Hughes talked a good game throughout this saga, saying that Neill would only be allowed to leave when it suited Rovers. Even though in reality Neill had the club over a barrel at least it appeared that Rovers had the upper hand in the negotiations. Well done the club - over-rated player gone and replaced by a younger and better one. And he's left-footed !

Same applies to Emerton : he'll struggle when a good winger runs at him. We need a new right back.

Konchesky is not part of the deal either, thank goodness.

It is being reported that Neill is travelling to London tonight for a medical and finalise a £1.25 million move to West Ham. Liverpool were unwilling to match the financial terms on offer to Neill at West Ham, where he is expected to earn more than £50,000 a week. “Lucas has agreed terms on a two-and-a-half-year deal with West Ham and is looking to the challenge ahead,” his agent, Peter Harrison, said.

This was quite good on the Bolton website. It appears Burnley aren't the only dingles. David Dunn has revealed his reasons for re-joining Blackburn. “I was flattered by Sam Allardyce’s interest,” said the tubby midfielder, speaking from the snack bar at Hilton Park services. “They have a great backroom staff at the Reebok, and there’s running water and mains electricity, which I’ll miss once I go back to live in Darwen. “But at heart, I’m a Blackburn lad. I miss sitting round the fire, singing along to banjo tunes, and it’s the only place where they don’t mention the extra fingers.” Dunn also has family connections in the area and was particularly enthusiastic about seeing his sister again. At this point the interview was halted by the girl on the till, who had totalled up the cost of Dunn’s tray of doughnuts. “That’ll be £47.20 please, duck,” she said.

Still is in Lancashire, as are Manchester, Liverpool, Warrington, Southport, Barrow and all the other places in my old school geography textbook .

Agreed - and Hughes has been in charge for some time now, so it makes you wonder why he has not made significant changes both to the scouting structure and the personnel. The academy obviously needs a shake-up.

It would appear the Great Harwood wonder is to sign for Bolton for £1 million.

You ain't kidding ... look at gormless Gordon's latest post on the asylum thread.

Oh, gawd. Happy Christmas.

What did McEveley do in the Uefa match to warrant starting today ?

All right when kids learnt their skills in the back streets free of cars but the culture of playing in the street doesn't exist anymore. As Hughes said this week, the problem is standards are very high and clubs can pick up players cheaply from around the world. Last weekend they were only 100 England-qualified players starting Premiership matches and that figure will decline further over the next few years.

You make yourself look very silly sometimes. This is one of them.

Probably "achieve" little, other than to hasten Neill's departure (hopefully), but there's nothing wrong with letting him know that his attitude towards the club we love stinks.

Because of the sentence after in my post that you conveniently omitted you gormless twerp.

Point of order, oh beery one. I have never "hated" any of the above. I wanted Souness removed from his job because he was harming my club. Until the recent run of poor results and his decision to give Neill the captaincy, Hughes has always had my full support. The other two needed to be sacked, but I was hardly alone in thinking that. What is mystifying is your continued support of the discredited Souness and your refusal to criticise the club over any matter. Look at yourself in the mirror and you will see an idiot of the villiage variety.

Usual tripe from the boardroom apologist. Neill has been quoted as saying he would like to join Liverpool (Hughes acknowledged such after the match last night) and that is reason enough in my book for him being dropped from the team and being roundly booed by supporters who help to pay his wages and were at Ewood decades before he was born and will still be there decades after he has left. The fact that Hughes chose to make him captain of my club is an insult to Rovers fans in my view. Neil is an ordinary player whose performances since the World Cup last summer have been lamentable, none more so than last night when he was lucky not to give away a penalty and showed a general lack of interest. He should be fined by Hughes for his goal "celebration". The sooner he is sold the better.

Awful game, totally undeserved victory, but that's footie. Todd probably out Saturday; only one central defender available.

Great player Lucas

Neill and McEveley are having nightmares. Nancy hit the post when should have scored

Possibly another penalty, McEveley bundling over a Nancy player. Todd off .... another injury ? Nolan (?) on

Should have been penalty to Nancy; Friedel clearly tripped their player.

Even more embarrassing than Phillips winning the award was her truly dreadful acceptance speech in which the Royal trollope managed to say the word "amazing" seven times. "Amazing" to think that she has been privately educated. Money it seems cannot buy the capacity to think.

Does the fact he is Asian have any relevance except to reinforce your racist agenda ? I sincerely hope the Ipswich maniac is caught soon and also sincerely hope he is white and local. Another schoolboy composition from little Lord Rothermere on the evils of immigration would be too much to bear.

Some great memories chaps, and yes the present ground is fantastic but no, it does not have the atmosphere of the old ground. My best memories of the old Ewood were actually playing on the hallowed turf in schoolboy finals. We won them both too and received the cup on both occasions from Ronnie Clayton. Sad to think my playing career peaked at the age of 11.