And we're off...

Didn't take too long did I?

Changes!

I've moved house, I've looked after my partner who had a broken leg.

All change at Ewood too? Not a bit! It's lovely to see that when all around is changing fast, Rovers are still the same. Yes we've new players but how long did it take to get them playing together. They started so badly, it was as if they'd decided to give the other teams a head start. However they've finally decided that if they want to win they've got to keep the ball - strange really - but at least that's settled.

Nonda is a likely candidate, none to sure about Benni - may be a bit light weight but I hope I'm wrong. Jeffers offers much but doesn't seem to get much service and poor Roberts, the one in pre-season with the most potential, injured.

On the other hand Gally must be close to getting a league start, when he comes on he certainly makes a difference. He passes to our players for a start. Bentley is playing better too, but the player who has made the biggest impact has been our Brett - who is this right back? He's still getting used to the position but he is having a stormer.

It's going to be a long season and we've only, just begun but at least we're off!

Are Rovers at the Crossroads?

Without so much as a bye your leave Mark Hughes has gone and done a soap on us. Yes, it’s a saga that has been going on for nigh on twelve months now and who does it look like he is signing but Benni. Not the one from the old Birmingham soap, the one from Porto – best mate of the Axe or so we are led to believe, same agent but hopefully less of a thug and bit more of a talent.

Seriously though, Hughes has again spent the money he has been given wisely, £3M for Roberts, good business if you ask me, he’s strong, fast and is a bit more than just a goal scorer, £2M for McCarthy if everything goes through (looking at the Mido episode it might go through, or it might fall through), but another good effort. This is even more remarkable when you consider other clubs’ signings e.g. Wigan £5M for Heskey - they’ve got stitched up there! Anyway back to Rovers, Hughes with the exception of Bellamy has managed to hold onto his squad (well the ones he wanted to keep), he’s improved wages where necessary and he’s seen Kuqi completely change his personality – not quite sure if having a nutter in your team is a good thing.

So are we going to be challenging for that European spot again? I can’t see why not the team is fit and strong and there’ll be greater competition for places. It’s a crossroads okay, we can either make a name for ourselves, or we can do an Everton and shrivel up into nothingness. Personally speaking I’d go for the former and if signing Benni works as I hope it will then I think we’re in for a good season.

…I wonder if he will wear a woolly hat?

...And They're Off

Wide on the right is Morton Gamst Pedersen, being quickly overtaken by everybody who could be bothered. Coming strong on the inside right is Gallagher...Well it could have been more entertaining, but it was okay. As a spectacle it wasn't one and try as they might the Rovers never really got out of the traps.

The pitch was awful and this didn't help. Friedel suffered especially, his kicking was more that a bit off, but I suppose he would argue that he was making sure the ball didn't bobble. Accy Stanley would however be better moving to a ground where they could save a fortune in footballs - I lost count of the number of balls that were kicked out of the ground...mostly by the Rovers players, Kuqi's volley in the second half was immense. He was probably closer to scoring in one of the goals at Ewood.

But back to the players Gray looked okay and had plenty of energy, unfortunately for him Pedersen, on the same wing wasn't at the same match and struggled with his crosses, over hitting, under hitting - Hughes must have wondered what was happening...I know that I was. Todd and Zura looked okay, just another training game really. Matteo well, he must be on a fortune as a reserve player because he's never going to play for the first team again. Agathe was pretty good going forward and set up a cracking second goal, for Jeffers, but there were a few defensive lapses, put it down to fitness maybe!

Bentley was okay a few good touches but too elaborate in possession and thus he frequently lost the ball, Savage was Savage ran a lot, didn't do a lot, but at least he ran. Tugay...well I can't help feeling we'll miss him when he goes eventually. However, the only real spark throughout the team was in the form of Gallagher, I think he's been on a summer tackling school. He appears to have a lot more about him - nice touches, plenty of skill and not afraid to shoot - maybe he'll teach Mr Angry a few things. Yes Kuqi, maybe he learned a few unsavoury points from playing alongside Dichov. That player who upended Peter will remember not to pick on smaller people when they've got a minder in tow. Then he abused the linesman, the ref, anyone and everyone, perhaps he'd had bad news (maybe someone had questioned his first touch).

