I loved seeing Liverpool lose. They seeem to feel that Europe is a piece of cake and it's nice to see them taken down a peg or two sometimes. Young Jovetic looked a decent striker.

And I wasn't arguing - just pointing out that they all count as chances and are there to be scored or missed. didn't he mean strikers at other clubs?

Yes, it does but he quite clearly sees the midfielders he's got as being capable enough if fit. The fact that we've been around Ewood a bit longer than the manager makes us more sceptical of that. WE know they can't stay fit and even when they do they are scarcely the best of the rest or even the best of the bottom half.

Yes, except they all count just the same and presumably pens are included. You've still got to score them.

So last season, McCarthy and Roberts put away more % wise of the miserably few chances created for them than most others did of the huge numbers created for them by their team?

No, just Irish.

don't think anyone is shocked by the lies. More like fed up that players can't see that we all know they're telling lies and so persist in telling them.

Well Honda workers have just taken a 3% one to keep the plant going and ensure they have a job to go to. Depends if he can find another club to pay him a bigger wage or not. If a 20% cut kept me in work and above what I'd get on benefits, I'd take it, but then I need the job, and could always look for something else whilst working at my reduced salary.

Oh, I agree that in the present position the style has to be secondary to the points tally. I also think you'll find that I have said before i don't really care about style if we win because winning and especially against teams you don't expect to, or in matches where you ae clearly second best, as in the Spurs game, and somehow nick the points, creates its own excitement. However, there are a significant number who have already expressed concerns about style next season and it won't take much to upset them.

Not necessarily a lot but there are plenty on here worried about who he might sign and about the style of football we're seeing at the moment and hoping it won't continue next year. Even some of the fans who are quite supportive of him at the moment have strong reservations about where we'll go long term if we stick with him. I presume they are the people being referred to - those who at the moment have no particular axe to grind but might turn quickly if things don't go well

As someone else pointed out you can't protect the club from his absence if he does something stupid and ends up going back to jail. You can sack him but can't bring in a replacement, except a free agent (and there's usually a reason why they are free agents) till the next transfer window. I know the same applies to players getting injured but that's something all clubs face. They don't all face the problems Barton could bring.

Reports are that he is likely to be sold for 15 million in summer so I doubt we would.

Glad you read it, Eddie. It's the first one she's done that's had that many read it.

My daughter interviewed Graham Poll to get his views on this this morning. He used the word despicable to describe the behaviour of the Chelsea players. Full interview on youtube

I haven't forgotten any of them. One thing in woodgate's favour - he was a broken man after the trial and seems to have got himself over that time in his career. some of the others we don't know about as they haven't had time yet to show whether it was a one off (i.e. gerrard) Nobody's perfect, we all know that, but do we really have to court the favour of a guy who has persistently shown that he cannot be relied on to get on the pitch and keep out of trouble, go in the dressing room and keep out of trouble, go near a bar and keep out of trouble etc. Most young men do things they regret when they've had a few too many drinks at some point. Most don't seem to keep on repeating the same actions to the point where their employer cannot depend on them to do their job properly, or they find themselves out of work. It's the fact that we have limped through a seasonwith too many midfielders missing that worries me more than this guy's conduct. I want a player who will be there doing his job more often than not and I can't see how you think we'd get that with Barton.

Actually there are plenty on here who have but equally plenty who are questioning his style and tactics, so it's not a universal yes. Most approve of the results but have yet to warm to him in the way they warmed to previous managers

Whatever Allardyce is i didn't have him down as a man to repeat his mistakes. Yes he resigned Diouf but most don't consider that a mistake. Barton would, I suspect, be thought by too many, at this club and in football in general, to be a mistake.

I don't claim infallibility, Gordon. I leave that to others. And I still don't like the fact that we have Allardyce as manager although I accept the necessity and I still don't think Diouf should be at Rovers and can't understand what others are seeing in this guy that I can't see. However, I accept that there are loads of people here with far more knowledge ad understanding of football than I would have if I studied it for the next 20 years (Can't go beyond that as I'd be too old to imagine) There can be few however, who would not feel that taking a risk on Barton with his temperament problems would be a bridge too far for many fans. That's not to say we should get up a petition or boycott the club, but we should understand that some might feel that to put any of their hard earned cash into his pocket would be more than they can stomach.

Whoops, no it's me and if I said it i must have done it but I honestly had no recollection of it. I really do have facebook to stay in touch with my absent kids who post their pictures on there and usually avoid like the plague anything that smacks of a group on there, Wasn't telling a deliberate lie as you've just proved there's no point - someone will always catch you out.

Not guilty. I didn't do anything on facebook. I have it to communicate with a son and daughter who live abroad and want to show me photos of what they are up to - that's all.

Birmingham then according to the press who think us and Bolton have too much sense.

Wouldn't do that but can you honestly say you think Barton would be a good signing for us. He's never going to sort himself out if he hasn't done so already, at least not while he's playing football. perhaps away from football he might become a respectable citizen but even then i wouldn't hold my breath.

I think there might be a lot of people boycotting matches if this one happens. I'm still not happy that we tood Diouf, but so far, apart from having a bit of an over the top go at the ref, he hasn't done anything to show us up. Barton is a permanent accident waiting to happen.

Really nice pics of him on the official board gallery in the dugout and with allardyce. He looks like he's just loving being the King of the Castle again.

Did he have any to start with?