Great report Scotty. Feeling MUCH better after that performance. Was very apprehensive when I saw the team sheet. Quite simply, it is very close to what I would consider is our best XI in current circumstances and I was pretty sure we were going to get rolled over. Then where wouldwe have turned? So which is the real Rovers under sparky? The two 2-2s (Villa and Liverpool) or the two 0-4s? Lets look at yesterday's positives- we were determined and played entertaining football. Emo and Fergie looked very high quality, Bothroyd carries real threat, Nissa concentrated for 90+ minutes and Short did not get injured. Reid continued to show that he might make it at Prem level and McEveley confirmed the more encouraging reports emerging from Reserve team football. Even Tugay whom I felt was finally over the top rolled back some years. Negatives- Lucas Neill needs to dust off the videos marked Premiership Team of the Year Right Back 2001/2- yes that was you Lucas baby, look and learn. - Brad; Amo and Matteo were not playing so why the lack of confidence? - So we've lead 2-1 in second half play three times this season and collected the handsome total of two points from those games, hmmm... - The other results yesterday were not good....Palace certain relegation candidates? I expect Norwich to win at Citeh tomorrow.

I m looking forwards to Tommo's tenacity but his passing was awful in the fleeting glimpses we have seen of him.

LeChuck, have to say you are spot on. We are Wales mark 2. My worry about Hughes was what was happening at Wales. Yes they had very limited players, many of whom were fizzling out (ditto Rovers), but Hughes seemed incapable of motivating them- especially that home defeat against Russia when in the biggest game for their country in two generations, Wales were remarkably under-motivated and easilly defeated by a pretty ordinary side (look at Russia's results since Cardiff). Hughes looked good becausee he walked into the biggest shambles in interntional football. At this point, I wish we had Dowie. Palace do not have better players than us but look where they are standing relative to us today. This is not a Hughes out rant. He is a big improvement over Souness who did supinely lose games 0-4 (Brum and Liverpool). More to the point, Rovers beat Pompey- very unlikely a Souness-led Rovers would have won that one.

I haven't seen a newspaper report this morning which does not assume we will be relegated.

A very good analysis of the decline in Premiership crowds this year. Incidentally, the Norwich v Everton game yesterday was the forst "good old-fashioned" English Premier League game I'd seen this season. A tremendous up and at them encounter with great skill and passion.

For 30 minutes, the Rovers looked well organised, compact and very capable of giving Chelski a frustrating afternoon. We even put some good moves together and had a fair shout for a penalty. Even when Chelsea stepped up a gear, we looked OK to keep it to 0-0 to half time when suddenly Neill and Matteo got lost, Gudjonsson watched our back line disintegrate and Gray didn't and we were 0-2 and out of it. Never mind Short fouled outside the penalty area and Duff scored from a corner that wasn't (Chelski were getting a corner bonus afternoon), we were beaten by the inability of our defence individually and collectively to keep their shape and discipline- again. So we will be bottom after the Saints v Brum game and with that minor irritant of a -15 goal difference already need back-to-back victories to be certain of escaping the bottom three. oh eck

I cannot see our fine record at Stamford Bridge surviving this encounter. However, whether we lose by one or a bag full, I will be looking for: - signs of character and leadership. The lack of these from what I have seen of that abject second half last week was the most worrying aspect. This was what Amo was supposed to provide at the back wasn't it? - signs that there is some more class in the team. I hope Stead and MGP get a chance to perform against one of the best in Europe. If these two guys come good we could have the nucleus of a team which can compete in the Prem this season in terms of player quality - a reduction in cautions/ sending offs. The disciplinary record is horrible yet its not made us any more difficult to play against.

I feel utterly let down by that admission by Souness that he did not take the UEFA Cup seriously at Blackburn. I was unable to get to Sofia, Glasgow or Ankara. I am sure the Rovers supporters who made those trips are nauseated by those comments. Boxing day at Ewood is working up to be a grudge game par excellence. If we don't get 30,000 on for that game, the passion for Rovers football will be seen to have died.

Danns has just scored again for Colchester. Before the bring back Danns campaign gets into full cry, Jimmy Corbett has just scored for Southend as well.

A couple of sympathetic but starkly realistic reports here: The Independent The Guardian The point that our regular crowds are 2,000 less than the lowest gate in our, dare I say it, previous relegation season is a huge worry. One of the reports points to the Boro fans having players they can identify with whereas we have nobody. Fair enough. But surely the key issue is that the Rovers have been playing unentertaining non-winning football at Ewood for over 18 months now and that must be driving people away. I had hoped the entertainment factor in the Villa game was a pointer to the future. Obviously it was all too easy for McLaren to watch the video and snuff that out allied to the self-inflicted blows of playing Emo on the wrong side and Tugay leaving his brain in the dressing room.

i have just about summoned enough good humour to look at the message board and what do I see? Rover6 has been responsible for the last six posts. I am going to lie down in a dark room again.

Other fans' responses It seems that some grounds are beyond their own fans' defendinng them... but not Luton.

Into the bottom three because of the Baggies Norwich draw.

Looks like two through Neill getting skinned, one from an outswinging corner going all the way for a player to shoot and one passed through the middle of the defence. Where do you start?

JFH hattrick

Sorry to say it but looks like Wigan will be replacing us in the Premiership.

We are left hoping West Brom and Everton will grab winners to keep us out of the bottom three.

Short has replaced the injured Amo.

This is a full-on crisis now with Chelsea and Liverpool next up followed by a trip to Norwich who are bound to fancy their chances gainst us.

I am afraid we are in for a thrashing this afternoon. Four or five? Just heard Downing destroyed Neill for the first one. Boateng scored his first goal in 119 games today. So we are bound to get a penalty today?

0-0 is the very bes we can hope for. With all the players back to fitness, its going to be a bad time for Tugs to be suspended.

Downing deliberately handled and didn't geyt booked (Tugay's first booking)

It read like Boro were well on top before that happened.

Seems thart Mike Roiley is card happy today. Two bookings already.

Chatroom was OK atwo hours ago when I tested it. Anyone got an alternatrive?