philipl

Well that was fun! Would have been great but for two offsides in the Anderton goal and Melchiott running past Jay like he wasn't there for the other two goals. ...and Gally flatfooted watching the action when Maik Taylor spilled that shot most of the way to the penalty spot. But, great entertainment leaving me convinced we are staying up. We'd better because I told the Mancs in the Bar at half time: "If we don't loose this we will stay up, no problem"- so there you have it! Funny thing was they were telling me that the Rovers would get the draw! It is also utterly clear that midfeld is NOT the problem. Ferguson was not outstandng but was still very good. Reid despite the air shot which set up Savage (who I thought looked predictably ordinary) had a blinder and Thompson came on and showed he CAN play centre mid. Emo was up against the joint second tightest defence in the Prem and they certainly showed he is weak on his left foot. If MGP is not good enough to force Emo out of the side, so be it. Up front, Dickov's lack of stature was certainly a problem- he was pushed around all night but the little'un kept going and forced Gally's goal. Matty took his chance well and disappeared, Gally could have been a hero but as I said, did not follow up- unforgiveable if he seriously wants a place in the starting line up with Bothroyd and Stead surely going to come good. We scored three against a super mean defence so I'm not so concerned about buying a forward in January. So folks- all that £xm has got to go on defenders in January and I don't mean players we all have to kid ourselves could be good enough but I am talking serious long term quality. Definitely a central defender of real class and a right back who can push Neill out of the side iif he doesn't rediscover the way he was playing two seasons ago. And I am going to bed with a smile on my face and forget the League table. The win can come at the Cottage.

Read my way through the papers and the online stuff and I am feeling upbeat about today's game for some unknown reason. The Asian pundits are all backing a Brum win and the last time Rovers played at Ewood on my wedding anniversary, we lost 0-2 to Southampton and Roy Hodgson got sacked. I had today marked as the likeliest date for Souey's sacking but Fat Freddie got their first! With the tough games coming up around Christmas, it is going to be very important to keep the unbeaten run going through the next four games (Brum, Fulham, Spuds and Palace). The prize from the existiing run of three draws is that for the first time this month, we go into a fixture knowing a win can lift us out of the bottom three. Anyway, past history supports us as according to the BBC: "The Brummies are yet to record their first victory over Blackburn in the Premiership (two draws, two defeats so far). Their only maximum in 23 League visits to Ewood Park over 50 years was 1-2 on 20 January 1668 in the original Second Division. Their last top flight maximum there was also 1-2 on 28 September 1935." (That was the season the Rovers lost their top flight status for the first time- an ominous pointer if we lose today) No doubt jim can talk us through that seventeenth century encounter.

LeChuck, and the next Tim Cahill is....? Despite USA's reservtions, I like teapreacher's suggestion a lot. It could be the formula to make us really exciting if Stead and Jansen ever recover the form they used to be capable of.

Sorry Tris, what are those numbers? An addition of he four average attendances for Divs 1 to 4?

A rather unilluminating interview with Seve Bruce. I've only met Bruce once and did not find him an appealing character. My guess is the Gold Brothers will be looking rather enviously at Blackburn Rovers and will be wishing they took their chance when Fat Freddie rang them up. As for the suggestion of playing Martin Taylor YES PLEASE Disrupt one of the meanest defences in the Prem and play a defender who won't be able to cope with Dickov's antics. Somehow, I think Rover 6 (and the rest of us) are going to be disappointed by Steve Bruce's team selection and we will not be seeing Tiny tomorrow.

In your dreams Souey...

