Here's the definitive Jay Bothroyd article from When Saturday Comes. Make your own mind up! Or if you're in the Souness can do nothing right camp, come up with what ever crap argument you can. Cue Rover6....

I can't see him not signing. However, what I don't understand is the club's transfer strategy. Only a fortnight ago Souness said that a defensive midfield was the priority. And when we signed De Pedro, JW was quoted as saying that when the Spaniard became available, we ended our interest in Pederson. Now that may all be a smokescreen, but we appear to be signing two attacking midfield players, one for the left side, where we already have De Pedro. I'm not saying that we don't need more attacking options, hopefully with pace, but I'm a bit confused.

A strange match this one. The first thing to say is that WBA never looked like scoring, bar from a dead ball situation. Although that has as much to do with Albion's lack of desire to get forward and lack of abiity, as Rovers' defensive acumen. They were a very poor team, if fairly solid at the back. The first half was characterised by a lack of shape from the Rovers, with three players de Perdo, Gresko and Gray, hugging the left touch line at times. Although the passing was neat enough, too many long balls were thrown up to the front two, who struggled to create anything. In particular Stead looked out of sorts and shot from range when a short ball to Yorke would have seen my man of the match in on goal. I was worried by Dedro's lack of mobility, but I understand he's been victim to an injury in pre-season. Second half and the introduction of Tugay and Dickov transformed the blues. Albion found it impossible to pick up Yorke who played as well as I've seen him at Ewood for a long time. Dickov was excellent, but Stead was still a bit quiet. Possession wasn't tuned into chances though, although Emerton missed a sitter. Two points dropped. We msut do better. Still don't like the blue shorts.

I used to love Johny Price tearing round the right wing and remember "that goal" by John MacNamee, that seemed to belted from the half way line. Beamo and Don Martin were classic anti-heroes too. I also loved Tony Field and Rgoer Jones as a kid. But I guess Hendry and Garner have to be automatic choices which leaves one place free. I don't think anyone post-Hendry fits the bill, so I've gone for David Bradford.

I remember going to see the Rovers play the Prague club sometime in the early 70s, at Ewood Park. Anyone know the details? (I think we won).

I don't have a grudge against anyone on the board as such, i jsut found thenodrog's post offensive and i think i the right to say so. As for my infrequent posting on the MBoard, I've said what i think about Cole and was one of a handful of MBoard members who defended Souness in the last half of the season... when all around you.... and so on. Sometimes less really is more.

I think we have to reserve making a judgement on Cole leaving the club until a few games into the season. For sure Cole - along with Duff - saved us from relegation. But apart from a handful of games towards the end of last season when he linked up with Stead, Cole looked like a busted flush. The fans should be given an explanation by the club though to how we've got into this situation. Oh and Rover6, as someone else pointed out, Sukur didn't start against Man United during his time at the club. If my memory serves me right he did come on the second half and was very, very poor. But heh, don't let the facts get in the way of a bad argument.

Look on the bright side: just think how really gutted we'd all be if that happened to the Rovers.

I think 1864Roverite has got it wrong. How you can give Flitcroft any kind of endorsement whilst criticising Tugay is to be kind, crazy. Flitty was anonymous, Tugay on the other hand was involved in nearly everything that was positive about Rovers' performance. He looked, for once, like the player of the last couple of seasons. Douglas did very well too, linking with Gray on number of occasions. He fought well and played some nice stuff around the box. The boys up from did well, with Cole putting in another excellent performance. Reid was woeful and rightly substituted.

For god's sake blue phil. What's best is that people don't use vile racist language and that people, whatever their ethnicity, are treated with respect. Is that too much to ask for? As for older people using that kind of language, well there's bound to be a few, but most would know that it's wrong. Ron has even less defence though, because he's been in an environment where that kind of crap isn't tolerated - and he still routinely uses that kind of bigoted nonsense.

