Longsider?

See May not have been Colchester but I knew somebody had the Celery theme - must be coming back then Savage .... star man - wouldn't exactly call him that - not my favourite but contrary to your views I thought he had a good game last night and as for money well spent - lets wait and see

In addition to Scotty's thread Tris - its not just the TV and I don't think people are indicating this - just that combined with other things it is a major contributary ie its there - take the live game away and more probably would have been there as they would if it was on a Saturday. Finally, yet again we have nil at home, another defeat not much to talk about in the way of possible goals except for the penalty - how many times have we seen this so far this season despite 'we played well' from manyquarters and deserved more. From memory there is only really Boro that slaughtered us (deservedly) and MU but we got a draw from that but going Ewood at the moment does not install any confidence of a point never mind a win into the paying spectator and its becoming to common - couple that up with the factor of sitting in a pub and a couple a pints of Guinness with Abbey paying and you can see why people can't be bothered - even if it is the what we can probably say now are the P/L Champs coming to town - its all too predictable and boring. Now balance that up with the Dingles game...

So have I Thought the same Tris - should I say it but another aspect of the money game

It's the time for the Johnny Stead show - just tell him we have just signed him , as of last year and see if he conjures up the winner. We where outplayed last year considerably but defended fairly well except for Neill who was given the run around by Downing. Can see us doing the opposite this year though by playing well but not posing much of threat to the Boro goal giving away another soppy goal and succumbing to a 1-0 defeat.

We do, just think he is arrogant with it. We don't your tosspot of a disloyal manager

Surely you are joking HC? Take it you never experienced the friedliness of Leeds/Boro/Everton etc as Plymouth was kittens in tutu's compared to some

Looks like we are still on the same thinking Revidge -just think I would have been a bit more critical Hasta you beat me to it - I was saying exactly the same last night re the QPR and Everton matches. Sorry folks but if people are happy for Dickov to continue being an arsehole and not scoring then don't start to weep when we are relegated. Its the one thing that really irks me about him, good player but definitely not enough for what we need - not on his own anyway. Emerton -Ozzie J hits it on the head for me - except I would get him sold -personally he offers buggerall in way of being effective for us Neill - not worth talking about - just combine it with Emerton what I said at the start of season about my worries on the rh side. Thompson - hope people realise now what I have been saying for ages, and agree with USA B - he can't cut it now at this level. Friedal - Time to give Enckleman a chance - looked to me that he boobed with the goal from the BB End - this as confirmed by others on here . Positives - Nelsen and Moekwena - Nelsen as others have highlighted was immense , and contrary to what I have said before does have a fair bit of pace and we need to keep him at the back. Moekwena - still gives me the heebies but had a decent game last night , his distribution must pick up as he gives the ball away to much. MGP - Started off like an house on fire - but died in teh 2nd hald - but yet again why oh why do we keep swapping him and Emerton over - does absolutely nothing for our game. Cannot argue the work rate of last night or the commitment by about 7 of the players last night but we still carried - Thompson, Neill, Emerton and Matteo. Some of the challenges may have been a little hard, but it was refreshing to see a game of football with a bit of contact. Think alot of people have got into the way of thinkig that any challenge is now a foul. Chelsea IMO let us play how they wanted us to and contained us as we never really threatened them goalwise and only had 2 shots on target with the penalty. Came off feeling annoyed and disappointed last night, because we could and probably should have got something out of the game - but yet again our attacking presence and ability is downright awful and not even upto Champioship standard. Dress it up how you want, but unless we start to show some composure, understanding and desire to go for goal we are going to be staring relegation directly in the face - I have said it before and will re-iterate - most teams that get relegated do so because of their inability to score and turn chances into goals - sound familiar?

You said it Tris Another reason why I and man others are getting fed up of football - on TV anyway and at higher levels. WWF is a joke (and I don't mean The World Wildlife Fund) which is what Football is turning into Fair do's to some of the football being played but that's what its all about but nowadays thare are far to many players looking at getting other players sent off/booked, conning the referee etc much the same as our game against Notlob last week.

