Four Lane Blue From: Guangdong Province, South East China ******************************************************************** Agreed - I would rather stick pins in my eyes than watch Lancashire United. The idea is ludicrous. I am sure the fans of Preston, Blackpool and Burnley would think the same. The day they create Lancashire United (although, of course, it will never happen) is the day I quit football. Claytons Left boot From: Tråstølen, Hardangervidda ******************************************************************** err scuse me but should you two be even allowed an opinion (rather than a nostagia / homesick fuelled rant on Rovers dwindling support and finances)? I will of course apologise if you are both still season ticket holders and still chucking money into the coffers. Anyway who thought up the name Lancashire Utd? Sounds like a bus company? FLB the fact (and prob the circumstances) that you are in China suggests to me that the world is changing faster than you yourself can comprehend. The Market forces that sent you there are still at work here you know. It's sink or swim time for everyone in business.

From that link...... "Current computer models suggest that the Arctic will be entirely ice-free during summer by the year 2070 but some scientists now believe that even this dire prediction may be over-optimistic, said Professor Peter Wadhams, an Arctic ice specialist at Cambridge University." Isn't 2070 about the time that oil is forecast to run out too? After millions of years on the planet Man's technology is going to spew the lot in less than 150 years!

Beware the enemy within....

It seems people on here are inevitably coming around to my way of thinking. To solve the present malaise and apathy I've advocated the following at various times in the past...... 1. Boycotting Chelsea away. In the hope that the move will spread to other clubs visiting Stamford Bridge and serve as a warning to the Prem, the FA, Sky, the entire media, UEFA and Uncle Tom Cobley and all. It might hopefully result in Abromovich sacking the odious Peter Kenyon too. 2. Levelling the playing field somewhat (as in the World Cup) by 'Handicapping' teams and allowing only 22 pro players on the books (other than under 20's home-grown talent plucked from within 25 miles of the club). Thereby equalizing the quality of squads in the Prem Division to some extent. As it is the top teams have top quality players in their squads who would walk into other teams but who rarely see any action and would serve the game and spectators better by playing for another team. Also Horse racing and Formula 1 find handicapping necessary to keep the sport interesting to the punters. 3. Reducing the number of pro teams in the country and particularly in this area. There are simply not enough fans of any one club in this area to provide the finances required to support one a top team. 4. Do something about the stupid disciplinary situation. Sure keep the red card for extreme stuff but for christs sake rem that red cards actually spoil games for the spectators! I cannot believe that no one at the FA has considered the average fan spending his £100 on an away day only to have it spoilt by an over zealous linesman / ref or by a mistimed tackle being punished overly hard because of crowd reaction. Whether there should be a 'sin-bin' card (blue) or a 'replace this player with a sub before I send him off proper' green card, I dunno but its a thought. Nobody could have whinged if Neill had been given a 'green' v Spurs could they? How about Rooney getting one too? and a 'blue' would have been perfect for the clot in Belfast. The above may be viewed as a right load of brollox but as football is in a downward spiral and if we (and the authorities) want something different to happen the we (and the authorities) need to do something different!

Good post Sam but 'Prawn sandwiches' in Burnley? You're having a laff!

How suprising for Murray! We've already discussed all that on here for ages now! Maybe we could sell them our findings and save lots of time and trouble. BUT anyway fair play for reacting to 1500 less ST's by writing to the punters involved........ Have our lot done that?

He'll soon have any similarities to Premier League footy knocked out of him.

It's all about opinions I guess and mine is that the long ball that Mokoena failed to cut out would and could not have even been delivered but for Emerton stupidly turning his back on Konchesky and the thrower to argue with the ref. Did he think that the ref would change his decision? The old rule still stands that when the other team have the ball our team should have 11 defenders. Great strike though and one that I dont think he be able to repeat if he tries all season

Most odious example of the entire profession on there is Boa Morte.

You are quite wrong there mate........ 1. After half time we were getting the run around which culminated in their fully deserved equalising goal. 2. Hughes switched to 4-5-1 to combat this and this resulted in us immediately 'bossing it' territorially for a short period until they scored right out of the blue from a break from deep that stemmed from poor concentration / indiscipline defending from Emerton when he stupidly chose to argue with the ref over a piggin throw-in award against him rather than close Konchesky down who played the ball forward completely unapposed. 3. We switched back to 4-4-2 again then cos we then had to chase the game and again were looking the stronger team until......... 4. Dickov then put the tin hat on it by getting sent off. Poor 2nd half performance all round, but not for the reason that you are inferring.

I'm not having that! Our fans are as stupid as they come when it comes to irrationally supporting their team. It's just that there are far fewer of us.

