Rovers 4-0.

May or may not have been mentioned, but Feyenoord's left (wing-) back is Phillipe Leonard, the Belgian defender Rovers were after from Monaco a few seasons back.

Sorry, I was confused and thought you were talking about something else. Didn't realize you were referencing Feyenoord. Isn't it also true, though, that there's a certain anti-semitism associated with the rivalry with Ajax and all that? I could be totally wrong on this.

If you're confused about this, it's mostly an ethno-religious thing. Think "Yids" and all that.

Has it occurred to you that Mark Hughes might have a better understanding of Gallagher's "best position" than you do?

Can someone elaborate on what's actually happening for those of us who can't listen? It's difficult to rely on the somewhat cryptic posts that assume everyone else knows what's going on.

I feel a little disappointed about not having a $200m transfer budget and 55,000 butts in the stands every Saturday. Getting worked up about Mido makes just about as much sense as being worked up about that.

There are about a zillion reasons to choose Spuds over Rovers, particularly as a foreign player. Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd. Mido was never our player and never had any obligation to Blackburn. He can tell Hughes that he wants to make it work at Roma, that he likes pasta more than pies, that he doesn't think we're a big enough club, or that he doesn't like the color of our strip. I couldn't care less. Would have been nice to have him, but we don't. No sense getting all worked up about it.

I think Rovers will be fine. Yesterday's performance certainly didn't make me feel worse about the upcoming season, and I'd venture to say that there's reason for optimism. First of all I should say that those who bemoan a lack of creativity in the center are correct. As far as I could tell, Sav and Reid have been instructed to fire the ball out wide to Bentley at every available opportunity. MGP didn't show much going forward with the ball (but really, when has he ever); his utility seems limited to late arrival in the box and dead balls. Bentley, on the other hand, was outstanding. Once Roberts and Benni adjust to his style of play and are more able to attack the crosses he sends in, chances should come by the boatload. Emerton looked excellent on the overlap, as well. Perhaps there's something to be said for the defensive awareness enforced by lining up at right back; Emo knows he has to be running at a defender or getting back into defensive position, not simply dinking around with the ball near the touch line. We shouldn't overlook the fact that width and early crosses were demanded by Chelsea's shape, and Hughes had certainly instructed our midfield players to spread the ball wide and fire in crosses. Boro apparently took advantage of just such an approach last week. So while it would've been nice to see Reidy tearing in on goal from the center circle and firing in a piledriver, I'm not shocked that it didn't play out that way. When you have Lampard/Ballack, Essien, and Makelele occupying the same 30 yards square in the middle of the pitch, the game is always going to spread wide. I thought Reid was fine in the middle (though not terribly impressive) and Sav was excellent (even after being booked for getting karate-kicked). At the end of the day, we've just lost to the champions on a dodgy penalty and a goal off the break, when they spent a good half hour in the second half with ten men behind the ball, playing like a League One side in the cup. Nelsen will be back, Ooijer can't play worse, Emo has clearly revealed himself as a solid option in the backline (though let's see him play a game where the opposition is fielding a winger), and Neill has proved capable (for once) on the left. If Roberts finds his way to an inviting cross or two and either of two threatening free kicks goes in (or Clattenburg awards a penalty for Carvalho's shirt-tug), we're talking about the one-off poor performance at Pompey and top four dreams. So let's everybody take a moment and relax.

If I remember correctly, the Premier League were prepared to allow Zurab, but not Zura. Seems to me the regulation is that players can use any part of their proper name, but no nicknames like "Gio" at Barca. Of course, when you consider that many Brazilian and Portugese players simply go by a nickname, the rule is a little bit inconsistent.

This is by far the worst: It's Big Club 92-93, btw.

Heh, clearly it's late. Suppose I was thinking of Young. Just did a little research on him and it seems I was undershooting his age by about five years as well, as I thought he was in his early 20s. And shocked to find that Charlton paid Spuds 5m pounds for him. [Edit: wow, still unclear! I'm talking about Young here, not HH.] In any event, Texan Rover = dense, Hermann Hreidarson = left back.

First off, I think you're crazy for the bit about players you'd have off of Charlton. Wouldn't mind Rommedahl on the wing and maybe Hreidarson as cover for Lucas, but where are the rest of the lot going to play? I understand we're talking about squad players, but I'd much prefer Owen, Parker, Emre, Given, and even Ameobi to anyone with Charlton. And then just as something of an aside, Carr was in Soccernet's Team of the Week today.

Eddie Johnson is crap and couldn't get in the team. I'd rather have Dickov and Kuqi running around the pitch and firing shots off target than wasteful Eddie on the training table all season.

me too

Where?

1. Chelsea 2. Liverpool 3. Manchester United 4. Tottenham Hotspur ------------------------------------ 5. Arsenal 6. Newcastle United ------------------------------------ 7. Charlton Athletic 8. Aston Villa 9. BLACKBURN ROVERS 10. Middlesbrough 11. Bolton Wanderers 12. Everton 13. Manchester City 14. Birmingham City 15. West Bromwich Albion 16. West Ham United 17. Sunderland Athletic -------------------------------------- 18. Fulham 19. Portsmouth 20. Wigan Athletic Part of me thinks "Arsenal, UEFA Cup? No way!" But... oh how sweet it would be. They're so damned easy to hate. I guess I lack the optimism of a lot of others. I think things will be greatly improved this coming season, but it might not show up in the tables. I'd love it if this could be quoted back at me to make me eat crow in 10 months, but I still don't know that we've got the goals in us.

