thats how long I think it will take our manager to get the squad together and ready I could be wrong of course - maybe we will do it next season Which are the promising youngsters coming through from your academy or reserves who will be ready by 2007? Given you've just flushed £600k down the loo on panicbiyi (who is scarcely good enough for the division you are in), how large will your transfer budget be this summer and next? Obviously Chaplow and Blake were good enough to go straight onto the substitutes bench of injury-hit lowly Prem sides, do you have any other players as good as their standard? Any plans to increase the first team squad beyong 16 players? (Most Premiership clubs struggle if they have less than 25 Premiership-quality players.)

2006/7- why?

Good grief, not while there`s a hole in my arse. prepare for your colon getting seriously backed up then When?

Well done Kamy! Obviously the club had been taking the advice of scotty's football consultancy services when they hired the lass who gave you grief!

Has Kamy managed to get his tickets?

I doubt if the ticket office staff have anything to do with it. I went down yesterday to buy 4 additional tickets so that some of my family could go to the game. I have done exactly the same thing earlier this season for the Liverpool and Middlesborough game. The lady who served me said I am sorry sir you do not have a buying history for purchasing these amounts of tickets so cannot sell them to you, told her that she must be mistaken because I have bought 4 tickets to the Liverpool and Boro game. However she just kept saying nope you haven't and basically accused me of being a liar and her general; attitude towards me "stunk". Anyway I didn't see any point in getting into an argument with her so just left. Because of her incompetance Rovers have alienated a season ticket holder and also lost out on the opportunity of attracting some "armchair" fans to Ewood on a more regular basis. I don't know what is going on at Ewood but these types of incidents are just not on, especially at a time when the club should be doing all it can to get people to come to Ewood. I am still very angry about all of this and shall be writing to John Williams and I will recommed a consultant so that he can send "some" of the ticket office staff on Customer Service training. Kamy, that is terrible. Surely there's got to be a way that we can vouch for you so you can get the extra tickets?

Are we going to sell out our remaining tickets today?

By way of a light diversion, here is the erudite, insightful, mathematical genius that was the conclusion of the clarets.net preview for the PNE v dingles game yesterday: "We are at that stage of the season where one defeat could mean the difference between play-offs and a relegation struggle come the end of the season. While we have two games in hand to most other teams, these games have to result in six points if we are to push for the play-offs. Defeat could set off a run of similar results, and while the 6th place is 8 points away, relegation is 14 - and you never know what can happen in football. "A win today will bring us closer to Preston, currently occupying the final play-off position. A win for Preston, and they will be even further infront of us - and making that gap a little wider. "So, as you can see, Preston v Burnley is THE derby game that we need to concentrate on. Every league game is important if we are to make the play-offs. With Ade and Ian upfront, our only remaining problem - that of not being able to find the net enough - may be solved. So long as everyone else keeps doing their job, then play-offs aren't that distant. But we have to start winning from today!" That gap is a little wider- like three points wider.

I have a colleague who is very seriously ill so apologies for being too busy to answer the questions raised in the posts. First of all there has been no change in accounting policy. Amortisation and depreciation effectively mean the same thing- writing down the value of an asset over its useful life. The players' transfer value is amortised over the length of their contracts with Rovers. At any one time, the players have a value as an intangible fixed asset- £14m in the Rovers' books at 30 June 2004. From comments made by John Williams during the Ferguson saga, it is obvious that the club internally take a great deal of attention to these matters and it was very clear the Rovers were not willing to take a write-down on Ferguson on his book value (the original transfer cost less his amortisation). This was the reason why I suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that the Rovers seem to be managing their amortisation charges very carefully at around £11m per year. Given that, in the long term, amortisation costs are the same as the total investment in players, I rather mischieviously suggested that might be a pointer to our gross annual transfer expenditure target. With regards to non-Walker Trust debts, bank lending to Rovers rose from £12.4m to £16.1m during 2003/4 of which £2.4m was overdraft at 30 June 2004. The staff numbers at Ewood were (2003 in brackets) Senior footballers and management 54 (54) Academy 56 (57) Commercial 56 (51) Media services 11 (14) Administration 17 (16) Building and grounds 50 (51) Total staff 244 (243) I don't know whether the deal to transfer the shop staff to Lonsdale came before or after the year end. The bar and catering staff are all employed by outside companies so are not included in these numbers. However, I believe if the numbers of people employed indirectly by Rovers is included, probably around 1,000 people owe their livelihoods to the football club making the Rovers a major economic engine for the Blackburn area. With regards to the two employed directors, the total cost of employing them (so this figure includes National Insurance, pensions etc.) rose 8% from £396K to £429K. For those MB members who chose not to read what is written, my comments will be ignored, but it is worth reiterating it is NOT a double digit increase and John Williams is NOT earning £400K. But when did the facts ever get in the way of a Murdochian prejudice? Finally, the "rich list" of clubs is a listing by income, not by wealth or assets. Several clubs in the "rich list" are in fact in deep financial stress- Dortmund, Lazio, Man City and Rangers amongst them. It is also worth adding that Rangers will disappear from that list next season because of their Champs League failure just as Rovers would join the top twenty if we had a season of Champs League Group Stage football.

