For fans in Australia, Foxtel is showing delayed coverage of the game at 2am AEST Sunday morning and a replay at 5pm AEST Sunday afternoon.

I've got a work colleague who has been to a few games at Ewood (even though he follows Everton).  He's from Manchester and usually brings along a mate or two.  Last time he came here though, it took him almost an hour to get out of Darwen Vale School car park after the game.  He's not too keen to attend another game cos of that.

Proof that leaving a game early is useless when you get stuck in a traffic jam

Waits for the arguments to start.....

During the preview for the Villa V Chelsea game on Foxtel, Graeme Arnold, Australia's Assistant coach, said that both Neill and Emerton had told him that Souness had lost the dressing room. The constant team changes and weird tactical changes were some of the causes.

Also Arnold mentioned an incident where after a Rovers lose last season Souness said that the players had to come back the next day for a training season. The players showed up, but Souness was in Dubai.

There is only one choice when it comes to Rovers' greatest caretaker manager ever.

I wonder if TP has a better chance of becoming the manager on a permanent basis this time?

Interesting to read Mike Newell so firmly throwing his hat into the ring.

He might be the new caretaker manager, but he doesn't look happy at getting the job, does he?

Guardian Website has this match report (i think the media [well at least the Gruniad] have turned against Man U )

Just look at this quote from that report, and people wonder why he's called the Rat Faced Whinger.

'I'm sure Graeme isn't happy with some of the decisions, but he should be happy with a point from a game we dominated,' Sir Alex Ferguson said. 'We would have won but for a combination of bad misses and fantastic goalkeeping.'

I'm also getting into Faith No More, and may copy my girlfriends King for a Day album. That is damn good.

Get "The Real Thing" and "Angel Dust", probably their finest moments.

Agree with Angel Dust, it's a great underated album. If you're lucky, get a copy of this without that crappy version of "Easy"

Where's Gally, Pedersen is totally ieffective, I'd have Gally on for him.

USABlue, according to Radio Rovers, Gally's injured.

As for the game, we were robbed by the Sir Alex Ferguson Stop Watch™

5) Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something

Whaaaaaaaaaat?

What, you thought it should of been higher on the list?

Also no Celine Dion???

I'm currently reading Lynn Trusse - Eats, shoots and leaves. A very impressive rant about the decline in punctuation. It might sound dull, but it is very well written and is extremely entertaining.

Many on here could benefit from it!

In a similar vein is this book http://www.dymocks.com.au/ContentDynamic/F...ISBN=1740512065. It's about how corporate speak has taken over the World.

Although it's not really holiday reading.

If it had been the other way around , Matt , 99% of our fans would have agreed that the goal should have counted - the English are like that !

Yeah riiiiiiigggggghhhhhhtttttttt

Let's be honest. Can any Australian say hand on heart that they beat England's best team? Saying you can only beat whom you play is a stupid argument as obviously if you play England reserves you still can only beat England reserves.

I don’t think Australian fans are dancing in the streets, organising ticker-tape parades or organising a knighthood for Eddie Jones just yet, but getting a win against England is always that much sweeter. As for the “you can only beat the team play argument”, are you suggesting that Australia take it easy because they were playing an under-strength team?

What have been the results between the two countries when the match has been a major full-strength contest between two sides?

One World Cup final won each (Australia in 1991 and England in 2003) and I know that England defeated Australia in the quarter finals at the ’95 World Cup. Not too sure if they played against each other at the ’99 World Cup.

I'm sorry but a win over a ragtag bunch at the end of a long, long, long, long season proves nothing.

So Australian fans can use the same excuse if Australia loses on the tour of England at the end of our long season?

If I was an English fan I'd be more concerned that they had easily more possession than Australia but couldn’t do anything with the ball and the fact that without Wilkinson England have lost two games against New Zealand, one game against Australia and the six nations title.

For once in a blue moon England come out on top...and no sour grapes from 'Aussies' (speaking in Lanky twang) can take away that just now...

Don't assume that all the Aussie on the MB have Lanky accents, there's some of us here who weren't born in the UK.

I don't think that the difference in passion for clubs and the national team isn't just a football thing or even an English thing. Here in Australia no one gives a damn about club Rugby Union, but the moment the Wallabies are playing pubs in Sydney and Brisbane are filled with Union fans, cheering on the Wallabies.

The great shame about last night's exit is that it has come at least one game too early to become a big enough football mania to drive the non-committed to feel sufficiently committed to buy Rovers Season tickets.

If there was Rovers' players in the squad I would agree to an extent, but even then I can't see that England making the final would change some peoples minds about buying season tickets.

Taunting opposing fans is not usually my game, but this is directed at Jim after his display after Australia lose to Uruguay in the last World Cup Qualifiers.

Fear not. England will win Euro 2004.