It's difficult to imagine something more offensive than calling a black person what Ron did. I mean who lets a word like "nigger" slip out? As Ian Wright said Ron uses that type of language regularly. And the "Ron is old so eh says that kind of thing" is another crap argument. Most people of Ron's generation do not use that kind of racist language. If I used that kind of language at work I'd be out - and rightly so - and so should Ron. You have to have standards in public life and not using the most craven racist stereotyping language is one of them. As for black people using the term. Firstly, it's not something that's done generally. It's like gay people using "queer", or Irish people "Paddy", or Spurs' fans "yid". It's about about people who suffer from discrimination reclaiming the langusge that's used against them and using it as a badge of honour, stikcing two fingers up to the bigots.

As someome else has pointed out on this site, Rover6 is like someone who when asked the time, always gives the same answer. He or she is going to right twice a day. The main reason for our position has been injuries to key players - Thompson, Amo, Ferguson.

This season is difficult to unpick and understand. It's worth saying though that the the tide of hysteria that's grabbed the board over the last couple of weeks has seen a host of posts levelling the most bizarre accusations at Souness and some of the players. The main one is that they did not try against Leeds, or for that matter all season. Well that's appeared to be the case in a couple fo games - Villa at home and Liverpool away spring to mind. However that's not been the real problem, which is the fact that we have had a series of injuries, below-par perfromances and a lack of professionalism from some senior players. For me Scotty summed up, excellently, the current state of the side in his balanced report on the Leeds game. Injuries - four of Souness' major signings have been out nearly all season. The midfield has missed Ferguson, Thompson and Reid. The first two would have been first choice and Reid, given time and a run in the side, has the pace and strength to make an important contribution. Amo has attracted a lot of criticism, but the jury must be out on him. Against Leeds, at least he showed some leadership and took responsibility for the team. Again with a run in the team, he can only improve - as Fergie was doing, as he picked up the pace of the premiership. I doubt that a Rovers' side with three of those four playing all season, would be where it is now. The underachievers Friedel. Last season Souness said he was worth 10-15 points. Well he's dropped a few this season - the resuting points lost would see us safe. Tugay. From the best passer the club has ever seen to.... Remember Cetic away when he ran the game. Has it really been the same player this season? Although part of the problem has been those around him who been unwilling to receive the ball and make options. Gresko. Looked fantastic last season, a nightmare this season. Duff's absence aside, can anyone explain the turnaround? Neil. Poor all season. However calls for Curtis and even Babbel to fill the position are wide of the mark. Babbel. For me he has been a disgrace. A lack of application on the pitch, combined with a seires of ill-judged comments if it. Cole. Started well, got injured. Looks slow and a shadow of his former self. Yorke. OK I'll admit it. He's my favourite player and the Rovers' best bet of unlocking defences. If Souness has made a mistake this season it's not getting enough out of Yorke and Cole. Having said that until Xmas the fans were on Yorke and Cole's backs - post Xmas it's Souness' fault they haven't performed. It must be a bit of both - but the Rvoers' first choice two for me. Can ayone account for such a slump in form the players above? Is Souness really to blame for a combination of injuries and a lack of form from key players? The odds and sods Jansen. A crying shame, but I don't know anyone who thinks he'll ever play football properly again. Emerton. We all know that a host of clubs wanted to sign Emerton and we rejoiced when Souness got him to come to Ewood. He's done Ok for me. He works hard and is an excellent crosser of the ball. But he's playing in a poor team and not getting the ball in the right areas of the pitch. In a team performing as it did last season Emerton would have done well. Gally and Stead have done OK, but right now aren't the answer to the club's dire situation. Souness' mistakes The main one in my book is not getting enough from the senior players, especially the front two pairing of Cole and Yorke. Starting two kids against Liverpool was madness. Elsewhere in the team he's had little choice of who to play. The midfield - arguments about the left wing aside - has picked itself. And those calling for Danns or Donnelly to start have really showed themselves to be dunderheads. The back four has chopped and changed with injuires and suspensions. Only Nissa can feel a little badly done to and Taylor was poor all season. And remember their run in the team last season coincided with a poor run of results. Only Short and Berg's return changed things at the back. So my view is that Souness, although not blameless, has had key players missing most of the season and key players taking a dip in form. The extent to which it's his fault is unclear, but to sack him now would be a folly.

I don't believe I have to write this, but Souness doesn't mean it literally.

