Perhaps if he had tracked back with SWP in the semi, instead of standing and wtaching him run past, we may have gone through on penalties. He really isnt very good.

Paul Birch

Jose Morinho

David Davies

George Courtney

Eddie McGoldrick

boring

My thoughts on the subject

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?showtopic=12819&st=246

This topic has been debated at length in the liverpool thread, hardly think there was need to start another.

353908[/snapback]

Gearge Courtney - Eddie McGoldrick dived you thick geordie @#/?.

Just ask him the thickness of the dust in their trophy cabinet.

347288[/snapback]

Thieves broke into the NUFC trophy room. Police are looking for a thief with a black and white carpet.

That's just not true American.  We changed to 4-5-1 because we were getting pi55ed on.

346903[/snapback]

Yes it is true, fist half we definately looked the better team. However after an early goal at the start of the second half, panic changes by MH made the players look like they had no idea what they should have been doing.

.

Compare him to any whinging footballer you get now, who sulks as soon as he emerges into the first team, and you come unstuck. He fought with Batty because Batty was being a complete tit.

Well done Graeme, thanks for the memories.

Do me a favour, he was an absolute disgrace whne he decided that he wanted to leave the club, he just stood on the field and put ZERO effort in, what response is that to the fans who always supported him? Don't be fooled by his slightly more eductated pronunciation than other pro footballers, the man engineered his move by basically going on strike whilst wearing the Rovers shirt. Rememeber his quate when he left Chelsea to join us "i would have to go lower than a snakes belly to return to Stamford Bridge" where did he go when he left us? Good footballer when it suites him.

Well we were ripped off at 7 million, and they have been ripped off at 5 million. He really is not worth that amount.

whoops, see transfer thread!

No, this needs a thread of its own, but, unfortunately, how predictable.

What a stupid thread for stupid pillocks with stupidly short memories!

With our squad, our defence and our early season form I'll be happy to finish above any 3 other clubs this season!

Wow, how ironic! Defence, how many goals now conceded in 8 games?

What a refereshing site, a Rovers team that battled for every ball and had the fitness to do so for a full 90 minutes. A far cry from some of the displays of the bygone Souness era.

When I saw the line-up I was a bit surprised by Johansson's shift to left-back but could understand Hughes' thinking what with McEveley a little mistake-prone and Short back. I was only hoping he wouldn't do one of his disappearing acts. I needn't have worried, he was superb.

Rovers came out of the blocks like whippets (or other fast moving creatures) and should have gone ahead inside the first 2 minutes, some neat play in midfield, cracking ball by Tugay set Reid away and his cross should have been converted by Emerton at the far post.

As it was, we didn't have to wait long for the first goal - a couple of other half-chances had come Rovers' way before Gallagher nipped in in front of a static Fulham defence to convert Reid's low cross. We were in front! A real novelty this season.

It was forgivable to think we may sit back and try and grind out a one-nil win, however Rovers continued to tear into Fulham; Tugay, Emerton and Dickov were exceptional and Johansson was bombing up and down the left flank like a man possessed - twice in the first half his presence in the Fulham box caused havoc which could have lead to an opening.

At the other end Radzinski - who I still maintain was offside when the ball was played - should have buried a one-on-one, but instead scooped it wide. Had Boa Morte been on the pitch it would've been 1-1.

The rest of the first half was all one-way, although Rovers failed to make too many clear-cut chances, only Emerton's two shots from the edge of the box really stand out. But there was plenty to cheer about if you were wearing blue-and-white at half time.

Inevitably Fulham started the second half brightly and forced an early corner but little else. Rovers were counter-attacking at pace with Emerton, Reid, Gallagher and Dickov giving Fulham's defence the runaround. As the half wore on the defence started to look a little edgy and once or twice only a last ditch block prevented Fulham getting a shot on goal.

Then came, in my opinion, the defining moment of the game - Andy Cole burst past Todd and Neill (it might have been Short I couldn't quite see) after Johansson had got caught way upfield. Only a brilliant one-handed stop from Friedel kept us in front.

Minutes later Dickov burst into the box and turned Zat Knight who blatantly stuck his arm out to divert the ball out of play. A penalty and Knight's second booking of the game. Dickov's penalty past Van Der Sar, who had replaced Crossley after an hour, was inch perfect. We were home and dry...

That is until the Rovers defence returned to their jittery selves - so composed for 80 minutes, suddenly Diop, McBride and Cole all had shooting opportunities following defensive lapses but none really troubled Friedel.

Thompson came on for the last few minutes and gave the ball away a lot, Emerton failed to make the most of a run on goal and Matteo came on to waste some time, and there it was, Blackburn's first away win of the season - and fully deserved; outbattled, outplayed, outran Fulham throughout. Play like that every week and we'll be vying for Europe not relegation.

As an aside, once again Blackburn scored goals and no doubt next week Mark Lawrenson will be "unable to see where the goals are coming from". Someone should mail some glasses to the man.

Match Ratings: Friedel - 7, Little to do apart from the save from Cole

Neill - 8, Looked solid throughout

Short - 7, Steady at the back but didn't win as many headers as I'd expected

Todd - 6, Made a hash of several clearances but otherwise composed

Johansson - 8, Played really well I thought as an overlapping full-back, tackled well and ran for 90 minutes

Emerton - 9, Class throughout, ran Fulham's defence all over the place

Tugay - 9, Ran midfield, thoroughly commited, do that every week!

Ferguson - 7, Quiet I thought but his passing was near faultless

Reid - 7, Few clumsy touches but his strength and power going forward created plenty of openings

Dickov - 9, Man of the match, made Fulham's defence look like a pub side, ran them all over the park, held the ball up, played clever passes, virtually ran the game from the front. Fully deserved his goal. Brilliant.

Gallagher - 7, Scored a good goal, got himself about a bit, faded a bit second half.

Overall, a really, really good performance but those defensive frailties are still there and you have to wonder if it would have been different with Boa Morte on the pitch. I can go to bed happy tonight!

Just goes to show the difference between going live and watching on telly. Todd looked absolutely fantastic, Neil superb, Ferguson pleanty of ball - ran midfield, Gallagher - everywhere and defended from the front made the difference to how we had been playing.

Anyone got any news on Javi de Pedro? Why is he not even on the bench?

Is he injured or has the penny dropped that signing a fat bloke who has hardly kicked a football since the 2002/03 season was not a very bright idea. Came on a Bosman did someone say? And how much are we paying him? Free? I should coco.

What is the official situation with him?

You mean the man 'with a left foot like a wand'?

why isnt Paul Shepstone on that list ???

Isnt he still one the run in Liverpool somewhere?