I'll assume what I like thanks. Who are you to tell me what to assume? If I assume you're making a personal attack that's my choice. I'm bloody sick of people like you telling me what to assume.#

Couldn't agree more.

Rouledge is out of contract at the end of the season and his fee will be decided by tribunal if he's not sold before then. Totally different situation.

That's what I keep telling everyone.

WTF are you talking about? Lawsuit? How's that going to happen - when has it happened in the past? On what grounds? Get real ffs. Jeez Philip, you seem obsessed by this whole situation. The bottom line is that our captain wants to leave and that's not good. If you think we'll get back what we paid for him fine, I disagree, but even if we did I can't see it happening in January. So were left with a player who wants to play elsewhere. Great. Will he be professional? He's not been so far, he wouldn't have put a transfer request in if he was, so what makes you think he will be in the future? Even if he is, do you really want to see a player playing in the blue & white shirt who wants to play at another club? I don't. Praise John Williams all you want but it's a sorry situation to be in, we'll be shafted one way or another, and it's only bad news for Rovers. Stop making out that we're in control when we're not.

Forget being irate at me for a minute and you will surely realise that ideally there are two situations which we need to try our best to achieve out of this issue. 1. Hughes wants him to stay at least till summer. 2. We need to realise as much value for him as possible when he eventually leaves. It will serve no purpose to back Ferguson into a corner from where he cannot find a way out should the need arise. Rem he has not fallen out with the club at all yet so there is still a way back should no move arise by Jan 30th. Even if we agree to let him go back in summer we need him to still be a valid and useful member of the first team squad until then. There is simply no justification and there is no place for girly strops and stamping of feet in business. I agree Theno and if Ferguson hadn't submitted a transfer request there wouldn't have been a problem. Rovers could have agreed to sell him in the summer, started negotiations with Rangers to agree a fee, and the fans would have supported Ferguson for the rest of the season without any problems. Sadly though, the dumb bast@rd did put a transfer request in so he's pi55ed off the fans, tried to exert pressure on the club to sell him now (he's out bloody captain remember), and wants to bail out in the middle of a relegation fight. Of course the club have to appear like they're not being forced into anything, we need to get as much money as we can for him, but I can't help thinking we'd be better off just getting rid of him asap. Anyway, I'm just repeating myself now!

No, you're right it doesn't. But it doesn't help does it. I was looking forward to Savage and Ferguson playing together, and I guess it could still happen, but any pleasure I get out of it will be tempered with the fact that Ferguson wants to play at Rangers and will almost certainly leave in the summer. Obviously if we start winning games and Ferguson plays a blinder then my resentment will diminish over time, but the bottom line is that I just don't respect him anymore.

I can understand why the Birmingham fans are upset, I feel the same about Ferguson, and I can understand why the Brum board didn't want him to leave - especially to us after the history with Bowen. What I can't understand though is the way Bruce, Sullivan, Brady and Gold have been in the media virtually every day slagging Savage, Rovers, Bowen, Hughes and anyone else they can possibly think of. How does that help anyone? Do Birmingham fans feel better because of it? Did it mean Rovers had to pay more than they otherwise would have? Do they think they've gained the moral high ground? The reality is that the Birmingham management have turned an already messy situation into a farce and have ended up looking completely ridiculous in the process. They've behaved like they've not had a clue what to do from the first minute we were linked to Savage, and have just thrown their toys out of the pram instead of acting professionally and doing what's best for their club.

I've no idea what point you're making, I didn't say we should let emotions influence any business dealings, but if Rangers are potless then it just means we're left with a player who wants to play somewhere else.

Not sure about that Philip. I can only go on how I feel but I don't want Ferguson to play for us again until he withdraws his request and apologises. Hughes can say what he wants - can't see it changing my opinion of our captain.

The problem is that Souness doesn't manage Rangers. If Newcastle want Ferguson then I'm sure we'll get what ever money we want and maybe more - but they don't (so far). Murray has a reputation as a tough cookie and I'm fairly sure he won't overpay in the manner that Fat Freddie seems willing to.