Well done Randall for being brave enough to make a result forecast- after 8 pages of discussion, there have been precious few of those. Ever since the NE Lancs rivals drew Leicester H in round 6, this titanic battle again became rather more than a local scrap for bragging rights. Just as April 1, 2001 had the little matter of Rovers' automatic promotion place also at stake, so March 1, 2005 has the little matter of a more than plausable semi-final place at stake. For Prem-focussed Rovers fans, it is worth pointing out that the dingles have a decent away record- just lost five out of 17 before today in the Coca Cola can. They don't conceed many but they don't score either. The dingles also have the exigensies of a 46 game league so they not only travelled for a draw at Derby (the soft touches of Pride Park- Derby have won twice as many games away from home than at home) but go to PNE today whilst Rovers have been soaking up the rain in Dubai. The PNE game is a corker- PNE desperately need to win to keep themselves in the play-off places whilst the dingles can wave any remaining pretensions of a play-off place good-bye if they don't win at Deepdale. PNE's surge into the top six is on the back of a lot of home wins so with a bit of luck, the dingles will be in for a lot of tenderising before Tuesday's encounter. Of course, Rovers should win and being realistic, should win easily. The dingles will fancy themselves on the Ewood surface- they can knock the ball about prettily- which should suit Rovers. To the extent Rovers have anything to worry about, Valois and Oster were the only real threat carried by the dingles at t'Turf so we need Neill and Johansson/Matteo not to have the sort of nightmare games they are capable of. Apart from that, a motivated determined Rovers will have too much for the dingles all over the park and even our goal shy lot should fashion enough chances to put one goal away. So 1-0 to the Rovers in ordinary time. Rovers to continue the Burnley goal drought against us. If it does go to extra time, the Hughes fitness regime/ ten day break really should count for Rovers. If it goes to penalties, Burnley will prevail.

Well, what a turn up! Liverpool finally look something like. Chelsea cheated out of a great result by Anders (pretty boy look at me!) Frisk whilst the Mancs and Arsenal simply abdicated. Isn't it about time the Mancs and Arsenal learnt that charity begins at home? Carroll and Toure blunders should be saved for when the Rovers play them rather than gift goals to AC and Bayern who are perfectly capable of tonking them without any gratuitous help. Liverpool are capable of blowing their lead by the Rhine whilst England's top 3 are probably already all on their way out.

Come on, we like the sort of goals the dingles scored last time they were at Ewood. (disallowed and o.g.)

Paul, that's the best post on this thread.

Well done to den and his helpers for achieving a superb thread. I would run a best Manager/Coach competition. I think running a worst squad would just be gratuitous. Whereas the greatest players from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were well written up, the dolloppers who were responsible for the Rovers exiting the FA Cup to non-league opposition twice in three seasons in the early '20s are thankfully forgotten by all except jim.

That game was the only time I've been in the "new" Riverside (Walkersteel) and there were a few Leicester supporters who ran to the front concourse to celebrate then turned round to taunt the Rovers' supporters. A combination of that and the boorish behaviour at Wembley made Leicester some of my least favourite opposition fans. Perhaps they have improved now?

