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.

Our record with Scandinavian footballers (Berg apart) isn't too clever either. Frandsen Andersson x 2 Andresen Bohinen Dahlin Pedersen x 2 As for the signing of De Pedro, great to finally have a left sided player. Strange that we've gone down this route after Souey's 'Johnny Foreigner' jibes but from the sounds of the apparent wages being paid and the fact it's free we're looking at a low risk signing. Something that could not be said if we'd shelled out 2 million plus on an unproven Norwegian youngster.

Mates are in albufeira on stag party (not allowed to go even though I'm best man!!) and one txted earlier to tell me the ruck started between 2 england fans arguing amongst themselves. Escalated pretty quickly and ended with portuguese police wading in. Said it was 'premier league bother' and was pretty scary and he's no shrinking violet himself.

Is there any quote from John Williams saying there's no money Simon? It just seems strange that on the one hand we are told there's £4million to spend and then Souey says he's got nowt. Maybe it's GS's way of putting the pressure on JW to release more cash? Whichever way you look at it, there are no positives to be gained by the news and suddenly the price freeze on season tickets seems totally irrelevant. If you were undecided about the purchase of a season ticket before you're swayed towards not bothering now.

My guess is because there's a sizeable Asian community there. You know what some people are like, if there's no French to have a go at they'll have a go at what they perceive to be non-English. Surprised there wasn't a spate of attacks on Renaults, Citroens and Peugeots.

Unspectacular, with a liking for picking out row z in the Walkersteel/Jack Walker stand with his passes. Great free kick against Portsmouth away in the promotion season though.

Yes but the town and surrounding areas isn't given enough credit for its support of the club. Jack Walker invested in Rovers because he knew it was a hugely important part of the town. To pay back the place he grew up in he invested in the club as he knew that would make the whole town and its surrounding areas happy, if he'd been born in Manchester or Birmingham he'd probably have built a museum or library or something. As wonderful as Jack Walker was for Rovers he wasn't the first benefactor (nowhere near the first in fact) the club has had. There is something about the place that has always worshipped the club. As he was Blackburn born and bred he knew it was the club that the townspeople cared for most. As for bought the title - Jack gave the club a big helping hand with money but so what? It's only a big deal to those jealous of the success with how we spent it. The declining season ticket sales are worrying but nobody seems to know the exact reasons and it could only be a temporary decline. Even with that decline we get better support from the surrounding area than nearly anyother club. So don't let anyone tell you Blackburn isn't a football town just because of a bit of a slump over a couple of years. Blackburn is still THE football town. Rovers fans do themselves down too often. When I said we were "punching above our weight", I meant that we are doing so compared to Man Utd/Liverpool/Arsenal. The likes of Southampton, Birmingham or Charlton need to start winning some cups and leagues before we think of them as "bigger" than us. Those clubs may be able to point to a few empty seats at Ewood to show how they are a bigger club than us. We can point to our trophy cabinet to show what a real success of a club has to show for itself. Great post FLB. I'll take the prem and the Worthy cup wins to my grave, dunno what the fans of the other teams will take but it's a pretty sound bet it wont compare.

