Nice if predictable review from ESPN then in the last sentence: If Hughes wins their first silverware since 1995, they'll make him a Saint. (hmm, why go to Southampton?)

To be honest, with the Glazers repaying £600m+, A Manager who can work within limited means is very high on their priority list. Queroz is probably marginal favourite if RFW departs on his own terms. Lippi would be a good shout if the Glazers boot RFW out but whenever it happens, we are in for a worrying time at Ewood Park.

The Guardian preview, Bob's review and Kanu signing for Pompey have tempted me out of my shell. So the Premiership table will NOT look like this: 1 Chelsea - third time but will be a competition this year because 2 Liverpool - would win it but for Abramovich's buying power and Mourinho's ability to keep it together 3 Tottenham H - Jol will be so determined after the Canary Wharf trots and he's pulled a good squad together and has his summer transfer budget still intact 4 Arsenal - could have an iffy start with so many injuries and losing Reyes will be a huge miss but Arsene will make one or two key signings. If not they'll miss out on CL and not 5 Manchester United - ignore the name and look at the squad, its not good enough. Carrick starred in Rovers 7 W Ham 1 remember? 6 Blackburn Rovers - we came 15th twice running so why not? 7 West Ham U - a very serious threat. They've hung onto the players they wanted to and their signings are shrewd. Rovers dare not let the Whammers open a gap like Spuds did last year as we won't catch them either. 8 Aston Villa - O'Neill will work the oracle on a decent bunch of lads © O'Leary but the spending power will be for the big surge next season 9 Everton - was tempted to push them higher given their signings but they are a bit thin when suspensions/injuries hit and Moyes might not be that good a boss. 10 Charlton A - good signings. If they get a typical Charlton start, Dowie will make sure there isn't a typical Charlton slump. Could be a real threat for a UEFA place but probably not. 11 Newcastle U - how I want to see another Roeder relegation special but it won't happen sadly. No defence, no forwards but midfield will see them through. Duff will shine and save them. 12 Bolton W - not a good close season so far. Will be tough to play against, Nolan will sparkle, other than that the worst team in the Prem to watch. 13 Fulham - signings good enough to keep them up. Will be in deep doodoo if they start losing at the Cottage. 14 Middlesbrough - even if they get Emerton and Distin, they are still not as good as last season but I'm betting on Southgate being a better manager than England's new teeth. 15 Portsmouth - £30m to spend and at the moment weaker on paper than they were last season; not even Don Mackay managed that! However, 'Arry will carry on last season's end of term form so they won't be in danger of relegation. 16 Reading - you don't collect 106 points in the fizzy pop and not have the ability to pick up a few points in the Prem. Coppul is a decent Manager who knows what the top level is about so the biscuitmen won't crumble... 17 Manchester City - very vulnerable. Too many old players in the wrong places and fell apart at the end of last season which is a pointer to what's coming. 18R Wigan A - second season syndrome again for Paul Jewell. Heskey to carry on his BIG CLUB form and these boys are in trouble. Bad set of opening fixtures could set the tone for a failing struggle. 19R Watford - incredible achievement by Boothroyd and some smart signings but again don't have the opening fixtures they needed to get on a positive run. 20R Sheffield Utd - spent big to the delight of club Chairmen in the Coca Cola. Davies and Jagelka are probably good for the Premiership. Akembiyi, Hulse et al are not. Will get caught out by the Prem speedsters and Warnock will lose it big time. Chelsea and Liverpool might be one player short of their original shopping list plan but most of the other clubs are probably well short of what they hoped to get. Posting this now says that for most of them, its going to stay that way. For Rovers by the way, a great start could well help tip a few key signings our way.

Pompey have just picked up Kanu on a free- dangerous on his day and very likely to face us on Saturday.

In the BBC's ten to watch list.

Neil Warnock's lovable personality puts him much closer to the Bramall Lane Exit than that article suggests. He nearly got fired whilst getting the Blades promoted so a predictable bottom-grinding start to life in the Prem could see him out.

201 years this October 5th.

