There is nothing to indicate that Rangers are about to bid again, let alone up their offer from £3.5m to the £5m which Everton have indicated they would offer. Even if Rangers bid at £5m, I would expect it will be summarilly dismissed. I'd expect Rovers to be negotiating with Newcastle/Bellamy and keeping options open with Sokota and Carew during the next 27 hours, rather than wasting their time talking to Viola and Rangers. Barry can be dealt with on Tuesday.

Sunday Star? Isn't that owned by Gold and Sullivan. Those semi-erectile, non-perverters of public morals who also own Hustler, Birmingham City and Anne Summers and other such tasteless tat? That said, I'd much prefer to Thommo wide right and Bellamy up front in the middle to the line-ups we had against Notlob.

I don't know if any of this stuff in the People should be believed. I think Vyeo is correct on how Rovers would finance a striker purchase- there is no doubt that if we have offered £6m for Ballamy, cash from any sale of Ferguson is NOT part of the financing. So Fergy would take a £500K a year pay cut to return to Rangers? I had wondered whether he was already on more with the Rovers than the £30K a week that Rangers said they were offering. And Everton were willing to open the bidding for Ferguson at £5m? That makes Rangers' arguments that Fergy's value is now only 30% of their own valuation of Boumsong finally disintegrate into a whiskey-hazed halucination. Any offer less than an unconditional £5m is below the current market value based this reported opening offer from Everton. I see that Chelsea are signing a shirt sponsorship deal with Adidas which is worth twice the £52m that Murray injected into Rangers to delay the day the Gers go bust. Rangers are wee willy wonkers these days.

Oh dear! It shows you are not yet used to watching Premiership football. Newcastle are rapidly disintegrating into a disorganised shambles under Souness. At least under Sir Bobby, one game in three would see the barcodes delivering inspired flowing football capable of troubling any team in the world. Now they are little better than Brum. Give Souness eighteen months? Yes, that's just long enough to get Newcastle relegated. We agree on something after all.

Chelsea

Its paper talk! But I am sure there are contingency negotiations- fortunately. in addition to John Williams, there is Tom Finn who does deals then Mark Hughes stepped in to do the talking as the Rangers efforts petered out and there is always Chairman Robert Coar and the other board members who could be called upon. But from witnessing our "strike force" on Monday last, I wouldn't be surprised if Rovers aren't talking to every forward from Ewood to Istanbul going the long way round (taking in Lisbon)! I think it is deeply in the realms of fantasy for Ferguson to leave for Ibrox now. This seems to be the most comprehensive report from north of the border. It doesn't leave any room for manoeuvre and Williams has stressed how reasonably the Rovers have behaved whilst indicating that Ferguson can be rehabilitated at Ewood.

A mix of Scottish press this morning. The Scotsman (Scotland on Sunday) talks of the deepening gloom surrounding Ibrox over the Klos injury and deepening realisation that Ferguson is not going back. Whilst the Sunday Herald takes part of that marvelously convoluted McLeish quote to suggest Rangers will make a third bid for Ferguson. On the basis that the Routledge transfer to Spurs might have been revived with Spurs coming in with a £2.2m bid, I suppose anything is possible. However, even if Rangers follow Spurs reported example and increase a supposedly "final" offer by 50% and so do put something which looks like £6m on the table, Rovers would still negotiate hard. Williams has used the word "guarranteed". Rangers welched on the transfer terms for Michael Ball by not playing him and their finances are so extremely weak that it would be difficult to convince most people they could honour future payments if they were to endure two more seasons as unsuccessful as the current one is proving. The issue now is going to be time- there is a Sunday and Monday left and Rovers are chasing Sokota, Carew and Bellamy if the paper reports this morning are correct. Surely John Williams and Hughes will be focussed on negotiating deals they want to do, not wasting their time talking to Viola and Rangers? So £3.9m hard cash from Ibrox and debt forgiveness or nothing.

This is The Observer article already referred to. Interesting to see Gold in effect arguing that because Dunn fell out with Souness and went to Brum, it must be the obvious place for Bellamy to go to as well! The papers are divided this morning, some are saying we will pip Brum for Bellamy, some that we will bid for Bellamy and one that Bellamy is going to Brum. I suppose journalistic expertise depends on whether they are owned by a porn baron or not. Aussie in Uk- I am pleased that someone else is factoring in the probable insurance money!

