I'm patriotic and wanted an Englishman to be given the England job but I'd have rather had a Scot than him! Completely inadequate, he only ever seems to be asking other people how to do his job.

I'm guessing that the quoted first team squad does not consistent of enough "home grown" and "UK trained" players to meet the CL's requirements of the 25 man squad so he was leaving Duff (and maybe others) out so as to leave space to bring in some reserve/younger players who weree trained by Chelsea. I think every English CL club must have in it 4 players who were trained as youths by that club and a further four who were trained anywhere else in the UK. EDIT: Better explained in the LET article that a couple people posted before and I have seen I got some of the numbers wrong.

I reckon the best prospect is Sergio Peter and he's not on the list. Not yet nearly good enough to compete with Pedersen but should be given a few chances in "easier" games or from the bench. Gallagher isn't really a prospect anymore IMO. He's at the age now where the club should have decided whether or not he's good enough to remain at the club. I can see him being given a few chances this season and if he performs well then maybe he'll make it but otherwise I suspect he may be leaving next summer.

I've never had a problem with my Lonsdale shirt (the one with the Lonsdale logo I'm referring to) and so far the only thing I dislike on the new shirt is the sponsors logo design. Petty, I know, but I just don't like it for some reason, it looks ugly.

Well you should have bit down harder and stopped it spewing

I like him too much to feel that petty ozziejones and can understand exactly why he went to Chelsea. Would have been fantastic to see him resign for us rather than Newcastle but obviously we never had enough money to declare a decent interest.

I hope the new ones a bit harder to be honest. Everyone here seems to be boasting about how good they are at the game and how little time it took them to win the league. I've also found myself to be amazing at the game, being in 2011 and having won the league 4 times. I truly hope the new one is more challenging and more realistic!

It's alright slagging off Sven for a poor WC but can't you see that things are unlikely to improve. Our next manager was chosen BEFORE the tournament started and happened to be the current HEAD COACH. Normally the head coach is expected to take a hand in making big decisions, discussing tactics/formations and picking the team. Our future England manager in all probabiltity made more decisions regarding these issues during the WC than Sven himself or if he didn't should have had the common sense and tactical knowledge to advise Sven against some of the decisions.

In fairness I can think of better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon and to have missed Matteo... I'd have been depressed if I'd seen him at Ewood Park.

I don't really like the new away kit... doesn't look very Rovers to me. But I'm sure there's plenty more people who love it.

Read the news with a smile on my face. I think it's a good signing for us, definitely better than Jeffers who I really hope can find form rarely seen and maybe we can see a good partnership. Shame we can't get a player of Bellamy's calibre but given our situation (only being a "small" club) I'm happy with this signing and hope he can live upto expectation. I agree with Karembeu's opinions of us missing a "star factor" and I believe there's space in our midfield for a skillful attacker. Love Reid but he's not outstanding and Tugay is too old. If we go on to sign two more players this summer, I'd be delighted to see a decent defender and a proven midfielder.

I have started visitin this site less and less because all I ever read here is whinge whinge whinge. "It took me 3 attempts to buy a season ticket" - don't mention it's one of the cheapest in the premiership! "Players aren't pulling their weight/showing commitment" - we finished 6th! "DEAFENING SILENCE ON INCOMING TRANSFERS" - this may be because the club is showing some ambition and their targets are currently engulfed in the World Cup (maybe you've heard of it?!) and don't want to be messing around talking about transfers and agents right now! Before you open your mouth next time, just think about what you sound like!

Even without Rooney we should make the quarter finals without a problem but we may struggle to go further. I've gone for fourth as I expect Rooney to be fit and playing well by the quarter final match. We have a squad to give Brazil or any other a very good game and we could win it but I think a semi final finish is more likely (I've gone for 3rd).

Can't really blame him for his comment in G'day, afterall, Blackburn's no Manchester, Bolton, Liverpool or even Preston (and many more). Our town centre always looks dirty and there's not much of interest there. Limited nightlife, no big name shops to make us stand out from other towns and cities (well except good old Mercers, not seen one of those anywhere else). Besides that was no comment about the club. He doesn't like the town, who can blame him?!

That's just all the more reason for comparing Dickov with Cole from one point of view... an 8mil striker we already had who was released for free (because Souness fell out with him like many others) to be replaced with a 150k striker.

He was good value and I doubt his commitment and work rate but I would have rather kept Cole had Souness not fallen out with him. I won't miss him simply because I never expected to see Dickov play much next season anyway.