The rumours are loud enough for Steve Bruce to have issued a denial. It was in The Sun yesterday so it must be true. Had a quick look on the Brum web sites and have read that: Dunn cut his achilles but has had the stitches removed and could be in contention for Sunday, but Dunn's hamstring troubles mean he will not resume training until next week, and Dunn has a serious back problem. One poster suggess that the confusion of stories is reminiscent of what happened before Dugarry's knee problem ended his time at St Andrew's. Whatever the truth is, it is obviously a painful (physically annd mentally) time for David Dunn and I can only wish him the fullest possible recovery. Judging by the performance in Madrid, England desperately needs Dunny back to his very best. Another snippet from the Brum web site: They have scored one goal in the last six games (Anderton at Liverpool) and conceded three. Hmm, no wonder so many pundits plus your's truly are forecasting 0-0. I fear that this is one game we will not come back from behind if we make it 12 out of 14 games in which we let in the first goal. Although, they have problems further up the Park, Brum have their regular back four plus Savage on duty at Ewood- a lot will depend on Emo being able to run past them, Fergie playing some killer passes or a Dickov wind-up special. Incidentally, nobody at Brum seems to be remotely concerned about the stories linking us with Savage. They either don't care, or more probably, don't believe them. With Izzet suspended, we will certainly see Johnty skipping around Ewood from the start and its odds on we will see Dwight Yorke at some stage. So two old boys to cheer on - Tiny Taylor might not even make the bench. Hopefully, this will not be the game when Gronkjaer clicks.

Tony Parkes asks for calm Typical of the man- showing a dignity others had denied him.

I would support that idea from FLB. The combined votes for the nine candidates currently placed 3rd and downwards currently excedes the vote of either of the front runners. The current outcome would not have been predicted from the first vote which Clayton won so easilly so who knows what would happen in a run off with the other nine names eliminated?

Now that's just hilarious. I'll edit that, I will agree, it is a ###### hole. Good job I live just outside isn't it. Slough Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough It isn't fit for humans now, There isn't grass to graze a cow Swarm over, Death! Come, bombs, and blow to smithereens Those air-conditioned, bright canteens, Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans Tinned minds, tinned breath. Mess up the mess they call a town -- A house for ninety-seven down And once a week for half-a-crown For twenty years, And get that man with double chin Who'll always cheat and always win, Who washes his repulsive skin In women's tears, And smash his desk of polished oak And smash his hands so used to stroke And stop his boring dirty joke And make him yell. But spare the bald young clerks who add The profits of the stinking cad; It's not their fault that they are mad, They've tasted Hell. It's not their fault they do not know The birdsong from the radio, It's not their fault they often go To Maidenhead And talk of sports and makes of cars In various bogus Tudor bars And daren't look up and see the stars But belch instead. In labour-saving homes, with care Their wives frizz out peroxide hair And dry it in synthetic air And paint their nails. Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough To get it ready for the plough. The cabbages are coming now; The earth exhales. -- John Betjeman

From what I have seen, the only "hard headed" Parkes had to go comments are being posted on this message board. Everywhere else the comments are universally in condemnation of what happened.

A great article in the LET graphically describing the over-exposure of football.

I hate this dead man walking syndrome. It causes untold stress to everyone involved when a decision to make staff redundant or simply fire them has been taken and it has not been enacted. If redundancies are needed, then usually the situation has been brewing for some time. A good senior manager will have already thought through the operational consequencies and morale issues before the meeting is held to decide who exactly will be going. In those circumstances, holding the meeting off site on a Wednesday, taking hand written notes, allowing time for reflection Thursday morning and then holding the meetings with each individual affected on the Thursday afternoon is the best way. If several people are going, the Thursday morning can be used to make sure you know where they are and can check on any atenuating circumstances. Then quietly round them up and have enough relevant people to speak with them individually. In Europe (including the UK) you have to tell redundant staff their position is at risk and give them the chance to suggest alternative ways to work for the company. However, I always insist they take immediate paid leave of absence and ask them to see me again early the following week, again individually. Most accept and understand there is no way back, some come up with daft ideas and sometimes a genuinely good and original suggestion emerges. After making sure the departing people are safely off the company premises and any emotional cases are being taken care of, immediately call a staff meeting and tell the ones who remain the truth, irrespective of whether you cannot assure them their jobs are safe or you are able to make an assurance of no more redundancies for six months or longer. I've faced some pretty horrible situations but nothing like the Parkes leak.