What the Eck is this about? McLeish bids for a place in Pseuds Corner with Colemanballs extra (quote appearing on several newswires and no doubt every Scottish Sunday tomorrow morning) : McLeish said (of the Ferguson bid): "As far as I knew it was finished so I have got to be convinced otherwise. "I'm not convinced it is dead but I'm not convinced that it is back alive again. I suppose that deadline day will tell everybody the correct answer. "The club are doing all they can, or they have done all they can. We know we have only got so much of the budget to use after the Boumsong sale and we can't spend more than we took in. "The chairman, David Murray, has been very fair in saying the money can be spent on players and enhancing the squad. "The accountants and the financial people at the club would probably like to tuck some away for a rainy day - but we have shown our ambition." £440,000 offered for the Captain of Scotland is showing ambition? Tuck some away for a rainy day? It is already raining on the Gers parade.

I'll be cheering us on to get Bellamy (if there is a battle to get him for which we have no evidence at all) only because I hate Steve Bruce for what he and Paddy Crerrand said to me after Rovers had "lost" 1-0 at OT after the Sherwood equaliser was disgracefully disallowed. I hate Steve Bruce. (Gold and Sullivan are not vey nice either) Now, time to get a grip and hope that Diego Tristan = x

If we keep playing clubs beginning with a C.... Chelsea or Charlton for Round 5- take your pick. PS doesn't matter how we did it, but its nice to win 3-0.

Hughes has just made his position very clear on Radio Rovers: Ferguson is a key part of his plans for Blackburn Rovers. He is looking to bring better players in and build on what he has already got at Rovers- including Ferguson. Hughes "never expected a deal to take Ferguson to Rangers to go through" "Ferguson let his heart rule his head" Hughes expects the fansd to appreciate the professional way Ferguson has conducted himself Ferguson has said he likes it at Rovers- just "his childhood heroes came in for him." Those were Hughes' words. Hughes will decide when it will be best to play Ferguson.

Listening to Hughes, Dickov is a big doubt for Wednesday because of a problematic groin.

Rovers team: Johnson lone striker, no Ferguson. Quite possibly 4-3-3 Matteo starts, Nelsen on the bench.

Thanks Paul- your comment about relegation is all so depressingly true. An article from Scotland for you all to scan. Seems that only Dado is quite so sanguine about Stefan Klos's injury and that nobody in the press has picked up last night's LET comment about Ferguson/Hughes "showdown" talks. More releveant on here is that cold comment from McLeish that Ferguson must be having a tough time of it personally. Rangers' behaviour stinks- they are not an honourable football club and I for one shall have no sympathy for them in the near inevitable crisis which awaits when Celtic retain the SPL title.

Why? You might as well take £2m of Uncle Jack's inheritance in used fivers to make a bonfire of it in the centre circle at Ewood while you all boo. You'll feel good.

It's too late Simon. You are absolutely right but Viola has probably already printed out the posts he wants to use to wind up wee Barry to have a go at Hughes and Williams on the grounds he doesn't feel safe/ the crowd will be horrible to him etc. etc.

Mark Hughes' comments on the Ferguson situation this evening. The welcome back door is very wide open. I went out for a pleasant evening and came home to all this fun! Nobody is saying that Rovers have done anything but act in a quiet, restrained and civilised manner. If Viola, Ferguson and Rangers think they can now turn nasty without risks and consequences, they massively underestimate what Rovers can do to them. In fact the words "Make my day, punk" come to mind. On the basis that Murray and Viola thought £440,000 plus cancellation of a debt not due for the best part of nine months would be enticing for the Walker Trust, I suppose any sort of miscalculation is possible from north of the border.

Post hoc rationalisation to cover their embarassment- you know half the Scottish papers write what Murray tells them to

Waggy, Rangers were £76m in debt. The share issue "only" raised £52m so they failed to raise the money they hoped for. In a good footballing year, Rangers lost £29m last year. This year, they failed to get into the Champions League so their losses are immediately £15m worse before they start trying to find economies. No doubt there were welders on board the Titanic... (wrong era but you get my drift!)

