And another escape. Rovers determined to let it slip.

Another escape. Todorov should have scored.

Moi. Rovers sitting back far too much in second half.

1-0 pompey

I'm worried about this one (I worry about every game). Redknapp is a good manager and the feeble performance at Arsenal apart, his team are starting to show signs of improvement. They have not lost three successive matches at home and their away form will surely follow suit. LuaLua is a danger and O'Neil is in the sort of form that prompted Celtic to offer £7 million for him two years ago. After the euphoria of the JJB, a dull 0-0.

Just to reiterate how much Owen means to Newcastle, they have won only one game (against Sunderland) when he has not been playing and his goals alone have kept the club out of the bottom three. No wonder Souness was in a foul mood yesterday. Without Owen, Newcastle are sunk and they have no money for a replacement either. Should be fun to watch events at St James Park over the next few months.

Sunderland are so poor Rovers' academy team would give them a good game. An nice, easy 4-0 win. Ewood-bound Mark Delaney scored for Villa today.

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere but how many tickets are Rovers likely to be given for the Old Trafford match ?

Not sure about that, I love my footy but last summer's Ashes contest was the most tense, nerve-wracking, ball-scrunching, squeaky-bum arse wrenching sporting contest I have ever witnessed. I aged 5 years in five weeks, which isn't good at my time of life. McClaren was livid with his team after last night's non-performance so Middlesbrough are nailed-on to give us a right hammering on Boxing Day.

1 SOCCER Middlesbrough Quotes HUGHES TARGETS FINAL By Damian Spellman, PA Sport Mark Hughes set his sights on the Carling Cup final after Blackburn striker Paul Dickov’s last-minute heroics at Middlesbrough earned the manager a semi-final clash with former club Manchester United. Dickov struck after Shefki Kuqi’s shot was deflected into his path with seconds of normal time remaining, to clinch a victory which was nothing more than his side deserved. “On the basis of the performance this evening, we have shown we are a good side and I think a lot of good teams would have struggled to match us this evening, whoever we played. The semi-final over two legs is a great opportunity for us,” said Hughes. “I thought we were excellent from start to finish. We dominated the game and looked really strong and powerful right through the game. “The only concern really was the amount of chances we failed to take. When that happens, you wonder if you are going to get a reward for your efforts. “But we kept going and looked really strong in the latter part of the game and thankfully got the goal that has seen us through.” Hughes was delighted with the performance of midfielder Robbie Savage and played down suggestions the Welshman he had been spat at during an exchange with Emanuel Pogatetz, after he had been booked for a foul on Adam Johnson. “The lad came up to him and shouted something at him and maybe something flew out of his mouth, but to say that he was spat on is possibly a little strong,” said Hughes. “We are not going to make an issue out of it. We wouldn’t want that to overshadow a great night for Blackburn Rovers because I thought our play was excellent this evening. “I thought he (Savage) was excellent. It was arguably one of his best games since he came to the club and his energy and his willingness to get the job done and the impact he had on the game - probably since he has been here, he hasn’t had as much impact as he has usually had in previous games in his career. “But that showed the level he needs to be at and hopefully he will continue in that vein.” Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren was furious with his side’s display and told them so as their best chance of a trophy this season disappeared. “I’m very disappointed, very angry,” said McClaren. “We have limped out of the tournament. It was a great opportunity tonight and we haven’t taken it. “I can’t defend the performance, the performance was poor. We were second best to everything and it wasn’t good enough. We play (against Blackburn) again in five days’ time and we have got to be a sight better that we were tonight. “It was the strongest possible team that we could put out in our desire to progress, but we didn’t do it on the night. Credit to Blackburn, they deserved the win. “It was only a matter of time before they scored and it was a surprise that it took so long. It didn’t really give us time to react. We could have got out of jail, but Blackburn deserved it.”

Doncaster 2-1

Rovers playing well and dominatingy, but Nelsen fortunate not be booked for foul on Jimmy Floyd.

I tottered away from Craven Cottage (having had a barrel load of whisky trying to keep warm) thoroughly fed up after another abject performance that was a disgrace to the famous blue-and-white halved shirt. I have had enough of half-hearted displays from Emerton and sincerely hopes he leaves the club in the transfer window and the sooner Delaney replaces the idiotic Neill the better. That they are both Australian is only a co-incidence. Hughes needs to get back to basics and make Rovers the difficult team to beat that somehow managed to avoid relegation last season. If that means a packed midfield with Mokoena in the team to protect the defence then so be it. After watching Rovers condede so many soft goals this season a few 0-0 draws would make me exceedingly happy.

