bob fleming

I haven't a clue what's going on but what I do know is that if these ducks have got into these TOTP's boxes then the BT engineers should shoot the little quacking @#/?s dead. They've only themselves to blame, they should have flown south weeks ago.

Three things: 1. Same here I'm pleased to announce, no phone line since Saturday. BT really are marvellous. 2. Never, I repeat, never, underestimate the power of "The Evil One", maybe he works for BT when he's not "coaching" Newcastle? 3. Sorry everyone, this is way off thread.

Yeah right. Like we're supposed to believe that you can work the SkiData System, you can't even get Broadband! (Any news?) Be honest, Rovers have been stitched up here. SkiData?!? What a crap name! I've never heard of them. No doubt Chairman Williams bought it from Saunders who was disgused as a door to door salesman.

Ah yes well.. there is that. I was just thinking of a way they could capitalise on a good run of performances before Christmas. Talking of buying things in July, I'll be thinking twice before buying Rovers shirts until 7 games into the season from now on, but I'm not bitter. I think it's still a good idea. A bit of tweaking here and then perhaps. Biggest discounts if you buy before the start of the season. It's wouldn't be too hard to make it attractive for potential ST holders and the club surely.

On the ManU thread JFT mentions that he'll have to wait until the Half Year Season Ticket is out before getting a ST. I've mentioned this before but surely with these new credit card style tickets available ST's should be available all season long? By that I mean that for those fans such as JFT who would buy a season ticket now following Saturdays fantastic performance and result the club should be able to sell ST's on a "discounted" rate. For instance, and these numbers probably aren't accurate, ST at the start of the season = £410.00. That's 19 games at £21.57. So with x3 home games gone a ST would now cost 16x£21.57 = £345.12. Are you with me? So JFT and some others can all rush optimistically down to Ewood and buy some ST's! More money for the club! Then when we play 4-5-1 and draw 0-0 with WBA on Saturday it's too late! ha ha ha! Unlucky suckers! Just a thought.

Thanks for reminding me. Surely had Mickey Gray smashed his elbow into Ronaldo's face he'd be up on an FA charge by now. Not that I'm insinuating that there's one rule for one and one for another.

Brilliant! Didn't go, watched it in the pub. Those who did go, have a good drink, you ###### deserve it. 4-4-2! Hughesy!! Happy days. MGP - Best finisher in the Prem.

Bellamy is 14/1 to score the first goal! I'll have a bit of that, just a couple of quid mind. An optimistic 1-1 prediction from me. Bellers and Van Nistlehorse. Man U are not at their best and will still be reeling from the bad news that G Neville's moustache is in a bad way and under going surgery.

Ian Botham

How's about "Kebab" ? I once gave Lee Grooby a lift up Jack Walker Way. He was quite obnoxious and refused to sign any autographs.

No. I struggle to think of a player with less of a "football brain" than Bert. 2-3 yards behind play at times. Sure he played Bellamy in for the first with a nice pass but surely anyone would have seen that run (the hard work (creating a bit of time on the ball in the midfield) was done earlier in the move by Tugay). Bellamy is streets ahead of anything else we have in our team. A different class. Hughes needs to build a team around him and Nelsen. I just hope they stick around long enough for that to happen. (Judging by the activity in the last Transfer Window, the 2010/11 season is starting to look very promising ) Brad - little to do apart from concede at the Darwen End. Which he did. Neill - strolled through the game at half pace Nelsen - Class act as ever Zurab - Tidy on the ball - not sure about his aerial ability (defensively anyway!) Gray - Nope. Savage - "Ran around a lot" Tugay - "If only he was 10 years younger" - yeah - he'd be at ManU or the like Bentley - Class act. Good passer. Like him. Keep him. Dickov - Match fit? Bellamy - Best striker we've had in years

It's either Bellamy Vs Morecambe or Tommy Briggs.

Fnarr Fnarr. So all we need to do now is convert our "Penalty Box Entries" into "Onion Bag Deposits". It's so simple. Hmmm. Is that an alarm bell ringing?

Two great posts above. Well said chaps.

It's just a good job we didn't use the 4-5-1 formation. "Now we take Berlin Gentlemen! Go on Bellers, on your own son" We'll have a better idea of what this season entails after 10 games. That's normally the best way of judging. I'm not going to repeat everything that I've already put on the "Gates" thread but the most disappointing thing for me was the use of the lone striker against a team that was clearly low on confidence and there for the taking. The reluctance to deploy two strikers and out and out attacking football is a massive turn off and a big worry. Anyway, 4-5-1 tomorrow night and we win 5-0. I'll get me coat.