That's a shame, I genuinely believe he's good enough to still be in the starting line up. When did he announce that?

Only just saw this, am I allowed to gloat?

And I remember at the time thinking I was being optimistic, was a great season! I got Chelsea right but placed big club at 10th - I think the 'big club' media hype had gotten to me or else I thought Pennant, Dunn, Forssell and Heskey were better than that (actually, sadly, I still do).

After this evenings performance, god help you with Schwarzer. I can't believe how awful he was - every parry he made pushed the ball right into the centre on the edge of the six yard box - SUICIDAL!

Surely our Brad is vastly superior to Keller?! I know he's aging (and it's beginning to show in his appearance) but he's as flexible as he's ever been still and just as quick still. I can't believe he's not in the squad! Am I being dumb and has he actually retired from international football?

Self explanatory starting formation: Robinson Neville Terry Ferdinand A.Cole Beckham Gerrard Lampard Cole Owen Rooney If Owen OR Rooney is injured, more likely Owen than Rooney being that they had rebreak Owen's foot and remend it with a new screw when they discovered the screw they first put in was the wrong one, then Crouch will start in his place. If both are injured then Defoe will start, assuming Sven has withdrawn one of them, alongside Crouch, otherwise Downing will be brought onto the left wing and J.Cole will play behind Crouch. I believe Walcott will be left on the bench initially and won't start a game unless injuries are severe or unless he makes some amazing sub appearances. Oh, as for subs, stop guessing - you're allowed to name all 12 of your other squad members as subs (obviously only 3 to be brought on) in the World Cup. edit: so that's a 4-4-2 I expect to see whatever the injury situation is. And one more thing: waggy has clearly smoked some bad mushrooms! 3-5-2 and not to play A.Cole or Bridge?!

Oh but Andy Johnson will will he? Or Jermaine Defoe, who is currently mulling over his worst ever season, is obviously going to turn the best defenders in the world inside out? Of course there's Darren Bent but we already have a very good penalty taker! Well we could bring Heskey back (I actually think he's overly criticised but none-the-less not international standard) or Beattie and there's even Fowler... mmmm it's worth exploring every avenue so maybe, just maybe, that's exactly what Sven has done. Everybody knows (Sven has always known this but previously chose to play it safe) that Defoe, Bent, Johnson, Beattie, etc. are not world beaters, they just don't have the natural ability to take us more than one round beyond the group stages. The only possible way England have a chance of reaching the final is by taking a different striker, perhaps one unexpected by the rest of the world, a stranger who even the best defenders will approach with caution, unsure whether he'll knock the ball on, bring it to ground and pass or take it past them. Theo Walcott is a gamble and I willingly admit I would not have considered him had it been upto me but I also admit that Sven is finally doing what the English have cursed him for not doing in the past - he's a taken a risk, a very big risk, but a risk that may payoff bigtime!

Abbey needs to stop whinging because we all know if Sven had picked the standard squad like everyone expected he'd have still found fault! He'd have pointed out how boring and predictable Sven is and how a manager like that could never win a World Cup. Defoe is not a worldclass striker and England have lost nothing by leaving him out of the squad. Despite having a good shot, his pace is often wasted because he runs at the wrong time and into the wrong places. I'm shocked Darren Bent didn't make the reserve 5 ahead of Johnson or Defoe but again he's not a World Cup winner! Sven has finally admitted that his regular selections are not ever going to win a World Cup even if they do look the strongest Englishmen on paper so he's finally taken some risks that MIGHT actually give us an edge! And for god's sake will you please stop whinging about Rooney and Owen's injury concerns. They are being treated by some of the best paid doctors and physios in the world using some of the most expensive equipment and therapy in the world therefore I think we can logically assume that they are being treated well by people who know their stuff! If these doctors and physios (and you can't deny that Sven will have asked their opinions!) had said Owen and/or Rooney would not recover in time to be ready for the World Cup then Sven would not have selected them in the squad so ffs stop saying we've only got 1 striker in the squad - we've got 4 and Joe Cole who has played fantastically for Chelsea right behind a lone striker!

I don't think we will need extra cover upfront. He should have dropped a midfielder (Jenas) and brought in an 8th defender (Young). The fact that Rooney and Owen are included speaks volumes which everyone seems to single minded to see - if their doctors had said they would not be fit then they would not have been selected so therefore it's pretty safe to assume they will be fit! That leaves two strikers on the bench and Joe Cole is an excellent 5th choice forward. He's played fantastically for Chelski on many occasions right behind the front man!