I know which team I'd rather watch.

The Guardian weekend magazine had an interesting article regarding players wives last Saturday. Wes Brown's wife was featured. Apparently they've lent a pal £500,000 and it doesn't look like they're going to be getting it back any time soon !

No it wasn't him, he's a good example though. This lad was better than him.

Regarding Downing some of us said we were a bit hasty letting him go given the fitness history of Lenihan, Rodwell and Mulgrew. Of course we've still got Williams.

Even in the old days of the U-23's when player were older and much more established and weren't being handicapped by foreign imports at their clubs the number that ended up playing in the bottom tiers within a couple of years was pretty high. Signing any player is a gamble no matter how good they appear to be but signing 18 year olds is even more of a gamble.

In spite of what people might think I'd love for him to be a success. We desperately need a striker at the moment and the repercussions from the Chokers of another massive flop on our future spending plans don't bear thinking about. Having said that the World of football is littered with players who peaked at 18. Look back in the past at England U-18 teams. How many out of the 11 usually make it at top level ? 2 or 3 ? Some times not even that many. I remember watching a game years ago when we had a forward who's name I've forgotten. He'd every trick in the book, he went past players like they weren't there. I thought " This lad can't fail ". A couple of years later he was playing in the Fourth Division !

Is he still tipping us for 6 th place? He's as good a tipster as he is a journalist.

I think we could have got a pretty good centre half for £7 million.

I don't agree there, I think Mowbray is better at running the club than Bowyer. Having said that Bowyer ( or his dad ) was a lot better at bringing new players into the club.

When we got our noses in front last season quite a few teams thought it was game over. Teams in this league know who we are now and what our failings are. They know we haven't got a full 90 minutes in us and no matter what the score if they keep pressing they'll get a reward.

That's his 3 year contract removed from off the table then ?

I really like the bloke and he's done wonders for the Club on the PR front. He's been a great representative of Blackburn Rovers. I'd also say he's brought a large degree of dignity and respect back to the club. Putting all that to one side do I think he can take this club to the next level ? With a heavy heart I'd have to say I don't think he can. Can he keep us at the level we're at now for the foreseeable future ? Possibly, but I'm not sure. Does that mean I want him fired ? Not really. Chances are we would replace him by somebody else who could well do worse than Mowbray. If I was in charge at Rovers I'd like to see him moved to a position where he has less involvement in the team itself and more of a figurehead for the club and either Johnno given more involvement with the first team or someone similarly young with fresh ideas of how we should be playing. The one thing that goes though my mind when I watch us play is we just do not look a well coached team - even when we are winning. This has been going on too long for my liking.

I keep reading we got beaten up yesterday. Well the remedy is in your own hands in situations like that. You meet fire with fire and you get stuck in yourselves. Trouble is we have too many players who don't fancy it when it gets a bit physical. I watched that Ireland V England RU match last night. Ireland like to put it about as well but England showed they weren't having any of that and got their retaliation in first.

At least he's got some mates. Smiley Face.

I went there once watching Rochdale Hornets v Hunslet. The gate was about 800. It felt weird sitting in a large almost empty stadium.

You're right. I had a pal who was a professional scout and he would always insist on scouting players at away games. He reckoned that was where you saw a players true character.

We we're discussing Big Sam and Everton.

Lets see where they finish in May.

Some times you do, sometimes you don't. I always went on thinking it though. If you don't you shouldn't be going on at all.

Only as far as the score was concerned. In terms of play even at 2-2 we hadn't exactly set the world on fire after the first ten minutes had we ?

I'm not, only 3 halves all day. I've been cutting down since Xmas so I don't have to lie to the Doctor again. I'm sorely tempted tonight though.

There'll be a few more after today's banging at home.

I expect there'll be a few at Everton who wanted Sam gone that are suffering from a bit of sellers remorse at the moment.

Whatever anyone says about Sparky's teams nobody ever said they lacked fighting spirit. Some Southern softies thought we had too much !

Oh dear, poor choice there matey.