greetings from Lanzarote where it is bloody red hot and there is NO sign of rain,snow or hail !! 1 0 Rovers

after the recent arguments about one of our midfielders, today I went to the game and did a "TUGAY watch". A very brief summary follows: Tugay = enigma. No doubting his pass and movement skills, he passed the ball around quite well and put in a few little tackles. He did quite well in the first half but faded quick. Downside. He nearly cost us a goal second before the half time whistle. In the second half he gave far too many passes away, committed himself to too many stupid tackles, gave several daft fouls away and generally, left his head in the changing room. That said. The Rovers were simply fantastic. A lesson they learned today, you cannot ever dominate a football team like Arsenal with pure football, it takes hard graft and a bit of luck. Thats what we fans saw today. 1-0 against the Arse is a bloody great achievement. My players of todays game. Todd was solid and kept Henry at bay. Lucas and Nelsen were immense. Reid was solid as was Gray. Roberto Savaage (as described Stu Hall) was simply superb, ran his little coton socks off. Bellamy was a joy to behold. Finally, as I head off for a weeks sun in Lanzarote, I want to thank Graeme Souness for the biggest favour he has ever done our Football Club. That is that he kicked Bellamy out of St James Park and he landed at Blackburn via Celtic. Thanks Souey, got any regrets ?

They obviously do not make Scottish players like they used to !! Who really gives a rats ar£e about Amoruso anyway, he really has failed to make the Rovers grade ? So long go and rejoin wee barry and get yourself a few medals !!!

Lorenzo who ??

The alternative League Cup Final. Rovers to nick it

The muppets who gloat over his injury are nothing really but moronic clowns. break your legs and ankles like that and see if you like it, muppets. As bad as he is being a manure player, he doesnt deserve the injury or pain like he got.

whyov I have been appreciating ROVERS for over 35 years and believe me when I say it is MY OPINION and VIEW about Tugay. I never said he was never class - he was "WAS" being the most appropriate word to use. Sunderland did not have 1 that is ONE first class midfielder in their team, if they did, my football knowledge is obviously so very poor and my glasses need changing. Rovers midfield were stretched simply because of the ball being given away. Yes I agree Tugay should have been the creative spark, but he simply didnt cut it last night apart from 1 pass, the more incisive passing came from Lucas Neill and he is the bloody right back. Rovers were far more effective in the last 20 minutes in going forward, that is becasue they kept the ball and didnt give it away. You have your view and that is mine. I stick by it. And, if you think taht Koumas couldnt do a job for Rovers then pray tell me fella, just who do you think could provide the killer passes at the reasonable price of say no more than £2m ?

Dear members, may I apologise unreservedly for making my opinion on Tugays performance and then uprooting such an outrage in his defence. "Tugay was marvellous","Tugay was this and that", "Tugay was superb and was the midfield general etc etc". let me get my point across, and YES I consumed a couple of pints pre match. I love Tugay to bits, he has been CLASS. IMO He no longer possesses the skill and energy to run a midfield battle. Lets not forget, he was a midfield battle with a NON EXISTANT Sunderland midfield yet he still contrived to play backwards or sideways. THAT is NOT the sign of a classy midfielder. Its okay passing that way but compare that to his forward passes and it pales into insignificance. Going forward, which is what he was surely there to do, he was a non existant midfielder, although I bow down when I failed to mention his pass to SP to cross for Bellamy. Moving onto bigger and far better equipped teams. Tugay has failed miserabley this season against big clubs like WBA, Everton, Wham,Newcastle and so on. He has cost us games and goals. lets see how Tugs will compare when the arse visit Ewood Saturday week. Does anyone see him winning a battle with the lies of Pires, Lyngberg, Flamini, Fabregas and the Brazilian Gilberto, not to mention Bergkamp ? I cant and dont see anyway he can even compete with that little lot. Often he loses the ball and puts us in dire positions, it is evidenced throughout this season. He plays too casually when he is strolling around the pitch, he gives the easy ball away, he cant chase back and he fouls far too many times when the opposition has the ball away from him. Quite simply, agaisnt the big clubs he is becoming a liability. If we had visitors other than SAFC last night, we would have been swamped through the middle. Thats my view. Rovers are desperate for a mobile midfield playmaker. My money is on Jason KOUMAS being a Rover in close season. He is the type of player Rovers need. Finally... I just dont think Tugay had a bad one alone, there were other players who failed to put in the performance required and I include MGP, Nelsen and Todd in that lot. KIt was a tired looking team and I am just glad that we are off for a break and that Arsenal have a European match Pre Rovers.

Phil you missed the most obvious reason why Celtic have been chosen. its not for the money or the supporters it so Shearer can punch the living daylights out of thug Keane to get him back for the baby slap he did some years ago when he got sent

I dont really now whether or not I am first back after the game. One thing about tonight was the result and result only. It was a game, as a member previously pointed out that we simply had to win. The 40 points are in the bag, safety is assured. Rovers now have phase 2 of the ambition to embark on. 7 Home games left and 5 away. Tonight was a poor spectacle, on that lets be clear. Sunderland are a very poor team although they do have some sort of niggling organisation about them. Rovers generally huffed and puffed and won the game through two clinical finishes from Bellamy. On a cold night I am just glad Rovers got the points. One plainly obvious pointer about tonights performance is that TUGAY is NO longer capable of running the midfield with split passes nor can he control the midfield or build play consistently. Tonight his work ratio was poor. His passing was at times awful and I would estimate that at least 80% of his passes were backwards, 15% were given away and 5% forward. I think I upset some of the supporters around me by shouting my disapproval but as was evidenced on the pitch, once he went Rovers created far more going forward. Tugay should not be offered a new contract, it is time for him to gracefully retire from the Premiership and to grass out with a big pay day overseas. We have a thread for the new TUGAY, he must now be found. For me, this is the biggest single factor about Rovers recent performances. Tugay plays poor = Rovers play poor. disappointed with the crowd, but who cares, I was there and I saw yet another 3 points in the bag from a game that with the previous regime at the helm we most certainly would have lost.