Should have an outstanding game against you lot then

Never had ours checked at Euro 2004 and can't remember any checks being made - and not had them checked previously either. Bit of a dammer this World Cup as I'm getting married a couple of weeks after it starts (made a bit of a bollux there - agreed without checking the date) Trying to wrangle my stag do there but the other half won't have it as we are getting married in Cyprus and need to bethere 5 days in advance - guess who wears' the pants here

All I can say is' let this be a lesson learnt' and close the book on the subject. At the end of the day he was overpriced when we bought him (anotther Souness masterstroke) and Rangers probably in all fairness paid the MV for him ( still too much in my opinion). Lets just hope this leads to provoking a a bit of diploma when any future 'contracts' are drawn up by the Board/Hughes.

Brings a bit more sparkle back to the competition for us with a good atmosphere at least. Sure it will be for our neighbours down the 65 - another chance for them to try to put one over on us. Does nobody else feel a bit worried about them beating us as I certainly don't feel confident like I did last time?

Longsiders Just had my Burnleh mate on to me says you have reduced the away end and he reckons it will be circa 3500-3800? As per others - reckon BBC might opt for this one for its Sunday lunchtime slot Come on Hughsey don't feck this one up - you've only just got here

Wouldn't say that was entertaining - they battered us for most of the match

I just have a feeling its going to be the Geordies or Notlob

Thanks for the reply James No 7 - very thought provoking (my reply is based on my view from the BB End - I have not seen the full incident on TV just spitter tripping himself up) Wasn't trying to criticise, more the point of explaining how it read. The FA probably receive mails/letters of complaints from thousands of fans after every single match about every single aspect of the game each week. Now the referee is there to try and enforce the rules on the game and some they do well others not - but your mail sort of put all the blame on Bennett you being Rovers fan or not, and the way you worded it ( your post reads as if you sent it the same) it read as if it was just an angry knee jerk reaction to the result and penalty hence my statement re the standard reply You say you would have expected him to make the right decision , this he thought he had done, (as mentioned I don't know how close he was but from memory he had the same sort line of view as me hence my understanding of the decision) but are you suggesting because 'spitter'/or anybody else for that matter who is known for his diving (cheating) everytime he got fouled the ref should ignore it? Quote "Perhaps it could have been worded a lot better better -- "Bennett handed the goal to Bolton on a silver platter" agree totally -- but" I think the implication is clear'' doesn't read as such - hence my reply Re the position of the ref re the tackles - yes he might have been better positioned but what view did he have? - again its all about spilt second decisions. I go with the feelings of most about the decision but for once and the result we just have to take on the chin, however I feel the ref should not be the one at question here but something should be done against the 'spitter chater ' hence the agreement of Kiwiwannabe re the statement from the useless FA. As mentioned, it read like a rant rather than a view of the inadequacies within the game of football hence my thinking of what the FA will do. Will be interesting to see what reply they do give along with anybody elses especially considering its not just Rovers fans that are condemning what he did. Thanks for the banter - quite enjoyed it BTW - Can somebody tell me how you put more than one quote in a post? (There shortened to stop everybody diving for the aspirin

Slight problem here JAL, Flitcroft can only play backwards thus so we would have a triangle shape \/ rather than a diamond , and if he gets passed the halfway line (per se Makele) he is too slow to get back so we would be left /_\ In addition, although Emerton is allocated the wide role he only plays the diagonal bishop role \ ................................... \ .....................................\ .......................................\ .........................................\ ..........................................O ............................................\ .............................................\ ...............................................? Don't know about anybody else, but I feel an onslaught like we got off Arsenal some seasons ago like we have been hit by storm just like we where then. Don't want to predict the score as I only have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs

