its funny, Radio Rovers Commentators were saying Brett was playing well first half.

They can't have mentioned his corner taking then.

First half most of them played ok, but believe me he was awful second half. You should have heard the ironic cheer in the pub when he actually beat a man in the second half...and promptly gave the ball away.

The man has absolutely nothing in his locker, not a carrot.

At the end of last season the manager said he'd address the defence as that's where our problems were.

So why is the personnel at the back the same as it was last season?

I have absolutely no problem with us losing to Arsenal, in fact I think we played ok in the first half. Second half was shambolic but Souness can't suddenly expect the same back four that performed so poorly last season to now have improved sufficiently over the summer to make last year's problems a thing of the past. The signing of Matteo seemed to be his solution but we'll never know if he keeps slotting him into midfield.

The clock is ticking on Souey's reign, he has to get it right over the next four games or he will be gone. No question.

Oh a final footnote - I've been waiting and waiting for him to finally prove me wrong but tonight is a watershed for Brett Emerton. Brett, you are totally and utterly clueless.

I wouldn't know about that LD but I suggest you be wary of taking on the hiearchy.

If that means I can't express an opinion which I feel is common within the ranks of Rovers supporters then it's a poor do SAR.

I wouldn't say I'm taking on the hierarchy either, just questioning the tactics and selection policies of the manager. I'd like to think that 'the hierarchy' are doing the same to be honest.

I've dusted down my Blackburn Sunday Football League secretary of the year trophy for 2003-2004 and my Darwen Darts pairs knockout winners 2002 medal ready for the showdown.

There's no way he can compete with that.

Poor stuff from our leader again today though wasn't it? 17 players used already in 180 minutes football and no sign of him knowing either his best 11 or his best formation.

Did anyone read his tactical genius in the LET last week when he said 'I knew we'd step it up in the second half because we always do when we kick towards the Blackburn End'.

You really couldn't make it up.

You and Rover6 should submit a job application to John Williams.

You could make up your job descriptions

I can't work out whether that's supposed to be derogatory or not.

If it is, show me your medals.

Just remember what happened to your predecessor at the LET

Sorry I forgot.

He's struggling to keep up with his mortgage payments due to the loss of income now isn't he?

I've dusted down my Blackburn Sunday Football League secretary of the year trophy for 2003-2004 and my Darwen Darts pairs knockout winners 2002 medal ready for the showdown.

There's no way he can compete with that.

Poor stuff from our leader again today though wasn't it? 17 players used already in 180 minutes football and no sign of him knowing either his best 11 or his best formation.

Did anyone read his tactical genius in the LET last week when he said 'I knew we'd step it up in the second half because we always do when we kick towards the Blackburn End'.

You really couldn't make it up.

You and Rover6 should submit a job application to John Williams.

You could make up your job descriptions

I can't work out whether that's supposed to be derogatory or not.

If it is, show me your medals.

Whatever it is - it don't work.

West Brom: de Pedro Ferguson Matteo Gresko

Southampton: Matteo Ferguson Tugay Flitcroft

Both quartets had to be rearranged at half-time. Souness has become obsessed with making us harder to beat - a dogged, dare I say it, defensive side that'll supposedly give nothing away. But he's definitely going about it the wrong way.

Has he forgotten how he got success with Rovers in his early days? Has he forgotten the free-flowing, enterprising, passing football, fully equipped with wingers that saw us promoted and finish 6th?

Souness is complicating things unnecessarily. An orthodox 4-4-2 is what the players are comfortable with and which most teams in the Premiership employ.

He's pioneering a new system Rover6, it's called the 'blanket formation'. So called because you could throw a decent sized one over the 4 of them at any given time during the game.

I've dusted down my Blackburn Sunday Football League secretary of the year trophy for 2003-2004 and my Darwen Darts pairs knockout winners 2002 medal ready for the showdown.

There's no way he can compete with that.