Hughes had better not bank on signing anyone in the January transfer window as Villa will be splashing the dosh. Quite apart from the other Prem clubs having a rude awakening to this news, down in BIG CLUB the Gold, Sullivan Brady threesome will have gagged on their Coca Cola breakfast this morning. Not only are they permanently condemned to being the littlest club on their own patch but Lerner wants Villa and its land for the Super Casino the porn boys had dreams of building into their 50,000 seat complex in Sutton Colville. So there's a silver lining somewhere...

Jonathan Douglas of Leeds United has been called into the Irish squad according to the BBC.

Given his choice in the matter, Sparky would like to be able to select his backline from Neill, Oijers, Zura, Nelsen, Todd and Gray (plus another signing?). Of that list, Todd is the least naturally gifted so is likely to see more of the bench this season but his days would only be numbered if he has another temper tantrum.

Isn't Lua Lua out injured? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...uth/5250030.stm

Who knows how many £10s of millions 'Arry won't have spent by next Saturday. As things stand, he's recruited four and let ten go including D'Allessandro who was 50% of the reason for last season's late charge. The current squad is basically not very good and I'm sure Calamity and Sol are feeling mutually nervous about each other whilst counting the cash. If 'Arry does spear one of his targets (possibly a surprise catch on a fishing expedition is a more apt metaphor), they won't have much time to settle into the 'Arry way of doing things and even less to adjust to 'Arry's way of talking. So an ideal time to play at Fratton; mid-August is lovely for sitting out in the sun in the open air. Very much a must not lose with two losable home games coming uplater in the week. I'll back Hughes to get the back line fit again and tightened up to give Rovers a 2-0 away victory.

Interesting that both this site and the official one contain massively divergent opinions about Reid yesterday. I am delighted that Benni showed some pure class. That was always the thing that separated Bellamy from any other speedster and it looks like we again have a forward who plays very inteligently and is going to need a couple of opponents to keep him from doing lots af damage.

Sounds like we have been very lucky pre-season. Both Todd and Savage have walked a stupid tightrope by all accounts. We'd better get signing recruits quick to cover for the inevitable suspensions. If we come bottom of the Fair Play list three years running, I think we run the risk of starting next season with a points deduction don't we?

As I've pointed out elsewhere, the Rovers are not alone in the Premiership having an Academy at least 50% non-English. The big issue is training of young teens which renders non-English recruits much better than the locals. Trevor Brooking has made a stand about this and been frozen out by the primordial FA who are making the building of the new Wembley a 5 minute job compared with their implementation of the Burns Report.

Not my list, yet- so wait a bit longer to know how the Premiership will NOT finish up but The Observer's stab. This is a club by club guide. Transfer spending to date makes interesting reading. Excluding the clubs which have spent net >£10m, £54.7m net has been spent by 18 clubs on transfer fees. Chelsea have spent "only" £28.2m net (a lot of incoming transfer fees) and Everton have spent £13.6m net. The clubs spending more than £5m net are an eclectic bunch: Arsenal, Mancs, Liverpool, Fulham, Sheff Utd, Wigan, West Ham. Three clubs have made a gain on transfer activity this summer: Rovers (and that is with Roberts' fee over-stated!), Bolton and Boro (could be significant in relation to their prospects). Money bags 'Arry has managed to burn through £350K so far! No wonder he wasn't appointed at Chelsea. The Pompey fan rates "half" the Rovers team as hate figures (what?). Good reason as any for us taking three points next Saturday.

Venables brought back = sick joke Phil Neville brought back = vomit McLaren = totally unconvincing actor Beckham dropping = smart move Not offering Beckham encouragement to win his place back = dumb move. It isn't as though Beckham has a strong personality. England's future = grim. This season, perhaps 40 England-qualified professionals will command regular starting places in the top leagues of Europe (and that includes Micky Gray and Andy Todd). No way can we win anything from such a tiny base to select from.

Dunn has been very poor in their games so far and has fallen out with Bruce as well. Seems that the lad's heart is elsewhere.

