I'm not saying that there should be no jokes, I'm simply saying that in the past couple of months there have started to be a bit too many.

Isn't that something Dean Saunders might be able to do?

He's talking in the third person now...getting a bit full of himself I guess!

I'm not very happy at the moment. In my opinion the prospects for the season have just got a lot worse. We have two young developing strikers who will turn out to be great players but aren't there yet, an old scottish one who everyone knows is really just a bit part player at this level, and one of the most talented players i've ever seen play for rovers, though he sadly is no longer the player he used to be. We better get someone else in, and injury, or even worse, two, up front and we will really be in trouble. I bet it will feel a lot worse when I see Cole come up on the bottom of the ticker on the first day of the season as well

My only opinion on this matter is really this- If we don't get another striker before the season starts after getting rid of Cole....I will be ######

Please, please, please. If we get rid of Cole can we bring in someone younger. I feel Cole is just about as good as they come relative to his age for playing in the premiership that is out there that we could get. So I see no point in getting rid of him simply to bring in someone who is only going to last for a couple seasons. Bring in someone with some experience, but also with age on his side, and I know that, that is not easy, and is also expensive, but I think the club will have to step up and do this in order to both excite the supporters, and give the club a chance of getting back to the standards it set a couple of seasons ago.

For some of us T4E this offers the best, or even only, way for us to get accurate (of course not always) information and news regarding Blackburn, and also, as is basically my case, it offers the only place where we can have a discussion about British football with those who know the game well. Nice as it is to see a topic you are interested in ruined by someone who wants to include some irrelevant inside joke into the subject I'd prefer to see it not happen. You are right, it's not a G8 summit, but at the same time the message board is not a joke site. The message board is there for football discussion with of course the banter and jokes that come along with it. For those who want to simply have a laugh there is the ICBINF section where you can basically do whatever you please and if anyone is interested they will become involved.

I think all of the problems that have been highlighted here are connected. Often opinions are repeated and questions asked that have already been answered, this is obviously a result of members not reading all of what has been posted previously on the relevant thread. This may well be a result of the fact that so many posters end up getting involved in inside jokes and conversations unrelated to the topic nowadays in topics that don't need it, that many members cannot be bothered to catch up as they know they may end up reading a topic where 50% of the posts have nothing to do with what they are trying to learn about. Of course, no matter what happens, this will happen, and that is fine. It is normal that sometimes members of this board, who often become good friends, will engage in friendly banter and conversations not directly related to Blackburn Rovers or football. However, I feel that nowadays this happens all too often, and I suppose the most I can do is to do my best to no longer become involved in topics that I see are starting to become jokes rather than serious conversations.

Or possibly Jim, Souey is helping to keep a talented young striker's feet on the ground so that he will fulfill his potential. Of course, this could be seen as a strange way of looking at it.

Ive been on this messageboard for almost 3 years and I have to say that there's always been quite a lot of crap, much of it my own, but that is what makes it so amusing, controversial and stimulating.

Im a big admirer of Cole, and I feel that he does a great job for the club in ways that have already been stated many times before. Also, just like what has been said, I would not be happy to see him go unless a replacement was to be brought in. However, if Cole was to leave and money was made available for Souness to spend on a striker of a decent age who would come in, in a similar way that Cole did in the first place, then overall it could be beneficial for the club. If this is not going to happen, and we are simply going to make do with the other strikers we have, or bring in some young talent who may or may not make it, or someone of a similar age to Cole who in no way will have as good of a pedigree and who will stand a risk of not settling in as well and performing as well as Cole has proved then he can, then I have to say no, this is a very, very bad idea.

I think the point is, that even if it was a poor decision or not, England, as the far better team going into the game, should not have put themselves in a situation where the referee's decisions would affect the outcome. Obviously this is impossibly to a certain extent, but I think everyone can see what I'm getting at.

So this service will be free? Standards sky sports 1 package or something? When will it start?

