Today's Daily Mail states that McCarthy has turned down a new deal at Ewood to try and secure Champions League football in the knowledge there is a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for 5m next summer!! (If I recall Mark Hughes precise words he did say there were no clauses "this year") It would also explain Benni's constant references to it not being his decision and being in the club's hands. He might even have been trying to do us a favour by touting himself around this summer! If it's true, following the Bellamy situation, when will we ever learn?? It does though put a whole new context on the situation if a big enough bid were to come in for Benni now doesn't it? I mean 15m for Benni now, or 5m in 12 months? If you were Sparky and knew the full amount will be available to spend on the team it's a no brainer really. If prices continue to go up, in 12 months time 5m won't buy the bootlace of a decent striker.

Delighted with the news and nothing at all wrong with the contract length IF the Admiral returns to his pre injury form. I thought he was understandably some way below that at times in the second half of last season. Would also have thought that bombproofing Samba's situation would have been at least as if not even more of an urgent priority.

Interestingly, there was a very good in depth article in the middle pages of the LT today about Dougan courtesy of his brother. His brother claimed the reason he put in a transfer request on Cup Final day was due to a dispute about bonuses. Supposedly the players had been promised the earth in bonuses the further they got in the competition , but these weren't forthcoming. As a result, all the players got together and supposedly agreed they would ALL hand in transfer requests on the morning of the final with a view to negotiating with the management. Come Cup Final morning it's claimed Dougan did as was planned and handed in his request but looked round and was left embarrassed and let down when no-one else did! I must admit I take this claim with a pinch of salt as it's the first time I've ever heard it advanced from any source. Interesting though and if there was any truth in it, it would give a logical reason for what on the face of it was an inexplicable act.

Don't listen to our silly friend from Manchester Dillo, that isn't even in Lancashire anymore due to boundary changes!. All true Lancastrians know the only good thing coming out of Yorkshire is the road to Lancashire!

Sorry, can't have any real sympathy for someone who asked for a transfer to our opponents on the morning of an FA Cup Final.

Same old same old from Benni. We seem to have frightened off Chelski and unless West Ham come in with a completely ridiculous offer he'd better get used to the idea he ain't going nowhere.

at Newcastle? To be fair the prospects of Benni leaving appear to be receding. The club seem to be resolute in rebuffing potential suitors and that is exactly the right message to be sending out. Of course if WHU come up with a totally ridiculous bid that may change but not seemingly at the 8-10 m figures being bandied about thus far.

And rightly so. If Pearce really believed all that "when your country comes calling you put your country first and yourself second" claptrap he's been coming out with he would call up Rooney without a second's hesitation. But he wouldn't dream of it. If questioned on it he'd probably say something like Rooney has developed far beyond under 21 level, is a particularly important player for his club and has to be kept as fresh as possible for their League and European campaigns next season and the 2008 Euros. Much the same applies to Bentley, even though he is not a certain starter next summer. Maybe even if we didn't have an intertoto campaign DB could have played in the under 21's and simply reported back for pre season later. As it was something had to give. I do also think that Rovers have hung him out to dry somewhat. I find it pretty improbabable given next season's domestic schedule he wasn't instructed by Mark Hughes to withdraw from the under 21's.

I have some sympathy for Pearce for being a man down but the more I think about it the more I think he is being hypocritical in publicly slating DB. If he's that bothered about having the strongest side out he should just select Rooney. We all know there's not a snowball's chance in hell of that happening as both Alex Ferguson and the player would tell him to go forth and multiply. So it's hypocritical to apply one standard for say DB and another for say Shrek.

If we're being honest, we're all being a bit two faced about this, if it was any of the other players who had pulled out, we'd all be going "bloody disgrace" "who do they think they are" and "too big for their boots" (that is if we cared that much about an under 21 tournament) Whilst fans of their respective clubs would be applauding their decision. Andy Townsend was consistent all morning in saying DB had made a professional decision, he was about the only one of the under 21 squad with a realistic chance of playing in the Euros next summer and therefore had made a career decision to give himself the best chance of having a good season next season and accordingly being fit and selected for then. About right imo.

Excellent post Tris. I have to confess I nicked your point and texted it in to Talksport this morning. It was read out and Mike Parry and Andy Townsend who were being broadly supportive of Bentley's position disagreed with that particular point saying McClaren couldn't predict who was going to get injured etc. and was entitled to select the best players available to him. It really was compulsive listening this morning. DB himself rang in and spoke at great length and with great passion on the issue. He said the decision wasn't made on a whim, he'd considered it in great depth and taken the advice of former professionals before coming to his decision. Again it's a measure of the guy, he really didn't need to ring in and open himself up to a potential slagging off, but did so and spoke with great honesty. One thing DB hinted at, and it wasn't really picked up on, was that he communicated his decision to the England hierarchy some time ago so he "didn't understand" why Stuart Pearce was now in the position of being a man short and being unable to call up anyone else. The timing of it is arguably one of the things you could have sympathy for Pearce on, so if DB could clarify that point and it was indeed the case that Pearce knew of DB's decision in time to call up a replacement, yet selected him anyway, people would have a bit more sympathy for DB's stance. As it was predictably many contributors to the show were of the "He wants to try working down the pit" viewpoint including one lunatic journalist from the Sunday Mirror who predicted DB would never pull on an England shirt again.

