That trait is not exclusive to the favoured England players under Sven. Every time a team is in relegation trouble and a manager is in danger of the sack the players chirp up about what a thoroughly bloody good bloke and manager he is. (Why didn't you play for him then?) Then as soon as the new man comes in (which invariably sparks an improvement) it's all about how much more enjoyable playing and training is under the new guy!

Think me and Waggy have been saying this about Neill for a couple of seasons now. Can't defend but the next "super atko" in the making.

So the pre season scoring stats for the forwards are Gally 5 Stead and Dickov 2 and De Pedro 1? Interesting.

Imagine us as a publically quoted Company. The season ticket letter from JW is the flotation prospectus and the comments from Souey are the interim trading statements. "The aim is not to go bankrupt (be relegated) this year" is not going to encourage anyone to invest (buy a season ticket) in the first instance and is more likely to have people stampeding to sell (not renew) It's just about promoting the club and our prospects in a positive light.

If only the FA had appointed Brian Clough at the peak of his powers c1973-76 instead of Revie/Uncle Ron Greenwood.

It's little to do with whether he had an affair (again) at work per se. It's about whether when asked about it by his employers he deliberately lied about it to try and cover his own arse thereby inducing the FA to put out an official release which turned out to be false.

Sh!t, Simon, you're so right. Souness should shut his mouth and cease these ridiculous utterances. Good lad Tris. Glad we're finally agreed. If the words in red said "Enable Blackburn Rovers to be in the top half of the table a year from now" he'd be on the right lines PR wise. None of which desperately matters if we're actually performing on the pitch of course.

Ermm........Amoruso, Short, Matteo, Johansson (Todd, McEveley) Stead, Gally, Dickov, Jansen (Yorke) Dead heat?

But is anyone really that bothered? Personally I tend towards the point of view that any number of people could have perfoermed as averagely as Sven has given the talent he has at his disposal. EDIT: In any event there is no chance of Sven simply "walking away" and forgoing £14m compensation. If nothing else he is motivated by love of money.

I'll start it again, and I'll keep on about it until he stops coming out these daft comments. I'm sure it hasn't escaped your attention it's emptying Ewood and progressively eating into season ticket sales regardless of whether you feel it has any effect on performances on the field. (I think it does) A simple "I'm happy with the squad I've got and we're going to give it a real good go" or "let's do the best we possibly can" or "the aim is to improve on last season" etc would be far more helpful.

Regardless of the ifs and buts surrounding his future with the club, I cannot see any reason whatsoever for not keeping him in the squad. It's just a waste of money and resources. Same with Andy Todd, although it seems Wigan are preparing to take him JJB-way very soon. I was wondering if there was any way back for Todd given Yorke's miraculous pheonix from the ashes type situation. Guess the difference is someone's willing to pay something for Todd, but no-one's willing to take on Yorke's wages.

Good to see we're aiming sky high as usual. If the extent of our ambition is quite that low, we can't possibly do anything else but struggle. It's this more than anything else which perplexes me about Souness. He was so warrior like as a player but is obviously now content for his team to scrape by on the bare minimum, i.e. finishing 17th is a successful season.

Plus ca change etc.....

Actually no he hasn't. Jeff Powell was anti-Sven when he was appointed on the basis that he wasn't English. He came out with the comment that what can this country of skiers who spend half their time in darkness teach us about football. Typical Daily Mail really. However when Sven got some good results he changed and seemed to forget everything he had previously written. It seems he has now done another u-turn. The FA won't sack Sven because they can't afford to. If, as he says, he hasn't lied about an affair they can't do anything about him. If they want to get rid because of football reasons fair enough but this stuff is just nonsense. "Oh yes he has!" INSERT REPLY HERE I'm quite aware Powell's vehement opposition to Sven's appointment was on the basis he wasn't English and anything he writes about Sven has to be read in that context. Just enjoyed that quote that's all. Can't honestly recall him ever changing his tune and saying much complimentary about Sven either but I'll take your word for it. The FA might be entitled to sack Sven depending on what has actually gone on. IF he wilfully misled them into issuing an official statement which was false and subsequently had to be retracted, then that could conceivably amount to gross misconduct, especially taken in conjunction with the Ulrika "scandal" and his discussions with Chelski.

Enjoyed this quote in the Daily Mail from Jeff Powell today: (He's always been fiercely anti Sven's appointment) "Eriksson has drained more than enough money out of our game already, millions of pounds which would have been better invested in the grass roots of football instead of lining the pockets of those trousers which spend an unseemly amount of time around his ankles." Personally given the players he's had at his disposal I think Sven has done OK but no better no worse. Whether he's worth £4m p.a. is another matter altogether.

Forgot to mention it before but one of the best things about Sir Roger apart from his unsurpassed keeping abilities was his wont for dribbling the ball round the entire opposition forward line whenever he got bored!

Wouldn't quite class him as a "cult hero" but arguably my favourite ever Rovers player, and as good as Shilton and Clemence at the time IMHO. But more or less completely overlooked playing for a third division team. Then again I'm biased as he and Tony Field were my two idols as a schoolkid.

Shearer was obviously the best by far but in terms of cult heroes would have to go with Keeley Speedie Hendry

Why all credit to Souey for showing his humanitarian side in resurrecting Babbel's ailing career and helping to put him in the shop window. From a footballing perspective it was however more or less clear from the off the Liverpool man had no real interest in playing for Blackburn Rovers and things like passing to team mates and putting his body on the line to prevent a goal were alien concepts.

You're obviously on a wind up with your " Souness can do no wrong" crusade Tris but just to play devil's advocate: 1) 10 home defeats. 2) Inability to put a personal feud with Cole aside and work together for the good of the club 3) + 4) agreed 5) irrelevant 6) Grabbi £7m, Yorke £2m, Gresko £3m, Reid £2.5m, Mahon £1m (and on last season's form Emerton £2.5m and Amoruso, if he doesn't prove to be less injury prone, £1.5m) You've never had a good word to say about Cole so by your criteria buying someone for £7m and releasing them 2 and a half seasons later is another £7m written off. Total £26.5m. (+Greer, Yeldell, wages for Baggio) 7) Sales - what sales? £2m profit on Bent otherwise the only 2 worthwhile sales he's made were of players he inherited, not purchased. 8) I didn't win anything in football last season. So we're exactly equal there.

So as things stand (and I know it may change) we've got rid of the player who won't say a bad word about the club and are still paying the wages of the one who slagged us up hill and down dale in the tabloids. What's that all about?

The strip does look excellent. Come on Sports Soccer pitch it in sub 30 quid. You know it makes sense!

Maybe he should, but you could hardly blame him if he didn't bearing in mind Souness has already had his go and branded him a "baby". Rev........imo most people agreed with him. Maybe man management is not Soueys forte but the accuracy of his judgement about these 3 and his honesty in coming out with it cannot be questioned. My only prob with GS is that whilst we had to buy Cole or face the drop he was bloody blind not to see that Yorkes days as a professional footballer had already passed when he was at Man Utd. For Yorkes type once gone there is no return. My point is that if Cole comes out and gives his version in the Sunday rags (and there's usually 2 sides to a story) it is once again more publicity which will reflect poorly on the manager and club. Whilst not totally disagreeing with Souey perhaps it would have been better if he had left it at a simple "we didn't see eye to eye on footballing matters"

Fair comment.

Maybe he should, but you could hardly blame him if he didn't bearing in mind Souness has already had his go and branded him a "baby".