Squad... Blackburn (from): Friedel, Amoruso, Short, Gresko, Emerton, Neill, Gray, Tugay, Ferguson, Thompson, de Pedro, Flitcroft, Stead, Yorke, Matteo, Johansson, Pedersen, Dickov, Enckelman.

Man Utd (from): Howard, Carroll, Ricardo, P Neville, G Neville, O'Shea, Silvestre, Spector, Ronaldo, Miller, Djemba-Djemba, Fletcher, Kleberson, Scholes, Smith, Saha, Giggs, Bellion.

I really didnt understand souness's team last night, SO MANY defenders all over the pitch and the defending was woeful. Seem like he set out for a draw with that team...

Wonder what the odds are for us to get our first pen tomorrow? I have a sneaky feeling for some reason. Must be the meds.

sorry

Referee: Andy D'Urso

Lundekvam now OUT

Rod Marsh's : Match Preview... << CLICK HERE >>

Course he is... we are relegation contenders judging last years performances, especially at home.

I would rather Souness rant at his players and fall out with a few of them... the ones he has fallen out with are a.) Yorke - who the rovers fans loved to hate last season. Souenss obviously saw the same lazy, bone idol performances we did and did something about it. It wasnt pleasant at the time but throughout pre-season and against WBA he ran his socks off. So it has done something to him? b.) Todd - refused to sit on the bench v Leeds and stormed off home. If your boss asked you to do something at work and you refused, got in your car and went home, like Todd did would you still have a job ? Souness came out at the start of last season and said the aim is to survive, he was right. He has said the same this season. Apart from the big 5 in the premiership the rest of the teams are equal. So Souness is plainly stating that we are never gonna win the league so our aim is to get 40 points as soon as possible. Depending on how many games are left we can then look to improving on that and push up the table. Yeah, ok we had a poor season last year.. but 2 of our key players were out - Thompson and Ferguson. That was out of Souness' control. Im sure we would never have gone in for Baggio if we had cold hard cash to spend.

Was very impressed with their 2 centre halves - Gaardsoe & Purse.

Ask Bryan Robson

<< Rodney Marsh : On Blackburn >>

Season Preview: Firstly, this would be my team for tomorrow - Friedel, emerton (r/back) Amoruso, Matteo,Gray,Neil (til Thompson's fit), Ferguson, Tugay, De Pedro, Stead, Gallagher. Swap Neill & emerton around cus they're useless in their proper positions Season preview Brad Friedel is a must at no. 1, it`s debatable whether he will be fit for the whole season, but I think Enckelman isn`t that bad as an understudy. Right back is a problem. We will probably have to stick with Neill if doesn`t get banged up for GBH before august is out. I would try Emerton there but I dont think souey will, he will try & drum it into him that his teammates play in blue & white. The blue shorts will really ###### him up. Central defence ? Another problem area. If Amoruso carries on where he left off he should be OK, but he frightens me to death when somebody with pace runs at him. You would think, being an Italian, he could go like the clappers backwards. Craig Short should be good for 12-15 games. Matteo is our best signing of the summer, but leave him at centre half. Johannson has the odd good game but I think he`s had his chance now. I would have liked to have seen McEvely played at centre half in a couple of the friendlies, I hope he doesn`t disappear into obscurity now.Souey should make friends with Todd. Should be OK at left back with Gray & Gresko to cover. Right midfield/forward. He will probably persevere with Emerton & if he`s still sh!t after a few games put Thompson there. Gallagher is another option but I prefer the shad lad in the middle. Left midfield/forward. De Pedro is probably going to make the side, but I`ll reserve judgment because I`ve only seen him once. If we go all defensive like Douglas will play. Forwards ? Our biggest problem , in my opinion. I think Stead is quality, but who to play with him, I`m not convinced our resident porn star is any different from last season. Dickov might be OK , but I can`t see him getting into double figures. If we`re going to sign any more players, forwards are a priority. Manager, Souey is the man. We will finish 14th. The broader picture, top four, Arsenal (if they keep Vieira), Chelsea, Liverpool, Man u. Bottom three from, WBA, Norwich, Palace,Everton, City, Portsmouth and us. Chelsea for the FA cup Boro to retain t`other cup Burnley to go down Stanley to go up City to buy more asylum seekers

No surprises here, I suppose, but Ferguson will start. He is capt after all. << Vogts praises Ferguson >>

Im trying to be postive.. but your probably right!

