I wonder if we can afford to play both Emerton and Pedersen.

No.

Whoever we play in central defence will need help: one of the lessons from last year for me was how well Andresen played when he became match fit- a more athletic form of Flitcroft. Could Reid play this role? I thought Flitcroft contributed to the defensive certainties when he played on the right. So, of course Short has to come back.But we need to think hard and long about midfield. Then we need to be able to score goals.Can Youri play the Andrew Cole role for Stead, or even for someone else. Split strikers?

Mark Atkins played at right back. We beat Spurs 7-2: 3-0 up, then sweating at half-time when they pulled 2 back.

Souness is still doing well-but now drawing rather than winning. Wait for it. Craig Bellamy is now demanding talks with the new manager that will determine his Newcastle future.And Robert is being very critical of the manager who is not choosing him. Deja vu?

Ferguson is number 1 and Emerton is joint number 2.

Ferguson does not seem to be a battler and will Thompson ever be fit?

The Brown rumour is also on teletext.

A lot of people hope it's Amuroso's last match.He's not only a poor defender, but he's also one of the three highest players at the club.

I thought we were pretty ineffective in the first half-no end product from lots of passing. My wife,however,thought that Hughes had produced a level of improvement by ensuring players cut out a lot of simple mistakes.On this basis, he is already making some impact. When we started to improve last season, it wasn't because Amoruso came back,it was because his return coincided with a more defensive formation in midfield and Cole making chances for Stead. I presume Youri could play a similar role to Andrew Cole so we need to work on the midfield.

One local person Burnley had was Brian Miller,although I am pretty sure he went to school in Blackburn.

We thought Reid had a decent game and didn't lack confidence as he usually does. Gave the ball away a couple of times at the end.

Seemed OK in the first half and disappeared in the second half.

The jury is out but agreed that he has a big job to do.

Maybe the club should take on board the aggravation from the boxes at the BBE.

I noticed Amo was limping as he came off, just as he often linps when he has let the team down. Was he arguing he was injured today?

I'm not sure JFH has scored at Ewood before.

I'm with Gav's argument:the club have to be seen to be getting the home supporters to sit down by taking action they could demonstrate if there were a major incident as a result of the supporters standing. They can show copies of letters etc to home supporters.The people in the BBE have to understand the club have to do this. If all supporters stand, I'm sure the club could argue they have done as much as possible. Outside the ground just seemed to be a group of yobos who wanted to have a go at the police in a way that was not a credit to the kids that took part.

It is argued that one of the reasons the Rovers struggled in the mid sixties was that we were one of the last clubs to change to 4-2-4. In that system Dougie could play the attacking midfield player, so I see no reason why he couldn't play a similar role in 4-4-2.I'm not saying people who haven't seen him would vote for him but I am saying he could have played there, that he played his best football for the Rovers there and I would vote for him there. His one draw-back for the current game would be his lack of pace but he was an excellent player.

According to the Daily Telegraph today Andy Cole has had his 3-match suspension reduced to 1 after an appeal-he has already served the 3-game ban for his dismissal, but the FA's appeal body has reduced the extra ban by withdrawing the ban for violent conduct and halving the suspension for abusing a match official.

Jock Simpson signed in 1911 for a record transfer fee of £1,800 and his signing was seen as quite a coup.He was a direct winger who also scored goals.167 apperances, 23 goals, 2 championship medals.Quite a player.

Roy Isherwood played for us in the late 50's before going to Ipswich, where he won the championship with Ramsey.

I'm with you Alan75.

Noel Brotherston was not confined to the left wing until Saxton bought Miller who could play only one position.When I went to the (late) Brotherston's testimonial I was struck by how confined a role Noel had had to play after Miller arrived.He must have overlapped, on the time scale, with Waggie but Waggie was released,I think, by Jim Iley and therefore must have left before we were relegated to the 3rd again. I suspect that from then until Miller arrived Brotherston was given some leeway as to where he played. I don't think right wing was Duggie's best position.It is where he played for England and where he played for the Rovers till approx Christmas 1959 when Roy Vernon was bought by Everton-I presume Johnny Carey had joined them by then. However,it was as an inside-left that we got to Wembley and had the wonderful 1963/4 season.He was the creative force behind the team and was brilliant. Jim- although as a youngster I thought BD was wonderful,I feel that Ronnie Clayton had skills that were more transferrable from one era to another and I suspect he is the best player I have ever seen for the Rovers.

Reid has only been poor up to now.Hughes might get more out of him.