Sure I am Fife, you need to thing things through a bit more ....... it'll mean that we have had 2 more damned good years out of him which is about as much as we can expect before some 'big' club comes and snaffles him anyway. Whats the alternative......the FA not even considering him? I wouldn't be happy with that thats for sure. And personally speaking I'd much rather see him at Lancaster gate than OT.

Owens a wimpo puff!!! He could have read this board 4 years ago after the Brazilian fiasco and come up with that! It's alright all these clever sod, hand washing, senior pro's coming out with it now but I'd have thought more about them if they had influenced those two muppets before the tournament and not after it! Don't tell me that Beckham did not know that the clown was going to take Walcott! Don't tell me either that he would not have shared that info with the likes of Neville etc? Don't even tell me that if the big heads in the squad had demanded Sven out 5 months ago that they would not have got their way, cos I'm sure that they would. To go to the WC with a manager serving his notice is absolutely bloody unbelievable and gross dereliction of duty! Credit to Portugal for telling Scolari when he was linked with the England job "if you are going to desert us to take the England job after the WC then shut the door behind you and sod off right now". From Lancaster gate down it is obvious that there is no leader amongst them and certainly no one with the strength of character and courage of conviction of Sir Alf Ramsey. Too many Neville Chamberlains and no one even close to a Winston Churchill! The nearest man to possess that strength is at Bolton. I suggested this months ago and certain members expressed horror at the possibility but can anybody think that Allardyce would have done a worse job? Allardyce has the necessary presence, strength and leadership qualities and has broad enough shoulders and big enough bolllocks to manage the FA, the billy big time players and the media yet whats happened? They've only appointed the least motivational, inspirational character and the man most likely to fail that I can think of. It's obvious that Maclaren is a coach first and a manager second ffs! Metraphorically speaking who would ever follow him 'over the top'? The bstardo's at the FA have sentenced us to ever more angst in Euro 08......... if we even get there! btw lets hope that by 2008 our man is given the job! And imo that is not out of the question.

Crikey! Next they'll be smacking each others cars with the soles of their shoes next! btw Bet you're glad to be in Oz mate.

For the last 3 nights in Portugal Andy Cole frequented the same bar that we had adopted. He was great with the dozens of kids who all wanted photo's of him and he posed for lots of photo's (smiled on em all too) but I was more than a taj disconcerted to note that his 'tipple' is the 70's staple girly drink Bianco and lemonade! Whats happened to footballers nowadays?

Next best thing....... I'm off to Portugal.

Eh? Why, and on what grounds?

Crikey even Alan Ball agreed with me yesterday before the match! That must be a bad sign. The point he made is that you should never play your best player and most likely matchwinner out of position. Common sense really M-K. Ahhh at last a SGE supporter! Hows it feel being in a majority of one drawks.

Damn I forgot to leave Lampard out! I'll edit it now. Anyway it's reported that Sven is looking to play a 4-5-1 formation with Rooney as the lone target man. Rooney is not a back to goal player simple as! He and the other midfielders should be doing what we know they are best at namely coming onto balls held up / knocked down by the likes of Ashton and Davies who are not great but are actually the best we have at that task. Horses for courses Ciren. Great player that he is you wouldn't choose to play Rooney in goal if Robinson got hurt or at Centre half if Rio did likewise so why ask Rooney to do something alien to him. Another danger with the scouse git is that if he is performing poorly the red mist will come down and we will end up with 10 men. btw heard a whisper last night that Walcotts non appearence is down to the senior players opinion that he is simply not up to the job. The swedes shows himself as more of an incompetent moron by the day.

Ribery's overall game reminded me a bit of of Craig Johnston. Trezuguet was abysmal. Salifou looked exciting for Togo. The ref was whistle happy and spoiled a lot of the play.......... nothing new there then.

Kinell why does the incompetant con man not read this board. He is a fool of the highest order. How he gets away by simply reading the back pages and doing whatever the press suggest is gobsmacking! BTW what price Ashton and / or Kevin Davies today? btw despite being a superb all round player Wayne Rooney is not a back to goal player. ......................Carrick/Carragher Becks......... Gerrard.........Rooney......Cole ...................Ashton/Davies/ Beatty would p1ss this world cup match.

Just like Riley last time. The two of em are a bloody embarrassment to this country.