Poor stuff from our leader again today though wasn't it? 17 players used already in 180 minutes football and no sign of him knowing either his best 11 or his best formation.

Did anyone read his tactical genius in the LET last week when he said 'I knew we'd step it up in the second half because we always do when we kick towards the Blackburn End'.

You really couldn't make it up.

Souness has been quoted in the LET that there will be a different team and formation against Southampton and that the formation used on Saturday was in an attempt to be less vulnerable at home.

Souness hits back at critics

I have it on good authority that a certain contributor to the LET was mentioned in Souey's press conference and challenged to 'put his medals on the table'.

Anyone know a pub that's showing the game?

It's just that SKY have put the Prem plus package up by 100% to pubs to a whopping £1400 and a lot aren't willing to pay it.

I'm not so sure that we should be praising Souness for his half time tactical genius when it's plain to see it was borne out of sheer desperation. To me it was more of a s**t or bust scenario as opposed to a tactical masterplan.

And if we were so good in the second half how is it that I can't remember Hoult having to make a save apart from the goal? Compare that to Brad who still had to make a couple of interventions and the defence who had to make at least one last ditch block to prevent a certain winner.

Granted , it is only the first game of the season but I'm sure posters on here would be a lot more tolerant if this performance was a one off. As it is, it's like we never had a summer break and we're picking up where we left off last season.

As far as I'm concerned, we have every right to be worried.

If these are the best players Souness has had since he came to the club why does he not show the same confidence in them when he picks the team?

I'm noticing a huge change in attitudes towards the manager both at the ground and on this MB. I've stuck up for him in the past but my patience is wearing thin. The next 6 games will shape, not only our season, but I believe the fate of the manager.

The players are good enough, is he?

It can't be Diana Ross because she's black, and we all know Souness is a racist. 

Not to mention sexist. While he's signed some black players how many women has he signed? None at all. There'll be some bras being burnt outside Ewood soon and it'll all be down to Souness' anti-female bias.

Best not get that Ross lass on penalties mind. Anyone else remember her woeful last effort in 94?

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read four lane.

Engage brain before typing next time, you know we don't get penalties.

Who do you prefer, LDRover?

Stephen Cummings

Perhaps because the story he was telling was one that NOBODY in their right mind wanted to hear LD.

Agreed SG.

I do remember commenting sometime ago that if the 2 parties could not work together it was a fight the manager had to win or his position would be untenable.

Looks like he won.

I'm surprised I haven't read a full and unreserved apology to 'master of the football scoop' Alan Nixon in amongst all the Cole talk after some of the early comments on this thread!

He may get a bad press amongst members of the board, and probably rightly so in some cases, but the last 2 stories I've heard attributed to him (Duff and Cole sale) both turned out to be true.

I remember the events of 15th April 1989 vividly as my brother was at the game with the Liverpool fans in the Lepping Lane End.

The way my parents and I felt until we heard his voice on the other end of a phone will stick with me forever as will him crying in his sleep for weeks after the event.

For all those of you who say 'move on' I urge you to engage brain and really consider the loss these people felt. Next time, and god forbid there'll never be a next time, it could be you.

how much did souey have to spend this summer, i can remember hearing £4 million. if this is true then we should still have that left to spend on 1 player. which could buy us a very good player or even wages for someone on a free. (jimmy floyd ???)

If only.....

It's nothing new, it's just that it comes at a time when interest in rovers seems to be on the wane.

That's the more disturbing thing.

Said to me they had a big backlog of tickets to process and that if I paid by cheque there was no way it would be processed til next week.

Which was good news seeing as I get paid today and had nothing in the bank to clear it.

On a different note I know of at least a dozen non-renewals. One of which has held a s/t for the past 20 years. I'm not hopeful of 10,000 +

Bring on Thursday...btw does anyone know what time I should get in Blues bar to assure myself of a good pitch?

