Do you live in a dream world?

Any details to assist me Philip? What form did your sponsorship take? I do confess to know nothing of either but to imply that concerned and seriously committed supporters (whose resources ar not unlimited and who spend a significant part of their annual income supporting the excessive lifestyles of modern day footballers) are scrooge like is beyond the pale. So you sponsored the Rovers in by-gone days? Good and thanks for that I'm sure, but in your chosen Dickensian terms the ghost of Chritmas past is completely irrelevant.... and in this case in the extreme! So please bguger off there's a good chap, cos us paupers in the cheap seats need to concentrate on the far more important and currently looming spectres of Christmas present and Christmas future.

God only knows what Schwarzer was thinking of by racing out for the first goal but full marks to Kuqi for the header. It was that powerful it might well have beaten Schwarzer if he had stayed on his line. Kuqi may not be everyone's cup of tea, he will never be a clinical finisher, and he's hardly footballing eye candy for the purist. But his effort, size and application will make him a handful for most centre halves and will provide openings and opportunities for his team mates. As I predicted months ago he is proving a good aquisition and excellent value for money. All round a superb bit of business for Blackburn Rovers by MH in selling the feeble Stead for so much and getting 'Lionheart' Kuqi for so little. I judge players according to how I would like to play against them and to all Kuqi's detractors answer this......... ......Who would you rather mark Kuqi or Stead? btw ........Regarding the game tomorrow I just hope that I am not tempting fate here!

What would they know? Seriously I bet lots of us thought that the likes of Mekky and SG were good enough until JW took over got us up and we were able to take a good look at the likes of Sherwood, Tugay, Bellamy and Shearer etc.

I'm confused Philip. Who are you referring to as Scrooge? Is that to be Den or Paul? I know that both are whinging like hell about the cost and I know that it is excessive when taking the whole family, but I'll be prepared to bet that they both put more bunce into the Rovers coffers every year than you do. Sitting in a bar in Malta watching a game is every bit as damaging to the club as sitting in a bar in Blackburn imo. You are being more than a taj unfair and very unchristmassy imo.

Here you are all you 'experts'. I'm sure that the words of our manager will tick you off big time. Listen guys I hope that your Christmas prezzy hush puppies and trilby's fit OK but mind you dont choke on your turkey when you read this. From the LET. Double delight for Hughes MARK Hughes reckons two of his biggest signings are finally starting to hit their best form. Robbie Savage and Shefki Kuqi have come in for special praise from the Blackburn boss as he prepares his side for a second meeting with Middlesbrough in the space of five days. The first one, Wednesday's Carling Cup quarter-final victory, was inspired largely by the barnstorming performance of Kuqi, who proved too awkward for Boro to handle and laid on the last minute winner for Paul Dickov. And Hughes has emphasised how much the qualities of the Finn, who arrived from Ipswich Town in the summer, have improved Rovers as an attacking force. "He gives us that physical presence that we didn't have last year," the manager said. "That was the reason he was brought to the club and we are delighted for him. "He has a real desire to succeed and his work ethic is fantastic." The way Kuqi performed will have Hughes licking his lips at the prospect of inflicting more misery on Middlesbrough on Boxing Day. The sides meet in the Premiership with Boro looking for a vast improvement on the cup tie, when they were second best to Rovers in all departments Hughes added: "Shefki and Paul Dickov really worked their socks off and they were given great support from the rest of the team. "But on occasions I thought Middlesborough found it very difficult to handle the pair of them." Paul Dickov is suspended but Craig Bellamy is on stand-by. Meanwhile, Savage struggled to get his game together in a Rover shirt when he first joined in January and had a miserable second half of last season. But with a campaign so far uninterrupted by injuries, Hughes thinks the Welshman is now ready to revel in his role as the midfield general. And this was evident at the Riverside, as Savage's never-say-die attitude epitomised the way Blackburn stuck to their task to secure a semi-final spot. Hughes said: "Robbie was excellent. It was arguably one of his best games since he came to the club because of his energy and his willingness to get the job done, and the impact that he had on the game. "Since he's been here he hasn't had as much impact as he has in previous games in his career but that shows the level he needs to be at and hopefully he will continue in that vein." Merry Christmas

hmm Not one mention of Blackburn Rovers in the entire interview. Strange.

If we (as a club) cannot stand the heat in the kitchen then just like in 1966 we will have to get out of it! Simple as that. Has nobody ever heard of the expression 'you have to pay for your pleasures'? Whinge and pike all you want about top quality football being too expensive but I'll bet there are lots of people in and around Sheffield, Nottingham, Leeds and Wolverhampton that would love to have had our last 15 years worth of entertainment. All the everlasting circular arguments about lowering admission prices, footballers ridiculous wages, falling attendances, declining public interest, sky tv, the changing of the towns population crap stewards, even worse pies etc etc being to blame, must all be viewed together with the context of Cummings comments on Burnley's missing hordes, PNE's habitual requirement of selling of their best players, Blackpools ongoing predicaments can only mean one thing imo..........THERE ARE TOO MANY CLUBS IN THIS AREA ATTEMPING TO BE FUNDED BY TOO FEW SUPPORTERS. Football is a business and must be run as one. We can all pontificate away forever about tradition and history and replacement strips and names, we can foolishly pull the bedcovers over our heads and hope things will be OK in the morning, but in a business perspective and accepting the conditions existing in these early years of the 21st century there simply are too many suppliers of a finished product and not enough consumers providing enough demand for it! No doubt the usual culprits will take the p1ss about merging clubs and I expect to read the usual childish tantrums about never ever going again if it happens etc etc. Do and say what you want but instead of hearing from so many learned adults all the moans and problems and gripes about admission prices would some of you for once try offering some other workable and feasible solutions? If we want top level football at our small club then we have to contribute more for it per person than supporters of larger clubs, if not then we have to increase our fan base on an impossible scale. The solution is obvious and inevitable.