Scottish report with a much fuller statement by John Williams than is being carried in the English papers- again handled very elegantly. Waggy, Rangers are bust- they don't have the dosh. So, groin strain permitting, you will be seeing Ferguson in the blue and white halves presently.

Scotty, I fully understand and appreciate that football loyalty and support operates for all of us at a visceral emotional level and I know and understand why you felt I was posting @#/?. I have been trying to portray (inadequately) the view of the Ferguson saga that would have been taken by a dispassionate lawyer or accountant. Let's say one sitting on an island 400 miles away. Normally that sort of thinking would be peripheral in football- that's why clubs either go bankrupt or spend their existance teetering on the edge. Rovers are 90+% owned by a Trust run by lawyers and accountants who are ably and superbly represented by a Chief Exec who operates in both the football and moneyed worlds. Now, Thenodrog has advanced a very interesting theory. I don't neccessarilly subscribe to it but I don't have anything better to offer: If the drog is right, is what has happened morally or ethically correct? More to the point, is it legal or within the FIFA rule book? Is the penny dropping for some of the posters on here? We can all see a number of things which have happened which don't seem either correct or logical- the concerted bring Barry home campaign begun by Rangers from the moment Murray refinanced them last October (that bit is conveniently forgotten by Dado's rehash of history to exhonerate his club), the fact that Rovers had to precipitate the meeting with Viola and Ferguson, the frequently reported comment that Barry is happy at Rovers and would only move to Rangers and that the player and agent so successfully rebuffed Everton that Moyes didn't even bid, and finally this extraordinary belief that a few coppers and a prize wrapper would be sufficient payment to secure Ferguson's return to Rangers. Is Murray really so naive??? Do you amass a personal fortune of £300m by being simple? Perhaps that is where we are all going wrong!- we should ask Chesh We are passionate supporters looking at this thing from a distance. If we smell a rat, don't you think JW probably has trapped a few of them and they are securely locked away wating to be used at the appropriate moment? Two final points: That Telegraph article explained the extraordinary lengths to which Rangers have gone to protect themselves financially in case the Greek player's knees are not up to it. The real protection needed is against Rangers themselves. This is a club which engineered not paying part of the transfer fee for Michael Ball - in not so many words, appearance fee deals with Rangers are not worth the paper they are written on (Blue Phil take note). Rangers have £23m debt after the Murray refinancing, lost £29m last year and their revenue will be down by £15m this year because of failure on the football field. What confidence does anybody have in an IOU from Rangers? Much better to be owing money to Rangers than having to try to collect money from them! I bet Rangers would be delighted if Rovers offered them £1.5m cash this morning in exchange for the £2.1m owing in August. By way of an anology now, you probably have at some time been unwittingly in a position of knowing that an illegal act has been committed by somebody known to you. Have you immediately gone to the Police, ignored it, or lquietly told the person you know what's gone on and extracted a promise of future good behaviour against the threat that there will be hell to pay if they transgress again? I will be surprised if the Rangers connection with Ferguson ever arrises again unless instigated by Rovers themselves.

I have just realised how ridiculous the Rangers final "substantial" offer was- £900,000 cash now £2.1m payment cancellation 31 August £500,000 on appearances on the same formula they cheated on by NOT playing Michael Ball. No doubt Rovers, Rangers and Viola are assessing the current situation- the latter two somewhat apprehensively. So now, will Ferguson sign the Rovers' offer of an extended contract (no doubt the same as the deal offered by Rangers which could well be less than Rovers were going to offer anyway )? The big focus for John Williams has to be to get the striker loan and the left back deal done before 17.00 on Monday. Then this will have been a mega-transfer window! This is a significant day for Blackburn Rovers FC. The only previously times another club has gone away empty handed when trying to prise away one of our "big" players were when Uncle Jack sent Man U packing over Shearer and we hung onto Duff when Liverpool came in for him.

Dado, you work for a bank you told us. You must be used to reading legal documents. Go read the FIFA Regulations on transfers and agents. Would you say Rangers and Viola have contributed to "The Maintenance of Stability" in the contract between Blackburn Rovers and Barry Ferguson as prescribed by FIFA? You blame Viola for this farce. Rangers played along as well.

Excellent news. 1) Make sure it is dead dead- no lazarus acts in the summer. 2) Rehabilitate or trade on.