It is pre-ordained, like the rugby World Cup.

Jim, you might want to stick to pessimism because optimism is not working for you. No team in no sport is pre-ordained to win a tournament and you've probably seen enough sport through the years to know that.

As for the game, what was Sven thinking? You knew the moment he started replacing attacking players for defensive players that the result wasn't going to go the way of England. Didn't he watch Italy during Euro 2004, Spain's game against Portugal or learn from the England V France game? He should know that sitting back and defending waiting for the opposition to attack is not going to win games, especially against a team with a strong midfield. As I said early, England had to lock down Portugal's midfield and this didn't happen with the exception of Ashley Cole who seemed to have Ronaldo under control.

The disallowed goal , it was a classic 50/50 decision. We've all seen this kind of thing before and could probably quote times when goals like this has been given and also quote time when they weren't given. Thinking that this is some Swiss/Portuguese conspiracy is crazy and saying that the home crowd was involved in making the ref decide is even more ludicrous when English fans easily out numbered Portuguese fans.

Couto on the bench ?

he may be the only defender that can do a one on one marking job on Rooney, the other defenders IMo do not have the experience to cope with a dedicated 1 on 1/man to man marking.

Couto did his dash with his disgraceful defence in the Greece game (turning you back when someone takes a shot at goal ). The current defence hasn't conceded a goal in two games, and this included a game with strikers as quick as Owen and Rooney, so Rooney pace wont be too much of a shock.

The key to an England win is closing down Portugal’s midfield because all of Portugal’s creativity is there. England have to especially watch Deco – the man has all the diving skill of Klingsmann, so he’ll be looking to get fouled just outside the 18-yard box.

So it's an easy choice for me, (hey my Parents are Portuguese and as an Australian, I can’t support an English team), Portugal to win although it will be very close and I'm hoping for my blood pressure sake, that the game doesn’t finish in a penalty shoot out.

Damn these time zone, while Australia sleeps this happens 

Nothing to do with time zone. It's just like a time delay on RR commentary.

So it's all Grooby's fault then????

Damn these time zone, while Australia sleeps this happens

Also I can't believe that no one has made the connection, lofty2k2 is our old friend Dr Stamen?

to the portugal fans on here

Yes You have had a good team, you have a decent manager but your observations on how England might perform are misjudged.

We have not played the best football yet, we are improving and on a steady roll.

Portugal have no defender to cope with the power and pace of Rooney, not even Couto can cope with him. I forsee dirty tactics employed as really the only threat I see is ruud van nistlenoses diing partner cloonaldo.

England will have done the homework and will be fully prepared.

I expect total revenge for euro 2000 when the Portuguese ruined my first week in Corfu !

2-0 England it is

You are right... It will be hard for Couto to cope with rooney... He is on the bench

Both teams are growing, performing better.

It will be a quite even match. probably decided in the midfield fight.

Maybe 1864 thinks that Rooney will get a red card and Couto will have to chase Rooney down the players tunnel into the grandstand?

I don't think any Portuguese fans is underestimating England, and I've yet to read a comment like that from any of the Portuguese fans on the message board. Oklahoma has pretty much said in the last two sentences above what I think about this game.

Anyway, maybe Portugal will self-destruct like they did in the Semi Final at Euro 2000/World Cup 2002, or maybe England will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Who knows, but we'll find out Thursday night.

I think that a team in Red 'n Green might stop your prediction from coming true.

The bunnies give up on rugby and having a go at football instead?

No, this team in Red 'n Green

Oh BTW, you might want to get some training for your lap around Ewood Click here Tom

I first said that England would get to semifinal.

Sorry to tell you but you won't get there. 

For some weird reason, I agree with you Oklahoma. Who know's, there might be a repeat of the Euro 2000 result?

I predicted a semi final appearance so I'm hopefully still on track.

There SR what do you think to that?   

I think that a team in Red 'n Green might stop your prediction from coming true.

On the couch at home, cup of coffee in my hand, heater on and trying to stay awake at 4:45am.

Hrvatska, Hrvatska, Hrvatska!

Creed have broken up.

Woo Hoo - one Christain Rock band down, now if Nickelback split up the music World would be such a better place.

Funny how Jordan mentioned the inflatables on April 26th and it didn't get to mentioned on the Official Message Board till the 2nd of May?

Come on it's simple, Stan's just waiting for Spurs to give him the managing job.

Trooper, we have regular sessions in Sydney.... only an hour away.......

gizacall, gizacall

So, when are we meeting up at the Lord Nelson?

I aint listening to anything at the moment but when i get home i love listening to my enya cd...top quality music.

ROVERS FOREVER

ENYA?!?!?!?!?!?

Mate, I think something has happened to you since you've left Australia if you're listening to Enya.

Next thing you'll be saying that the new Dido album was brilliant