I suspect it's because there are other people still to be interviewed. I don't think it's cut and dried at all yet. It'll be like any job recruitment - whoever has the best interveiw will get the job. Gay bikers on acid.

Still got a feeling it'll be Strachan. Bangladeshi man kidnapped in Ireland.

Glass half full, glass half empty. That can be turned round to read the other way. Not in the last year it can't.

That was Souness's team Abbey.

Turn the Ewood pitch into a crazy golf course on non-matchdays?

Release a "How to defend correctly and pass the ball to your teammates" DVD starring Lucas Neill?

Sponsored pie-eating between Matteo and De Pedro?

Stick Wendy on the game?

As much as I was anti-Souness in the past I can't blame him for leaving. The Newcastle job would have been too good to turn down, especially as I suspect he knew he was on borrowed time here. And I can't say that I'm too bothered about him turning up on Saturday. It's the way he is, he's an arrogant sod who likes to be the centre of attention but there's nothing wrong about that. If you're going to blame Souness for something then blame him for the way he's slowly turned our team from being European challengers to relegation fodder in the space of a year.

I won't believe you until one of Hughesy's sources confirms it.

I currently stand to win about £20 if Hughes is the new manager, about £100 if it's either Strachan or Dowie, about £150 if its Moyes, and about a grand if it's Martin O'Neill (£2 at odds of 580 on betfair)! There will be some singing in the streets of Sale if Martin O'Neill joins I can tell you. Obviously I lose a bundle if it's anyone else!!

This article has quotes from John Williams saying he'd be surprised if we appoint a new manager this week. Mirror Story

Wasn't even mentioned. You have to assume that Strachan asked for it not to be.

Top preview Mr Fleming. As for the score, who knows? If we've appointed a manager by then you'd expect the team to be fired up and ready to put on a show. If we haven't then I guess we could get served the same sort of passionless rubbish that I watched yesterday. One thing is for certain, although it's still very early in the season the game against Portsmouth is already a massive match. We need some points.

I hope that's true Glenn. I'd be delighted with any of them.

Well said. As bad as the midfield and Flitcroft undoubtably were, they were not the fundamental or only problem. There were fundamental problems all over the pitch - front to back.

I was quite pleased with the line-up today. Unlike our resident tactical genius Tashor I thought playing 4-4-2 and taking the game to the confidence-shy Geordies was exactly what we should do and I was looking forward to a cracking game. Surely if there was ever a game where we'd be up for it this was the one. How wrong I was. We were simply pathetic. We were second to every 50-50, we let the Newcastle players have yards of space every time they were in possession, and we failed to do the most basic of defensive duties. Newcastle scored from the first corner of the match. A ball was swung over and Flitcroft headed it into the back of his own net. God knows why. There was space all over the pitch. No-one in a blue & white shirt could be arsed to close down and Newcastle carved through us at will. A through ball found Bellamy challenging the hapless Neill and Short down their left flank. He was allowed time and space to pick out a great cross and Shearer did what he does best. It could have been any score by half-time. The only chance we created was when the lively Stead turned and hit a looping shot onto the top of the crossbar. It deserved better. Sadly the rest of the team's efforts didn't. The second half was a non-event. Newcastle went through the motions and we looked disinterested. Newcastle wrapped the game up near the end when a bit of a scramble led to O'Brien squeezing the ball home underneath Friedel. Where do I start? Neill was utterly inept. Pathetic. Short and Matteo looked like they'd never met before. Flitcroft was anonymous. Ferguson was a show-pony - all nice touches but sweet fa substance. Pedersen is starting to look like a joke. Seriously, a pub player could have made more of an impact today. Emerton looked lively at times but he neglected his defensive duties. Dickov worked hard but produced no quality at all. Only Stead looked genuine class - his efforts deserved better. We were abysmal today. I was sure we'd be up for it beforehand. How could we not be? Sadly, we were simply pathetic. No heart, no fight, no passion, no pride in the shirt. Tashor was right all along. Our players aren't good enough to take the game to a team like Newcastle away from home. Our new manager has a hell of a job on his hands. Souness has left a fuking sh!te team behind.

Like Harford, Kidd & Hodgson you mean. Jack Walker did many, many wonderful things for Blackburn Rovers but he wasn't that great at picking managers.

If Ferguson, or any other player for that matter, has that attitude then I'd be delighted to see the back of them in January. Ha ha. Hasta beat me to it almost word for word!

I've just listened to Radio Lancashire and they were discussing who the new manager would be. They reckoned the shortlist was Dowie, Hughes, Houllier, Advocaat and Strachan. It seems strange that everyone appears to know the names on this shortlist. Someone at the club must be leaking the information out. I just wonder if it's all a very clever diversion tactic and we'll end up with a manager none of us predicted. Martin O'Neill anyone?

If Hughes and Dowie are indeed on this mysterious short-list then I'm delighted. They'd both be very good appointments. Yes there would be an element of risk about them but it's a gamble worth taking. Houllier doesn't really bear thinking about. Surely not John Williams. I'd still prefer Strachan though.

Damn, too late.

Oh OK. I'm off to place a wedge on Betfair then.

Have you got a link for that?

I agree with most of what you say Capt. The only thing about Hughes is that he hasn't managed at club level yet. He could be a great coach, and if you believe everyone who's worked with him then he is, but is he great in the transfer market? He could be or he could be another Kidd. No-one knows the answer to that yet so it would be a gamble to appoint him. It's a gamble I'd be quite happy to take though.