I’ll be honest here; this is a must win game. After this game we have league games against Everton and Villa, with a league cup game v Notts Forrest thrown in between those games.

Then after Villa and the retrn of big Brad and Stephen Warnock, we have Le Arse, Chelski, The B@stards, and ManUre.

This is a must win game.

Hopefully we will have a lot of players to choose from. Emerton is close to making a comeback, and Dunn, Reidy and Grella all should have used these 7 days extra to get back into shape and fit. Here’s the team I would put out:

——————-Robbo———————
Jacobsen Samba Givet Chimbonda
Dioufy Dunn Nzonzi Pederson
Benni (if fit) Kalinic

Wolves have earned 4 points from their 4 games but should be ours for the taking. If we go out and play solid defensively (like we have been lately) and our strikers can get some shots on target, we should pull out the 3 points.

Any thoughts about the game? Your XI you would field? As always, let me know and UP THE ROVERS!

It means we now have 4 quality strikers on the books with Di Santo, Benni, Jason Roberts, and Dioufy. With Gally probably going to be sold but Nikola Kalinic a possible singing it means our striking woes are gone for the start of this season.

We haven’t even dropped near half of the RSC sale, and we have all this money to spend of Kalinic and another midfielder. So this gives us this week and next to bolster and strengthen our starting squad in the middle of the park. Exciting times, and things are looking promising.

We do need these reinforecemnts though, as N’zonzi and van Heerden will probably need ressie time before even being considered for the starting XI. A new, quality midfielder who will walk right into the team and start is still pretty necessary in my opinion. However, with this striker situation having been resolved, things are looking up for the start of this term. As always, UP THE ROVERS!

We’ve looked at a ton of strikers and have graced the football hot sheets’ back pages many times this summer. Lets take a look at some of the strikers we’ve been linked to this summer shall we…..
We were in for Ruud, but that quickly fell through. Then we were out of the race for Crouch before the race even started. Then it was crafty old vet Vieri’s turn for a chance to shine at Ewood. But he pulled a no show and is now playing poker. Some one wanted a move for Bent, so of course we were linked to him straight away, for a hefty £13million sum no less. Glad we missed that one. Then we inquired about Benjani, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to lure Niko Zigic from Valencia.

More recently, the signing of Algerian international Kamel Ghilas fell through before it became serious as the striker from Celta Vigo failed his medical.

Now we play a waiting game. After writing on a report in the Mirror, Rovers are still waiting on the arrival of Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo on season long loan. Even Benni Mac, who is working on his fitness all summer, would love to see the strike force bolstered, even if it means a cut in his own playing time.

So everyone from Big Sam right down to myself is eager to see who we can bring in to increase our goal count for next season. With a little more than 2 weeks till kickoff, who can we hope to see walking out onto the pitch in the famous Blue and White Halves? I might not know exactly who right now, but I have faith that it will be someone who can do a job for us up front, and move us back up the table where we belong.

Alright, I know I’ve been absent for a couple of days and there has been a lot of stuff going on. I made the trip to Baltimore Friday night to see the Chelski v AC Milan game and have been readjusting my sleep and time schedule all weekend while traveling up and down the East Coast. So, here’s some links to some stories I’ll be talking about this week, as alot is going on in the world of BRFC.

In Squad news: Keith Andrews has signed a new 4 year deal, while winger Keith Treacy has been loaned out to Sheffield United till the end of the year.

Also, a nice article on Brett Emerton and his desire for a healthy return from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Jason Roberts has hailed new arrival N’zonzi as “one to watch,” while Warnock has announced that Rovers need “a flying start” to the new Premier League campaign.

In transfer news, Zigic has said he is happy to stay with Valencia, while in today’s People, Alan Nixon has reported that Big Sam is in Russia scouting and pricing Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Finally for today, you can read the report on the 1-1 draw against Leeds yesterday where Gally equalized from the penalty spot after a poor first half from Rovers.

All these stories and more in detail to come this week, including and new transfer news. As always UP THE ROVERS!

In this interview with SkySports, Sam talks about how Ruud is now out of contention and the Rovers attention.

“I think probably Ruud, from a salary point of view, is out of our reach. And I think he is not going to be fit until September, so that is not going to be what we are looking for at the moment.”

Not what we’re looking for. He’s gotta be healthy and he’s gotta accept a lower salary and neither of those things seem to be happening. However, take a listen to that interview on the video before the article. We see how Sam hasn’t brought in a striker yet. In the interview he says he’s waiting to see who some other teams bring in. Looks like we’re waiting to see who’s going to get off loaded and pick up a striker with some Prem experience. Could turn out to be a good move. We’ll see.

Moving On…..

Peter Crouch has been ruled out after the £14million price tag has left Rovers realistically out of the picture of swaying him from Portsmouth. Not too upset about that one, never really believed the rumors he would move here.

Christian Vieri is training with the club now, according to SkySports. Why Rovers? 35 year old washed up striker, so why? I don’t think this will amount to anything. We don’t need another Fowler running around taking up wages and space….and food.

The DailyMail is reporting today that Chelski new boy Yuri Zhirkov is a Blackburn Rovers fan! Hm…how long is his contract for again?

In other linkage, I will now steal a segment from Around the Horn, a show on ESPN in America, called BUY or SELL!

Daily mail linking us to Luis Garcia? Sell.

