RED with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, etc., was funny and excellent. Good date movie, a shoot 'em up with relationship overtones.

I don't think Benni is particularly bright and he's likely very selfish. He'll wake up sometime around his early 40s and realize what a fool he's been. By then, though, it will be too late. I think the above is true of most top tier footballers. They forget what they are (athletes) and instead become celebrities. Problem is without the first they lose the second.

For you British types, saw an amusing WWII movie trailer on the net today: http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=32429

My uncle and I intend to come into Blackburn and watch the Rovers play Birmingham, spend a week touring whiskey distilleries, and then watch the Rovers at Tottenham before flying out again. Any suggestions as to what areas to buy tickets in for the Rovers v. Birmingham and the Spurs v. Rovers? Our objective would be to avoid the areas with poor fan behavior.

Our 'proven' stars have not exactly lit the world on fire. I think its riskier to stick with the same old unfit, lazy and arrogant players. We'd be better off bringing in some younger, hungrier talent. I wouldn't disagree with this it all. So far it looks to be an even mix of experience and youth that Sam is bringing/has brought in I agree. It seems much ado about nothing. But then my addiction to football's transfer window drama is akin to my wife's addiction to Oprah/Desperate Housewifes, etc. (shudder). Better to make a high profile example of one or two, then let the players get the idea they're in charge.

I agree. But first he has to have the desire to be a Rover. And while I would love to keep him, it seems a lost cause. So if he lacks the desire to be a Rover, he needs to be shown the door. In a very polite and professional manner of course. I think our comparative financial weakness is overstated. First, to the extent that we are "weak" its only in relation to the top 8-10 clubs. We aren't truly competing with the wages of ManU, ManC, etc. we're competing against Burnley, Hull, Wigan, Wolves, etc. Second, with a sustainable wage bill of about 35 million (a guess on my part), we should afford some decent quality. Especially if we go for a mix of 'up and comers' and elder, experienced professionals who are only half a step off. Third, Burnley is proving that a club can scrap by on the cheap (though I think they cut it too close and should have updgraded their qaulity a bit to avoid the battle they're in). Not every player need be paid 50k/week to put in a solid performance. In fact, paying a player that kind of money is just as likely to spoil him as motivate him, IMO. We need to find some solid footballers who want to play, want to play for the Rovers, and will put in a decent shift to justify their wage. We aren't getting a lot of that now. And the rot has been setting in for awhile. Fourth, out problem is not locating affordable talent. Our problem is too many fat, lazy, arrogant, too full of themselves players who don't play often enough or well enough to justify their salaries. IMO, getting rid of them opens a lot more in the way of positive possibilities than risks. I think Kalinic would do the job by himself, with proper service. Di Santo and Roberts only improve the odds.

Anyone of them can be shown the door and I wouldn't shed a tear or worry an ounce over the future of the club. We can do as well as or better in the market, push comes to shove. I purposefully deleted Tugay and Warnock from the list as both have always conducted themselves as professionals in regards to the Rovers. Don't have the slightest problem with them and wish more players would emulate their behaviors (minus Tugay's smoking).

Very reassuring.

I've been concerned about this. Assuming: 1. First teams of 25 players; and, 2. Sam prefers playing a 4-4-1-1; then, Di Santo and Kalinic would seem to fill the required striker upfront roles. Benni and Roberts fees and wages would presumably be spent to find 2 players who could play behind the forwards. Dunn could, but is frequently unable, to fill the role. But if the board is thinking that Dunn is one of the two hole players, the board may not see the need to invest in 2, while Dunn is on the books. What we should be doing is offloading Dunn, Reid, Benni, Roberts, MGP, Andrews (and hopefully, EHD), and buying 2 hole players (Ibricic would be a good start) and getting 2 new "passing" midfielders (to use Sam's term), a left winger (to back up Olson or vice versa) and a left back (with Givet/Chimbonda as back up). Alas, most of these changes look to happen in the summer, which may not be a bad thing as too much mid-year disruption would be a problem. But the real question is whether the board understands the need for a housecleaning and whether they'll be 100% behind the process if and when it starts.

Alan Nixon is reporting they are considering an 18 month loan for 1.75 million. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Benni-McCarthy-close-to-agreeing-long-term-loan-move-to-West-Ham-article297041.html If true, the good news is he won't be able to play against us. Who is financially responsible if a loaned player is injured?

I never thought of that. I rue the missed opportunity.