Knew the mags would be in the sh1t. Old Freddie is after compensation already. btw I seem to rem Owens knee buckling sickeningly a year or two back on MOTD. Maybe he had a weakness there already.

Sad for Owen, awful for England because the swedish numpty took two crocks BUT at least now we might just have gotten rid of that bloody nobhead Toonfan! Unless old John Hall sells his shares to that yank (and condemns Fat Freddie to the boardroom gallows in the process) their budget requirements needed to replace Shearer and Owen will be looking mighty sick now!

1. I predicted Joe Cole would be our man of the tournament and it looks like I will be proven quite correct. (again Credit due please. 2. Ericcson was a complete fool for taking Walcott instead of Defoe. No credit due here as just about everybody and their grandma predicted as much. 3. Sol Campbell need never ever be handed another England shirt. He's done and gone. Problem with SGE is that if King had been fit I strongly suspect that SGE would still have taken Campbell. 4. Hargreaves plays before Lampard but after Carrick and Gerrard in our midfield. Common sense / logic / experience dictates that we can only play with one attacking midfielder and a playmaker. Last year Lamps edged Gerrad out for me but no longer. Gerrard has gone from strength to strength whilst Lamps look like he has 'hit the wall'. 5. We have lots of engine and far too little guile and leadership. We get the ball and give it away far too cheaply. When the presure is on the term 'Headless chickens' always springs to mind. Oh well enough of dissing the swede........ roll on Steve Maclaren!

Has this actually been confirmed or could he be faking it? On the plus side Liverpool cannot sell him now.

Hmmm .........so.......... Given that there appears to be a disproportionately %age of homosexual pillow-biters (and even worse the irresponsible aids spreading bi-sexuals) in the commons compared to the rest of society then that vote in 67 should really have gone to a national referendum in the interests of true democracy rather than be left to the heavily 'agenda'd' politoco's, shouldn't it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- quote joey big nose' " Sure they become cynical over time, much like TND and AESF, but they put themselves in the firing line which both of those two individuals are too busy (or scared?) to do. Of course there are exceptions, but I grow extrodinarily tired of gleeful people pointing out the faults of others without doing anything about it. Surely you can accept that criticising us for criticising others is pure hypocracy in itself.................can't you? btw Let me know if you require me to type this more slowly for you.

Completely without foundation (yet) but I reckon Boro have done the best out of all this.

How frickin hypocritical is that statement? What a plonker. Do you never read what you have written before posting JBN?

No Shirley it's prob difficult to imagine why and how we get so angry whilst you are sipping soft red wine and watching the sun slowly dipping into the clear blue sea of your Mediterranean idyll.

I certainly dont hate him Colin. Quite the contrary in fact. Unlike Simon I see a difficult man to replace. His positional play is suspect but he's hard and tough in the tackle, injury free, doesn't dive or play dead, is full of running and attacking ideas and looks a damned good ch to boot. BUT please do not ask me to ignore the reality of his situation and plain common sense in preference to some form of misguided loyalty to someone who is basically a hired gunslinger looking for his last big payday.

Makes Prezza kinda 'honourable' then eh aesf?

My opinion was aired around mid season that Neill would be away this summer. My source though not tangible in a physical sense is from the same bit of common sense and intuition that told me we'd never see Alan Shearer in blue and white halves again after the Wimbledon game. Tell me do you never learn from your experiences in life Colin?

Ronnie and Duggie were from round here, Neil is from 12000 miles away in Oz, owes no loyalty to any club and is approaching his last big contract deal, no wonder he wants to capitalise on it. Do you think that he would be more 'loyal' at any other club other than the highest bidder? btw 'stick him in the reserves'?!!!! It's close season Jim ffs! Have a nice cup of tea and a hob nob before nursey comes to put the lights out there's a good chap.

I blame Jim! It's all his fault for giving Lucas a piece of his mind from 15 rows back at Villa Park two years ago! God only knows how he has stuck it out at Ewood this long. 'savaged by a dead sheep' anyone?

I'll answer the question with a question........... Do you rem 1. Robbie Fowler in the same situation trying to stop the Ref sending off David Seaman? That was sporting behaviour of the highest order. He'd gone to ground to avoid the collision and had tried to explain that to the ref. That the ref took no notice and still sent ofgf Seaman ranks with that Jock who booked Gazza for handing his card back as the worst examples of refereeing that I have ever seen. 2. Cisse getting Zurab sent off? Which rocks your boat Eddie?