after reading the bbc's site, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/e...rem/5415806.stm

i'm even more optamistic. rovers will win- due to the law of averages, lawro predicting liverpool 2-0 and as clattenberg is the referee (he's the best we have).

The Reds 'doubled' Blackburn with two 1-0 victories last season, and are unbeaten in 11 League and Cup games against them since a 0-1 home defeat in the FA Cup in January 2000.

The 1-4 loss to Chelsea on 2 October is Liverpool's only defeat in 29 Premiership fixtures at Anfield.

ROVERS go into their 2,500th match in top flight football.

The current return of 11 points after seven matches, is Blackburn's best start since 14 points from the first seven were accrued in 1997.

Rovers have not beaten Liverpool in 15 Premiership games since a 3-0 victory at Ewood Park in November 1996, when Chris Sutton got a brace. Blackburn have not claimed maximum points in 10 Premiership trips to Anfield, since a 0-1 triumph on 12 September 1993 when Mike Newell got the winner.

From an australian point of view, yes. They rarely come to play here and its about time a few of them said no, our country is important to play for. It's like saying should the english players travelled to croatia? I know the flight time is extremely different. Anyway we needed to win to get seeded anyway.

didnt know about the point for seedings, thanks for putting me straight.

What the hell are sky thinking paying David Platt to add his 'expert' comments? Another clueless Muppet robbing a living.

'old fat face' is a shocking pundit. he just describes what you've seen. he offers no alternative insight whatsoever!

on top of that, he almost killed me once! - by cutting me up on the M6! i'm not bearing a grudge, though.

on the game, again the players should shoulder most of the blame. for england, they're performing like football whores (just going through the motions. in it for the money, not the enjoyment).

they should repay every fan that travelled out there. (excluding the southend fans. by looking at them they looked like they'd most probably spend the money on coke and ninja stars- and we cant have that! )

on mcclaren, i cant stand the bloke- but he's being badley let down by his players. a team made up of championship players wouldve put in a better 2 showings.

that said, his after match 'interview' was as appaling as the peformance. he avoided answering every Q. he'd make a brilliant politician. come to think of it- how about a job swap between him and 'dave'cameron ?

To be honest, I would only have done one, after various away matches.

But at these prices.

the initiative has worked then!

On one hand, I cannot see how Emerton and Neill can play on Saturday at Anfield after a 238 hour flight back from Australia,

return flights from aus certainly feel like 238 hours.

on the game, i caught a bit on eurosport this aft, bert was taking long throws. cant remember him taking any for us. we should utilising that weapon. we've a few long throw experts, but the more the merrier.

gate receipts aside, i have to ask-- with austrailia already qualified, bahrain bringing their olympic team, was it really necessary for the socceroos premiership stars to play ?

loyalty bonus, particularly considering that most ST holders wouldve bought tickets regardless.

well done JW! a terrific gesture

Apologies if i have missed the discussion,but, why did Bentley not get called up to the U21 squad that won today over in Germany?Is he injured or did he have a falling out with Taylor or what?Seems he had aquitted himself well in previous U21 matches and no one can deny he's been on a hot streak of sorts.

he played last month for U21, on the left wing. i cant find any media reports or interviews where bentley's ommision is mentioned. media black-out! very strange.

My manager played with Paul Warhurst in the Bolton youth teams, and he said that depite him being easily the least talented in the age group at the time, his dedication and commitment paid off in the long-run. He also played with Garry Flitcroft, who he said wasn't that great either.

just backing up your views on his commitment and passion - warhurst is still playing league football, for barnet.

my favourite rovers player to watch- shearer, hands down! phenominal. you never thought he was going to miss. i thought he was at his peak in 95-96. rovers fans defenitley saw the best of him.

shearer and garner run him close and honourable mentions to big col, kevin moran, sherwood, super atko, howard gayle, ian miller, david mail and andy kennedy.

Many of us said it when McClaren was given the job, he's not the man.

that was my view. however, i'll stick up for him. he's not to blame for saturday's debacle. i agree downing, king and carrick dont appear to be of international quality, but they still have enough ability to beat these minnows.

the players chose to sleepwalk through the game and the tempo was non- existent.

tel vegatable and mcc wouldve identified those points at half-time, but their words will have been ignored, as the players believed they only had to turn up to win.

lampard and gerrard are both selfish players and seem more interested in trying to out-do one another, than affect the game.

i'll end this post with a question. - "should international players need motivating ?"

Don't Boo Lucas, either!!!

i wont be. only morons boo their own players!

sorry mate, I won't support your ovation to bellamy...he played well for us and I don't blame him for wanting to play for his favourite club, but can't possible give him an ovation after the way he left and all the lies...

pks, i dont hold any grudges against bellamy.

he was amazing for us last season, a real talisman. he provided he provided many magical moments and is amongst the best centre forwards to ever have pulled on a rovers shirt.

i'll show my gratitude. it's obvious bellamy has great affection for our club and i'd like it to stay that way.

back in feb, on an old bellamy thread, i posted:-

the apathy of the blackburn (& nearby) public amazes me!

if fans dont show there appreciation, both in attendance & vocal support,

*(but you dont need large numbers to generate an atmosphere/ west brom and pompey prove that!)*

then we dont deserve hughes, bellamy or a top 7 side!

maybe bellers' felt the same ?

