I'm not sure why people are insisting we have to be nice to him.

I'm not sure anyone said to play nice, but the venom towards him is pointless. He's single-handedly screwed his career up and blown his last chance of playing at the World Cup.

I wish I could make a career as a footballer in Oz or the States. Surely you don't have to be that good?

It's easy to kick someone when they're down. I'm not making any excuses for McCarthy, but he isn't our responsibility anymore. There's really no need for the bile.

What's even more baffling is that some people doubted it was the right thing to do.

I admit I had my doubts about selling McCarthy, because fitness aside he was still the best goalscorer at the club and without a replacement we were left thin on the ground. As it stood, his departure coincided with an upturn in form despite our misfiring strikers.

I think you are being slightly oversensitive there. He's not saying that we bought the title...just bigging his own achievement up as regards beating the established sides.

In that case, what's with the addendum about "Jack Walker's money"? He's clearly implying Jack bankrolled the title. The first part of the sentence alone would suffice, without having to throw that line on the end.

Steve McClaren compares his title success with FC Twente to "Blackburn winning the Premier League in 1995 – only without Jack Walker's money." Why do people always insist that we bought the title? I remember Oliver Dolt's article suggesting we were the original Man. City... despite the incomparable spending, and Rovers being a local tycoon's passion... not a soulless business venture.

Listening to his post-match interview, why is McClaren still talking in broken English? Good grief...

Ironic his debut was at Arsenal.

Me too, I took the 22/1 odds!

It was a family bet, so I only won £6!

Woohoo! I won!

It shows how astute Sam has been in the transfer window, getting rid of players just at the right time.

And fortunate that Man.City had the only manager who'd spend £17m on Santa Cruz.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8578061.stm

The Smithy Sport Relief Rant. Utter, utter, utter gold.

...Is that what you call it?

Paul Gallagher and Jon Stead both with assists today in Leicester v Coventry. Brings back memories of their superb link up against Man Utd for Rovers.

Great game, too!

Anyone know where Egil Ostenstadt is at the moment?

Managing director of Viking, apparently.

It's sickening to think of the media attention John Terry and his slutty mistress receives compared to a pointless loss of life such as this.

It's desperately tragic news and a senseless waste of life.

Surprised to read some of the vitriol on this thread toward McCarthy. He played well for you, scored some important goals and helped to maintain your Prem Status. Now he wants to move for what he sees as a better opportunity, why would you begrudge him the chance to advance his career with a bigger club during the last few years he has playing football professionally?

People are more upset by the manner in which he's leaving. He couldn't reach his weight targets and then decided to abscond from training, which is disrespectful to his team-mates and the people who pay his wages.

Very good signing for the club and most likely one of the most talented players that we've ever had. Shame that he couldn't stay focused and fit, but can't help but feel this was mismanaged. Fact of the matter is that he wasn't an Allardyce player and he was never going to be.

I'm calling you out on this one. I'd say it's quite the opposite. Truly gifted players are like gold dust to managers. There's no way Allardyce would shun McCarthy because he's not a percentage player. The truth is that Benni wasn't prepared to pull his weight for the team. His unprofessional conduct in this situation only stands to corroborate that.

£1.5m is a pittance for McCarthy.

Gudjohnsen has signed for West Ham too!?

Robbing our players and targets!

I'm relieved. I had a feeling Gudjohnsen would eat the wage bill with little to show for it. We'll see if he proves me wrong.

But he gives (gave) us another dimension, and has been misused by a manager intent on relying on percentages rather than flair, in a season when he should have been given the platform to perform to his maximum.

And yet you supported Ince, who wasn't able to keep hold of players such as Friedel and Bentley. Once a player makes it his mission to leave, he'll leave. This can't be attributed to Sam's management skills.

I haven't been Allardyce's biggest sympathiser recently, but he doesn't carry any blame here. Benni has displayed a complete lack of professionalism, not just for Rovers, but even his own WC hopes as well.

Just seen SSN talking about it now, backs up what Rover the Moon said earlier. He told the reporter he didn't attend training on friday, hasn't gone in today and won't be playing for Rovers again. He wants to leave and West Ham is his prefered destination.

It's foolish for McCarthy, because he runs the risk of severing all ties, which won't do his WC prospects a whole lot of good.