In less than an hour, probably the most remarkable last 16 set of matches yet seen will be under way. When the draw was made, I fancied the English quartet to do well but having just listened to the World Service make all four English clubs rank outsiders from each of their respective ties, I don't know now.

A paeon of praise for the arrogant one and I have to agree. Mourinho has brought a dimension to the Englisg game which has fully ewclipsed the RFW.

Well I've been doing the weights and still get complaints if I forget the cologne. Can't answer for the other 50,000+ Rovers fans Defensively, midfield and tactically; Rovers are MUCH stronger than this time last season. Up front, we have collective goal scorers' block but we have been making so few chances that if we still had Andy (miss eight, score 1) Cole, he'd still be waiting for his first goal this season.

truefox, I can write this now whilst playing you is still in the realms of theory. That is a very standard Championship side you have listed in your reply. Quite a bit of Prem experience but players of a level which when seen on a Premiership teamsheet, the opposition reaction is "Glad he's playing, that's a weak link we will exploit". Now of course, Leicester will raise their game for the QF and if we don't raise our's we'll be in trouble against your lot every bit as much as we will be in trouble against the dingles if we are half-hearted in the replay. The relevant part of the second division table is: 11 Burnley 31 1 44 12 Stoke 32 -2 44 13 QPR 32 -4 44 14 Crewe 32 -2 42 15 Brighton 34 -14 41 (our third choice keeper is playing here) 16 Leicester 31 3 40

Don't you think the Clarets will be fired up by playing at Ewood full stop? There is some pretty dumb stuff being posted on here. ...and Leicester will be mighty fired up playing at either Ewood or the Bumley bog. However, as the Prem side, we should have sufficient class. If we are motivated and organised as much as they are, we will be too good for Burnley and Leicester. That is certainly true of the defence now that Hughes has it organised, the midfield should be more than OK, but it is a tragedy that our best probable cup run in 45 years is coinciding with the Rovers having one of the weakest forward lines the club has seen in my 40+ years of following them. At this stage, I'd delightedly swap the five front players we've got now for e.g. Simon Garner and Andy Kennedy of seventeen years ago. The lack of fire power is what is going to cost us our chance of silverware this year. How's our penalty shoot out record?

This is the best 6th round draw the Rovers have had in my life time. Now let's not go and muck it up! (looking good for Bolton, ManU and Newcastle to make the semis)

Amen to that. Lancashire in general has suffered terribly since the war through changing economic circumstances and the disinterest of successive London-centric governments. Let's celebrate the fact that the county's football teams are in relative good health. In the early 1960s, Rovers, Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in the old first division and I'd love to see them all back there (the top flight that is !). With Wigan now in an automatic promotion slot and PNE looking good for a play-off place, there could be a lot of Lancashire interest (true Lancashire- not post 1974 nonsense) in the Prem next year. Just heard on BBC News that the FA have asked Burnley and Everton to answer for incidents at their grounds at the week-end.

It's going to be a case of TV detective work to find a channel covering the Rovers game overseas then.

That is a great article! Have the Rovers ever had a player who came from a more "ends of the earth" home town? Rover6 can change his signature to this MGP quotation: "In hindsight, Pedersen believes it was good for him to get a rest. He had been playing almost constantly for two years. The Norwegian season runs from February until the end of October, and he played for Tromso through the 2003 campaign, spent two months with the national side, gone straight back to pre-season, then played throughout the 2004 season before moving to England last August." One up to me because I pointed that out MGP hadn't had a break from competitive football for a very long time

FA Cup sixth round numbers: 1 Bolton Wanderers 2 Tottenham Hotspur or Nottingham Forest 3 Manchester United 4 Leicester City 5 Burnley or Blackburn Rovers 6 Southampton or Brentford 7 Newcastle United 8 Arsenal or Sheffield United Being drawn against number 4 or 6 home or away would be the best opportunity for a semi-final appearance. 8 would be a chance to repay recent QF defeats whoever wins their replay. 7 at Ewood would be a chance to set one or two matters straight. Don't fancy drawing the Wanderers just yet but it would be a chance to get at Spit the Dive. Would prefer someone else to get the opportunity of knocking out the Mancs.