4-5-1. Unentertaining but I could put up with it last season if it kept us up, which it did. Great news. Fair play Hughes hasn't got much to choose from up front. We sign Bellamy and Kuqi - big guy / small guy thing I reckon, flick on's etc etc you get the picture. Matt Jansen, we'll keep him and we've also got Paul Dickov. More than enough strikers, so much so that we can afford to let two go out on loan. As others have mentioned, a promise by the Chairman and the Manager in the summer to play more attractive football at home. Great. Bellamy plays the first game of the season away at West Ham, is then injured. Returns against a Newcastle team that many thought would lose their manager had they lost yesterday. A defence (well, an £8m defender at any rate - anyone see Boumsongs defending against ManU? ) low on confidence and clearly slightly clueless. Right, this is it then, 4-4-2. Up and at them. Er, no. Wrong. If not yesterday, when? Is this it then? Is this as good as it gets now? Do we have any other ideas? Or is it 4-5-1, 4-1-4-1 - call it what you bloody like - all the way from here on in. Sorry, but that was @#/? and, I hope I'm wrong, but the penny dropped yesterday. Playing the lone striker is actually the formation they want Rovers to play. Does anyone on here actually think that playing Bellamy up front on his own is a good idea? Got my ticket for Wednesday today, the lads I know aren't going, Mrs F probably won't bother. Why am I going? Oh yes, I remember, there's a slight chance, a very slim chance, that I might enjoy it and be entertained.

Met Alan75 once at a pre-season friendly, couldn't get a bloody word in. In Germany 4 years ago (?) I stood next to Marcus Bent, well actually he stood next to me, at the urinals just before the start of the second half at some pub team that we played in a pre season friendly (he used to pick them out did our Graeme), can't remember the name of the club funnily enough, that German ale is good stuff. We didn't speak much. "Alright Marcus?" "Yeah". He must have been awe struck to have stood next to me and lost the power of speach. Met David Mail on numerous occasions when I worked on the ground in 87/88 in the summers when I was at college. If anyone got red paint on them from the barriers that used to be on the terracing then don't blame me. I wasn't given any training. David Mail was an absolutely top bloke. (I often wondered about my painted prowess when after the Derby play off game at home I came off the Blackburn End and looked at my Rovers shirt and saw a red line where I'd been crushed during the chaos, best atmosphere ever that game). All time favourite, Tony Parkes came to our wedding, I know him, or rather he knows my Dad. Anyway, a Dingle who I worked with for years came along (yeah, yeah what was I thinking etc) and got talking to Tony for what must have seemed like a life time for him. Fair play, he heard him out and let him say his bit. Then at the end of his tutting tirade, the kiss off. "Fair enough. But you must admit though, Burnley are sh*t" Now that is a legend.

Leave the deaf alone Stu. At least they get behind the team. I don't know it's people like you etc rant etc....

I got it and I liked it if that's any consolation. Paul wouldn't understand the current petrol situation as he drives a pedal bike Is Sav the press officer down at Ewood now? Does this game need any further added needle? Yes I say. Bring it on!

I can only see goals in this one. Our back four of Neill, Zurab (Khizanishvili to his friends), Nelsen, Matteo have yet to play together and will have their hands full. Still we'll sneak it 5-4. Jaidi, Gardiner, Fadiga and Worthington for the Trotters and Bellamy x2, Dickov, Amoruso and Thompson for Rovers. Despite the goals it'll be an awful game to watch, simply terrible.

Any of the Premiership, English managers could surely do a better job than that rubbish dished up last night by Sven. It's hard to think of how he could have got it so wrong, every tactical decision made was questionable. It was almost as if he was doing it on purpose I'd take Big Sam but he'd have to grow the 'tache back as he would then remind me of Mike Bassett, England Manager in the film of the same name (and we'd play four four ###### two). Stuart Pearce is a good shout, although no doubt many would say he has little experience, I don't think that counts for much, at least he'd get them fired up.

He certainly did. I've just had a look on that internet thing - it's all on there you know. So just the one cap for Chris, I was nearly right. Do I get half a point?

Chris Sutton?

Surely they'll get the entire Darren End this year due to demand? They'll also have fans in other areas as well I'd suggest. "OwenMania" or something. They're crazy, best supporters in the whole of Newcastle without a shadow of a doubt that lot.

I was under the impression that we sold Stead to fund the Bellamy signing, i.e. presumably we couldn't have both due to our fantastic finances. Kuqi was free after all.