I got in there at 6.30 yesterday and got a good seat no problem. So I reckon 2.00 in the afternoon will be just about right.

Cheers Bob and Tom, 2pm it is.

David James is a big worry.

His actual shot stopping skills are excellent but he's all over the place when it comes to crosses. The 1st goal yesterday could have been avoided if he'd come out to catch the ball in. It actually landed in his six yard box so he should have been there but he just stood still on his line.

One last thing, after all the bad press Ashley Cole gets is it not about time it was recognised that he is actually a very very good left back? IMO best in the tournament. The old line that's trotted out is that he can't defend....utter tosh, he's been magnificent at both ends of the pitch. Top stuff Ashley.

Bring on Thursday...btw does anyone know what time I should get in Blues bar to assure myself of a good pitch?

Mozzer's concert at Lancashire County Cricket Ground on 11th July hasn't quite sold out yet. There are still some tickets available.

I fancied getting to the MOVE festival (where Morrissey's playing at LCCC) but unfortunately I'm going on my hols the day before.

Wanted to see the Pixies again (they play on the 10th) as it's probably the last time they'll play live in this area. I saw them at Preston Guild Hall in 1991 and they are still by far the best band I've seen live.

Just Champagned Mozzer's album sorry BOUGHT IT AT ASDA. Had it on in the car, haven't made my mind up yet.

There are four tracks on the album Nick that personally I've grown to like a lot - namely: "I'm Not Sorry", "I Have Forgiven Jesus", "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?" and "America Is Not The World".

The rest of the album is a bit mixed, but I've got no regrets about paying a tenner for it - because those four songs mentioned are very good IMO.

I guess Nick, that you didn't like the track where Mozzer laments policemen....

That particular song, entitled "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" is a fairly average track, but there's a nice line about "Lock-jawed pop stars, Nothing to convey, They're so scared to show intelligence. It might smear their lovely career."

One such lock jawed pop star (that most people have probably long forgotten about) is the ex-Brother Beyond singer Nathan Moore.

Brother Beyond were a cheesy pop band in the late 80's, briefly competing with Bros for the affections of teenage girls. Their best-selling hit "The Harder I Try" reached number 2 in 1989.

Nathan's been a busy lad recently. He's been caught scouring the back streets of Kings Cross for lewd acts with prostitutes. Shocking.

He's been fined £250 with £50 costs.

Further details below:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004260447,00.html

Got the new Mozzer release and gave it a couple of weeks before making a decision on it.

Utterly utterly fantastic without a bad track on it.

'The first of the gang to die' and 'I have forgiven Jesus' are truly superb.

The lyrics again are sublime with 'the first lost lad, to go under the sod' and 'I was a nice kid, through hail and snow, I'd go, just to moon you'.

However my personal favourie lyric is 'you have never been in love, until you've seen the dawn rise, behind the home for the blind'.

A real return to form after his flirtation with a rockabilly style. Great stuff.

Here's my suggestion for a chant for de Pedro -

Gerrinto em

Gerrinto em

Gerrinto em

OR

Shearer

Shearer

Shearer

Just as significant a result last night was the France Croatia draw. If Croatia had won I wouldn't have fancied us to turn them over, as it is, we should be able to secure the point needed to qualify.

That said, the team looks decidedly ordinary. Players well off the pace (Scholes and Owen especially), a complete inability to keep the ball in hot conditions and a tendency to defend deep and invite pressure when we're in the lead.

One thing is for certain, at this level you cannot afford to keep giving the ball away. Even an ordinary Swiss side passed it around us at times so imagine what the 'bigger' teams could do. It's not that I don't think we can play passing football (as the Gerrard goal showed) it's just that it seems the players are playing it long under instruction. If the manager believes in his players a bit more and tells them to play passing rather than direct football we can match any team.

I still wouldn't have minded a piece of that 20/1 on the Germans pre-tournament though. They looked back to their organised disciplined best the other night.