*Official* English Football Season 2011-12

[Nate]

I don't think we will. I don't remember ever seeing a Blackburn team this shaky at the back, we look like we could conceed nearly every time the opposition gets the ball. Wigan and Wolves have looked pretty ordinary when I've watched them, but I think we're a worse team (with a worse manager) than QPR and Bolton.

We're a team that is extremely good at grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory (Everton and Newcastle @ Ewood for example). I truly believe it comes down to Samba. If he remains off the rails we'll be relegated. If he comes back and gets some stability going at the back we're a shot. Yakubu has been incredible and must stay fit, we'd probably already be gone without his goals. The team in general has talent, we've beaten Man U and Arsenal while drawing with Liverpool and look great at times, but it all seems to be in spite of Steve Kean (see second half vs QPR after his substitutions) which to me suggests it can't be sustained.

I'm extremely pessimistic about where the club is headed. The owners don't seem to know much about the game but want to have a direct influence on how the club is run, the worst kind of owner. They were talking up ambitions of European football, but have done nothing but strip the club bare since coming here. Since the sale the only money the club has spent has been what we got for Jones/Kalinic, next to no money has been made available to improve the squad. Given the owners got rid of BFS because they wanted the team to play a different style they should have known that changing a team set up to play a certain way doesn't just happen with a few hundred k and a snap of the fingers and it definitely doesn't happen without a manager who really knows what he's doing.

There seems to be an obsession with shedding older players, even when it is to the obvious detriment to the team (Nelsen moved on, Salgado frozen out when we have a backline crying out for some leadership). I think the owners want the team to become something of an export/development club. We have a solid academy/youth set up, and I think the money Jones attracted has the dollar signs lighting up their brains.

If we manage a great escape this year I think we'll either need new owners or face the drop within 3 years.

I'm hearing what you're saying, and I think SIGN RONALDO AND PELE AND XAVI EAT SOME CHICKEN etc.

...but for seriousnesses, it's interesting hearing from a Blackburn fan. Ta.

 

[Ausage]

If we could just get 1% of India following Rovers...

 

[Nate]

I watched an episode of something (maybe Premier League World), where the Rovers went to India (maybe pre-season) and played against a local side (maybe Pune). Despite my best efforts to sound vague, it was pretty interesting, and I definitely think that there's a market there.

But yeah, Venky's just seem clueless.

 

[marc71178]

Could it work out that 5th and down don't even make Europa?

No, 5th always makes the Europa. If Liverpool beat ****iff (please God make it happen) on Sunday then they're guaranteed Europa and if they by some freak occurrence then get 4th the Europa spot goes to 6th.

 

[Furball]

Could it work out that 5th and down don't even make Europa? Would be brutal for Arsenal to be left out of it altogether.

Very excited for the Cup final this weekend.

I don't quite know how that could possibly work out. England's 3 Europa places go to the 5th placed team and the two cup winners.

 

[sledger]

Should bring back the Intertoto Cup imo.

 

[Pothas]

Mighty Bees on sky later.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Curbishley's pulled out of the race for the Wolfs' hotseat. With Colin finding his spiritual home at Elland Road, it looks like Bruce will add to his lengthening list of mediocrity, unless the board take a punt on someone younger.

 

[grecian]

Mighty Bees on sky later.

You do surprise me

 

[wpdavid]

For some reason I just did the bbc predictor thing. Given how terribly I'm doing in the predictor thingy it is undoubtedly totally wrong. Had Wolves down with Blackburn and QPR, Wigan just one point clear thanks
to beating Wolves in last game as QPR lose to champions Man City.

In reality you do have to fancy Wigan to go down but they will just keep plugging away and you never know. Have kind of expected Bolton to get away from it all season but not really sure right now and there is no doubt Blackburn can score goals. QPR you would have thought have the squad to stay up now, but that run in is fairly awful and who knows about Wolves with a change of manager. Basically I have no clue but it's going to be interesting.

I can't help thinking that Wigan used up their luck when staying up last season. They play some pretty football and their manager's a nice bloke, but they just look lightweight to me. The only reason they might stay up is that there are some seriously poor sides above them, but I still think they'll go down. Bolton look like gonners too: afaics they're actually getting worse as the season progresses, and I don't think that Coyle knows how to turn things around. Beyond those two, I think the QPR squad is massively over-rated - as is their manager. Wolves look shocking as the moment, but you can see them recovering if they find a decent manager. As for Blackburn, they're slowly on the up, aren't they? As long as Yakubu and Samba stay fit, anyway.

 

[GIMH]

 

[Pothas]

You do surprise me

What a ****ing side you saw today.

Feel dirty for for not going but was home for my Dad's birthday, watched it in pub with the whole Kingsclere Brentford fan club which is a grand total of 3.

 

[Nate]

I don't quite know how that could possibly work out. England's 3 Europa places go to the 5th placed team and the two cup winners.

Thought it was 2 or 3 places. My bad.

Taking Monday off so I can watch teh finalzors. Please lose Cardiff.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Ugh. Stevenage looking better and better for sixth.

 

[Pothas]

What have they done to upset you?

 

[Pothas]

Curbishley's pulled out of the race for the Wolfs' hotseat. With Colin finding his spiritual home at Elland Road, it looks like Bruce will add to his lengthening list of mediocrity, unless the board take a punt on someone younger.

Which they are never going to do, such an uninspiring appointment. Hope they go down now, don't add a whole lot to the division in any case.

 

[cpr]

Only other person possibly in the mix if they do do a second round of interviews is Lee Clark, though he'd be best waiting for a Championship club with ambition rather than a Championship level club with no ambition.

Pains to see Bruce keep on getting bites at the Premiership cherry, as he's proven to do nothing. Might as well bring back Roy Keane into management - would be a delightful irony to watch him take over from Mick

 

[sledger]

If Wolves appoint the Spitting Image puppet I hope they go down, and given the fact that he'll have no chance to bring in any new players I imagine they will.

 

[Spikey]

ITSTL

 

[Pothas]

If Wolves appoint the Spitting Image puppet I hope they go down, and given the fact that he'll have no chance to bring in any new players I imagine they will.

We do get to his physical and mental disintegration again though, looked liking he was actually melting on the touch line towards the end of his days with Sunderland.