Sometimes clubs with good teams and good managers get sucked into relegation battles. It's a fact of footballing life. A win yesterday and our position would have tranformed. The plain facts are that Souness has been a success at the club, and everyone knows that. Jim who basks in the boast that he's been calling for Souness to be sacked, "for months" is a joke. He is unserious and get a kick out of the blue's recent failures. Along with Rover6 and others he clogs up the board with the same negative tripe - day after day after day. There is no balance and no insight into the repetitive half-cocked abuse thrown at Souness, the players, the Board, John Williams and god knows who else. For example Jim rails against the players, when anyone at yesterday's game knows that there a number of excellent performances and that we were let down by some inept defending. Then there's Rover6 who's short time on the Board has been spent making one washed up proposal after another - "Mahon's the answer" when anyone who's watched him play over the last few years know that he isn't good enough, or maybe Danns, Donnely. Douglas. Well they're promising kids, but they won't get us out through a relegation battle. And then we get the endless attacks on Souness' signings, when the truth -and again everyone know this - is that Souness has brought in some excellent players - Freidal, Berg, Hughes, Neill, Tugay, Ferguson, Cole, Babbel, Bjornybye. And who are the bad buys? Grabbi of course and then to be honest there are a few fringe players that every club brings in. The jury is out on Amo, Yorke, Reid and Emerton, but the later is improving. And who didn't want Gresko at the club at the end of last season? So the jibes at Souness's signings are basically a lie. Under Souness Jansen, Duff and Dunn were transformed as players and again everyone knows this. So what we're left with is a load of empty abuse, not based on the facts or the club's recent history adn which to be honest I doubt could be sustained by true Rvoers' supporters. The worrying thing is that some of the more rational members of the board are giving succour to the infantile tendency and need to catch themslves on.

I'm losing the will to live.

Rover6. Have you watched any of the teams Souness has put out sicne his arrival? Negative is the last thing you could have described them as. Please tell me you're a wind-up.

Souness and the players must dig us out of the position we're in - anything else is a fanciful diversion. The club's situation could be transformed with a couple of wins, but... it's very easy to be relegated from the Premiership - even with a good squad of players - as West Ham found last out last season. We need a win or two soon.

Anyone calling for Souness to be sacked must have the IQ of a five year old child. Rover6 I don't want to get personal but you are talking the biggest pile of w*nk that I've read on this MB in the last three or four years (and that includes my close friend Mr Tdrog). OK things aren't going too well and perhaps Souness has made mistakes, but which manager hasn't? Grow up or knob off back to the official board.

Slept on it and feel no obligation to alter one jot of my opinions of Rover6. His/her comments since joining the board have been, from start to finish, drivel, idiotic, badley informed, plain wrong. All teams have bad periods, all players have poor runs of form and all managers make mistakes. Freedom of speech, of course! But we expect certain standards on this MB in my opinion.

Like I've sadi elsewhere Rvoer6 is punting for the worse use of the internet in the annual Groby awards. What a dick!

Hmmmm. Thenodross claims he only insults in retaliation to me and Jim. Wrong as usual. I only describe his unending barrage of abuse and insults of people different than him by its proper term - bigotry. You get the insults in first Thenoo and don't just reserve them for an individual or two. Rather you make them against whole peoples or races. That's a red card offence in my book, so count yourself lucky.

If controversial is shorthand for an unending stream of uneducated prejudice, mixed with a liberal sprinkling of racist bile then Thenodrog take the stand, except the award and enjoy it. You've certainly earned it! Got to go now - just of to see controversial comic act Bernard Manning.

It's unlikely you will Mr Thingdog, we have a house policy of no entry to neaderthals.

Graham, this is how it happened: 1. Paul leaves Blackburn aged 18 to go to University and never returns 2. In Manchester Paul meets Jenny - born in Belfast - who already has young son. Father is Celtic (and United) fan. 3. Said boy follows Rovers until old enough to realise that all his friends back United and Irish family support Celtic. 4. Boy, now aged 13, is made clear about the sectarian support of the Scottish big two by mother. Not unreasonably, living in Manchester, he thinks it's crap and can't really work out what religion has to do with football. So there you have it - 13 year old has better insight into the issue than most of the Celtic fans who have posted here.