James NO 7 I wish you had read and thought about it before you sent it in , although I can see where you are coming from this just reads as 'sour grapes' to me over the Diouf incident (you said it ‘especially’ irked you) with the other discrepancies of the Ref just an add on with the hindsight of TV. Think most are blaming this entirely on the ref, but are not considering the situation - its officiating in general and not just the refs that are the problem – (What the feck are the linesmen/4th official there for?) Let me explain:- First of all from the Blackburn End – the first initial reaction was that it was a penalty – from memory the ref was behind the incident so IMO it can be understood why the ref gave the penalty – he only has a split second to make the decision and that is what he did – – what he didn’t do was question his linesman with all the commotion going on. My irk as I have said before, is where the heck was the bloody linesman ? As I have said before its not as if they where caught out like the MU v SPURS match – surely he should be looking for offside and up with the game of play so he should have seen what had happened regardless of which side he was on – how is it something so blatant could be missed when in all essence the linesman should have been at least on line with the back men? Somehow these so called ‘officials’ manage to see offsides that couldn’t spilt a hair yet miss something like this. Therefore if the linesman wasn’t there he was not doing his job correctly, which is what should be questioned Now coming back to your mail – yes he made an incorrect decision ( as he did with others) but also made correct ones as most refs do, also we all have opinions re what is a foul and what isn’t but at the end of the day the ref decision is final at that instant. So asking for a suitable punishment for the referee on Monday (unforgivable mistake) is a bit over the top as he only went by what he thought he saw and your argument for punishment would then stand against every referee in every match. You redeem yourself with the Savage incident after the Nolan one but that seems just like an afterthought as the Savage fouls happened first ( again, from the Blackburn End they looked hard tackles but not as bad as they did on TV and all in all it was supposed to be a derby.) Player’s “continuous behaviour” and “ expected Bennett would have researched the behaviour” ?? (possibly Collina used too) – let me turn this on its head – suppose there had been contact and it was a ‘definite’ penalty. Just because somebody had done it earlier/in another match 2 wrongs do not make a right. Yes, take note but they can’t base their decisions on what has happened just because a previous incident was or was not – it’s how it is seen at the time but why don't they use their linesman as said above? Influencing the game –that’s what referees do by making decisions, but as with every match 99% of the time one set of fans/ manager/team will feel aggrieved and feel hard done by the ref and it just depends on how the result goes. …………… I am with Kiwiwannabe on this with the FA not making any sense, in that the ref didn’t deal with the ‘incident’ of the spit the dog cheating rather than giving a penalty which I think is where you should have concentrated your efforts more and the standard of officiating overall. Poor refereeing overall maybe, however,( I’m not having a go as I feel your mail was more in anger than anything) but I feel they will probably take one look at your mail for ‘suggested action’ and go “Oh no not another one” and just send you the "standard official reply”, as I am sure the useless FA will not have taken notice as would appear from their response The REF was cheated by the spitter, but the FA should now take the action on his dive and also the elbow and make a precedent to try and eradicate it from the game, otherwise take action as Ste B indicates. BTW - Sorry about the long reply - just thought it worth replying to.

Mostly because he is never where he should be - if he stayed out wide a bit more he might find more decent passes finding their way to him with him finding himself facing forwards and in space, instead of coming inside all the time and getting in the way of the other midfielders. Alot of the time I think this ithe main problem because the others can't keep up with Emerton and haven't got a clue where he is going with the ball, thus leaving him with nobody to pass to and ultimately facing the wrong way or being tackled and out of position. I have to disagree somewhat Mr Kayos. The passes to him were poor and two or three yards behind him. Surely we pass to players as a physical presence not to a space where a player is supposed to be, for the most part. But thats what I'm trying to say USA (maybe not so clear) Because of his annoying habit of not being where as a player you would probably expect him to /should be. The rest are having to pass to him in a more difficult area or are rushed into making it and there have been so many times since last season where we have been stringing some flowing passes together (when ) acrosss the pitch or counter attacking and this breaks down because Ferguson/Tugay etc look up to the right/left and the Barbie Prawn muncher is not there. Not saying it is entirely his fault but he doesn't help the cause by cutting inside 90% of the time and spriting off on a diagonal crossing the path of other players or breaking their stride thus cocking up the momentum of the move Just watch how many times he has to track back with his passing/runs.