Philip, there's no way we'll get back what we paid for him, and if he does stay then his relationship with the fans is going to be strained at the very best. While there may not be any booing (and I think there will be), there'll certainly be no singing of his name, and if he puts in one or two of his occasional poor displays the fans will be straight onto his back. And he'll deserve every insult. I just can't see how you think we're in a strong position. We're either going to lose one of our better players or we're going to be left with a club captain who has little or no respect from the fans.

Well, I must have been watching a different game. I thought he looked pacey, was strong in the challenge, and read the game fairly well. It was only when he was moved to a midfield holding role that he started to look out of his depth imo.

I've made suggestions in the past and can't be arsed repeating them. What's the point anyway as your pathetic agenda wouldn't allow you to take them in. And, you can put as many smilies as you want on your posts, but I think we all know who the stupid one is around here.

My point exactly Bryan. Of course we can't let him go for nothing, but we're not going to get what we paid for him either. To read Philip's post you'd think we're in a great position and we'll have no trouble getting £7m off Rangers. As I said before, only Ferguson will get what he wants out of this situation and he holds all the cards. We've just got to get what we can for him.

What the f*** are you blabbering on about. I was at the match last night numpty. Who gives you the right to determine what other people can and can't do? There are many reasons why people aren't going to matches anymore - they've been discussed on here a million times - but, yet again, you chose to ignore these and instead just write a ridiculous, stupid rant against Rovers fans in general. You clearly haven't got the intellect to try to understand what the problems are, you offer no suggestions that could help (other than your bizarre Lancashire United idea), and, as usual, you manage to do it all in a style that's designed to wind people up. Get a life ffs.

You can dress it up as much as you want Philip but, at the end of the day, one of our better players doesn't want to play for us anymore and we won't get anything like what we paid back for him. And personally, I don't want us to keep him now. Yes, the board are doing a good job with the negotiations, but we're in danger of being left with a player who has publically stated he wants to move.

