philipl

For one Ashton is a Striker and Savage is a midfielder Philipl Well, you learn something new every day.

Not that I condone it, but Abbey is an Olympic wrestler.

Had a nightmare week-end so still have not seen the game but a great result and I really like this match report in today's Guardian. How did the Ewood Park surface stand up to being played on in the downpour? Was it a microclimate?

Two recent £3m signings out there yesterday. Should we have gone for Aston rather than Savage?

1) Somebody unblock queerdadio to make this a "proper" MGP thread. 2) MGP to score direct from a corner next Sunday? Oh ecstacy!

Just as well Scotland is in the EU as being below 75th, playing for Scotland wouldn't get the Scots a work permit these days. Are there any Scottish players regularly playing in the Prem besides Dickov, Matteo and the occasional Gallagher cameo? Are there any Scottish players in La Liga or Serie A? I think there are one or two in the Maltese Premier Division though. Lets be realistic. The Home Nations are totally anachronistic now. There are so few "Home" players playing anything above League 2 standard football (that includes a chunk of the SPL- would Livingstone beat Yeovil?), we should create a British side and let the "Scottish" Sam Allardyce specials aka "The Old Firm" into the Championship play-offs and turn the rest of "Scottish" footbnall into a feeder for the Unibond until they can find a few more locals who can kick straight.

I'm glad a Norwegian posted that comment about MGP after my more tactful comment. MGP was worryingly poor in a very ordinary-looking Norway side. Having seen the Swedes score at will in an 8-0 win here in Malta, I was very concerned that MGP didn't use the chance to run past the Maltese clodhoppers and practise his crossing. I am now fearing that neither of Rovers' wingers are capable of crossing a good ball into the danger area.

Yes, sam winning the East Lancashire derby games is a very satisfying feeling. Are you old enough to know about these sorts of things first hand?

MGP played just over an hour yesterday- he was busy but didn't achieve much. Match report with picture of MGP in action.

This should be on the Rovers' Song thread.- anyway, thanks for clearing up the words to the tune I've been humming since the draw was made.

I think we are being a bit unfair on the borderers. At least they are showing decent respect and queueing in their hundreds when there is a chance to see a top football team visiting Turf Moor.

Thanks emerton for posting this thread. International football is so utterly inconsequential that I'd missed the fact that MGP will be playing in Malta tomorrow evening- I'll pop along and give him a shout. Remind me, "cuidado's behind you" is Norwegian for "up Norway"? Nice to see Jansen on the score sheet tonight for a change. Anyone know why he is playing for the German u-21s?

Norwich's away record thus far this season is: W 0 D 6 L 7 F 6 A 24 So on the basis we gave Boro their first win of 2005, we will no doubt provide Norwich with their first away win in 2004/5 Premiership football. Worth noting that although Norwich score easilly at Carrow Road, they are the most goal shy travellers in the Prem- they would need to score 3 at Ewood to dump that honour onto the Rovers. Realistically for Rovers, this is a must not loose rather than a must win although a win is hugely needed. Norwich draw a lot away but tend to get thrashed when they lose. Don't think another 7-1 is likely however (where's Roy Wegerle when you need someone to fall flat on their backside with the ball at their feet, two yards from an open goal- and still score? twice?) My fear is that if Norwich score first, we will be in deep trouble. I think they are good enough to grab the first goal so... Rovers 0 Norwich 3 (Waggy "told you so" as Ashton scores a hatrick)

Blackburn Rovers bigger than both the Old Firm put together...according to the Scot who wrote this provocative little piece.

Savage and Brum fans banter. The good thing about this article is that it clears up the state of affairs on 30 April: - Brum have been stopped by the Prem from banning Savage from playing for Rovers - Brum did not get any contribution from Rovers towards their police bill - Brum will foot the cost of policing themselves. Serves Sullivan right for whipping up ill-feeling with utterly irresponsible remarks.

The Leeds directors to face the consequences?

An interesting pro-Chelsea view from The Observer

Hi Orcan, great to hear from you- great picture. How are Gencler doing this season? I see you are mid-table but are you consolidating or going backwards?

Ha ha. So the Old Firm is going to be over shadowed by "little" Burnley v Blackburn". Will be interesting to get the viewing figures on that head to head fixture clash.

The value of the players of Chelsea in the market is an utterly abstract concept- they aren't going anywhere unless Chelsea want them to so resale values are utterly theoretical. The Chelsea equation is: £200m invested in players (now he has got the quality he wants, his activity in the market will be at a much lower replenishment level) plus £70m a year wages yields on a conservative basis £5m a year Prem prize money over what they would have earned anyway £5m a year more in TV rights income £5m a year more in Chelsea's own media interests £15m a year more from Champs League Qualification £12m a year shirt sponsorship (deal just done) £20m a year stadium sponsorship (under negotiation) £40m a year more in merchandising Not the greatest return but it will wash its face. Then add the capital appreciation of land and enterprise values, and Abramovich is looking at a massive return on his investment in Chelsea, now and into the foreseeable future. What Mourinho has done is take advantage of the security blanket Chelsea gives to any its non-druggy players to engender a loyalty and fierce passion towards the club and each other that is awesome.

Bazzathe great, I suggest you read my post on the subject then you will realise why Abramovich is on a win-win-win-win with Chelsea and will only bow out if someone offers him well north of a billion for the club. Just to help you, each one of those £2m salaries are 2.5 days' interest income for him. All the people he wants to impress are mad keen football fans and thanks to Ken Bates, Chelski have 15 of the most luxuriously appointed corporate boxes anywhere in any sport. Those boxes are full of Russians/Abramovich's guests for every game. That facility alone is worth a fortunne to the guy. Abramovich is in it for a much longer haul than your average fan director and the impact he will have on English soccer is only just beginning.

Will Boro turn up for this one?

Let's leave the theatre of the absurd and return to something closer to reality. A couple of weeks ago, I suggested Chelsea's routine 2-1 win at OT was the iconic passing of an old era and the start of the new. Reading this report, perhaps I picked the wrong match as the icon! What with The Times waxing lyrical about nudity as a sign of strength (a propos Chelsea returning bare chested to the Ewood dressing room), and the more appropriate parallels being drawn between Ewood two nights ago and Goodison in April '95, maybe Wednesday night's game is the one for the myths and history books?

Good point drog. But will anyone do it as effectively as the Rovers?

Arsenal will be incredibly well placed if they register their first team as an Academy and continue their remarkable ability of picking up prodigiously talented teenagers from around the world for the odd million or two.