It works out as W8 D6 L4. Season to date is W9 D3 L8. W10 D0 L8 in the remainder of the season would also get us to 60 points.

Sorry to quote myself but this was how on 3 January I analysed us getting to 60 points. I thought 60 points was the highest realistically achievable toal then and I still do: Which begs the question, how well can we do this season? Ten home games to go which includes the top three and Arsenal so not quite the benefit of numeric home advantage it looks on paper.- I'd guess four points out of twelve from those games. The other home games include three more derbies- Bolton, Wigan, Man City- given the unpredictable nature of these sorts of games, say five points out of nine. Then three games against strugglers- Villa, Boro and Sunderland- should yield seven points out of nine given the way Hughes has made us more ruthless than Souness did. Away trips to all the relegation-haunted clubs could be tough on the physio room- Sunderland, Pompey, Brum, West Brom should see us unbeaten on those vists, eight points out of twelve. That leaves visits to Everton, Charlton, Newcastle and Spurs- win two, lose two for six points out of twelve. So another 30 points giving a grand total of 60 would seem to be very possible without making any wildly optimistic assumptions. Everton came 4th with 61 points and Liverpool 5th on 58 points last season. Interesting times ahead...

Excellent points by Revidge. I think his analysis of why we have slipped disproportionately is bob-on and should be taken verbatim into the report (even though it adds another writing style!). However, I think Rev missed a point. The report doesn't say the Asian support isn't an issue, it says it is so important an issue that it deserves a separate meeting as a topic on its own if I read it correctly.

Very obviously, we are heading for 50/50 Mancs and Rovers at Ewood tomorrow. At the moment 12,000 people are sitting in 23,000 seats so there are bound to be Mancs everywhere if they sold out the Darwen End last week. Rovers are going to have to win across two away games to get to Cardiff.

RAF, 17 points between 8th and 9th? 17th survives on 31 points when 17th place already has 19 points and there is a January transfer window arms race going on between Pompey and everyone else down there? You obviously enjoyed yourself but I think the final table will be much more traditional apart from Chelsea and Sunderland as outlyers. If Rovers get 70 points, they will be in the Champions League, no ifs buts or maybes. (Liverpool came 5th with 58 points last season)

I was feeling very low about the likely attendance until seeing that Wigan have not yet sold 10,000 for tonight's game. Expected to be 11,000.

