I think they do, I'll check next time I'm at the store, which is probably Tuesday

It would be far more impressive if he stayed onside. McCarty is supposedly our "star" striker, it's about time he started acting like one. When Benni gets the ball he should create a buzz of excitment, he doesn't because we all know he'll either be offside or his play will lead nowhere. I wouldn't be too impressed, he's a showman who promises alot but produces relativley little. Anyway a very, very impressive win and really important for our season. We need to build on this, a point at Arsenal would be as unexpected as yesterday's win but we should be able to pick up seven points over the holidays.

As far as I know it would only have been edited if it was his real name or it was especially offensive, which I wouldn't expect from you. Without knowing what you posted I can't say. If anyone's real name is used we'll edit the post, but that's it. Unless of course there is foul and abusive language involved

Lens or Panathanaikos in the following round

At least we all had the satisfaction of knowing they missed the only goal. Love it

Which makes our 12500 for Nancy look pretty good. Wigan were playing a match were the result mattered. For Rovers and Nancy the result in many ways was irrelevant. Plus Wigan were playing a top PL club who play some of the best league footabll to be found in this country. So I think we can be pretty happy with our attendance.

So you would swap Brad for Lapierre? Interesting how people can see a game so differently. I've never seen Nancy play and only knew several people on here rated them highly. I arrived at Ewood expecting a very difficult game. Despite this Sparky had chosen to start with just 4 recognised first choice outfield players, the rest of the side being second choice players and youngsters. Fair enough, we'll either get stuffed or it'll be a glorious win! It's true Rovers didn't play well but this was a side without six regulars, has probably never played together before, and in a strange formation. Add to this Nancy had no interest in winning this game, the referee and linesman were determined to whistle or flag everything plus the slightest physical contact resulted in a free kick. Had Todd stayed on the defence would have looked more solid, Nolan did OK but he was clearly nervous and has a way to go, there's hope for him. Given all this its no surprise we put in a very average performance. To say we were second best is grossly unfair and doesn't take account of the circumstances of this match. If we'd been offered some competition on the park then we could judge these players. Nancy proved to be a very, very poor side, totally lacking in any urgency or competitive spirit. If this is the level of competition we can expect I see no reason why Rovers cannot progress further, even reaching the final. I know little of the remaining teams but to date we haven't seen a side, home or away, seriously threaten us. Salzburg are the only ones to give us a game of football yet. Of the remaining teams we can potentially draw, in the next round and going by reputation alone, I guess Auxerre, Besiktas, and Fenerbache could be considered a threat. This UEFA cup experience is new to most of us, for me it has opened a door on European football I haven't seen for many, mnay years. My feeling is the UEFA cup is 90% populated by poor teams you've never heard of, most of them play unimaginative, no contact football. The officials are unlikely to allow any form of physical contact. In many respects it's no wonder the attendances are poor, this simply isn't the football we are used to watching. In fact a second division team will give the fans a better game in the FA Cup. If this is second-string European football it's no wonder the PL, for its myriad faults, is considered the best in the world, most of this lot are simply awful. I'm enjoying the success but it's clear we have to wait for the fimal rounds for the sort of European nights I remember from my childhood. The competition is a money-making exercise, a ridiculous format, and designed to make the national leagues more competitive by providing "the rest" with something to play for. Ironically I suspect most of the clubs lose money hand over fist in this competition.. I hope we win it and I won't be judging any of our youngsters on last night's match

I think Capt I've already said it in the Newcastle thread. I don't know what was being said in the BBE but if it's reached this point in the Family Stand we aren't far from a problem. If we perform poorly tonight the players may get away with it as we have already qualified. If this was a PL game I'd be very worried about the crowd reaction, and if the next PL home performance is poor I can see a very strong reaction from the crowd.

Don't you get sick and tired of proving yourself right all the time? Those are ridiculous comments and once again demonstrates, for the umpteenth time, how you completeley fail to appreciate other people may think differently to yourself. How about the message the players sent out to the fans on Saturday afternoon? A storming win would have worked wonders for tonight, instead we had to watch a team that only woke up when game was lost. No matter how good the second-half was on Saturday it counted for nothing. I'm not about to start slaughtering the team but if those players don't go out and give 100% from KO it's hardly surprising the less committed fan shrugs hi sshoulders and walks away. Saturday's performance will have had a serious impact on tonight's game. No matter what the club does to promote ticket sales there is no substitute for effort on the pitch. On Saturday it was the team that kicked the club in the teeth and NOT the good people of Blackburn.

So was I. It was 1991 not the late '80s

Frans Thijssen was the other, and, yes they were exotic.

I'm Rovers till I die simple as that. No matter how much I rant and rail against the Premier League, Sky, the media hype, players wages etc I'll always be a Rover. I can't imagine what would stop me going, though there are more occassions when I don't want to go but still do........but I'm no longer prepared to pay PL prices for away trips. I'll be renewing.

I went to Ewood expecting a real battling performance from the KO and a 3-0 win. Perhaps I should go back to travelling more in hope than expectation.

