have no kids, no mortgage and a pretty good wage and going to football is still hugely expensive. I took a couple of people along to the match at Fulham last year and it cost over £100. How are people on low wages with kids supposed to afford that? This isn't even a dig at the club because I know Rovers are about as cheap as anyone but the game needs to get back to it's senses, the huge increase in TV money over the last ten years should have gone on making attendance cheaper not £20m+ transfers! Apart from the big games a match like saturdays should be £10-£20 max. Terracing would be one very good way to make some of this back.

I know this is veering off-topic but have all of you seen the video of Maradona warming up for Napoli? It's a classic he does the most incredible ball juggling whilst dancing to the music on the PA and his boot laces are undone! Philipl makes a very good point about the psychology of that.

I just remember Souness' comments when Matty first came back that he was dribbling with his head down wheras before he always had his head up looking for the pass. I think we have seen the last of Matty as a top-class player (doesn't mean he isn't still better than most of the strikers we have now though...)

1-0 Rovers can't see us conceding to that lot. Kuqi to score from a MGP Corner.

The media need a bad guy and as a small town club we're an easy target. They don't actually believe all of it but it gives them something to talk about. They do have a point about how unattractive we were last season (although the bully-boy thing is completely wrong) and I look forward to that changing this year.