From the team picture, even the Academy employs its own PR officer so I'm sure the club does. Unfortunately, PR is only as good as the media its going into and that is distinctly second rate. Superb pieece of work. I agree that the Asian support issue needs to be addressed separately. Here is my tuppence worth: - the big issue is the decline from 26,000+ average gate to 19,000 average gate this season in three seasons of Premiership football- I don't subscribe to the view it will recover appreciably in the second half of the season as there are too many televised games and odd kick-off times. If we were going to get a kick start to this season's gates rising it would come Wednesday night: Man U at home in a Cup semi-final!!! - there is a sub-issue that Kidd's reign got rid of a lot of support that had been acquired by King Kenny but the first two seasons in the Prem seemed to have brought that back. However, the dips in Rovers' form and entertainment value (don't forget Rovers were pathetically unentertaining in addition to only winning 5 home games during two back-to-back seasons), have meant that the 5,000 fans who deserted with relegation have deserted again. In short, we have gone from a base support of 7,000 in the '80s to 17,000 in the '90s/'00s but there is another 5,000 to be had which goes if the entertainment isn't good enough. How do we get that back. - I used to go on the Blackburn End when it was standing. I could pick my spot so there was zero chance of trouble but be close enough to enjoy the atmosphere and join in the singing. I have been on the Blackburn End once since it went all seater- I just did not like being stuck in one seat next to God knows what. I'm not being snobby- the Chavs thread elsewhere on here says it all for me. I go to a football match to be entertained, not watching a drunk in case he throws up over me. Obviously the regulars can pick their seat and the Blackburn End is fine but the first time supporter is taking one big lottery ticket in terms of where they are sitting and with whom, from being deafened by the drummers to being with Grade A Chavs. - Therefore I always go in the JW upper and that is from where the comfortable socio-economic group ABs have gone missing. They don't buy season tickets any more because they have busy lives which cannot fit around all the different kick-off times plus as it has become more deserted, that area it has become less pleasant to be in accelerating the decline. I know that the sort of season-ticket holding family groups I used to be surrounded with when I had a season ticket in the JW Upper don't go any more. - The point about Stadium catering etc. is a good one. This is 2006, there are thousands of good examples of how to serve/shift large numbers of people in small amounts of time without employing armies of staff. Just a matter of good practise but I do think the bar areas etc are terrible (even though they are better than most grounds) if you compare Ewood with spending £32 on a seat at the opera or theatre (that is the price range competition we are in- that has to be the benchmark for facilities). Perhaps more relevant, the best multiplex cinemas should show the Rovers the level they should be aiming at behind the scenes for the non-corporate customer. - Parking is a BIG bug bear. All the places I used to park are now residents only. That adds getting on for an hour to going to Ewood which when that is detracting from the time I would otherwise be spending with aged parents is for me frequently the difference between going and not going when I am in Lancashire. Sprinting from where I used to park to Ewood was OK, running a mile is not on at my age! - Marketing drive aimed at other areas. Driving over from the Fylde on matchdays used to be a solid cavalcade of Rovers scarfs- not any more. That is the largest area of under-footballed population closest to Rovers, go for it in addition to the drive in Lancaster/Morecambe. - TV has made a mess of things but there's nothing to be done about that. However, live illegal TV coverage of games should be stamped out in all bars around Blackburn- that alone I am sure would put 500 to 1,000 straight back onto the gates.

The Bolton reserves are pretty tasty- Vaz Te and Nakata (sp?) amongst those who will be stepping in. Plus Nolan, Davies and one other back from suspension. So no particular African advantage to Rovers. Going to be very tough- everything points to another 0-0 draw.

Good post but going front to back: Start with Dickov and Bellamy- the Mancs will have one if not two debutants so the pace of our two could well spring an unpractised offside trap. Their newbies are unlikely to have had to cope with anyone quite like Dickov before and didn't Rio Ferdinand nominate Dickov as the player he most hates playing against? Kuqi to do what he does best- come on after Dickov has run himself into the ground for an hour and give the Mancs defence an altogether different sort of physical challenge they won't fancy. I expect Hughes will start with Bentley- he has more of a footballing brain and likely to play the odd very good pass. He's also getting an understanding going with Neill and he can have devastatingly good five minutes during a game which Bert rarely does. I don't know how physical Evra will be against him- if Hughes has Evra analysed as a quick brute, Bentley won't start. Otherwise, Bert to come off the bench and hopefully do what could be needed by then- head down and run with the ball to the other end to protect the Rovers' scoreline! Tugay and Savage worked a treat at OT. We are only going to win this one by doing what we did there- taking the game to them. Our passing is going to be the key to winning this one and Tugs on form (as he is now) and having had a little rest could be (needs to be) a more potent weapon for us than Scholes is for them. PLEASE let it be Gray. He certainly had a great game at OT and although he's vulnerable when Christina runs at him with pace, tell me a full back who isn't? Certainly the current large version of Matteo would have big problems. Zura rather than Todd for his pace and better reading of the game. Todd also is slightly more likely to give away free kicks- sometimes really stupid ones. I doubt Todd's added physicality bothers Horseface or Shrek so chose the better footballer in Zura.

Perfect result for Rovers. We had a bit of a stroll against QPR whilst the Manc club will be collectively mad and depressed by their trip to Burton. Even better, they have an extra game before the second leg and judging by the RFW's reaction to the Exeter draw last season will put a full strength side out for the replay.

