I wasn't at the match, but thanks to sky I have seen the extended highlights, and despite all the doom and gloom on the site, I actually thought we looked very good for a first game in the second half. It's true that we didn't create any clear cut chances, but I think that the players get more up to the pace. Anyway, I could take a while to explain why I'm upbeat about things, but really there's no point. Just have to see how performances go over the next few weeks. No point trying to judge a team based on one performance. Though...if only we'd spent our money like Charlton huh?

Well...a draw isn't actually too bad as a first game of the season. Though we really have to look to get much better. I'm not overjoyed, as I would have liked to get a win, but a draw to start will do.

crap well...can we please score a few goals in the second half? Maybe they are trying to show us a last season-this season sort of thing. Lets hope so. C'mon Rovers!

As many have already said, we don't stand a chance of getting the old Jansen back unless he gets a good run in the side. If he's going to get this chance, this year is as good as any, as following the departure of Cole there is no set partnership up front. The sad thing is, with this being such an important season for us, taking the risk that he may no longer be up to it, and having faith in him, may be too much of a gamble for us to take. However, given that he has shown in a couple of games (Villa in the cup and Liverpool in the League) that he still has quality, personally, I feel that he is simply a player that needs to get back up to the speed of matches, get used to playing again, and get everything going. I hope that he is given a run of 5 or 6 games this season, but something tell s me that he probably won't.

It really annoys me that I'm not allowed to get onto any articles or updates on the official site without signing up for Rovers World! I understand that by paying you should be able to get more features, but by not paying, by just being a supporter, I should be able to get something! Am I making some sort of mistake?

The key this season is going to be the injuries, and it could well play a major role in Souey's future. If we go through the season without any major injuries, and without ever losing more than 2 or 3 of our top 20 players than I think we could be in for a good season. For me this will be the year where we will have to decide if Souness is on the right track, and if he is moulding a team that will both secure our premiership status and help us go onto better things, or if he has taken the club as far as he can. From what it looks like, I think the club is going in the right direction now after some reshaping, patience may well be the key, but we could see some relative short term success. Top 10 finish this season, or maybe even sneak 6th, who knows.

This is starting this season isn't it? I've yet to see anything advertising the show. I hope I'm not getting excited about something that is going to be launched in a couple of years.

Excellent, this means that even though I'm in France I'll be able to use the program and I'll get good coverage of Rovers every Saturday. Really looking forward to this.

I agree with you on that one, especially when we don't know what our squad will even look like come the end of August (though I know it will probably be exactly the same). The 11 players who will start the game against WBA will not be decided by the numbers on their backs.

I meant, if you had subscribed to sky already, was it free

This is entirely free and part of the regular sky service? I know I asked that before but some more information seems to come out and I didn't know whether things have changed.

And seriously stop doing the double post thing! If it's just some desperate attempt to get a higher post number then stop, it really isn't worth it. If there isn't a reason for it, then stop, it's just annoying.

Excellent...hopefully that's a good sign for things to come!

That's sort of been mentioned before. I feel though that Thompson would make an excellent central midfielder if he can rediscover the form that he had when he first came here, and I have no reason to believe that he can't do that. I also think that Emerton is a quality right midfielder, he simply wasn't consistent last season, but I think that with a true outlet on the left now some of the pressure will be taken off him and he will be given more space in which to perform, but we'll have to wait and see on that one. Neill I also think is a very good player, as I hope he is the player of two seasons ago rather than last years version. If all the players play the way that they can I have no doubt that three of the slots should be taken up by De Pedro, Ferguson and Emerton. The question is whether or not Thompson is ahead of Tugay. Of course, for the games where we are feeling slightly more ambitious we could always play 5 in midfield, and then put Thompson, or even Jansen, in just behind the front two, and play Gray, Matteo and Neill at the back. It's impossible to try and predict what are team is at the moment until we have finished all of our transfer dealings for the summer. Until then, this is really all just idle speculation.

It's been said a thousand times.

Looks great

Before I sing Cole's praises for what would be the final time I will give it a couple of weeks and see if there are any more "exclusives" with him. That was just one interview, with a reporter who was just oh so annoying.

Excellent post USA Blue. Even though I'm pro-Cole I suppose, I totally agree

We were relegated once, with a team that included Duff, Dunn and Jansen. Things aren't decided because of one player. I'm hoping that Dickov isn't in oure first choice pairing come the start of the season. I hope that either Jansen is handed another chance to prove himself or we bring someone new in, but I don't think if we do end up with Dickov that it will be the end of the world. Then again, I do live in France, and I have an Italian girlfriend, oh...I may have taken things a bit off topic there and I don't like it when that happens.

Souness obviously puts Dickov before Gally anyway...so how does what is posted on here affect which division we'll be playing in, in a years time?

So is it 100% sure that this is the man?

I was thinking about it, and it is true that I think it was Jordan who reported that the trialist was coloured. Yet, he then went on to make a mistake as to who scored the goals. Now wouldn't it make more sense, if he could mix stead and the trialist up, that he wasn't black?

Sounds interesting. Would one of those who is out there confirm or deny this please?

No Kamy was just pulling your leg. Always respected you as a source, one of the few reliable ones on here! By the Way...Camara seems to be a sensible shout. Just can't see how that would all add up though with him having action taken against him at Wolves and all. I wouldn't be unhappy though if he was the one we replaced Cole with.

Agree with Simon Garner Let's put it this way, we thought it was great to sign Paul Dickov, yes that's Paul Dickov, for 150K or whatever. They just got Cole for nothing. That's simply....great