Precisely. Reserves usually have lots to prove, and these are reserves of quality. Whatever system we play we need to negate the threat of Bowyer who imo is in their first choice midfield anyway. Quality players (like Spurs at the start of last season) must be underachieving simply through poor leadership.

Lets compare the squad at the start of last season with the squad at the start of this season..... Gone are Short, Stead, Johannson and the overrated Jock whilst and in are Mokoena, Nelsen, Bentley, Savage, Zurab, Kuqi and Bellamy. You thick or what?

There really does appear to be a them and us situation developing on here regarding Robbie Savage. Just like the Sherwood era it appears to be connected to those that know about the game in one corner and those that avidly read 'Roy of the Rovers' as kids in the other.

IMO we need to start playing a slightly more adventurous 4-4-2. ** Don't really care who it is out of Bellamy/Bentley/Kuqi/Jansen ** Man Ure Arsenal and Chelski away excepted 346481[/snapback] "Man Ure Arsenal and Chelski away excepted" .........where we will be facing teams that have played with just one up front for ages Simon. Whatever our resident 'purists' think Sunday was a damned good result and performance. Argue tactics all day long but we drew Boltons sting in the first 45 and bossed em in the second half. If we can eradicate the West Ham / Villa lapses our confidence will grow from such performances and scoring will become much easier.

Yawn..........No doubt a few Notlob fans will receive similar treatment from BRFC fans at some time this season. You got in the way of Boltons equivalent of our very own empty heads thats all. It's usually the innocent that suffer most and this is why the majority on here rail against ignorant and antagonistic behaviour by some of our more cerebrially challenged followers.

In fairness waggy Souness's arrival did give Dunny a new lease of life after it was faltering under Kidd........until they fell out that is.

We get em in Hoghton though! One cut a huge swathe right through Hoghton and Samlesbury in June and caused at least 50 quids worth of damage.

Correct and today it was for gobbing off. However I have a smidgeon of sympathy for Sav today because his ire appeared to have been caused was Graham Polls ridiculous caution of Matteo for actually having the professional cynicism to actually stand perfectly still whilst Diouf charged into him!

Crikey! ...... Doctor Jekyll I presume?

We won this game in mid winter last season after MH had been in charge for 3 - 4 months! Last year at this stage we had just 2 points on the board and with Tony Parkes in charge had just succumbed 3-0 to a GS 'inspired' Newcastle.

We wouldn't even be in the Prem to see them if we had stuck to 4-4-2 last season. This 4-5-1 option against certain teams is nothing new is it? Teams did it against us at Ewood when we were a top notch team....(I especially rem West Ham playing Hartson on his own up front around that time). As for Jansen? God only knows why Hughes went with him up front, Matt offered little ........as we all knew that he would really. As for Emerton? God only knows why Hughes took Ped off before him, at least if Peds having a bad game he does still carry threat with set pieces and especially with Kuqi on. The defence was excellent (even Dom) with the new guy (easy sp option) looking like he's been here for years.

Exactly right Philip! People commenting on here who know ferk all about football do my piggin head in! They think they know it all from what they read in the tabloids and filling fantasy football in every week, but in reality they know the square root of sod all! The lads doing OK imo, sure he's no Zidane but then we knew that when we bought him, hes a nuts and bolts, competative midfield 'water carrier' WHICH EVERY CLUB NEEDS BTW! As far as I am concerned Sav is the new Sherwood to some of our resident anoraks and his face will NEVER fit with the myopic gits. I just thank ferk nobody at the club with an ounce of footballing knowledge will ever take any notice of the silly bstards stupid opinions!

Exactly right mjs. What a load of whingeing and spoilt brats we have on here eh? I'd have been happy to take a point before ko today, never mind finishing the stronger and more threatening team. Stuff Last Sept we'd have lost this match! As for this nonsense ....... "A phrase I heard on the commentary today sums it up perfectly....'the 40 point mentality'. It will come back to bite football in the arse soon enough though" .........Well that aint the fault of BRFC! We can only play according to the rules made by the Prem! I was quite happy with todays result. Just see how many teams come away from the Reebok this season with anything never mind being allowed to play free flowing attacking football by the hosts! The defence was excellent, and well protected by the midfield whilst once the hapless (hopeless) Jansen had been taken off and replaced with Kuqi the forward line carried some menace. OK Kuqi is no Shearer but he makes up for some of it by defending from the front by not giving the opposing defenders a minute on the ball. I'm happier being a BRFC fan than a Wanderers fan this evening thats for sure.

Well they should have voted for him shouldn't they?