In a rare drunken moment a few weeks ago I volunteered to write the Bolton home game match preview. I’ve decided to write it in two parts, first of all there is the traditional question and answer session with an opposition fan – my mate Dave who’s a Bolton season ticket holder. Hello Dave, thanks for agreeing to do this. Let’s ease you in gently – how did it feel getting completely outclassed by us the other week? Outclassed?! I suppose it made a change from your usual injury time equalizer. How would you sum up Bolton’s season so far? Rollercoaster. We started by climbing way up, and then went down, down, down, but now we’re hopefully back on the up. You’ve been criticised in the media for being a “long-ball team”. Fair or unfair? It was unfair at the time when Souness first brought it up, as then we were playing some good football with the occasional long ball mixed in. However the players then started to give the press what they wanted, and stopped playing football to concentrate on the long ball. And it’s no coincidence that this was when our slump started. It’s easy for teams to defend against the long ball when there is no other form of attack – all you need is two centre halves who are good in the air. We started to lose at home to teams that two months earlier we’d have been walking over – Portsmouth, Man City, and yourselves. However, Kevin Davies’s injury against West Brom stopped the long ball being an option, and suddenly the players had to go back to playing football, and lo and behold, we’re back scoring goals and winning games. What are your impressions of Blackburn as a club? Blackburn are very similar to Bolton in a lot of ways: - A small town club whose fan base is never going to increase beyond the town. - Looking to get 40 points ASAP, as relegation is always a possibility. - Ignored or belittled by the press in favour of so-called ‘big clubs’ like Spurs and Everton. You had your successful phase under Uncle Jack, but now his money has gone you have had to get back in line with the rest of the smaller top-flight clubs. But then I do admire you for at least having had some success - unlike the Geordies, who think that just because they have got a big ground and some money that they deserve to be successful. Which Bolton players should Rovers be worried about next Monday? Diouf – deadly from 4 yards (and not with the ball). But joking aside, I really have been surprised by his work-rate, and he is definitely our best player at the moment. And Jaidi has been a big find, and has chipped in with a few goals from corners and free-kicks. How embarrassed are you about El-Hadji Diouf? When he is scoring, I’m not. And when he is spitting and diving? Well he is not our player – he’s Liverpool’s! What position do you think you’ll finish in this season – and do you think you’ll finish above us? Probably about where we are now (11th), but it could be anywhere in the also-ran tier of the Prem (i.e. from 7th to 16th). Our high finish last year was only down to the fact that we won our last 5 games. But I do think we’ll finish above you. Does it not worry you that you have a player who looks like a clown running around in your midfield? No, he fits in well to the circus that is our midfield - Campo the Clown, Jay-Jay the Magician, and Diouf the tumbling acrobat. If you could take one Rovers player for Bolton’s team who would you pick? Err…that’s a hard one, and not because I’m spoilt for choice! Maybe Friedel for when we cash in on Jussi. Kevin Davies – lazy, lard-arsed misfit or lethal top quality centre forward? Somewhere in between. But I sense some bitterness here – maybe it is because you spent £7.5m on him and he was crap, yet we got him for nowt and he has been fantastic. How good a manager is Big Sam? He deserves a lot of credit for what he has done for us, especially with no money. Indeed, it would be interesting to see what he could do with some money. He’s obviously very good at the man management side of the job, and so has been able to resurrect several careers, most notably Kevin Davies and Youri Djorkaeff (although for each success they has been a less well publicised flop – remember Mario Jardel?). But I do wish he’d winge less about referees – he probably now has such a reputation for it, that when we do get a bad decision no one will pay any attention. Finally, what is your score prediction for Monday’s game? I'm not usually the most optimistic of Wanderers fans (with good reason), but as this is going on a Blackburn message board, I'm going to predict a 2-0 Bolton win (I nearly went for a 4-3 win after giving you a 3-1 start but how likely is that?). Cheers Dave. For the second part of the preview I thought I’d try to do something a little bit different, and I’m delighted to say that I’ve managed to secure an interview with our ex-manager Graeme Souness*. Hello Graeme, many thanks for this. How’s life at Newcastle? Things are going well now, thanks. I’m learning the language and I’m stamping my personality on the place. I’ve banned smoking, drinking, gambling and use of the gym - there’s some hideous machinery in there, you could do yourself a mischief. I’ve also put a stop to that ridiculous running about Sir Bobby had them doing in training. Now we just put cones out. A lot of people felt let down when you left the Rovers to join Newcastle. Why did you leave? I like to be able to delve into the transfer market, wheel and deal a bit and buy Rangers players for over-inflated prices. Rovers had run out of money. Oh, and that bloody drummer and the bloke that sits behind Nuclearsox were getting right on my nerves. Is there any truth in the rumour that you only left the Rovers to get away from the constant barracking coming from Manchester Blue’s next-to-the-dugout seat? That’s certainly not the only reason, although he does know some very naughty words and offensive hand gestures. I had to get a number of touchline bans just for a bit of respite. No, in truth, I’d run out of one-line excuses – I almost quit in the summer but Deano came up with a couple more. That’s what he’s paid for after all. Oh, that’s what he’s paid for. We did wonder! Well, that and various evil innovations, yes. OK, let’s look back at your time with us. First of all, what made you join the Rovers in the first place? John Williams was very articulate in the way he sold the club to me. He stressed the glorious history of the club, reminded me of some of wonderful players that had played there and described the warm, friendly, welcoming atmosphere in Blackburn. He was clearly proud at what the club had achieved and was confident that, together, we could relive the glory days and take the club on to new heights. Oh, and the wife wanted me out of the house. During your first full season, at what point did you know that the team was going to get promoted? It was when the whisky wore off after the match at Deepdale. Which player(s) do you think was/were instrumental in gaining that Promotion? Can I vote for Lee Grooby? Ok then, Jon Macken. Grabbi – why? If I had a pound for every time I’d been asked that question, I’d be able to single-handedly bail Rangers out of their financial trouble. The truth is, I watched him in a number of 70s porn videos, looked at his stats on Championship Manager and even phoned him to ask him if he was in anyway related to George Weah. His performance in the videos and on CM convinced me he could score and his apparent modesty when asked about Weah impressed me – fancy pretending not to know who he was!? Also, I was sure he played for Rangers. How did you manage to persuade Andy Cole to join us from Man Utd? It wasn’t easy. I spent a great deal of time conveying my vision for the future of the club. I emphasized that I was convinced he would win trophies at Blackburn and that he’d be idolized by the Blackburn public. When that didn’t work, I offered Andy a great deal of money to join us, offered him a free transfer if we were relegated and promised that the club would pay for him to holiday in Dubai if he was unable to play for any reason. I could sense he was wavering at this point so I played my trump card – the no.9 shirt with the cuffs sown onto the hips. That seemed to do the trick. Us Rovers fans will never forget our day out at Cardiff. Did you fine Dunn for spraying champagne over you during the post-match celebrations? No, no. Never let it be said that Graeme Souness is a killjoy. I just politely suggested he might like to get my expensive new suit dry-cleaned at his own-expense and start looking for another club. Anyway, I’d had the champagne replaced with carbonated water – just in case. What caused you to fall out with Dunn? Cole? Yorke? Todd? Flitcroft? Gillespie? Each is a completely different case and should be treated as such so I will address each one at a time: - David Dunn is a quality player but he disagreed with me. - Cole disagreed with me. - When I called Yorke a lazy so and so, he disagreed with me. - I had a disagreement with Todd. - Flitcroft disagreed with me. - I never spoke to Gillespie but, if I had, I think he would have disagreed with me. There are a lot of rumours concerning Duff’s transfer to Chelsea. Can you clear them up for us – did you agree to let him go or did you have no choice in the matter? Make no mistake, John Williams and myself were determined to keep Damien. We rebuffed several bids from Chelsea and made it perfectly clear, no matter how much they offered, we would not be prepared to sell. Then an associate of Roman Abramovich, Igor Yahedov - nice bloke, put forward a very persuasive argument, using a rusty corkscrew and a couple of kiwi fruit, that £15 million was a very good offer. We immediately threw Damien down the aircraft steps, slammed the door and set off for America – if he had decided not to sign for Chelsea, I am confident we’d still be there. Did you have a facelift the summer before last? Ah, you noticed. Yes, in trying to win back my moustache from Sealdinho in a game of cards, I inadvertently won a facelift off Tony Parkes. What did you do to Lady Luck to pi55 her off so badly? That was a long time ago. I can’t believe she still holds a grudge. We were both young. Both foolish. We’d had a few drinks, one thing led to another and we ended up in a hotel room together. We had the most fantastic night of passion but we both knew that was all it was. I awoke first in the morning and, feeling guilty and ashamed, I left without saying a word. You see I’d taken something special from her in that one night of reckless abandon, which she could never get back. Something she cherished. Something she’d wanted to give only under the sacred bond of marriage to someone she really loved – her curly perm. I wore it for years after that. Please can you explain the thinking behind the revolutionary formation used in our home game against West Brom at the start of this season? I pride myself on listening to the fans. Throughout last season I know one or two of the fans were concerned that we had no left footed players to fill the gap left by Damien. With hindsight, I think I may have over-compensated slightly. We started the game playing 4-5-1 (4 on the left wing, 5 left midfield and Emerton on the right). We’d have won with a bit of luck and a better referee. I’m still convinced the chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” were directed at him and not our players. The team now appears to be fitter and working harder than they did when you were in charge. What did you do in training? Well, I’m a great believer in getting the right people in to do the job they are paid for. The coaches coach. Managers manage. Trainers train. Players play. I still maintain that our trainers at Rovers were the fittest trainers in the league. It’s just a shame all the players got podgy. Cheers Graeme. * - OK, it was dark, I was a little drunk, but I’m sure it was Souness I was speaking to. Come to think of it though, he did have a Lancashire accent and looked a little like Nuclearsox. Nah, I’m sure it was Souness.

