Yep,I'm one of Nelsen's biggest fans but I'm not blind to the fact he had a shocker on Saturday, especially first half. For the first time I can remember he seemed to shy away from the physical battle with Beattie and to let the ball bounce instead of meeting it on the full is a real schoolboy error.

I was thinking last night that Souness' managerial fate could be decided by the FA Cup draw. Should they draw a Prem club away Fat Fred could well start getting his P45 ready.

Waited up for the highlights on ITV last night and wondered why I bothered afterwards. How do you fit 5 goals into 37 seconds? The silence for George Best at O.T. lasted longer. ITV - s***houses.

I got an A* in my French GCSE at night school a few years ago. I think you'd have to agree that puts all the other piddling academic achievements on this thread in the shade. So there.

Super stella, I find it strange that you extol the virtues of Celtic yet have a St. George cross flying proudly on every post. Or is it just that you hate Rangers that much. Not having a go, just curious.

According to one of Jimmy Greaves' recent Saturday columns in The Sun, when Best had the liver transplant the consultant had a word with him on his release from hospital. The jist was you can live a full and healthy life now if you kick boozing or if you continue to drink you've got three years. When he relayed this particular conversation to Greaves he followed it up with '3 years, I'll put up with that.' Looks like the three years is almost up.

Is that not what I intimated in my post?

Salary caps are a bit of a minefield. If you cap it as a percentage of turnover we suffer more if anything because our turnover is small in relation to most Prem clubs. If you cap it as a figure say £20 million a year it could work (certainly for the smaller clubs). But then there's the problem of if it's implemented solely for the Premiership. If it is, the clubs playing in Europe are disadvantaged when they play the big continental teams who can pay huge salaries. For that reason alone it's pretty much unworkable unless UEFA/FIFA get involved and stipulate a cap across the board and we all know that's not going to happen.

Quality stuff again Bob!! I can see him now, hunched over the mic, snarling and spitting at a load of 40 somethings re-living their youth.

Anyone else fascinated by starlings? I quite enjoy watching them in their large groups darting around erratically like a badly choreographed boyband. Having said that, it's that same unpredictability that could leave you in all kinds of trouble should you be cornered by some in Blakey's on a Friday night.

Same reason we're paying players like Gresko and Flitcroft, because they were contracted before Hughes took the job and nobody else will have them due to lack of talent, wage demands, etc.

I'm pretty sure that if you had a poll of all prem managers who they thought are the best keepers in the league then Friedel would be in the top 5, no question. How some on here can ask for him to be displaced by the hapless Enckelman (even for one game) is totally beyond me or is it just a case that because we're having a better season this time round we need something new to moan about? Imagine how you'd feel if you were a Sunderland fan, now there is a s**** keeper.

It's hard to dislike the person, given that he gave us great success there can be no argument about that. What is easy to dislike is that despite leading us to almost certain oblivion and being one game from the sack he landed such a wonderful managerial opportunity. That's why it so easy to gloat now it's gone pear shaped.

Blimey, that'd be a right tear up if we drop the geese and swans in with the squirrels and ducks.

Peter Shirtliff, John Bumstead. Good job they never played in the same team. And someone must remember Lopez Ufarte from the Spain '82 world cup.

fnarr fnarr indeed. During the ashes series I had the same reaction whenever Geoff Boycott talked about 'probing the corridor of uncertainty.'

If he honestly believes that, then we are in trouble. How many 'stick on' chances from open play have we had this season, 4, 5 maybe ? Or has the definition of chance changed? Does it now mean, as ProZone call it, 'penalty box entries'?

Just to go totally off subject here has antone else noticed the striking resemblance between Shefki Kuqi and Al Bundy off Married With Children? Although I believe Al is a better finisher.

From where I was sat there appeared to be quite a few "holes" out there, and I'm not talking black ones either.

Colin Hendry visited me in hospital when I was laid up for 9 weeks in 1994, top bloke, actually asked how I go about ahem 'relieving' myself when I'm flat on my back. I told him the nurses were very accommodating !! Saw various Rovers players at Peppermint Place over the years most notable being when I got Mark Atkins to wear my blue and white wig on the dance floor (he bought us a drink after but that was probably down to us reminding him of an overhead kick he'd scored against Boro). Also gave Scott Sellars a clip round the ear at PP after he'd missed a sitter in the last minute at Newcastle in 1991 (1st promotion year). Stood next to Graham Fenton in urinals at Brewers (now Pitchers) in town. Other mate stood at other side and gave him dog's abuse. Also had p*** next to Clive Tyldesley in service station on way home from Play Off victory in 1992. What a funny looking chap he is. Saw McKinlay and Sutton in Pelle menswear on a Tuesday afternoon in town. Heard them both moaning how crap it was and sure enough they'd both left the club within 6 months. Oh and Tony Gale losing at Blackjack in the Grosvenor Casino, Blackpool earlier this year. He'd been commentating for Sky that night on a schoolboy international at Bloomfield Road. A thoroughly nice bloke who looked upon his time at Ewood with great affection.

Has Souness got the franchise on dodgy hamstrings? He's been there just over twelve months and lost Dyer (more than once), Luque, Emre, Bramble, Boumsong, Babayaro and Carr to the problem in that time. That's not forgetting the same problems here over a number of years. Training (or should I say lack of it) problems????

Sorry modes but if a 17 average for the series is good for a No. 4 bat then I'm getting the pads back on. Mind you if it's between Belly and Big Belly (Big Bob Key) it's a close call.

I thought the reason he threw his wicket away (around midday for the second time) was because there was sponge pudding on the lunch menu and he fancied filling his boots. Now that you've said that I must congratulate him on his tactical masterstroke. Well done Belly.

104 -3 and that's the Bell end.

You talk of these young fast bowlers but there's some bloke called Harwood (Shane I think) who's had a great season proing for At. Annes over here and was sold to them as the 4th best bowler in Australia. Views?