Could the same not be said for Jonny Douglas, Steven Reid and even Jemal Johnson. Sometimes it's better the devil you know... On the subject of Pedersen, this proposed deal gets more alarming as time goes by. His club holding out for more money and no-one actually witnessing him having a good game. Then there's the supposed interest from Villa and Man U that has suddenly disappeared. From the original cries of 'sign him' and 'just buy him' bets are being hedged and the talk is now, 'give him time, he'll take time to adjust to the PL'. Keep the powder dry Souey, he's patently not good enough. There is the small fact that Douglas and Reid aren't left wingers though? I don't understand how writing a few lines in the LET gives you this in depth knowledge on Pedersen an the fact he'll be a flop?! Your arguement regarding united and villa is pretty lightweight too. Think about it logically. United - They've got Giggs to play there and he's still one of the best left wingers in the prem. Alan Smith can also do a good job there. I'm guessing they also have a few decent youth team lads who could do a job too. Even the likes of United have a transfer budget and they clearly have bigger priorities than a left winger. Left face it they could afford to let him play for us for a season and snatch him off us if he does well - sad but true...... Villa - I suspect their interest was mainly due to the Gareth Barry contract situation, however the fact that that seems to have been cleared up means they don't need Pedersen right now either. Then there's the fact they have Whittingham to play there too. Villa have made it quite clear they're working with a tight budget..... Very good. Firstly, I have no in depth knowledge but I go off the fact that Norwegian attacking players very rarely are anything more than functional. If you can name one other than Solskjaer who isn't then I'll doff my cap in your direction. Your argument about United and the left wing situation is flawed too. With Keane, Scholes and Butt to play central midfield (arguably the best trio in the prem) why did they then go out and buy Kleberson and Djemba Djemba for big bucks? I understand that left wing is probably not a huge concern but then again I wouldn't have central midfield as being so for them either. I'll be leaving the fray on this particular topic and I'll refrain from posting I told you so if and when he fails to deliver because it would appear he will be signing. Conversely if he surprises me and turns out to be the new wing sensation of the prem I will gladly admit I was wrong...and quite possibly show my backside in the Ewood club too. Carews a decent striker is he not? Keane (by his own admission cannot play a full season in the premiership anymore and has accepted he won't. Kleberson was highly rated and has been a big let down to be fair. Djemba Djemba I'm not entirely sure about but didn't it bag an agent a nice little fee? Make of that what you will. Butt is surplus to requirements..... Fair enough, I just can't see how you can write a player off because he's norweigan and you haven't seen him play! Carew? Don't rate him really high but I don't suppose you play for Valencia and score so many goals if you're a numpty. Cap doffed ever so slightly!!

Could the same not be said for Jonny Douglas, Steven Reid and even Jemal Johnson. Sometimes it's better the devil you know... On the subject of Pedersen, this proposed deal gets more alarming as time goes by. His club holding out for more money and no-one actually witnessing him having a good game. Then there's the supposed interest from Villa and Man U that has suddenly disappeared. From the original cries of 'sign him' and 'just buy him' bets are being hedged and the talk is now, 'give him time, he'll take time to adjust to the PL'. Keep the powder dry Souey, he's patently not good enough. There is the small fact that Douglas and Reid aren't left wingers though? I don't understand how writing a few lines in the LET gives you this in depth knowledge on Pedersen an the fact he'll be a flop?! Your arguement regarding united and villa is pretty lightweight too. Think about it logically. United - They've got Giggs to play there and he's still one of the best left wingers in the prem. Alan Smith can also do a good job there. I'm guessing they also have a few decent youth team lads who could do a job too. Even the likes of United have a transfer budget and they clearly have bigger priorities than a left winger. Left face it they could afford to let him play for us for a season and snatch him off us if he does well - sad but true...... Villa - I suspect their interest was mainly due to the Gareth Barry contract situation, however the fact that that seems to have been cleared up means they don't need Pedersen right now either. Then there's the fact they have Whittingham to play there too. Villa have made it quite clear they're working with a tight budget..... Very good. Firstly, I have no in depth knowledge but I go off the fact that Norwegian attacking players very rarely are anything more than functional. If you can name one other than Solskjaer who isn't then I'll doff my cap in your direction. Your argument about United and the left wing situation is flawed too. With Keane, Scholes and Butt to play central midfield (arguably the best trio in the prem) why did they then go out and buy Kleberson and Djemba Djemba for big bucks? I understand that left wing is probably not a huge concern but then again I wouldn't have central midfield as being so for them either. I'll be leaving the fray on this particular topic and I'll refrain from posting I told you so if and when he fails to deliver because it would appear he will be signing. Conversely if he surprises me and turns out to be the new wing sensation of the prem I will gladly admit I was wrong...and quite possibly show my backside in the Ewood club too.

