Had a dream last night that we got a penalty in the WBA game. We missed it!

Less dramatic for the loan players. McEveley apparently played very well in the Ipswich 2-0 win at Leeds and Gally missed a sitter but struck the corner which gave Stoke trheir late consolation in losing 1-3 to Wolves. Derbyshire didn't get on for Plymouth apparently. Colin Hendry is reported as interested in taking Johnson and Harkins on loan. I would think Johnson would only go if Matty is proven 100% OK.

Hartson- not that I think we were ever seriously in for him.

A telling comment from the end of the Telegraph report on Saturday's game: "When the final whistle sounded and the boos rang out, Old Trafford was perhaps a third full after what ironically had been its most thrilling and compelling match of the season. Whatever they say about supporters being starved of the oxygen of entertainment, football is ultimately about who wins." Last season, Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal were so far ahead that for the rest of the Prem it was a case of eeking out wins from 32 games. Premiership clubs simply didn't win enough times to keep the supporters happy. Perhaps there is nothing uniquely disloyal in the Rovers' support. Just that the disproportionate fall off in attendance is a function of only seeing ten league wins at Ewood across two seasons? The disproportionate number of away wins throughout the leagues so far this season doesn't portend well for attendances on that basis.

The comments on formations and players attributed to Mark Hughes after the Man U game are the most encouraging thing to emerge from the Rovers in a very long time.

Glazer takes legal action against Manc fans in the USA I am sure John Williams would be happy to write to them promising them the Rovers would give them every encouragement to display the club crest if they started to support a decent football club. Being serious, this is an absolute outrage by the Glazers. Probably the first of many.

I heard that offside comment as well. From the sideways on camera, Silvestre is a yard behind the Manc line and played MGP well onside. The offside comment didn't get repeated after that angle was shown in the replays of the goal. This is pretty equitable comment from a Manc web site. "Only EvdS saved Man U from a rout" Ferguson is 4/1 for the sack at William Hills by the way. Oh how sweet if Glazer Utd don't qualify for the Champs League this season.

Peter Scudamore of the Premier League and two Club Chairmen putting their "things are OK" spin on it. Only the good fortune of Sunderland, West Ham and Wigan collectively having 25,000 more capacity than the grounds of Norwich, Palace and Southampton makes their claimed increase at this stage possible combined with the some of the clubs with the biggest grounds- Newcastle, Chelsea, having played 4 of their 7 games at home and I think Everton and the Mancs having an even more scewed distribution towards home fixtures.

Seen one televised highlight of West Brom (I think v Wigan) and they looked risibly bad. Of course they'll play brilliantly when they come to Ewood... This game is all about how Rovers perform. In years gone by I'd say a big letdown is coming but I have a feeling Hughes got a big shock/wake up call against Newcastle and won't get his tactics so horribly messed up again. Rovers probably to win narrowly but if there is a team in the Prem which is vulnerable to a pairing of Dickov and Bellamy running riot, I reckon its West Brom.

Don't know about an England recall just yet but that was a sensational performance by Gray yesterday. He was up against the one of the trickiest, quickest wingers around and hardly ever let Ronaldo get past him. Gray showed commendable discipline as Ronaldo got dirtier and dirtier the more frustrated he became. Gray's passing and surging runs forward brought a dimension to Rovers' play we have been missing for ages no matter how solid Matteo has been at LB. Gray has a great chance to make the LB slot his own- based on yesterday's performance I hope he siezes it and plays a blinder at the Bridge to make up for last season's nightmare.

Sky's ratings

Why we should be glad attendances are falling! Some interesting developments- the relegated trio of last season have been replaced by Arsenal, Chelsea and the Mancs on the attendance working party. The fall off in away support has meant that OT has not been full at every game so far this season except the City match. The dilemma for the Mancs of course is that OT is a snooze zone if the away support is not singing. Rovers' 1,000 came over loud and clear on the live coverage for much of the match yesterday. John Williams seems to have got changing the division of Premiership monies onto the agenda (which is probably why the big three have joined the attendance committee). At present, 50% of the Prem money is divided equally, 25% goes in prize money and 25% for TV coverage. It is possible that 14 votes will be mustered for a shift to 80-10-10. A very level-headed piece from Norwich City about building attendances. Of course it helps to have a vast un-footballed hinterland which Rovers don't have the luxury of enjoying. This bit about the unpredictability of the Championship is being over done. Sheff U are already 9 points clear of third place and 18 points ahead of Norwich- makes the Prem look competitive! In France, the league has pulled off a more lucrative TV monopoly deal than Sky ever dreamt of in England and the EU hasn't batted an eyelid. (Perhaps the Prem and Sky should just stick the French agreement through the Google translator and shove that in front of Brussels?). However, the game is going to pot over there as the fall off in goals scored is even more dramatic than in the Prem prompying a national task force to look at the crisis. Attendances are unsurprisingly well down.