The Rovers store has turned from a Marks and Spencer into a Matalan. The whole family used to buy Rovers merchandise for Christmas - great-grandparents, grandparents, mum, dad, kids, aunties, uncles, the lot. Not any more. The choice of goods is limited and the little that is available is of poor quality. B***** about service and b***** to the fans. The shop is outsourced for one reason only - to save money in the short term. John Williams' and Tom Finn's salaries and expense accounts have to be paid for somehow.

Now here's a good reason for attending the Wigan match. Dave Whelan has announced that all Rovers suporters entering the JJB Stadium will be given free pies as a "thank you" to the club he was proud to represent as a a player in the late 1950s/early 1960s. I've ordered mine, with a double helping of peas and gravy.

The story was reported by the LET and a Manchester-based agency but none of the national news agencies had a line about it - probably because Bellamy being injured isn't news anymore. Lift and dust.

Strangely, there is no mention of Bellamy being injured on the Press Association wires. If true it will be back to basics for Hughes over the next month with a packed five-man midfield and trying to eke out draws where we can. I'd be happy with a 1-1 with West Ham for a start.

As far as I am aware Barcelona were not up to their eyeballs in debt with foreign absentee owners who in order to make their bankers happy have to make a turn on their "investment" within a very short period of time. Barcelona were able to spend their way out of trouble by buying players such as Ronaldinho. United do not have that option.

Wonderful to watch an empire slowly crumble until it is nothing but dust. The first crack in the wall was Ferguson's misguided decision to stay several years ago. United have won the league since but that was misleading: Ferguson and United had passed their peak and were on the way down. The next bricks to tumble were the fallout with Beckham, who became the first of United's golden generation to leave the club, and Ferguson's increasingly inept deals in the transfer market to replace his ageing squad (Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson anyone ?). The pace of decline has quickened in the past year with the decline in form of key players such as van Nistelrooy, Scholes, Giggs and Ferdinand, the obvious divisions in the club that led to the departure of the talismanic Keane, the decision of Vodafone to pull out (no one wants to back a losing horse) and now this, departure from Europe. The Glazers were fools, making the equivalent mistake of buying the stockmarket when it had passed its peak and was about to enter a severe downturn. They will be sitting at home now, doing their sums and working out how they are going to service their massive debts without the income of European footballl. Do not be suprised if the club's prize asset, Rooney, were sold and the highest earners, such as Ferdinand, transferred to get him off the payroll. Then there is the question of replacing the lameduck Ferguson. Who would want the job with the best players too old and no money to replace them ? United are in freefall and it is marvellous to behold. And to think in a few years it will happen to Chelsea too.

The Walker Family at about £680 million are in there but it interesting to note that the combined wealth of Gold and Sullivan is more than 1 billion, putting struggling Brum third in the richest owners' list. All of them pale in comparison to Abramovich of course. Bergkamp has been on a huge contract at Arsenal for a long time and is said to have invested his earnings wisely. Likewise Robbie Fowler, who owns streets of houses in the Oldham area. Surprised not to see Flitcroft in there as he is also a property "entrepreneur".

Bolton are averaging more than 25,200 in the league this season so it is highly likely that "floating supporters" in the Darwen/Chorley/Horwich areas have switched from Ewood to the Reebok. Not surprising really in view of the dire "entertainment" served up at Ewood last season and the fact that (unbelievably) Bolton are seen as "sexier" because of Big Sam's high media profile and the club's good run in Europe. Beating Arsenal last week did them no harm either. Rovers giving Bolton a good stuffing at home next month might go some way towards winning those fans back.

Gascoigne has been arrested over an alleged assault according to reports today. If he somehow manages to live as long as George Best I'll eat my trilby hat.

Yup, a leaky defence and an inability to score goals = lost matches. Very odd phenomenon. "Playing well" + losing >> declining confidence >> lack of ambition >> poor form >> more defeats = relegation. Seen it many times dear boy.

It's worrying that we are reported to have "played well" in our last two league games yet have lost on aggregate 5-0. Teams "playing well" but losing usually end up in the relegation zone.

Typical Rovers to flop after an uplifting performance in the previous game but David Moyes showed what a good manager he is today by spotting the frailties in the Rovers defence when he attended the Charlton match in midweek. Lots of huff and puff from Rovers today but again no cutting edge. Tugay was poor. Two new signings needed in January to make sure of a mid-table position at the end of the season and avoid becoming involved in the relegation battle.