This QPR web site made Ainsworth their man of the match. Good report by the way.

Just copied this from the BBC web site covering Sunderland v Northwich: "Jon Stead hits the post from three yards when it appeared easier to score after pouncing on Julio Arca's parried shot. Fans are singing "Premiership you're having a laugh" - it is uncertain which set of supporters"

The interesting aspect about Bellamy is that before he came to Rovers he had a reputation as a poor finisher. Indeed I have seen Celtic laying the blame for their blow out which handed the SPL to Rangers on Bellamy's poor finishing.

Don't even give a moment's thought about it- United will be as strong as they possibly can be. They only have the two Cups to save their season with. Their new signings give them a sporting chance of 2nd in the Prem but Liverpool are in the driving seat and as I write this they are still five rounds away from a Wembley appearance (and here's hoping Burton do an Exeter on them this afternoon) so RFW has to go all out to get a big result at Ewood to give him the luxury of not being at full strength at OT. RFW will be aware of how Mark Hughes has said that the win at OT "started" our season. With his two new signings, RFW will be wanting to return the compliment and get a typical Utd second half of the season under way.

Simon Jordan wasn't my favourite person but his articles in the Guardian are all absolutely first class. I am sure Ryan Nelsen has read that and taken note- if not, someone should send it to him.

Well done Sergio Peter on a smashing debut. Seems that everyone is underwhelmed by what was a routine win (isn't it nice to start having those?). The gulf between the Prem and the rest is pretty frightening judging by today's results- all 20 Prem clubs look like they'll be in Monday's 4th Round draw although Wigan will have to be at their best to survive at Leeds and the Baggies will start second favourites when they go to Reading. So the probability is that we'll get a tricky draw. Its just bound to be Man U at home for us!

Just listening to Gareth Ainsworth- what a great guy! He's on the subs bench for QPR- what is Holloway on?

didums

Rovers only expecting a 10,000 crowd today. ...and more general comments about the Cup losing its magic. With all 20 Premiership clubs facing lower league (or non-league) opposition and only 20/1 against them all survivinf the Third Round, we could be heading for the least romantic FA Cup ever. On the other hand... No romance at Ewood this afternoon, thanks all the same.

o next to p on the keyboard as well as the alohabet!

It is a differentg job to the one Souness took. 1) He can push Fat Freddie around with FF having f'ed up sacking Robson who was a success and appointing Souness who wasn't. 2) He's seen what Hughes has done following Souness at Rovers and knows he can get a similar improvement from the existing squad at Newcastle. I bet Hughes copied some of the things Sam has done at Wanderers when he got Rovers fit. 3) The Shearer legend is a bit tarnished so Sam can be his own man at Newcastle- Shearer can only be the Prince in Waiting so long and he's waited too long. 4) No Geordie expectations this season- they are all crocked! 5) He inherits the best squad outside Chelsea if he gets some defenders (and he doesn't need a big chequebook to do that- our defence cost a grand total of £3m if you forget about Amo and Vresko and is one of the best around). Where can he go from here at Bolton?- every season he has to comb the scrapheaps of the world and its not getting any easier as the world has learnt how to copy him. He was genuinely frustrated at his inability to make the signings he wanted this summer. Allardyce to Newcastle is bad news for the rest of the Prem including Rovers. Souness to Newcastle was bad news for Newcastle but great for the rest of the Prem and a double bubble helping of fantastic news for Rovers (£1.3m compensation for a crap management team and we got Bellamy cheap!)

According to the official site, Jansen is not in the squad. Looks like one very emotional half time draw.

Smart move- laugh it off, what's the fuss about? After all, the guys on the other side of the desk at the hearing will have moments over a oint they are probably mighty glad never saw the light of day in print.

I guess Mark hughes quote about carrying a few bruises probably means Bert in place of Bentley. With Reid out, I am certain one of MGP and Savage will play but don't know which.

Dragging on a bit now.