Well, we're through, but we made life difficult for ourselves and were completely outplayed in the second half. Thompson's first goal was class - good move, cracking finish. His second, however, was one of the softest I've ever seen at Ewood. In between Cardiff scored a good goal when Neill failed to track his man into the area. Overall though 2-1 was probably fair at half time. We scored almost immediately after the restart. A good cross found MGP ghosting in at the far post and, yet again, he finished it well. We then went to pieces. Our midfield disappeared (was Thompson on in the second half?), our back four suddenly failed to compete, and our forwards couldn't hold the ball to save their lives. Fair play to Cardiff though, they could have gone under at 3-1 but they fought back, scored a deserved second goal, and looked far and away the better team for the rest of the half. Only some heroics from Friedel and a couple of last-ditch clearances kept us in front. A couple of bizarre substitutions midway through the second half only served to make things worse. Our two biggest threats, Emerton and Pedersen had to change positions (Emerton moved to the left, Pedersen moved up front replacing Gally, Reid came onto the right) and our best defender, Mokoena, was shunted to midfield (Nissa came on for Tugay). In fact it seemed like the whole team had to change position. Chaos ensued, but somehow we survived to the end. Thompson was good in the first half, non-existant in the second. Tugay was just non-existant throughout. They aren't strong enough to form a midfield pairing imo. Mokoena looked good at centre-back and poor in midfield. Neill was just crap. Emerton and Pedersen played well and looked a threat throughout. Gallagher looked out of his depth, and Dickov was poor. He could, and perhaps should, have been sent off as well and I'm not sure I'd have been sorry to see him go. If he just stuck to playing football rather than diving and bitching at the ref he might play a bit better. Still, we're through.

