So am I, I was dead set against this appointment but the turnaround in this team is nothing short of miraculous. I feel pride again. If he can do the job after being allowed to bring in a few players that he has done so far he will be a success. I have not yet ate my words about his appointment but I am currently chewing them.

And that my friend T4E is beautifully summed up, that is what it is about. Given we are likely to see some monies from the Beattie deal let's offer 1 Mill now and another Mill if we stay up. If Savage is what we need to stay in this league then as you say it is a wise investment regardless of how many years he plays for us. I can see why people don't like Robbie Savage but I must say he has the battling never say die sort of qualities I like to see in a player. As a footballer I do like him, as a whole packeage I am undecided.

Saw the Newcastle goals yesterday, absolutely Brad should have been bearing down on the runner, something like Sorensen against Utd, but where was he on the line in his bloody look ay me I'm a Subbuteo Goalie stance. Fundamentals, fundamentals. Is the keeper coach earning his pay, I think not.

Well put Shaddy, you saved me the bother.

Must agree with that, I said before it looks like Ferguson is too good for our team. Our forwards need to read Fergie better also. At the better teams he would be afforded just that little bit more time, we need to find a partner that can help protect him a bit so he can create. He's going to get better yet he's really only had a half a season to play and as I had heard one ex player comment yesterday, after a long layoff it takes 10-15 games to really regain your full fitness. I thought some of his passes against Newcastle were very good. For me Souness would have to match or better what we paid for him for us to even consider him. As far as Ferguson at Newcastle I think he would be a huge success, Butt to help him and Bellamy to run onto his passes, could be scary.

No, don't tell me this. It's not possible. have they gone yet!!, yeah we did not deserve to win but thats football!!! we battered cheskie for 60 mins andgot beat 4-0, as someone once said, 'ita a funny awld game' Forgive me for being stupid but... Huh? I notice several complaints about Brads keeping, not that I have been saying similar things for a while, but I will keep my mouth shut before I am again accused of knowing nowt.

No, don't tell me this. It's not possible.

Enjoy the game and enjoy the day John, let me know how Brad does

Talking to me Dad in Harwood he said it's snowing quite a bit, any chance the game may be off?

Oh dear, another Amoruso.. Or a Bobby Moore, or a Tony Adams, or a John Terry etc etc.

After being a Pro Souness man for so long and defending him most of the time I felt very much deserted by the way he left. I wish him no success at all. He left us in the lurch, he screwed up, came to realise it and off he went. I also have a very strong feeling that he somewhat engineered his own move, I really do. It is for these reasons I ask you all at Ewood to NOT boo Souness. Save the vocal chords for cheering on our lads so we may humiliate them. There is only one team in the World I would more like to give a pasting to than Newcastle right now, and I think you will all know who that might be. Let's have a rousing reception for our lads, give 'em brilliant support so our team can humble his. We are basically the same team he left behind so if we can beat them with our new found fitness and beat them well Mr Souness will have to begin to realise all his medals won't protect him forever. I would like 3-0 for Christmas Gally to get one and Andy Todd the other 2, those two score and it should really twist the knife.

Agree on both points. As I was watching the game I was really hoping he might replace bith the front two with Stead and Gally. We really were crying out for someone who could bring something a little different, and Stead and Gally can definately do that. Dickov is priceless for his work ethic but it seems he is easily figured out, opposing defenders just get right up on his arse, hold him, push him and kick him, knowing full well that nine times out of ten there will be no call. He should be creating space for others if he can ocuppy defenders so well but it just does not seem to working. Saturday, late in the game, called for a forward who with one move could out fox the Everton back line and the only two I know we have that can bring that fresh innovative type of play are the aforementioned young lads. Don't think Sparky had the gonads to risk the point going for all three.

I would have thought a sound 3-0 thrashing would do a better job. More so if we simply out hustle and out work them.

I think you are referring to the Ruud Van Nistleroy offside rule.

Oh No, double whammy.

Not complaining about the quality of what is coming in, just concerned about the quantity of what we will have.

If my wages were high enough even I could but up with a Boss I did not like.

Drab game, bad result. Everton are quite a cohesive unit, they will only need to score one to take all three points, can't see us scoring. It's on the Telly at 1:00pm Arizona time over here for anyone interested. I should be able to get out of the Xmas shopping for that one but I am not convinced I actually want to.

Not going to say we don't need these players but I really would like to know what we intend to do with our "fringe" players. We seem to be heading in the same direction as pre Souness, a big squad of not quite good enoughs on good money. I hope we have a contingency plan to trim the wage bill, it's starting to look a bit like the Brian Kidd era in terms of overall quality and squad size. Worries me a bit.

