philipl

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.

Any TV or web coverage of the Sparta game?

Allemania Aachen reached the final of the German Cup and so like Millwall, entered the UEFA Cup as a 2nd Division team. Unlike Millwall, they acquitted themselves well in Europe. As it happens, Aachen played AZ Alkmar in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. All clear now?

That's not difficult- just forwards anything written by jim mk 2!

Scotty, those three points are extremely encouraging for the forthcoming campaign and have really raised my spirits. Aachen did well in the UEFA Cup last season (qualified from their Group stage) so it was a decent challenge for Rovers. Good luck and keep safe in Rottedam!

He clearly sees him as a squad player capable of doing a job. Hughes is signalling loyalty to those players who do a job for him. He is making it that bit harder for others to walk out.

The poll that matters is the c. 10,000 that turn up for £10 tickets at League Cup games. There is no indication that reduced prices increases attendance and hasn't been for at least five years sadly.

I am glad that there are a number of posters reflecting the sad reality of the situation. Rovers have to price to optimise revenue. It does make complete sense to price the two ends identically knowing that visiting supporters are marginally less price sensitive having travelled (and in the case of Chelsea, are used to paying £50+ every home game) and that most of the Blackburn End is occupied by season ticket holders paying appreciably less. The only criticism would be that perhaps the lower priced areas of the Riverside and JW should perhapsbe larger and price-reduced to be genuinely attractive to the hard-up walk on fan. These are the Chelsea prices taken from thed official site. Incidentally, having to register to obtain details of the price of tickets is a major web site boo boo. I desperately hope that the Premiership Chairmen sit down and seriously appraise what they are going to do with the massive unexpected bonus next year's 60%+ rise in TV income. My agenda would be: 1) A decent shift of allocation towards the non-CL qualifying clubs. The league within a league is steadily eroding the attractiveness of the product. This is under discussion. 2) An across the board reduction in gate prices of 25%. The fans going through the turnstiles have got to be rewarded otherwise the TV product will be eroded- it is simple self-interest on the part of the Premiership to do this. I remember when Jack was alive, there was a vision of entry to Ewood eventually being close to free because theclub would be making so much from RoverVision etc etc. Unfortunately, I am not aware that this is on the Premiership agenda. At the end of the day, we all make personal choices. It is very clear that many people on this MB regularly drink more alcohol in an afternoon than I get through in a fortnight or a month. Many people smoke- another rather expensive activity. Perhaps some of these are the people complaining about the price of tickets to Rovers?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3758410a1823,00.html NZ manager discussing Nelsen playing for them. More importantly, Nelsen talking about fighting to get his place back at Rovers to face Pompey at Fratton.

"I think he'd do better to keep his mouth shut," Heskey on Sullivan according to the News of the Screws.

Just hope we don't suffer any injuries in this one (or against Sparta and that goes for our supporters as well). Plenty of clubs seem to be getting bad hits to key players. We're playing an outfit that would be at its level against Accy Stanley from Colin's description irrespective of their 1-1 at the Valley. That sounds like desperate tackling from our visitors.... Would be a nice bonus if Benni were to get the Rovers' faithful enthused. Report on Charlton v NZ, Nelsen's injury and NZ ARE going to ask for him to play for them at Ewood. Incidentally, JW has said Rovers are looking to make sure Nelsen is not disadvantaged in his wages by us turning down Pompey. So' Arry has bumped up our wages bill and still not signed anybody permanently except David Thompson.

What a surprise, Villa have enquired about Neil Lennon and Stilan Petrov.

Wooo! The gap is closing. The MB will be welcoming longsider and all his little chums any second now.

Jordan confusing the Axe and Agathe by all accounts! The Axe started at centre half. Aachen's previous game was a 1-1 draw away at PSV. First goal apparently a Benni volley from an MGP cross. Second, Benni muscled his way thru' to lay the ball off for Roberts to chip the keeper. Aachen's first was a 25 yard blast from Rosli. All from the Allemani Aachen thread on the official web site's Rovers massageboard!

Thanks. Olympiakos tubbed Real Socieadad 5-1 last night (the Real consolation coming deep into added time). I doubt there will be any official news about the game- on the official site, it is talking about playing a Dutch side whereas Aachen play in the Bundesliga in Germany!

We're not the only ones getting humbled pre-season. Mainz turned over Liverpool 5-0 last night and that IS embarassing. Anyone know if the Aachen game is going to be webcast? That was the only good thing about Olympiakos.

He took the Celtic dead beats to a UEFA Cup Final where he had the misfortune of facing Benni McCarthy or "the special one's Porto" depending on your point of view. Villa were already giving Roy Aitken a dead cat bounce in the friendly games being so glad to see the back of O'Leary. O'Neill is not inept even if you don't think he's a bit good (and I think he is very good) so Villa go straight into my list of potential Cup challengers/ UEFA place competitors which looks more substantial than last season's. Best hope is that jim is on a wind up.

Villa are "worth" around £60m but if you take the 2007/8 onwards TV deal into account, that rises to £100m ish less a discount of whatever percentage you want to give it for risk of relegation in any of the coming seasons. From what I've been reading, my guess is this management appointment is Deadly Doug's even though at least one of the bidding consortia have been talking about MO'N as a potential Manager for them. It could be a sale deal has been done. However, two of the consortia talking about merging their bids smells of Doug being very successful in playing the competing bids off against one another. A deal with an investor might have already been done. More likely DD has worked out: 1) He needs a good Manager as opposed to O'Dreary's dead hand to boost the team. 2) A good Manager boosts the stock market value pushing the price up. 3) The likely price increase gives him bankable borrowing power. 4) From within Villa's own resources, he can find an additional £20m or so transfer funds and recurring £5m+ wages. 5) That war chest was enough to attract MO'N to the only significant football club anywhere near his home base. DD always doubles the price whenever he's on the verge of "selling". The buying consortia haven't been moaning loudly enough about DD yet to signify that any of them have got close to buying. DD has driven away the one group with local cred- Nicholls. He's now poison pilled the Atholle Still/Sven consortium and Lerner from the States has been told he can only invest on DD's terms which surprisingly leaves DD in sole control. Anyone buying Villa has literally got to play dead man's shoes- get into a position where a grab is possible when DD has left for claret and blue heaven. Irrespective of whether DD is selling or not, the Villa sleeping giant is stirring and has a credible manager with £20m in his back pocket to be spent in the next 29 days. It is bad news for Rovers. It quite probably is terrible news for Celtic.

SG194 gets suckered by the press. Same interview, different heading and twist!

The Rovers contingent at BIG CLUB is depleted by one. Alex Bruce signs with Ipswich.

Lovely interview with Steven Reid in the Lancashire Telegraph yesterday. I find those sorts of comments very heart warming and again shows that Rovers have an excellent set-up at the moment.