Lehman is a class keeper- he's the difference between Germany and national humiliation on home soil this summer. Anyone else think Rovers v Spuds last night? There was only ever going to be an Arsenal advance to the Final despite a rugger ref on the pitch but Forlan's miss was a collector's piece. Onn BBC Wotrld Service this morning- "only Man U fans will be able to explain how Forlan missed that chance" As for the penalty. It was SOO obvious Riquelme wasn't going to score. Why didn't someone take the ball off him after he'd kissed it before spotting it? PS The BBC cameramen had done a decent job of scouting the talent in the stands. Pouting, emotional senoritas all night.

Actually MGP's corners and crosses in the Liverpool game were top notch. The exception but welcome. MGP is an exceptional talent- there are very few in the Prem who can strike the ball with such unnerring accuracy with either foot when shooting on goal. My big concern is not his work rate or his skill or his footballing brain but everybody knows the guy disappears as soon as anyone hits him with a hefty challenge. I can't say I ever appreciated the rough stuff but then I was never paid £1m a year to stand up to guys kicking the wotsits out of me once every seven days.

I haven't seen a singled convincing argument for any of the English condidates which retains any credibility after saying they are English.

Could be the FA are using trial by media to make their decision. After allowing O'Neill, Allardyce, Curbishley and McLaren to be ravaged by the press as the reported likely choice, it appears to be Scolari's turn today. Only Hiddink and Scolari are serious candidates in my opinion and for some reason they didn't take Hiddink seriously.

There is one positive side effect. Chelsea have made the other clubs raise their game and even though Chelski will buy big again this summer (the original plan was not to do so), next season's Premiership could be very competitive at the top. We could also be seeing English clubs becoming much stronger competitors in Europe because of the levelling up of quality Chelsea are causing.

At that rate of progress, we'll win 15-3 next Saturday. That must be worth a flutter- go for it pick.

Hang on, you are joking aren't you? Slagging off MGP and advocating Andy Reid as a replacement? I didn't see the Brum game but was MGP THAT bad?

Having just skimmed the remaining fixtures, I reckon a win and two draws (59 points) should see us into 6th.

If he had just been another in the long list of goal scoring centre forwards in the non-achieving Newcastle club he would have been a footnote in history. But he was the greatest forward in English football in my lifetime and he achieved that greatness wearing the blue and white of Blackburn Rovers. For that, I will always be grateful to Jack Walker, Kenny Dlaglish and the incomparable player himself, Alan Shearer.

2 points out of the last four games and still 6th. Thankfully Charlton crashed back to awful at notlob today so the trip to the Valley is a realistic chance of 3 points provided Sparky raises the lads to the occasion. Chelsea looked no great shakes against Liverpool so our game in hand might not be a complete write-off. The other contenders for 6th seem to have the names Birmingham and Portsmouth appearing in their last fixtures.

Actually, its a terrible performance when you consider the transfer money spent and a wage bill getting on for twice that of Rovers. If McLaren is appointed, it will only because the FA are a bunch of pansies who want their egos stroked whilst confirming their total ignorance of world football. Apart from that, it would be a poor appointment.

After this week-end's games we would still be 6th so I didn't bother reading this thread until now. I knew the posts would be ridiculous and I've not been disappointed. Thanks for the laughs lads- there are some right comedians on here!

It could be an entertaining game. Brum to give them their due can play pretty stuff in which case tonight's game could be surprisingly open which would suit us perfectly so long as Neill remembers his positional sense and we don't leave Gray too isolated against Pennant. However, Hughes is probably debating with himself how inspirational "lets do it for Sav" he can dare be. Brum have shown remarkably little apetite for the scrap (Sutton apart and he looks like he's given up) and our biggest threat could well be the ref's cards. Need to watch out for Johnson injuring our guys though- he is a bit dirty at times.

SuperStella, drop Savage for BIG CLUB fixture????

So this is where the Southend players sit? when shown the away dressing room. Where does Dunny put his Rovers shirt? Ah the mega casino if you see any sort of dispensing machine. "I thought it was bigger than this" at any and every opportunity.

Of course, if Neill had scythed through Cisse to get at the ball, it wouldn't have been a penalty as Cisse wasn't interfering....

On average, half as many as he did in the three best seasons with us.

In reality, he has been in a footballer's rest home these last ten years.

The one fact nobody has discussed is this: THE BALL WAS PASSED TO CISSE. It was going directly to him. He had to get out of the way of it. If the passer had not intended Cisse to be interfering with play why did he pass it to him? When he releases the ball he can only guess that Morientes is behind him running in from an onside position- as Morientes is out of the passer's vision when the ball is released. That alone means Cisse was interfering.

I saw the Half times between meetings so the full time results with Charlton and Newcastle reversing the HT arrears was a bit of a bow. Never mind, 6th is still our's to lose. Four straight wins and who knows where we can end up!

Brum were an absolute disgrace against their other pet hates, Villa. Rovers should win this one but I am worried that a lot of clubs in the Prem seem to be putting long sequences together and just hope that we haven't started on a non-winning sequence. How Villa beat Brum. On this basis, Bellamy will enjoy himself on Wednesday- for Brum only a win will do. We just have to make sure we don't fall behind but even then that Brum defence is vulnerable.

At last a reason that makes sense and an explanation of the off-side rule I can understand why the ref allowed that goal to stand.

The TV replay of the offside given against us less than a minute into the second half clearly showed Dickov onside when the ball was played through to him. Liverpool hadn't settled and there was space in the box for just about the only time all game.

Bruce and Dunn have both said Dunny is playing when he's not fully ready. How many games would Bellars have got in this season if we had done that to him? It's the medics who will decide if this move becomes a possibilty.

For the first time all season, Rovers are in front! Quite a bit depends on Rovers not blowing it on their visits to Brum and Charlton but surely the attractions of Chelski Champions and Citeh will bring 25,000+ gates to both games?