Granted amo coming back did help when we needed it, but frankly something had to make things better and personally it was more steads contribution than amo's. If four good games over the course of a season make you a good player then even dwight yorke could scrape together four good games erm maybe. Rven during those four games the guy is a liability, he cant turn, he cant run, he can mark occasionally when he remembers to, but worryingly has to rely on holding, pushing, blocking and bringing em down which over the course of a season will hurt us, even in those 4 games he was having to be bailed out lots by his partner and several times he had to resort to bringing people down when the ball was already beyond him. four good games at the end doesnt really make up for 20 lousy ones at the start....

who's asking for real pace, some would be nice!! surely if you are having to push forward then its fairly obvious the def has to move up the park instead of leaving a massive gap between them and the mid. That then funnily enough leaves a space behind to exploit, easy enough when one of the long haired grannies needs two new hips and has to rely on bringing attackers down or holding or blocking, or did i just imagine him doing that every time i saw him.......

I'm english, born in blackburn, lived in sussex, left the uk and now live in Portugal.

I watch what i can as im in Portugal, and saw many more from before his nijury forced him out the team, and I saw him cut to pieces more often than victims in a freddie kruger film, i also saw his partner (be it short or babbel) have to bail him out several times. I also saw him play for rangers often and could understand all to easily why we were allowed to <cough> capture him from rangers.

Have to agree i like the look of that, but in reality whats the chances of that team taking to a park? from your list and my port soaked memory - Encks - only plays when brad out Nissa - how many games last season? McEveley - sent him to burnley to get injured rather than play at ewood Trying to sign Pederson, not an older player Thompson - missed large parts of both seasons with us Emerton - hmmm give him the benefit of the doubt that he might cross. Gallagher - needs to play more, fighting with dickov and cole for a place?

yes Amo the bloke a two legged tortoise with piles and ingrowing toe nails could outrun even if it gave him a 100 metre head start.

I was actually hoping someone might cheer me up with some news or views that would make me feel better, quite the opposite in fact lol. i'll just have to console myself with the lovely algarve sunshine and the footie that starts tomorrow at the bottom of my hill

lacklustre loan performances like carlton cole, forsell or babbel? Probably more depends on the basis they are signed, if they are cover and don't get in the team, or if they are to go in the first team like the above. if the club hasnt got the money to sign a player, and someone has an excess of players that want to prove themself perhaps in order to move on, it has to be a better option than signing a mid 30's old dog that wont learn new tricks on a 1-2 year contract and basically is just saving before there retirement..... I'm old enough to remember the div 2 and 3 episodes and i don't want to return to them, hence my anxiety. As for football not being real life, damn am sure ewood park exists and plays football games there hehe

I'm not writing it off, im just questioning the current player policy so far. I don't recall saying spend a fortune. what i was questioning and what is worrying me is how we are becoming Blackburn rovers home for retiring footballers, when other teams are signing youngsters for what appears to be quite small money or loaning them in for 12 months (charlton last season, birmingham last and next season, newcastle with huth from what im reading). Now if this is such a great policy how on earth did leicester go down with all the old and experienced hands on board, i would rather try younger players (like stead, gallagher etc) than rely on older players who don't have the fitness, speed or attitude they once had. as for a first choice centre back, who on earth is that??? Amo? my god if your first choice cb needs a 200 yard head start just to get near a ball before anyone with pace thats kinda scary. agree with you about bazza in the midfileld, he was starting to look good and make a big contribution, but hes not 30 odd, and he would have looked better if we had a left sided player alongside him, tho i spose we couldnt find a 35yr old left footer to get in.... maybe we should have wilcox back he's also on a free. Forgot to add, dickov signed as an older head, ffs how many old heads do we need??? Are cole and yorke not old and experienced enough, can they not help train the younger members? Would you rather stead and cole learned from david speedies surrogate brother or a two players who won lots.....

nicely taken from one extreme to the other, i dont recall saying spend lots. The point i was trying to make is that we seem happy to extend contracts of players well into there 30's and pick up players of that age group. In case you've forgotten just how well did our central def do against anyone with any pace last year, or did you have your rose tinted glasses on then as well? I'm beaing realistic and i can't recall that many prem teams doing paticularly well with a lrge portion of players into there 30's. Have a look at what teams coming up do in an attempt to stay in the prem, they pick up experienced older players, what are we doing???? I'm just voicing my concerns that our current policy is playing with fire. Would be nice to have a signing or two to throw the thoery out of the window, but its all quiet on the western front. As for tottenham signing no one, i suppose signing an england goal keeper is no one is it and at a million quid he was really expensive wasn't he ............................. HELLO??!! Personally i'd rather have a youngster like bridges, than someone wanting a big payday before retirement and who just can't be bothered.

I apologise in advance for my lack of 'enthusiasm' for the next season, but looking at the contract renewals and the signings im feeling VERY apprehensive. Seems that whoever is holding the purse strings at rovers has set out a brief that premiership survival whilst spending the minimum amount is the target. whilst our normal competitors such as Bolton, Fulham, Spurs etc are spending money strengthening there teams in an attempt to guarantee survival, we once again as we did last season, have become the eastbourne of the premier league, blackburn rovers the home for retiring footballers and looking at snapping anyone up who's the wrong side of 30 and in the twilight of there career. I bet out our rivals are quaking in there boots when we signed dickov, thankfully he was cheap (wonder what the wages are for his final years?) whilst other clubs are trying to take on youngsters on 12 month loans (birmingham) or buying (bolton with bridges) we buy a 31 yr old battler..... Then to shore up our zimmer framed defence of amo and short were now looking at signing up that excellent spring chicken matteo from leeds, did anyone see the Leeds games last year, the defence was like watching the keystone cops! What are our rivals signing, newcastle are trying to get huth on 12 months loan and were signing yet another player past his best in the twilight of his career. forgive me for being negative, just that the circles we are currently moving in (backwards ever decreasing ones it seems!) are worrying me, hell im surprised we've not re-signed batty as he's out of contract as well, he fits all the requirements as he's old, slow, not left footed, well past his prime, over 30 and looking for a final pay day, though in his defence at least batty had a prime, dickov on the other hand.........................

i've been a firm believer of Souness for quite some time, but there are some things that are just starting to get on my bristols and im starting to wonder if its time to part company (though havent a clue what a better option would be.... curbishley??? like he'd want to come NOT). anyway, im getting a little tired of - 'thats the worst they have played since ive been here' thats coming out almost once a month now, and its starting to sound like the boy who cried wolf and im getting a little tired of it tbh. Granted our performances are poor, but saying its the worst youve seen them play every few weeks is getting a little boring, or is the press just digging it out every time... Also the 'let parkes handle the press as im brassed off' routine is also getting a little tire-some. If this is the best souey can come up with in this our hour of need (and lets not kid ourselves here) i think it might be time to go.