The Mirror has linked Ricky Sbragia with a move to the backroom of Rovers as Ince steals mate Robinson back to MK Dons with him. Buy or Sell? I’m going to sell this one. But not because I wouldn’t like to see Sbragia at Rovers. The guy knows his stuff and could only help BFS. Selling because he has a job for life at Sunderland and probably wouldn’t leave for us.

That’s all for now, comments are always welcomed and encouraged. I would love to have a new striker to write about soon, but we’ll have to wait and see. UP THE ROVERS!

With no actual strikers in the starting XI (does anyone know why Benni mac wasn’t? Does Big Sam really not like him that much or is he hurt and I missed it?) Rovers were forced to play with Samba and Villanueva up front. They took their chances where they could with MGP and Nelson all having attempts that failed to really materialize into much.

The stand out performance of the game I think was Robbo. Without him between the sticks the scoreline would have been a much different and higher digit. Highlights after the jump, I hate reporting losses, it makes me feel like a journalist and not a fan. So here’s looking towards West Brom, let’s go out on a high. UP THE ROVERS!
Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers

Also, Kevin Gallagher did a bit for SoccerAM, great stuff. Check it out, you’ll really love it.- Click

And Lastly and without a doubt least-ly (sp?) SixFingeredMongols FC beat Chelski on penalties tonight. I feel a draw might be destiny and while I am 100% sure we will crush them anytime anywhere, I will become the Sultan of Sulk if we don’t annihilate them to the point of their club folding.

Sunderland again at the weekend, hopefully a similar result. UP THE ROVERS!!

PS: Roque is the best and we need him working at peak efficiency to maintain hopes for a good season.

Rovers really started off poorly, allowing Chelsea a ton of chances in the first 30 minutes. Paul Robinson really is back to great form as the game would have ended 12-0 had he not been there making some great saves. Rovers were dealt their first blow off of, what can be a described as a freak accident, deflection off of Anelka’s knee. Robinson was extremely wrong footed and helpless, he desperately called for an offside as the ball trickled in over the line. If you haven’t seen it, it is in the highlights, and you can’t help but feel for the guy. Having the game of his life and something like that goes and happens.

Rovers had some great chances as well, notably King Carlos’ strike that was clocked at one thousand miles per hour. Well, not really. But seriously, it was. How Cech saved it I’ll never know, but that’s why he’s one of the top 3 keepers in the world.

Anelka’s second goal was class. Again, the highlight reel will show it, but you can’t take anything away from that calm and collected chip finish. Also, no fault really to Robbo charging to save it, just unlucky. The Rovers still took the game to Chelsea most of the second half and were unlucky to not get something when Roberts had his chance on goal that Cech immediately got huge for and parried.

Sitting in 15th now we are, and Warnock will be missing out of the next league game after picking up his 5th yellow of the season. Hopefully we can stop these revitalized Spuds and get back on winning ways. Highlights after the jump.

Highlights:

Watch Blackburn v Chelsea in News Online  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Somethings that have happened:
Jason Roberts has penned a new deal.

Jury still out on King Carlos

Benni mac out the door this winter?

Reidy goes under the knife in the U.S. and some news on Dunn?

Congolese sensation Tresor Mputu set to star trial at Ewood.

Well, I hope this weekend isn’t entirely terrible. I do hope we can manage a draw. Or a win. A win would be huge. We’re 2 points off 7th, so 13th isn’t terrible now. We just can’t fall into a complacent rut. Well, UP THE ROVERS!

Blackburn Rovers chairman John Williams has vowed not to sacrifice the clubs proud family heritage in the quest to find a new owner at Ewood Park.

With more and more clubs being subjected to high profile takeover bids, with Manchester City being the latest as the Abu Dhabi United Group (and all its millions!!!) moves in to finalise the takeover of our Premier League rivals, it makes it increasingly difficult for clubs like Rovers to compete. However, despite the ongoing quest to find a new owner at Ewood Williams is adamant that Rovers WON’T sell out the club simply because a potential investor might have untold millions. The Walker Trustees want to make sure that a potential new owner comes in with the best interests of the club and the fans at heart.

I can’t resist using this blog to comment on the Man City take over and all it’s implications. Seems that in a few years we may as well all give up and go watch La Liga or Serie A – seriously.

English football is already predictable enough. You know that when Man Utd, or Chelsea or Liverpool play anyone but each other that the result is pretty much a foregone conclusion. We play Man United next week and I’ll say it now: we won’t win. Other leagues have this situation but it is not as extreme as that of the EPL, and it’s more fluid. Here success is almost solely defined by money, not good management. Teams like Rovers, Boro and Everton are probably the best run in the league and we can’t even get to the Champions League!

The Man City thing has just added to that. Football is now a game of the haves and have nots and is becoming less competitive. I’m a big fan of the NHL and the contrast in competitiveness in American sport compared to European football is startling. It makes it so much more fun and interesting, and exciting when your team wins.

Winning a normal game, to Man Utd or Chelsea fans, is just an ego booster, a bit of small comfort, a relief. When Rovers win a game it is a joy, a suprise almost. That’s what sport should be about.

A radical rethink is needed. I would be in support of salary caps, draft systems, redistribution of money to the poorer teams in an attempt to keep the league competitive.

In the meantime I’m kind of glad that we haven’t been bought out by an Arab Emirate of some sort, or an American banker or a dodgy Russian oligarch. And I’ve no idea how I’ll react if we become one of the EPL ‘haves’.

But if I do loose all hope (which I haven’t yet I stress), the hockey season starts in 3 weeks…