No more bickering from me. With the exception of the Roger Jones thing

Here's some facts jim, actually one fact. Your "thing" against Souness had buggar all to do with football. Yes, I am going to call you on the mat on this one and expose you for the crock you are. Your sole and only reason for your dislike of Souness had to do with him NOT SAYING HELLO TO YOUR KID WHEN HE WAS MASCOT. Right aren't I jim? So don't come with your oh so frigging smart attitude, also you were asked to name a succesor umpteen times during your 2 year long personal campaign against Souness and you put forward squat. Bloody hell jim you are still stalking him, trying to find reasons to continue ridiculing him. You came in with names for his replacement only during the time when the shortlist had been pretty much sussed out. Those my friend are the facts, I am not an historian but I do remember. As does FLB

Look folks, let me try to set a thing or two straight here. Too many of you are reading between the lines and embellishing what I am trying to say. I am NOT scapegoating Friedal, I an NOT saying he is a liability. IN fact I have ALWAYS rated Brad as a decent keeper, even back before we signed him when almost every last one on here was pulling the "can't be any good he's an American" theory. Well that theory stuffed completely up your arses it's perhaps time some of you got off your high horses and realized your pompous arses don't know everything. Espescially those of you who think it quaint to just respond with little one liners and/or derogatory remarks that have ZERO input into the actual discussion and do nothing to indicate your view. There is one individual on here who has over 2000 posts and I struggle to think of one that actually had any form of substance, just wise ass remarks. Do your kind do that because you think you are humourous? or is it because you are not capable of a thought out response? Are you afraid to actually put your opinion in black and white? do you fear ridicule? are you insecure? The only thing I have tried to say, one last time lads and lasses, Brad's fundamentals need to be improved, they are his weakness, he is an excellent shot stopper who relies on reflexes, reflexes which are slowing a bit perhaps. All you who think he had the near perfect all round game a few years back are merely blinded by some of his fantastic stops or you just don't understand the goalkeeping basics and think that pulling of spectacular saves is all it is about. He was no better back then than he is now, but on the bright side he is a whole lot better than any of you thought before we got him.

Twaddle. Two years ago Friedel was simply sensational and did more or less everything faultlessly. Now, there's no doubt he's slipped a little from those heights since, but you make out he's completely passed it and useless. He's still easily one of the best keepers in the league, he regularly keeps us in games with world class saves (Fulham and Palace both come to mind recently), and rarely makes a mistake. Yet every mistake he does make, you leap on like a scalded cat and seem to take great delight in announcing to everyone how you thought he was rubbish all along. You frequently accuse Jim of having a vendetta against Souness, what's your vendetta against Friedel all about? He's our best player ffs! Sort of like you jump on so many of my posts. I have no vendetta against ANY Rovers player. Neither do I have wool pulled over my eyes because of one seasonof SENSATIONAL SHOT STOPPING. I'll say again and with conviction, his fundamentals have always been suspect. Let's imagine (as you apparently are) he was flawless in that season, does supposed perfection two and three seasons ago mean he is in an unassailable position now. Perhaps in your book but not in mine.

Exactly, with a better defence Brad's weaknesses were seldom exposed. Most of the time he only had to deal with shot stopping. the same weaknesses were there, just not seen as frequently. No he has no confidence with his defence so he sticks to his line. When he had confidence with them and they were pushing up more he came out and closed the players down more. There were times in the season we finished 6th that Friedel was outstanding. Just ask some of the best managers around and they will tell you that. STRONGLY disagree. On both points. Brad was sensational for his shot stopping when we finished sixth. He made a lot of excellent saves. His basics have been evidently benign since he arrived, even in the First Division you could tell. He's never been one to come off his line and he did not cover more of his area when we finished sixth than he did now. Would you not agree the best keepers will shine behind a poor defence. A commanding keeper can help hold the defence together and if he KNOWS he is playing behind a dodgy bunch then he better be ready to come off his line and fast. Skin this cat anyway you want Brad's closing down, positioning at set pieces and coming for crosses are all suspect. We disagree so we disagree. I'll move on now.

Then David Moyes is also a mate of his too. Everton were neck and neck with us in the bidding war to get Ferguson which probably also helped inflate his price. Said at the time we paid over the odds for him, believe it or not many on here were advocating going as high as 10 Million. I would not sell him now though unless we could recoup every penny and there is only one man I know would pay that much. What's the thoughts we sell Fergie and make a bid for Parker?