You're dead right there DM. We were physical, but not dirty (or any more dirty than anyone else) I think the elbow was an accident anyway. There's too much 'He's a world class player, how dare you tackle him' in the press and the media generally IMO. One of my mates is a Chelsea fan and he harped on about 'Look what Mokoena did to Robben' etc. There wasn't even a foul for that tackle(if memory serves), but it stills gets wracked up as being dirty play! In any event Rovers have had hard players over the years who are now legends. Hendry, Nicky Reid etc. Absolute heroes for their commitment and determination.

Football can be a psychological game. If teams and players come to Ewood and are intimidated it can only be a good thing. If we can get teams worried that they're playing us at their gaffs then that's even better!

Bellamy is a great signing and shows ambition! I wonder if the money we DIDN'T spend in Janaury may now come in to play (if it already hasn't) We saved money with a view to getting a proper, well thought out signing rather than a Jan panic buy and that's looking very shrewd now. Also JW has said that he considers that the correct juncture for transfers is now, rather than in January, so I'd hope that there might be more money to spend to get players in, settled and with a full(ish) pre-season under their belts before the start of the Premiership campaign. MH has preached the value of a proper pre-season and I think it is very important. I must admit that I'd like to see another forward. We don't want Bellamy to break his leg in the first game of the season and we find the cupboard bare...(touch wood) McCarthy would be a dreamland signing and with a forward line like that we'd waste a few Premiership teams this season!

It has just occurred to me the the Riverside does have a ready made spill out area in front of the stand for safety etc. Hmm, not a bad idea.

Partly palying devils advocate to a degree as I'ev not thought this through fully... I see what you're saying, but you are more likely to fill the B'burn end lower and have people who are currently in there who don't want to stand can move to other areas ofthe ground. Maybe it's precisely because the B'burn end is a significant part of BRFC that it should be the standing area. I'd love to see the it packed with standing fans. JMO.

Well I did my bit by getting a season ticket last week. Birthday present from the little lady. Very pleased! Has anyone else noted that Thursday is 'late opening' at the ticket office? Now in any other walk of life a 'late opening' day is one where the place stays open later, right? So that people who work can get there out of work hours, right? That's poor logic as far as BRFC are concerned. A 'late opening' day means...that they open later... at 9.30 am instead on 9.00am! Genius! LOL!

Look at the scenery! Imagine playing footy with that as your backdrop! It beats playing for Mill Hill next to a wacking great factory!

A friend got my fiancee and my tickets yesterday and we're on the fifth row of the lower tier of the Jack Walker. I was worried that the little lady might not be able to see the game properly and was hoping to switch to tickets in the Riverside. I presume that there's no chance of that in light of the above comments on the CIS?

Some people in football forget that people support clubs other than the 'big' teams. They almost seem to work on the premise that if United, for example, joined a European super league that everyone in the Northwest will support them. I won't support them and I doubt any other Blackburn fans will. Same goes for all the other local clubs whose fans will remain loyal to the local club. We aren't like Spain where people support the local club and either Real or Barca. It just doesn't work like that IMO. That said I'd be happy for United to join a superleague. I'm sick of them cheating and have no interest in them. I switch the telly off when they come on(or go and get a beer/order a kebab when there segment is on MOTD) I hope that I haven't veered off topic here.

Shearer playing up front with Garner! The stuff dreams are made of...and I'm on holiday. I am so absolutely aghast not to get to the game. This is the ideal opprutunity to pay homage to everything that is Rovers. I know that this is for TP, but, if you can, put an extra loud cheer in for Uncle Jack and the team of heroes he built.

The poor attendances were as a result of Souness saying that he wasn't bothered about Europe and putting weakened sides out! Souness then said after the games that the public had agreed with this action by not turning up! If he'd have said we were looking to progress as far as possible and taken it seriously more people would have gone to the games! I find it amazing that people are still beliving in the rubbish spouted by Souness after all that has gone on! For people to be saying that we hardly made any money from playing in Europe I'd point out that the game isn't all about money!

I think the 'Flitty's past it' notion started when Souness dropped him at the start of this season, without there being any real justification for it. Another example of Souness falling out with a player and making a bad decision. It just seems that some people haven't questioned Souness's judgment on it, which is amazing seeing as he'd really lost the plot by then. IMO.

Hopefully this hasn't been posted elsewhere, but I think justice has been served by Todd being cleared by the FA. Shouldn't have been charged in the first place.