Which really leaves Roberts and Jeffers, what can I say, Jeffers ran a lot didn't lose the ball much, didn't get the ball much, but scored amd Roberts looked strong, fast and had quick enough reactions to score from a rebounded effort - then went off injured.

All in all a run about, but a successful conclusion to the match. A 3-0 win isn't a bad start and Accy were trying, bless them.

Bring on New Zealand and the rest of the World.

Ewood…where?

They’ve been offered the deal of a lifetime…plenty of money, great playing facilities and as many Holland’s pies as they can eat and yet they still say no. Just can’t fathom it, what’s wrong with Blackburn?

Has Mido said no? One day he has, the next talks are continuing. Which way will it go? Who’s coming, who’s going? Thank god the talented one from Birmingham went to Wigan…£5.5 million for Heskey, surely they didn’t pay that. We only paid three and a bit for Bellamy!

Viduka, Geremi, Ferrari, Mascapone and many other Italian dishes have all been linked at some point!

Then on the other hand who’s going? Would it be wise to let Kuqi go to Coventry? What has Coventry done? Who would the blokes behind me complain about and anyway there’s a lumpy bit of ground that could do with flattening from one of his after goal specials.

Gally and McKeveley to Stoke? Johnson to anywhere except Ewood - please...we'll pay!

Thankfully in Hughes we’ve got a manager who knows of more decent players with Welsh heritage than anyone has honestly got a right to own up to and I’m sure he’s played with more footballers than anyone else. Jeffers was the latest to admit he'd played alongside Hughsey…
”Did you kick him?”
“Oh no, no one kicked Mark Hughes!” was his quick reply. See looks aren't everything, he's obviously not daft.

Maybe that’s the real reason the Midos of this World are overlooking the green valleys and rolling hills of Lancashire.

They’re scared!

Just like the buses.

Well there’s none for ages then two turn up at once. Good luck to them. In Roberts we have a striker who has fast legs and sharp elbows and thus should fit in pretty well into a squad that are not afraid of mixing it. Let’s just hope he doesn’t fall out with Hughes as he evidently did with his former boss.

Then there’s Jeffers, brilliant a few years ago, but did the sound of his own name go to his head? Well he certainly won’t get that unless he shapes himself at Ewood. There was little doubt that he was a superb prospect a few years ago but can Hughes and co work their magic here? He’s got his work cut out here…I think. But if I’m proved wrong then I’ll be the first to hold my hand up. I think the heavily incentive based package he’s been offered might be a clue as to why he has failed to deliver at his previous two clubs.

Anyway I can sleep well now I know we’ve managed to buy a couple of strikers and haven’t only got Gally and Kuqi to rely on. Being a Rovers fan we never know what tomorrow might bring, before you know it we’ll have signed Mido and the World will seem a much brighter place.

C'mon Who's Next?

What can I say? Just look at the list; Lineker, Hughes, Beckham, Owen...Lucas Neill. Yes finally it's happened. The ROOster is being touted as the next saviour of La Liga, the right back of all right backs, sorry, the centre back of all centre backs.

Yes, he had a great season for us last year and Hughes has worked wonders...but Barcelona! They'll be telling us next that Emerton has had a great World Cup, has marked Ronaldinho out of the game and was playing right back. Ha...

But seriously, or as serious as I can get, surely this courting of our players can only be good for our club, so they say. It raises our profile, adds to our clubs coffers and allows us to buy natural talent. Can’t we just keep our own natural talent? What club do you come from? Oh, Chelski, Man U, Tottingham and Liverpool. We’re not interested in you’re money. No still not interested…go on, shoo, get lost. GO AWAY!