I have always had a deep distaste for Newcastle ever since that horror Lord Westwood cheated on us on both the Gordon Lee and Roger Jones grabs. Of course the move that ruined Shearer's career didn't exactly endear them to me either. Taking Souness off us is all our paybacks coming at once. Yes Souey was magnificent for two and a half years but the bullying arrogant ignoramous with an ego fifteen sizes too big came to the fore and nearly destroyed us. Newcastle have taken that idiot and doubled the size of his over-inflated ego. I even found myself cheering the Manc goals against them yesterday. Vomit! Tricky one next week. Palace v Newcastle. Have to fancy Palace to make it five defeats on the trot. Looking at Pompey v Citeh and Norwich v Saints (two home wins by my reckoning) on Saturday makes our Sunday afternoon against Brum look even more important. At least when we kick off, will know for sure that even a draw will not lift us off bottom place this time. In terms of Hughes v Souness, it is highly unlikely we will finish ahead of the bar codes but I am expecting Boxing Day to be tasty. That will be a huge proof of Hughes' management credentials. If he cannot organise us to beat a Souness side which will resemble a pickled chocolate fry up for all the tactical sense his team selection will make, Hughes will have been found seriously deficient as a manager.

This will be one bad boring game- a terrible advert for trying to bring the TV watchers to Ewood. Quite possibly a sub-20,000 crowd as well. Brum have managed just 8 goals all season and we have scored 9. Unlike us, Brum don't conceed many either. This is the long over due 0-0. We will have to wait a bit longer for the second win of the season.

rover 6 Please can you give us a link to any article which says Rovers pay Tromso an appearance fee after four matches?

Sorry to interupt but anyone know why Gally was not on the bench yesterday?

A Notts County perspective on the FA Cup of 1891 which produced Jimmy Forrest's never to be equalled fifth FA Cup winner's medal. A personal note, when I was a child, our next door neighbour was Jimmy Forrest's daughter-in-law. The old lady was never particularly talkative and her husband had died many years before I was born but I do recall the hushed and reverential terms which were used by her for the "greatest Rovers footballer". He was remembered as a gentleman.

Simple. Buy a ticket and go watch.

The sacking of Tony Parkes means that Sparky is very much his own man doing his own thing with his very own Tafia. He's certainly making sure that he and not Souey gets the blame or the plaudits from here on in. Meanwhilst we can count the successive defeats suffered by Newcastle.

I know this emotional but since when was following a football club an exercise in Cartesian logic? I feel gutted. A huge part of why I support Blackburn Rovers died with this sacking. Tony Parkes is Mr Blackburn Rovers. He is someone who made our club different. An all round nice guy who showed that nice guys have their place in modern football. Tony, you are a hero. Thanks for all 34 years at Ewood Park.

I for one will be very disappointed if this were true. Even with a new broom, the knowledge and experience of all things Rovers that Parkes has is still invaluable. As things stand at the moment, The Sun is on its own with this story. It is over five hours since the "news" broke. In this electronic age, that seems a long time for them to be maintaining exclusivity, especially as it has been a slow night for football news (the only big stories are Mandaric's denying Redknapp is at risk and the possible collapse of the Leeds take over,- the other 50+ news items to hit the wires since the Sun published are either pure speculation or previews of Saturday's games). It seems odd to be firing the Reserve Team Manager when the Reserves are doing so well (are they top of their league?) and just after we lost their coach Rob Kelly who took up the first team coach position at Leicester. However, perhaps TP is taking early retirement as Sparky completes a total reshuffle of backroom personnel and processes. Let's see.

Linny8, Will et al. Great. Support the lads. But will the Rovers supporter sat behind you be able to see the game?

Plumped for Forrest because of his unique achievement of FIVE FA Cup Medals and the fact he was an automtic England choice for five seasons- only Douglas and Clayton can better that length of representation for England. I believe it is important that we recognise the first period of Rovers' domination. The time when not only the Rovers but Blackburn was a major force in the World. When Forrest was playing, over 50% of all the manufactured cotton goods in the world were originating in the mills of Blackburn- a staggering thought.

"tough tackling"? I think the rest of the article is a bit of a Rangers dream as well. Aren't Managers supposed to get into trouble for unsettling players at other clubs? Anyway, I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere, Ferguson is class and key to the Rovers surviving and thriving in the Prem. However, there will be an awful lot of money (not much of it at Ibrox) chasing not a lot of players in January and we are gooing to have a huge fight to hold onto Ferguson and Emerton.