I am a Yank. (I've never used that term. It's pretty cool). I only got involved in football about 3-4 years ago, when my daughter started playing and I was drafted as her team's coach [1] due to a lack of volunteers (now I coach her and my son's teams). Starting to watch the EPL on Setanta to learn the game, liked the Rovers as they showed a lot fight on a small budget and were blue collar/small town. Didn't hurt that Blackburn was in Lancashire. My direct paternal ancestor 15 generations removed immigrated from Lancashire to Virgina (was on the losing side when Cromwell took over), so there was some connection, even if remote. Sorry for the biography. It's clear that a lot of you know each other personally and I am a bit of an interloper. But I do watch the games, and buy myself and the kids a jersey every year. And my daughter loves her Rovers' banner. As to sense, that's a matter of opinion. Quite a few posters post sensible things, but they're so busy throwing rocks at one another they hardly notice. As to me, I don't have much in the way of preconceived notions so I don't really care where a coach or a player is from, or what tactics are used, as long as they work. IMO, MGP is 'working' for a new contract so he has to go. If you give him a new contract, he'll go back to sleep. EHD and Benni have too many issues to be reliable, and are too old of dogs and/or too self-important to learn new tricks. Roberts could be useful but doesn't appear to like the role he'd have to play, so move him on also as he'll just continue to be discontented and might spread the disease and ruin a youngster or two. Andrews might turn into a decent sub but if the supporters are booing him, sell him for his own good and the good of the team. It's not rocket science. [1] Note to future youth coaches reading this. Give your young girl team a certain number of choices as to a team name. DO NOT allow them to brainstorm at a team meeting. That's how I came to coach my first team, the "Princess Chihuahuas". Which was a marginally better choice than the runner up "Pretty Flowers".

Agreed. I have nothing personal against Benni, but his interviews tell me that he has issues. We need to sell him and bring in someone a bit more focused and reliable. And I'm not singling him out, as I share the same opinion of Roberts, MGP, EHD and Andrews.

Agreed. And we need to offload Roberts. Maybe if we sell both Benni and Roberts, we could afford a decent partner for Kalinic. Roberts wages to finance the transfer fee and Benni's wages for the new striker's.

I like the way you think.

I actually thought the article was very positive for Sam and Benni isn't getting it. Benni's convicting himself out of his own mouth. He admits that: 1. Sam is a decent guy. 2. Benni hasn't met Sam's weight and conditioning goals and that it is his fault. 3. Sam is still playing him. 4. Sam is scheduling him for extra training. From Benni's words, I get the impression that Sam values Benni, sees Benni's potential and is trying to get Benni to realize that potential. That Benni is whining about it shows a lack of professionalism on his part, not Sam's. Benni's paid 35,000/week (per one of Alan Nixon's recent articles). Forgive me if I fail to sympathize with him about Sam's demand that he report to training at 7 am. The only thing I would fault Sam about in the article is that I would have the entire team in for 7 am training, not just Benni. And I'd tell them that schedule would continue until they won three in a row.

Maybe its a matter of terminology, as I'm from the U.S. and may be applying words differently. If so, I apologize. When I referred to training hard, I meant hitting the gym, controlling one's diet, getting the necessary fieldwork. In other words, not acting as if one had a divine right to start a game. Benni, from what I've gleaned from reading some comments from Sam and others, does not train hard, does not take care of himself. Benni believes he can get by on natural talent. Maybe he can. What is certain is that attitude does not sit well with Sam. So Sam and Benni find themselves in a tussle, with Sam demanding more in training and sitting Benni out until he gets it (which is always the ultimate source of a manager's power of his players). My hope is that Bennni will swallow his pride and make more of an effort training and diet-wise, and that Sam will likewise swallow his pride and accept any improvement that Benni makes as in keeping with his intructions. I fear that we are observing a good player and a good manager at loggerheads because both are pigheaded stubborn.

Benni leaving is not guaranteed. If he trains hard, Sam said he'll keep him and he'll play. I hope Benni is putting in some effort and I hope that Sam accepts this as enough to warrant keeping Benni.

Seems easy to me. Dunn and Di Santo should start. They're the only 2 happy to be Rovers, so best to back that investment. Let Roberts and McCarthy stew. They'll be gone in January anyway.

Is Sam looking at addressing the midfield? Or are we going to be treated to more Keith Andrews in the starting XI? Is there a reasonable chance that Di Santo might stay? As always, thanks for the posts.

I don't think Sam sees Benni as part of our plans. He's not the type of player Sam prefers up front. Yes, it is. Sam has his tactics, his method. Benni doesn't fit them. So Sam is doing the best thing for both Benni and the club and moving him on. Hopefully for a very good price. I might be reading too much into it, but the handshake Sam and Benni exchanged as Benni was being brought on was pure class. It looked like two professionals, both of whom knew what they were about. Benni might be unhappy and Sam may prefer another style striker, but both appear to be conducting themselves very well in regard to one another.

Arsenal wins 2-0 http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3190172/first-team/arsenal-v-olympiacos?tab=comm