While I admire the sentiment of all this talk about leaving Ferguson to rot in the reserves it just isn't practical. Rovers simply can't afford to have one of their highest paid players doing nothing for the remaining 2 and a half years of his contract. We could maybe leave him to rot until the summer but no longer. Unfortunately we have to sell him and it's probably a case of the quicker the better. And I'm afraid we won't get anything like what we paid for him back - partly because we overpaid Rangers for him in the first place and partly because it's the player, and not Rovers, who hold all the cards in this situation. Ferguson is the only one who'll get what he wants out of all this. We'll lose a decent player for less money than we bought him for and Rangers will probably have to spend more than they'd like to get him.

Are you defending his actions?

At the risk of agreeing with Theno, there's only going to be one choice as captain and that's Savage. Whether he gets the armband straight away is open to question but I guarantee he'll be made captain before the start of next season.

Dear Theno, I couldn't give a toss what you think. Love, Scotty

Can't believe Tris & Philipl (and others) still want Ferguson to stay. What's the point of keeping hold of a player who doesn't want to play for the club anymore? Do you really think he's going to give it his all? As for wanting to go back because of family problems - what are these problems that could have struck over the last month since he gave an interview stating that his family were settled? And what is it about them that makes it so important for them to leave right now? Why not wait until the summer when an adequate replacement can be found? Why not let his family go now and he can join them in May? I'm sure our Barry could cope without his family for 5 months - it's not like he can't go and see them virtually when he wants. It's all a smokescreen imo, our captain wants to return back to the easy life and he's fully prepared to ditch us in the middle of a relegation fight to do it. I've never booed a Rovers player (or ex-player) in my life but I might start if Ferguson plays for us again. Our only objective is to get as much money as we can for him. Unfortunately though I'm sure that will be nowhere near what we paid for him.

You can just call me Scotty. Objective my arse - usual blinkered rubbish.