Predictions for tomorrow: Villa 2 - 0 Southampton Blackburn 3 - 1 West Brom Bolton 1 - 1 Charlton Man City 1 - 2 Fulham Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Newcastle Norwich 0 - 0 Crystal Palace Portsmouth 1 - 1 Birmingham Spurs 2 - 1 Liverpool Chelsea 3 - 1 Man Utd Everton 1 - 4 Arsenal ------------ Unibond League, or whatever its called now... Watford 4 - 0 Burnley

WBA squad from: Hoult, Scimeca, Purse, Gaardsoe, Moore, Albrechtsen, Robinson, Gera, Johnson, Greening, Kanu, Horsfield, Dobie, Clement, Sakiri, O’Connor, Gregan, A Chambers, Kuszczak

Yeah, I heard that. He played there in CL for Feyenoord so you never know.

Blackburn Rovers kick off their new season at home against Premiership new boys West Brom on Saturday. Rovers have a virtually fully fit side apart from the useless Steven Reid who picked up a foot injury dodging out of a tackle at Preston in a friendly a few weeks ago. Brad Friedel should return between the sticks to replace old teflon gloves - Peter Enckelman. Nils Eric Johannsen, unfortunately, is fit but rovers fans will be hoping he is not given a place in the team after seeing the way he soils his pants when called on to defend. Dominic Matteo, probably Leeds best player last season looks set to make his home debut and Souness will be hoping he shores up a leaky defence which conceded sloppy goals all last season. Italian stallion Lorenzo Amoruso should partner Matteo in the centre - lets just hope he gets out of bed on the right side the morning of the game, or we could be in for a nail-biting 'Christian Dailly' styleee afternoon. The consistent Michael Gray will be left back, while Lucas 'break a leg' Neill will be on the opposite side. OPTA stats revealed he gave the ball away 1,378, 145,156 times last year. Rovers fans will be hoping he looks slightly better this season. Can he be any worse? Midfield selection is an interesting one for Souness with more options than he has had for a while. However, it looks likely that Brett Emerton will start on the right wing despite being diagnosed by a top doctor he had 'centre-itis'. The rare disease, also suffered by past rovers player Keith Gillespie causes players to want to cut inside to the centre of the pitch all the time rather than run down the wing. Emerton is believed to have had this disease all last season, apart from Wolves away when an injection before the came caused him to run down the wing, cross the ball and let Andy Cole in to score. Doctors at Brockhall are working round the clock to find a cure for the disease which was causing several riversiders to throw their bovril away in disgust. On the opposite flank, 31 year old Javier De Pedro looks all set to replace the young, quick energetic Damien Duff with his distinct spanish accent and large gut. I can already see shades of Dario Marcolin about him. Tremendous. In the centre of midfield, new captain Barry Ferguson will replace the ageing Garry 'shagger' Flitcroft. 'Flitty' as he is compassionately known to his many fans and lap dancers will have to settle for a place on the bench. At the other end of the alcohol fuelled, gambling, perverse world of 'shagger' Flitcroft comes Bazza's midfield partner - the Turk, Tugay. The blend of dazzling tricks and through balls followed by loss of possession in key areas should go hand in hand to make all rovers fans want a flat beer at half time. Finally, up-front Souness has plenty of options with the hungry Stead, saviour of last season and Blackburn lad Paul Gallagher providing youth up front. Paul Dickov returns from La Manga Jail FC and rovers fans should expect nothing more than 110% off him. Dwight Yorke's proposed move to Margate fell through, and now Souness claims he loves him, so you may see him start come 3pm on Saturday Boing Boing? My arse

Rovers fans were singing 'you are the king of pornography' to Yorke while he was signing autographs. He stucked thumbs up at them and started laughing.

What a disaster!

I was drinking with him yesterday!

only 6? you best be ready for drinking more than that!!

I can confirm that 1k tickets have been sold from my very good source at the PNE ticket office; who also assure me we have plenty more if we needs them.