Oh I cant wait to see what he has to say young team injuries lady luck etc etc etc its just a good old geordie/scottish term I believe

cant see safc bringing 4k fans for a midweek away game at wintry Blackburn - wether forecast anyone ? Didnt watch the game but gather safc played quite well without creating too much. I do expect a Rovers win

I am gutted about the result on my way to work I listened as Rovers started well but seemed to be lucky not to be at least 1-0 down. Then we get the best bit of luck when the keeper sent packing after just 8 minutes. Everton down to 10 with 80 minutes to play. What I listened to after that was just utter garbage, now evidenced even furhter by our inept display on motd. A win today with a win on Wednesday would have seen us cement 6th place at least. Now we have lost a bit of ground especially after todays results whent our way. My late night can just doesnt taste so nice right now.

Rovers have signed the next Irish Prodigy after pipping chelsea and manure for the signing of gavin dunning, aged 15. The academy must have made some impressions

ps have you ever seen anyone looking so ill after being sacked ? he looked very grey and aged but still looking forwards to receiving a 4m quid settling of his contract

exactly, I wonder if MH and co pin the Lawro predictions up in the changing rooms ?

I was there with my mates. A fantastic weekend was had by all. Spent the night raving in the senior rates mess in one of the Navy bars. then onto Bournemouth the following day where we had a ball. Always will remember David Speedie and the walk around the pitch afterwards. The red Sierrra we hired for that weekend went back in some state and we never ever got our deposit back

There have been many many games for me to ponder adding my bit in this fantastic thread. I am sure there will be others that mention the games I wanted to but didnt. This particular game stands out as I was one of 18 that got into a friends Landrover to make the "violent" journey over to the land of the dingles. Violent was a word most associated with these sets of fans at a time when footie violence was rife, it was also obviously a hot potato around the world but the very mention of a Rovers v Burnley match on the horizon was talked about from mid summer all the way up to Christmas and then finally Boxing Day morning. Winter in Wheelton used to be fantastic. Abbey, being a fellow villager will endorse this. No school buses to make it down the hill would lead to OZZIE JONES being left in French on his own ! That apart from 8 girlies and he wonderful Olive Martin, the French teacher with the key and who had a smile that would make the hardest lad buckle to his knees and wet his shorts. Anyhow back to the footie. The journey in the Landrover was hectic. A big old monstrous deisel chugging its way over to Burnley. Fans of both supporters all over the place, fighting on bridges, fighting under bridges and on that main road as you approach dingleland, the area around the old nightclub and bus station was a sight for sore bodies. That walk upto the turd was probably one fo the most hairiest I have ever done. It was tremendous. Stones, bottles and bricks, cans and everything and anything that could be thrown whizzing past your eyes and ears. It didnt matter as I was in a group of Brinscall/Wheelton and Withnell lads, all fervent hardmen and Rovers fanatics, all had dealings with violence at football, both as victims and offenders ! Enter the ground. fantastic. The atmosphere was not what you would call great. VIOLENT it most certainly was. Coins and concrete came over no mans land on the Longside. I think I went home later with about £20, my pockets full to the brim. I cannot remember much about the game itself, however, quite rightly the show belonged to one of Blackburns Sons, Simon Garner. Pass, Shot Goal 1-0 Rovers. Mentality broke out on the Longside quickly followed by a Rovers takeover in the old Beehole end. At half time I recall older lads stopping the younger ones going to the toilets as the low wall at the back of the Longside was just the scene of one of the most chaotic battles between supporters. At the final whislte, I remember some clown lobbing an almighty piece of concrete over the no mans land and part of hit hitting a bobby, the rest showering the taunting Rovers fans. But it didnt matter, the enemy was beaten and a new song was born. That is the chant relating to Boxing Day. As a youngster, never have I enjoyed walking back to a vehicle as much in my life. If Beiruit was bad then Burnley was worse. I remember getting back and my dad telling me how lucky I was still to be alive after such a result. I lived to tell the tale and I have been there ever since. Thanks Rovers for a wonderful late Christmas present, it is definately one the best ever I have ever received.

I think this game will be harder than when we play Arsenal and Chelsea. On form are Everton but wo are we, however, it is us that have had a mass of games and are surely tiring. The Everton strategy will be to get up and at Rovers from the first minute, Rovers have to compete from the first whistle. Goodison has been good to Rovers over the years, although in the 3-1 Lineker induced cuptie we were certainly robbed. I think a sneaky 1-0 win is not beyond Rovers

the last defeat set us up on a great run, hope this does likewise

echo that abs but really its a kick in the nackers

too little too late rovers appear now to be the dominant side but with a 2-0 deficit its gonna take too much to get them back, especially as the keeper from wba has not even had to make a save

sounds so bad compared to recent perfomrances tht I am off to watch the rugby

Think its very clear Tugay is a liability away from home. Todd defendeing appears to be bad bordering awful

game over