I don't have the faintest idea who Sean Wheelock is, so I can't help with that one. moose, I 100% agree with all your comments about FCD. I wasn't wildly impressed with Ruiz in the opener, but it was his third match of the week and he was playing in a brand-new system. I'm sure he'll come around and be outstanding. Gibbs and Onyewu gave him a hell of a time in a Guatemala shirt, though. Johnson, on the other hand, was outstanding. His finish was great on the diving header, and while he seemed to lack first touch and control on the ball from time to time, I think he's gonna be great in the new system. As a wide player up front on the left in the 4-3-3, his style of play reminded me of Rooney and Henry: lots of tracking back, receiving the ball deep and running at defenders. The system is interesting, really, because I think in a lot of ways it's like United's 4-3-2-1, with Johnson and O'Brien playing the Giggs/Ronaldo roles and Ruiz up top. O'Brien's clearly not a striker and isn't big or strong enough to play with his back to goal, but if he can run at players and fire in crosses, we'll be in good shape. See, in the span of one post I've gone from not really being an MLS fan to referring to FCD as "we." And you're right, the new shirt is excellent, though I could do without the "FC DALLAS" across the front.

Johnson trained with ManU last year, and the word seems to be that when he thinks about going to England, it will be to Manchester. So as far as maybe "being worth a look," I agree, though I'd be shocked -- SHOCKED -- if he came to Rovers. We've got a better shot with Brian McBride.

When did this happen? Somehow this was totally off my radar screen. I'm not sure I understand why him, either. He's thoroughly unspectacular, as far as I can see; very much what the first reply said: "the same as what we've got." On top of that, he's averaged a stellar 4.5 goals per season during his time from MLS. I'm sure he'll have some defenders rush to tell me that he was never a starter, didn't play a bunch of minutes, blah blah, but I'm underwhelmed, to say the least. It's a sad day when my local team (FC Dallas) has an embarassment of riches up front compared to Rovers. Eddie Johnson and Carlos Ruiz might not be what Hughes is looking for in the close season, but I'm not sure that any of us would be disappointed to see them pulling on the blue and white halves. Johnson's going to command big prices one day (Benfica apparently offered $6 million for him in the winter) and I doubt he'd be interested in our little club; having said that, he has never struck me as a can't-miss talent like Rooney, Ronaldo, Duffer, etc. Ruiz may have no interest in playing overseas, and probably isn't the prototype English center forward anyway. I guess the point of all this was just to say that they're both better than A-League DeRosario, pride of the Canadian national team and the Toronto Lynx.

During the MLS preview show this weekend, a commentator on Fox Soccer Channel here in the States made some comment about how Rovers were very interested in Dwayne DeRosario (of MLS's San Jose)... that he had been on trial at Blackburn and linked to the club as a transfer target. I assumed the commentator had misspoke, though I don't know of another team for which this might be true, either. In any event, does anyone know anything about this?

I didn't have any problems with the strip on TV -- looked black to me.

I'm not upset about a loss to Chelsea, don't get me wrong. I'm disappointed about the total lack of ambition in going forward. I'm all for a defensive base, but I think there should be some constructive buildup in attack, not the simple hope for a fluky goal, a dead-ball situation, or a break against the run of play.

The truly disturbing thing about this game is that in the end, down only 1-0 in a game where we've earned a point, we have NO options. No one to bring on, no one to even play a long ball to. Nothing. So it's the same buildup, the same frustrating dallying and switching feet by Emerton on the wing, the same hoofing it forward while Dickov cuts under Terry and gives away a free kick, the same frustrating ticking of the clock while Cech waits to take it, blah blah blah blah blah. And this for the rest of the season. I'm not sure that Chelsea kept us from a goal today, I just don't know that we have one in us.

Are you being serious? We've had far more possession than anyone could have expected, and chances haven't been completely lacking. Whoever complained about Mokoena must be watching a different match. He's been solid, scooping up everything in front of the back four. Thomspson has been bloody awful, losing possession every single time. He hasn't played one good pass, hasn't won the ball in midfield, and has tripped over the ball, poorly controlled, or simply given it away in literally EVERY SINGLE POSSESSION. Dickov's penalty wasn't awful, but it wasn't good. It's really only going in if he sends the keeper the wrong way. And it was a clear penalty, despite what seemed like hesitance from Rennie and reservations from the commentator. How Lampard escaped a booking for the tackle from behind on MGP is unfathomable. Having said that, Dickov's two challenges on Cech are probably deserving of a caution, as well. For those who aren't watching, the formation. Neill -- Todd © -- Nelsen -- Matteo across the back Mokoena in front of the defense Emo -- Savage -- Thommo -- MGP with Thommo playing somewhat deeper, it seems. Dickov up front. MGP's getting forward a little bit, as well. 9-2 in shots to Blackburn at the interval.