"Teams can get by continually wasting chances in the Championship but not in the prem!" Not wanting to blow my own trumpet but thats something that I said to my mate after 10 minutes against Everton, at half time v Newcastle and to my brother-in-law after 35 minutes today.

You really are taking the p1ss right? Strange thing about Bentley is how anonymous the is when he is playing. I really do seem to have to look hard to find him.

Think its the hair do then Den?

Steady on guys on his performance last week v Man City even Burnley would hesitate to sign Bellamy! Early days yet but I am beginning to wonder if Bellamy has the habit of playing better in the big games?

Now I'd like Zura to sign a permanent deal certainly, but in what way will Zura's signature on a piece of paper change anything to do with his performances to date or in the future?

Exactly. How many times did we see teams match us for effort and commitment both home and away under Dalglish only to go away with sweet FA through the efforts of Shearer who was simply the best striker of his time? It's still the same........Forget the Fabrigas measured side foot from 30 yards that Brad should really have saved, forget Van Persie's shot out of the blue in the dying moments cos he wont do that again this season, instead just think about the killer goal from Henry on the half time whistle that effectively ended the game and came just as we had played ourselves back into contention, that proved a massive psycological blow. Yet Henry does that self same thing week in week out. Just as another team is pressing Arsenal back he slits their throats. 3-0 flattered Arsenal so don't diss the lads real quality wins matches simple as.

It was just the same with Tim Sherwood mate. Sections of the crowd absolutely hated him despite the fact that he was our captain and one of our BIG players in the Dalglish era. For some reason many people need someone to hate in every team. With some folk it's just their way I guess. Need proof? Get this............ I once went on a prawn sarnie junket to Old Trafford (MU v Spurs in 1997/8) and was absolutely gobsmacked to hear the criticism and jeers that Ryan Giggs got from the Old Trafford 'faithful' ffs! Personally, and with the possible exception of Paul Scholes I cannot think of a better servant of that club over the years.

Now that is a shame. 34 is no age is it? Unfortunately Burns did not have the choice of whether to live or die.

Have you not got the hang of quoting and editing posts yet Jim? Care to try again then I can understand you and if necessary respond accordingly.

Steady Matt. That honour needs to be tempered by the fact that he never influenced the international scene like Puskas, Di Stefano Cruyff, Platini or Zidane. Best's talent was colossal without doubt but his strength of character was miniscule. A combination of his background, his looks, his personality, MU's recent tragic history, Busby, the swinging 60's scene and for the first time in football history huge earnings the like of which footballers merely 5 years before had never evened dreamt of all conspired to undermine his feeble personal integrity. Sure the media helped by elevating him to God like status to the public but George whilst eye candy and a matchwinner on any 1st Div field was never able to truly prove himself on the world stage. I have no doubt that he had the talent to do so but on the strength of character? I'm not so sure and obviously we will never ever know now. His flame burned most brightly as a youngster and it was obvious that he was on the wane (although he had at least another half dozen years in him) when he chose to p1ss about and pack it all in and disappoint his army of fans (myself include). A God given talent that I was priveliged to witness but imo his useful life was over the minute that he hung his boots up. I shall not mourn his passing away when so many others who desperately want to live are denied even a single chance..... never mind two through circumstance and not choice. A minutes silence at football grounds is both unwarranted and uncalled for. George's favourite after dinner story was about the chap in room service at some top hotel who served champagne to him and some Miss World or other who said..........'Where did it all go wrong George?' Good laugh but it's no joke now is it Besty? Thanks for the memories all the same. btw anybody offer an opinion why the real talents are such weak individuals? Maradona, Besty, Gazza, .......Rooney???

Hopefully and although the arse are currently playing better there may be an advantage to be had given that they were distracted by Europe this week.

So would we all but Stoke haven't even got a quarter of that!

Maybe so and therefore I must congratulate Colin on a notable first. However Philip in this instance I simply shot from the hip by working from memory rather than reference, so many apologies for any inadvertant innacuracy.

England WC winners! .........

1. Polio 2. We were relegated with the record lowest points total of 19! (2 points for a win in those days rem). 3. Because of the abolition of the maximum wage we had been unable to keep our 1958 crop of youth team cup winners and had become a supreme selling club. btw I rem Jeff Astle scoring the winner for WBA which relegated us. Strange contrast for all BRFC fans with what we were to witness just 2-4 months later.

Obvious to a blind man on a galloping horse imo...... They aren't on tele are they? Got back last night (after spending £41 on two tickets plus petrol, pies etc) and went for a take away curry, the bloke behind the counter said it'll be 20 mins mate, so I went for a pint or two in the pub across the road. Guess what Man City v BRFC was on Sky! What chance has a small town with a depressed economy got of competing with that? Sure the committed fans in the 5-10 category will still go but the fans in the 0-5 level of committment will take the soft option every time. We simply do not have enough fans in the 5-10 category.

MGP was poor but personally I'm putting that more down to Danny Mills being a damned difficult full back to play against rather than MGP's lack of desire. Many people dismiss Mills but imo he could come to Ewood anytime. Also MGP had 2 very draining games in the last fortnight so maybe appearing jaded had much to do with that.