I wondered how long it would be until people started doubting and wishing we had appointed someone else.

Also how is it that away fans are allowed to go in the boxes behind the Blackburn End, and the away fans are allowed to stand up for the duration of the game, yet our HOME fans, who are slowley disappearing are getting kicked out of the ground for the same thing!?!

I thought our build up play wasn't bad today, Ferguson looks as if he's getting better every game. I only remember him mis-placing one pass. Djorkiaeve looks class and Emerton is getting better as well.

However Amouruso and Matteo were shocking. No other words for it. IMO Tugay's first yellow was harsh considering how early on it was, but his second was a definate yellow. But the Mendieta went and did the same - a bad, late tackle from behind, yet it goes unpunished. Then several Middlesbourgh players handeled the ball and it goes unpunished again. One sided to say the least.

Tugay should be setting an example for the younger players in the team. Not diving into players when he has been already booked. I knew he was going to get sent off, as he made a couple of challenges to the one that got him sent off after he'd been booked. He's old, slow, inconsistant and today was the main cause for the loss of three points, as it was an even game before. Drop him!!

They weren't booing the silence, they were booing the people shouting. Either way, it's disgraceful behaviour.

Thought it was disgraceful people shouting thorugh the minutes silence for Ken Bigley.

Well played England though.

Matteo in midfield? NO

That is how Leeds ensured relegation. With the Rovers, he was failing pretty comprehensively playing in midfield for Souness.

Must confess to not being impressed with Matteo in any of the televised Rovers games I have seen so far.

Given the flexibility and rotation of the most forward Rovers players on Saturday, I don't think the return of a fully fit Thompson would not neccessarilly restrict Ferguson's forward running.

If we get all our players playing to their full ability, I would expect the midfield now to be Thompson, Ferguson in the middle, Emerton wide and Djorkaeff playing the creative disrupting role Hughes made his own at the end of his career. That means a frustrating time for Tugay, Flitcroft, dePedro, MGP, Reid and Rover 6's three little Darlings (Douglas, Danns and Donnelly).

I still think a Jansen/Stead partnership would be brilliant up front but I stress only if they are playing to their full ability.

However, to have this luxury we need Short to get fit and stay fit at least until January. Much as it pains me to say it but unless Matteo improves, we probably need a fit again Todd as well.

However, for any Rovers team to work before the transfer window comes to our rescue, Ferguson has got to keep on improving to give us a totally commanding presence in midfield.

I don't see how you can justify dropping Dickov from the starting line up after his performances this season in favour of Stead and Jansen. It will take time for Jansen and Stead both to regain confidence and at the moment we can't afford to give them a run of 5 or 6 games.

The team I suggested is going off current form, with the exception of Short as he's injured. Yours is all hypothetical, and what are the odds of us having a full squad, all playing to their full ability. If that were to happen we'd be challenging for a champions league place.

The way I see it is that we are absolutely buggered unless we can find a player to hold the midfield together. This new 4141 formation certainly has promise but unless we have a tiger sitting infront of the defence we are in trouble.

We cannot get anybody in till Januay but we might have a possibility in Thompson. Does anybody know when he is back?

                              Friedel

           Niell    Matteo    Amoruso   Gray

                            Ferguson

Emerton     Thompson      Djorkaeff   Pedersen

                

                               Dickov

The only problem with this is hta Ferguson will be completely tied down without any hope of the forward runs that made him such a force on Saturday. However we would not have to have either Flitcroft or Tugay on the field which would be a massive bonus.

Another big problem for me is what are we going to do with Stead, Bothroyd and Gallagher? All of them are hugely talented yet there seems little space for them in the lineup....

Dickov wouldn't be able to last a full game up front on his own with his work rate. He also needs someone else to support him when going foward. On saturday I thought Djorkaeff and Dickov worked well with Emerton and resulted in the goal. So IMO to change that would be a mistake. If Jansen can build on Saturdays performance, and run at players more like he was doing, then our attacking line up is looking all of a sudden very promising.

However if we play Thompson, then this will restrict Ferguson making the runs he was doing on Saturday. Therefore I'd say put Matteo in midfield and play Short and Todd when they are back.

Friedal

Neil Short Todd Gray

Emerton Matteo Ferguson Jansen

Dickov Djorkaeff

Yet today most of the Villa fans were stood for the whole game.

Good game, and the most entertained I've been at Ewood for a while. However, our defence was a shambles. Amoruso has no positional sense what so ever. What was he doing for Villa's first goal!?! He's usually good in the air, but I think he won about 5balls in the air today. Not good enough.

Tugay found his imaginary friend too often once again.

Positives were Dickov, Emerton, Youri (I can't spell his 2nd name) and Ferguson. I challenge any of the Fergie doubters to knock him after today.

The Music's new album Welcome to the North is quality. Freedom Fighters and the title track are awesome.

Last night he swung and missed at the first goal.

That was Nissa. Gresko and De Pedro should never have let the cross come in in the first place.

Lost for words with our defence, absolute shambles. What has Souness left us with. Nissa is a liability.

And what was Tugay doing with that penalty? Was he aiming for the back of the family stand!?!

I'm not saying it was true, I read it on here around the time Souness went, can't remember who said it. All I'm saying is that if it was true then the club have made a mistake.

No. I meant that if the club new that Souness was talking to other clubs, then he was obviously looking to move on. Therefore they should have not let Souness bring in and definatly should not have let him sell players like Cole.

When was Cole sold? Was it before Souness was meant to have contacted other clubs, August 8th if I remember right? If this is true and Cole was sold after this, then I see it as a mistake on the clubs behalf and should have stopped Souness letting players leave the club and bringing more players in.

Extremely pleased with the win and especially with Jansen scoring. That goal and his goal against Liverpool show he still has the class to make it back to his old form. Good ridance to Souness if he told Jansen to find another club.

Can't help but feel underwhelmed by the whole thing. It's been built up so much in the past week that it has come as an anti-climax. Personally I would have prefered Dowie, but I'm happy with Hughes. I just hope he can prove himself at club level with us.

We all said that Kidd would be a good manager because he had been working wit Fergie for god knows how long, and look where that got us.

Good luck to him though and I hope that the usual pessimists and critics of all our managers will give him a chance.

Purevolume

Has lots of good unsigned punk/indie/rock bands. Definatly worth going on if you like that type of music.

Le Saux

I don't see how the arguement of us having a young strikforce comes into anything. Last year, if I remember correctly, did we not finish in the top 6 of high-scorers in the league?

It's our inability to keep cleansheets which is the problem, and so one of the priorities of the new manager should be that they are able to tighten up the defense, simple.

Maybe Souness has given Newcastle 'tips' on how to beat us?

They used to be called Hybrid Theory didn't they, but had to change their name to Linkin Park because another band were already called Hybrid Theory.

As someone said earlier in the thread, Modest Mouse's new album is pretty good.

I've also been listening to All American Rejects. Same type of music as Jimmy Eat World -happy rock- but definatly worth listening to if you like that sort of music, especially Happy Endings and Swing Swing.

Shocked that he's gone, but i'm glad as well as we can get a new manager in that actually knows that Matteo isn't a left winger.

It also seems like he knew that he was close to getting fired so left so he could avoid being fired.

He showed with that goal against Liverpool last season that he still has it in him to perform at the highest level, it's just a question of whether Souness is willing to give him a decent run in the team.

If he's released then it's a huge mistake IMO.