This Manc - loving BBC report on the game really is a pile of ignorant garbage. Sky has a much more balanced report- look at the shots on target statistics. Edwin (sic) was a busy boy. I was referring to clubs. There's a whole bunch of squeaky new grounds and ex=non league places we have never won at (and some we hope we never will have to in the league!)

We've broken all the away jinxes now! (Just wait til Luton get promoted- we've never won at Kenilworth Road!). Eddie, I won't say we will win at the Bridge but judging by the fright Villa gave Chelsea today, it might happen....

Woohoo brilliant fantastic- pub full of Mancs (who never thought they were going to win- Mancs toothless this year) SWEET Seriously though, Christina thoroughly warranted Gamst's full-on boot in the face- had a Rover viciously elbowed the way Christina stuck one on Gray, he'd have been straight red instead of the pansy yellow Christina got given. So Christina's face should have been in the showers instead of on the pitch for Gamst to get his own back with a richly deserved kicking. Sav's fifth yellow wasn't merited either- clean claim of a ball there to be won but the theatrical lunge at it obviously sold the ref a dummy. Well done Sparky all faith restored and boy did he look calm at the end (but he couldn't hide the smile altogether). 4-4-2 with Tugay one of the midfield 4 looked, to say the least, suicidal. But Sparky had obviously worked out the Mancs were there for the taking and take them we did. The stats are pretty good- we had 7-6 shots on target in our favour at the end of the first half and whilst the Mancs probably shaded the second half, it was no procession. Gamst- two very good strikes- and he played a full 90 minutes with passion and presence- let's have more of the same. So on the day Chelski wrapped up the Prem title (Villa on the other TV screen really gave them a going over at Stamford Bridge- if ever Chelsea were going to slip up, it was in a game like today), how sweet for Scholes to start repaying his debt to Rovers. Another 4 or 5 results like today and I'll call it all square with the Mancs. PS I hope waggy enjoyed watching fucum.

Mancs are without Neville G. Rovers have doubts over Todd (flu) and Gresko (knee).

I agree Alan. Of all the column acres being written about falling attendances, this article hits the nail on the head. Football is about suspension of reality and being entertained in the process. Both those franchises are being removed from the Premiership. Here's to Rovers winning at Old Trafford and dreaming returning to our national game.

Another outspoken attack from the scientific establishment. Hurricanes are the smoking gun of global warming. What is currently a minority American viewpoint.

Thanks blue blood for articulating those thoughts. Yes, I'm concerned about the start to this season, yes I saw how Wales stagnated and fear we are seeing a repeat at the Rovers, but deep down I think we are OK and in good hands.

Probably more Captain- it was Wigan's record crowd. The BBC have another go at explaining the drop in crowds. Rovers' decline looks bad on the bar chart. There's a 30%+ drop in goals scored at this stage in the Prem season compared with three years ago.

Interesting comments from the Mancs.

There is also an affectionate use of the term which because the offensive usage also exists, tends to be used amongst people who know each other and therefore actually makes it a term of warmth and camaraderie as they know the offensive usage is NOT being employed. Similar words in usage: "sausage" applied to a man in the same way Greeting someone you know with "How are you, you old bugger?" I am sure there must be American equivalents- you have had over 200 years to nuance the language!

Very interesting line up tonight: Friedel Neill Nelsen Zura Gray (why not- a tricky third division winger will test him) Emerton Savage Tugay Bentley Bellamy Dickov

I can't remember the exact terminology but let's say attempts at goal. I think it was 7 blocked, 7 off target, 7 on target. In the first half, Given dealt with at least four efforts which had the virtue of being on target but were otherwise hopeless, plus the free kicks. Second half, there were four efforts I can remember which had real threat- Reid's blast blocked for a corner after thirty seconds The shot that passed through Bellamy's legs too quickly for him to get a deflected touch (off target) Tugay's blast from the corner where he attempted a Fulham repeat (off target) Jansen's header cleared off the line (on target). Plenty other less memorable moments.

Huddersfield have a tricky winger and a forward who knows where the net is. On the other hand, they leak goals at the back and apparently have all their regular centre backs out injured. If this isn't an invitation/neccessity to play it in the opposition's half, I don't know what is. Hughes has said that Bellamy definitely starts and it will be a strong side he puts out. Players involved in last night's reserves won't be involved which only rules out Lee and Johnson amongst the players who might see first team action in the near future.