Could the same not be said for Jonny Douglas, Steven Reid and even Jemal Johnson. Sometimes it's better the devil you know... On the subject of Pedersen, this proposed deal gets more alarming as time goes by. His club holding out for more money and no-one actually witnessing him having a good game. Then there's the supposed interest from Villa and Man U that has suddenly disappeared. From the original cries of 'sign him' and 'just buy him' bets are being hedged and the talk is now, 'give him time, he'll take time to adjust to the PL'. Keep the powder dry Souey, he's patently not good enough.

Why do you think he wants to play against Man U ? Tromsø did a correct decision to reject the bid now. He will be sold later, to another club or to a higher bid. This is a great day for us Tromsø supporters. The management has gotten our respect with this decision. it tells us that they have ambitions with this team and that they are willing to listen to us and all the others that have had some views about this issue. - TROMSØ - until I die It'll be a great day for Blackburn Rovers supporters if we pull the plug on this supposed deal. Look elsewhere Souey...please.

Hallelujah!!! Your thoughts totally mirror mine. Amen to that brother.

In his first press conference after being given the Chelsea job Jose Mourinho said "we've got the players and now we've got a good manager...sorry for the arrogance but I am a bit special..." Quality stuff and certain to get right under Ferguson and Wenger's skin before a ball has been kicked. Could be a return to the good old days of the Dalglish and Ferguson jousts. Moved here.

Whilst this signing hardly sets my pulse racing I can see the merits in it. He puts in the work and keeps defenders on their toes and he's not a bad finisher either. He's cost next to nothing and unlike previous signings, we know what we're getting - 100% commitment. Let's face it, if we'd had 11 players with the same application as Dickov last season there'd have been no flirtation with relegation. I admit he's not a Shearer, Sutton or even Jansen but those days are long gone, I suppose it's something we'll have to get used to.

Dowie could potentially be a good Rovers boss. (Taken from Jim Mk2 May 2004 BRFCS.com Message Board) Jim, the credit is all yours.

Dunno if anyone's mentioned this earlier (75 pages - too much to read) but should Souness bomb next season it may be worth a punt on Ian Dowie. He's worked an absolute miracle at Palace and his work at Oldham was exemplary too. There's also the fact that his family are still living in Bolton while he stays in London during the week so a return North would certainly appeal. I know it's hypothtical at the moment but should things continue in the same vein as last season Dowie would be a great replacement IMO.

Here's a good stat for you according to one of today's papers. Released after a trial at Middlesbrough last year. Draw your own conclusions, I know what mine are. And a certain Mr. Cantona was "released" after a trial at Sheffield Wednesday. He signed for Leeds a few days later. Draw your own conclusions. (No, I'm not saying MGP is the new Cantona. I'm just saying that there may be many reasons why someone doesn't get signed by a club) Not strictly true. Mr. Cantona turned down the offer of a further trial because he believed (and subsequently proved) he shouldn't need a further trial to prove how good he was.

Here's a good stat for you according to one of today's papers. Released after a trial at Middlesbrough last year. Draw your own conclusions, I know what mine are.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, he won't cut it at PL level. He was poor in an extremely poor Norwegian side against a Welsh B team. Some MB members are in serious danger of getting their hopes up to such an extent that when Pedersen brings them crashing down it will register on the Richter scale. Tromso's star player? Might as well be captain of Moorland's 5th year team.

Good to meet you, mainly rev, Tom P, T4E and Paul. Was a tad p***ed even at the early stage of 6pm so sorry if I seemed somewhat incoherent. I blame those Kronenbourgs before the game. See you all at some stage next season.

Yes.

What's the deal with Blues on Saturday? Can I just walk in or do I have to pay on the door before or after the game?

If you go down to the Wheatsheaf I'm sure you'll be made most welcome.. Blue Phil, It's the Stage Door (or should that be Back Door) now. Not that I go there or have even entertained going there or anything...

Absolutely no reason for this post other than to re-raise it cos I started it. What about it though Geese and Swans ?

That really really deserves to catch on Bryan. Pure Genius.