What was he supposed to say? "I really wish the move had gone through"?

Just says to me he's got some common sense - much better than Lucas' way of doing things.

of course not, but he could've said something neutral,

(like: "there was interest ,but nothing came of it. i'm happy at liverpool.'')

instead of admitting his relief, with these unnecessary comments :

"As it was getting towards midnight there was always that doubt you may get a phone call saying it's back on, but I was happy it never came."

Well, of course he isn't because he's grown up with the idea that Liverpool are all that's wonderful and Rovers are second rate that comes through so much of the media nowadays and has done for years. If it's all you hear then some of it's bound to rub off. More young players should look at people like Bentley, Steve Sidwell and others who've got away from big clubs and realised that they are good enough to hold down a starting place in the Prem and become heroes in their own right instead of always standing in someone else's shadow.

I believe warnock has gone backwards.

I've seen him several times in youth and reserve football dominate games from central and left midfield.

whilst I understand his willingness, to play anywhere for Liverpool, he doesn't look convincing at full-back and I cant see him ever being anything other than a stand-in (whilst others rest-up).

although his wage packet will compensate him, if warnock wants to have a great career and live up to his early potential, he has to move clubs.

he's battled back from 2 serious injuries, so he must have drive, determination and ambition. maybe that's been diluted and he likes it in the comfort zone ?

rovers have done brilliantly. just look at the interest being rekindled, on this board alone.

with initiatives like this one, rovers are making it more and more difficult for stay-aways to come up with valid excuses, for not going. the only one left is the weather!

just need bolton to conduct themselves better than they did last season (on and off the pitch) and i hope they manage to bring more than 200 this time.

cant wait for this one, got a good feeling about it. i expect nonda and reid to return and rovers to win 2-0!

benni, early on, and jeffers, in the dying minutes, at the kop end!

reminder to those travelling:- DONT BOO BELLAMY! GIVE HIM A STANDING OVATION AND SING HIS NAME!

hope i dont end up looking a fool, by being the only one doing it!

Swap him for Warnock and everyone is happy!

alas young warnock doesnt seem to keen on a rovers switch.

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=4...Rovers+interest

Flight 7003, Yes thats me! are you staying in Amsterdam? if so where?

still mulling over this trip. no- one i know is going. watch this space. we'll walk the group, so they'll be plenty of trips in the knock-out stages.

neill's performances havent suffered and possibly the situation has galvanised him even further, but

by bad-mouthing rovers, neill is undoing much of Hughes' brilliant PR work.

neill should be thankful and appreciate rovers role in his career. i still believe he shouldve repaid some of rovers faith and loyalty towards him (by signing a contract if only to ensure rovers received a decent fee).

he seems to think if he's out of the country, his spoutings will go un-noticed. THEY DON'T!

on the few occasions that I've met him, he seems a nice guy. if our paths cross again, I'll explain what the word dignified actually means!

on rovers reserves have no-one to replace him, i wouldnt drop neill for matteo, jay or 3some, but I'll point to - ANDREW TAYLOR. anyone who's seen him play, will have noted his ability and recognise he's the obvious replacement.

we'll walk that group. easiest of them all.

gonna have a flutter on us winning the whole thing, while we're still at 25-1+ .

the spuds and newcastle draws are hilarious! I've still got tea streaming from my nose!

More down to the back four gelling and the front two tearing their defence to pieces with their movement - even Jeffers got in on the act on Sunday.

Yes, Tugay can pass, but the amount of times players waltz past him is beyond a joke - I'd play him in a five man midfield, but not in a four, it puts too much pressure on the other three players.

Don't get me wrong, the man is an absolute legend. He's been an incredibly good player for Rovers, but his time has passed. The ball skills are still there, but the athleticism isn't. Quite frankly the man is a liablity, everytime he takes the field our midfield gets run over.

eh?

unbeaten in 6 games, 4 straight wins!

our form has improved dramatically since 'the liability' has returned!

what games do people watch ? or is that the problem ?

Yep, the green hooped one!!

Neither did I.

Maybe they could try it for the Chelsea cup game, as I suspect the whole crowd situation will raise its ugly head again.

i predict 10,000 home fans, at best, for the chelski game.

Hooray, a good, old-fashioned, internet flame fest starting!

Incidentally, Souness never had much success as a manager after Rangers. He presided over Liverpools decline from giants to some form of dwarf, managed to spend a lot of cash and get Rovers relegated

souness got rovers relegated ??? have i been living in a parallel universe:)

i reckon he'll fancy being hughes' sucessor.

I could be weaving webs of conspiracy unnecessarily, but ......

chelsea, arsenal and premiership referees all share the same sponsor..... Emirates.