You're only saying that because all of the Vikings are out now. So much for the Sweden/Denmark final that are Scandinavian members talked up. Neither of them came close to deserving to win their match.

Will i be emailed when I have a team? Or do I just have to keep trying until I can log on?

I very much doubt that John. By the end of the tournament no one will care anymore, it's rare to see individual decisions that are talked about for years on end, only very special ones such as the "hand of god" last many years. Does anyone still talk about Campbells disallowed goal in the '98 world cup? Didn't think so. Also...never become a fifa spokesmen. You would have had yourself ripped apart if you stood up and said "refereeing is all about opinions". The laws of the game should be clear, and though there will always be wrong decisions, and there will always be sides that feel agrieved as a result of them, I think this case has highlighted a major grey area in the rulebooks.

You are a pillock. David Beckham doesn't run without the ball? I think this has only happened as a result of him playing in Spain. You are talking about one of the fittest players in world football, one of only two athletes I know of to have COMPLETED the bleep test, the other being Lance Armstrong. His only skill is crossing and free kicks, oh how terrible that a right midfielder is only good at passing. He's not bad with his head, and is a good tackler. Spain may have ruined his work ethic, but before his move there he was really something else in that sense. He was never considered the kind of player who would beat people, he has his style of play, he's not a Giggs or Duff.

To be honest I have no idea what the figures should be like at different times of the summer so I'll take your word for it. Hopefully we can get it up to the 15,000-17,000 mark, but that probably won't happen. Even if we don't, if the players go out there and play as they can, and start getting results like they did in the back end of the season, Ewood will fill up.

My definition of the beautiful game is not flicks and tricks, where on earth did you get that from. I'm also not saying that there is no difference between English and continental football, I for one should know this as I live in Europe. My point is, as you have said, continental football is less physical. However, what you have not said, and this is what I am getting at, is that as a result of it being less physical, meaning that players are given more space, the games are slower, plenty of open space, the players are given more OPPURTUNITY to show off their skills. As a result of this, many are seen to be more skilled, when in reality, it is simply that in England you can't try and play that way. I don't doubt that if a lot of English players went over to continental leagues and played 2 seasons there, they would get used to having the extra space and would start to use some of the parts of their game that could previously only be tried out on the training ground.

there you have it lads home at 7pm last night It's all your fault then.

If you think players like Duff and Giggs have had to "change" their games, this is strange as it's the only league they have played in. While Henry has become a more skilled player while playing in england. All but the bottom clubs in the premier league have their fair share of skilled players, they simply aren't allowed the time on the ball that is required to show the kind of tricks and flicks that we so admire in spain, well at least some of us do. * Arsenal in the past few seasons have done well in the Champions League. With the odd team getting up there, Chelsea this season and Leeds not too far back. Yes, the stlyles of play are different. England is more physical, but those who say that there is less skill, and fewer skilled players in england, don't know what they are talking about.

Yes, but with 8 weeks to go until the actual season starts don't you think that number will increase a bit?

I hate it when people say that. I forgot, Duff, Pires, Henry, Giggs, Scholes and the rest don't play in England do they? It's what people like to spew out. The premier league has just as much skill, it simply is played in a different manner. Players are not allowed as much time on the ball and it's played at a higher pace. This means that there is less room to show off. For me this is one of the reasons why Beckham has had a poor tournament. He is starting to get used to the Real Madrid style of play, which isn't what best fits him regarding what he is good at. He's a hard worker, with great passing and vision, sadly I think he's used to playing with the all stars and messing around.

No way of knowing that. Who knows how Beckham scoring may have changed the mentality of other players and in this way affected how they took their penalties. It's really impossible to say.

Of course it can. Ferguson though has shown himself, at least after he settled in, to be a performer and a battler. One who will probably displace Flitcroft in the side next season, so it makes sense to have him become captain. I'm not having a go at Flitty, but being captain does mean that there is extra pressure on him to perform. Just look at the things said about Beckham on this site after last night, it's exactly the same for Flitcroft.