Yep that's a bright side ....what the feck? - we have more shots than the opposition and they still manage to beat us .... again Sorry can't see this bright side DMTP

Mostly because he is never where he should be - if he stayed out wide a bit more he might find more decent passes finding their way to him with him finding himself facing forwards and in space, instead of coming inside all the time and getting in the way of the other midfielders. Alot of the time I think this ithe main problem because the others can't keep up with Emerton and haven't got a clue where he is going with the ball, thus leaving him with nobody to pass to and ultimately facing the wrong way or being tackled and out of position.

Never said we did TDI What was sure enough is we certainly didn't deserve to win and nor did Notlob, but regardless of Spit the Diouf, there where other reasons why we lost this game as well. Call that Football ... No didn't think so For arguments sake, from the Blackburn end it looked like a penalty so can't comment on the Ref, as from memory he was behind the game but where the feck was the linesman if it was so obvious? Only just seen a replay of the incident and its not as if it was another Utd/Spurs secnario. Not denying that what Diouf did should be accepted, in fact I think he should be punished as this is the only way this will be taken out of the game - but regardless of that we have much more to worry about than dwelling on what the ref/linesman should have seen. In fact you could well be right about Fergie

Personally, regardless of the mis forgivings of spit the diver, I think people need to wake up and smell the coffee and take a look at how poor we really are. We lack any creativity and have no style in the way we play - talk about disorganised!! and nobody has any idea what to do with the ball in the last third of the pitch. How anybody can say Emerton had a good game is beyond me when he is never in the place where he should be, always cutting in and getting in the way of the rest of the midfielders and his cover /working relationship with Neil is non existent. Yet again another home game and another shocker of a performance which yet again highlighted the enormous problems of our side , and people wonder why the numbers are dwindling. I said along with many others on here months ago that it was imperative that another striker was acquired if JANSEN was not considered upto the task - think last night finally put the cherry on the cake. We have certainly got major worries if Dickov is our 'only hope' and doubt he would have scored or played well if he had played as we have the fluency of playing with a boulder in quicksand and the service is non existent from midfield. What has happened to GALLAGHER? Thought he would sparkle this season, but seems to have got the curse of 'Blackburn Forwards 'again and has just totally forgot how to play football. Bothroyd? looked half decent when he first came but now I think we have seen enough to know why he hasn't progressed. Stead - still a must in my book to start - give him a few games from the beginning and get the 'spoon feeder' if that's what is needed (Ferguson?) to get the ball too him in the box - he will do the rest. Thompson as I have said before - is not the hero of CM that alot seem to think he is. Are we/Will we miss Ferguson I don't know as I haven't been impressed with him thus far - but what was glaringly obvious about last night was the lack of having a player who can put his foot on the ball in the middle. Matteo is not a Premiership player and I think it swept over people's heads what the Brum fan said on here earlier - however last night I thought he played well to a certain point but then did other things that are just not acceptable. Neill's distribution is absolutely woeful. Pedersen appears to be getting better every game, but again has no support from a decent full back. Moekwena - played better than against Cardiff but stll giving the ball away far too much (hot potato?) Todd - again head and shoulders above the rest Funny (or maybe not) how people saw the two footed challenge of Nolan but missed the one of Savage's early doors and are looking at the Diouf dive as the major reason we got beat - all I can say is we have seen it far too many times where we know we are always going to concede when chances are not taken ( why do we make it look so hard to score?) All in all, both teams where abaolute rubbish last night with neither team deserving a win, never mind a draw. I think most of the players out there last night should be charged with cheating .... cheating the fans by saying they are Premiership players 'PREMIER LEAGUE.. YOU'RE AVING A LAFF!!'

Exactly what I said earlier Scottty ...one too many - if you call playing well not making a pass to a single Blackburn player in the first 1/2 hour and putting us in trouble on more than one occasion then your standards can't be that high (or was the vision distorted I'll take the word of Ste B (for the minute) from those that saw him play at Cardiff and Portsmouth so here's hoping, because on last nights evidence Gabbidon took the plaudits