Has Lee banned you? Nancy (H) 19.45 13/12 Reading (A) 15.00 16/12 Arsenal (A) 15.00 23/12 Liverpool (H) 15.00 26/12 Boro (H) 15.00 30/12 Peel you a grape Mick?

So sticking the first team in the stiffs is out of the question?

http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Fix...,,10303,00.html Nancy, Reading, Arsenal, Liverpool, Boro all 3.00pm except Nancy

Not so sure about this SG, though I'd be happy about Benefica as I'm determined to make this round my first away European game and I don't have time to get to the Ukraine! Reality is we are out of the fizzy pop cup, will probably go out of the FA cup at Goodison and are looking at a dog-fight in the PL. We need something to keep the season alive otherwise gates will plummet even further, die-hards like you and me will drag ourselves to Ewood with no real enthusiasm, and we will be looking at six months of uninspiring football. I'm not sure the club can afford that. The team seem well-suited to the UEFA cup and I want to see us go as far as possible. On performances to date, and Wednesday will be a big indicator, we can progress beyond the next round. I agreed elsewhere that winning the UEFA and being releagted might be acceptable, I now think that was a stupid remark, but until yesterday I didn't really feel we had serious problems. Clearly staying in the PL has to be priority but we shouldn't give up on the UEFA, we might just make the final. I'm really excited about Wednesday, I'm planning to get our tickets changed to the BBE as I think the FS will be empty, don't lets take away the last spark in this season.

It may sound daft considering the team performance is the most important thing but this is what worried me most yesterday. It's always a really bad sign when the home support argue vociferously with each other. At HT there was a good 3-4 minute ding-dong between a lady and three men. It was the usual "Why don't you support the team when they're struggling" "They get paid ££££ and look at the *@+?&*^ they produce" type row. The man and woman who berated the team I hadn't seen before, whereas those who were defending the side are regulars in my spot. Past experience tells me we are one poor performance away from the crowd turning on the team, which is always a very, very serious indicator of where we are headed.

During yesterday's game my mind wandered back to the days when virtually every Football League team was made up of "home" players, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish (apologies to our Irish friends, you know what I mean). A side with a foreign player was, as I recall it, unusual and noteworthy. I don't remember these sides as being poor or full of under-achievers, so where are they today? Have years of importing foreign players destroyed the opportunity for home talent, where they never that good and now find themselves in the lower leagues because the game has moved on dramatically?

Having just caught a few moments on MOTM, it's clear the first goal was not offside, the second possibly was offside and Henchoz only deserved a yellow at the most. But we were 2-0 down by then so I doubt it made much difference.

Oh just remembered the other points. MGP was better but still has a long way to go to get back to last season. Todd came on to play well. During the week I was discussing AT with another fan. We concluded if he was being kept out of the side for a serious breach of discipline he should be sacked otherwise he should be playing. Good to see him back and I hope he keeps his placve

To answer a few of the points being raised, and a few random thoughts. If he's good enough I don't understand why Gallagher doesn't get a game. Derbyshire did little to suggest he's going to make the grade. The Newcastle fans calling us dirty Blackburn obviously did not travel today. We were not dirty, we weren't even aggressive. Somebody did punch Neil but the referee was facing the other way in the other half of the pitch The late penalty appeal would have been very harsh on the Newcastle defender, Babayaro? My biggest worry is we do not have a single Premiership striker at the club. The only one who still has the chance to prove himself is Roberts. In his first game Nonda showed the aggression to suggest he could make it, since then we have seen nothing from him. McCarthy is a good footballer but he is clearly not a Premiership quality striker, he is slow, has poor positional sense in that he is frequently offside and rarely in the box. McCarthy's interview pre-match on RR was very revealing, I don;t think he likes the PL. Jeffers is OK but lacks aggression in the final third. Gally isn't going to get a chance and Derbyshire is no better. Those whinging about the officials, especially the lady on RR, need to a get a grip. We handed Newcastle three points today, yes the first goal was questionable for offside and the sending off was harsh but it happens. In the first half Rovers were absolute rubbish, and it looked like we were in for a real pasting. Under most circumstances the players would deserve praise for the second-half performance but I won't give them any, nothing could make up for the poverty of the first half. At half time fans were arguing loudly with each other, always a very bad sign, For me one fan summed it up "You go to work for £6.70 an hour, that's why it hurts so bad" He's right. Strikers excluded we have the squad to get us out of trouble, if there is money for January it should all go on the front line. The current front men will not score the goals to get us out of trouble.

Where was this said? Do we have a link?

Interestingly more people take part in amateur or recreational cycling (3.2 million), then play football (2.9 million). Apparently fishing is less than 300,000......but I do take your point, you're considering spectator or media interest rather than participation. If we could get all the cyclists to vote Calzaghe wouldn't have a hope. Maybe but I only know who Joe Calzaghe is because he's on the list, but then I have zero interest in boxing.

Can't recall what we paid last time at the JJB but I'm looking at £108 for our tribe..............plus I'll have a hangover and want to sleep. Is the Great Escape on the telly?