You can understand it from Pearce's point of view, where would he and England be if everyone did the same and pulled out? Similarly, you can see it from Bentley's point of view. He's nothing to prove to anyone at that level, he's not some raw seventeen year old kid. I know I'm being thick here, but shouldn't "under twenty ones" mean precisely that? What's the upper age limit?

I'm not certain how your source could be privy to such info but if there is any truth in that whatsoever, 7m is an absolute joke for someone who registered 24 goals last time out.

Nail, hammer head. Although imo it's not a recent thing, that has been our failing at international level for almost as long as I can remember, probably since failing to qualify for the 74 world Cup.

Exactly, will do wonders for his confidence....................... having four subs brought on before him. "Everyone's good enough for a run out son................ except you." I saw a quote by ginger Sven mid week in which he desceribed Bentley as "having potential but that's all it is" I agree he's no world beater yet, but I think he's shown a lot more than "potential" this season - it's not like he's some raw untested Walcottian type seventeen year kid. The only way he's going to blossom at this level is by being given time on the pitch. As I predicted when goldenballs was recalled, DB's call up was a complete waste of time. Didn't even make it on to the pitch and will have had everyone else telling him how great it is at Man Ure/Arsenal/Chelski all week etc.

I don't understand Benni's latest posturing about "might make himself available for his country this Saturday" Either he has made himself available for selection or not. (I presume he has otherwise the question of him playing wouldn't arise) Thereafter he's obliged to attend isn't he? As for him moving elsewhere, the prospect of him leaving seems to have receded into the distance somewhat along with roman's billions. Bit awkward for him after he paraded up and down the sea front like one of the lay-dees in Little Britain twirling a little frilly brolly saying "I love Chelsea"

"He's not sure we're the right club for him?" I've got news for you Chris, few of us feel you're the player to take us forward either so the feeling is entirely mutual. I think it would be a heck of a break for us if Newcastle snap him up forcing us to look for a better option. They do keep helping us out dont they? First Souness and now hopefully Nonda.

Bentley's call up is a complete waste of time in the light of McClaren's inexplicable, shortsighted, and approval craving recall of Beckham. People wanted Beckham dropping - he drops him. People want Beckham recalling - he recalls him. Dropping goldenballs in the first place is just about the only thing Sven mark 2 has got right in his miserable reign so far. Beckham is yesterday's man, hasn't played well for England since 2002, and we hardly pulled up any trees when he was in the side anyway.

I think a certain ex manager and Willie Mckay have already been down that road! Not so sure it was with Rovers blessing though!

Isn't that what Luton did with Newell? That worked out well!

As Chelski's going rate for 30 year old players seems to be 30m (Shevcenko) and Benni has 3 years left on his contract I would advise them he is NOT available unless they are prepared tostump up said sum of 30m. Over to you Roman.

The standard is certainly improving - in 2004/5 I was joint 16th with 60 points - the same points total this year sees me in joint 42nd.

He is bound to think "I deserve a bit more loyalty from this ungrateful s.o.b." (As with Bellamy 12 months ago) And he'd be right. To be fair the club have expressed no inclination whatsoever to sell Benni so if anything does happen it's likely to be at the player's behest. Not a lot you can do about that, it isn't as if Benni is being sold by the club against Sparky's wishes. We're only three days into the close season and I'm already fed up to the back teeth with Benni "I'm a good guy really and don't want to leave Blackburn Rovers but on the other hand if a Champions League team came in" McCarthy. We all hope you stay but whether you stay or go for the appropriate fee please keep your mouth shut. I think the Club, Sparky and your team mates deserve a lot more respect than for you to be going round like this angling for interest everywhere you go. I'm sure you have an agent who can register and receive expressions of interest in private.

Crikey, you're easily pleased, it's hardly an unequivocal declaration of intent to stay is it? "I'll be playing my football here next season, or if not, somewhere else." Going back to the original quotes if they were indeed from a Portugese paper it would seem as though he was "flying a kite" as someone said above in the hope of generating some interest. And made the common mistake a lot of foreign players seem to make of assuming it won't be picked up on over here. If that was the case very naughty of the Sun to claim it was a direct interview with them and put a stronger slant on it though.

Everyone's trying to be very charitable towards Benni but "I've enjoyed (past tense) playing for Blackburn" sounds quite final to me from his perspective. He might just have to eat some serious humble pie for Mark Hughes and the rest of his team mates if there are no suitable bids forthcoming for him. It's still the timing of it that gets me. If he'd said it after the season had finished I'd have been more inclined to think "It's a shame but possibly only to be expected." (Despite all the guff he's given us this season which made us all think that he was cuddly wuddly Benni and not a bit like that nasty wasty Bellamy!)