I'm not sure if this deserves a new topic, but it fits in here anyway as it occured to a notable degree on Saturday. On numerous occasions in recent weeks it seems that too many of our midfielders get drawn to the ball. Now I appreciate that with 5 in the midfield that we should have numerical supremacy, but there seems to be times when, in our eagerness to close down we leave easy passes on. Has anyone else spotted that? If you haven't, then keep your eye out tonight.(although I'm hoping that Hughesy has spotted it) Maybe it's intentional to increase the chances of a mistake by the opponent, but I am always mindful that running round like a headless chicken might make us more vulnerable to the better footballing sides(not that there seems to be that many of them around, really) JMO

It's a disgrace he's been charged. I haven't seen any further replays than what I saw on the day itself, but from what I've seen they can't say that Toddy meant it. I certainly don't think he did and it seems a lot of other people think it was accidental also. The fact that he's been charged already whiffs of a kangaroo court-type scenario..and I don't mean Lucas and Brett in silly wigs.

Complete speculation. Did you read his mind as he was stood there? You don't think he was looking a bit disconsolate because we'd just conceded a third goal, maybe? There's no way in this world that there's going to be a suspension arising from that as you don't get suspended for accidental collisions! I suspect that people are thinking that it was deliberate because they listen to the rubbish that commentators spout.

I thought that Pedersen was anonymous after he moved up front. I'd have prefered to have seen Stead up top and Pedersen being the supply line, although I didn't see many crosses from MGP today...

maybe it's just me, but on the first goal, i still haven't been able to find matteo on the replays... where was he?! i haven't seen it indepth, or many times, or in slowmo or anything... but i've seen it full speed a few times, and never saw matteo on the screen. other than that, i thought he did make a few solid defensive plays. I think Matteo had tucked inside. It was the midfielders job to be picking up Pires IMO, although I see your point that Matteo might have to shoulder some responsibility if he was caught out of position. I've mentioned how Tommo and Pedersen didn't look comfortable on the 'wrong' flanks earlier so I won't repeat myself. I've not seen a replay too many times, but if Tommo is picking up Lauren then, yes, Matteo might have been out of position. I agree Matteo played OK overall.

3-0 only came about as we chased the game and committed men forward. You may as well lose 3-0 as lose 1-0 in a cup game. Well played lads. You're all heroes as far as I'm concerned. A semi final appearance in the FA Cup is more than I dreamed of this season. I thought we gave a good, honest account of ourselves and we can hold our heads high.

Even as a through and through Blackburn Rovers supporter I thought that was bloody nasty by Todd! Woudn't be suprised if he got a 3 match ban for that one.... If Todd gets a ban for that Pires should get a ban for trying to kick Neill in the spuds. With the Pires kick there was intent. Again, no way did Todd mean that and there's no way it could be proved that he meant it in any event. The Arsenal players didn't have a problem with it and I think that speaks volumes.

There's no way Todd meant that. Todd's is surprised to have run into him and you can see that in his expression immediately afterwards. Todd was looking at the ball looping into the back of the net and so was van Persie. Accidental collision.

You're dead right mode_m. They fall over at the slightest indication that there might be a challenge and then lie there as though they just been shot. Disgraceful behaviour for grown men. I wouldn't be able to show my face in public if I was such a wimp/cheat. My mates would disown me. They go on about Arsenal being such a good footballing side, well their theatrics is not good football in my book.

Is it me or is the ref a lot happier giving free kicks for Arsenal than for us. I'm not talking major decisions (except that off side of Dickov), but, for example, there was one occasion where an Arsenal player step in front of a Rovers player to win possession and then a Rovers player did the same thing to said Aresnal player, but that resulted in a free kick. Flitcroft got booked for 'high' feet, but two minutes earlier an Arsenal lad had his feet right in the face of a Rovers player and not even a free kick was given. I don't like seeing Pedersen and Tommo switching wings. If Tommo had been on the right and MGP on the left I don't think Torre would have been open on one edge of the six yard box and Pires free of the other for the goal. Neither seem as effective on the 'wrong' wing and both look a little lost when they are there. 45 minutes left to get this back. C'MON ROVERS!

I presume that reference to Cowans on here is a joke. He was pivotal in the promotion season!

Stead's 'off the ball' running is excellent and I'd like to see him get the ball more often and sooner than he does. It's obviously a consequence of the rest of the team playing regularly with a Dickov type forward(more back to goal then running in channels) and as a result they don't pick up on his runs and react quickly enough. A few slide rule passes in front of Stead and he'll start tucking chances away. I've already posted that I think that it was a tremendous performane yesterday, but I feel the need to say it again!