and yes I regard Savage as a total embarrassment to the club with his diving and injury feigning

Savage doesn't do this anymore. He's had right kickig from in some games and he just gets back up and gets on with it. In a post match interview he's even said that 'If you dish it out you've got to be able to take it as well'

Personally I hope Ronaldo gets treated the same as Beckham and he gets hounded out of England. The dirty little cheat.

I agree. Ronaldo is a disgrace.

Was the Rooney incident a red card? I don't think so. He didn't stamp, he just put his foot to (where he will have percieved to be) the floor. I reckon he didn't even know the chap was there.

If anything he's been fouled whilst trying to hold the ball up previously anyway.

If the little push is a red card then that's a very disappointing decision.

I agree with a previous poster. Football is a sport with which I'm becoming rapidly disillusioned because of the appalling and biased refereeing. On the other hand maybe I should try my hand at being a ref. At least I've played the game at a reasonable standard and can see what's going on!

Very disappointing tournament from England, though. We can't say that we deserved to win the World Cup, in any event. C'mon Brazil from hereon in!

Poll deserves a rousing rendition of 'You let England down' when he next visits Ewood.

That balding Swiss defender (left back?) that kept looking to rev up the crowd looked good.

Does England as a country have a collective depressive attitude?

Yes!

Nice preview. I want to visit there now. I didn't realise you were a travel agent, Philip!

Maybe Owen's departure will be a blessing in disguise as we'll be able to operate with a holding midfielder giving Stevie G and Lamps the licence they need.

Don't kow why there's rumours of Carrick stepping in, though. I'd have thought Hargreaves would get the nod. I know that Carrick's a better footballer, but is he the better defender?

A win for Engerland nonetheless.

i guess i was hoping that Sven would have the guts to play one of the midfielders on a card with a holding midfielder....then he would see how the team could and should be! Also i was hoping that Lamps would get booked so we would see Gerrard as the attacking midfielder in the 2nd round.

I was thinking that. I'd like to see Gerrard further up the field. That'd sort out the link from midfield to attack and see Owen getting the service he deserves (and thrives on).

I thought Lamps head dropped a bit in the last game. I don't think Gerrard's head ever drops and he can take a team by the scruff of the neck.

I think you probably mean "re-gained" rather than "lost" don't you?

I think that the previous comment is heavily laced with sarcasm/irony?

This is interesting! According to the press Hughes was going to have a "face to face" meating with Reid about his future. It seems like our brilliant manager have changed Reids mind. I think Hughes have told him that we will sign some quality players this summer in order to be a force both in the PL and the UEFA cup next season.

I'm feeling much more optimistic than just a few days ago..

It's probably a bit different sitting there in front of the big man than just sitting with your agent having your head filled with garbage.

Transcript of meeting...

MH 'I hear that you're thinking of leaving, Mr. Reid?'

SR Agent 'Well, my client...'

MH 'I'm not talking to you, son. Are you thinking of leaving, Mr. Reid?'

SR (strangled voice) 'No, Mr. Hughes never crossed my mind, sir.'

MH Smiling wryly 'Good lad'

I just thought I'd add that I'm really rooting for Australia with the Rovers contingent.

C'mon the Socceroos!

The defender had to go though in my opininon.

I thought Poll had a good game

The first booking should never have been a yellow IMHO.

Match defining moment.

Thank you! I've been saying the same thing since this story came out a week ago: Eddie seeks Euro move.

Was that the young lad up front? Came on as a sub?

Looked sharp. Worth a look, defo.

First dodgy refereeing I've seen, apart from the England game, and where's the ref from? The UK. Big surprise.

Poll was _so_ keen to get his red card out he issued that before the yellow. Speaks volumes IMO.

You've touched the ball twice if you score from the rebounded pen. If the keeper saves it then you can tuck it away. Otherwise it's a foul...

I've always thought that the opposition goal should count as an opponent. ie if you hit the woodwork from a shot you should get rewarded with a corner.

Australia 1 - 1 Liechtenstein at HT

Lucas Neill own goal - 8min

Maybe in his post match comments Lucas could say something along the lines of 'With all due respect to Australia, my Blackburn team would not have allowed me to be under pressure to the degree that I put through my own goal and my Blackburn team mate Friedal would have save my og anyway'

After Rooney gets ruled out Shearer will be tempted out of retirement and will get a surprising 15 goal haul by just whacking the ball as hard as he can as soon as he gets it ala Hasselbaink.

Or, if we're going to be silly, maybe Ronaldo...

Just a thought, nelson came as a cb/rb. So maybe neill could move to cb and nelson to rb?

People reckon it would strengthen or weaken the team?

I think this is an awful idea.

Lucas has had an excellent season at RB and Nelsen likewise at CB. Why on Earth would we want to swap them around?

Just my opinion!

that's pretty good for them.

had a conversation with a burnley fan this wkend. he's 51 years old and has had a juvenile season tkt for the past NINE seasons!

yes... yes... we can blame the administration- but it amuses me that burnley fan's are prepared to shaft their own club, to save a few sheckles!

Ah, but they base their prices on intelligence/emotional development and not age...

Not a football club but would love to see it added to a Rovers dictionary

BARRY FERGUSON - A whinging Scotsman on huge wages, commands high transfer fee and then cries about being homesick and expresses a desire to play away at Motherwell instead of Old Trafford.

Doesn't he get called 'Wee Barry' or 'Mummy's boy'?

chelsea - chelski: russian invasion of roman's mafia. bottomless pit of money and sign whoever they want.

Just to clarify the reason for the 'ski' it's because a lot of russian names finish in 'ski' and the russian Roman owns the club.

Sorry, presty, but I wasn't sure if Dillo would follow the reasoning. Sorry to Dillo if I'm not giving enough credit to you!

He's at it again.

I think a couple of those are half-truths...

Arena sounds really grumpy. Is he always like this? Apols if already posted.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news;_ylt=Atks...ov=ap&type=lgns

Utter @#/? player, nice dance though.

I actually quite like him as a player. Surprisingly good footballer for a big chap IMO.

If Lehmann (who is a pillock prone to stupid lapses IMO) hadn't made that challenge then there was no argument about the red card.

If you have a goalie like that he drops clangers and he's just done that in the biggest game he will probably ever play in.

If another player had put a challenge in like that on him he'd have gone ballistic and we've all seen him put in mega hissy fits for the most trivial of challenges.

It's a pity he got sent off, however, as I've been buzzing all day thinking about this game and it was ruined.

Blades on boots should be for ice skaters.

I think it's all academic. It appears to me that Curbishley's clearly got the job.