The Football League attendances have been interesting. Very good on the whole with increases in the majority of grounds but the two live games last night and today are probably at least 5,000 down on what they would be if they were not televised. If televised games are going to be down in geberal the Prem will suffer. As for the Blackburn debate, clearly there are many people making a lifestyle decision to opt for a few more pints over watching the Rovers. Add to that the cost and utter misery/inconvenience of long distance travel, more remote supporters are less inclined to bother as well.

Bayern call for Juve expulsion from the G14. On this occasion, Ruminiegge has got it absolutely right. Juve have just posted a E26m loss for the last quarter- mostly selling players for prices below their depreciated book value. The TV hits etc have yet to bite. Milan have had the audacity to challenge the 8 point deduction for the coming season in the Courts!

I think the woes about the defense are hopefully misplaced. We've got the same personnel as last season. Pre-season, Hughes has played Todd and Zura sparingly and given the Axe, McEveley and Matteo good runs at the back which they have failed to impress with. If all goes well in the transfer market, those three will find at least six players ahead of them during the season proper. I know we went from having the tightest defence around in the second half of 04/5 to averagely tight 05/6 but why should it fall apart 06/7? Agreed we need to get Ooijers in and keep Neill motivated and at Ewood with a fully fit Admiral at the top of the wish list. Gray does worry me though.

Rovers 1-0

Agreed. The Germans rave about him. But he's had his ankle operated on, is inplaster until September and January is a realistic target for him reaching match fitness.

Simple answer den- we shouldn't unless as a last resort. There is zero indication that Rovers want to or intend to sell Nelsen- I think this is a plain fact. Everything else is a pretty interesting debate. As for Huth needing more games- true. He'll look great turning out away at Pompey in a plaster cast! He'll be as quick as Sol Campbell at the other end. With regards to RB's questioning Hughes' definition of a good close season- we have shed four £1m+ earners from the wage bill, signed two new £1m+ earners and a 25 year old former England international on a 2 year pay for performance contract and are closing in on a second highly accomplished experienced CL performer in Ooijer. All this and whatever wadge Sparky was given to spend on transfers (which the Trustees were reported as being generous with) remains unspent and he still has the option of up to four loan deals unused. Plus Gamst and Reid are secured on long term deals and we have better cover for Brad. This is hard fact- not speculation so I can understand Sparky feeling OK- as he has said himself, he can go into the first game of the season now without being forced to sign anyone but he is still out there looking for deals. RB is clearly seriously worried we are going lose Nelsen and Neill (especially Neill who is a long term favourite of his). Whereas Sparky knows what is in the Rovers' wages piggy bank and how the transfer market is shaping. Hughes hasn't BSed the fans so far so it is safe to assume he is feeling pretty confident Rovers are going to keep Nelsen and Neill or at worse get "silly" money for one or both of them and has his bases covered if that happens. In the meantime, he's winding up the price for Emo who can go if the boost to the transfer kitty is big enough. If my guess is right then yes, its a good transfer window so far.

3rd pillar; pre- the Stevens Inquiry: yes. Now, why do you think the transfer market is so sticky? It isn't being greased. Two major problems with Shillito's analysis: - injury prone as applied to Nelsen? I think not- his first game was 15 january 2005 since when he has started 56 games (none coming on from the subs' bench) and has been subbed just 3 times including once when he tried to play on with a broken leg. Huth, on the other hand, won't be kicking a ball before January. - Clubs look at their finances as a whole but players (including their depreciation accounts) individually. On the basis there is no way we could recruit a replacement as good as the Admiral (we'd be elbowed out by CL clubs if any became available) and the buying club are a direct competitor, Pompey are going to have to pay way over the odds to get Rovers interested. Going up in £300K intervals every week means they will get in range when the January transfer window comes round. Apart from that, den is pretty well spot on. I can only think of the sale of Bailey and purchase of McKenzie where the club strengthened playing-wise by use of the star player proceeds. Arsenal ARE different; they can click their fingers and usually players come running. Hughes "Blackburn are sexy now" the other night is working towards correcting the perception of the club so that players might come if we click our fingers and whistle for them.